XBTV

Courtesy Santa Anita The news late Saturday of the passing of Jeff Siegel, the legendary handicapper and longtime member of the Santa Anita Park family, hit with an unexpected weight. Not that his passing at age 74 was unexpected, as he had been fighting aggressive cancer since earlier this year. But the finality of the news brought with it the realization that Jeff was gone and the hole that he left behind is unlikely to be replaced. "Jeff Siegel was, and will always be the epitome of Santa Anita Park,"...

Mike Renfro caught 28 touchdowns during his eleven seasons in the NFL playing for the Houston Oilers and the Dallas Cowboys. Like most athletes, even after all these years, he misses those Sunday afternoons, the camaraderie with his teammates and the thrill of competition. But what would fill the void when he walked off the field for the last time in 1988? To Renfro, that's a very easy question to answer. He discovered horse racing. Thirty-seven years later, Renfro is part of the CJ Thoroughbreds ownership group, which has its...

During his 22 years serving in the Kentucky State Senate, Damon Thayer was known as a fierce advocate for the horse racing industry. Thayer decided not to run for re-election in 2024, but that doesn't mean that he stopped trying to help the sport, using his considerable political acumen to do so. Thayer has accepted the job as the senior advisor to the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative--a group formed to try to fight off efforts to decouple the racing and casino and card room licenses in Florida. To talk about his...

The newly-launched 1/ST TV features a rebranding of XBTV's workout site, which offers coast to coast videos in addition to newly incorporated livestreams from Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park and HipicaTV. XBTV has offered workout content since 2015, and will now bridge 1/ST RACING & GAMING assets under the same branding to leverage its overall brand strength. 1/ST TV will also segment the free video workouts from the East Coast (Gulfstream Park, many of the South Florida training centers and Saratoga) and the West Coast (Santa Anita Park and Del...

Saffie Joseph, Jr. has had some big days since he came to the U.S. from his native Barbados in 2011, but perhaps none bigger than last Saturday at Gulfstream Park. He had three stakes wins, including a score with Be Your Best (Ire) (Muhahaarar ({GB}) in the GII Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes and a win with Mystic Lake (Mo Town) in the GII Inside Information Stakes. But the one that really mattered was the victory by White Abarrio (Race Day) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes....

Among several notable workers for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert on Saturday morning at Santa Anita was Citizen Bull (Into Mischief), who this week was named the 2024 champion 2-year-old male. With rain expected later in the day and continuing through the weekend, it was a busy training session on both the main track and training track as 229 horses recorded timed workouts ahead of the weather. Citizen Bull worked in company with older horse Pilot Commander (Justify), who most recently was fourth in the GI Malibu Dec. 26....

A light work tab Thursday included the return of Grade I winner Speed Boat Beach (Bayern) for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. The dark bay, who was last seen winning the 2023 edition of the GI Malibu at Santa Anita, drilled three furlongs on the main track in :36.40 seconds (1/4). It was his first work since Sept. 21. Owned by Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman--the so-called 'Three Amigos'--Speed Boat Beach has four wins over seven starts and $498,000 in earnings. The Baffert trainee was a two-time...

Eoin Harty's world is chock full right now. For starters, his home is situated in the midst of one of the worst wildfires in California history, but somehow it has survived the nightmarish ordeal. Then, there is his role as the president of the California Thoroughbred Trainers, a position he has held since 2019. What that means is he is at the forefront of trying to turn around the declining fortunes of racing in the state, which he admits is no easy task. The good news is that he has...

In racing circles, trainer Jose D'Angelo might not yet be a "household name," but that's not going to last much longer. In this country for about five years, the native of Venezuela is coming off a stellar 2024 in which he won 140 races, including his first Grade I with Howard Wolowitz (Munnings) in the Aristocrat Franklin-Simpson Stakes. And it looks like 2025 might be even better. He has a stable full of potential stars that includes 'TDN Rising Star' Guns Loaded (Gun Runner), the winner of last Saturday's Mucho...

Bob Baffert trainees Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) and Gaming (Game Winner), who made up the exacta in the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar Nov. 1, were among several notables to record timed workouts Saturday morning at Santa Anita. A contender for the Eclipse Award as the top 2-year-old colt, Citizen Bull drilled alongside stablemate Richi (Chi) (Practical Joke) going five furlongs in 59.40 seconds, which was the second-fastest of 59 works at the distance. Gaming worked five furlongs in 1:02.60. For Citizen Bull, this was his third...

When bloodstock agent David Ingordo bought Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}) for just $60,000 out of the 2005 Keeneland September Sale he probably thought he had found that once-in-a-lifetime horse. Little did he know that the 2010 Horse of the Year, who was admitted to the Hall of Fame in 2016, might not be his very best purchase. Fourteen years after he discovered Zenyatta, he picked out Flightline (Tapit), paying $1 million for the future superstar. There was nothing coincidental about any of these selections. Over the years, Ingordo has solidified...

Zoe Cadman and Michelle Yu Hanson will host Thoroughbred Charities of America's Bash at the Breeders' Cup presented by Churchill Downs Incorporated on Friday, Nov. 1 at the Del Mar Hilton in Del Mar, Cal. The evening will offer savory bites, handcrafted cocktails, live music by Haute Chile, and an opportunity to bid on items all in support of TCA. Tickets are available here. Cadman is host and analyst for XBTV, Santa Anita Park and 1/ST Racing. Michelle Yu Hanson is a member of the Santa Anita Park simulcast team...