Mary Forney's Blog

Liaison puts in a bullet work at Santa Anita

2012-01-27T07:07:00.000-08:00

Grade 1 CashCall Futurity winner Liaison put in a bullet work Thursday morning at Santa Anita, going in company with stable mate Midnight Crooner for trainer Bob Baffert. Liaison, with jockey Martin Garcia up, was clocked in 1:11.80 for the 6-furlong work, with Midnight Crooner getting 1:12.40 - the fastest two works of 18 at the distance.

Both 3-year-old colts are owned by Arnold Zetcher, who also bred Midnight Crooner, a son of War Chant out of Midnight Kiss (NZ) by Groom Dancer.

Jockey World: Helping make dreams a reality

2012-01-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

A guest post by Kayla Jarvinen

Most of you reading this are likely racing fans, or, at the very least, attracted to the sport in some capacity for one reason or another. And what a wonderful sport it is; not without its share of positives and negatives of course, but you’d be hard-pressed to find another quite like it. If you are a racing fan however, or one seeking to get into the industry, you’ve probably also noticed that a majority of your every day acquaintances do not share your passion or even interest for it – they may in fact, even criticize it – and information is not readily available, especially the kind needed to pursue a career in horse racing. There are plenty of news sources out there to keep you up-to-date on the day-to-day going-ons in racing but very few resources if you’d like to learn more. It can be extremely frustrating. But thanks to the efforts of a few individuals determined to change that, it’s becoming easier. One such resource is Jockey World.

Founded in the spring of 2011, Jockey World was created by former Eclipse Award winning jockey and creator of the Equicizer, Frank Lovato, Jr. Jockey World is an interactive website that offers a wide variety of information, guidance, helpful tips and videos, as well as entertainment for people of all ages. Frankie and his partner, Fred Clemons, constantly come up with new ideas as they continue to expand Jockey World and have already created a large selection of tools, including an extensive range of forums containing topics ranging from riding to training and other jobs on the backside, to health and nutrition and much more.

One informative and entertaining tool they’ve developed is the weekly Jockey World Radio Show, which airs every Sunday at 4pm Eastern Time and is one of my favorite parts of the week. The guests we’ve had range from former jockey Laffit Pincay, Jr. to singer/songwriter Templeton Thompson. The shows are archived as well, which makes it easy to go back and listen later. There are contests (we just recently finished a 2012 photo calendar contest), short weekly videos, and a Jockey World store which contains some really cool stuff and even more resources created to help you. These are only a few of the things Jockey World offers.

I have to say, personally, watching Jockey World unfold from a brand new site with maybe a half dozen members to what it is today, it simply amazes me how far they’ve taken it in such a short amount of time! There are so many different people on there – all either in the industry, looking to get in like myself, or just huge fans, and it’s very easy to connect with everyone; and they are all more than willing to tell you about their experiences and offer advice. It’s turned into one big support system, and if you’re having a rough day, there’s always a friend there to help. Many of the people I now talk to the most, I met through Jockey World!

Some of the others tools they have come out with include a program called Jockey World Academy; as you know, there are many aspects to racing, and the Academy’s been a great tool to not only show me specifically what I don’t know yet but then also to help me learn it! Being homeschooled on top of it, I’ve had the benefit of being able to incorporate the Academy work into school credits, which is pretty neat. There is a subscribing option for the site too and I’d recommend any who are serious about wanting to learn more about horse racing to consider it – whether you’re a fan or someone actively working to get in, or already in, the business. Not only will you have access to a wider selection of forum topics but there are numerous other perks as well, including additional time with the experts and Frankie himself.

I wish I could put into words what Jockey World means to me and how much it has helped me but I haven’t yet figured out how to do so. I don’t think it’s possible really. It’s a community. An incredible one. And I’m so proud to be a small part of it!

So please, take a few minutes, and check out JockeyWorld.net. I look forward to meeting you all very soon!

About Kayla:

I am 17-years-old, homeschooled, and working hard to wrap up my schooling to graduate high school. I'm going to be a jockey and over the coming year will be taking the next steps needed as I get closer to making that a reality. I'm excited to see what the year will bring both in that aspect and also as the incredible community on Jockey World continues to grow and get better each day!See Kayla's previous post here.

California Racin’

2012-01-04T16:32:00.000-08:00

A guest post by Craig Kibler

Horse racing has been popular in this country since the mid 1800’s. The popularity of the sport has been up and down, but horse racing at times has been seen as the most entertaining spectator sport around. Ever since Saratoga Race Course (oldest sporting venue in the country) in New York was erected in 1863, the thrill of watching a horse race has spread from coast to coast. Later in the 19th century, a few more notable horse racing venues, including Churchill Downs and Pimlico Race Course, were built. In the early 1900’s more venues popped up, but until 1934 there were no major horse racing venues west of the Mississippi River.

On Christmas day 1934, Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, CA opened its doors for the first time. This well-known race course has an amazingly beautiful setting and historical importance as well. From the grandstands you can see the picturesque San Gabriel Mountains beyond the track at Santa Anita Park. Along with being the oldest horse racing course in southern California, it has hosted the Breeders’ Cup five times (1986, 1993, 2003, 2008, and 2009) and is scheduled to host the event again in November of 2012. This popular track also hosts well attended events every year that include the Santa Anita Derby, the Santa Anita Handicap*, and Sunshine Millions Day.

* Famous horse Sea Biscuit ran his last race and won in the 1939 Santa Anita Handicap

The Hollywood Park Racetrack, opened in 1938, is another very popular horse racing venue in California. Hollywood Park facilities include a 1.125 mile synthetic race course as well as a 1 mile and 145 ft. turf oval. The lavish services at Hollywood Park bring the kind of luxury that you would expect at a place that carries such a name. The track is well-known for spectacular dining and busy poker rooms.

Hollywood Park Racetrack hosts many events every year that include Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, and ungraded races. The most popular races at Hollywood Park are the Hollywood Derby, Hollywood Gold Cup, and the American Oaks Invitational.

Much like Santa Anita, Del Mar Racetrack has a gorgeous scene around the venue. The track is located in the Del Mar Fairgrounds and it is parked right up against the Pacific Ocean. Many refer to this beautiful sports venue as the place “where the surf meets the turf.”

Del Mar Racetrack was built by a few famous investors who included Bing Crosby and Jimmy Durante. Crosby was very much involved with the opening of his new racetrack in 1937, when he personally stood at the gates to greet patrons as they entered the venue. Another important historical note for this track is the fact that it was the location of the very first national broadcast for a horse race. NBC radio covered the head-to-head match-up of Sea Biscuit and Ligaroti on August 12, 1938. The purse for that race was $25,000; and now they host races like the Pacific Classic Stakes with a guaranteed $1,000,000 purse. Other notable races at Del Mar Racetrack are the Del Mar Oaks, Eddie Read Handicap, Bing Crosby Handicap, and the John C. Mabee Stakes.

Side Note:
One common link between a few of the California horse racing venues is the voice that covers many of the important races. Trevor Denman is the official voice for the Breeders’ Cup and announces for Del Mar Racetrack, Santa Anita Park, and Fairplex (Los Angeles County Fairgrounds). He is most remembered for his call at the 2009 Breeders’s Cup when Zenyatta came from 3 lengths back on the final turn to capture the victory and Denman exclaimed “This, Is, Unbelievable.”

California is a large state with a lot of people and several notable horse racing venues. Aside from the venues already mentioned, there is also a horse racing group known as CARF (California Authority of Racing Fairs) that holds races throughout the state at different fairgrounds. The tracks involved in this circuit are in located in Stockton, Pleasanton, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Ferndale, and Fresno.

There is also Golden Gate Fields, which is the one major horse racing track in northern California. The track mainly features Grade 2 and Grade 3 racing on their one-mile synthetic track or the 9/10 mile turf course. This venue is owned by MID, who also owns Santa Anita Park, and is located in a spot that actually straddles both Albany and Berkley. The most notable race at this track is the California Derby, which has been held since 1873 and is a first test for horses eyeing the Triple Crown.

The last venue worth mentioning is the Los Alamitos Race Course. It is located in Cypress and hosts both quarter horse and thoroughbred racing. Los Alamitos is the only track in the U.S. to hold four quarter horse races that have a purse over $1,000,000. Along with having the richest non-Breeders’ Cup 2-year-old race (2008 Los Alamitos 2 Million), the track also annually holds the richest 3-year-old quarter race (Los Alamitos Super Derby).

It’s incredible when you look at all the wonderful opportunities that horse racing offers in California. Much of the culture in the areas where these venues are located fits well for the prosperity of the tracks. The future of horse racing in California appears to be bright as the Breeders’ Cup returns to Santa Anita Park in 2012. The great weather in California makes their prestigious tracks a great choice for the Breeders’ Cup. The Triple Crown races are clearly not moving their location, but landing a bid for the rotating Breeders’ Cup is something that residents of California should appreciate and continue to see more of.

About the Author: Craig Kibler is the lead blogger for Sports Traveler, a leading sports tourism site specializing in providing horse racing tickets and trip packages. He regularly writes about a variety of sports and travel topics.

Girls and horses at Santa Anita

2012-01-03T16:35:00.000-08:00

What is that special bond that little girls seem to have with horses? It starts with toy horses, often leading to dreams of riding and having a horse of one's own. Here is a group of horse-crazy girls out at Santa Anita on a beautiful day last weekend.

Claudia, Consuelo, Jeaneth, Sarahi, and Angelica posed for a photo with John Henry in the Paddock Gardens. The girls had come from as far as San Bernardino with their families to enjoy the New Year's Day holiday racing and get a close-up look at the beautiful horses!

Game On Dude puts in first work of the year

2012-01-02T17:52:00.000-08:00

Santa Anita Handicap winner and Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up Game on Dude worked four furlongs in :48.20 at Santa Anita under Martin Garcia on New Year’s Day.

Trainer Bob Baffert indicated Game On Dude could make his 2012 debut in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 5.

Genius works 7 furlongs at Santa Anita

2011-12-31T19:44:00.001-08:00

Genius worked 7 furlongs in company on Saturday morning, 12/31/11 for trainer Bob Baffert. With jockey Martin Garcia aboard, Genius was clocked in 1:25.80.

The three-year-old son of Smart Strike out of the Dixieland Band mare Southern Swing is owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith.

Baffert said he is pointing Genius to the San Fernando for 4-year-olds around two turns, on Feb. 14 at Santa Anita.

Santa Anita Opening Day sights and sounds

2011-12-27T18:35:00.000-08:00

For those of you unable to be at the Great Race Place for opening day on the day after Christmas, here's a little taste of the sights and sounds you missed. It was a positively intoxicating day at the track!

Merry Christmas from Santa Anita!

2011-12-24T19:00:00.000-08:00

It's the day before Christmas, and Santa is getting in shape for his round-the-world sleigh trip with a little bit of exercise working horses at the track! Merry Christmas everybody, and thanks for following my blog this year.

Game On Dude works a bullet on Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T14:22:00.000-08:00

Santa Anita Handicap winner and Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up Game On Dude worked for trainer Bob Baffert on Christmas Eve morning on Santa Anita’s fast main track, going 5 furlongs in :58 flat, the fastest of 121 works at the distance. Jockey Martin Garcia was aboard for the work.

Game On Dude races for owners Bernie Schiappa, Diamond Pride LLC, Lanni Family Trust, and Mercedes Stable LLC.

Secret Circle works in company, may target Sham Stakes

2011-12-22T18:58:00.001-08:00

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint winner Secret Circle worked in company with Candrea this morning at Santa Anita for trainer Bob Baffert. With jockey Martin Garcia aboard, Secret Circle went 6 furlongs in 1:11.60 – the fastest of 12 works at the distance.

Secret Circle worked without blinkers this morning, a change from last week’s breeze, as Baffert works on getting the speedy colt to relax a bit.

“I think maybe with that work I am starting to think a little bit more in terms of running him long,” said Baffert. “Maybe running him a mile in the Sham coming up.” The Grade 3 Sham Stakes on Jan. 7 at Santa Anita is at one mile on the dirt.

Secret Circle, a 2-year-old son of Eddington out of the Dixieland Band mare Ragtime Hope, races for owner Mike Pegram.

May Day Rose preps for La Brea with bullet work

2011-12-20T17:45:00.000-08:00

Multiple graded stakes winner May Day Rose put in a nice work for trainer Bob Baffert this morning at Santa Anita in preparation for the $300,000 La Brea Stakes on Dec. 31. With Martin Garcia up, May Day Rose went six furlongs in 1:11.4 – the fastest of eight works at the distance.

Winner of the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita and Grade 3 Railbird Stakes at Hollywood Park this year, May Day Rose exits a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Chilukki Stakes at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5. The 3-year-old Rockport Harbor filly, owned by Kaleem Shah, is seeking her first Grade 1 victory in the La Brea.

“I’m very happy with the way she is coming into the race,” said Baffert. “When she works that well, she really runs a big race.”

Luck's John Ortiz fits right in at the racetrack

2011-12-19T16:33:00.000-08:00

John Ortiz with trainer Julio Canani at Clockers’ Corner, Santa Anita

Actor John Ortiz is often spotted at Clockers’ Corner these days, diligently soaking up the sights, sounds and unique ambiance of a training morning at Santa Anita Racetrack. Ortiz is obviously deeply immersed in his role in the highly anticipated new HBO series, Luck. In the series, he plays trainer Turo Escalante – a character fashioned after real-life trainer and racetrack character Julio Canani.

HBO viewers were treated to a sneak preview on Dec. 11 of what promises to be another great show from writer/producer David Milch (of Deadwood fame) and director Michael Mann. The series premiers on Sunday, Jan. 29.

Secret Circle works at Santa Anita

2011-12-16T19:27:00.001-08:00

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint winner Secret Circle worked in company at Santa Anita Thursday morning, Dec. 15 for trainer Bob Baffert. With jockey Martin Garcia up, Secret Circle was timed in :49.40 for 4 furlongs.

Secret Circle, a 2-year-old son of Eddington out of the Dixieland Bank mare Ragtime Hope, races for owner Mike Pegram.

In the video, Baffert narrates the work and provides commentary afterwards.

Trainer Bob Baffert remembers Indian Charlie

2011-12-15T17:21:00.000-08:00

Trainer Bob Baffert spoke this morning at Santa Anita about Indian Charlie, who was euthanized at the age of 16 following a battle with a rare form of cancer.

Indian Charlie’s brief but thrilling racing career for Baffert and owners Hal and Pattie Earnhardt and John R. Gaines Racing included a victory in the 1998 Santa Anita Derby and a third-place finish in that year’s Kentucky Derby.

Indian Charlie went on to sire 65 stakes winners, including Uncle Mo, Fleet Indian, and Indian Blessing, champion 2-year-old filly of 2007 and champion female sprinter of 2008 who was also bred and owned by Earnhardt and trained by Baffert.

“He was a beautiful horse. He was a super star from day one,” Baffert recalled.

“He gave us so much joy and happiness that he will always be remembered as one of my great horses.”

To read more, click here.

Hoorayforhollywood works at Santa Anita for Bob Baffert

2011-12-14T13:35:00.000-08:00

Hoorayforhollywood put in a nice work Tuesday morning, Dec. 14 at Santa Anita with jockey Martin Garcia up. Hoorayforhollywood was clocked in :59.40 for the 5-furlong breeze – the 4th fastest work of 34 at that distance.

The 3-year-old son of Storm Cat out of the Wild Rush mare Hollywood Story is trained by Bob Baffert for George Krikorian.

Never worse than second in four career starts, Hoorayforhollywood was most recently runner-up to Decisive Moment in the $125,000 Delta Mile on Nov. 19 at Delta Downs. He is being pointed to the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes on opening day at Santa Anita, Dec. 26.

“We’re trying to get him to relax and come off the pace,” Baffert said.

“Today, it seemed like he relaxed really well on the backside, and when we asked him to go he just took off.

“I like what I’m seeing, so I’m going to change his style to come off the pace; and that’s what we’ll try to do in the Malibu.”

Liaison works for Bob Baffert, targets CashCall Futurity

2011-12-07T07:34:00.001-08:00

Liaison, winner of the Real Quiet Stakes at Hollywood Park on Nov. 12, recorded a speedy work at Santa Anita Tuesday morning for trainer Bob Baffert. The clockers gave him a time of 1:00.6 for 5 furlongs, the 8th fastest of 24 works at the distance. Jockey Martin Garcia was aboard for the work. The video takes you from Baffert's barn to the track and back and includes commentary by Baffert on the workout.

Liaison, a 2-year-old colt by Indian Charlie out of the Victory Gallop mare Galloping Gal, won his last two starts for owner Arnold Zetcher. According to Baffert, he is on target for the $750,000 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park on Dec. 17.

Self Preservation preps for Hollywood Starlet

2011-12-06T16:15:00.001-08:00

Self Preservation put in a nice work this morning at Santa Anita for trainer Ben Cecil in preparation for Saturday’s Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet. With jockey Joel Rosario up, Self Preservation was clocked in :48.6 for 4 furlongs.

Self Preservation was fourth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in her last start, on Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs. The two-year-old daughter of Lion Heart out of the Dahar mare Saintly Speaking is owned by J. Paul Reddam.

My Yammy Heat makes workout debut at Santa Anita

2011-12-04T11:24:00.001-08:00

Here's a pretty little daughter of Unusual Heat working this morning at Santa Anita for trainer Barry Abrams and owner Madeline Auerbach. My Yammy Heat, a 2-year-old bay filly out of the El Gran Senor mare Spanish Beam, was clocked in 1:03.4 for five furlongs.

Winds wreak havoc at Santa Anita

2011-12-03T09:09:00.000-08:00

Slide show of wind damage at Santa Anita, 12/1/2011

These photos were taken early Thursday morning, Dec. 1, following the horrific windstorm that ravaged the area the previous night.

Power was restored to Santa Anita’s barn area about 2:00 p.m. Friday. Cleanup and assessment of the damage continues, while training and simulcasting have resumed at the Arcadia track.

Although widespread damage was reported in the barn area, there were no human or equine injuries reported.

So Brilliant gallops at Santa Anita for Bob Baffert

2011-11-29T17:55:00.000-08:00

So Brilliant, winner of the Grade 3 Hollywood Prevue on Thanksgiving Day at Hollywood Park, gets out for some morning exercise at Santa Anita.

One of trainer Bob Baffert’s more promising two-year-olds, So Brilliant was making only his second career start in the Hollywood Prevue after winning in his racing debut at Santa Anita on Oct. 22. The gray son of Medaglia d’Oro out of the Wekiva Springs mare Merry Me in Spring is owned by Arnold Zetcher, who has indicated that So Brilliant is likely headed for the Grade 1, $750,000 Cash Call Futurity at Hollywood Park on Dec. 17.

Ultimate Eagle caps a really good weekend at the track for Wright and Pender

2011-11-28T16:46:00.001-08:00

Ultimate Eagle wins Hollywood Derby

A day after winning the $250,000 Citation Handicap with favored Jeranimo on Saturday at Hollywood Park, owner B.J. Wright and trainer Mike Pender struck again in the $250,000 Hollywood Derby Sunday, when Ultimate Eagle, a 14-1 outsider, completed the 2011 Turf Festival with a wire-to-wire victory under jockey Martin Pedroza.

The win was the fourth in a row, all since he was switched from the synthetic track to grass, for the 3-year-old Mizzen Mast colt out of the Captain Bodgit mare Letithappencaptain and came six weeks after he had wired the field at 34-1 in the Grade II Oak Tree Derby at Santa Anita.

Pushing his earnings to $329,800 in six starts, Ultimate Eagle paid $31.40, $13 and $7.60. Finishing second was Imagining, making his first graded stakes start for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. Western Aristocrat ran third.

“It’s miraculous considering where this horse came from,” said Pender. “He had colic as a 2-year-old and was basically pronounced dead on the table. Somehow, by an act of God, he was brought back to life.

“Ultimately I would like to get him back on dirt. He trains so much better on dirt. He really hasn’t handled synthetic surfaces all that well. We’ll take it a day at a time from here.”

Owner B.J. Wright, who said Ultimate Eagle would have been their Triple Crown candidate this year if not for the colic, is also optimistic about Ultimate Eagle’s chances racing on dirt.

“He’ll run as good or better on the dirt,” said Wright. “We feel with his stride and the way he runs, he looks like he should be able to handle dirt equally with the turf, if not better.”

At this point, it looks like the sky’s the limit for the “miracle horse.”

To watch an interview with Wright following the race, click on the video below.

First three Oak Tree Derby finishers meet again Sunday in Hollywood Derby

2011-11-26T16:07:00.001-08:00

Ultimate Eagle wins Oak Tree Derby at Santa Anita

Ultimate Eagle, Venomous and Cozy Kitten will face off again in Sunday’s Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Hollywood Park. The race, which is the Grand Finale to Hollywood Park’s three-day Turf Festival, has drawn a field of 12 three-year-olds going a mile and one-quarter on the turf.

Ultimate Eagle finished a half-length ahead of a fast-closing Venomous in the Grade 2 Oak Tree Derby at Santa Anita on Oct. 15. Cozy Kitten finished another half-length back in third.

Ultimate Eagle, who is somewhat of a miracle horse, is trained by Mike Pender for owner B.J. Wright. A colt by Mizzen Mast out of the Captain Bodgit mare Letithappencaptain, Ultimate Eagle nearly died as a two-year-old due to colic.

“This is a good racehorse,” said owner B.J. Wright at Santa Anita. “He is back from the dead. He came within a hair of dying.”

Ultimate Eagle has made six career starts as a three-year-old, winning the last three after moving from the synthetic track to the turf, and amassing earnings of $179,800. The Oak Tree Derby was his graded stakes debut.

Venomous, an English-bred son of Red Ransom, was making his first start in the U.S. in the Oak Tree Derby. Trained by Leonard Powell for Magalen Bryant, he has won 3 of 13 and earned $218,711.

Cozy Kitten will be seeking his first graded stakes victory, for owner-breeders Ken and Sarah Ramsey and trainer Wesley Ward. The Kitten’s Joy gelding is 2 for 9 with earnings of $144,464.

From the inside out, the field for the 70th running of the Hollywood Derby: Cloud Man, Mike Smith rides, 122 pounds; Imagining, Javier Castellano, 122; Slumber Garrett Gomez, 122; Western Aristocrat, Corey Nakatani, 122; Casino Host, Joe Talamo, 122; Venomous, Joel Rosario, 122; Surrey Star, Chantal Sutherland, 122; El Pocho, Hector Berrios, 122; Irish Art, Rafael Bejarano, 122; Cozy Kitten, Alonso Quinonez, 122; Ultimate Eagle, Martin Pedroza, 122 and Willcox Inn, Robby Albarado, 122.

The Hollywood Derby will run as the ninth race Sunday, with a post time of 4:37 p.m. The ten-race program also includes the Grade 3 Generous Stakes for two-year-olds at one mile on the turf.

Saturday’s Hollywood Park feature honors the great Citation

2011-11-25T11:42:00.001-08:00

Citation wins the 1951 Hollywood Gold Cup.

Saturday’s Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park is named for Thoroughbred racing’s first millionaire horse and the eighth Triple Crown champion. Citation, whose name has become synonymous with greatness, was owned and bred by Calumet Farm in Kentucky and trained by Hall of Famers Ben Jones and son Jimmy Jones. Citation earned $1,085,760 in a 45-race career that spanned 1947 to 1951.

On July 14, 1951, Citation won the Hollywood Gold Cup – the race that pushed his career earnings past $1 million and signaled the end of his racing career. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 1959 and died in 1970 at the age of 25.

Saturday is the second day of Hollywood Park’s Turf Festival and marks the 34th running of the Citation, a Grade 2 event for three-year-olds and up at a mile and one-sixteenth on the turf.

A field of nine will go postward in the Citation, including Oak Tree Mile winner Jeranimo. Trained by Mike Pender for B.J. Wright, Jeranimo was seventh of 13 in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs.

Video: Jeranimo wins Oak Tree Mile.

Bob Black Jack, winner of the 2010 San Carlos Handicap, will make his turf debut for owners Jeff Harmon and Tim Kasparoff and trainer Jim Kasparoff. Bob Black Jack was second in his comeback in the California Cup Sprint Oct. 29 – his first start since February, 2010.

Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally will try for his third Citation victory with Buenos Dias, a 6-year-old Irish-bred son of Peintre Celebre. Buenos Dias has lost 10 in a row since winning an optional claimer over the Hollywood Park turf June 10, 2010. Owned by Charles Cella, the bay has won three of 29 and earned $306,253.

McAnally’s previous wins in this race were with Pewter Grey (second division-1983) and Brave Act (1999).

From the inside out, the field for the 34th running of the Citation Handicap: Calimonco, Mike Smith rides, 116 pounds; Jeranino, Garrett Gomez, 122; Buenos Dias, Brice Blanc, 113; Leroy’s Dynameaux, Rafael Bejarano, 114; War Element, Joel Rosario, 113; Make Music for Me, Chantal Sutherland, 114; Bob Black Jack, Joe Talamo, 118; Assessment, Daniel Vergara, 115 and John Johny Jak, Victor Espinoza, 118.

The Citation will run as the ninth race Saturday with a post time of 4:37 p.m. Also on Saturday’s 10-race program is the Grade 3 Vernon O. Underwood Stakes for three-year-olds and up at six furlongs.

Hollywood Park kicks off Turf Festival on Friday

2011-11-22T13:35:00.001-08:00

Your Special Day, entered in Friday's Miesque Stakes, gallops at Santa Anita Tuesday morning.

Hollywood Park celebrates its annual Turf Festival this weekend, featuring six graded stakes races on the grass over the three days, with purses totaling more than $1-million.

On Friday, fillies and mares are the stars in the $250,000 Matriarch and the $100,000 Miesque Stakes.

A field of eight two-year-old fillies is assembled for the Grade 3 Miesque at one mile, including several out-of-state shippers. Shippers have been dominant in recent years in the Miesque, including wins by The Mallet (2009), Habaya (2008), Sea Chanter (2007), Valbenny (2006) and Louvain and Paddy’s Daisy (2004).

Assateague, a daughter of Stormy Atlantic and the Dixieland Band mare Amelia, arrived at Hollywood Park from Keeneland, where she was an easy maiden winner on Oct. 26. She is trained by Michael Matz for owner-breeders Helen Alexander, Dorothy Matz and Helen Groves.

More Than Love, coming off a one-length maiden victory Oct. 9 at Belmont Park, ships in for trainer John Terranova II. By More Than Ready out of the Zafonic mare I’m in Love, More Than Love is 1-for-2 for owner Newton Anner Stud.

An Irish-bred daughter of Trans Island and the Shareef Dancer mare Athlumney Dancer, Island Paradise makes her grass debut in the Miesque. She is trained by Charles Hills and has a record of 1-for-2 over synthetic surfaces in England.

Starship Flare, who arrives from Florida after finishing sixth of 10 in her first start on turf in a starter allowance Oct. 24, has two wins from four career starts. By Stevie Wonderboy out of the Crafty Prospector mare Go to the Ink, Starship Flare is trained by Kristin Mulhall.

Among the local runners in the Miesque is Your Special Day, who stretches out over a new surface after going 2-for-2 on the Santa Anita main track last month. The daughter of Kafwain and the General Meeting mare Young Ladies Day has earned $29,400 for trainer Jim Cassidy, who also owns her in partnership.

From the inside out, the field for the Miesque Stakes: Island Paradise, Joel Rosario rides, 116 pounds; Your Special Day, Mike Smith, 116; Starship Flare, Victor Espinoza, 116; Regal Betty, Joe Talamo, 118; Katie’s Ten, Alonso Quinonez, 114; Assateague, Julien Leparoux, 116; More Than Love, Ramon Dominguez, 118 and Raesunbridledfaith, Martin Garcia, 116.

The Miesque is the fifth race on Friday’s card, with a post time of 2:34 p.m.

The Grade 1 Matriarch for fillies and mares three years old and up at one mile, features a contentious field of nine.

Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally, a two-time winner of the Matriarch with Auspiciante (1986) and Tout Charmant (2000), will send out the much improved All Star Heart.

A Canadian bred daughter of Arch and the Ascot Knight mare Gift of the Heart, the 4-year-old filly has won five of eight since coming to California late last year and joining the McAnally barn.

Owned by Gerald L. Gibbs, All Star Heart has won two in a row and earned her most significant victory when capturing the Grade II Las Palmas – at the Matriarch distance – Nov. 6 at Santa Anita.

Gypsy’s Warning will try to become only the second repeat winner of the Matriarch since Flawlessly won three in succession (1991-1993) for Harbor View Farm, trainer Charlie Whittingham and jockey Chris McCarron.

Gypsy’s Warning is trained by Graham Motion for Flaxman Holdings Ltd. and will be aiming for her first win since taking the Matriarch by 1 ¼ lengths in 2010. She is one of a trio Motion is scheduled to run in the Matriarch, including Unbridled Humor and Summer Soiree.

From inside out, the field for the Matriarch: Unbridled Humor, Ramon Dominguez rides, 123 pounds; Summer Soiree, Gabriel Saez, 123; Quiet Oasis, Luis Medina, 123; Madera Castana, Hector Berrios, 123; Gypsy’s Warning, Joel Rosario; 123; All Star Heart, Brice Blanc, 123; Star Billing, Victor Espinoza, Never Retreat, Julien Leparoux, 123 and Up In Time, Martin Garcia, 120.

The Matriarch goes as the ninth race at 4:37 p.m.

Other Festival events on the weekend include the $250,000 Citation Handicap and $100,000 Vernon O. Underwood Stakes (Saturday) and the $100,000 Generous Stakes and $250,000 Hollywood Derby (Sunday). For more information, visit Hollywood Park's website.

Happy Halloween from Clockers' Corner Santa Anita

2011-10-31T08:07:00.000-07:00

Rosie Ybarra the zombie

Things are looking pretty spooky at Clockers’ Corner these chilly mornings. Thanks to server Rosie Ybarra – the well-known maven of Clockers’ Corner who serves up yummy concoctions to trainers, riders, owners and race fans every morning – there is no shortage of Halloween spirit at the iconic Santa Anita breakfast spot.

Ybarra traditionally decorates her food service window and much of the surrounding area to celebrate the holiday. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and jockeys and trainers often join in the fun with their own spooky costumes. Enjoy the photos!

Animated pirate statue and a skeleton reading the Racing Form

Bob Baffert having fun with the pirate

Is that a giant rat?

Prominent California horse owner Mace Siegel dies at 86

2011-10-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

Mace Siegel, a prominent owner and breeder of Thoroughbreds for more than 47 years, died of heart failure at his home in Beverly Hills on Wednesday at the age of 86. A founding member of the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), Siegel, a New Jersey native, campaigned horses in California with his wife, Jan, and daughter Samantha for three decades. He was predeceased by his wife in 2002.

The Siegels met on a blind date at Aqueduct racetrack in New York in 1962 and were married two months and five days later. Jan Siegel, who became interested in horse racing while a student at the University of Kentucky, was a singer with big bands in her youth and her favorite song was “I Love You Samantha.” Their daughter was named for the tune.

“Mace Siegel was a giant in our industry and along with his wife Jan and daughter, Samantha, ran a first class operation,” said Santa Anita President George Haines. “Their blue and lime-green silks were synonymous with success and their horses always came first. Mace’s compassion, leadership and enthusiasm for horse racing will be sorely missed. On behalf of all of us here at Santa Anita, I’d like to extend our deepest sympathy to Samantha and the entire Siegel family. He loved Santa Anita and we loved him.”

The Siegels bought their first horse in 1964 and won their first stakes race in 1976, with Wininreno, who took the Julian Cole Handicap at Calder Race Course in Florida. They brought their stable to California on a full-time basis in the mid 1980s.

The family had great success with modestly priced yearlings beginning in the late 1980s. The horses were selected at public auctions primarily by trainer Brian Mayberry and his wife, Jeanne.

Their Jay Em Ess Stable first gained national prominence in 1989, when three of their horses, all trained by Mayberry, won $100,000 stakes races on the Breeders’ Cup undercard at Gulfstream Park.

The highlight of their ownership career came in 2004, when their Declan’s Moon finished the year by winning the Grade I Hollywood Futurity and was then named Eclipse Award Champion 2-year-old male.

A list of their other Grade I winners includes Boys At Toscanova, Hedonist, I Ain’t Bluffing, I Believe In You, Miss Iron Smoke, Rail Trip, Stormy But Valid and Urbane.

Mayberry trained for the Siegels from 1977 through 1995 and their other trainers included John Tammaro, John Russell, Ron Ellis, Bruce Headley, Anthony Dutrow, Richard Dutrow Jr., Paul McGee and Peter Miller.

A major developer of retail shopping malls, Mace Siegel formed Macerich Company of Santa Monica, which develops, owns and manages regional shopping malls. He acquired his first mall in 1972 and Macerich eventually became the nation’s third largest owner of regional malls.

Funeral services for Mace Siegel are pending.

Legendary Dan Issel presents trophy at Santa Anita

2011-10-24T10:59:00.000-07:00

The legendary Dan Issel, retired Hall of Fame professional basketball player and coach, was on hand at Santa Anita Sunday to present the stakes trophy to Mr. and Mrs. Warren Williamson after their colt Irish Art won the Uniformity Stakes.

In a combined ABA and NBA career, Issel accumulated over 27,000 points. At the time of his retirement the only professional basketball players to have scored more points than him were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Julius Erving. Issel currently ranks eighth on the all time combined ABA/NBA scoring list.

Santa Anita’s Mike Willman interviewed Issel, who also posed next to winning jockey Joel Rosario – making quite a picture of contrasting heights!

2011-10-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

Some rare Larry Zap footage of Weemissfrankie in her stall at Del Mar -- with her buddy Pickles, the goat! Narrated by Larry Zap. Enjoy!

For more information about Larry Zap, see Contributors on the About tab.

Sunrise over the track

2011-10-14T06:48:00.000-07:00

Good morning from Santa Anita!

Eurorears heading for Breeders' Cup Sprint

2011-10-12T06:59:00.000-07:00

Eurorears and Martin Garcia at Santa Anita Oct. 10

Euroears breezed four furlongs in :48.4 under jockey Martin Garcia on Santa Anita's main track Monday in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Sprint on Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Bob Baffert said he was happy with the way Eurorears went. Judging by the way he came trotting home, shown in this short video clip, the horse looks pretty happy with himself.

Well Monied preps for Spinster

2011-10-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

Garrett Gomez works Well Monied at Santa Anita, 9/29/11

Well Monied is on her way to Kentucky for the Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes on Sunday, Oct. 9 at Keeneland. She prepped for the Spinster with a six-furlong work over Santa Anita's main track on Thursday morning, Sept. 29, with jockey Garrett Gomez up.

The 5-year-old Maria's Mon mare, trained by Howard Zucker for C.T. Grether, Inc., returned from a four-month rest to finish 7th in the Grade 2 Palomar Handicap at a mile and one-sixteenth on the turf at Del Mar on Sept. 5 - a race in which she was closing strongly in the stretch.

The Spinster, at a mile and one-eighth on the Polytrack, is one of North America's most important weight-for-age races held exclusively for fillies and mares. It is also a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" race for the Lady's Classic division.

Good luck to Well Monied and her California connections!

Weemissfrankie headlines Oak Leaf today at Santa Anita

2011-10-02T06:58:00.000-07:00

Sunrise over Santa Anita Sunday morning

Weemissfrankie, who won the Grade I Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 3, is the likely favorite in today's Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita. The daughter of Sunriver trained by Peter Eurton is unbeaten in two starts.

Weemissfrankie is owned by a partnership that includes skateboarding star Rob Dyrdek, who hosts "Ridiculousness," "Rob and Big," and "Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory" on MTV. Dyrdek, who was out at Santa Anita to see his other horse, Mega Heat, win the 8th race, is expected to be at Santa Anita again today.

Here's the field for the Oak Leaf, which goes as the eighth race: Silent Saga, Victor Espinoza, 9-2; Self Preservation, Patrick Valenzuela, 4-1; Killer Graces, Joe Talamo, 15-1; Candrea, Martin Garcia, 4-1; My Gi Gi, Chantal Sutherland, 15-1; Wild Truffles, Alonso Quinonez, 30-1; Regal Betty, Joel Rosario, 20-1; Weemissfrankie, Rafael Bejarano, 5-2; Dreamcaster, Martin Pedroza, 8-1; and Charm the Maker, Garrett Gomez, 8-1.

Santa Anita kicks off Autumn meet Friday, Sept. 30

2011-09-29T19:42:00.000-07:00

After a four-day break following the close of the Fairplex meet in Pomona, the excitement of Thoroughbred racing returns to Southern California's 'grande dame' of racing, historic Santa Anita Park.

Santa Anita kicks off its 2011 Autumn Meet Friday, Sept. 30 with a nine-race card featuring the $100,000 Sen. Ken Maddy Stakes for fillies and mares going about six and one-half furlongs down the unique El Camino Real turf course.

For more information, please check out my latest update on Examiner.com. Best of luck and happy racing!

2011-09-27T10:12:00.001-07:00

Santa Anita morning

California Autumn sunrise over the track.

Aspiring jockeys meet Hall of Famer Mike Smith at Santa Anita

2011-09-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith shared some thoughts with a group of aspiring riders, all students of Frank Garza Jockey School in Somis, California, during their visit to Santa Anita Racetrack, where they posed for a photo at Clockers' Corner. Joining instructor Frank Garza were Kirin Arnold, Cambrea Bartholomew, Jonathan Iuliucci, Ricky Gonzalez, and Vladimir Jensen.

Garza, owner and president of the school, has worked in the horse racing industry for more than 40 years. He won his first match race at the age of ten, and in 1967 began riding professionally on the California circuit for trainer Henry Moreno. Garza rode for 13 years throughout the United States.

Students at his school can choose from a variety of programs aimed at careers as jockeys, exercise riders, grooms and trainers. There are both resident and non-resident programs. For more information about the school, take a look at frankgarzajockeyschool.com.

Santa Anita hosts annual Greek food and entertainment festival

2011-09-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

The annual Pasadena GreekFest kicks off this evening and runs through Sunday at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia. The popular event features all things Greek, including food, live music, folk dancing and a children’s fun zone.

For more information on the event, including hours and directions, click here.

Welcome to Mary Forney's Blog

2011-09-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

Read the latest "buzz"in California Thoroughbred racing. I cover the people, the horses, the history, and current events in horse racing - sharing my passion for the sport I have loved for many years.

I have been involved in the business of Thoroughbred horse racing for more than 25 years, having worked for the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association for nine years, Santa Anita Racetrack for 13, and Thoroughbred Owners of California for seven.

I currently provide freelance writing, editorial and online media services, work as weekend editor for Paulick Report, and report on Southern California racing for Examiner.com. I welcome comments, suggestions and story ideas. My motto: "Everyone has a story... especially in horse racing."

An exciting evening of racing on tap at L.A. County Fair Wednesday

2011-09-13T18:29:00.001-07:00

Racing at Fairplex.

An exciting evening of racing is on tap for tomorrow at the Los Angeles County Fair, including a pick 6 carryover and the $50,000 C.B. Afflerbaugh Stakes.

Racing at Fairplex kicks off with a nine-race card beginning at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday. The pick 6, which will be on races 4 through 9, includes a carryover of $39,460 from Sunday’s race card.

The C.B. Afflerbaugh Stakes spotlights eight two-year-olds going seven furlongs. The contentious field includes Senor Rain, a son of El Nino trained by Peter Miller coming off an impressive 3-1/2 length win in a maiden claiming race at Del Mar on Aug. 12; and Call Me Kelly, a Pennsylvania-bred colt by Ecclesiastic who was a game second in the Cavonnier Juvenile Stakes at Santa Rosa on Aug. 14. Call Me Kelly is trained by Jeff Bonde.

The Fairplex power duo of trainer Doug O’Neill and jockey Martin Pedroza team up in the stakes with Plenny of Henny, a Florida-bred son of Henny Hughes out of the El Prado mare Seventh Choice. Plenny of Henny, who is 1 for 1 with earnings of $20,400, posted a nice 5-furlong work in 1:00.2 on Sept. 4. O’Neill also entered Kentucky-bred Runstevierun, by Stevie Wonderboy, who will be piloted by Jose Valdivia, Jr.

Post time for the Afflerbaugh, which runs as the 8th race, is 6:55 p.m., allowing plenty of time to enjoy the magic of the fair at night, dinner from the cornucopia of food choices, and perhaps funnel cake for dessert!

Del Mar Wraps up 2011 season

2011-09-08T16:10:00.000-07:00

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, the seaside oval that entertainment icon Bing Crosby and his Hollywood pals began in 1937, once again put on a sparkling show, wrapping up its 72nd season Wednesday with fanfare. Despite slight declines from last year in attendance and handle, the 37-day meet will go into the history books for record purse levels, increased field sizes and claiming activity, innovative new wagering options, and a successful new “Ship and Win” racing program.

“I’m not going to get into the obvious things about the economy and lack of racing stock and all those other ready-made excuses,” said Del Mar Thoroughbred Club’s CEO, president and general manager, Joe Harper. “What I want to say is this: We adapted, we adjusted, we partnered, we promoted and we worked hard. In the end, we managed to do what most everyone in this business hopes to do – we conducted a ‘helluva’ good race meeting that was fun for everyone involved.”
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The meet by the numbers.

The meet’s final attendance count was 660,245, nearly even with 2010’s total of 662,521, for a daily average of 17,844 in 2011 vs. last year’s 17,906 – a slight decline of 0.3%.

Del Mar’s handle figures also showed a slight decline of 4.2%, dipping from $12,133,302 to $11,628,660 on a daily average basis. Overall, the 2011 total handle was $430,260,422 as opposed to last year’s $448,932,160.

Although handle inched down, it still ended up way ahead of pre-meet projections, allowing the track to pay its horsemen a record $1.5-million purse underpayment – representing a bonus of more than 10% on top of the nation’s highest overnight purses, which averaged $630,000 per day, an approximate 13.7% increase over 2010’s daily average of $556,324.

Del Mar increased its field size during the stand from 8.2 last year to 8.4 in 2011, yet another flag of encouragement for those spotting trends in the business. Additionally, Del Mar maintained a five-day race week and in total ran only two fewer races than it offered in 2010.

The track’s claiming box, a signal as to how horsemen see the viability of the game, burst with activity throughout the summer, finishing up with 246 total claims for $5,965,500 as opposed to 2010’s numbers of 141 claims for a total of $3,635,500.

And let’s not forget opening day, which saw a single-day record crowd of 46,588, meaning first-day attendance has risen for the last seven years straight.

2011 jockey and trainer titles.

Joel Rosario became the first jockey in 57 years to win three consecutive Del Mar riding titles, with a 49-42 win margin over Joe Talamo for the 2011 crown. Rosario, a 26-year-old native of the Dominican Republic, won the 2010 title over Rafael Bejarano with a victory in the final race of the meeting after a dominating performance in 2009 when he recorded 56 wins to 32 for runner-up Tyler Baze.

Mike Mitchel took the training title when he finished the meet with 25 wins over John Sadler’s 24. It was Mitchell’s seventh Del Mar title and his first since 1996. Mitchell achieved another milestone on August 12 when he surpassed Ron McAnally to become the track’s all-time leading trainer by wins. Mitchell ended the season with 454 career wins to McAnally’s 437.

2011 meet leaders.

The unprecedented accomplishments of Acclamation, winner of both the Grade 1 Eddie Read Handicap on grass and the Grade 1 TVG $1 million Pacific Classic on the Polytrack, prompted voters in the annual media poll to make the five-year-old California-bred son of Unusual Heat a champion of the 72nd Del Mar summer season in three categories, topped by Horse of the Meeting. Acclamation was a unanimous selection as Horse of the Meeting and top older horse and a near-unanimous choice as top grass horse.

Veteran California owner-breeders Bud and Judy Johnston, along with their daughter and son-in-law – Mary and Peter Hilvers – rode their stable star Acclamation to honors among owners at the 2011 Del Mar meeting with earnings of $780,000, easily the top figure during the 37-day stand.

Top owner for races won at the meet with six firsts was Glen Hill Farm, which is the nom du course of longtime Thoroughbred owner and breeder Leonard Lavin.

Innovations at the meet.

Del Mar’s “Ship and Win” program, in which horsemen were given monetary incentives to bring in horses from out of state, lured more than 100 new runners to the race meet. All told, the program was worth $107,000 in $1,000 starter bonuses and $61,516 in 20% purse bonus rewards.

Several new bets were instituted for the 2011 season, including the “50¢ Players Pick 5” with a reduced takeout that proved popular with the wagering public. Besides, the track experimented with “seeding” its Sunday Pick Six Pools with a $50,000 carryover that pumped up the handle on that longtime California staple by 15% on Sundays and led to several husky next-day carryovers.

So, until next year, that's a wrap.

Next stop on the Southern California circuit is the 13-day race meet that begins Friday, Sept 9 at Los Angeles County Fair in Pomona, followed by Santa Anita’s Autumn Race Meet, which opens Friday, Sept. 30 at the Arcadia oval.

Wounded soldiers enjoy a day at the races

2011-09-07T07:30:00.000-07:00

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and the pictures from Monday’s Military Appreciation Day at Del Mar Racetrack certainly leave one speechless. Click here to see the slideshow.

The Labor Day event, hosted by a group of benevolent horse owners and the racetrack, and organized by Annie Nelson of American Soldier Network, gave more than 100 combat veterans and combat wounded returning from Iraq and Afghanistan a chance to forget for a little while the many hardships they have faced and those that still lie ahead.

The soldiers enjoyed an afternoon of racing, handicapping the horses with team competition, and visits to the saddling paddock, starting gate, and winner’s circle. When they gathered on the racetrack in mid-afternoon and faced the stands, they received a long and emotional round of applause from the on-track crowd.

A very special guest this year was Tibor (Ted) Rubin, Medal of Honor recipient and Korean War veteran. Rubin, who survived 14 months in the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria as a child and was liberated by the U.S. Army, went on to serve in the 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division and was a POW in North Korea for 30 months. He was twice wounded and received two purple heart awards.

Nelson, who worked with TVG’s broadcast department to help broaden the reach of those viewing the event, said: “There are so many veterans in attendance or watching the races on TVG that have never been thanked or appreciated. This touches them, too, because it’s like a brotherhood. It shows them Americans really care.”

Donations to this cause can be made at American Soldier Network.

Victor Espinoza donates $10,000 for racetrack grooms

2011-08-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

Angela Valverde of CTHF, groom Steve Kenny, Kevin Bolling and Mary Forney of CTHF, and jockey Victor Espinoza.

In a winner’s circle ceremony following Wednesday’s second race at Del Mar, Jockey Victor Espinoza presented a check in the amount of $10,000 to the California Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Foundation (CTHF), to be used exclusively to assist southern California racetrack grooms. The check represented Espinoza’s total earnings at Del Mar Racetrack for Aug. 10-14, a week during which he had 3 wins, 5 seconds, and 4 third-place finishes from 25 starts.

Espinoza, a 39-year-old native of Mexico City, is one of the nation’s leading riders with more than 2,800 career victories and over $143,600,000 in earnings. He holds 11 southern California meet titles including three at Del Mar, where he had a record-setting seven victories on Labor Day, Sept. 4, 2006. Through Sunday, Aug. 13, he was ranked 7th in the jockey standings with 10 wins from 88 starts for the meet.

Espinoza said he came up with the idea of riding for a week on behalf of the grooms because they are so often overlooked even though they are such a vital part of horse racing.

“The grooms are important for everybody in horse racing” said Espinoza. “They take care of the horses more than anybody, sometimes 24 hours a day.”

CTHF chairman, Ken Smole, said, "Victor’s generous gift will be of enormous benefit to the racetrack grooms in Southern California. It is a thoughtful and admirable act. His gift is also very timely,” Smole added, “as the economic challenges in the racing industry over the past few years have led to decreases in CTHF's sources of funding."

CTHF is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in the community of stable workers occupied with the care of Thoroughbred racehorses at California’s major racetracks, fair circuit tracks and state recognized off-track training centers. CTHF administers medical and dental services through its on-track clinics, making health care accessible and affordable for more than 5,000 backstretch workers and their families.

Thoroughbred racing spends millions… but not on TV

2011-08-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

Zenyatta in the paddock before the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic.

Last month, Forbes released its list of the 15 “Richest Sporting Events in the World.” Amazingly, three thoroughbred races made that list, including the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The other two were the Japan Cup and the Dubai World Cup. Even more amazing was the following statement by Forbes writer Monte Burke:

“Five of the 15 spots on our inaugural list of the sporting events with the biggest prize money are occupied by soccer tournaments. Only horse racing, with three races, comes close.” (emphasis added)

That’s right. Horse racing beat out golf, poker, football, baseball, and auto racing for total prize money.

With that type of money at stake, one would assume that horse racing must also support a concomitant investment in television broadcast coverage of its big events, the Triple Crown races and the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. However, as anyone closely involved with thoroughbred racing knows, that has simply not been the case. In fact, one of the most commonly voiced complaints in the business is about the general lack of network television coverage of the sport – the type of coverage that would lure new fans to horse racing. A look at average television ratings for horse racing’s major events over the past five years validates those complaints.

Television ratings, which represent the percentage of TV homes in the U.S. tuned into television, are woefully low for racing’s big events when compared to most other televised sporting events.

In his article entitled “TV Ratings and Horse Racing: The Big-Event Phenomenon,” Seattle sports writer and blogger Matt Gardner compared the television ratings for some of the top sporting events in the U.S. over the last five years. Not surprisingly, Breeders’ Cup Saturday had an average rating of 1.0, compared to 42.5 for the Super Bowl. The Triple Crown races fared a little better than Breeders’ Cup with ratings of 9.2 for the Kentucky Derby, 6.5 for the Preakness, and 4.6 for the Belmont.

“These ratings crystallize the notion that American TV viewers, for the most part, like to watch ‘the big event,’ regardless of whether they follow that same sport on non-event days,” Gardner said. Horse racing’s Triple Crown falls into that “big event” category, and is widely viewed as the sport’s biggest stage.

“The fractured nature of horse racing, with every track and every state forming essentially their own league, is another reason why the impact of television is lessened, at least in a direct revenue sort of way,” said Gardner. “There is no doubt that TV has the ability to attract new fans, but it's more of a long-term growth strategy than instant financial impact.”

The Jockey Club has taken a first step towards implementing that long-term growth strategy. Based on recommendations in its report, “Driving Sustainable Growth for Thoroughbred Racing and Breeding,” released at its recent Round Table conference in Saratoga Springs, NY, The Jockey Club has pledged to underwrite the production of a national television series in 2012.

Although plans for the television series, including format, have not been finalized, Jockey Club president, James Gagliano, indicated that the organization is in discussions with major national networks for a series that could range from recaps of major races to a reality-type racing show.

This is encouraging news for the horse racing industry, but there are other hurdles that must be overcome if racing is to be successful in bringing major television coverage to the masses. The biggest issue is the format of the broadcasts, which must be tailored to an audience with an increasing appetite for quick-paced action and a decreasing attention span. Racing will have to find ways to deal with the down time between races, particularly on multi-race big event days like the Breeders’ Cup, in order to hold viewers’ attention.

But, the biggest hurdle always being funding, the Jockey Club’s initiative is a long-awaited step towards a long-term solution to the problem.

Del Mar to hold ‘Battle of the Exes’ match race Aug. 7

2011-08-02T17:39:00.001-07:00

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will present the "Battle of the Exes," a match race involving formerly-engaged jockeys Chantal Sutherland and Hall of Famer Mike Smith on Sunday, August 7.

Besides the one-on-one battle that match races automatically engender, the event holds special interest because of the history between Smith and Sutherland, whose romance played out publicly and to great interest by racing fans in the two-year Animal Planet television series “Jockeys.”

The match will be only the fifth in 72 summers of racing at the seaside oval. The previous ones were the heralded 1938 duel won by Seabiscuit over Ligaroti, widely considered “The Race that Put Del Mar on the Map;” the 1994 “Showdown at the Seashore” in which Soviet Problem under Chris McCarron, bested Mamselle Bebette and Corey Nakatani; the 2002 “Mule Duel at Del Mar” in which Black Ruby, known as “the best ass in the West,” continued dominance over archrival Taz; and the 2003 “Battle of the Sexes” in which Patrick Valenzuela aboard Chester’s Choice won by a nose over Hall of Fame rider Julie Krone on Woke Up Dreamin.

Smith, 45, inducted into racing’s Hall of Fame in 2003 and the regular rider for 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta, is approaching 5,000 winners with mounts that have earned more than $217 million during his 29 years in the saddle.

Sutherland, who only has been riding for 11 years, is approaching 900 winners and purses of nearly $43 million. The 35-year-old scored the biggest victory of her career when she captured the Santa Anita Handicap aboard Game On Dude earlier this year.

Two maidens, plus an “also eligible” backup, have been selected by Racing Secretary Tom Robbins, based on comparable ability. The horses are 3-year-old geldings seeking their initial career wins. The two chosen starters are Joker Face, trained by Peter Eurton and Parable, trained by Carla Gaines. The “also eligible,” who will be ready to substitute if necessary, is Tapfortexas, trained by Mike Machowsky.

Joker Face has started four times with two runner-up finishes for earnings of $16,660. Parable’s statistics are 8 0-1-2 for $21,940 in earnings. Tapfortexas is 7 0-1-1 with earnings of $15,024.

The preliminaries for the event will commence on Wednesday, Aug. 3 at 12:30 in the track’s paddock/walking ring, where a blind draw will be held to assign mounts for the one-mile, main track race. The draw and subsequent press conference will be open to the public.

Miss Cougar contest adds spice to Cougar II Handicap card

2011-07-28T14:46:00.000-07:00

There’s still time to cast your vote for Miss Cougar 2011. One of six finalists will be crowned this year’s Miss Cougar at Del Mar on Friday, July 29, where she will present the trophy for the Cougar II Handicap.

According to official contest rules, a “cougar” is a mature woman who pursues younger men, typically more than eight years her junior. Voters can view photos and statements of the finalists, as well as cast their vote, on the Del Mar Scene website.

The feature race, the Cougar II Handicap, is named after the famed horse who captured the hearts of scores of race fans in the early 1970’s. In addition to being the longest distance stakes race of the summer meet, the Cougar II Handicap generated the inaugural Miss Cougar Del Mar contest in 2009, which quickly became a popular addition to the “Four O’Clock Friday” card.

Santa Anita opens new track

2011-07-26T10:49:00.001-07:00

Slideshow: New track surface 7/26/2011

Santa Anita's newly renovated track was open for business on Tuesday morning after a two-week closure for a renovation project.

Although the track was restricted to joggers and gallopers, it will be open for full training on Thursday. See a detailed report at this author's Examiner.com page.

Santa Anita on track with renovation

2011-07-24T18:07:00.001-07:00

Slideshow: Santa Anita track renovation in progress.

Santa Anita is tentatively scheduled to reopen its track for training on July 26, following a two-week renovation to reduce the clay content. During the project, which began July 11, the top six inches of the surface - more than 17,000 tons of material – was removed, mixed with sand, and returned to the track.

Santa Anita, which converted from a synthetic main track to natural dirt in December 2010, experienced near record rainfall immediately following the installation and, as a result, the composition of the newly installed soils was altered resulting in an unacceptably high percentage of silt and clay. The current project is expected to remedy this imbalance.

The track has remained open for training during the current Del Mar meeting, with the inner training track available to horsemen during the course of the project. The Santa Anita autumn meeting is tentatively scheduled to open on Sept. 29.

Del Mar: Let the excitement begin

2011-07-20T07:50:00.000-07:00

San Diego television crews were out early for workouts on opening day at Del Mar.

Today is opening day at Del Mar... where the turf meets the surf ! As usual, the buzz started at daybreak in the barn area, with news crews jockeying for position on the viewing stands at morning workouts.

Look for regular updates on the people, the horses, and the great racing during the seaside track's 37-day meet at this blog or the author's site on Examiner.com.

Happy Birthday Ron McAnally!

2011-07-11T07:34:00.001-07:00

Trainer Ron McAnally gets a birthday cake while Bob Baffert looks on.

Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally celebrated his 79th birthday at Santa Anita's Clockers' Corner this morning, where Rosie Ybarra presented him with a birthday cake while trainers and other morning regulars sang "Happy Birthday." Trainer Bob Baffert, always the joker, quipped, "You're missing about 80 candles!"

McAnally, a three-time Eclipse Award winner, was inducted into racing Hall of Fame in 1990, along with his signature star, John Henry. McAnally can be found every morning at Santa Anita, where he is one of our most beloved trainers. Happy birthday, Ron!

Photo courtesy of on-the-beat reporter Howard Zucker.

Sunrise over Santa Anita. Happy Fourth of July!!

2011-07-04T09:30:00.001-07:00

New York Transplant Jim Cassidy Focusing on West Coast Saturday

2011-06-09T18:30:00.001-07:00

Trainer Jim Cassidy at Santa Anita Park

While the eyes of the horse racing world will be on New York Saturday for the 143rd running of the Belmont Stakes, New York transplant Jim Cassidy will be hoping to repeat in a stakes race on the West Coast, the Grade 2 Honeymoon Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Cassidy won the Honeymoon last year with Evening Jewel. This year he has a double shot - with Whisper Louise and Singapore Lilly - in the mile and one-eighth turf event for three-year-old fillies.

Singapore Lilly poses at Cassidy's barn.

A native of the Bronx, New York, Cassidy is easily spotted training at Santa Anita sporting a NY Yankees baseball cap. He began his training career in New York, where he worked for trainers Joe Cantey and Frank Whitely, who conditioned the brilliant filly Ruffian at the time. Cassidy relocated to Califoria in 1981. In recent years, he has established a reputation for purchasing horses in Europe and running them successfully in the United States. Some of his best runners have included Stepoutoftheboat, Royal Torrent, Wrekin Pilot, Inca Tern, Phone Alex, Singhalese, Moscow Burning, Ticker Tape, and Katdowgawn. His current roster of runners includes The Usual Q.T., Fifth Ave, Evening Jewel, Wave Of Applause, and Surrey Star.

In an interview Friday morning at Clockers' Corner, Santa Anita, Cassidy discussed his two fillies, both purchased from the Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale last November.

Whisper Louise shows off her heart-shaped blaze.

"Whisper Louise ran very well first time," he said. After being bumped at the start and having to be steadied early, Whisper Louise finished strongly to place second by three-quarters of a length to Cambina in the Grade 2 Providencia Stakes at Santa Anita in April.

"Singapore Lilly didn't run like we thought she would," Cassidy continued. "But I am looking for a big improvement. Her race might have been too close to shipping." His expectations for Singapore Lilly are understandable.

"Singapore Lilly is Group placed and had more credentials than the other filly," he said.

"Both fillies have been training forwardly," Cassidy added. "They do their jobs in the morning."

Cassidy trains Whisper Louise for Three Chimneys Racing LLC and Singapore Lilly for Jeffrey J. DeHaven.

The Honeymoon, a key prep for the $250,000 American Oaks on July 16, has drawn a field of nine, including Cambina and Star Billing. It is one of four stakes on Saturday's program at Hollywood Park.

California Horsemen to Get New Workers' Compensation Program

2011-06-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

The California Thoroughbred Business League (CTBL), composed of racing associations, horsemen's organizations, fairs, and industry stakeholders, has approved transitioning the statewide Workers' Compensation program administered by California Horsemen's Safety Alliance (CHSA) to Finish Line Self Insurance Group (FSLIG). The decision is effective July 1, 2011, the start of the new program year. CTBL is the organization with oversight of funds generated by mutuel handle, intended to be applied to Workers' Compensation costs to lower the expenses that would otherwise be required of trainers and owners.

FSLIG has been in operation for six years, serving Quarter Horse horsemen as well as a select number of Thoroughbred trainers. The program is now being expanded to provide the opportunity to join it for all California Thoroughbred trainers.

"We expect there will be considerable savings for the vast majority of trainers," said Brad McKinzie of FSLIG. "It is a group program, so everyone will have the same premium based on number of horses, with some slight difference for trainers with five horses or less - in an effort to keep the smaller trainers viable."

In addition to lower rates than could otherwise be achieved, the self insurance program offers additional benefits, including trainers being able to initiate coverage for only a $500 membership fee and a $1,000 refundable deposit, no application of "experience modification rates," no payroll audits, monthly billing based on current counts of stalls in use at tracks, and experienced program and claims management. California trainers may even realize a form of profit sharing in upcoming years.

"The difference between a self insurance group and a standard insurance program is that, with a standard insurance program all the premium goes to the insurance company. If they pay out less in losses than they make in premiums, they make a profit," McKinzie explained. "In our program, the premiums go into a loss pool; and if we pay out less than we have in the loss pool, in two or three years we can apply that money to subsidies. Trainers sort of control their own destiny.

"It's important to remember that this isn't a mandatory program," McKinzie added. "If it works well for a trainer, he is welcome to join. What our program strives to do is create a level playing field among all trainers so that they share the risk. We are not in the insurance business to be an insurance company; we are in the business to stabilize the industry. Insuring California horse trainers is our sole purpose for being in business."

According to Alan Balch, executive director of CTT, "In an industry where workers' comp prices are going up and subsidies are going down (due to handle declines), we have brought about an additional price reduction. It resulted from all parties working together."

Finish Line administrators are now contacting all trainers to assess interest from them in starting the application process and providing details about the program. Anyone having questions concerning the FSLIG Workers’ Compensation program may call (714) 820-2743.

California Horse Retirement Gets a Boost from Frank Stronach

2011-06-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

Stakes winners Geronimo and Storming Away at Tranquility Farm

Frank Stronach, a multiple Eclipse Award winning owner and breeder and industry leader in the retraining and rehabilitation of Thoroughbred racehorses, has announced the formation of the Santa Anita Park After-Care Program. The new program will match retired racehorses with loving owners who will make a lifelong commitment to their health, safety and well-being.

Stronach is Chairman and CEO of MI Developments Inc., the parent company of Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields, Gulfstream Park, and the Maryland Jockey Club. Santa Anita will support the After-Care Program by matching the money currently taken from purses for that purpose (one third of one percent) at Santa Anita. The monies will be distributed to retirement programs throughout California by the California Retirement Management Account (CARMA).

“This is very generous of Frank,” said California trainer and CARMA CFO Howard Zucker. “He has given us the opportunity to discuss other ways of helping to retire racehorses with dignity. We will try to see that each unwanted horse that leaves the racetrack in California does so with an endowment.”

Stronach was recently selected to receive the inaugural Earle I. Mack Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation Champion Award for his dedication to improving the welfare and safety of Thoroughbred horses during and after their racing careers. He set an industry precedent seven years ago by developing Adena Retirement, the racing industry’s first in-house retirement program, located in Florida. Under the direction of a full-time staff of professional trainers, riders, grooms and veterinarians, Adena Retirement carefully evaluates and retrains horses owned by the Stronach family and Adena Springs before matching them with owners who will provide suitable lifelong adoptive homes. Many of the horses retrained at Adena Retirement have flourished in new disciplines, including hunter, jumper, dressage and pleasure.

According to Zucker, CARMA board member Ron Charles was instrumental in getting Stronach and CARMA together.

“Once Frank realized there was already an organization in place in California to make use of the money,” Zucker explained, “He arranged for the people from his rehab facility to meet with the CARMA staff and chair, and they have worked out a mechanism where this will happen. It is pretty exciting.”

“This is not a solution to the problem, but we feel it is another step in the right direction,” said Stronach. “While we believe it is the responsibility of every owner to find safe, after-race programs for all Thoroughbreds, we also believe in taking the initiative to develop retirement, rehabilitation and retraining programs for these equine athletes who give so much to all of us.”

CARMA, a charitable 501 (c)(3) organization was created in 2008 to raise money for retired California racehorses. All facilities must undergo a rigorous application and inspection process before being approved for funding. Last year, CARMA distributed more than $300,000 to 15 non-profit equine retirement and rehabilitation facilities.

“CARMA encourages retraining and rehabilitation over simply retirement,” Zucker said. “It is so much better a model – if a horse is capable of being ridden or perhaps becoming a show horse.

“There seems to be a trend now wherein some large farms are stepping up to the plate and offering retirement options for the horses they have bred,” Zucker concluded. “If that trend continues – given some health in the industry and general economy – it will alleviate some of the problems of these non-profit retirement facilities. If more owners would have Mr. Stronach’s sense of responsibility it would be a kinder, gentler world for the horses.”

Retired racehorse Tontine Too, winner of more than $250,000 and now known as Tino, is a permanent resident and mascot at Leigh Gray's Thoroughbred Rehab Center at Winners Circle Ranch in Bradbury, Calif.

The Mousse is Loose! The Pamplemousse at Del Mar

2010-08-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

The Pamplemousse looked marvelous galloping over the track at Del Mar this morning. I caught a quick photo of him just after he returned to trainer Julio Canani's barn. Here he is being unsaddled before cooling out. His exercise rider said he went great! Stay tuned for updates to come....

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Zenyatta Star Power Shines at Del Mar

2010-08-06T21:06:00.000-07:00

Zenyatta poses on the main track at Del Mar before her morning gallop.

Excitement has been building all week at Del Mar in anticipation of Zenyatta Day tomorrow. The highlight of the day's race card will be the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes in which Zenyatta goes after her 18th straight victory. The undefeated champion mare is also going for her third win in a row in the Hirsch.

Zenyatta and regular exercise rider Steve Willard.

Zenyatta arrived at the seaside track on Wednesday and has been galloping on the main track, including this morning when I followed her from trainer John Shirreffs' barn to the track and back -- along with an impressive entourage of press, photographers and news cameras ready to catch her in one of her many special poses.

Retired Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron took a turn walking Zenyatta!

A record crowd is expected at Del Mar tomorrow, when fans will receive a special pint-glass giveaway with a likeness of Zenyatta and jockey Mike Smith.

Best of luck to the great Zenyatta and her connections!

2010-08-05T15:35:00.001-07:00

Zenyatta schools in the Del Mar paddock.

Del Mar Opening Day... The Biggest Party Ever!

2010-07-21T20:46:00.000-07:00

Record crowd turns out for Del Mar opening day 2010.

Del Mar Racetrack's Opening Day is always a grand party, and this year it was more evident than ever! Today's opening day crowd smashed all records with a total attendance of 45, 309 -- the largest crowd in Del Mar history. The gloomy weather didn't stop the throngs of beautiful people from turning out in their finest suits, dresses, heels and hats. Here are a few shots of the incredible entries in the traditional Hat Contest:

And the hat contest wasn't just for the women...

Del Mar today was truly "cool as ever!"

Zenyatta Remains Perfect, Breaks Records!

2010-06-13T20:05:00.000-07:00

Zenyatta and groom Mario Espinoza enter the saddling area.

It was awesome. There is no better word to describe the feeling at Hollywood Park this afternoon as Zenyatta powered down the stretch and past St. Trinians to win the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap.

It was the 17th win in a row for the still unbeaten Zenyatta, who has now surpassed Cigar, Citation and Mister Frisky for the longest win streak by a modern day Thoroughbred in races not restricted to state breds. Zenyatta also became the first three-time winner of the Vanity Handicap. And she did it carrying 129 pounds!

The excitement began building early in the day, as a steady stream of fans came through the gates and headed for the giveaway booth for their Zenyatta bobbleheads.

Zenyatta fan Gina Romero with her latest hand painted sign.

Zenyatta makes her way from the barns to the saddling paddock, trainer John Shirreffs (right) in tow.

By the time the horses entered the paddock for the Vanity, a massive crowd had assembled along the rail surrounding the expansive saddling area. They also lined the stairways and balconies overlooking the paddock, hoping to get a glimpse of the great mare.

Zenyatta prances in the paddock for throngs of spectators.

Jockey Mike Smith up, Zenyatta heads into the post parade.

All in all, it was more than a day for the record books. It was a day to be cherished in memory for years to come.

Girl Power! Zenyatta Coverage in the Toronto Star

2010-06-11T17:14:00.000-07:00

Well, Sunday's the BIG DAY, race fans! Zenyatta will once again prance and power her way into the hearts of her adoring fans at Hollywood Park in the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap. The media is really gearing up, and this blogger was even interviewed for a Zenyatta piece in the Toronto Star, which you can read here.

Hollywood Park will honor the undefeated Zenyatta Sunday with her own Bobblehead giveaway. I'll be in line early for mine... See you there!

Well Monied Schools for Gamely Stakes at Hollywood Park

2010-05-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

Well Monied schools in the paddock at Hollywood Park for Saturday's Gamely Stakes.

Well Monied, winner of the Grade 2 Honeymoon Handicap at Hollywood Park last year, will face 7 other fillies and mares, 3 years old and up in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes on Saturday. I caught some photos of her schooling in the Hollywood Park paddock on a beautiful, breezy day last weekend. She was very calm and composed -- a real class act -- as she went through the saddling routine for trainer Howard Zucker. She was obviously happy to be out in the park-like paddock, and even spent some time munching on the grass!

Well Monied won an allowance race at Santa Anita on April 4, after a seven-month layoff. I'm expecting a big race from her on Saturday!

Well Monied shows her class, posing with groom Steve Kenny.

Latest Visit with The Pamplemousse

2010-05-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

The Pamplemousse in his stall at Hollywood Park, May 2010.

Several of The Pamplemousse's fans have been asking for an update on him, so I paid a visit to trainer Julio Canani's barn at Hollywood Park this week, where I found The Pamplemousse looking healthy, happy and frisky. He enjoyed the attention I gave him --- as well as a couple of carrots that he happily munched down.

"The P" attempting to get my camera!

According to Canani, The Pamplemousse has been tack walking lately, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for his return to the races soon. My prediction: The Pamplemousse will come back and win the Santa Anita Handicap (a la Seabiscuit)!

Santa Anita Starting Gate Crew in HBO Pilot "Luck"

2010-04-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

The Latest Filming News from Santa Anita.

Santa Anita's starting gate crew waiting on set.

Now in its fifth week of filming on location at Santa Anita for the pilot series "Luck," the HBO film crew is utilizing Santa Anita's stellar starting gate crew quite a bit these days. I caught the guys relaxing between takes and apparently enjoying the action. Although it's a lot of "hurry up and wait" on the set and the days are incredibly long, the gate crew appeared to be holding up quite well.

This week, director Michael Mann has been out on the racetrack overseeing racing shots from a camera truck that speeds around the track in front of the field of horses and jockeys.

Director Michael Mann (third from right) gives instructions to jockey actors.

Mann on the camera truck preparing for a live race shot.

The gate crew (left) - an integral part of the movie's race scene.

When they're not filming an actual starting gate scene, the gate crew is there as part of the natural "background" in the racing shots. On race days, most of the crew wraps up work on the movie location by late morning then heads across town to Hollywood Park for their "real" jobs on the starting gate. All I can say is, don't let it go to your head, guys!

Jockey Joe Talamo on his Way to Kentucky Derby

2010-04-28T18:00:00.001-07:00

Talamo at Clockers' Corner, Santa Anita, April 27, 2010.

A crew from ESPN was out at Clockers' Corner Tuesday morning to interview jockey Joe Talamo before he headed to Churchill Downs to ride Santa Anita Derby winner Sidney's Candy in the 136th Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 1.

Talamo spoke about the thrill he experienced last year when, at the tender age of 19, he made the trip to Louisville to ride in his first Kentucky Derby, only to experience the ultimate disappointment when his mount, I Want Revenge, the early favorite, was scratched before the race.

ESPN crew sets up for interview with Talamo at Santa Anita.

Talamo is incredibly gracious and well spoken and seems always to have a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. We look forward to watching segments of his interview during ESPN's coverage of the Derby. Here's wishing him the best of racing luck this year!

Mobile Horse Racing Fun? Yah, There's an App for That!

2010-04-26T17:45:00.000-07:00

Screen shot of an iDerby Quick Race board.

I have been asking for months, "Why doesn't someone come up with an easy iPhone app (application) about horseracing?" It seems like there's an app for everything these days, so why not something that can help market our great sport to a new, young audience who may know nothing about it? Everyone in Thoroughbred racing seems to agree that one of our problems is our failure to attract a new fan base of young people to a sport that often seems complicated and intimidating for a novice. With millions of people now playing all sorts of games on their iPods, phones, and computers, there is great opportunity to reach out and introduce them to horseracing. I think iDerby may be just the ticket!

As soon as I heard about iDerby I downloaded it. I don't have an iPhone, but it works just great on my iPod Touch. I love the simplicity and ease of setup, and the graphics are pretty awesome. I set up my own three-horse stable, chose the color of each horse, named each one, chose my silks, and I was ready to compete in the progressive series of "cups" with each of my runners. Of course, my top runner is named Country Tough, after my favorite "real" horse! He's already won four of the five "fruit cup" races and has moved up to the flower circuit.

The game's race mode is quite challenging and fun. There is actually some strategy involved during the races, with touchscreen buttons to "hold" or "whip" your horse and an option to move towards the rail or outside of the track by tilting the screen. Here's a video to give you a quick look at a race:

So let's spread the word about this cool new app and look forward to similar innovations that will help move our great sport of horseracing forward in the technological age!

The Anatomy of a Horse Crush

2010-04-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

Country Tough posing for the camera with groom Lionel Molina in the Santa Anita paddock.

Here's my current horse crush... a lovely four-year-old chestnut gelding named Country Tough. I watched Country Tough school in the Santa Anita paddock yesterday morning, then again today during the races. He's in Santa Anita's 6th race tomorrow for owner Dream Walkin' Farm and trainer Howard Zucker.

I've been following Country Tough since he first arrived in California during last summer's Del Mar meet. The very first time I met him, I felt a kind of magical connection to this boy. I looked into his warm eyes and really felt that he was studying me... and maybe taking a liking to me. One thing has always been apparent -- he loves to ham it up, stopping to pose when he sees my camera.

I've been wondering what it is that makes a person feel such a connection to a horse. For me, there's just something in his eyes that tells me he is on my wavelength. It's like meeting another human for the first time, when you just hit it off and instantly feel that connection. I'm not sure if there's a better way to explain it than just to say Country Tough is my kind of person!

Isn't that the sweetest face?

I've also been wondering if many owners feel this kind of connection to one or more of their horses, because I believe it is probably not the kind of reaction one would experience all that often. Just like in human relationships, you don't always "click." I'd sure love to hear some comments from people who have had similar experiences.

In the meantime, I'll be rooting for my friend tomorrow at Santa Anita!

Derby Day L.A. Style Starts with a 5K Race

2010-04-05T17:55:00.001-07:00

Start of the Santa Anita Derby Day 5K.

Derby Day at Santa Anita starts with a bang -- a bang from the starting gun, that is, for one of the area's most popular 5K footraces, which drew nearly 5,000 runners and walkers this year. I participated in the event as part of "Team TOC," which included my colleagues Ali LaDuke and Lucinda Mandella. As an entry, we were given morning line odds of 7-1. We made a pretty good showing in the "Santa Anita Employee Division," and I even managed to snap a few photos along the way.

"Team TOC" - Forney, LaDuke and Mandella.

California Horse Racing Board steward Scott Chaney won the men’s employee division and Zoe Cadman of HRTV took the women’s employee division.

It was a cool, clear morning - perfect running weather for the race that wound through the lovely grounds of the Los Angeles County Arboretum (across the street from Santa Anita), into the track's infield, and finished up with a grueling stretch drive on the training track.

The last quarter mile on the training track... so this is how the horses feel.

Finish Line.

It felt great to reach the finish line, especially knowing there was a great day of horse racing ahead, including the Santa Anita Derby.

Me and my longtime running buddy, Martha, happy at the finish!

Easter Sunday Program at Santa Anita Includes Return of Well Monied

2010-04-04T14:31:00.000-07:00

Well Monied leaves the Santa Anita paddock after schooling.

This is the view of Well Monied that I hope the rest of the field will be seeing at the finish line today! One of my favorite mares, Well Monied heads a field of 7 fillies and mares going a mile on the turf in today's 7th race at Santa Anita.

Well Monied is returning from nearly an 8-month layoff but shows a steady series of works for trainer Howard Zucker.

On the Set of "Luck" at Santa Anita

2010-03-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

Well I've just wrapped up a grueling two days of work as an extra (actually we were called "background") for the filming of Luck at Santa Anita, an HBO pilot written and produced by David Milch and directed by Michael Mann.

And let me tell you, I have nothing but respect for everyone involved in film production, from the multitude of crew members to the actors, assistant directors and director. Apparently non-stop 14 hour work days are nothing out of the ordinary for these people. It almost killed me! It was, however, an experience I wouldn't trade. For one thing, I got to work on the same set as actors Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte, Richard Kind, and Kevin Dunn.

The days started with a 5:30 a.m. call, and a visit to the wardrobe trailer in the dark.

Wardrobe trailer in the parking lot at Santa Anita.

Waiting in line for costumes.

It was amazing to see Clockers' Corner transformed into a bustling movie set!

Clockers' Corner becomes a movie scene.

One of the best parts of working on the production was getting a chance to meet some of the wonderful people, including a very gracious Richard Kind and some extraordinary extras.

Extras extraordinaire Michael Mallers and Patti Maeda.

Yes, that's yours truly with Richard Kind!

It was a lot of fun, but I'm looking forward to going back to my "real job" tomorrow. Considering I was daydreaming of sitting in my comfy office chair for two days, apparently I'm not cut out for the rigors of movie production... I think I'll watch future filming at Santa Anita on my lunch breaks!

Saving California's Commercial Thoroughbred Market to Help Assure a Steady Supply of Runners

2010-03-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

A guest post by Jerry McMahon.

There was no one less surprised than yours truly at the recent disclosure by officials of the Los Angeles County Fair Association that indicated that the company was looking into alternative uses for portions of land and buildings currently devoted to its Thoroughbred operations, including barns utilized by Barretts Equine Limited, a company I helped start in 1989. In today’s brutal California economy (the one in which thousands of tenured teachers have been given pink slips) not even a not-for-profit company can afford to sit passively on 50+ underperforming acres. The Fair’s President, Jim Henwood articulated it well last week in statements to The Thoroughbred Times and Blood-Horse.

More than a year ago now, I looked at everything going wrong in the California game, and realized that I was neither persuasive nor talented enough to do much about it. Having been in a leadership role in the sales business for more than 25 years, it was time for somebody else to bring a fresh perspective. And the current staff at Barretts has done a terrific job under the circumstances.

After reading Mr. Henwood’s statements I decided to revisit some of my core beliefs about the industry. One of those is that you can’t run a commercial auction business in a vacuum. It has to be an integrated part of a healthy Thoroughbred breeding and racing circuit, whether that is local, national, or international.

On the horse supply side, Barretts was developed on the theory that if we built it, they would come. They did come…. from Florida and Kentucky and Virginia and South Carolina (and buyers from the UK, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Tokyo and points in between), but not so many from Santa Ynez, Temecula, Fresno, or Paso Robles. It seems that the housing boom had wiped out huge amounts of acreage previously devoted to Thoroughbred production. Perhaps the current housing slump could actually be a good thing for the local industry, if we could figure out a catalyst for renewed production of quality runners. Also, I don’t think you can have a deep and healthy racing environment on the island that is California without a viable commercial auction business. The industry can HOPE that its owners and trainers will venture back east to the established markets there and bring back large numbers of future runners, but the truth is that many of those horses get poached along the way by racing circuits in those areas. (Don’t get me started on how our 10+% sales tax literally induces California owners to buy, train, and race outside the state!)

Filling California’s races with quality home-breds is never going to be the answer. That’s primarily because it is well-known within the industry that breeding to race is for billionaires and people who hate money. Just ask a Kentucky breeder how much they enjoy buying one back in September. Unless California’s stake-holders prefer to operate a weekend only and/or seasonal game (because that’s where we’re currently headed), racetrack managers, owners and trainers, regulators, breeders and all the other stakeholders need to care about what happens to Barretts and its first-class facilities, not to mention its track record of attracting top-class talent to the state. Remember Brocco, Brother Derek, Sharp Cat, Officer, Unbridled’s Song, etc.? Do you recall where the late, great Bob Lewis and current heavy-weight Jess Jackson bought their first horses?

So what kind of vehicle could be used to re-stimulate our commercial market? One idea that has been utilized elsewhere in various formats, and previously proposed by others in California, is the concept of providing enhanced stakes purses for runners that have passed through local auction rings. This has usually been undertaken by private auction companies like Magic Millions or Goff’s in an effort to compete with other, more established companies. In those cases most of the purse money is put up by the individual breeders and subsequent owners, a concept that won’t work in California due to the currently depressed breeding environment.

A plan that the industry here might consider would be a lucrative, year-round stakes program for sales graduates funded through a combination of: 1) current purse allocations at each track; 2) racing association contributions; 3) a portion of the funds currently allocated to breeders and stallion awards; 4) auction house contributions, based on commissions earned; 5) breeder/consignor contributions (on a sliding scale, based on sale price; and 6) buyers in the form of continuing eligibility payments.

Of course the devil is always in the details when it comes to these things, but the overriding goals would be to bring the entire industry together in support of California’s commercial market before it is too late to save it, and to insure a steady supply of quality runners for the state’s racetracks.

If Barretts is allowed to go the way of Bay Meadows and (soon to be gone) Hollywood Park, the rest of the industry might just follow sooner rather than later.

For more information about McMahon, see Contributors on the About tab.

HBO Pilot “Luck” Being Filmed at Santa Anita

2010-03-28T16:41:00.000-07:00

Dustin Hoffman, two-time Academy Award winning actor, is on site at Santa Anita this month for the filming of “Luck,” an HBO pilot written and produced by David Milch and directed by Michael Mann. Hoffman stars as a career criminal heavily involved in gambling in a prospective drama series about the world of horseracing.

“Luck” would be Milch’s third series created for HBO. His past credits include “Deadwood” and “John from Cincinnati.” Milch is himself a two-time Breeders’ Cup winning owner.

Also starring in the production are Nick Nolte, Dennis Farina and John Ortiz. Retired Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens will play the part of an aging, street-smart jockey.

According to Pete Siberell, Santa Anita’s Director of Community & Special Events, filming will take place in most areas of the racetrack including the grandstand, walking ring, saddling paddock, Clockers’ Corner, stable area, and the racetrack itself. Much of the pilot will be shot while Santa Anita is still running live through April 18. A total of 19 days are scheduled for filming at Santa Anita.

HBO has not announced an air date for the pilot, but it is anticipated that it will air in early 2011.

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Santa Anita!

2010-03-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

Denise Mitchell (wife of trainer Mike Mitchell) in front of Santa Anita's green fountain.

True to tradition, the Kingsbury Fountain in the paddock gardens at Santa Anita was bright emerald green today in honor of St. Patrick's Day. The annual transformation is accomplished with 2-1/2 pounds of powdered (non-toxic of course) dye. It just wouldn't be St. Paddy's Day at Santa Anita without the green fountain!

Jockey Mike James Scores First Santa Anita Victory

2010-03-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

Mike James at Clockers' Corner, Santa Anita.

Apprentice jockey Mikey James scored his first win at The Great Race Place on Saturday, Mar. 13, when he rode Malibu Artiste to an exciting victory in Santa Anita's second race for trainer Paul Aguirre. James and Malibu Artiste held on through the stretch to prevail by a head over jockey Joe Talamo and Twoformeoneforyou.

I spoke to James this morning at Santa Anita and he recalled his experience during the stretch drive. "It was kind of like she knew," he said about the filly. "She reached out, I could feel her stretch her neck to get up there."

Back in the jock's room following the race, James was the victim of the customary hazing, when the other jockeys doused him with "about six buckets of ice water, trash and ketchup."

Congratulations, Mikey, and best of luck for the remainder of the meet!

Paulick Report Features California's Winners Foundation

2010-03-12T11:41:00.000-08:00

This week's "Good News Friday" feature on The Paulick Report introduces readers to the Winners Foundation, California's statewide organization that helps front and backside employees troubled by alcohol, drugs, or gambling problems.

Thanks to the Paulick Report for giving a boost to a very worthwhile and important program that supports one of the most important groups in our great sport -- the people who work with our equine athletes. Read the story here.

Rain, Rain Go Away... Country Tough Wants to Run

2010-03-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

Country Tough with groom Lionel Molina at Santa Anita.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Country Tough, one of my favorites, to get a race in tomorrow at Santa Anita! He has been rained out of his last two starts. He was scratched from his Feb. 11 race due to bad weather then re-entered for Feb. 27, when racing was cancelled due to rain. He looked marvelous Friday schooling in the paddock in the bright sunshine for trainer Howard Zucker.

We'll see what kind of weather tomorrow brings and hope that the third time's the charm.

For What It's Worth

2010-03-05T09:03:00.000-08:00

I’ve been reading a lot these days about the good old days of dirt tracks in California and how much better off racing was before the installation of synthetic tracks. But I would just like to offer a slightly different perspective on the subject – a perspective from someone who has worked in racing in California for 30 years and been a witness to many changes.

With the rain cancellations we have experienced this season, it is natural to draw comparisons to the good old days of dirt tracks when racing was rarely ever cancelled due to weather. But there is so much more involved here than just a “show must go on” ideology. Sure, we ran in the slop. I watched many races in pouring rain, when the horses looked like they were running in pea soup and the horses and riders ended up completely coated with mud. But I also remember riders saying it was like “running on concrete.” I remember horrific breakdowns.

What we need to remember is that the times have changed in more ways than one. We haven’t been the victims of some cruel hoax; we didn’t have the synthetic tracks forced on us against our better judgment. Rather, California racing was trying to do what it has always done: boldly lead the industry to make racing safer for both the equine and human athletes.

I think we can be proud, out here in California, of the “kinder, gentler” racing industry we have become. In my early days, in the 70’s and 80’s, the newspapers were not filled with statistics about the number of injuries and breakdowns on the racetracks, but not because injuries were nonexistent.

But things began to change in this country. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) was founded in 1980. Drug testing became a common part of sports, from baseball to horseracing. Where once you never heard about what happened to horses when they were finished racing, today there are more high profile equine retirement facilities and programs than you can shake a stick at (if that’s your idea of fun). It has all been part of an overall trend to examine the traditional ways we have been doing things, to put them under scrutiny, make people accountable, and establish the highest levels of safety and integrity in sports.

As a student of history, I know it is human nature to glorify the good old days. Perhaps it is a blessing of our nature that we remember the good times while allowing the troubles and tribulations to fade into the recesses of memory. On the other hand, if we truly want to learn from history we have to be objective. Maybe the good old days had their drawbacks too.

Before we forge ahead, I hope everyone involved in the decision making process will make their best effort to uncover the truth and to carefully examine the available statistics on injury rates both on dirt and synthetic tracks. The future of our sport depends on the decisions we make now. These are the good old days.

John and Betty Mabee had Connection to Early Caliente Racing

2010-02-28T16:47:00.001-08:00

A guest post by David J. Beltran

The recent passing of Betty Mabee closed an era in Thoroughbred racing in California. Well known for their Golden Eagle Farm, John and Betty Mabee bred a long list of runners that have found a place in the hearts of many California racing fans. Although linked with their farm, they did not come into the game armed with what would eventually turn into one of racing’s formidable nurseries. Like many from their era who got into the racing game, the Mabees had a string of horses at Agua Caliente racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico.

Many Californians made the most of the affordable rates and the horsemen who worked at Caliente, and the one-mile oval was a safe dirt surface. The Mabees had a string trained by either Lawrence “Swede” Jenner or Cliff Clayton. Racing at Caliente afforded not only the Mabee family to be part of the game, but many others as well.

Upon reading of her passing, I quickly remembered having a photo of John and Betty Mabee in the winner’s circle one Sunday afternoon on the last weekend of July 1971. Little did they know that they had just won the last feature race at Caliente, for the track’s Grandstand and Clubhouse would be destroyed in a fire two days later.

It is memories of times like these that remind me the photo and memorabilia collection I have is really not mine… but it belongs to all that enjoy the races.

David J. Beltran and family wish to express our condolences to the Mabee family.

Photo: David Beltran collection.

David J. Beltran was born in Chula Vista and raised in San Diego and Tijuana. He has been attending the races since he was an infant, both at Caliente and the Southern California race tracks. Beltran is the author of the book The Agua Caliente Story (Eclipse Press 2004), a correspondent to Caballo, a racing magazine in Mexico, and a writer for the Argentine racing daily, Turf Diario. He recently published an article in HorsePlayer magazine covering betting on South American imports. Beltran also breeds Thoroughbreds and is a blood-stock agent specializing in Argentinean racing and breeding stock. He lives in Chula Vista with his wife, daughter, and two dogs. His previous posts explored the origins of the Big 'Cap, the Woolf Memorial, and the "5-10" wager at Caliente.

Country Tough Schooling at Santa Anita

2010-02-26T17:40:00.001-08:00

Here's one of my favorites, Country Tough, caught gazing right into the camera with his big, warm eye today. Country was schooling in the paddock for tomorrow's fifth race at Santa Anita. He looks tough!

Santa Anita Sunday Morning

2010-02-21T07:00:00.001-08:00

Sun up at the racetrack.

Good morning from Santa Anita. Today's nine-race card includes the grade 2 San Luis Obispo Stakes for 4 year olds and up. First post is at 12:30.

Although the weather forecast calls for scattered showers, I am predicting a lovely day at the track with spectacular views of the San Gabriel Mountains as the clouds pass over. Of course, they do call me the "human barometer." And by "they," I mean me.

Remembering Jockey Jack Robinson

2010-02-19T17:37:00.000-08:00

Jack Robinson Memorial, Pleasanton, Calif.

When I last visited the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, Calif., I was intrigued by a statue just outside the jockeys' room. It was marked "Jack Robinson, 1926-1973, Memorial Award." Being the curious sort, as soon as I returned home I did a online search on Jockey Jack Robinson. I was somewhat puzzled by the search results. There wasn't much information to be found, and one site actually listed Robinson as a mythical person.

Statemaster.com, which provides a long list of current and past jockeys, had this to say about Robinson: "Jack Robinson is a make-believe or mythical person who is invoked in English language conversation to indicate a very short amount of time.... The normal usage is, '(something is done) faster than you can say Jack Robinson' or otherwise '... before you can say Jack Robinson.'"

With a little more digging, plus some help from my friend Jeanne Wasserman, Satellite Manager at Pleasanton, I discovered a truly remarkable story. Jack Robinson was definitely much more than make believe.

Robinson, who won races at every track in California in his 30-year career, died at the age of 46 during a race at the Solano County Fair in Vallejo on June 20, 1973. By all accounts, he put himself in jeopardy atttempting to assist a young rider in serious trouble. Robinson was thrown during a quarter horse claiming race and trampled to death an instant after reaching out to keep jockey Jorge Cruz from falling from his mount. He died 45 minutes later at Vallejo General Hospital. He left his wife, Betty, a son and five daughters.

Robinson was known as much for being a fearless rider as for his kindness and generosity. News articles written after his death are filled with testimonials to Robinson's care and concern for his fellow horsemen, especially anyone he knew was in need. Even 18 years after his death, racing journalist Darryl Hove wrote in a glowing memorial piece about Robinson, "Jack Robinson was not a saint, but you'd be hard pressed to find a person to tell you otherwise."

A native of Philadelphia, Robinson rode thoroughbreds, quarter horses and appalosas in California and across the nation. He rode 11,079 thoroughbred races for 1,369 wins and earnings of $2,548.444. One of his biggest victories was aboard Jungle Road in the La Jolla Mile at Del Mar. He won his first race at Caliente in 1944, but was best known for riding in Northern California, especially on the fair circuit.

In December 1974, a year after Robinson's death, a statue of him was unveiled at Bay Meadows Racetrack and the Jack Robinson Memorial Award inaugurated. It was presented annually to an outstanding jockey in Northern California. The initial recipient was Mel Lewis, and in subsequent years the award would be presented to such riders as Merlin Volzke, Bill Mahorney, Russell Baze, Tom Chapman and Ron Warren Jr.

When Bay Meadows closed down, Jeanne Wasserman decided she wanted to give the statue a worthy home. She was able to obtain permission to move it to the Pleasanton Satellite Wagering facility, where it now resides in a lovely garden patio. Thanks to Jeanne for preserving an important part of California racing history and for helping educate race fans about a truly remarkable man.

Zap! of the Week: Lookin at Lookin at Lucky

2010-02-17T20:00:00.000-08:00

Here's some great footage from Larry Zap, checking out Lookin at Lucky, champion two year old male for 2009 and the probable favorite in the 2010 Kentucky Derby! Filmed at beautiful Santa Anita earlier this week.

We agree with Sarah, exercise rider for trainer Bob Baffert -- we miss the zap when he's out of town! Glad to have him back and in form. Listen closely and you'll hear yours truly talking in the opening few seconds. Enjoy!

For more information about Larry Zap, see Contributors on the About tab.

Where in the World is Carmen Santa Anita?

2010-02-11T18:18:00.001-08:00

Have You Seen This Trophy Horse?

The "Carmen Santa Anita" blog contest came to an abrupt end with the apparent kidnapping of the little trophy horse from an undisclosed location on track sometime over Super Bowl weekend. The above photo shows Carmen as she was last seen awaiting discovery by one of my blog readers hoping to win last week's contest. If you have information about the whereabouts of Carmen, please contact me... ransom demands will be carefully considered.

Seriously, it was a fun contest and two great blog readers won season credentials for the Santa Anita meet -- Michael Mendez and Sally Cruikshank.

Thanks to all for participating, and especially to Santa Anita Park for graciously supporting the contest by providing season credentials for the 2009-10 meet to the winners. And let's see what we can come up with next!

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: Snow above Santa Anita

2010-02-10T18:39:00.000-08:00

It's been a crazy week as far as weather is concerned here in Southern California. Torrential rains produced mudslides in the local foothills and forced the cancellation of racing on Saturday, Feb. 6. But this morning dawned clear and cold, offering up a spectacular view of the snow-capped San Gabriels.

The weatherman promises a few days of clear weather and a warming trend -- possibly into the high 70's or low 80's by the weekend. That's wonderful news for Santa Anita, where a three-day President's Day weekend will feature an impressive roster of stakes races, including the Strub, Robert B. Lewis and Las Virgenes stakes originally scheduled for last Saturday.

Lookin' Tough: Country Tough Schools at Santa Anita

2010-02-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

Country Tough in the Santa Anita paddock with groom Lionel Molina.

I snapped a photo of one of my favorites, Country Tough, as he schooled in the paddock at Santa Anita Wednesday afternoon during the races. Country Tough is entered to run in Thursday's 5th race, a starter allowance at one mile on the turf. He won his last race, a maiden claiming event at one mile on the all-weather track, on Dec. 30 at Santa Anita.

Country Tough is trained by Howard Zucker for Dream Walkin Farms, Inc., a partnership that includes country music star Toby Keith and major league pitcher Brad Penny.

George Woolf Memorial... A Caliente Tradition

2010-02-09T18:52:00.000-08:00

A guest post by David J. Beltran

Every winter since 1950, jockeys select one of their peers to receive the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Award at Santa Anita. The list reads like a roll call for the Hall of Fame. Riders like Shoemaker, Arcaro, Longden and Pincay are among those who have been awarded this trophy. While most racing fans are aware of the award at Santa Anita, many don’t realize that Agua Caliente also had its own version of the George Woolf Memorial Award as well.

Daily Racing Form announces the 1965 running of the George Woolf Memorial Handicap.

With Caliente offering the only Sunday racing in the region, track General Manager and President John Alessio suggested that the fans at Caliente would love to see a host of such top riders as Arcaro and Longden come down and ride at Caliente. With the help of Jockey’s Guild Director Bert Thompson, Alessio made all the arrangements to host such a gallery of top jockeys.

Jockeys assembled at Caliente for the Woolf Memorial: (left to right) Eddie Arcaro, Wiiliam Shoemaker, Merlin Volzke, Walter Blum, William Harmatz, Jockey's Guild President Bert Thompson, Pete Moreno, Jimmy Nichols, Gordon Glisson, Johnny Longden, Ray York, Mel Peterson and Rojelio Trejos.

“It was a lot of fun,” said former jockey Donald Pierce in a 2003 interview. “Alessio put it all together, and we would make the trip down to Tijuana, have dinner at the track after the races, watch the greyhounds and then stay overnight and enjoy the drive home."

Jerry Lambert winning the 1968 running. Rider on the second-place horse is Laffit Pincay, Jr.

First run in 1947, a year after the untimely death of The Iceman, the inaugural running of the George Woolf Memorial Handicap was won by Johnny Longden. Set at 1 1/16-miles, Woolf Memorial featured many of the regular jockeys from the current Santa Anita meeting plus one or two top riders at Caliente. And the draw for mounts was held in the Arcadia jockeys room.

The race featured a full field plucked from the handicap ranks at Caliente. Most riders would amble about the Caliente Clubhouse, while others preferred to ride rather than wait for the feature race. While the purse was nothing compared to what was offered north of the border, it was bolstered by the gifts that came along with the winner’s circle trophy -- a saddle and whip with a plaque featuring the previous winners of the race.

Alex Maese in the Jockey's Room at Caliente.

Some of the game’s greatest riders ventured down to Tijuana to ride at Caliente. Jockeys like Arcaro, Longden, Shoemaker, Westrope, and Volzke were among the many that made the trip back to their old stomping grounds at Caliente to honor George “The Iceman” Woolf.

Photos: David Beltran collection.

David J. Beltran was born in Chula Vista and raised in San Diego and Tijuana. He has been attending the races since he was an infant, both at Caliente and the Southern California race tracks. Beltran is the author of the book The Agua Caliente Story (Eclipse Press 2004), a correspondent to Caballo, a racing magazine in Mexico, and a writer for the Argentine racing daily, Turf Diario. He recently published an article in HorsePlayer magazine covering betting on South American imports. Beltran also breeds Thoroughbreds and is a blood-stock agent specializing in Argentinean racing and breeding stock. He lives in Chula Vista with his wife, daughter, and two dogs. His previous posts explored the origins of the Big 'Cap and the "5-10" wager at Caliente.

Blog Contest Continues: Where on the Track is Carmen Santa Anita?

2010-02-04T17:58:00.001-08:00

Here's another look at Carmen Santa Anita, a six-inch tall, rather cheesy looking trophy horse. Once again, Carmen is somewhere at Santa Anita Racetrack just waiting to be spotted by one of my blog readers. The first person to find Carmen and contact me will win an admission pass for the rest of the current Winter-Spring meet, compliments of Santa Anita, the Great Race Place!

Carmen will be waiting for some lucky fan starting Friday, where the place to be is Santa Anita Park. That's because every Friday is Free Friday! Patrons will receive FREE General Admission on Fridays, as well as FREE Box Seats, while supplies last. Santa Anita will also have $1 specials on Hot Dogs, Beer, Soda, Popcorn and Coffee. It's the best time to come to Santa Anita and start your weekend off right at the Great Race Place.

To obtain your FREE Box Seats take the main escalator up to the third floor. Make a right and follow the pathway to the box seat sale desk.

Carmen is placed in plain sight somewhere in the general admission area. Study the above photograph for the clues you need to find the little statue. If you find her, simply contact me in person at the TOC office at Santa Anita (near the racing office), or by email at mwforney@gmail.com to claim your prize.

Enjoy the hunt!

Santa Anita employees and their family members are ineligible to win this contest.

Worth a Photo: Worth a Punt Schooling

2010-02-03T18:25:00.000-08:00

Worth a Punt was happy to pause for a photo today in the Santa Anita paddock, showing off his lovely head -- and a sporty new clip job! He was schooling during the races in preparation for a start in Thursday's 4th race, a starter allowance at 1-1/16 miles on the all-weather track.

A 3-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Mutakddin, Worth a Punt was an impressive winner of his last race, a maiden claiming event at 1-1/16 miles over Santa Anita's all-weather track on Jan. 2. Worth a Punt is trained by Howard Zucker for owner Rachel Pagones and will be ridden by jockey Alex Solis.

Mystery Horse Spotted Near Stable Office

2010-02-03T18:12:00.000-08:00

Well of course I had to take a photo of this lovely gray Thoroughbred standing in front of the stable office at Santa Anita this morning. I'm certain that the life size plastic horse caused more than a few people to do a double take!

With a little digging, I uncovered its story. It is one of several plastic horse statues owned by Santa Anita Racetrack and used by the marketing, publicity and group sales departments for special parties and events. This particular horse was taking a short rest in transit back to the warehouse after being used on Sunshine Millions Day by ESPN in one of their film segments.

Zap! of the Week: Beautiful Alfarabi

2010-02-01T17:22:00.000-08:00

Here's some very nice footage of Alfarabi, a lovely grey three-year-old colt by Yes It's True. Watch him being saddled by trainer Eoin Harty for a win at Santa Anita. Plus, watch bonus footage of Alfarabi selling at the Ocala Breeders' Sale in March of 2009. All nicely narrated by Larry Zap.

For more information about Larry Zap, see Contributors on the About tab.

We Have Another Winner! Sally Cruikshank Wins Blog Contest at Santa Anita

2010-01-27T17:27:00.000-08:00

Sally Cruikshank and Santa Anita's Irene Torres with "Carmen" in the Paddock Room.

Sally Cruikshank of Northridge, Calif. was the winner of this week's "Where at the Track is Carmen Santa Anita?" contest when she was the first to spot the little trophy horse at Santa Anita Racetrack. Cruikshank, who has been visiting Santa Anita for approximately two years, said it took her nearly four races to find Carmen.

"I covered every potato chip seller at the track, even in the Infield," Cruikshank said. "They'd say, 'Can I help you?' Me: 'No, I'm just looking!" Cruikshank also managed to get a win and exacta on race 5 before she left!

Irene Torres, who works in the Paddock Room food stand where Carmen was hidden, was equally excited about the contest. Torres has worked at the track for 25 years.

Congratulations to Cruikshank, who won a season clubhouse admission pass for the remainder of the Winter-Spring meet, compliments of Santa Anita!

Watch for another contest next week, when Carmen will again be hiding somewhere at the track.

Pick 6 Bet Had its Roots in Caliente's "5-10"

2010-01-25T20:14:00.000-08:00

A guest post by David J. Beltran

“I came close to hitting the 5-10; a guy two seats down from me hit it!”
--Anonymous Caliente horseplayer.

We get emails announcing its carryovers. Handicappers adjust their playing to take a stab at it. At any racetrack in the United States the pick-6 is now an everyday betting staple. But it was not always the norm.

John Alessio, General Manager and President of Caliente racetrack was always open for ideas, and when the “5-10” bet was suggested, Alessio took notice. It was taken from a popular bet at Hipodromo La Rinconada in Venezuela, the cinco y seis (5 and 6). The object of the cinco y seis was to select the runners of the day’s feature race in running order: first through sixth. Nail down five of the six runners and one received a small percentage of the pool. This lottery type bet paid huge amounts for a tiny investment, and the bet was supported not only by the regulars but anyone who could make it on time to the track and place the bet. Legend has it that the track had a window outside to place the bets.

This wagering format was studied for months by racing officials at Caliente. They planned to make it more playable and to suit the needs for Agua Caliente, which attracted crowds from both sides of the border. At Caliente, the format was changed. The object of the wager was to select six consecutive winners. The bet was placed on races five through ten, hence the name the “5-10.”

On April 15, 1956, Agua Caliente unveiled its new bet, which would turn this tiny track into a powerful weekend magnet for gamblers. The daddy of all the pick-6’s made its debut. That first 5-10 had a pool of just $10,082. Six people hit it with five winners each; five of those simply had $2.00 minimum bets worth $907.20 each. The other winning bettor bought five $2 dollar tickets, which were collectively worth $4,536.

The bet was placed by filling out a double-sided form. Local players quickly named this betting slip “la forma.” One would write out selections in one column and alternate selections in another. This was done in case of a late scratch.

The slip was then stamped at a betting window and sent downstairs to a room where several workers would sort out the tickets with winning numbers as the races progressed. It was fascinating to see the workers quickly sort through stacks of betting slips. Later, Caliente would punch the betting slip and the amount bet on the 5-10 would tally on the tote system, thanks in part to some customers who tried to cash illegitimate or forged tickets.

Alessio had unleashed a monster. This beast would for the next two decades draw an unprecedented flow of horseplayers to the city of Tijuana unseen since the glory days of the Agua Caliente Casino in the 20’s and 30’s. Caliente held all the aces, with no Sunday racing in California and this bet with “get rich quick” possibilities of lottery proportion. California racing was tied to a bland menu of Win, Place and Show betting and could do little to change or compete with the betting format found at Caliente.

Caliente was an innovator, always trying new ideas and betting concepts. At the time, Caliente already had Quinellas and the Daily Double and would introduce the “Perfecta” (Exacta) in the 1960’s. While the regulars at Caliente were very accustomed to the Quinella format, the perfecta offered more of a challenge. In order to win, one had to perfectly select the first two finishers in a race; hence the name, “perfecta.” This new wager debuted in the first race on Saturday, September 25, 1965. When Our Bongo, ridden by Raul Caballero, won the first race over second place finisher, Jolly Caper, with Antonio Herrera in the irons, Caliente made racing history. The first perfecta ever at Caliente paid $32.60 from a pool of over $7,700. It should be noted that the Perfecta is the original concept for what is now known as an Exacta. Santa Anita did not institute an Exacta until 1971, the year Caliente burned down.

To say that the 5-10 wager had an influence at the admission gates would be an understatement. Attendance for a typical Sunday card was roughly 25% more than Saturdays. The handle would double, if not triple on the days Caliente offered the 5-10. And when Caliente introduced the Reserve Jackpot system, patrons could expect to wait as long as three hours at the border crossing just trying to get home after the races. Word spread quickly, and the commute from Los Angeles to Tijuana would start after the last race at Hollywood Park, Santa Anita, or Del Mar. Caliente track management made it easy for the North American bettor to venture south into Tijuana. One could easily book a flight out of Long Beach Airport and land at Brown Field in Otay Mesa, catch a chartered bus across the border into Tijuana where one would receive a free program and Clubhouse admission. After the races, reversing the procedure, one could be at home in the Los Angeles area by 8:00 pm. Caliente would later issue free passes for its regulars. After a time, the track would no longer charge parking or admission fees, for the stands were always full. Under the Alessio regime, Caliente catered to its customers, with free programs, seating and even betting vouchers.

With each succeeding Sunday, the pool for the 5-10 grew at a steady rate. As the pool sizes grew, so did the payoffs. Then on July 15 of that first year, a North American record payoff occurred when a $2.00 ticket with 5 winners paid, $20,088.20. This surpassed what was then a world record payoff for a Daily Double of $12,724.80 set on July 4, 1954 -- also at Caliente. The 5-10’s greatest growth period was when a rule was put into action in which 25% of the pool was set aside. The previous record was always in jeopardy of being broken. What was a record one Sunday could be just a memory the next Sunday. $20,000 turned into $30,000 $50,000 then $60,000.

On September 1, 1957, just 17 months after its inception, more than 22,000 fans filled tiny Caliente. They poured $124,816 into the 5-10 pool. Emerging as the sole winner was A. Thomas King of Los Angeles. On a $2.00 investment, he collected $84,250.80, as the only person who correctly chose all six winning horses. By now the Sunday 5-10 pools were grossing $100,000 or more.

Then on September 14, 1957, it was made available on the Saturday programs as well. It became even more popular. Caliente was filling the void left by its California peers as it attracted players venturing south looking for more action than the limited betting menu offered in the states. The 5-10 created a new breed of handicapper -- not only betting on the horses but trying to eliminate other players by picking long shots. The 5-10 spawned a new sophistication, which was only found in Mexico and the West Coast.

These handicappers were indeed the sharpest of the sharpies. Multiple tickets were the norm. Many serious 5-10 players viewed a straight $2 ticket as merely a backup. The failure of these multiple slips beefed up the jackpot on a weekly basis. The fact that one lost only made one come back in an effort to get even. This would become the mantra for players who pursued the 5-10 dream for years, many without even hitting a small consolation payoff in an effort to find the Holy Grail of horse betting.

Even with all the huge payoffs, the 5-10 was not always life changing. Many times the winning selections were short priced horses, favorites, that were on many if not ALL the betting slips entered that day. Payoffs were commonly as low as of $150; but none was as low as the $5 payoff when 4,163 Caliente patrons picked all six winners. On that day, favorites were the rule of the day.

After the rebirth of racing at Caliente following the fire, the 5-10 grew to monstrous proportions. The pools exceeded $150,000 to $200,000 and more when no one hit all six winners. The reserve jackpot would continue to grow until someone hit it. Ten percent of the regular 5-10 pool was deducted each racing day to accumulate the Reserve Jackpot. Once it reached $250,000, it was distributed one week later on Sunday, unless in the interim there was a single ticket with all correct six winners. One half would then be added to the regular 5-10 pool on “distribution” day, and the remaining half would remain in the jackpot. The amount distributed was the same, regardless if there was one single winning ticket or multiple ones.

It was on days like these that Caliente would host upwards of 12-15,000 fans and handle more than $1,000,000. The start of the fifth race was delayed by a minimum of 20 minutes. The horses would amble to the gate, at times resting under the shade of the many trees that lined the outer rails, just to make sure that everybody got their 5-10 tickets in.

The record payoff at Caliente for the 5-10 was set on November 12, 1977. Ignacio Gomez was the only patron that day to hit all six winners. His payoff was $350,204.40. This caused him to say, “The 5-10 is the best bet in all racing.”

Everyone in Tijuana knew of the 5-10, from housewives that pooled their money to the city’s racetrack regulars. The 5-10 was something to shoot for, at times reaching monumental proportions, for the citizens of Tijuana. Even in “non racing circles” the 5-10 meant good luck or well being. For example, should someone’s daughter marry a man who was well off, the girl’s parents might say, “She got the 5-10 with this one.” The 5-10 was one of many threads that connected the city’s non-racetracker with the hipodromo.

One by one, Caliente’s betting innovations would be absorbed into the North American betting format. In the early days of Agua Caliente Jockey Club, the plush Agua Caliente Casino supported the rich racing meet, which consisted of a $100,000 Handicap and $30,000 Derby in the late 1920’s. That format has now been adopted and even a new term, “racino,” coined. While Daily Doubles were exotic for American tracks, Caliente offered them as early as the late 1930’s after they were introduced at Bay Meadows. Exacta betting was not given a permanent slot in California until the early 1970’s, and the Quinella owes its beginning to greyhound racing, which has been a mainstay in Tijuana since the days of the Agua Caliente Casino in the mid 1920’s. Caliente would even accept bets on North American tracks at the Foreign Book. That concept was also adopted and it is now called Off-Track Betting. Around Kentucky Derby time, Caliente would also host a future book and was the official barometer on the race.

When Sunday racing was allowed in California, the crowds were no longer the same at Caliente. Even the concept of the 5-10 was taken and given a new name… the pick-6.

Photographs property of David Beltran Collection.

David J. Beltran was born in Chula Vista and raised in San Diego and Tijuana. He has been attending the races since he was an infant, both at Caliente and the Southern California race tracks. Beltran is the author of the book The Agua Caliente Story (Eclipse Press 2004), a correspondent to Caballo, a racing magazine in Mexico, and a writer for the Argentine racing daily, Turf Diario. He recently published an article in HorsePlayer magazine covering betting on South American imports. Beltran also breeds Thoroughbreds and is a blood-stock agent specializing in Argentinean racing and breeding stock. He lives in Chula Vista with his wife, daughter, and two dogs. His previous post explored the origins of the Big 'Cap.

Where on the Track is Carmen Santa Anita NOW?

2010-01-23T11:53:00.000-08:00

Santa Anita Looking Forward to a Dry Weekend

2010-01-22T17:28:00.001-08:00

A dusting of snow on the San Gabriels above Santa Anita.

In California, horsemen and horses alike are looking forward to some dry weather. For the past five days, Southern California has been hammered by a series of four storms caused by a strong El Nino over the Pacific Ocean. The strongest series of storms to hit the area in five years dumped 4 to 8 inches of rain in the coastal and valley regions and up to 12 inches in the mountains, caused 15-20 foot waves along the coast, and sent hundreds fleeing from their homes as mudslides hit the foothills below the burn areas caused by last Fall's wildfires.

Santa Anita lost three days of racing (Monday, Thursday and Friday) when its track was pounded day and night by rain that seemed like it would never let up. Hopes are high for a good, dry weekend of racing that includes the historic Palos Verdes Handicap on Saturday.

Here's the field for the Palos Verdes Handicap with jockeys and weights in post position order: Dancing in Silks, Joel Rosario, 123; Ez Dreamer, Alex Solis, 116; Paul’s Hope, Victor Espinoza, 115; Eaton’s Gift, Tyler Baze, 117; Quietly Mine, Garrett Gomez, 113; Supreme Summit, Rafael Bejarano, 114; Kinsale King, Martin Garcia, 116, and Ventana, Joseph Talamo, 113.

The Palos Verdes Handicap will be run as the eighth race on a nine-race program with first post at 12:30 p.m.

Historic Palos Verdes Handicap at Santa Anita

2010-01-20T11:50:00.000-08:00

Here’s one for the history books. According to a report in the Pasadena Independent following opening day of Santa Anita’s 1955 meet, “History Book raced to an easy length victory yesterday in the $23,300 Palos Verdes Handicap before 62,000 racing fans, second largest opening day crowd in the history of Santa Anita.”

History Book, trained by Buster Millerick for Mr. and Mrs. B.J. Richards, was ridden to victory by Ralph Neves, finishing in front of Karim and Hour Regards. The field also included Porterhouse (winner of the 1956 running) and betting favorite El Digg, both finishing out of the money.

The historic stakes is named for Rancho Palos Verdes, a quiet suburb of Los Angeles that sits atop the bluffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. It is on the site of the first Spanish ranch land grant in California – Rancho San Pedro. In 1827, a parcel of that original land grant was procured by Jose Dolores Sepulveda and named Rancho de los Palos Verdes (“range of green trees”).

The peninsula was originally inhabited by Native Americans belonging to the Tongva tribe, who traded with neighbors on Catalina Island just 26 miles across the Pacific.

Blind Luck and Jockey Rafael Bejarano in an Early Morning Work

2010-01-17T14:32:00.001-08:00

Blind Luck worked 5 furlongs in 1:01.4 under jockey Rafael Bejarano at Santa Anita on Friday morning. Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer (assistant trainer Dan Ward), Blind Luck is a multiple grade 1 winner, including the Hollywood Starlet and Oak Leaf Stakes, and a finalist for Eclipse Award as outstanding two-year-old filly. She is preparing for the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 6.

New Kid in Town: Jockey Mike James at Santa Anita

2010-01-16T17:37:00.000-08:00

Apprentice Jockey Mike James with his agent, George Ortuzar, at Santa Anita.

Mike James and his agent, George Ortuzar, were out early Friday morning at Clockers' Corner, where I had a chance to chat with them for a few minutes. James graduated from Chris McCarron's North American Racing Academy in Kentucky in 2008 -- in the first graduating class. He has since ridden at Turfway (where he won his first race), Keeneland, and most recently in Northern California.

A native of Southern California, James recently moved back to his family home in Glendora. In discussing his experience at the racing academy, James explained that he had never been on a horse before arriving at McCarron's school, but he has always enjoyed participating in extreme sports including skateboarding and snowboarding. He currently rides with a 7-lb. apprentice allowance, and we wish him lots of success riding at the Santa Anita meet!

We Have a Winner! Michael Mendez Wins Blog Contest

2010-01-15T19:25:00.001-08:00

Michael Mendez, shown here holding "Carmen Santa Anita," was the first to spot the horse statue at Santa Anita.

Michael Mendez of San Gabriel, Calif., is the winner of the first "Where at the Track is Carmen Santa Anita" contest. Mendez, a regular reader of this blog, is also a regular patron of Santa Anita. He has been coming out to the Great Race Place since he was a youngster and recalled becoming hooked on horseracing when he saw Affirmed and Alydar race.

Congratulations to Michael, who won a season clubhouse admission pass for the remainder of the Winter-Spring meet, compliments of Santa Anita!

"Carmen" was found sitting on the counter at the Thoroughbreds Reward Center, located in the paddock gardens. Watch for another contest next week, when Carmen will again be hiding somewhere at the track.

Where on the Track is Carmen Santa Anita?

2010-01-14T18:02:00.000-08:00

Find this statue... Win a Prize!

Meet Carmen Santa Anita, a six-inch tall, rather cheesy looking trophy horse. Carmen is somewhere at Santa Anita Racetrack just waiting to be spotted by one of my blog readers. The first person to find Carmen and contact me will win an admission pass for the rest of the current Winter-Spring meet, compliments of Santa Anita, the Great Race Place!

Carmen is placed in plain sight somewhere in the general admission area. Study the above photograph for the clues you need to find the little statue. If you find her, simply contact me in person at the TOC office at Santa Anita (near the racing office), or by email at mwforney@gmail.com to claim your prize.

Enjoy the hunt!

Santa Anita employees and their family members are ineligible to win this contest.

Cast Your Vote for Zenyatta in Greatest Moment in Sports!

2010-01-13T18:43:00.000-08:00

The Los Angeles Sports Council is asking fans to help select the greatest moments in sports for 2009 in the Los Angeles/Orange County area. The annual ballot includes great moments in 15 categories including various teams, universities and associations.

In the horseracing category, Zenyatta’s Stunning Victory in the Breeders’ Cup has made the final cut!

Horseracing has only made the list twice in the last ten years. In 2005, Giacomo’s win in the Kentucky Derby as a 50-1 longshot was selected; and in 1999, it was jockey Laffit Pincay breaking Bill Shoemaker’s record of 8,833 career wins at Hollywood Park.

It’s quick and easy to cast your vote on the LA Sports website. Voting runs through Jan. 31. Winners will be revealed on Friday, Feb. 19 during a special dinner and awards show at JW Marriott at L.A. Live. The awards show will air on FSN Prime Ticket.

Christian Santiago Reyes Nominated for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey

2010-01-12T18:19:00.000-08:00

Christian Santiago Reyes at Clockers' Corner, Santa Anita.

I caught up with Christian Santiago Reyes and his agent, Tony Matos, this morning, and I had a chance to congratulate them on Santiago Reyes being named a finalist in the Eclipse Award voting for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey.

Santiago Reyes, a native of Puerto Rico, has been the leading apprentice rider at every major Southern California meet since he arrived in the U.S. last April and has earned the most money of the three finalists. The other two nominees are Luis Batista, one of the top riders at Charlestown, WV, and Luis Saez, among the top riders at Calder in Florida.

The 2009 Eclipse Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, Jan. 18 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., and televised live on TVG.

Santa Ysabel Stakes: The History Behind the Name

2010-01-09T19:05:00.000-08:00

Photo: Santa Ysabel Asistencia church circa 1875.

The Santa Ysabel Stakes, in the tradition of many of Santa Anita's stakes races, was named in honor of an early California land grant. Santa Ysabel Rancho in the mountains east of San Diego was granted to Jose Joaquin Ortega and Edward Stokes in 1844.

The rancho included the site of an early California mission, Santa Ysabel Asistencia, which was founded in 1818 as a sub-mission to Mission San Diego de Alcala and to serve as a rest stop for those traveling between San Diego and Sonora.

Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, son of Sacagawea, camped at the Mission in 1847 after guiding the Mormon Battalion from New Mexico to San Diego. In 1898 The Santa Ysabel Indian Reservation was established.

The Santa Ysabel Stakes was introduced during the 1967-68 Santa Anita meet -- a banner meet that featured a stakes schedule of 45 added-money events. It was one of ten new stakes added to the Santa Anita roster that year, most of which had names linked to early California history or nearby communities. They included the San Gorgonio Handicap, Santa Paula Handicap, San Jacinto Stakes, Monrovia Handicap, San Simeon Handicap, Oneonta Handicap, Camino Real Handicap, Santa Ana Handicap, and the Baldwin Stakes -- named in honor of E.J. "Lucky" Baldwin, pioneer California racing figure and founder of the original Santa Anita racetrack on his rancho.

The Santa Ysabel is for three-year-old fillies at a mile and a sixteenth. The inaugural running on Feb. 14, 1968 was split into two divisions. Silk Hat II and jockey Jerry Lambert took the first division; and Braulio Baeza, who flew in from Florida for the race, was aboard Fish Net, for a two-length, wire-to-wire victory in the second division.

Tiz Chrome: A Very Cute Derby Prospect!

2010-01-08T19:30:00.000-08:00

Larry Zap brings you some very nice video of potential Derby prospect, Tiz Chrome trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. By the great Tiznow, this colt has the cutest face you've ever seen. Check out the white nose! This is definitely one we'll be following in coming weeks.

For more information about Larry Zap, see Contributors on the About tab.