Magical Fantasy, Black Mamba Renew Rivalry in Gamely Stakes

Black Mamba

Magical Fantasy and Black Mamba, who ran first and second in last month's Santa Barbara Handicap at Santa Anita, will square off again this Saturday at Hollywood Park in the $250,000 Gamely Stakes.

Trained by John Sadler for Doubledown Stables Inc., Black Mamba, a New Zealand bred daughter of Black Minnaloushe, won the Grade 1 John C. Mabee and Grade 2 Beverly Hills handicaps last year before finishing 4th to males in the Grade 1 Hollywood Turf Cup in December.

Magical Fantasy, the 2008 Del Mar Oaks winner, has won three of 13 races and $452,431 for trainer Paddy Gallagher and owners Bienstock, Mandabach and Winner.

The field also includes Toque de Queda, third-place finisher in the Santa Barbara, and Diamond Diva, winner of the 2008 CashCall Mile.

The Grade I Gamely is named for the nation's champion mare of 1968, winner of that year's Vanity Handicap as well as the 1968 and 1969 runnings of the Wilshire Handicap, the 1968 Inglewood Handicap, and the 1967 Princess Stakes. It will be run at nine furlongs on the Lakeside Turf Course — the ninth of ten races on Saturday’s card at Holylwood Park. First post time is 1 p.m.

Black Mamba Set for Rematch in Saturday's Santa Barbara Hcp.

Black Mamba heads out for a morning work at Santa Anita.

Black Mamba will square off with Foxysox again in Saturday's Grade 2 Santa Barbara Handicap at 1-1/4 miles on the turf at Santa Anita. Black Mamba lost last year's Santa Barbara by a nose to Foxysox. In addition to these two 6-year-old mares, the field for the Santa Barbara includes 7 other fillies and mares 4 years old and up.

Trained by John Sadler for Doubledown Stables Inc., Black Mamba, a New Zealand bred daughter of Black Minnaloushe, won the Grade 1 John C. Mabee and Grade 2 Beverly Hills handicaps last year. In her last start, she finished 4th to males in the Grade 1 Hollywood Turf Cup at Hollywood Park in December.

Coco Belle Schools for The Honest Lady Stakes at Santa Anita

Coco Belle schooled for trainer John Sadler during the first race at Santa Anita on Wednesday. She will run in The Honest Lady Stakes, for fillies and mares four years old and up at 6 furlongs, on Saturday at Santa Anita. Mike Smith has the mount for owners Jerry and Ann Moss.

Machismo Schools at Santa Anita

Machismo schooling in the Santa Anita paddock 12/30/08.

Machismo schooled Tuesday morning for trainer John Sadler at Santa Anita, in preparation for the $100,000 El Conejo Handicap on New Year's Day. Jockey Mike Smith has the call. Here's how the field shapes up:

The 28th Running of The El Conejo Handicap (Grade III)
$100,000 Guaranteed - Five And One Half Furlongs
4-Year-Olds and Up

1  MACHISMO            04 G 115 Smith, M     Sadler, John
2  ITS IN GOD'S HANDS  05 G 109 Garcia, M    Miller, Peter
3  JOHNNY EVES         04 G 119 Gomez, G     Robbins, Jay
4  BLACK SEVENTEEN     04 H 121 Potts, C     Koriner, Brian
5  IN SUMMATION        03 H 120 Bejarano, R  Clement, Christophe

Miss Dolce Schooling at Santa Anita

Miss Dolce was looking pretty in the paddock this morning at Santa Anita, where she schooled for trainer John Sadler. The daughter of Unbridled's Song, owned by Tommy Town Thoroughbreds LLC, was game winner of her racing debut in a maiden special weight event at Hollywood Park on Nov. 29. She is entered in Santa Anita's 2nd race Wednesday, an optional claiming race, and Mike Smith again has the call.

Dearest Trickski Schools for Kalookan Queen at Santa Anita

Dearest Trickski looked good schooling for trainer John Sadler this morning in the Santa Anita paddock. Owned by Stronach Stables, Dearest Trickski will face eight rivals in Wednesday's Kalookan Queen Handicap at 6-1/2 furlongs. Regular rider Mike Smith will be aboard.

The race is named for Kalookan Queen, a multiple graded stakes winner and the only female to win Santa Anita's Potrero Grande Handicap in its 26-year history. Trained by Bruce Headley for Louis Asistio, Kalookan Queen's wins included the Ancient Title Breeders' Cup and Santa Monica Handicaps. Her career earnings totaled more than $1 million. Here's the complete field for Wednesday's running:

The 6th Running of
The Kalookan Queen Handicap
$70,000 Added - Six And One Half Furlongs
Fillies & Mares, 3 Years Old and Up

1  LOVELY ISLE       05 F 115 Espinoza, V    Frankel, Robert
2  MOONSHINE ALICE   05 F 114 Sutherland, C  Frankel, Robert
3  SO LONG SONOMA    03 M 114 Bejarano, R    Headley, Bruce
4  HIGH RESOLVE      05 F 115 Gryder, A      Gilchrist, Greg
5  TIZZY'S TUNE      03 M 117 Solis, A       Baffert, Bob
6  HIGHLAND TORREE   05 F 114 Garcia, M      DeLeon, Rafael
7  DEAREST TRICKSKI  04 F 122 Smith, M       Sadler, John
8  BARONESS THATCHER 04 F 118 Gomez, G       Biancone, Patrick
9  LADY SPRINTER     04 F 116 Nakatani, C    Reviriego, Juan

Whatsthescript Tops Field of 10 in Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park

Friday's main race is the $400,000 Citation Handicap over 1 1/16 miles on turf. Garrett Gomez has the call on Whatsthescript for trainer John Sadler. Whatsthescript, third in the Breeders' Cup Mile, is owned by Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, LLC. Here's how the field shapes up:

The 31st Running of the Citation Handicap (Grade I)
$400,000 Guaranteed
One Mile And One Sixteenth (Turf)
A HANDICAP FOR THREE-YEAR-OLD AND UPWARD

1 HYPERBARIC           03 G 120 Baze, T           Canani, Julio
2 GALANTAS             03 H 116 Rose, J           Motion, H.
3 FERNELEY             04 C 114 Espinoza, V       Cecil, Ben
4 LORD ADMIRAL         01 H 118 Solis, A          O'Brien, Charles
5 BECRUX (ITY)         02 G 117 Smith, M          Sadler, John
6 REBELLION (GB)       03 H 118 Bejarano, R       Motion, H.
7 MEDICI CODE (GB)     04 G 113 Pedroza, M        Vienna, Darrell
8 PROUDINSKY (GER)     03 H 116 Valdivia, Jr., J  Frankel, Robert
9 WHATSTHESCRIPT (IRE) 04 C 120 Gomez, G          Sadler, John
10 FORMAL DECREE (GER) 03 G 117 Samyn, J          bin Suroor, Saeed

Evita Argentina Wins Moccasin S. for Tyler Baze on His Wife's Birthday

Evita Argentina came from last to first to score an impressive victory in the 22nd running of the $100,000-added Moccasin Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at 7 furlongs on Hollywood Park's Cushion Track. The victory was extra special for jockey Tyler Baze, who took the opportunity in the winner's circle to wish his wife, Christina, a happy birthday.

Down the backstretch, Evita Argentina was last in the field of 11; but, when Baze made his move on her, she came charging down the center of the track to prevail by nearly two lengths over runners-up Mi Chiamano Mimi and Palacio de Amor.

Evita Argentina, who paid $14.80, $5.80, and $3.40, is trained by John Sadler for Ted Aroney's Halo Farms and Three Sisters Thoroughbreds, who knew they had a special filly when she beat Stardom Bound in the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar Aug. 6, in the second start of her career. In the Sorrento S., Evita Argentina became the first stakes winner for freshman sire Candy Ride.