Legendary Dan Issel presents trophy at Santa Anita

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!

Peppermint Lounge Seeks First Stakes Win in Playa del Rey Stakes

Peppermint Lounge seeks her fourth consecutive victory and first stakes win in the $65,000 Playa del Rey Stakes on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, at Hollywood Park. Peppermint Lounge is trained by Carla Gaines for Warren B. Williamson and gets the services of leading rider, Rafael Bejarano, in the 6-furlong event for filles and mares 3 and up.

Bsharpsonata, trained by Todd Pletcher, is making her first start since finishing 8th in the Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico in May. She won two Grade 2 stakes at Gulfstream earlier in the year, the Davona Dale and Forward Gal.

The 2nd Running of The Playa del Rey Stakes
$65,000 Added
FOR FILLIES AND MARES, THREE-YEAR-OLDS AND UPWARD

1 BSHARPSONATA       05 F 124 Gomez, G     Pletcher, Todd
2 HIGHLAND TORREE    05 F 118 Garcia, M    DeLeon, Rafael
3 PEPPERMINT LOUNGE  04 F 120 Bejarano, R  Gaines, Carla
4 COCO BELLE         04 F 122 Rosario, J   Sadler, John
5 LOVELY ISLE        05 F 118 Espinoza, V  Frankel, Robert
6 TIZZY'S TUNE       03 M 120 Solis, A     Baffert, Bob
7 FOXY DANSEUR       05 F 122 Smith, M     Paasch, Christopher