While there are many race series and big trainers in the United States, they don’t always travel across the pond and Cheltenham Festival has been devoid of U.S. horses and trainers. There is a reason that the spring meeting at the world-famous Cheltenham course is the crown jewel of jump racing and U.S. trainers and horses have struggled at times to break into the festival. This can be attributed to fluctuations in quality of horse and trainer being produced as the sport faces stiff competition from the likes of basketball and American football.
Month: February 2023
Santa Anita Jockeys To Renew Annual Basketball Rivalry With Holy Angels Middle School
Sidelined for the past two winters due to COVID concerns, Santa Anita's 53rd annual Charity Basketball Game versus Holy Angels Middle School will return to La Salle High School in Pasadena Thursday, Feb. 16, with game time set at 7 p.m. (PT).
A distinguished group of Hall of Fame jockeys will be on-hand beginning at 6:30 p.m. to sign posters and other memorabilia in the La Salle gym. Retired legends Laffit Pincay Jr. and Gary Stevens will be available as will active Hall of Famers Kent Desormeaux, Victor Espinoza, Mike Smith, and John Velazquez.
Admission is $5 with proceeds going to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockey Fund and Holy Angels Athletics.
Tickets may be purchased at the door, or in advance via Jockey.givesmart.com. Jockey game T-shirts may also be purchased in advance via this link up until Feb. 8 at 3 p.m.
The post Santa Anita Jockeys To Renew Annual Basketball Rivalry With Holy Angels Middle School appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
‘He’s Getting Better’: Hopkins Makes The Grade In Palos Verdes
In his second graded stakes assignment, Bob Baffert's Hopkins made it look easy on Sunday at Santa Anita, as he sat close to a fast pace and proved much the best in the $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes (G3), winning by 2 ¼ lengths under Juan Hernandez while getting six furlongs in 1:08.80.
As expected, Straight No Chaser blasted off from his rail post and showed the way early under Edwin Maldonado, but Hopkins was in close attendance to his outside. Straightening for home, Hopkins got on terms and gained the advantage a furlong out in a dominant performance that gave meet leaders Baffert and Hernandez their ninth and 10th stakes victories, respectively at the meet.
“The race set up really good for us,” said Hernandez, who has been aboard for all seven of Hopkins career starts. “Straight No Chaser, he's a really good horse, he's really fast…I really like (Hopkins) a lot…He's getting better.
“I just played the break and I just watched the other horses. I saw the one (Straight No Chaser) broke really fast, he broke way better than me, and I broke better than the outside horses. So, I just let him go and sat behind him and waited for the quarter pole to ask my horse to go…When I asked him…he picked it up really well and he got the job done.”
Second, beaten a head in a six-furlong second condition allowance Jan. 15 at Santa Anita, Hopkins was off at 2-1 is a field of six older horses and paid $6.20 for the victory.
A 5-year-old horse by Quality Road out of the Salt Lake mare Hot Spell, bred in Kentucky by Nursery Place, Hopkins is owned by a partnership that includes SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, et al. His connections bought him from his breeder for $900,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September yearling sale.
With the Palos Verdes winner's share of $120,000, Hopkins increased his earnings to $244,700 from an overall mark of 3-3-0 from seven starts.
Idle since finishing second in an ungraded seven furlong stakes at Laurel Park, Radical Right, in steady training at San Luis Rey Downs for trainer Peter Miller, made his Southern California debut today and was second best, finishing 1 ½ lengths in front of 2-1 favorite Straight No Chaser.
Early fractions on the Palos Verdes were :21.80, :44.10 and :56.40.
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Robin Goodfellow’s racing tips: Best bets for Monday, February 6
Sportsmail's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Monday's meetings at Fontwell, Carlisle and Wolverhampton.
