The upcoming New Year’s Day holiday weekend marks an uptick in horse racing coverage on TV and radio as several prominent tracks including Oaklawn Park showcase important races heading into 2024.
Month: December 2023
Speed Boat Beach Wins Malibu Stakes to Headline Opening Day at Santa Anita
Everything came together for Speed Boat Beach in the Dec. 26 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita Park.
$18.3 Million Wagered On Santa Anita Opening Day, Best Ever On A Tuesday
With a jockeys room full of top talent and world-class racing the order of the day, Santa Anita's Classic Meet opener in Arcadia, Calif., on Tuesday proved a rousing success, as an on-track crowd of 37,143 contributed to a robust all-sources handle of $18.3 million, which rates as the best handle ever among a total of 17 opening dates conducted on a Tuesday.
“From a business standpoint, opening on a Tuesday is always a challenge because so many people are back to work,” said Santa Anita senior vice president and general manager Nate Newby. “We want to sincerely thank our fans for their tremendous support and our horsemen, trainers, jockeys and owners, for putting on a magnificent show today.
“From start to finish, we had great, safe racing, on both turf and dirt. We had tight finishes and great competition. The Malibu was one of three Grade 1 stakes and anybody who saw it had to be impressed by the performances of both Speed Boat Beach and Hejazi. Speed Boat Beach got seven furlongs in 1:21.70, which was less than two fifths of a second off what Flightline did (in 2021).”
Both Speed Boat Beach and Hejazi are trained by Bob Baffert, who picked up his sixth lifetime win in the Malibu, putting him in a dead heat for the all-time Malibu lead with fellow Hall of Famer Richard Mandella.
A 14-time Santa Anita Winter Meet leading rider and a winner of six runnings of the Malibu, Santa Anita's all-time leading rider Laffit Pincay, Jr. was on-hand to present the Malibu trophy.
Trainer Mark Glatt saddled three winners on the day, including Watsonville in the Grade 2 Mathis Mile and jockey Flavien Prat, back at Santa Anita to ride full time this winter, registered a hat trick as well, with his big win coming aboard Speed Boat Beach.
Phil D'Amato got off to a great start on opening day, saddling a pair of stakes winners, French-bred Easter in the Grade 2 San Gabriel on turf and Newgrange in the Grade 2 San Antonio on the main track.
Italian-born Antonio Fresu had a stakes double, taking the San Gabriel with Easter and the Mathis Mile aboard Watsonville.
Fellow Italian Umberto Rispoli took the day's first race aboard the Dan Blacker-trained Bigofromfresno and came back to take the Grade I American Oaks aboard trainer Leonard Powell's English-bred Anisette.
Live racing resumes at Santa Anita on Friday and will continue through Monday, Jan. 1, with first post time each day at 12 noon PT.
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Daddysruby Noses Out Big Pond In La Brea’s Battle Of Cal-Breds
A first condition allowance winner on Oct. 27, longshot Daddysruby went to the front in Tuesday's Grade 1, $300,000 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita and just held on late to win by a nose over fellow California-bred Big Pond as Juan Hernandez and Peter Miller teamed to get the seven-furlong distance in 1:23.06.
Quick from her rail post position, Peter Miller's Daddysruby, with favored Howl in hot pursuit early, was able to open up a critical two length advantage on Big Pond three furlongs from home. Although a length clear at the sixteenth pole, fatigue set-in and Daddysruby just managed to stave off a determined challenge from the legendary Frankie Dettori aboard the runner-up.
Off at 6-1 in a field of nine sophomore fillies, Daddysruby paid $14.20, $6.20 and $4.20.
Owned by Jethorse, LLC, Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber, Daddysruby, who is headquartered at San Luis Rey Downs and was making her first stakes start, had four wins from five starts coming into the La Brea. With the La Brea winner's share of $180,000, Daddysruby more than doubled her earnings to $352,014.
“We knew from the inside that we would have to go,” said Miller. “I was hoping for an outside draw, but I drew the two hole. … We knew she had a lot of speed and we knew he kind of had to go. I told Juan, 'Help her away from there, if they go crazy, she doesn't need the lead you can sit, but if you can get the lead take it.' And he did.
“You don't remember all the photo finishes that you won, you remember all the ones that you've lost, so I'm sitting here thinking I lost another one,” adsded Miller. “Another C Z Rocket in the Santa Anita Sprint and another Reneesgotzip in the Santa Anita Oaks, here we go again. I just sat up there and waited for the steward's decision.”
“That was a close one, I didn't know who got it,” said Barber. “It was really tough, ir looked like we were going to come second but winning like that it's thrilling and we're very happy. … There is a lot of options for her. She is just all heart, and she was just a warrior today. There's nothing better than winning a Grade 1, on opening day. We put a lot of money into this game and these are the moments we want to enjoy and share the victory with all of the partners and friends.”
In a huge effort, Tim Yakteen's Big Pond, a winner versus statebreds of the seven furlong Fleet Treat Stakes this past July at Del Mar, was off at 5-1 and paid $5.40 and $3.60 while finishing four lengths in front of well fancied Clearly Unhinged.
The second choice at 5-2, Clearly Unhinged, who was ridden by Umberto Rispoli, paid $3.00 and finished a half length in front of Royal Spa.
The 8-5 favorite, Howl faded to finish eighth.
Fractions on the race were 22.21, 44.49 and 1:09.60.
Live racing resumes on Friday with first post time for a nine-race card at 12 noon.
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