chris merz | Horse Racing Free Tips

Del Mar’s ‘Ship & Win’ Program Expanded

Santa Anita Park and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club have joined forces to expand upon Del Mar's “Ship & Win” program as out-of-state horses, who make their first California-based starts in May and June at Santa Anita, will still be eligible for Del Mar's purse incentives, beginning with their Summer Meet opener July 16. Effective May 1, out-of-state horses can start up to twice at Santa Anita through closing day of the current 2021 Winter/Spring Meet June 20 and still be eligible for Del Mar's Ship & Win program bonuses.

“This is a great enticement to out-of-state owners and horsemen to bring their horses here in advance of Del Mar,” said Santa Anita Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Chris Merz. “People around the country know Santa Anita and Del Mar provide world class training and racing opportunities. We've very happy the folks at Del Mar and with the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) recognize the importance of this comprehensive approach to attracting new horses.”

Merz added that any new horses participating in the Del Mar 'Ship & Win' program will also be eligible for the Santa Anita Sunshine Bonus, which will again be offered at the track's upcoming Autumn Meet, which opens Oct. 1.

For additional information, call the Santa Anita Racing Office at (626) 574-6452.

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Santa Anita, Del Mar Join Forces To Expand ‘Ship & Win’ Program

Santa Anita Park and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club have joined forces to expand upon Del Mar's popular “Ship & Win” program, as out-of-state horses who make their first California-based starts in May and June at Santa Anita will still be eligible for the lucrative purse incentives at Del Mar, beginning with their Summer Meet opener on July 16.

Effective May 1, out-of-state horses can now start up to twice at Santa Anita through closing day of the current 2021 Winter/Spring Meet on June 20 and still be eligible for Del Mar's Ship & Win program bonuses.

Merz also added that any new horses participating in the Del Mar Ship & Win program will also be eligible for the Santa Anita Sunshine Bonus, which will again be offered at the track's upcoming Autumn Meet, which opens Oct. 1.

For additional information, horsemen are encouraged to call the Santa Anita Racing Office at (626) 574-6452.

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Santa Anita Going To 1 P.M. First Post; Freshening Turf After April 3 Santa Anita Derby Weekend

With Daylight Savings Time now upon us, Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., is adjusting its post time from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. beginning this Friday, March 19. This Saturday is the first day of spring and just two weeks hence, Saturday, April 3, the best 3-year-olds in the West will line up for the 84th running of the Santa Anita Derby, a race that has produced 18 Kentucky Derby winners and a pair of Triple Crown Champions.

“We've got a lot more daylight with time change and by starting 30 minutes later each day, we're also in a better position on the back end of our cards in terms of competition from eastern simulcast signals,” said Chris Merz, Santa Anita's director of racing and racing secretary. “For the most part, we've usually got beautiful weather this time of the year and this helps us to take advantage of that as well.”

In addition to a shift in post time, Merz also advises that the track will be running on Saturdays and Sundays for two weeks following the Santa Anita Derby.

“We're going to be freshening the turf course and this is part of our planned maintenance schedule,” said Merz. “For those two weekends, turf racing will be limited. On April 10 and 11, we'll be carding main track races only and on the 17th and 18th, we'll run a maximum of two turf races per day.

“This is the perfect time of the year, with all the additional sunshine, to give the course a break and let it rejuvenate. We'll come back with a comprehensive turf and main track schedule and return to our regular Friday through Sunday racing weeks beginning April 23 through closing day, June 20.”

With the turf course unavailable on April 10, the $75,000 Mizdirection Stakes, for older fillies and mares at six furlongs on turf, will now be run the following week, on Saturday, April 17.

Racing resumes with an eight-race card on Friday. For additional information on live racing, please visit santaanita.com.

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Santa Anita Launches ‘The Tin Man Turf Starter Distance Series’ This Saturday

Santa Anita's inaugural “The Tin Man Turf Starter Distance Series” will debut this Saturday, as older horses will be provided an opportunity to run in a series of four races, beginning at a mile and one eighth on up to a mile and three quarters on grass. In addition to the opportunity to earn substantial purse money, horses will also be competing to earn a free berth in a pair of marathon turf stakes, either the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes May 29, or the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes on June 20.

The series is named in honor of Ralph and Aury Todd's homebred son of Affirmed, The Tin Man, who was foaled in 1998 and raced through age nine in 2007. Trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, The Tin Man was a multiple graded stakes winner who was a two time Grade 1 winner at age nine. Retired following his 9-year-old campaign, The Tin Man banked more than $3.6 million.

Leg One of The Tin Man series on Saturday will be contested at a mile and one eighth on turf. Leg Two, on Feb. 20, will be run at a mile and one quarter, Leg Three, on March 20 will be run at a mile and one half and the fourth leg will be contested at a mile and three quarters down Santa Anita's Camino Real Hillside Turf Course on April 17.

The Tin Man Starter Distance Series will be open to older horses which have started for a claiming tag of $40,000 or less from 2019 to the present.

“Our hope is that this distance series will serve as a throwback to some of the legendary horses that have competed here at Santa Anita and that these races are going to provide good betting opportunities,” said Santa Anita's Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Chris Merz. “I think our fans and horsemen are going to be excited to see these races run over the downhill Camino Real Course, which has such a rich history.”

Entries for this Saturday at Santa Anita will be taken Wednesday morning. Although there is still no public admittance, fans can view all Santa Anita races free of charge at santaanita.com/live and they can watch and wager via several ADW platforms, including 1st.com/Bet.

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