Tag: san antonio

Hot Rod Charlie Back For More In Sunday’s San Antonio

One of America's most consistent and talented 3-year-olds throughout 2021, Hot Rod Charlie heads a field of seven 3-year-olds and up in Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita. An iconic prep for the G1 Santa Anita Handicap, the San Antonio will be run for the 84th time and is one of six graded stakes on a blockbuster 11-race Opening Day program.

Most recently fourth, beaten 4 ½ lengths by presumptive Horse of the Year Knicks Go in the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 6, Hot Rod Charlie has been a gem of consistency, while on occasion very unlucky, for O'Neill. A handy winner of the G1 Pennsylvania Derby two starts back on Sept. 25, he was disqualified from a hard fought nose victory three starts back in the G1 Haskell Invitational.

A massive second, beaten 1 ¼ lengths by A-Lister Essential Quality in the G1 Belmont Stakes June 5, he was a troubled third, beaten one length by Medina Spirit in the G1 Kentucky Derby five starts back on May 1.

A winner of the G2 Louisiana Derby in his second start of the year on March 20, Hot Rod Charlie is 7-2-1-2 on the year, with 2021 earnings of $2,087,500. Owned by Boat Racing, LLC, Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck), Roadrunner Racing & William Strauss, Hot Rod Charlie will reportedly use the San Antonio as a prep to the G1 Dubai World Cup in March.

Freshened since running third to Medina Spirit in the G1 Awesome Again Stakes Oct. 2, C R K Stable's Express Train has been in the money in six out of his seven career starts at Santa Anita and rates a big chance off the bench. Trained by John Shirreffs, Express Train's last win came three starts back in the G2 San Diego Handicap on July 17. With an overall mark of 14-4-4-3, this 4-year-old colt by Union Rags has earnings of $695,800.

A half-length winner of the G3 Native Diver Handicap on Nov. 20, Bob Baffert's Azul Coast could rate second billing as he seeks his second graded stakes win. Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Azul Coast, who has four wins from 10 starts, will be ridden for the first time by John Velazquez.

THE GRADE 2 SAN ANTONIO WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 6 of 11 Approximate post time 1:30 p.m. PT

  1. Extra Hope—Tyler Baze–121
  2. Express Train—Victor Espinoza—125
  3. Go On—Mario Gutierrez–119
  4. Hot Rod Charlie—Flavien Prat—123
  5. Eight Rings—John Velazquez—121
  6. Kiss Today Goodbye—Kent Desormeaux—121
  7. Azul Coast—Juan Hernandez–123

First post time for an 11-race Opening Day card Sunday is 11 a.m. Admission gates will open at 9 a.m.

The post Hot Rod Charlie Back For More In Sunday’s San Antonio appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Santa Anita Releases Winter/Spring Meet Stakes Schedule Highlighted By 10 Grade 1 Races

A comprehensive stakes schedule spanning six months will be keynoted by six graded stakes, three of them Grade 1 events, when Santa Anita's Winter/Spring Meet opens on Sunday, Dec. 26.

Three Grade 1, $300,000 stakes, the Runhappy Malibu, the La Brea and American Oaks, along with three Grade 2, $200,000 Stakes, the Mathis Brothers Mile, the San Antonio and the San Gabriel, will highlight a blockbuster opening day program that will begin at 12 noon PT.

Santa Anita's Winter/Spring Meet will run through June 19 and will include a total of 94 stakes, 59 of them graded, with 10 Grade 1 offerings including the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 9.

“We have added a significant amount of money to our stakes program along with some minor changes that I think trainers and owners, not only in California, but around the country, will appreciate,” said Chris Merz, Santa Anita Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. “We have a lot of positive momentum going in California right now and these enhancements to the stakes schedule add to it. We would like to thank our partners at the TOC for getting behind this to help make California racing all that it can and should be.”

America's longest continually run “hundred grander,” the Grade 1, $650,000 Santa Anita Handicap, which will be contested for the 85th time, along with the Grade 1, $500,000 Beholder Mile and the Grade 1, $500,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile, will headline another tremendous card on March 5.

Along with those three Grade 1 stakes, one of the nation's most important Derby preps, the Grade 2, $400,000 San Felipe, the Grade 2, $200,000 Buena Vista and the Grade 2, $200,000 San Carlos Stakes will all be run on March 5 as well.

The Santa Anita Derby, which has now produced 20 winners of the Kentucky Derby, will be complemented by the Grade 2, $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks and a pair of $150,000 California-bred stakes, the Echo Eddie and the Evening Jewel, on April 9.

Three Grade 1 stakes, the $400,000 Gamely, the $400,000 Hollywood Gold Cup and the $500,000 Shoemaker Mile, will highlight a festive Memorial Day card on May 30 as the Winter/Spring meet “turns for home,” with three racing weeks remaining.

Closing weekend, June 18 and 19, will offer a wide variety of six stakes, with a pair of $100,000 sprints for 2-year-olds, the Fasig-Tipton Futurity and Fasig Tipton Debutante being run on June 18 along with the Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Maria for fillies and mares.

On closing day, June 19, the iconic Grade 3, $125,000 San Juan Capistrano, for 3-year-olds and up at a mile and three quarters on turf, along with the Grade 3, $100,000 American at one mile on grass and the $100,000 Possibly Perfect, at a mile and one half on turf, figure to bring a dynamic ending to the meet.

For additional information, including Santa Anita's complete 2021-22 Winter/Spring Stakes Schedule, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Santa Anita Releases Winter/Spring Meet Stakes Schedule Highlighted By 10 Grade 1 Races appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Locals Idol, Tizamagician Face Off With Florida Invader King Guillermo In Saturday’s San Pasqual

The Richard Baltas-trained Idol, Richard Mandella's Tizamagician and Florida invader King Guillermo head a compact field of five older horses going a mile and one eighth in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita. To be run for the 83rd time, the San Pasqual is an iconic prep to the G1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 6.

Lightly raced Idol, who is owned by Calvin Nguyen, was attentive to the pace en route to a close second place finish going a mile and one sixteenth in the G2 San Antonio Stakes here on Dec. 26 and will once again get the services of eastern-based Gabriel Saez on Saturday. An impressive seven furlong maiden winner in his second start at Churchill Downs Sept. 26, Idol, a 4-year-old colt by Curlin out of the A.P. Indy mare Marion Ravenwood, then aired by 5 ¾ lengths in a mile and three-sixteenths allowance at Churchill Nov. 8.

With two wins and as many seconds from his four career starts, Idol appears poised to have a big 4-year-old campaign for Baltas.

With an overall mark of 13-3-5-0, Tizamagician, a 4-year-old colt by Tiznow, comes off an outstanding second condition allowance win on Jan. 2, a race in which he led throughout and took by a half length at 4-1. Although he'll be facing a G2 winner in King Guillermo, Tizamagician has the advantage of a sharp recent win over the track as he once again runs out of his own stall for Mandella.

A close fourth in last year's G3 Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita, Tizamagician, who is owned by MyRacehorse.com and Spendthrift Farm, LLC, will again be ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, who has guided him to a pair of victories in his last four starts.

A disappointing fourth, beaten 12 ¼ lengths after pressing the early pace in the one turn Cigar Mile (G1) at Aqueduct Dec. 5, trainer Juan Avila's King Guillermo had been since running second in a division of the Grade I Arkansas Derby on May 2 and may've been in need of the race. Owned by Victoria's Ranch, nom de course for retired five-time All Star catcher Victor Martinez, King Guillermo, 4-year-old colt by Uncle Mo, was an upset winner of the Grade II Tampa Bay Derby three starts back on March 7 and was subsequently off at 9-2 in the Arkansas Derby.

In what will be his first start west of the Mississippi River, King Guillermo ships west from his Gulfstream Park base and will be ridden for the first time by Abel Cedillo in what will be his seventh career start.

Second to top rated Charlatan going seven furlongs in the opening day Malibu Dec. 26, C R K Stable's Express Train will be ridden back by leading man Juan Hernandez and with a career-top Beyer Speed figure of 99 in-hand, rates a solid shot in what will be his eighth career start. Trained by John Shirreffs, Express Train was well off the early pace in the Malibu, but has proven very effective when on or near the lead going two turns.

THE GRADE 2 SAN PASQUAL STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 5 of 8 Approximate post time 2:30 p.m. PT

  1. Tizamagician—Drayden Van Dyke—120
  2. Idol—Gabriel Saez—120
  3. King Guillermo—Abel Cedillo—122
  4. Express Train—Juan Hernandez—120
  5. Zestful—Edwin Maldonado—120

First post time for an eight-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. All of Santa Anita's races are offered free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can watch and wager at 1st.com/Bet.

The post Locals Idol, Tizamagician Face Off With Florida Invader King Guillermo In Saturday’s San Pasqual appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Comebacking Mucho Gusto Draws Services Of John Velazquez In Saturday’s San Antonio

A winner of more than $3.1 million this year, Bob Baffert's Mucho Gusto, idle since Feb. 29, heads a field of eight 3-year-olds and up going a mile and one sixteenth in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita. One of five graded stakes on an 11-race program, the San Antonio, long a traditional prep to the G1 Santa Anita Handicap, will be contested for the 83rd time on Saturday.

A winner of the G` Pegasus World Cup Invitational two starts back at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25, Mucho Gusto was a respectable fourth behind stablemate Maximum Security in the G1 $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 29 and will be ridden for the first time on Saturday by eastern-based John Velazquez.

Jay Em Ess Stable's homebred Extra Hope comes off an emphatic gate to wire score in the G3 Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar and seeks his third consecutive win for Richard Mandella and jockey Juan Hernandez.

Mark Glatt's versatile Sharp Samurai, an earner of more than $1.1 million, comes off a solid third place finish in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and rates a huge chance at age six.

MUCHO GUSTO

Owner: HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Fourth, beaten 2 ¾ lengths in the Saudi Cup, Mucho Gusto is 12-6-2-2 overall. A 4-year-old colt by Mucho Macho Man, he should show plenty of his customary early zip in his first start in nearly nine months as Baffert seeks his record seventh San Antonio win.

EXTRA HOPE

Owner: Jay Em Ess Stable

Trainer: Richard Mandella

Unbeaten in two starts with hot-riding Juan Hernandez, Extra Hope, a 4-year-old colt by Shanghai Bobby, certainly rates as a “now” commodity. A gate to wire winner of the Native Diver, he'll no doubt be forwardly placed as he cuts back in distance a sixteenth of a mile. The San Antonio will be Extra Hope's fourth start of 2020 as he tries to improve upon an overall mark of 14-4-2-3.

SHARP SAMURAI

Owner : Red Baron's Barn LLC, Rancho Temescal LLC and Mark Glatt

Trainer: Mark Glatt

A winner of seven of 18 turf starts while second five times and third twice, Sharp Samurai will be making his second consecutive start on dirt, a surface that he's now 5-1-1-1 over. A solid second two starts back in the G2 City of Hope over the Santa Anita turf Oct. 3, he was beaten 3 ½ lengths in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Nov. 7 and with his class and tactical speed, rates a big chance in the San Antonio.

THE GRADE II SAN ANTONIO WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 11 Approximate post time 2 p.m. PT

  1. Take the One O One—Jose Valdivia, Jr.—121
  2. Kiss Today Goodbye—Mike Smith—119
  3. Extra Hope—Juan Hernandez—123
  4. Sharp Samurai—Flavien Prat—121
  5. Combatant—Ricardo Santana, Jr.—123
  6. Midcourt—Victor Espinoza—123
  7. Idol—Gabriel Saez–119
  8. Mucho Gusto—John Velazquez—124

Although there is no public admittance, fans can watch and wager via 1st.com/Bet and they can watch all of Santa Anita's races free of charge at santaanita.com/live. Special early first post time on Saturday is at 11 a.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Comebacking Mucho Gusto Draws Services Of John Velazquez In Saturday’s San Antonio appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights