santa anita park | Horse Racing Free Tips

Santa Anita Announces Turf Starter Series For Fillies & Mare; Eight Races Beginning Jan. 17

Santa Anita Park has announced that beginning Jan. 17, it will offer a lucrative series of eight starter allowance races for fillies and mares on turf. The Santa Anita Turf Starter Series will be comprised of four sprints and four routes at distances of five furlongs on up to a marathon turf event at a mile and one half.

Patterned after last season's successful Tin Man Starter Allowance Series, fillies and mares which have started for a claiming tag of $25,000 or less beginning in 2020 through entry time, are eligible. In addition to regular purse money, points will be awarded on a graduated scale to the first four finishers in each race, with 10 to the winner, six for second, three for third and one point to the fourth place runner.

At the end of the eight-race series, separate monetary awards will be given to owners of horses in both the sprint and route components of the series. Owners with the most points in each division will be awarded $5,000, with second place earning $3,000 and the third place finishers will each receive $2,000.

Those opting to run in sprints will compete at graduated distances of five furlongs, 5 ½ furlongs, six furlongs and 6 ½ furlongs.

Route races will start at one mile, then go to a mile and one eighth, a mile and one quarter and culminate at 1 ½ miles.

With leg one on Jan. 17 being contested at one mile, leg two, the beginning of the sprint series, will be run on Jan. 28 at five furlongs. Dates and distances for all subsequent races will be announced later.

“What we've done is package both a sprint series and route series as one,” said Santa Anita Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Chris Merz. “Although we anticipate that those horses running in sprints will aim for the four short races and that our routers will try to do the same going long, horsemen may opt to mix and match in terms of distances at some point and they're welcome to do so.

“The Tin Man Starter Series, which we'll again be offering this winter and spring, was well received last season and we're hopeful this new series for fillies and mares will also generate a good deal of interest. It gives owners and trainers more options and obviously, it's a way to stay on the turf and run for good purse money against comparable horses without risking them for a claiming tag.”

Santa Anita's Winter/Spring opening day is Sunday, Dec. 26. For additional information regarding the Santa Anita Turf Starter Series for fillies and mares, please contact the Santa Anita Racing Office at (626) 574-6352.

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Santa Anita: Winter/Spring Stall Applications Now Available

With Santa Anita's traditional Winter/Spring opener fast approaching on Dec. 26, stall applications have been sent out for the track's 78-day meet, which will run through June 19.

“With a number of out-of-state horses still here in Southern California following last week's Breeders' Cup World Championships, we want to be sure these horsemen know they've got some great options to train and race here at Santa Anita this winter and spring,” said Chris Merz, Santa Anita Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. “The fact that we are now able to once again card sprints down our hillside turf course gives our horsemen a number of opportunities that are not available anywhere else in the country.

“Along with our turf chute, we're now able to accommodate a wide variety of needs, from maiden claiming to upper level allowance and stakes competition. When you factor in the likely prospect of good weather for training on our main track and inner training track, I think many owners and trainers can see we've got a lot to offer especially when compared to training and racing in very cold, wet conditions.”

With a 10 percent increase over last year announced this past October, Santa Anita will be offering the biggest overnight purse structure in its 87-year history.

Santa Anita's Winter/Spring Condition Book One will be available online Nov. 29. For additional information, please visit www.santaanita.com or call the Santa Anita Racing Office at (626) 574-6352.

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Hollendorfer Legal Battle Against Stronach Group Wages On

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is soldiering on in his legal fight to be allowed to enter horses at racetracks owned by The Stronach Group. Thoroughbred Daily News reported Monday that Hollendorfer has filed a motion for preliminary injunction in Los Angeles County Superior Court, seeking the ability to enter horses at the upcoming Santa Anita meet.

According to the TDN, Hollendorfer's filing indicates he isn't interested in acquiring stabling, as he is based at Los Alamitos and plans to continue training from there. His motion suggests that track ownership is attempting to bypass the power granted to the California Horse Racing Board by making an illegal determination about whether or not he can enter horses at one of its racetracks.

The argument is similar to one he has made in other pending cases against Del Mar and Golden Gate Fields ownership in other county courts. He has not so far been successful in those cases, but they remain ongoing.

Hollendorfer has been scrapping with California track ownership since September 2019. Stronach Group officials noted at the time they had concerns about safety and welfare practices in his barn. The current filing claims two key veterinarians have since admitted they had not based their opinions on first-hand knowledge.

Burgoo Alley Best In Autumn Miss At Santa Anita

Burgoo Alley (IRE) was not going to let a little traffic keep her from getting the win in the Grade 3 Autumn Miss at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Fifth behind horses around the far turn, the daughter of Footstepsinthesand (GB) angled out from the rail and sprinted past Spanish Loveaffair and Zero Tolerance to win the one-mile turf stakes.

Breaking from post three, jockey Umberto Rispoli settled Burgoo Alley in fifth behind frontrunners Zero Tolerance and Spanish Loveaffair around the first turn and into the backstretch. As the field of eight reached the far turn, Burgoo Alley had some horses in front of her, unable to move from her rail spot until they entered the stretch. Rispoli moved her out as Spanish Loveaffair wore down Zero Tolerance. Spanish Loveaffair held the lead briefly, but Burgoo Alley surged past her to win the G3 Autumn Miss by a half-length. Javanica passed Zero Tolerance late to finish third.

The final time for the one-mile stakes was 1:34.37. Find this race's chart here.

Burgoo Alley paid $12.60, $5.60, and $3.80. Spanish Loveaffair paid $4.20 and $3.20. Javanica paid $5.60.

“I think the distance is the key for her. Last time we tried six and a half going down the hill. I would not say that she ran a bad race. I think the six and a half was definitely too short for her. I knew today that I could end up in a nice spot. She was sharp from the gate, giving me the chance to be where I wanted to be, just behind the favorite (Spanish Loveaffair) and I got a very nice trip and she put down a nice performance,” Rispoli said after the race. “Because I was on the fence behind Javanica, my first thought was to end up behind Abel (Cedillo, aboard Spanish Loveaffair) since I thought she was the horse to beat. At the five-eighths pole, I was where I wanted to be and she did the rest.”

Bred in Ireland by Eoghan Grogan, Burgoo Alley is out of the Daylami mare Nurama (GB). Trained by Phil D'Amato, the 3-year-old filly is owned by CYBT, Michael Nentwig, and Ray Pagano. Consigned by Killourney Mor Farm, she was an $18,299 RNA at the 2019 Goffs February Mixed Sale. With her victory in the Autumn Miss, the filly has three wins in seven starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 9-3-2-1 and career earnings of $170,330.

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