Tag: santa anita

TVG Broadcasting Six ‘Win And You’re In’ Races Live From Santa Anita This Weekend

The road to the Breeders' Cup will run through Santa Anita on Friday and Saturday as the track begins its Autumn Meet with six Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Series races over the course of two days. TVG, America's horse racing network, will be broadcasting live from Arcadia, Calif. with full coverage of opening weekend.

TVG's Todd Schrupp, Christina Blacker, Britney Eurton, Mike Joyce, Scott Hazelton and Joaquin Jaime will be trackside with exclusive interviews, analysis and handicapping selections throughout the weekend. There will also be a drone utilized throughout the races. The popular drone technology was introduced during Del Mar's record breaking meet and will be continued to be used throughout the Santa Anita season.

Friday's Opening Day card puts juveniles in the spotlight with the $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes (Juvenile Turf), $200,000 Chandelier Stakes (Juvenile Fillies) and the $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes (TVG Juvenile).

The winner of the $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) will earn an automatic spot in the starting gate in the $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and has attracted a field of seven colts. Trainer Bob Baffert has won this race nine times and will saddle three contenders including 6-5 morning line favorite Corniche. Purchased for $1.5 million in April, the bay son of Quality Road was an impressive maiden winner at Del Mar and will have Mike Smith in the irons.

On Saturday, the major stakes racing will continue with three more Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge races – the $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint (Sprint), $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes (Filly and Mare Turf) and the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes (Classic).

The $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes (G1) has drawn a contentious field of eight including TVG Pacific Classic (G1) winner Tripoli. Trained by John Sadler and owned by Hronis Racing, LLC, the chestnut son of Kitten's Joy will square off against Medina Spirit, recent winner of the Shared Belief Stakes for Bob Baffert.

The Breeders' Cup World Championships will be held Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar.

TVG will also be covering the full card from Longchamp on Sunday morning featuring five Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge Series races – Prix de L'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines (Turf Sprint), Qatar Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe (Turf), Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Juvenile Turf), Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac (Juvenile Fillies Turf) and Prix de L'Opera Longines (Juvenile Fillies Turf). The broadcast will feature insights from international experts Scott Hazelton and Jess Stafford as well as a Money Back Special on the Arc.

In addition to racing from the Santa Anita, will also be featuring Gulfstream Park, Laurel Park and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

The post TVG Broadcasting Six ‘Win And You’re In’ Races Live From Santa Anita This Weekend appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Rising Star Seeks BC Berth in American Pharoah

'TDN Rising Star' Corniche (Quality Road) looks to stamp his ticket to the upcoming GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile in Friday's GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita. Topping the OBS April sale at $1.5 million, the Speedway Stable colorbearer wired the field for an effortless 4 1/4-length graduation in his 5 1/2-panel unveiling at Del Mar Sept. 4, earning a gaudy 98 Beyer Speed Figure. His breeding indicates this extension to a route of ground should be no problem and with his rail draw, pilot Mike Smith is likely to weaponize the colt's speed yet again.

Baffert saddles two more members of this seven-horse field in Rockefeller (Medaglia d'Oro) and Flying Drummer (Gun Runner). A $750,000 KEESEP purchase by the group know as the Avengers, Rockefeller led every step of the way in his career bow going six furlongs at Del Mar Aug. 28 and was geared down late, coasting home to a 2 1/4-length win and an 80 Beyer Speed Figure. The red hot Flavien Prat climbs aboard for this two-turn bow and Rockefeller is another colt who should not blink at the added distance.

The maiden Flying Drummer, an $850,000 OBSAPR buy, rounds out the Baffert trio. Missing by a head in his six-panel debut at Del Mar Aug. 7, the gray finished 4 1/4 lengths behind Oviatt Class (Bernardini) last time going a mile at the seaside oval Aug. 27.

Pappacap (Gun Runner) looks to return to winning ways in this event. A front-running winner of his career bow at Gulfstream May 14, the bay was a decisive winner of the Aug. 7 GII Best Pal S. at Del Mar, beating Finneus (Stay Thirsty) by 4 3/4 lengths. He was fourth last out behind the Baffert-trained Pinehurst (Twirling Candy) in the GI Del Mar Futurity S. Sept. 6, in which Finneus was second.

Undefeated Cal-bred Joker Boy (Practical Joke) rounds out the field. Rallying to win at first asking in a state-bred event at Del Mar, the bay wired the Cal-bred I'm Smokin S. last out sprinting in SoCal Sept. 4. He tries open company and two turns for the first time in this leap into the deep end.

The post Rising Star Seeks BC Berth in American Pharoah appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Grace Adler Headlines Chandelier

Grace Adler (Curlin) looks to take her record to three-for-three and provide Hall of Famer Bob Baffert with his 12th victory in Santa Anita's GII Chandelier S. Friday, a “Win and You're in Event” for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in November. A debut winner at Del Mar July 31, the $700,000 FTKSEL purchase already secured her spot in the gate for the World Championships with a dominant late-running score in the Sept. 5 GI Del Mar Debutante S., which she won by 11 1/4 lengths over Dance to the Music (Maclean's Music). The chestnut did get the perfect set up that day–with a trio of speedsters leading to a pace collapse–but there is enough speed signed on here to give her a similar set up. This is Grace Adler's first try around two turns, but she is bred to run all day and her performance last out over seven furlongs suggested added distance would be no issue. Baffert–whose 12 wins in this event include five of the last nine renewals–also saddles a maiden of three starts in Censorship (Tonalist), who was second to Desert Dawn (Cupid) last out going a mile at Del Mar Aug. 26.

Several flashy first-out winners take on the more accomplished favorite here, including 'TDN Rising Stars' Electric Ride (Daredevil) and Ain't Easy (Into Mischief). Trained by John Sadler, Electric Ride pressed the pace early and blew her rivals away in the lane for an 8 1/2-length graduation in her six-panel unveiling at Del Mar Aug. 28, earning an 85 Beyer Speed Figure. A $400,000 KEESEP acquisition, the Phil D'Amato-trained Ain't Easy bided her time in mid-pack early, circled the field turning for home and charged clear to don cap and gown by 5 1/4 lengths in her sprint debut in SoCal Aug. 21. D'Amato also sends out GII Sorrento S. winner Elm Drive (Mohaymen), who was part of the early pace duel in the Del Mar Debutante and paid the price, fading to seventh.

The post Grace Adler Headlines Chandelier appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Mo Forza, Smooth Like Strait Face Off In City Of Hope Mile

A winner of his last three starts, all Grade 2 turf stakes, Peter Miller's Mo Forza, along with Michael McCarthy's ultra consistent Smooth Like Strait, headline Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 City of Hope Mile as a field of five 3-year-olds and up compete over the Santa Anita turf.

Bred in Kentucky by the late trainer Barry Abrams' Bardy Farm, Mo Forza, who won last year's City of Hope Mile two starts back, emerged from a 10 month layoff on Aug. 21 to rally and win the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile, his third consecutive Grade 2 win at a mile on grass. With Flavien Prat bidding for his fourth consecutive win aboard the 5-year-old full horse by Uncle Mo, out of the Unusual Heat mare Inflamed, Mo Forza seeks his sixth one mile turf win from eight tries.

Owned by Bardy Farm and OG Boss, Grade 1 winner Mo Forza has four wins from six starts over the Santa Anita turf. With lofty Beyer Speed Figures of 104, 106 and most recently 103 to his credit, he rates tops billing.

Trained by Michael McCarthy and owned and bred by Cannon Thoroughbreds, LLC, Smooth Like Strait has four wins from eight tries at a mile on turf, with all four wins coming at Santa Anita. A solid second, beaten a head in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile Aug. 21, he was second, beaten a neck two starts back in the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes and in his career-best performance, he sped to 1 ½ length win in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile here three starts back on May 31.

A 4-year-old colt by Midnight Lute, Smooth Like Strait, who along with Mo Forza will tote co-high weight of 126 pounds, is three necks and a head away from being unbeaten in five starts this year. With an overall mark of 17-7-5-2, he has earnings of $1,043,823 and will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli for the ninth consecutive time.

A gutty neck winner of the Grade 1 Kilroe Mile on turf here March 6, trainer Dan Blacker's Hit the Road was subsequently fifth as the 5-2 favorite in the Grade 1 Makers Mile (turf) at Keeneland on April 9. Subsequent to that, he was freshened up and returned to the races on Aug. 21 at Del Mar, finishing a big third, beaten one length by Mo Forza.

With a recent race to his credit, Hit the Road will again get the services of eastern-based Florent Geroux as he bids for his fifth win from six starts over the course. A 4-year-old colt owned by D K Racing, LLC, Radley Equine Inc., Taste of Victory Stables, Rick Gold, Tony Maslowski and Dave Odmark, Hit the Road has six wins from 11 overall starts and earnings of $539,751.

THE GRADE 2 CITY OF HOPE MILE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 3 of 11 Approximate post time 1:30 p.m. PT

  1. Red Storm Risen—Joe Bravo—122
  2. Mo Forza—Flavien Prat—126
  3. Hit the Road—Florent Geroux—124
  4. Order and Law—Abel Cedillo—122
  5. Smooth Like Strait—Umberto Rispoli—126

The City of Hope Mile is one of five stakes on an 11-card Saturday with first post time at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

The post Mo Forza, Smooth Like Strait Face Off In City Of Hope Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights