Santa Anita News

LAKERVILLE OVERCOMES 17-MONTH LAYOFF TO WIN $75,000 CLOCKERS’ CORNER STAKES BY 1 ¼ LENGTHS UNDER NAKATANI, SENSATIONAL STAR NEXT

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 26, 2014)–Away 17 months, 6-year-old Lakerville smoked late under Corey Nakatani to take Sunday’s $75,000 Clockers’ Corner Stakes by 1 ¼ lengths, getting 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course in 1:11.75. Well in-hand approaching the dirt crossing at the top of the lane, Nakatani was about five lengths behind […]

STABLE NOTES BY ED GOLDEN

• MAIDEN WINNER FASHION PLATE IN GRADE I LAS VIRGENES • EXCITEMENT PREVAILS ON SUNSHINE MILLIONS CAL CUP DAY • VAGABOND SHOES IN STEP FOR GRADE II ARCADIA STAKES • YES, IT PAYS TO READ SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES FASHION PLATE SHARP FOR STAKES DEBUT IN LAS VIRGENES Fashion Plate would appear to be going […]

SCHERZINGER, WITH SMITH ABOARD, PULLS UPSET IN GRADE II SANTA MONICA STAKES, HOLLENDORFER TRAINEE WINS BY ONE LENGTH IN FIRST STAKES TRY

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 25, 2014)–Sent from the gate by Mike Smith, Scherzinger applied telling early pressure to favored Teddy’s Promise and Victor Espinoza going to the half mile pole, then dropped back to third around the far turn and rallied at the rail to win Saturday’s Grade II Santa Monica Stakes by one length, getting […]

CIAO BELLA LUNA LAYS CLOSE AND WINS $125,000 SUNSHINE MILLIONS FILLY & MARE TURF SPRINT BY HALF LENGTH UNDER DESORMEAUX

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 25, 2014)–In her second career try down Santa Anita’s unique 6 ½ furlong hillside turf course, Ciao Bella Luna, with Kent Desormeaux up, sat second to Marks Mine and Frank Alvarado down the hill, took the lead outside Marks Mine crossing the dirt at the top of the lane and prevailed in […]

AT 65-1, SUSANS EXPRESS BLOWS OUT TOTE BOARD IN WINNING $200,000 CALIFORNIA CUP OAKS, DESORMEAUX GETS SECOND STAKES WIN ON DAY

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 25, 2014)–With blinkers refitted, longshot Susans Express sat a close second at the rail going to the far turn and found a seam three off the fence turning for home and powered through the lane with Kent Desormeaux to take Saturday’s $200,000 California Cup Oaks by 1 ¼ lengths, getting one mile […]

BIG MACHER, BEJARANO TAKE $125,000 DONALD VALPREDO CALIFORNIA CUP SPRINT, BEAU GENIUS GELDING RUNS SIX FURLONGS IN RAPID 1:08.62

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 25, 2014)–Trainer Richard Baltas was all smiles following Saturday’s $125,000 Donald Valpredo California Cup Sprint for good reason, as his Big Macher, claimed seven starts back out of a maiden $20,000 claimer on July 17 at Del Mar, had just powered to a 1 ¾ length win under Rafael Bejarano, covering six […]

LONGSHOT WEEWINNIN TAKES $250,000 CALIFORNIA CUP TURF CLASSIC PRESENTED BY CITY NATIONAL BANK, TALAMO GUIDES KORINER TRAINEE TO EMPHATIC 2 ¼ LENGTH WIN OVER 13 RIVALS

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 25, 2014)–Under a ground-saving ride from Joe Talamo, 21-1 longshot Weewinnin scraped paint at the top of the stretch and rambled to a 2 ¼ length win in Saturday’s $250,000 California Cup Turf Classic presented by City National Bank, getting 1 1/8 miles on grass in 1:46 flat. “I had a perfect […]

CALIFORNIA CHROME BRILLIANT IN $250,000 CALIFORNIA CUP DERBY, ESPINOZA GUIDES SHERMAN TRAINEE TO 5 ½ LENGTH WIN THAT COULD LEAD HIM DOWN KENTUCKY DERBY TRAIL

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 25, 2014)–They saved the best for last on Saturday at Santa Anita. Trained by Art Sherman and ridden by Victor Espinoza, California Chrome demolished nine state bred rivals in taking the $250,000 California Cup Derby by 5 ½ lengths, getting 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.22–perhaps stamping himself as a top tier Kentucky […]

MASSIVE TWO-DAY PICK SIX CARRYOVER OF $430,875 INTO SUNDAY AT SANTA ANITA, TOTAL POOL EXPECTED TO EXCEED $2 MILLION AS TRACK OFFERS NINE-RACE CARD

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 25, 2014)–With a carryover of $74,221 up for grabs on Saturday, no one correctly tabbed six winners in Santa Anita’s popular $2 Pick Six, resulting in a massive two-day carryover into Sunday of $430,875–and the expectation that Sunday’s total pool will exceed $2 million by fourth race post time. Santa Anita will […]

SANTA MONICA STAKES QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES MIKE SMITH, SCHERZINGER, WINNER: “Just a little bit of race-riding today (with a smile). I used her early and got her up there (to the lead) to make Victor (Espinoza, on Teddy’s Promise) to either use his filly or make her take back, one or the other and he chose to take back, […]