ARCADIA, Calif. – Get ready for earlier post times and possibly more races at Santa Anita this spring.
Beginning with the March 11 program, the first after the shift to daylight saving time, first post on Sundays will be 11:30 a.m., an hour earlier than on the original schedule. Post times from Thursdays through Saturdays will change to noon, an hour earlier than on recent weekdays and a half-hour earlier than on most recent Saturdays.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Ian Wilkes knows a thing or two about being on the Kentucky Derby trail, having been in the winner’s circle twice, first as the exercise rider for Unbridled in 1990 and again as an assistant to trainer Carl Nafzger 17 years later with Street Sense.
Wilkes had a Derby starter of his own a year ago, the highly regarded McCraken, who was virtually eliminated when knocked around in traffic shortly after the start, finishing eighth as the second choice in the wagering behind race winner Always Dreaming.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Jockey Javier Castellano departed here before the end of Sunday’s program to catch a flight to California where he was scheduled to work top Kentucky Derby contender Bolt d’Oro Monday morning at Santa Anita. But before he left, Castellano was more eager to talk about his victory aboard a bottom-level maiden claimer earlier in the day.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Conquest Tsunami, Stormy Liberal, and Calculator gave trainer Peter Miller his first sweep of a trifecta in a stakes in Saturday’s Grade 3 Daytona Stakes at Santa Anita.
Miller, the leading trainer at the winter-spring meeting, achieved this rare milestone despite a tumultuous period in recent months for him.
Miller’s stable lost five horses in the wildfire that struck the San Luis Rey Downs training center in early December. Along with the rest of the San Luis Rey Downs-based stables, Miller relocated his horses to Del Mar for the winter.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Dalmore, a Grade 3 stakes winner in 2016, was bought privately by Ron Paolucci last week and has been transferred from trainer Keith Desormeaux to Bob Hess Jr. in advance of an expected start in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 10.
The deal was completed days after Dalmore won an optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles by 8 1/2 lengths on Feb. 15 at Santa Anita in his first start since last summer.
“I’ve watched him and become a fan,” Hess said. “I was blown away with his win the other day.”
A matchup of Grade 1 winners is shaping up for the March 10 Hillsborough Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, with Daddys Lil Darling and La Coronel both being pointed to the Grade 2 turf race.
Daddys Lil Darling, winner of the Grade 1 American Oaks to end 2017, is likely to make her 4-year-old debut in the $200,000 Hillsborough when rematched with La Coronel, who beat her a half-length when they ran one-two in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup in October.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - A handful of potential Fountain of Youth starters, including reigning juvenile champion Good Magic and the Dale Romans trio of Free Drop Billy, Storm Runner, and Promises Fulfilled, turned in their final preps for that race Saturday.
At Palm Meadows, Good Magic breezed an easy half-mile in 48.40 before going out a full six furlongs in 1:15.20, according to Daily Racing Form’s Donald Harris. Good Magic worked solo this morning after having gone in company with no less a mate as the older, Grade 1-placed Economic Model in his previous two works.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Led by the unbeaten 3-year-old McKinzie, a number of top-class stakes runners worked on a cold, clear Saturday morning at Santa Anita for races here or out of town. Among those on the tab were Kentucky Derby prospects Restoring Hope and Solomini, as well as Santa Anita Handicap hopefuls Accelerate and Pavel.
ARCADIA, Calif. – A fan who ran onto the training track and was apprehended by Santa Anita security forces shortly before Friday's third race is a minor who will be charged with interfering with a sporting event, a misdemeanor, and was turned over to the Arcadia Police Department for processing, Mike Pytel, an investigator with Santa Anita's security department, said Friday.
