Mon, 02/12/2018 - 12:10

Pee Wee Reese getting a respite

Shigeki Kikkawa
Joe Hernandez Stakes winner Pee Wee Reese will go to the sidelines for a freshening.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Pee Wee Reese, a winner of two stakes at Santa Anita since July, will not race again until the spring at the earliest.

Trainer Phil D’Amato said on Sunday that Pee Wee Reese will have a rest at owner and breeder Nick Alexander’s central California farm after tailing off in recent weeks. Pee Wee Reese won the Joe Hernandez Stakes on the hillside turf course Jan. 1 and was nominated for the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes at a mile on turf last Saturday before D’Amato opted not to start the 5-year-old horse.

Mon, 02/12/2018 - 12:06

Sassy Little Lila fresh for Buena Vista Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Sassy Little Lila is set to make her first start for new trainer Richard Mandella in Saturday's Buena Vista Stakes at Santa Anita.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Sassy Little Lila, second in the Grade 1 American Oaks here in December 2016, will have her first start for trainer Richard Mandella in what should be a competitive running of the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Sassy Little Lila was previously trained by Brad Cox and owned by Sheep Pond Partners and Michael Ryan. At the Fasig-Tipton November sale in 2017, Sassy Little Lila was listed as purchased for $600,000 by Ryan and Jeff Drown.

Mon, 02/12/2018 - 11:50

With bigger races to come, Dona Bruja gets off on the right foot in Endeavour

Tom Keyser
Dona Bruja paid $4.80 in winning the Endeavour Stakes on Saturday at Tampa Bay.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Ignacio Correas entered the Tampa winner’s circle Saturday with a glint in his eyes. The 58-year-old trainer hardly could have been happier with the way his stable star Dona Bruja dominated the Grade 3 Endeavour Stakes. La Coronel, a Grade 1 winner, finished four lengths back in second.

“She’s an amazing mare,” Correas said of Dona Bruja.

The Grade 2 Hillsborough on March 10 is a next-out option for Dona Bruja, but Correas said he is inclined to bypass that race in favor of the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley on April 14 at Keeneland.

Mon, 02/12/2018 - 11:46

World Approval to skip Dubai trip

Tom Keyser
World Approval wins the Tampa Bay Stakes on Saturday.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Less than 48 hours after World Approval won his 6-year-old debut in what was supposed to be a prep for the $6 million Dubai Turf, trainer Mark Casse said Monday he will not be sending his 2017 turf champion overseas for the March 31 race after all.

Ridden by John Velazquez, World Approval won the 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Stakes here Saturday by a half-length over Forge. He earned a 103 Beyer, marking his sixth straight race with a triple-digit figure, and went past the $3 million mark with his 12th win from 25 starts.

Sun, 02/11/2018 - 17:26

West Coast has workout, eyes Dubai World Cup

Debra A. Roma
West Coast most recently was second in the Pegasus World Cup last month.

ARCADIA, Calif. – West Coast, the champion 3-year-old male of 2017, worked three furlongs in 36.60 seconds at Santa Anita on Sunday, the start of preparation for a spring campaign that could include the $10 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates on March 31.

Sunday’s workout was the first major exercise for West Coast since a second-place finish to 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27.

“It was a little maintenance drill,” trainer Bob Baffert said.

Sun, 02/11/2018 - 16:51

Hollendorfer, fresh off big day, plans for big March

Emily Shields
Unique Bella and jockey Mike Smith win the Santa Maria Stakes by nine lengths.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Early Saturday afternoon, the champion Unique Bella won the sixth stakes of her career in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita.

For many stables, that would be the highlight of a day, a week, or even a month. For Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, it was the start of a brilliant afternoon.

A little more than an hour later, Kanthaka won his stakes debut in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs. In the next race, the maiden claimer Seau, co-owned by Hollendorfer, won a one-mile race.

Sun, 02/11/2018 - 11:25

Sam F. Davis top finishers Flameaway, Catholic Boy headed separate ways

Tom Keyser
Flameaway (right) holds off Catholic Boy en route to winning the Sam F. Davis Stakes on Saturday.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Flameaway and Catholic Boy, the top two finishers Saturday in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, appear to be headed in separate directions as their connections start looking farther down the road to the 144th Kentucky Derby.

Sat, 02/10/2018 - 18:25

Elysea's World tops Brown exacta in Suwannee River

Leslie Martin/Coglianese Photos
Elysea's World (left) and uncoupled stablemate Dream Awhile (center) ran one-two in Saturday's Suwannee River Stakes.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Thirty minutes after watching his Kurilov fall a neck short of winning the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf, trainer Chad Brown rebounded in a big way by sending out Elysea’s World and Dream Awhile to finish first and second, respectively, in Saturday’s $150,000 Suwannee River Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Fri, 02/09/2018 - 16:50

Instilled Regard tops 10 in Risen Star Stakes

Amanda Hodges Weir/Hodges Photography
California-based Lecomte winner Instilled Regard will return to Fair Grounds for the Grade 2 Risen Star on Feb. 17.

Ten 3-year-olds, headed by Lecomte Stakes winner Instilled Regard, were entered Friday for the Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star Stakes, which will be run Feb. 17 at Fair Grounds.

Fri, 02/09/2018 - 15:50

Hot week has Velazquez rising in Gulfstream standings

Justin N. Lane
John Velazquez moved up to sixth place in the Gulfstream jockey standings with a winning week.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez has been on an amazing roll this week, having won with seven of the first eight mounts he accepted during a three-day period that began when racing resumed on Wednesday. His lone loss during that span came aboard One Liner, who finished third behind Conquest Windycity and Mind Your Biscuits in Friday’s main event.