ARCADIA, Calif. – Through Sunday’s program at Santa Anita, the 62nd day of the six-month winter-spring meeting, Peter Miller was very much in contention for leading trainer.
Phil D’Amato topped the table with 39 winners, closely followed by Miller with 37 and Bob Baffert with 33. The season ends on June 20, sufficient time for Miller to challenge D’Amato.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Rombauer, the Preakness winner, arrived just before 10 a.m. Monday at Belmont Park where he will soon begin preparations for an expected start in the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on June 5.
Whereas Rombauer defeated nine opponents in the Preakness – three of whom had run in the Kentucky Derby – he could face a significantly larger field in the Belmont, including a bevy of horses who ran in the Derby but skipped the Preakness.
The 25th season at Emerald Downs gets under way Wednesday with an eight-race card that begins at 6 p.m. Pacific. The 50-day meet runs through Sept. 23.
During the first part of the season, racing will be conducted on Wednesday and Thursday with a 6 p.m. post time both days. Sunday racing begins June 20 and continues through Sept. 5. Post time Sundays is 2:30 p.m.
The 20-cent Rainbow Pick Six paid a mere $267.20 at Santa Anita on Sunday, a day with a mandatory payout, a massive pool, and very formful results.
The program began with a carryover of $548,172 from Saturday. Bettors added $4,623,265 on Sunday.
The winners of the pick six races – the fourth through ninth – were Predictable Tully ($4.80), Mount Pelliar ($6.40), Mr. Impossible ($6.40), Lofty ($7.40), Tobacco Road ($4.60), and Sweet Devil ($10).
ARCADIA, Calif. - Gamine, the champion female sprinter of 2020, worked a half-mile in 48 seconds at Santa Anita on Sunday, her first major exercise since a win in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff at seven furlongs at Churchill Downs on May 1.
Owned by Michael Petersen, Gamine is unbeaten in her last three starts, a span that includes the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland last November, and the Grade 3 Las Flores Stakes at Santa Anita on April 4.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The Chosen Vron became a graded stakes winner for the first time with an impressive stretch run in Saturday’s Grade 3 Lazaro Barrera Stakes for 3-year-olds at 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita. As of Sunday, there was no immediate urgency to test the lightly raced gelding in a more prominent race later this spring.
Trainer and co-owner Eric Kruljac said Sunday that the $175,000 Real Good Deal Stakes for California-bred 3-year-olds at seven furlongs at Del Mar on July 30 may be next for The Chosen Vron.
Total betting on the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Saturday was a record $68.69 million, up 8.6 percent over the record set in 2005 for the same race and up 10.7 percent over the total amount bet the last time it was held on its traditional date, in 2019, according to charts of the races.
Complete order of finish from the 146th running of the Preakness Stakes on May 15, 2021, at Pimlico.
1st Rombauer
2nd Midnight Bourbon
3rd Medina Spirit
4th Keepmeinmind
5th Crowded Trade
6th Unbridled Honor
7th France Go de Ina
8th Risk Taking
9th Concert Tour
10th Ram
Sunday’s opening-day card at Century Mile was canceled due to unforeseen protocols imposed by Alberta Health Services.
“Unfortunately, we had some strict stipulations added to our exemption at the eleventh hour that made it impossible to race on Sunday,” said Matt Jukich, racing manager for Century Mile. “We are confident we will be able to work with these new guidelines and plan on being ready for our next scheduled race day on Friday, May 21.”
Total handle on the 14-race card at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Friday was up 29.6 percent over the record total handle on the card in 2019, the track announced.
Total handle was $27.68 million, Pimlico said, a $6.33 million increase over the 2019 record of $21.35 million, also set on a 14-race card.
The Friday card included four graded stakes, including the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, and two additional stakes. Pimlico’s owner, 1/ST, has been building up the Friday card over the past decade as a prelude to Saturday’s Preakness card.
