By SFGate.com ALBANY, Calif. (Mar. 15, 2014) — It’s always advantageous for a horse to possess natural speed, but sometimes you need some grit, too, which is how Marks Mine won the $59,400 Camilla Urso Stakes on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields. Marks Mine, the even-money favorite, broke from the No. 5 post position under Frank Alvarado in the 6-furlong race for fillies and mares. Fellow front-runner Fast and Fury, ridden by Leslie Mawing, broke from the outside slot in the field of eight. “I told Frank to back off if the eight goes, and he tried to do that, but the eight backed off, too, so he was stuck on the inside,” winning trainer Steve Specht said. “I was a little concerned that it would soften her up for someone else from behind, but she digs in and gives you what she’s got.” Marks Mine disposed of Fast and Fury at the top of the stretch and spurted to a two-length lead, but just as Specht feared, Happybirthdaybaby and jockey Russell Baze... ...

By Bloodhorse.com ALBANY, Calif. (Mar. 10, 2014) — Golden Gate Fields announced that the Campanile, a one-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies bred in California, has been moved from May 31 to June 8, the same day as the $100,000 Silky Sullivan Stakes, a one-mile turf race for 3-year-olds bred in California. Both races are Golden State Series Stakes. “By moving the Campanile to June 8, we create a day where California-breds are showcased in two stakes,” said Jerkens. “We are also going to try to card a couple of allowance races for California-breds that day. As California Chrome proved with his dominating victory in the San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita (Saturday), California-breds deserve to be spotlighted.” Golden Gate also announced that the Alcatraz Stakes has been added to the winter-spring meeting stakes schedule. The Alcatraz is for 3-year-olds and will be run at one mile on the turf May 11. Nominations for the race will close May 1. The addition of the Alcatraz means Golden Gate Fields will present a... ...

By Bloodhorse.com ARCADIA, Calif. (Mar. 9, 2014) — Following a dazzling win from California Chrome in the San Felipe Stakes (gr. II) March 8 at Santa Anita Park, trainer Art Sherman says he can concentrate on the best way to get to this year’s Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). “I’m not making any plans (for his next race), you know what I mean?” said the 77-year-old Sherman, whose long years of toil are being rewarded by the unlikely California-bred colt. “I’m in the Derby now; I’ve got enough points. That took a lot of pressure off me. I’m just going to play it by ear. There is a chance we might go to the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I).” Speaking by phone to the Santa Anita publicity department March 9, Sherman added, “The horse has to let me know. He came out of the race good, he ate up last night. I was happy. He’s a cool horse. I just don’t want to do too much with... ...

By Bloodhorse.com KENNEWICK, Wash. (Mar. 3, 2014) — Stakes winner Northern Indy   was represented by his first foal when a filly was born March 2. Born at breeder Keith Marks’ farm near Kennewick, Wash., the newborn filly is the third offspring out of the winning Crowning Storm mare Storming Slew. During his race career, Northern Indy compiled a career record of 3-1-1 from 18 starts, and earned $133,407 for owner Highland Yard. His best performances included a victory in the 2012 Hasta La Vista Handicap at Turf Paradise and a runner-up effort in the 2011 Canadian Derby (Can-III). Bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. Peter Walsh, Northern Indy stands for $2,500 at Paradise Road Ranch near Lathrop, Calif. Read more on BloodHorse.com:  http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/83633/ca-stallion-northern-indy-sires-first-foal#ixzz2uxYUvK9v ...

By DRF.com ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 28, 2014) – The first Santa Anita spring-summer meeting from April 25 to June 29 will look very similar to the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting it replaces even though some of the race names have been changed. The list of 34 stakes includes six Grade 1 races with familiar names such as the Gamely Stakes, American Oaks, Vanity Stakes, Shoemaker Mile, and Triple Bend Stakes. The Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup has been renamed the Gold Cup at Santa Anita, and will be run on June 28, the final Saturday of the meeting. Hollywood Park closed for development after its autumn meeting in December. Ten other stakes have been renamed – the Last Tycoon Stakes was the Inglewood, the Spring Fever was formerly the B. Thoughtful, the Desert Code had been run as the Harry Henson, the Precisionist Stakes was the Mervyn LeRoy, the Adoration Stakes was the Marjorie Everett Stakes, the Angels Flight Stakes was the Railbird, the Singletary Stakes was the Tsunami Slew, the... ...

By DRF.com ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 28, 2014) – Mike Lakow, a former director of racing at the New York Racing Association, has been hired as racing director at Santa Anita, the track announced Friday. Lakow, 57, will begin working at Santa Anita on March 24 and will assistant Santa Anita racing secretary Rick Hammerle, the track said. Lakow currently works as a steward at Calder Race Course in Miami. Aside from NYRA, Lakow has worked at tracks in Delaware, Dubai, Florida, Kentucky, and New Jersey. He spent 12 years with NYRA as director of racing. “Mike brings a breadth of experience and close personal relationships with horsemen nationwide that will serve us well as we move forward into this era of expanded dates and opportunities here at Santa Anita,” Santa Anita chairman Keith Brackpool said in a statement. Santa Anita added a spring-summer meeting to its schedule this year following the closure of Hollywood Park at the end of 2013. In the past, Santa Anita ended its winter-spring meeting in mid-April,... ...

By Bloodhorse.com SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Feb. 26, 2014) — Two Internet poker bills have been introduced in the California Legislature for consideration this year, but neither includes the racing industry on the short list of entities eligible for licensing. Josh Rubenstein, senior vice president for development of Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and spokesman for a coalition of racing interests, said the bills were disappointing in that regard but were by no means the final word. “That’s the initial language. But the way bills start out and the way they finish, as we have seen, are usually quite different,” Rubenstein said by phone Feb. 26. The measures were among hundreds introduced Feb. 21 in time to meet the submission deadline for 2014 legislation. Senate Bill 1366, authored by Sen. Lou Correa, and Assembly Bill 2291, by Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer, received their first readings Feb. 24. Correa’s bill is a reintroduction of SB 678, which was submitted last year but never moved out of committee. The Jones-Sawyer legislation essentially reworks a bill advanced... ...

ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 21, 2014) — California-bred millionaire The Usual Q. T. passed away Thursday at the age of 8, according to posts on his and co-owner Michael Nentwig’s Facebook pages. “We are very sad to announce that Multiple Grade 1 Stakes Winner, THE USUAL Q. T. has passed away at the age of eight. He brought so much joy to our lives. Melinda and I would like to thank Jim and Melanie Bassett Cassidy for providing the best care for him during his racing career and in his retirement. He was a tremendous race horse and he will live on in our hearts forever!” The Usual Q. T. was a gelding by Unusual Heat, out of the Western Fame mare Lunge, was bred by Carlee Van Kampen, was owned by Don Van Racing, Nentwig, Goerge Saadeh and Jeffrey Byer and was trained by James Cassidy. He has eight wins in 23 starts and earnings of $1,531,240. The Usual Q. T. was a multiple Grade I winner (Hollywood Derby and... ...

By Bloodhorse.com ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 21, 2014) — Santa Anita Park gained approval for its first spring/summer meet from the California Horse Racing Board Feb. 21 and presented a stakes schedule for the nine-week stand that looks quite a bit like Hollywood Park, which it is replacing. The meet follows a brief break from the Arcadia track’s winter/spring stand and will run for 40 days, April 25 through June 29. The schedule calls for racing on a Thursday through Sunday schedule with an additional card for Memorial Day, May 26. The regular first post will be 1 p.m. PDT, expect for twilight Friday programs, which will begin at 3 p.m. There will be an 11 a.m. first post for each of the Triple Crown cards. Santa Anita will run 33 stakes, most of those taken over from Betfair Hollywood Park, which closed for racing in December and is expected to be demolished in 2014, then replaced by commercial and residential development. Nineteen graded stakes are on the new Santa Anita... ...

From CHRB ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 22, 2014) – The California Horse Racing Board conducted its regular meeting Friday, February 21, 2014, at Santa Anita Park. Chairman Chuck Winner presided. 1st Vice Chair Bo Derek, 2nd Vice Chair Richard Rosenberg, and Commissioners Madeline Auerbach, Steve Beneto, Jesse Choper, and George Krikorian were in attendance. The audio of this entire Board meeting is available on the CHRB Website (www.chrb.ca.gov) under the Webcast link. In brief: ·        The Board approved the application for the Los Angeles Turf Club to conduct a race meet at Santa Anita Park from April 25 through June 29, essentially a continuation of the current meet in Arcadia that runs through April 20, with a four-day break in between. The application was approved pending clarification of the schedule of stake races historically run in Southern California. ·        Several commissioners reported on working with racetracks on the development of fire evacuation plans as well as fire prevention measures. These efforts will continue and their progress will be detailed in public reports.... ...

By Jay Hovdey, DRF.com BONSALL, Calif. (Feb. 20, 2014) — It’s not like the place wasn’t already on the map. San Luis Rey Downs was built in 1969. But the cluster of runners that vanned up to win at Santa Anita Park last weekend helped poke a hole in the idea that the newly invigorated training center is located somewhere near the ends of the earth. It’s not, although you can see it from there. Last Saturday, Peter Miller’s San Luis Rey stable cracked with On the Backstreets (by Street Boss, out of a Springsteen classic) in the $81,650 Sweet Life Stakes down the hillside turf course, then came right back on Sunday to win the $97,450 Baffle Stakes, also down the hill, with the Tribal Rule gelding Red Outlaw. For icing, the Miller barn popped later on Sunday with the 29-1 Rathbaun in a $60,000 allowance/optional claimer, then kept rolling into the Monday holiday program with the $25,000 claimer Keyboard Courage in the first and the Street Cry colt... ...

By Bloodhorse.com ALBANY, Calif. (Feb. 16, 2014) — California-bred Tamarando and Dance With Fate, the one-two finishers in the El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) Feb. 15 at Golden Gate Fields, exited the race in good order and will likely make their next starts in Kentucky. Tamarando came from last in a field of eight to win the 1 1/8-mile El Camino Real Derby by a half-length over Dance With Fate, who took second by 2 1/4 lengths over 6-5 favorite Enterprising. “He came out of the race real well,” said trainer Jerry Hollendorfer of Tamarando, who earned his third career stakes victory at odds of 2-1. All three of Tamarando’s stakes wins have come on synthetic surfaces, including the Del Mar Futurity (gr. I) on Polytrack, the Real Quiet Stakes on Cushion Track at Betfair Hollywood Park, and the El Camino Real Derby on Tapeta. Hollendorfer said he is looking at the $550,000 Spiral Stakes (gr. III), a 1 1/8-mile race that will be run March 22 at Turfway Park,... ...

From Santa Anita Publicity ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 16, 2014)—Red Outlaw, with Joel Rosario up, prevailed in a head and head battle the length of the stretch to take Sunday’s $75,000 Baffle Stakes by a head over favored Gangnam Guy and Victor Espinoza, getting 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course in 1:12.05. The second choice at 5-2 in a field of seven 3-year-olds, Red Outlaw broke alertly from post six and sat a close second down the hill to longshot Noble Metal through fractions of 21.64, 43.69 and 1:06.39. He was carried wide by the pacesetter crossing the dirt at the top of the lane and was immediately engaged to his outside by the favorite as the field straightened for home and those two bumped a furlong out, resulting in a stewards’ inquiry. After a review of several minutes, the stewards ruled unanimously that the contact did not affect the original order of finish and they let the original result stand. Trained by Peter Miller, Red Outlaw paid... ...

By DRF.com ALBANY, Calif. (Feb. 15, 2014) — California-bred Tamarando was content to sit last through the first six furlongs, but then unleashed a strong closing run to score a solid victory in the Grade 3, $200,000 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday. Tamarando, winner of last year’s Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity, was not exactly a last-minute replacement for his unbeaten stablemate Exit Stage Left, who suffered a tendon injury one week earlier. “We had talked about running him anyway,” said winning trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who had given Tamarando, a son of  Bertrando, a strong five-furlong work after his second-place finish in the Jan. 25 Cal Cup Derby at Santa Anita. Hollendorfer said that owner-breeders Larry and Marianne Williams did not want to run at Santa Anita again because the track does not play well to Tamarando’s late-closing style. Tamarando ($6.60) was last in the field of eight but sat closer to the lead than he had in recent starts. He was five lengths behind pacesetting I’ll Wrap... ...

BERKELEY, Calif. (Feb. 12, 2014) — Donald Valpredo was elected President, Harris Auerbach Vice President, Tim Cohen Treasurer and Sue Greene Secretary of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association at Monday night’s Board of Directors meeting in Berkeley. It was also announced at the meeting that John Barr, Leigh Ann Howard and Jane Johnson were re-elected to Board seats and Edward Freeman won election as the newest member of the Board. Greene had been President for the previous three years but was termed out per association by-laws. “After three outstanding years as serving as President of our organization the CTBA, Sue Green was termed out. The directors wrestled with the thought of a change in the by-laws to extend the term for another year, but after good discussion decided to pass on a by-law change,” said Valpredo. “We have some outstanding and energetic newcomers on the board and one or two oldtimers. To encourage and facilitate the learning process of some younger directors I inherited the position of once again serving as... ...

By Bloodhorse.com Bill Currin, who bred, owned, and trained 2006 Hollywood Futurity (gr. I) winner Stormello, died Feb. 11 in Solana Beach, Calif., after a long illness. He was 77. His wife of 58 years, Betty, was at his side, as she has been since they became childhood sweethearts in North Carolina. The Currins have raced several major stakes winners. Bill trained their homebred Memorette, a graded stakes-winning earner of $896,753. As Bill liked to tell the story, the only reason the mare raced in Betty’s name was because Bill didn’t have time to get to a jewelry store one Christmas. Memorette’s second dam, Fondre, won five stakes for Currin and W.R. Hawn. She became a foundation mare for the Currins’ breeding operation. Memorette is by Memo out of Fondre’s daughter Forever Fondre. The Currins moved to California when Bill wanted to be an actor and followed Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz west when they formed an acting school. During those days, Bill lived in the Chateau Marmont hotel in... ...

By Herb Wittenberg, CPA COVINA, Calif. (Feb. 7, 2014) — An IRS Audit is disagreeable. It’s time consuming, requiring you and/or your accountant to gather up your supporting documentation.  Perhaps you can end up paying additional taxes.  Some things trigger an audit, so here are some tips to help you avoid them. The Schedule C Form requires you to enter an occupational code number for your business.  The correct number for Thoroughbred Racing and Breeding is 711210.  Failure to enter this number on the Schedule C can get you an IRS Audit. Each Race Track sends you a Form 1099 at year end showing your gross purse earnings.  They also send the IRS a copy of the Form 1099.  You must show gross purse income of at least this amount on your return or it will trigger a letter, (and perhaps an audit), from the IRS. The actual money you receive from the Race Track will always differ from the Form 1099 because the track deducts various expenses – i.e.... ...

By Bloodhorse.com RAMONA, Calif. (Feb. 11, 2014) — The first reported foal for Storm Cat’s dual stakes-winning son Calimonco   was a filly born Feb. 5 at Don and Karen Cohn’s Ballena Vista Farm near Ramona, Calif. Bred by Ballena Vista Farm and Martin J. Wygod, the dark bay or brown filly is the first foal out of Action Nine, a winning daughter of War Front  . Calimonco, who had career earnings of $391,486, won the 2011 Wickerr Stakes at Del Mar and 2012 Sidd Finch Stakes at Santa Anita Park. He is a full brother to champion 2-year-old filly Sweet Catomine and Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic (gr. I) winner Life is Sweet. Calimonco was bred to 50 mares his first year at stud and stands his second season at Ballena Vista Farm for a fee of $1,500. Bred in Kentucky by Pam and Martin Wygod, Calimonco is out of the Kris S. mare Sweet Life. Read more on BloodHorse.com:  http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/83305/first-foal-for-storm-cat-son-calimonco#ixzz2t3uuEetm ...

From Tommy Town Thoroughbreds PHOENIX, Ariz. (Feb. 12, 2014) — Lookn Wild, a gelded 6-year-old son of Ministers Wild Cat, made it nine-in-a-row with another wire-to-wire win in a Turf Paradise allowance/optional claiming six furlong race. Lookn Wild has won 14 races from 30 lifetime starts with earnings of $113,405. Bred in California by Darren Carraway & Judd Whitworth this gelding is out of the Smoke Glacken broodmare Smokin Sasa. He has won at seven different racetracks during his four-year campaign. Ministers Wild Cat was the fourth ranked 2013 sire in California with progeny earnings over $3.5 million. He sired seven 2013 stakes winners that have won eleven stakes. ...

By DRF.com ARCADIA, Calif. – Wagering at California tracks rose 14 percent in January, bucking a national trend, according to discussions at an open forum conducted at Santa Anita by the Thoroughbred Owners of California on Saturday. “With the country being down on handle, a lot of that has to do with weather on the East Coast, wagering on California was up 14 percent and purse generation was up 12 percent,” said TOC president Joe Morris. “We’ve been consistently outperforming this year. That’s good news for us out here.” California had a dry January, with hardly any rainfall, leaving the state in a drought. That led to little disruption to racing. Across the country, many tracks were affected by snow and cold weather. Nationwide, wagering was down .23 of a percentage point in January, from $802.3 million to $800 million, according to figures released last week by Equibase. The California handle figures mentioned by Morris were part of a wide variety of issues discussed before a small group of owners... ...

By DRF.com ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 7, 2014) – Equine fatalities at California tracks dropped 24 percent in the 2012-13 fiscal year to its lowest number in more than two decades, according to the California Horse Racing Board’s annual report, published earlier this month. From July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013, 209 horses of all breeds died within enclosures under the jurisdiction of the racing board throughout the state. By comparison, there were 278 fatalities in the 2011-2012 fiscal year, and 265 in the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The figure reached 325 in the 2007-08 fiscal year. “That’s a substantial drop,” said California equine medical director Dr. Rick Arthur. For the 2012-13 fiscal year, the racing board listed 90 fatalities during racing, 56 fatalities during training and 63 other deaths from such causes as heart attacks, diseases including colic, colitis and enteritis, and respiratory and neurological causes. Although the commission did not release fatalities by breed, Arthur said there were fewer Thoroughbred fatalities during the last fiscal year than any year since... ...

By Paulick Report INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Feb. 7, 2014) — Following the closure of Hollywood Park, the only horse remaining in track’s walking ring is one who had been in the ground for 46 years. Native Diver, often heralded as the West Coast’s Kelso, was brought to rest there after dying suddenly from a bout of colic. After the track closed on Dec. 22, officials made the decision to move the horse’s remains to Del Mar, but activists say that isn’t the end of the story. http://www.paulickreport.com/news/ray-s-paddock/dust-to-dust-exhuming-native-diver-from-hollywood-park/ ...

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 6, 2014) – Oscillator is the lone California-bred entered in Sunday’s $75,000 Wishing Well Stakes for fillies and mares at Santa Anita. Oscillator is by Decarchy, out of the In Excess mare Excessive Susan, was bred by Ed Delaney, is owned by Stephen Campbell and trained by Jorge Periban. She has three wins in 13 starts, earnings of $140,548 and is coming off a third in a Jan. 18 allowance. ...

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 30, 2014) – Registration fees for California-bred and California-sired foals will increase as of Apr. 1, 2014 for non-members of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, it was announced on Thursday. Registration fees for non-members of the CTBA will be $200 per foal if applied for by September 30 of yearling year and $250 if applied for after September 30 of yearling year but before the following January 1. Registration fees for member fees stay the same — $100 per foal if applied for by September 30 of yearling year and $125 if applied for after September 30 of yearling year but before the following January 1. The fee will remain the same for two-year-olds and older: $750. ...

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 28, 2014) – Led by champion 3-year-old filly Doinghardtimeagain, Tommy Town Thoroughbreds is the champion breeder of California-foaled thoroughbreds by earnings for the second consecutive year. The award will be presented at the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association’s Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner, to be held Feb. 10 at the Claremont Hotel Club & Spa in Berkeley. Tommy Town Thoroughbreds finished with foal earnings of $3,089,448. Doinghardtimeagain, a homebred daughter of Tommy Town stallion Ministers Wild Cat, contributed the biggest chunk of that total, $388,240, including a win in the Grade II Hollywood Oaks. Tommy Town Thoroughbreds finished first in earnings in 2012 with $2,561,735, also led by Doinghardtimeagain with $198,500. Tommy Town Thoroughbreds also was the California champion breeder in 2009. ...