SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Apr. 25, 2014) — California State Senator Andy Vidak (R-Hanford) and Kentucky State Representative David Osborne (R-Prospect) are in a Kentucky Derby “Throw Down” of sorts. “California Chrome, a California Central Valley-bred Kentucky Derby contender can best any Kentucky-bred contender on May 3 is the challenge,” said Vidak. According to the Sacramento Bee (4/20/14). “Most Derby horses are born to wealth in lush Kentucky bluegrass, not California’s Central Valley. Only three California-bred colts have won the Kentucky Derby, and the last was 52 years ago.” The challenge involves California-grown cherries from Vidak’s farm and Woodford Reserve, a Kentucky-distilled bourbon. In a business where buying a yearling for $400,000 is a common occurrence, the owners took a mare that they paid $8,000 for and bred it to a stallion for $2,500. The result is California Chrome. He is at the top of the leader board for the Kentucky Derby with the most earnings of any horse. “Representative Osborne says he likes cherries, but he won’t be enjoying them anytime soon,”... ...

ALBANY, Calif. (Apr. 25, 2014) – Northern California Yearling Sale graduate The One We Stole won the first race at Golden Gate on Friday, a two-furlong maiden special weight race for 2-year-old fillies.   The One We Stole is by Tannersmyman, out of the Top Account mare Get the Money, was bred by Jim Eaton, is owned by Troy Johnson and trained by Salvador Naranjo.   The One We Stole, winning at first asking, was a $2,300 purchase. She ran the two furlongs in :21.90 and won by a nose at odds of 9-2. ...

ARCADIA, Calif. (Apr. 20, 2014) — Lakerville is the lone California-bred entered in Friday’s $100,000 Grade III Last Tycoon Stakes at Santa Anita. Lakerville is by Unusual Heat, out of the Out of Place mare Foreverinthegame, was bred by Abrams and Team Green, is owned by Barry Abrams and M. Auerbach and is trained by Abrams. He has five wins in 10 starts, earnings of $312,910 and is coming off a second in the Apr. 13 San Simeon Stakes. ...

By Bloodhorse.com ARCADIA, Calif. (Apr. 17, 2014) — The stable of leading Southern Californian conditioner Mike Mitchell will be restructured starting April 21, with longtime assistant Philip D’Amato taking over the reins as head trainer. Mitchell has been a mainstay on the Southern California circuit for the past 40 years with 2,690 winners and $67,294,321 in earnings. He has earned 19 Southern California training titles, as well as the distinction of being the all-time leading trainer at Del Mar. Mitchell, who turns 66 April 25, believes it is the time is right to step down from his head trainer role. He underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor in June 2012, and while he is winning his fight against cancer, it has given him a new perspective on life. He said he wishes to spend more time with his family without the pressures involved with running a large racing stable. “I feel great and am pleased to report that my doctors couldn’t be happier with my health, as my tumor... ...

From Santa Anita Publicity ARCADIA, Calif. (April 12, 2014)—In a thrilling finish, California-bred Big Macher, with Tyler Baze aboard, prevailed by a nose over favored Wild Dude and Rafael Bejarano in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Potrero Grande Stakes, covering 6 ½ furlongs in 1:14.97. Trained by Richard Baltas, who claimed the 4-year-old Beau Genius gelding out of his debut nine starts back for $20,000 on July 17, Big Macher sat a close third behind fractions of 21.85, 44.25 and 1:08.50, wheeled three-wide turning for home, dispatched Cylclometer a sixteenth out and just managed to withstand the late charge of Wild Dude. “I had a beautiful trip,” said Baze, who broke from post seven, just inside the speedy Cyclometer.  “I didn’t get too much pressure from the outside and I really just got the perfect trip.  I got to do what I wanted out there and I got to keep him happy. “I knew this horse was going to lay his body down and give me everything he had.  He’s an... ...

From Santa Anita Publicity ARCADIA, Calif. (April 12, 2014)—California-bred Tribal Spy benefitted from a fast pace to come rolling late and win Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 Las Cienegas Stakes by a head under Joe Talamo, covering 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course in 1:12.12. With 7-5 favorite Biorhythm and 5-2 second choice Sky High Gal slugging it out through splits of 21.58, 43.02 and 1:05.86, Talamo sat a comfortable third aboard the Adam Kitchingman-trained daughter of Tribal Rule, overhauled the top two inside the furlong pole and held off a fast finishing Llandudno to just prevail. Although she was a winner of the state bred Irish O’Brien Stakes down the hill on March 15, Tribal Spy was off at 11-1 and paid $25.60, $10.20 and $5.00. “We had a perfect trip,” said Talamo.  “I was real pleased to see those two fillies on the lead goin’ head and head.  They were going pretty quick.  So we got a perfect trip.  Turning for home, I took her to... ...

From Santa Anita Publicity ARCADIA, Calif. (April 11, 2014)—Longshot California-bred Uzziel took full advantage of her early speed and coasted to a stunning 42-1 front-end upset in Friday’s $75,000 Santa Paula Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, getting 6 ½ furlongs in 1:17.19 while providing Tyler Baze with his third win on the afternoon. Trained by Mike Puype and owned by her breeders, James and Tammy McKenney, Uzziel, a California-bred daughter of Harlington, won by a comfortable 2 ¼ lengths while besting eight rivals and providing the McKenney’s with their first-ever stakes victory. “This is our first-ever stakes win,” said James McKenney.  “We’ve been breeding horses for 10 years now and we’ve never really had much luck at Santa Anita.  You couldn’t believe how excited we are.  We’ve got a full sister to this filly who’s a yearling and we’ve got the mare (Pretti Woman, by Lord At War) in Florida to be bred back to Harlington.” Second-longest shot in the field, Uzziel set fractions of 21.78, 44.48 and 1:10.14.  She paid... ...

By DRF.com CYPRESS, Calif. (Apr. 11, 2014) — Los Alamitos is launching capital improvements to its grandstand and expanding stalls for Thoroughbreds in advance of its Thoroughbred meeting in July. Brad McKinzie, the general manager of the track’s Thoroughbred operation, said Thursday that Los Alamitos has received approval from the city of Cypress to begin the projects, which are expected to be completed in June. The track’s Thoroughbred meeting runs from July 3-13. A three-week Thoroughbred meeting will be held in December. The seasons are part of racing dates previously held by Hollywood Park, which closed last December. Construction of 200 stalls for Thoroughbreds will begin on property previously used as a maintenance yard for tractors and other heavy equipment. The receiving barn also will be remodeled. The new stalls will increase capacity for Thoroughbreds to 700. McKinzie said an additional 200 temporary stalls could be used closer to the July race meeting, bringing barn-area capacity for Thoroughbreds to 900 stalls. Approximately 500 Thoroughbreds who race at Santa Anita have... ...

Longtime California thoroughbred breeder and owner Lathrop G. Hoffman passed away from natural causes on April 2, with his entire family with him for his last days. He was born in Los Angeles as the 5th son of Paul G. and Dorothy B. Hoffman, and raised in South Bend, Indiana. He attended Thatcher School in Ojai and graduated from Putney School in Vermont in 1942, joining the army shortly thereafter to serve in India and China during World War II. He became the youngest 1st Lieutenant in the Army. Upon discharge from the Army in 1946, he returned to Los Angeles to attend UCLA. In 1947, he married Dorothy Anne Cleary, the daughter of close family friends James and Budie Cleary who had named her after Lathrop’s mother. He graduated from UCLA in 1950 with a degree in banking and finance. During college he supported himself in part by making jewelry (the Lathrop Gray Co), which he continued as a hobby throughout his life. After college he began in the... ...

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. (Apr. 6, 2014) — Spensive’s Image is the lone California-bred entered in Sunday’s $75,000 Sunland Park Stakes. He is by Spensive, out of the Well Decorated mare Image Ofa Princess, was bred by Y-Lo Racing Stables, is owned by 5 Star Racing and trained by Michael Valdez. He has five wins in 25 starts, earnings of $58,681 and is coming off a Mar. 11 allowance win. ...

ARCADIA, Calif. (Apr. 6, 2014) — Uzziel is the lone California-bred entered in Friday’s $75,000 Santa Paula Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita. Uzziel is by Harlington, out of the Lord At War mare Pretti Woman, was bred by owners James and Tammy McKenney and is trained by Mike Puype. She has two wins in five starts, earnings of $49,690 and is coming off a 13th in the Mar. 8 China Doll.   ...

ARCADIA, Calif. (Mar. 27, 2014) – Here’s the lineup for the five stakes races of the $850,000 California Gold Rush XV, for California-breds and sired, to be held for the first time at Santa Anita on Saturday, Apr. 26, 2014: $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes, 3-year-olds, at 1 1/8 miles on turf (purse paid down to eighth place). $250,000 Melair Stakes, 3-year-old fillies, at 1 1/16 miles (purse paid down to eighth place). $125,000 Tiznow Stakes, 4-year-olds & up, at one mile. $125,000 Spring Fever Stakes, 4-year-olds & up, fillies and mares, at 6 furlongs. $100,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes, 4-year-olds & up fillies and mares, at one mile on turf. Nominations close Saturday, Apr. 12. For more information, contact Rick Hammerle at the Santa Anita Racing Office, 626-574-6352. ...

By DRF.com BUELLTON, Calif. (Mar. 28, 2014) — Bertrando, who received the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding older male of 1993 and was a former leading stallion in California, died recently of infirmities of old age, owner Marty Wygod said on Friday. Bertrando was 25. On the racetrack, he won 9 of 24 starts and earned $3,185,610 in a career highlighted by eight stakes wins, including three Grade 1 races – the 1991 Norfolk Stakes and the Pacific Classic and Woodward Stakes in 1993. Bertrando started in three Breeders’ Cup races, finishing second in the 1991 Juvenile, second in the 1993 Classic, and sixth in the 1994 Classic. Bertrando entered the 1993 Breeders’ Cup Classic with a chance at the Horse of the Year title, but was beaten by the European longshot Arcangues. By Skywalker, Bertrando was bred by Edward Nahem and was raced by him in partnership with 505 Farms and Gus Headley early in his career. Later, Nahem and Marshall Naify’s 505 Farms were listed as owners.... ...

From CHRB ARCADIA, Calif. (Mar. 27, 2014) – In an effort to safeguard the health and welfare of horses and riders, Santa Anita Park officials have announced they will provide round-the-clock surveillance of all horses entered in the Santa Anita Derby beginning 72 hours before the April 5 race. This security measure will be similar to that provided for 2013’s Derby and for the 2013 Breeders’ Cup in Arcadia. The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) will also have an increased security presence on the backside of Santa Anita for Derby Day. In addition to the usual CHRB enforcement personnel at Santa Anita, additional investigators and safety stewards are being brought in from Sacramento and Los Alamitos. The added CHRB staffing will augment Santa Anita’s stakes race security, allowing for broad stable area coverage for the Derby program, which also includes the Santa Anita Oaks, and three other stakes on an 11-race card. The CHRB also plans to conduct out-of competition testing for those horses nominated to the Santa Anita Derby,... ...

By Bloodhorse.com ARCADIA, Calif. (Mar. 26, 2014) — Santa Anita Park will soon have a new president in Tom Ludt, the former chairman of the Breeders’ Cup, after longtime executive George Haines was selected to head Southern California’s offtrack wagering facility network. Ludt, 49, is to assume his new duties April 7, the Los Angeles Turf Club announced in a statement released March 26. He was hired a year ago at Santa Anita as senior vice president, racing, and gaming by The Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita. Ludt served a two-year term as chairman of the Breeders’ Cup board from 2011-13, and was president of Vinery Farms from 2004-2013. Haines was selected by unanimous vote to oversee Southern California Off Track Wagering, Inc., known in the industry as SCOTWINC, which is responsible for the region’s brick-and-mortar simulcast locations. In recent years, the simulcast network has expanded to include mini-satellites at card clubs, restaurants, and sports bars, in addition to the traditional racetrack and county fairground sites. Haines has served... ...

By DRF.com LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Mar. 24, 2014) – Talk about attrition. Since Churchill Downs offered its earliest-ever Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool in late November, only two horses have been listed in all four pools toward the 2014 Derby – Cairo Prince and Strong Mandate. The lineup for the fourth and last 2014 futures pool was released by Churchill Downs on Monday, and the customary turnover from the previous pool is evident. Nine new names are on the roster for Pool 4, which opens Thursday at noon Eastern and closes Saturday at 6 p.m. Both the Florida Derby and Louisiana Derby are scheduled to be run Saturday after the pool closes. The new horses for Pool 4 are Bobby’s Kitten, Chitu, Hoppertunity, In Trouble, Midnight Hawk, Ride On Curlin, Ring Weekend, Social Inclusion, and We Miss Artie. Those horses displace the following from Pool 3, which was held Feb. 27 to March 1: Conquest Titan, Honor Code, Indianapolis, Kobe’s Back, Kristo, Noble Moon, Shared Belief, Tamarando, and Top Billing. Besides Cairo... ...

From Santa Anita Publicity ARCADIA, Calif. (March 23, 2014)—Halo Dolly made an easy lead and coasted to a gate to wire score in Sunday’s $100,000 Dream of Summer Stakes for Golden State Series eligible fillies and mares at Santa Anita, prevailing by 1 ½ lengths over favored Unusual Way while getting one mile in 1:35.73. Ridden by Corey Nakatani, Halo Dolly, one of two Jerry Hollendorfer-trained horses in the five-horse field for older fillies and mares bred or sired in California, cleared the favorite, who stumbled leaving the gate with Edwin Maldonado, by two lengths around the Club House turn and repelled a stiff challenge through the drive to win going away. “She got a good jump out of the gate, and if it (getting to the lead) was going to come easy, we weren’t going to stop her from taking what was easy for her,” said Nakatani.  “Jerry does a great job with the horses.  It doesn’t matter what the odds are, they’ve always got a shot.” Owned by... ...

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. (Mar. 23, 2014) – California-bred Warren’s Knockout was rewarded for a persistent stretch with a win in Sunday’s $75,000 Bill Thomas Memorial Stakes at Sunland Park.   Warren’s Knockout is by Stormed, out of the Doneraile Court mare Now My Precious, was bred by Benjamin Warren, is owned by Len Schermer and trained by Justin Evans.   He has 11 wins in 22 starts, earnings of $365,040 and was coming off asecond in a Feb. 18 optional claimer.   For Warren’s Knockout’s pedigree, click http://www.pedigreequery.com/warrens+knockout ...

By Bloodhorse.com ALBANY, Calif. (Mar. 23, 2014) — Patrick Mackey has been named as racing secretary at Golden Gate Fields and will begin his duties in mid-May. He replaces David Jerkens, who earlier this year accepted the racing secretary position at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. Mackey  served as assistant racing secretary for the New York Racing Association from 2010-12 after holding the same position at Arlington Park and Gulfstream Park. He is set to arrive at Golden Gate March 27 and will a work with Jerkens for six weeks before Jerkens departs for Southern California. The 36-year-old Mackey comes from a racing family. His late father, Michael, served as general manager at several tracks, including Thistledown, Hialeah Park, Tampa Bay Downs, and Detroit Race Course. His late grandfather, Oscar Mackey, was a steward, starter, and trainer. Mackey began his career in racing in 1998, working as a racing official at Hialeah Park, Atlantic City Race Course, Great Barrington Fair, and Northampton Fair. Before joining NYRA, he served as assistant racing... ...

By DRF.com SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Mar. 22, 2014) — After months of discussion, the California Horse Racing Board finalized the racing schedule for the Northern California fair circuit in July and August of 2015 at its monthly meeting on Friday, giving Cal-Expo in Sacramento and the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa consecutive three-week meetings. Cal-Expo was awarded dates from the week of July 9 through July 26, followed by Santa Rosa from the week of July 29 through Aug. 16. In addition, the Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale will race from Aug. 19-30, while Golden Gate Fields will begin its late summer meeting on Aug. 21. The Cal-Expo and Santa Rosa dates for 2015 are different than this year’s schedule when Cal-Expo has a two-week meeting in July, and Santa Rosa has a three-week meeting ending on Aug. 10. The 2015 dates for Cal-Expo and Santa Rosa were the subject of a two-hour debate on Friday, with officials from Santa Rosa unable to confirm to the racing board that it... ...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Mar. 19, 2014) – Ag Day at the California Capitol was held Wednesday and California Thoroughbred Breeders Association was there, representing breeders and offering legislators information on the vital role the Thoroughbred industry plays in the state’s agricultural economy. CTBA past Presidents Sue Greene and Leigh Ann Howard, along with event coordinator Christy Chapman promoted the sport and educated visitors to the CTBA booth on general horse facts and Thoroughbred racing and breeding in California. Long time CTBA member Ellen Jackson once again provided a mare and foal (Maddie’s Odyssey accompanied by her two-week-old Unusual Heat colt) for the CTBA booth so visitors could have a personal experience with a Thoroughbred. Among the legislators that visited the booth were Assemblymembers Isadore Hall III, Jimmy Gomez, Frank Bigelow, Christina Garcia, Steven Bradford, Brian Jones, Adam Gray, Cheryl Brown and Senator Tom Berryhill. Many members of the local media also stopped by to take photos and visit with the horses. For more information on California’s Ag Day, click http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/agday/.   ...

By DRF.com ARCADIA, Calif. (Mar. 15, 2014) – Tribal Spy really did have the luck of the Irish on her side in the $100,500 Irish O’Brien Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita. She was one of two horses in the race seemingly with early speed, but when Ciao Bella Luna got off absolutely last in the field of seven, Tribal Spy found herself with an uncontested lead, and she nursed it all the way to the wire to win the downhill turf sprint for California-bred females. Tribal Spy ($10.40) got away with soft fractions – for the downhill course — of 22.36 seconds for the opening quarter and 44.75 for a half-mile while covering the about 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:12.59 to give jockey Irving Orozco his first stakes win. Tribal Spy held on to win by one length over an unlucky Ciao Bella Luna, who bravely got back into contention and fought on along the rail through the lane. Ciao Bella Luna finished second by a head over Dancingtothestars, with... ...

By Bloodhorse.com ARCADIA, Calif. (Mar. 15, 2014) — Seeking her first graded stakes win, Let Faith Arise put away pace rivals Fiftyshadesofhay and Iotapa in the stretch to win the $350,000 Santa Margarita Stakes (gr. I) March 15 at Santa Anita Park (VIDEO). Let Faith Arise, runner-up in both the La Canada (gr. II) and Santa Maria (gr. II) stakes to begin the year, prevailed by 1 3/4 lengths with Corey Nakatani aboard. It was Nakatani’s fifth win in the Santa Margarita, but his first since 2000 with Riboletta. Let Faith Arise, a Kentucky-bred 4-year-old daughter of Kafwain  , is a homebred for Tommy Town Thoroughbreds trained by Jerry Hollendorfer. It was the first Santa Margarita win for the Hall of Fame conditioner. Let Faith Arise, always prominent while racing between Fiftyshadesofhay and 7-5 favorite Iotapa, completed the 1 1/8-mile distance in 1:48.70. Iotapa, who defeated Let Faith Arise by 1 3/4 lengths in winning the Santa Maria Feb. 15 in front-running fashion, held second by half a length with Stanwyck... ...

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. ...

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 23, 2014) — The California-bred Horse of the Year for 2013 will be announced 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. The four finalists for Horse of the Year, in alphabetical order, are: Halo Dolly, Points Offthebench, Teddy’s Promise and Tiz Flirtatious. The business session of the annual meeting begins at 4 p.m. with a 6 p.m. cocktail reception and a 7 p.m. awards dinner. For reservations, please contact Christy Chapman at 626-445-7800 ext: 247 or email at christy@ctba.com. The other champions that will be presented at the dinner: Champion Sire of California Conceived Foals by Earnings – “Unusual Heat,” owned by The Unusual Heat Syndicate. Champion Sire of California Conceived Foals by Turf Earnings – “Unusual Heat,” owned by The Unusual Heat Syndicate. Champion Sire of California Conceived Two-Year-Olds by Earnings – “Tribal Rule,” owned by The Tribal Rule Syndicate. Champion Sire of California Conceived Foals by Number... ...

By Bloodhorse.com HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 18, 2014) — The first grade I winner for trainer Tim Yakteen is now his first Eclipse Award winner as Points Offthebench received the award as champion male sprinter Saturday, Jan. 18 in South Florida. Donnie Crevier and Charles Martin’s Points Offthebench won four straight sprints in Southern California in 2013, a stretch capped by back-to-back grade I victories in the Bing Crosby Handicap at Del Mar and Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes at Santa Anita Park. In both grade I wins Points Offthebench defeated Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) winner Goldencents, victories further flattered by Goldencents’ win in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I). Bred in California by Gary Rocks, Points Offthebench is the second Cal-bred in three years to be named champion male sprinter, joining 2011 champion Amazombie. Points Offthebench was preparing for a start in the XpressBet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (gr. I) when he broke down Oct. 26 at Santa Anita. He suffered a fractured right front fetlock and was... ...

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 23, 2014) – Lone California-bred Lakerville returns from a 17-month layoff in Sunday’s $75,000 Clocker’s Corner Stakes at Santa Anita. Lakerville is by Unusual Heat, out of the Out of Place mare Foreverinthegame, was bred by Abrams & Team Green, is owned by Madeline Auerbach and trained by Barry Abrams. He has four wins in six starts, earnings of $211,540 and is making his first start since a seventh in the Aug. 15, 2012 Green Flash. ...

By DRF.com ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 16, 2014) – Rick Baedeker, the former president of Hollywood Park, has been named executive director of the California Horse Racing Board, the regulatory board announced Thursday. The racing board met in a private executive session before its scheduled meeting on Thursday to approve Baedeker’s appointment unanimously, according to chairman Chuck Winner. The position has been vacant since last summer, following the death of Kirk Breed from an illness. The appointment is contingent upon Baedeker completing the state’s formal hiring process, according to a statement read at the start of the meeting by Winner. Baedeker, 64, oversaw Hollywood Park from 1999 to 2005 when the track was owned by Churchill Downs Inc. In recent years, Baedeker has worked as a consultant for the Breeders’ Cup in California and has helped in the development of mini-satellites in Southern California at restaurants and bars. In the 1990s, he worked as a marketing executive at Hollywood Park and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, and held leadership positions at The... ...

By DRF.com CYPRESS, Calif. (Jan. 16, 2014) – Pete Parrella was in his 20s when he first visited Los Alamitos Race Course in the 1960s. “I stood on the apron,” Parrella recalled. “There were 10,000 people there. It was standing room only.” Parrella was there to watch champion Quarter Horse Kaweah Bar and to spend time at the races with some buddies from work. “I didn’t know anything about it,” he said. “I tried to figure out all the numbers, and I was hooked.” In the past four decades, Parrella has developed a successful Southern California lumber business that allowed him to buy Quarter Horse runners, a farm in Chino, Calif., and later invest in Thoroughbreds. Today, Parrella and his wife, Evelyn, are active Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred owners who sometimes spend afternoons at the Thoroughbred races at Santa Anita and evenings watching Quarter Horses at Los Alamitos. Later this year, one trip to Los Alamitos will meet all their needs. Los Alamitos will operate Thoroughbred meetings in June and December... ...

RAMONA, Calif. (Jan. 9, 2014) — According to Daily Racing Form columnist Jay Privman, the Eclipse Award for male sprinter “is a close call” between Benchmark’s Points Offthebench, a two-time Grade 1 winner who died in his final work for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, and the Eddington 4-year-old Secret Circle, who won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint as the 5-2 favorite in his second start following an 18-month layoff. Both stallions stand at Ballena Vista Farm. Undefeated at distances of six furlongs or less, Secret Circle has never finished worse than second in nine career starts. He earned $859,800 for his two victories in as many starts in 2013 and increased his lifetime bankroll to almost $1.9 million. Points Offthebench is the second California-bred Eclipse Award finalist for Benchmark, whose 3-year-old Idiot Proof was among the 2007 finalists in the male sprinter category. Ballena Vista sire Tribal Rule also has a close connection to the 2013 Eclipse Awards as his full sister Common Hope is the dam of the Two-Year-Old Male finalist,... ...