#Big City Lights

Lovely Ride wins Saturday's Pippin Stakes at Oaklawn Park Coady Photography, courtesy of Oaklawn Park Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Trainer Bob Baffert saddled the first three finishers in Sunday's $100000 Grade III Sham Stakes at Santa Anita, a "Road to the Kentucky Derby" race, while the other weekend qualifier went to a colt who might find the Derby distance…

Trainer Peter Miller was worried he might not have Thirsty John fit enough for Saturday's Cal Cup Derby at Santa Anita off an eight-month layoff, but his plan worked out just fine on a racing day devoted to Cal-breds. Miller had Thirsty John fit enough to go gate to wire and hold off stablemate Giver Not a Taker by a half length in the $200000 race…

Santa Anita Barn Notes: The Chosen Vron Seeks 4th Straight Stakes Win (The Chosen Vron / Benoit Photo & Courtesy of Santa Anita) From the Santa Anita Media Team: THE CHOSEN VRON GOES FOR 4TH STRAIGHT STAKES WIN IN CAL CUP SPRINT The ultra-consistent and versatile California-bred The Chosen Vron, a winner of three-straight stakes for trainer Eric…

The Saturday card from Santa Anita Park features the California Cup Sprint. Giver Not a Taker was installed as the morning line favorite. Post: 12:00 PM PT; $150k Don Valpredo California Cup Sprint S. going 6 furlongs on dirt; Entries: 6 #2 BIG CITY LIGHTS (8-5) gets the top selection. He shouldn't have trouble with the 6 furlong distance. This one…

The Chosen Vron, prominent from the start, took aim at the leader Big City Lights at the three-eighths pole, and then just outran him to the wire to score by 3 3/4 lengths at the finish of the $100000 Cary Grant Stakes Saturday at Del Mar. Owned by a partnership headed by John Sondereker, who races under the name Sondereker Racing, The Chosen Vron,…

Havnameltdown wins Sunday's Bob Hope Stakes for 2-year-olds at Del Mar. Benoit photo, courtesy of Del Mar Turf Club Nov. 21 (UPI) -- One of the more interesting subplots of late-year racing is the emergence of late-blooming 2-year-olds and Del Mar's weekend program featured two of those -- Havnameltdown among the colts and Justique in the filly…

The only graded stakes on Saturday's racing schedule features distaffers battling under the twin spires. Coach is the 9-5 morning-line favorite for the Grade 3, $300000 Chilukki Stakes. Post time from Churchill Downs is 5:35 p.m. EST, with FS2 showing the one-mile race for 3-and-up fillies and mares. The Chilukki is part of a November Churchill…

Chismosa winning the Generous Portion. Photo by Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire DMTC News DEL MAR, Calif. - The Stakes action at Del Mar's Bing Crosby meet continues next weekend with the possibility of all three races featuring winners from the summer meet. There are two stakes on tap for Saturday, the seven furlong $100000 Desi Arnaz Stakes for…

ARMAGNAC MAKES SWITCH TO GRASS IN G3 LA JOLLA SUNDAY One of the things trainers love about Del Mar, aside from its great weather and being close to the beach, is the opportunity to train horses on the turf. Obviously that's a plus for those conditioners who have established turf horses, but it's especially handy for those trainers who have wondered…

Notes & Quotes From the Real Good Deal Stakes: Big City Lights (Big City Lights wins Friday's Real Good Deal Stakes at Del Mar / Benoit Photo & Courtesy of Del Mar) From the Del Mar Media Team: William Peeples' Big City Lights did what he does best Friday at Del Mar when he went to the front early, then just couldn't be caught late as he captured…

In this biweekly series, racing analyst Keeler Johnson shares promising horses from his handicapping watch list, reviewing runners who have recently caught his eye and previewing horses scheduled to run back in the near future. New to the Watch List As a son of 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper out of Regret (G3) winner Beyond Blame, Loggins is…

MEET THE MAN WHO RIDES FLIGHTLINE FOR A LIVING You're a true horseman when every time you see a quality horse you wonder'What would it be like to ride him.' The man to answer that question about Flightline, this Saturday's TVG Pacific Classic favorite, is Juan Leyva, assistant trainer to John Sadler and exercise rider for Flightline. "He's not like…