Horse racing notes: Edwin Maldonado makes Los Alamitos history
LOS ALAMITOS LEADERS
Four tied / 2
TRAINERS / WINS
Vladimir Cerin / 3
Luis Mendez / 2
George Papaprodromou / 2
John Sadler / 2
16 tied / 1
WEEKEND STAKES AT LOS ALAMITOS
Saturday
• $125,000 Dark Mirage Stakes, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, 1 mile
Sunday
• $100,000 Capote Stakes, 2-year-olds, 6½ furlongs
DOWN THE STRETCH
• Saturday’s $1 million Grade I Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing drew a field of 11, including 3-1 morning-line favorite Reincarnate, trained by Bob Baffert and the only local horse running in the 1⅛-mile contest. Reincarnate, who drew the outside post, will be ridden by Juan Hernandez. The Brad Cox-trained Saudi Crown is the second choice at 7-2. Nine fillies were entered for Saturday’s $1 million Cotillion Stakes at a mile and sixteenth at Parx. Pretty Mischievous is the 2-1 morning-line favorite.
• Just a day after jockey Juan Hernandez became the all-time leader in stakes victories at the daytime Los Alamitos thoroughbred meets, Edwin Maldonado climbed to the top of the all-time leaders in victories Sunday. Maldonado’s 128th victory at the Orange County track came aboard Classymademoiselle for trainer George Papaprodromou at 6-1 odds in the fourth race. The victories include the Orange County Fair meets (1977-91). “This is nice,” the 40-year-old Maldonado told Los Alamitos publicity. “It kind of caught me by surprise, but I’m very, very thankful.”
• Santa Anita will offer free parking and admission, in addition to $3 beers and $5 margaritas, on the opening day of its fall meet on Friday, Sept. 29. The promotions also will be offered on most Fridays during the track’s 19-day meet. The lone exception is Breeders’ Cup Friday on Nov. 3. Santa Anita will host the two-day event (Nov. 3-4) for a record 11th time. “We’re excited to welcome racing fans back to The Great Race Place,” Andrew Arthur, Santa Anita’s senior director of marketing, said in a statement. The fall meet winds up Sunday, Nov. 5, with the $200,000 Grade II Goldikova Stakes for fillies and mares.
