Horse Racing: Santa Anita Oaks

Jockey Flavien Prat guides Sweet Azteca to the winner's circle after their victory in the Beholder Mile on Saturday, March 9, 2024, at Santa Anita. (Benoit Photo) During Women's History Month, Santa Anita had a fillies-with-a-future day. Four-year-old Sweet Azteca won her first graded stakes with a front-running upset of Adare Manor in the $300000,…

To see Adare Manor (f, 4, Uncle Mo -Brooklynsway, by Giant Gizmo) gallop out after Santa Anita's GII Zenyatta S. was to see a filly who looked like she was pretty proud of herself. Indeed, she should have been. The Zenyatta was Adare Manor's fifth straight win, as well as fourth consecutive graded win, and she took this one in the most facile…

Adare Manor (f, 4, Uncle Mo -Brooklynsway, by Giant Gizmo), a big, rangy daughter of her Breeders' Cup-winning sire, made it four in a row and a first Grade I with a facile win in the $400000 GI Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar Saturday. The mare will likely attempt to win a Breeders' Cup of her own as the "Win and You're In" Hirsch offers a…

The first Saturday of June finds a mixed bag of stakes races on the national simulcasting calendar: we have turf and dirt races, for Thoroughbreds of all ages, from New York to New Jersey to Toronto to Kentucky to California. That's five races in total, and we expect fast dirt and firm turf, except as noted below. Let's go. Woodbine, Race 7, 4:16…

Window Shopping (American Pharoah) pounced on long-time leader Ancient Peace (War Front) with a furlong to run in Saturday's GII Summertime Oaks and edged away late to a first win at the graded stakes level. Beaten for speed, the $700000 Keeneland September purchase settled between rivals just behind the pace which was set inside by GI Kentucky…

Last year Baffert was not permitted to saddle Adare Manor, the favorite in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes odds, because of his ban. She ran second under the care of Sean McCarthy. Baffert will be in Baltimore this time around, and Faiza is a deserving favorite. Owner Michael Lund Petersen could have transfered Faiza to a different conditioner and run…

Racing in mid-pack early, odds-on favorite Faiza (4-5)accelerated on the backstretch, took the lead at the quarter pole and ran on toa 6 1/2-length victory Saturday in the Grade 2, $401500 Santa Anita Oaks. Even though the race was designated as an automaticqualifier for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 5, the 100 points earned by Faizawere forfeited…

Michael Lund Petersen's'TDN Rising Star' Faiza (Girvin) was never really asked for a full effort by Flavien Prat in extending her unbeaten streak to five with a facile success in Saturday's GII Santa Anita Oaks at the Great Race Place. Beaten for speed and content to sit wide off a longshot front-runner, the $90000 Fasig-Tipton July yearling turned…

Santa Anita's spur of the 2023 Road to the Kentucky Oaks draws to a close on Saturday, April 8 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California! The Santa Anita Oaks (G2) offers a $400000 purse as well as 100-40-30-20-10 Road to the Kentucky Oaks points for its top five eligible finishers, meaning the winner earns enough to guarantee a spot in the Oaks…

A well-matched field of eight fillies and mares will travel one mile on the Santa Anita main strip in Saturday's $500000 Beholder Mile (G1). Trainer Bob Baffert will be represented by a trio of contenders, including morning-line choice #8 Fun to Dream (5-2). By Arrogate, the consistently very good filly is 6-for-7 lifetime with a sterling 4-for-4…

Trainer Kenny McPeek must have a world of confidence in Swiss Skydiver. Why else would he have so strongly considered sending the young filly overseas for her turf debut and a date in the 1000 Guineas (G1) at Newmarket? As it turns out, the daughter of Daredevil will not make the trip for the English classic on June 7. Coronavirus-related travel…

Adare Manor was thought to be the West Coast's top Kentucky Oaks hopeful heading into Saturday's $400000 Grade II Santa Anita Oaks, but the connections for the overlooked Desert Dawn had other ideas. Ridden by Umberto Rispoli and trained by Philip D'Amato, Desert Dawn defeated Adare Manor, the 3-5 favorite, by a neck as the longest shot in the…

Pimlico Race Course has a complicated history, but somehow it is still in operation. Known as the "Home of the Preakness," it will only be running for a short time in May. Watch and wager while it lasts... The Black-Eyed Susan Day on Friday is upon us, and it promises to have a strong All-Stakes Pick 6 in races 8 through 13. The "featured" race for…

Fresh off of double digit scores in her last two races, Michael Lund Petersen's Adare Manor looms a short priced favorite versus four rivals in Saturday's Grade 2, $400000 Santa Anita Oaks over 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. A pivotal race for those trying to get qualifying points to the G1 Kentucky Oaks, the Santa Anita Oaks…

Joel Rosario / 29 Abel Cedillo / 28 TRAINERS / WINS Bob Baffert / 21 Peter Miller / 20 Doug O'Neill / 20 Richard Baltas / 19 Philip D'Amato / 18 Saturday • $300000 Grade I Beholder Mile, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, 1 mile • $100000 Grade III San Simeon Stakes, 4-year-olds and up, 6 furlongs (turf) Sunday • $100000 Irish O'Brien Stakes,…

Abel Cedillo / 4 Umberto Rispoli / 3 TRAINERS / WINS Bob Baffert / 9 Richard Baltas / 4 Five tied / 3 Saturday • $200000 Grade II Santa Ynez Stakes, 3-year-old fillies, 7 furlongs Sunday • $100000 Grade III Las Cienegas Stakes, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, 6 1/2 furlongs downhill turf • Under the Stars, coming off a three-length maiden…