#Jeff Mullins

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…

Southern California's first points-paying Kentucky Derby prep of 2023 features only two runners eligible to collect those points. National Treasure is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the Grade 3, $100000 Sham Stakes. Post time from Santa Anita is 6:30 p.m. EST, with FanDuel TV showing the one-mile trip for 3-year-olds. Bob Baffert trains National…

G3 Sham Stakes Preview: Spun Intended Could Spell Trouble From the Santa Anita Media Team: In what appears to be a David vs. Goliath scenario at Santa Anita, trainer Mark Glatt's Spun Intended will take on no less than four Bob Baffert Derby hopefuls among a field of six sophomores in Sunday's Grade III, $100000 Sham Stakes at one mile. Named for…

In what appears to be a David vs. Goliath scenario at Santa Anita, trainer Mark Glatt's Spun Intended will take on no less than four Bob Baffert Derby hopefuls among a field of six sophomores in Sunday's Grade III, $100000 Sham Stakes at one mile. Named for the winner of the 1973 Santa Anita Derby and subsequent runner-up to Secretariat in that…

Cyberknife, shown winning the Arkansas Derby, tops the list of invitations to the Grade I Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 28. Coady Photography, courtesy of Oaklawn Park Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Kentucky Derby preps in California and New York highlight the weekend horse racing schedule with plenty of would-be stars looking for a big step…

Bobby Flay's homebred Pizza Bianca (#4 outside) under Jose Ortiz on her way to winning the Hilltop Stakes at Pimlico May 20, 2022, and earning Black Type. (Maryland Jockey Club photo) By Maribeth Kalinich There's a phenomenon happening in North America. Turf races are booming. That is in part thanks to more European horses coming across the pond to…

Welcome to the 12 tips of Santa Anita. We're counting down to the meet at the Great Race Place with stats, facts and figures related to one of the nation's premiere meetings. 12. Jockeys Of the top 15 riders by starts at the winter-spring meeting this year, only Juan Hernandez, Flavien Prat and John Velazquez won more than 20 percent of their…

For me, one main attraction to superfectas is that a superfecta probable payout pool is not displayed making this bet an unknown endeavor relative to an exacta and even trifectas in some circumstances where the probable payouts are available. However, if you observe the pool results over a long period of time, you will come to realize the heavily…

Flightline taking the Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Photo by Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire DMTC News/From the Wire DEL MAR, Calif.-It was a Breeders' Cup to remember for many of the connections who participated in racing's biggest event after spending all or part of their summer at Del Mar this year. In addition to the 23 horses who raced or trained…

The Breeders' Cup prep season begins to draw to a close beginning this weekend, with major domestic stakes at Aqueduct, Churchill Downs, and Santa Anita on Saturday. There's also significant racing on both Saturday and Sunday at Longchamp in Paris, site of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1). The TwinSpires Jury of James Scully, Kellie Reilly, and…

When jockeys are in the starting gate, you often hear the starter tell them "Let's get tied on," which means they should be ready for the gate to spring open. For people who bet on horse races, the Breeders' Cup represents the greatest opportunity to "get tied on" in the entire year. Where else will you have two days of 14 world championship races,…

When jockeys are in the starting gate, you often hear the starter tell them "Let's get tied on," which means they should be ready for the gate to spring open. For people who bet on horse races, the Breeders' Cup represents the greatest opportunity to "get tied on" in the entire year. Where else will you have two days of 14 world championship races,…

Off mounts last weekend due to being kicked in a paddock mishap on May 20, Jessica Pyfer, the 2021 Eclipse Award winner as outstanding apprentice jockey, notched her first stakes win Saturday at Santa Anita as she put Bally's Charm on the lead and never looked back en route to a 5 ¾ length win in the $150000 Snow Chief Stakes. The Snow Chief was…

Welcome to a special Friday edition of "Team Tuley's Thoroughbred Takes" as we have 5 Breeders' Cup races at Keeneland on "Futures Stars Friday" with another 9 on Saturday (a separate column with those plays will be posted on Friday). We're proud to be joined each day by DraftKings' head oddsmaker John Avello with some of his top selections. We…

The two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships will get going Friday at Keeneland. Friday's five Breeders' Cup races will start at 3 p.m. with the Juvenile Turf Sprint and conclude with the Juvenile Turf at 5:40 p.m. All five Breeders' Cup races will be televised by USA Network. Here's an analysis of each race: The pick: The Platinum Queen (#12) is…

When jockeys are in the starting gate, you often hear the starter tell them "Let's get tied on," which means they should be ready for the gate to spring open. For people who bet on horse races, the Breeders' Cup represents the greatest opportunity to "get tied on" in the entire year. Where else will you have two days of 14 world championship races,…

When jockeys are in the starting gate, you often hear the starter tell them "Let's get tied on," which means they should be ready for the gate to spring open. For people who bet on horse races, the Breeders' Cup represents the greatest opportunity to "get tied on" in the entire year. Where else will you have two days of 14 world championship races,…

When jockeys are in the starting gate, you often hear the starter tell them "Let's get tied on," which means they should be ready for the gate to spring open. For people who bet on horse races, the Breeders' Cup represents the greatest opportunity to "get tied on" in the entire year. Where else will you have two days of 14 world championship races,…

Let's see how sharp you are with your horse racing trivia. Who's the only trainer to win the Santa Anita Derby three consecutive years? If you said Bob Baffert or D. Wayne Lukas, those are good guesses but wrong. Jeff Mullins was the king of the Santa Anita Derby, the West Coast's top prep for the Kentucky Derby, from 2003-05, saddling Buddy Gil,…

The eyes of thoroughbred racing are on the final preparations for the more than 150 equine stars set to shine at Keeneland on Nov. 4-5 in the Breeders' Cup. Morning workouts are abuzz with horses across all 14 divisions as handicappers try to get one last edge and piece of knowledge for the betting bonanza. The free Breeders' Cup portal at XBTV…

Josh Rubinstein, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club president and chief operating officer, has a word to describe the first half of Del Mar's 83 summer thoroughbred racing season. "Phenomenal," said Rubinstein. "We'd love four more weeks of this." Everything from total daily handle to on-track attendance is up through 15 of the season's 31 days. Some…