Press Releases

March 23, 2013

SKY KINGDOM RULES IN GRADE III TOKYO CITY CUP, SON OF EMPIRE MAKER WINS MARATHON BY 3 ¾ LENGTHS

ARCADIA, Calif. (March 23, 2013)—In his third start off a 51-week freshening, Sky Kingdom, with Martin Garcia aboard, made short work of seven rivals in taking Saturday’s marathon Grade III, $100,000 Tokyo City Cup by 3 ¾ lengths, getting 1 ½ miles on the main track in 2:30.56.

With 25-1 shot Batti Man going to the front, Sky Kingdom, who is trained by Bob Baffert and who exited two consecutive races going a flat mile, sat a comfortable second and assumed command with a quarter mile to run.

“I was outside the speed today. I let my horse break on his own and just cruised around,” said Garcia. “He relaxed perfectly, and when I kicked in he just took off. My plan was to let somebody go to the lead and let my horse sit on the outside and stay comfortable, and that is exactly the way it went today.”

Off at 5-1, the 4-year-old Kentucky-bred colt by Empire Maker paid $12.20, $6.00 and $3.80.

“He looked great today,” said Baffert. “The only spot to run him was a mile and a half. I didn’t know if he could do it…it’s pretty exciting. You’re not sure how you’re going to do going in, but the horse ran so well. He really stepped it up today but he was training really well…It just worked out great, and he looked so beautiful in the paddock.

“…It was a perfect trip for him. He got everything his way. I’m happy for (winning owners) Westrock. This is my first stakes win for them.”

Owned by Arkansas-based Westrock Stables LLC, Sky Kingdom picked up $60,000 for the win and increased his bankroll to $233,730. With his first-ever graded stakes victory, Sky Kingdom’s record stands at 9-4-0-1.

Oilisblackgold, an improving 6-year-old gelding by Tapit who is trained by Craig Dollase, sat fifth past the half mile pole and finished second with Edwin Maldonado up, 4 ¼ lengths clear of Richard’s Kid and Tyler Baze.

We’re happy,” said Dollase. “We’re already making plans for November (in the Grade II Breeders’ Cup Marathon). We’re working backwards from there.”

Off at 5-1, Oilisblackgold paid $5.40 and $4.00.

SANTA ANITA JOCKEYS READY FOR "RACE WITHIN A RACE" ON SANTA ANITA DERBY DAY, APRIL 6

With the 19th annual Santa Anita Derby 5k Walk & Run set for Derby Day, Santa Anita jockeys Jose Beitia, Victor Espinoza, David Flores, Alex Bisono, Alberto Delgado, Agapito Delgadillo, Mario Gutierrez, Modesto Linares, Orando Mojica and Edwin Maldonado, demonstrate their readiness to help benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF).

No matter where they place overall, the first-place jockey will have $300.00 donated in his name to the PDJF, the second-place jock will have $150.00 donated and the third-place jockey will have $50.00 donated in his name.

March 22, 2013

TWO-DAY PICK SIX CARRYOVER OF $191,838 INTO SATURDAY, TOTAL POOL EXPECTED TO REACH $1.5 MILLION

ARCADIA, Calif. (March 22, 2013)—A parade of longshot winners on Friday paved the way for a two-day Pick Six carryover of $191,838, with the expectation of a total pool Saturday of more than $1.5 million.

With a carryover from Thursday of $43,178 priming the pari-mutuel pump, Friday’s total Pick Six pool was $321,471.

Although four consecutive longshots won races three through six, the carryover wasn’t a certainty until 3-5 favorite Saint Loup finished second, beaten a half length, in race seven at 1 ½ miles on turf.

GRADE II WINNER BLUESKIESNRAINBOWS CRUSHES FOES IN SANTA ANITA ALLOWANCE, HOLLENDORFER TRAINEE CRUISES TO 3 ¾ LENGTH ALLOWANCE WIN GOING ONE MILE

ARCADIA, Calif.

March 21, 2013

AMERICAN BLEND RALLIES WIDE FROM OFF PACE TO WIN THURSDAY’S $58,000 BALBOA PARK PURSE UNDER BEJARANO

PICK SIX CARRYOVER OF $43,178 INTO FRIDAY, FIRST POST AT 1 P.M.

ARCADIA, Calif.

SANTA ANITA TO SEND FIVE FINALISTS FOR ‘MS. RACING QUEEN’ TO COMPETE AGAINST FIVE FLORIDIANS FOR TOP PRIZE OF $100,000 THIS SUNDAY AT GULFSTREAM

ARCADIA, Calif. (March 21, 2013)—Game on!! A group of five finalists have been selected to represent the state of California in Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park’s “Ms. Racing Queen” competition, as the quintet will compete against five Floridians at Gulfstream on Sunday for a top prize of $100,000 with the runner-up to receive $50,000.

In a competition that began at Santa Anita in February with 50 contestants, Lindsay Becker, Chelsea MacDougall, Kelsey Moore, Samantha Brooks and Tatiana Schloeppler emerged victorious from this past Sunday’s competition.

MULTIPLE GRADE I WINNER LADY OF SHAMROCK READY TO ROLL IN SUNDAY’S GRADE II SANTA ANA STAKES, SADLER TRAINEE MAKES FIRST START SINCE BREEDERS’ CUP

ARCADIA, Calif. (March 21, 2013)—Lady of Shamrock, a multiple Grade I winner who has been idle since running a close fifth in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Nov. 2, heads a competitive field of six older fillies and mares entered in Sunday’s Grade II, $150,000 Santa Ana Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

A deep closer, Lady of Shamrock, who is trained by John Sadler and will be handled by her regular rider Mike Smith, will attempt to take advantage of what the connections hope is a lively early pace.

“She’s training well and she loves the course,” said Sadler on Thursday. “We gave her a little break after the Breeders’ Cup. We’ve got a long year and we’ve got the Breeders’ Cup back here in November, so we didn’t want to start her too early.”

The likely speed in the race is California-bred A Jealous Woman, a multiple stakes winner who ran a disappointing seventh in the Grade II Buena Vista Stakes on Feb. 18. Although she’s likely to make the early lead in the Santa Ana, A Jealous Woman could be pressed by Arizona shipper Smarty B, or by Irish-bred Quiet Oasis, who has been on the shelf since winning the Grade II Royal Heroine Mile on July 7 at Betfair Hollywood Park.

The complete field for the Grade II Santa Ana Stakes from the rail out is as follows:

LADY OF SHAMROCK

A back to back winner of the Grade I American and Del Mar Oaks’ this past summer, the 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Scat Daddy came within a nose of winning five stakes in 2012 and has three wins from four starts over the Santa Anita lawn.

Lady of Shamrock, who is owned by Hronis Racing LLC, has a steady series of turf drills for her return, but her most recent work came on the main track, a seven furlong move in 1:25.80 on March 17.

Idle since running fifth in the 1 ¼ miles turf Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, a race in which she had to wait for racing room a furlong out, Lady of Shamrock came running and lost by just 2 ½ lengths. If she gets a lively pace to run at, she should be very tough on Sunday. With a record of 11-6-1-1, she has earnings of $705,400.

HRTV'S "FACEBOOK" PAGE REACHES 100,000 FANS

Celebratory Offer to Fans Includes Two Free Months of HRTV.com

Arcadia, CA, March 21 -- HRTV (R), The Network for Horse Sports, recently reached a significant milestone in the social media realm when its Facebook page welcomed its 100,000th fan.

With a goal of expanding awareness about HRTV and its website, www.HRTV.com, HRTV's all-inclusive Facebook page offers a unique blend of information that caters to all horse enthusiasts, encompassing horseracing, as well as English and Western equestrian disciplines.

HRTV's continual daily updates and postings are desi

March 20, 2013

MULTIPLE STAKES WINNER DHAAMER & BREEDERS’ CUP CHAMP, 10-YEAR-OLD CALIDOSCOPIO HEAD SATURDAY’S GRADE III, $100,000 TOKYO CITY CUP AT 1 ½ MILES

ARCADIA, Calif. (March 20, 2013)—Idle since running second, beaten a neck, in the Grade II Del Mar Handicap going 1 3/8 miles on turf Aug. 25, multiple stakes winning Dhaamer joins 10-year-old Argentine-bred Calidoscopio, idle since winning the Grade II Breeders’ Cup Marathon on Nov. 2, atop a field of eight veterans set to contest Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 Tokyo City Cup at 1 ½ miles on the main track.

Although four out of his five lifetime wins have been on turf, Dhaamer, a 6-year-old Irish-bred gelding trained by Mike Mitchell, was second, beaten a neck, in last year’s Tokyo City, which was his U.S. debut.

A winner of the Grade III Sunset Handicap going 1 ½ miles on turf July 15 at Betfair Hollywood Park, Dhaamer will be making only his second career start on dirt this Saturday.

Calidoscopio shocked the racing world by winning the 1 ¾ miles Breeders’ Cup Marathon at odds of 17-1 in his U.S. debut. Twenty lengths off the pace after six furlongs, Aaron Gryder orchestrated a last-to-first run that resulted in a Beyer Speed figure of 99 and Calidoscopio’s third win from four starts last year.

The complete field, from the rail out for Saturday’s Grade III Tokyo City Cup is as follows: