Press Releases

ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 24, 2010) – Alpha Kitten, the 17-10 favorite who hadn’t raced since winning the Grade II Santa Ynez Stakes 13 months before, simply couldn’t catch her more active stablemate, Emmy Darling, in Wednesday’s $49,000 Fair Margarita Purse at Santa Anita as trainer John Sadler saddled the first two finishers.

With Joel Rosario aboard, Emmy Darling sped to the lead early in the six-and-one-half-furlong event for fillies and mares and held Alpha Kitten and jockey Tyler Baze safe by 2 ½ lengths while running the distance in 1:15.36. It was one length back to third-place Zilla in the field of five.

Two months in front of the Kentucky Derby, and Mike Machowsky is sitting pretty. The 44-year-old trainer has two promising Triple Crown hopefuls in the unbeaten Caracortado and promising maiden winner Nextdoorneighbor, who runs in Saturday’s Grade III, $150,000 Sham Stakes, a major steppingstone to the Grade I, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 3.

Caracortado, who captured the Grade II Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Feb. 6 for his fifth victory, goes next in the Grade II, $150,000 San Felipe Stakes on March 13 against Kentucky Derby Future Book favorite Lookin At Lucky.

ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 19, 2010) – After running second in her debut, A Jealous Woman rolled to her fourth straight victory Friday while leading every step of the way in Santa Anita’s allowance feature, a $62,872 event for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

The 4-year-old California-bred filly raced through some rapid interior fractions with Joe Talamo in the saddle, but had ample in reserve to repel the closing bid of Welken and win by one-half length in 1:46.77.

“I had the feeling we were going quick,” commented Talamo, “but those fractions (22.94; 46.70; 1:10.52 and 1:34.45) were so easy, I still had so much horse at the finish.”