John Sadler

Flagstaff (Speightstown) will be retired after the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar Nov. 6. Owned by Lane's End Racing and Hronis Racing, the 7-year-old campaigner has earned $1,107,585 with a seven wins and six seconds from 22 starts, finishing in the top three in six of seven starts this season. Victorious in the GI Churchill Downs S. and GIII Commonwealth S. earlier this spring, the gelding was second last out in the Oct. 2 GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship. "This is his last year," said trainer John Sadler....

Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) tuned up for a tilt at the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Classic with a six-furlong drill in 1:14.00 (4/6) at Santa Anita Saturday. "We were happy," trainer Doug O'Neill said of the work. "He cooled out good. If all goes well and he stays injury-free, we're two works away. He'll have one at Santa Anita and one at Del Mar." Third in the GI Kentucky Derby and second in the GI Belmont S., Hot Rod Charlie was disqualified from a first-place finish in the GI...

Grace Adler (Curlin) looks to take her record to three-for-three and provide Hall of Famer Bob Baffert with his 12th victory in Santa Anita's GII Chandelier S. Friday, a "Win and You're in Event" for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in November. A debut winner at Del Mar July 31, the $700,000 FTKSEL purchase already secured her spot in the gate for the World Championships with a dominant late-running score in the Sept. 5 GI Del Mar Debutante S., which she won by 11 1/4 lengths over Dance to...

Ask David Jerkens, Del Mar's racing secretary, what he considers a key ingredient to the success of the coastal venue's latest summer season, which wrapped Monday, and his answer is a testament to the early bird. "There was lots of enthusiasm--I could go way back to March, when my phone was ringing with questions regarding our 'Ship & Win' program," said Jerkens, of a particular bait, now into its 11th year, used to hook out-of-state runners. "I just felt that buzz around Del Mar earlier than normal." All told, the...

'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit), away since turning in one of the best debut performances of all time, a 13 1/4-length romp at Santa Anita Apr. 24 that earned him a 105 Beyer Speed Figure, showed that effort was far from a fluke Sunday as he demolished winners at Del Mar to remain unbeaten and completely untested. Reportedly given ample time so as not to react from his freakish first outing before then coming up with a foot abscess, the $1-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad had generated more buzz with his...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency HALF TO BOBBY'S KITTEN DEBUTS IN KY 2nd-KYD, $135K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:53 p.m. Joe Sharp unveils MISTHAVEN (IRE) (Candy Ride {Arg}) in this first baby race of this boutique meet. SF Bloodstock purchased Celestial Woods (Forestry) for $350,000 with this filly in utero at the 2018 FTKNOV sale. She is also the dam of GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner and millionaire Bobby's Kitten (Kitten's Joy) and MGSW Camelot Kitten (Kitten's Joy). TJCIS PPs PLETCHER UNVEILS PRICEY CLASSIC EMPIRE FILLY AT THE...

When Joe Bravo decided to leave New Jersey because of new regulations banning the use of the whip, his future was unclear. Bravo, 49, needed a place to ride, but leaving the comfortable confines of Monmouth Park might be difficult. He had been riding at the Jersey Shore track since the late eighties and has been leading rider there 13 times. But rather than struggling outside of the Garden State, Bravo is having a meet to remember at his new home, Del Mar. With a week to go in the...

Electric Ride (f, 2, Daredevil--Why Oh You, by Yes It's True) stormed home through the final furlong to earn 'TDN Rising Star' honors on her Del Mar unveiling Saturday afternoon. Sent off at odds of 23-5 beneath an in-form Joe Bravo, the Indiana-bred bay broke alertly and took up a pace-pressing position from second through an opening quarter-mile that was timed in :22.19. Appearing to have front-running Gritty Girl (Street Boss) when she wanted, Electric Ride poked her head in front at the five-sixteenths pole, was shoved on entering the...

C Z Rocket (City Zip) will be looking to earn another automatic berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint when he attempts to defend his title in the 'Win and You're In' GII Pat O'Brien S. at Del Mar Saturday night. The 7-year-old gelding has hit the board in all 10 starts--with seven wins--since being claimed for $40,000 last April. He earned his first graded score in last year's Pat O'Brien and followed up with a win in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. before concluding the year with...

Tiago Josue Pereira is no stranger to winning races with seven- or even eight-figure purses. In 2009, he partnered with Gloria de Campeao (Brz) (Impression {Arg}) for the very first time to cause a 24-1 upset in the $2-million G1 Singapore Airlines International Cup and less than a year later, guided the same galloper to a nose victory in the $10-million G1 Dubai World Cup. Roughly a 10% rider since relocating to the United States in 2014, Pereira had ridden seven graded stakes winners, a respectable achievement. The Brazilian, who...

Last year's GI Santa Anita H. victor Combatant (Scat Daddy--Border Dispute, by Boundary) has been retired and will stand at Rockridge Stud in Hudson, New York, beginning with the 2022 season. Campaigned by Hronis Racing, the 6-year-old was sold to Brian Levings of Levings Racing in a deal brokered by Matt Bowling of Bowling Bloodstock, Colt Pike and David Ingordo. "I've had fun on the racing side and decided to dip a toe in the stallion market," said Levings. "New York has a strong program and has shown that stallions...

A total of 15 horses--headed by Hronis Racing's GISW Rock Your World (Candy Ride)--have been nominated to Del Mar's GI TVG Pacific Classic Aug. 21, a 'Win and You're In' to the Breeders' Cup Classic. Winner of the GI Santa Anita Derby in April, the John Sadler trainee was initially being targeted for the Sept. 4 GII Del Mar Derby on the turf despite having won a Grade I on the dirt. In his two most recent starts, the striking dark bay finished 17th and sixth, respectively, in the GI...