Santa Anita Oaks

In an event billed almost as a match race between California star fillies Kinza (Carpe Diem), a MGSW and 'TDN Rising Star' for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, and Kopion (Omaha Beach), a GSW for Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, it was Baffert's other entrant, Nothing Like You (f, 3, Malibu Moon--Miss Derek, by Brother Derek) who upended the GII Santa Anita Oaks in Arcadia and reported home an eased-up 7 1/2-length victress. Kinza was second, giving Baffert the exacta but suffering her first career loss, and last-out maiden winner...

It's come down to the last few preps. An outstanding field will meet Friday at Keeneland in the GI Ashland S. Four horses on our Top 10 list will take part in that race. At Aqueduct, they'll be vying for a spot in the field for the GI Kentucky Oaks in the GIII Gazelle S. At Santa Anita, fillies will contest the GII Santa Anita Oaks, but the horse expected to be he heavy favorite, Kinza (Carpe Diem), is trained by Bob Baffert and is therefore ineligible to run in...

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 $700,000 Keeneland September purchase settled between rivals just behind the pace which was set inside by GI Kentucky Oaks third The Alys Look (Connect) with outside pressure from Ancient Peace. The well-backed second favorite, The Alys Look began to back out of it with three-eighths of a mile to race, leaving...

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 $90,000 Fasig-Tipton July yearling turned $725,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic breezer was patiently handled down the backstretch before making a run towards the front on the turn. Dueling briefly with Clearly Unhinged (Into Mischief) into the stretch, Faiza...

Desert Dawn (Cupid) doesn't know where she was bred, and maybe that's a good thing. Horses bred in Arizona are not supposed to win the GI Kentucky Oaks. But this year one of the country's smallest breeding programs will have a chance to make some history. Desert Dawn was bred by and is owned by H and E Ranch Inc., a 400-acre spread in Globe, Arizona owned by the mother-daughter team of Elena and Hollie Crim. "This is what dreams are made of," Elena Crim said. "This is a real...

Karma, football, a wild longshot in the Santa Anita Oaks, and one of the industry's oldest farms striving to break new ground in new areas. Let's also not forget the big Twin Spired shadow looming over us. Here's how the controlled chaos went down this week. Defying the odds...again Taiba will be up against all sorts of historical norms by forging ahead to the Kentucky Derby off just two lifetime starts. Since 1937 (the advent of detailed start statistics), only four horses have ever even attempted the Derby in career...

While Saturday's GII Santa Anita Oaks seemed all but a procession for 13-length GIII Las Virgenes S. romper Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) in her first start since being transferred from Bob Baffert to Tim Yakteen, Desert Dawn (Cupid)--the longest shot in the field of five at higher than 14-1 odds--had other ideas. Desert Dawn broke well from the fence before tucking in to sit third as her seemingly much more formidable stablemate Ain't Easy (Into Mischief) set off to show the way with the imposing presence of Adare Manor looming...

Having her first start for trainer Tim Yakteen, Michael Lund Petersen's Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) tries to remain unbeaten around two turns as the prohibitive favorite in Saturday's GII Santa Anita Oaks at the Great Race Place. Second and fourth, respectively, in sprint maidens at this track on Halloween and at Del Mar the following month, the dark bay ran away from Micro Share (Upstart) by a dozen lengths when making her first start around two turns Jan. 7 and made light work of the GIII Las Virgenes S. last...

The GI Longines Kentucky Oaks will be overshadowed by the GI Kentucky Derby, but maybe that shouldn't be the case. The Oaks is absolutely loaded, perhaps the deepest in many years. In any other year, Secret Oath (Arrogate), Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), Kathleen O. (Upstart) or Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) would be an obvious heavy favorite. This year, a horse like the undefeated Kathleen O. might be third choice in the wagering at, say, 7-2 or 4-1. After a busy Saturday last week, which included Secret Oath's third-place finish against...

After the busiest weekend of the year for 3-year-old fillies eyeing the GI Kentucky Oaks, the field is pretty much set for the race. There were four preps over the weekend, which was a problem. There are not enough top horses to go around to fill that many races, so the fields were six, six, six and four. It looks like the Oaks will be highly competitive. There is no one standout. Instead, you will have a number of horses in with a chance and a favorite who should be...

Stepping up into graded company fresh off a debut maiden victory over six furlongs, SOOTHSAY (f, 3, Distorted Humor--Spellbound, by Bernardini) was given a tremendous ride by leading jockey Flavien Prat, met the late-stretch bid of favored Beautiful Gift (Medaglia d'Oro), and went on to a gutsy victory in Saturday's GII Santa Anita Oaks in Arcadia. While Beautiful Gift and Moraz (Empire Maker) took the bulk of the betting and battled up front in a rematch of the GIII Santa Ysabel S., Soothsay tracked those two from behind. The opening quarter...

After only a head separated Beautiful Gift (Medaglia d'Oro) and Moraz (Empire Maker) in a thrilling renewal of the GIII Santa Ysabel S. Mar. 7, the two sophomore fillies will meet again in Saturday's GII Santa Anita Oaks. The streaking Baoma Corp homebred Beautiful Gift, a half-sister to the Chu Family's GIII Sunland Derby hero and Bridlewood Farm sire Chitu (Henny Hughes), graduated by a half-length at second asking in her previous trip to the post for Bob Baffert Oct. 23. The rail-drawn Don Alberto homebred Moraz, an 11-length maiden...