Santa Anita

Gun Runner's Howin Graduates on Debut at Santa Anita

6th-Santa Anita, $55,500, Msw, 10-12, 2yo, f, 1m, 1:40.10, ft, 3 3/4 lengths. HOWIN (f, 2, Gun Runner--Flora Dora {MSW & GISP, $607,152}, by First Dude), a $550,000 Keeneland September yearling, graduated on debut Saturday against three other fillies who also brought $500,000 or better at various sales. Favored at 6-5, the chestnut broke sharply and had a shot to set the pace, but backed off to let Watershed Moment (Omaha Beach) and Boujee Beach (Global Campaign) take the honors instead. Howin stayed in touch with the first two through...

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Che Evasora Back on Work Tab Following Zenyatta Misfire

Che Evasora (Arg) (Greenspring), who earned an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff with her win in the May 1 G1 Gran Premio Criadores, returned to the work tab Saturday at Santa Anita, going four furlongs in :50.60 (61/79) Saturday in Arcadia. The 6-year-old mare remains under consideration for championship weekend despite being eased while making her U.S. debut in the GII Zenyatta Stakes Sept. 29. "She went good. It was her first breeze back and I just wanted to give her something easy," said trainer Phil D'Amato....

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Sunday Insights: Last Foal Out Of Winter Memories Debuts For Phillips Racing

4th-KEE, 100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 2:36 p.m. WINTER'S LEGACY (Mendelssohn), the last foal out of MGISW Winter Memories, arrives to the races Sunday for owner/breeder Phillips Racing Partnership and trainer James Toner. Winter Memories, who passed in 2023, took both the GI Diana Stakes and the GI Garden City Stakes during her racing career before retiring with earnings of over $1.2m. As a broodmare, she produced eight foals of which seven have made the races and three are winners led by MSW/MGSP Winter Sunset (Tapit) and GISP Seasons...

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Saturday Insights: $1.2m Into Mischief Filly Leads Saturday Action

7th-KEE, 100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 4:12 p.m. A pair of fillies by Into Mischief break side by side Saturday on debut led by the $1.2m KEESEP purchase PRINCESS ALIYAH for BC Stables, LLC, Morplay Racing LLC and Joey Platts. Sire power aside, the filly is a half to both GISW Eskimo Kisses (To Honor and Serve) and GISP Silver Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}), all out of Silver Colors who is a daughter GI Kentucky Derby winner and champion 3-year-old filly Winning Colors. D. Wayne Lukas, who notably trained Winning...

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Nysos, Eagles Flight Back on Santa Anita Worktab

Unbeaten 3-year-old 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist), sidelined since winning the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes in February at Santa Anita, and the royally bred 2-year-old 'TDN Rising Star' Eagles Flight (Curlin), each returned to the worktab Thursday at Santa Anita. Also working towards a comeback in Arcadia was last year's GI Del Mar Debutante Stakes winner 'TDN Rising Star' Tamara (Bolt d'Oro). Nysos, trained by Bob Baffert, worked four furlongs with company in :47.60 (6/23). "He went nice," Baffert told Daily Racing Form. "I was happy with him." Work...

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Iron Man Cal Gives Collected the Santa Anita Graded Double

Iron Man Cal, the 6-5 favorite, came up a hair short in a three-way photo finish to the GIII Zuma Beach Stakes, but was awarded the victory by the stewards after first-place finisher Artislas was disqualified and placed third. The result gave owners Little Red Feather Racing and Madaket Stable--as well as sire Collected and breeder Brereton Jones--a sweep of the Sunday graded races at Santa Anita after Thought Process (Collected) captured the GIII Surfer Girl Stakes earlier on the card. Iron Man Cal sat just off pacesetting longshot Ivan...

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Thought Process Headed to Breeders' Cup After Surfer Girl Win

Thought Process turned over a new leaf since switching to a mile on the grass and the Madaket Stables, Little Red Feather Racing and the Estate of Brereton C. Jones runner underscored the point with an emphatic victory in Sunday's GIII Surfer Girl Stakes at Santa Anita. Breaking sharply, the 1-5 favorite soon went to the front, leading the way through a :23.17 quarter mile. Still moving confidently through a :47.69 half, the chestnut cut the corner with authority, drew clear down the lane and crossed the wire an eye-catching...

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Mawu Turns And Burns On Debut At The Great Race Place

3rd-Santa Anita, $55,000, Msw, 10-6, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.41, ft, 3 1/4 lengths. MAWU (f, 2, Blame--Soul Singer, by Flatter), jotted down as a 'TDN Insight' horse for Sunday, debuted as the 5-2 second choice here. The filly went at it from the bell with stablemate and favorite Cash Call (McKinzie). Gaining the advantage up the backstretch, Mawu kept finding around the far turn and entering the lane the race was hers for the taking as she won by 3 1/4 lengths over Aunt Mo (Uncle Mo). Rose A (Hard Spun),...

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Breeders' Cup Possible for D'Amato Duo

Trainer Phil D'Amato reported One Magic Philly (Good Magic) and Hang the Moon (Uncle Mo) were doing well after their graded stakes victories Saturday at Santa Anita and both fillies are under consideration for Breeders' Cup engagements. Hang the Moon earned a fees-paid berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf with her upset win in Saturday's GII Rodeo Drive Stakes. "She paid her way [to the Breeders' Cup]. If she continues to train well, that's where we'll go," D'Amato said Sunday morning. One Magic Philly won her...

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The Week in Review: East Avenue Tops Bumper Crop of Juveniles

Expectations were high for the three Grade I preps for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile run Saturday as the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, the GI Champagne Stakes and the GI American Pharoah Stakes all included horses who seemed to have vast potential. And most came through. Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie) was the star performer in the Champagne, staying undefeated and adding a second Grade I to win to his resume. In the American Pharoah it all came down, as it so often does, to which Bob Baffert would win, and the...

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Good Magic's One Magic Philly Bests Heavy Favorite Sweet Azteca in GIII Chillingworth

One Magic Philly came into Saturday's GIII Chillingworth Stakes having displayed marked improvement with each of her last three races and her return to Santa Anita gave her yet another notch in her belt after she crossed the wire on top in the 6 1/2-furlong test, earning her first taste of black-type in the process. Quickly up to press heavy favorite Sweet Azteca (Sharp Azteca), winner of the GI Beholder Mile last March, the 7-2 chance continued to put the screws to the favorite through :21.76 and :44.10 splits. Inching...

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Into Mischief's Citizen Bull Stamps Ticket to Breeders' Cup in American Pharoah

On a weekend of stellar 2-year-old racing with a plethora of Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' berths on the line, Citizen Bull (c, 2, Into Mischief--No Joke, by Distorted Humor) closed out Saturday's graded action with victory in the GI American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita. He earned a fees-paid entry to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and gave his trainer, Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, a 13th win in the American Pharoah, which had previously been branded both the Frontrunner Stakes and Norfolk Stakes at different times. Winning...

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