Posts Tagged ‘2009 Breeder’s Cup’

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Santa Anita gets dirt again

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

After three years and two Breeders’ Cup events Frank Stronach says enough is enough.

Acting on a mandate by the CHRB that all tracks in California switch to a synthetic surface Santa Anita complied. But after struggling to keep the synthetic Pro-Ride surface race worthy the time has come for Santa Anita to revert back to a conventional dirt surface.

Imagine that.

To a round of applause, Stronach told a group of horsemen yesterday that he will install a dirt track that will be available for training beginning in December and ready to run on by December 26.

No doubt it’s a move born of frustration but it’s also a move that will ensure that Santa Anita will at least be able to compete for the chance to host the Breeders’ Cup again if not permanently.


I guess the idea of splitting the event between two tracks — one run on dirt at Churchill or Monmouth on the east coast or Santa Anita or Del Mar on the West Coast ‘carpet’ — didn’t get much thought.

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Baffert holds the lead and a grudge

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
Baffert talks with Jockey Joe Talamo before the first race

Baffert talks with Jockey Joe Talamo before the first race

If it weren’t for the fact that Bob Baffert is a hall of fame trainer that currently holds the lead in the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita he’d be a fool to make the claim “…if we don’t win the Breeders’ Cup, it’s all for naught.”

But since he holds a six race lead over John Sadler for top honors in the trainers standing and a painful memory of the 1999 Breeder’s Cup at Gulfstream.

That year was supposed to be his year. He had eight possible winners, three of which were favorite, in a year when all the Breeder’s Cup races were run on the same Saturday.

It’s been 10 years and Baffert is back with a vengeance towards the Cup. This year he has Always a Princess in the Juvenile Fillies on Friday. And, on Saturday, he runs Lookin at Lucky in the Juvenile, Zensational in the Sprint, and Richard’s Kid in the Classic.

In the Sprint, Zensational is the favorite and working really well for the race. A look at the Breeder’s Cup past performances shows Zensational is five for seven over the synthetic surfaces and looks tough.

In the Juvenile Fillies, Always a Princess will have Garrett Gomez riding and after a fast workout on Saturday looks to be primed but Baffert seems non-committal about her chances and hopes to draw a favorable post and for her sake let’s she gets it too.

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Mine That Bird classy in defeat

Monday, October 12th, 2009

After reading the comments by Chip Wooley, trainer of Mine That Bird, and watching the replay of the G1 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita contested on Saturday you get the feeling Chip Wooley wants another shot in the Classic.

The winner was the 3 Y.O. European invader Gitano Hernando with Kieran Fallon aboard. The horse had raced twice before on synthetic surfaces in England and got Lasix for his first run in America. In beating Colonel John, the winner earns an automatic berth in the Breeder’s Cup Classic if he chooses to return and run. The Goodwood is one of a series of “win and your in” races as part of the 2009 Breeders Cup Challenge races.

Mine That Bird finished ‘a game sixth’ while beating out Monzante and Informed for bottom three or four finishers. It appears that Wooley plans to chalk the Goodwood up to experience and a race under the belt of the ‘Bird’ after a ten week layoff. Interviewed after the race, Calvin Borel alluded to his perception of Mine That Bird’ affinity for the real dirt racing of Sunland Park or Churchill Downs but said he would be willing to give the Classic a try if the connections wanted to try the artificial Pro-Ride surface again.

Mine That Bird post parade of the Goodwood

Mine That Bird post parade of the Goodwood


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P. Val vs. CHRB

Thursday, October 8th, 2009
Patrick Valenzuela wants to dance with the CHRB.

Patrick Valenzuela wants to dance with the CHRB.

In a “stunning” announcement P. Val has decided to contest the ruling by the California Horse Racing Board which bans him from riding in California for the rest of his riding career.

It’s no wonder he wants to the chance to prove himself once again to the racing authorities in California. His family is there and the Breeder’s Cup is rapidly approaching.

Should Valenzuela successfully appeal his permanent suspension it probably won’t be before November 6 and 7, 2009 when Santa Anita hosts the Breeder’s Cup for the second year in a row.


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