Santa Anita 2019

[katmandu]

We've had many horses over the years that we would not run on a sealed/muddy track. It's not uncommon that horses have small niggling things that are managed by being careful about the track conditions when they are raced or trained. I'm doubting this Lym guy knows much about training or managing race horses; he pretty much confirms it here. I have a bum leg that makes it unsafe for me to run on concrete or any hard surface, and I'm not stupid enough to conclude that means running on hard surfaces is unsafe. Attitudes like this have no place in the racing office - period - full stop! You go, Shelbe!!!

Shelbe Ruis, Santa Anita at Odds Over Wet-Track Scratch

... "The track isn't unsafe just because it's muddy. Tracks are muddy all around the country. It can be unsafe if there's ruts. It can be unsafe if there's holes. ... The bottom line is, and I don't understand out here—I struggle with this. We float tracks all around America when it rains. You don't have to run, but some horses actually like to run in the mud. Some horses run better in the mud.

More: https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing ... ck-scratch

Spin control on the word, "unsafe". Anybody with horses would understand it's not OK for MY horse.

[Sparrow Castle]

https://twitter.com/ShelbeRuis/status/1 ... 9718253569

Of course she's going to try to patch things up with him. He controls the number of stalls she gets. His apology is included in the article, which was written after this Tweet.

A day later Shelbe Ruis deleted the tweet, but said she largely stood by her comments, with some exceptions. She said Lym apologized to her Sunday and she is hopeful they can move forward. She also said she "did not mean to say that Santa Anita does not care about horse safety."

"I stand by what I said, because that's how I feel," Shelbe Ruis said. "Intimidation is the same as harassment, and I don't appreciate being bullied. He called me and apologized, and I appreciate that. I don't want to sound like I'm crying about it. I'm just trying to stand up for myself."

[Mylute]

https://twitter.com/ShelbeRuis/status/1 ... 9718253569

Of course she's going to try to patch things up with him. He controls the number of stalls she gets. His apology is included in the article, which was written after this Tweet.

A day later Shelbe Ruis deleted the tweet, but said she largely stood by her comments, with some exceptions. She said Lym apologized to her Sunday and she is hopeful they can move forward. She also said she "did not mean to say that Santa Anita does not care about horse safety."

"I stand by what I said, because that's how I feel," Shelbe Ruis said. "Intimidation is the same as harassment, and I don't appreciate being bullied. He called me and apologized, and I appreciate that. I don't want to sound like I'm crying about it. I'm just trying to stand up for myself."

I personally don't equate intimidation to full-on harassment but other than that, yeah.

[Sparrow Castle]

Jeremy Balan Verified account@BH_JBalan
5m5 minutes ago
For those asking why the Baffle Stakes isn't on the Saturday overnight, Santa Anita racing secretary Steve Lym said the race didn't fill. Only had three horses.

[stark]

Leading trainer @DougONeill1 has 19 wins at the meet and is 16-for-75 (21%) in sprints & 3-for-35 (9%) in routes.
Conversely, Jerry Hollendorfer has 11 wins at the meet and is 8-for-30 in routes (27%) & 3-for-36 (8%) in sprints.

So far this meet, the highest percentage jockey with favorites winning is Mike Smith (8-for-15, 53%)
while the highest percentage trainer with favorites winning is Keith Desormeaux (3-for-4, 75%).

(thanks Tom Quigley)

[stark]

G2 Santa Monica 7F $200,000 today

1 Paradise Woods (KY) 5/M L J Rosario 120 J A Shirreffs 7/2 N/A
2 Selcourt (KY) 5/M L J Talamo 120J W Sadler 3/1 N/A
3 Marley's Freedom (KY) 5/ML D Van Dyke 124 B Baffert 2/1 N/A
4 Dream Tree (KY) 4/F L M E Smith 124 B Baffert 4/1 N/A
5 Mopotism (KY) 5/ML M Gutierrez 120 D F O'Neill 12/1 N/A
6 Escape Clause (MB) 5/M L T Baze 122 D Schnell 6/1 N/A
7 Amuse (KY) 4/F R Bejarano 120 R E Mandella 12/1 N/A

[Curtis]

G2 Santa Monica 7F $200,000 today

1 Paradise Woods (KY) 5/M L J Rosario 120 J A Shirreffs 7/2 N/A
2 Selcourt (KY) 5/M L J Talamo 120J W Sadler 3/1 N/A
3 Marley's Freedom (KY) 5/ML D Van Dyke 124 B Baffert 2/1 N/A
4 Dream Tree (KY) 4/F L M E Smith 124 B Baffert 4/1 N/A
5 Mopotism (KY) 5/ML M Gutierrez 120 D F O'Neill 12/1 N/A
6 Escape Clause (MB) 5/M L T Baze 122 D Schnell 6/1 N/A
7 Amuse (KY) 4/F R Bejarano 120 R E Mandella 12/1 N/A

G1 quality field and it wasn’t that long ago that the Santa Monica was a G1.

[BaroqueAgain1]

Marley’s Freedom Smokes Santa Monica Rivals
Cicero Farms' Marley's Freedom scored her eighth career win in 15 starts Saturday at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., tracking pacesetter Selcourt under Drayden Van Dyke, then taking command in deep stretch to win the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes geared down by 1 1/4 lengths. Mopotism finished third, with Escape Clause fourth and Paradise Woods last in the field of five after scratches of Dream Tree and Amuse.
Read more: https://www.paulickreport.com/news/thor ... ca-rivals/

Not a very good race from Paradise Woods. I know this was her first race since July, but still.....

[stark]

Bugler Jay Cohen suffering from Bell's Palsy
https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-ja ... story.html

[Spahny]

Cal Cup is worth checking out today to see if Galilean can continue following the script. Unclo Mo - Fresia by Sadlers Wells. Fresia was 0-10 in her race career.

Post is 2:04

[stark]

Cal Cup is worth checking out today to see if Galilean can continue following the script. Unclo Mo - Fresia by Sadlers Wells. Fresia was 0-10 in her race career.

Post is 2:04

Track handicapper Jeff Siegel sums it up well....

Forecast: Galilean is 2/5 on the morning line and looks it on paper in the California Cup Derby, the race that launched California Chrome’s Triple Crown run in 2014. Fresh from a nine-length romp in the King Glorious Stakes at Los Alamitos in December and training extremely well since, the Hollendorfer-trained colt completely outclasses this field. He’s a no-value, rolling exotic free bingo space.

[Spahny]

Cal Cup is worth checking out today to see if Galilean can continue following the script. Unclo Mo - Fresia by Sadlers Wells. Fresia was 0-10 in her race career.

Post is 2:04

Track handicapper Jeff Siegel sums it up well....

Forecast: Galilean is 2/5 on the morning line and looks it on paper in the California Cup Derby, the race that launched California Chrome’s Triple Crown run in 2014. Fresh from a nine-length romp in the King Glorious Stakes at Los Alamitos in December and training extremely well since, the Hollendorfer-trained colt completely outclasses this field. He’s a no-value, rolling exotic free bingo space.

Because the San Felipe is less than 3 weeks from the Cal Cup this year it seems a stretch to think Galilean would show up next in that spot. I guess I am assuming he will draw off and win impressively today but I would agree with Mr. Siegel on the odds for that to be the case.

If all goes well today maybe the Dorfer will ship Galilean to Arkansas for the Rebel a week later and then the Ark Derby? He does have Instagrand penciled in for the San Felipe, too. He is going to keep those two separated until and if (Fairly big if) they were to run in the Kentucky Derby. And Baffert will likely run Game Winner in the San Felipe as well.

Hollendorfer has 2 very nice 3yo colts even if they don't run in the Kentucky Derby. It's so easy to get carried away with young talent this time of year.

I think I would rather see Rosario on Instagrand than Draydon Van Dyke. But I assume Van Dyke still has the mount on Instagrand. Van Dyke has a little of Tyler Base syndrome. Watch out when he is on a role but otherwise...

[stark]

The show plunger got down early, $93,000 of the total $95,000 in the show pool is on Galilean who is 1/9 with about 12 minutes to post.

[stark]

The show plunger got down early, $93,000 of the total $95,000 in the show pool is on Galilean who is 1/9 with about 12 minutes to post.

Wound up with about $300,00 in the show pool.
Took command of the race on the turn, Frank says "you'll need a telescope to spot the rest of the field"

[Mylute]

Galilean took the Derby.

[Sparrow Castle]

Santa Anita: Track to close for training late Monday and Tuesday for inspection

Santa Anita officials announced on Sunday afternoon that there will be no training on the main track on Monday after 9 a.m. and none on Tuesday to allow officials to inspect the base.

Tim Ritvo, the chief operating officer at Santa Anita, described the inspection as a "precaution." He said the inspection will focus on ensuring the base has retained its integrity despite recent rains, which have been above normal.

Initially, officials said the track would not be open at all on Monday, but relaxed that position after an outcry from trainers who had planned workouts. Instagrand, the undefeated 3-year-old who is a candidate for the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 9, is scheduled to work on Monday morning.

More: http://live.drf.com/nuggets/47160-santa ... inspection

[Sparrow Castle]

Jeremy Balan Verified account@BH_JBalan
29m29 minutes ago
Here are the fatality numbers for Santa Anita's current meet, which began Dec. 26. There are some others related to colic not included, since we're focused on the surfaces.

Racing: 6 dirt, 5 turf
Training: 7 dirt (all main track, 1 a "sudden death" not related to an injury)

Jeremy Balan Verified account@BH_JBalan
13 minutes ago
For context, these are the fatality numbers for the last 3 years (full year listed, even though the season technically begins Dec. 26 of the previous year)

2018
Racing: 3 dirt, 3 turf
Training: 4

2017
Racing: 4 dirt, 2 turf
Training: 2

2016
Racing: 4 dirt, 2 turf
Training: 8

The Twitter thread:
https://twitter.com/BH_JBalan/status/10 ... 5652239360

[Flanders]

Another broke down today they just haven't released the name yet or if the horse was euthanized.

[Sparrow Castle]

Instagrand joins top Derby contenders on tab

...
Castellano arrived Sunday night from Florida and was up early for works, but the drill with Instagrand was delayed owing to a catastrophic injury that occurred moments before he was scheduled to break off for his work. After the stricken horse, later identified as the maiden Charmer John, was removed via horse ambulance, Instagrand went about his business and covered seven furlongs in 1:26.60.

Up in the stands, a quiet descended as Charmer John – who, according to Dr. Tim Grande of the California Horse Board, later was euthanized – was taken away. After Instagrand worked safely, his trainer, Jerry Hollendorfer, said of the recent rash of injuries – which included his top-class Battle of Midway – “You know, this is very disturbing.”

Instagrand, one of 120 horses to record timed works on the main track Monday, worked by himself. Hollendorfer said he “went fine.”

More: https://classic.drf.com/news/instagrand ... nable=true

[Mylute]

I'm not Hollendorfer, but if I were in that position I would not have worked Instragrand.