Last week’s selection did not run as expected, although Margot’s Boy did wire the field as we predicted may be the case due to the lack of speed, we ended up not having anything to show for it because Distant Vista did not run second. Nevertheless the great thing about horse racing is there is […]
Read moreMillie: You have raced Honor A. P. from the start. What do you consider to be his best attributes as a Classic candidate? Mike: He’s extremely intelligent, he’s very good from the gate, very well balanced, he’s bred to go the mile and a quarter distance. As a matter of fact, with each one of […]
Read moreSanta Anita Park’s re-opening week kicked off with a bang last week as handle was up and fan interest seemed to be at a near all-time high. The Great Race Place will follow it up with four straight days, (Friday through Monday), of exciting racing action. After nearly cashing last Saturday in the third race, […]
Read moreRace1) Turf 5ô Furlongs|3lMd Sp Wt 50k|Purse: $50k #13 Duplicity 5-1 should she draw in will be uber tough. #1 Much More Halo 4-1 Just missed in last, only worrying thing is she loses her jock to the #7 Silardi for Miller, but go- to DVD signs on. #10 Bravo 20-1 will be running late […]
Read moreRace 1) Dirt 4ô Furlongs|2YODMd Sp Wt 50k|Purse: $50k #2 Teton Valley – Hails from the red hot Hanson barn, and is by terrific 20% debut sire Tapiture. Hoping he broke a tad sharper on May 2 work … but heres hoping he gets the jump on the O’Neill runners who will be right there […]
Read moreRacing is back at the Great Race Place and the first Saturday back of racing is a doozy with a great 10 race card and full fields to boot. For this weeks play I am going to head to the 3rd race, a 5 1/2 furlong Turf Sprint for Fillies and Mares, Three years old […]
Read moreMillie Ball caught up with trainer John Shirreffs to discuss getting Honor A.P. back to speed in time for the Santa Anita Derby, slated for June 6th. Millie: Mike Smith worked Honor A.P. seven-eighths of a mile in consecutive weeks. How did the most recent work compare to the one a week prior? John: I […]
Read moreBelow is my early Pick 5 ticket for the return of racing at Santa Anita Park on Friday! This economical ticket comes in at just $18. Good luck to all! Race 1 Rager (#3, 7-2) received a strange ride against a tough field at Oaklawn Park and now gets back to doing what he does […]
Read moreWhen the word ‘Great’ is used as an adjective to describe you, you’ve got to be better than the rest. Way better. ‘The Great One’ Wayne Gretzky didn’t just score goals. He created them, like works of art. Lots of ‘em, too. Nearly 900. More than anyone else, ever. Instead of blank canvases Gretzky used […]
Read moreIn light of the recent announcement that Wise Dan has been elected to the Hall of Fame, this seems a good time to revisit my list of the Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th and 21st Centuries to have raced in North America. Wise Dan is on the list. My Top 100, which is updated […]
Read moreSaturday night, I received an e-mail with the following headline: Breaking News…Baffert Sweeps Oaklawn 3-year-old Stakes! What’s next? Just In…Sun Set in the West! Film at 11. It should be breaking news only when Bob Baffert doesn’t train the winner of a 3-year-old graded stakes race at Oaklawn Park. The Hall-of-Fame trainer has been treating […]
Read moreAs a consequence of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, having fun these days has become quite a challenge. But trainer Bob Baffert is one person who did have some fun last Saturday. Watching on television at his Southern California home not far from Santa Anita, Baffert was understandably elated as to what happened in the two […]
Read moreBob Baffert no doubt hopes it goes better for him at Oaklawn Park this Saturday than it did in last year’s Rebel Stakes. When the 2019 Rebel attracted 19 entries, Oaklawn split the race into two divisions. Baffert sent out the odds-on favorite in each division. They both narrowly lost, causing their Hall of Fame […]
Read moreThe 2020 Kentucky Derby originally was scheduled to be held on May 2. But due to the insidious coronavirus that has wreaked havoc on millions of lives, this year’s Run for the Roses has been shifted to Sept. 5. The Arkansas Derby initially was to have been run on April 11. But after the May […]
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