Breeders' Cup

Oxbow's Preakness victory doesn't spoil anything

2013-05-18 21:42:00

BALTIMORE — Chances are, the horse racing public will get it wrong again. When Oxbow went wire-to-wire in Saturday's Preakness, again ruining a chance for a Triple Crown, it is likely to prompt hand-wringing among those who see it as the...

Orb trainer Shug McGaughey has Triple Crown reminders 'every day'

2013-05-15 16:35:00

BALTIMORE — Wednesday morning at Pimlico race track was similar to most mornings for Claude McGaughey III. Except there were lots of reporters around, which made it different. McGaughey is a thoroughbred horse trainer, currently the one in the...

Hollywood Park's ghost of a chance casts pall on Southland racing

2013-05-11 00:00:00

With its announcement Thursday, Hollywood Park did little to refute the theory that horse racing is a sport in need of hospice. They raced at the Inglewood track Friday, but it wasn't business as usual. Nor will it be the rest of this meeting and the...

As Kentucky Derby nears, these two already have won

2013-05-01 17:15:00

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As the Kentucky Derby approaches, consider Dennis O'Neill and Tom Knust as Twin Spires for racehorse Goldencents. The backstretch barns at Churchill Downs were celebrity central Wednesday morning, led by the current biggest...

Horse deaths are troubling to Bob Baffert

2013-05-02 17:25:00

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With nary a thought to Hamlet, trainer Bob Baffert is currently suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. In his current situation, and in a world where oft-misinformed social media stirs the rumor pot to a boil,...

John Shirreffs' move east is sad sign for Southern California racing

2013-04-19 17:45:00

John Shirreffs should not depart the Southern California thoroughbred racing scene without a salute. So cup your right hand to your forehead and read on. There will be no brass bands playing when Shirreffs leaves. That's partly because it will be...

Strategy will be the focus in Santa Anita Derby

2013-04-05 16:53:00

It will take less than 110 seconds to decide the winner of Saturday's $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, but if you pay attention to the bettors, they are almost certain to place their trust in the combination of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and two-time...

Doug O'Neill hopeful about Goldencents in Santa Anita Derby

2013-04-04 18:51:00

It was a year ago that trainer Doug O'Neill's fortunes began to turn, by a nose, at the Santa Anita Derby. He hopes to duplicate that magic this weekend. His horse, I'll Have Another, edged the favorite, Creative Cause, to win the Santa Anita Derby in...

Game On Dude puts on a big show in Big 'Cap

2013-03-02 20:28:00

A Ferrari made the rest of the field look like go-karts Saturday in the Santa Anita Handicap. As the 6-5 favorite, Game On Dude was expected to be impressive, but he went well beyond that. He was dazzling, awe-inspiring. For the crowd of 26,901 at the...

Breeders' Cup reverses policy on anti-bleeding medication

2013-03-01 13:34:00

Under pressure from trainers and owners who support the use of the diuretic furosemide to prevent bleeding in race horses, the Breeders’ Cup Board of Directors voted Friday to reverse a decision that would have banned the drug’s use for all...

In Santa Anita Handicap lore, Bobby Frankel lives on

2013-02-27 21:55:00

This is a column about two big deals in Southern California horse racing, the Santa Anita Handicap and Bobby Frankel. One will be run Saturday and the other is no longer with us. Neither will ever be forgettable. If it seems odd to talk about a live...

Midnight Lute produces three winners at Santa Anita this weekend

2013-02-18 00:00:00

If anything was learned at Santa Anita this weekend, it's that the $15,000 stud fee for Eclipse Award winner Midnight Lute needs to be raised. There were three horses from the first crop of foals by Midnight Lute that won Saturday and Sunday, all trained...

The field breaks from the starting gate in the Breeders' Cup Classic horse race in November.

2012-11-03 00:00:00