Wandering Eyes

Danny Shum Chap-shing heads to Sha Tin on Saturday with Charity Go in a last-ditch effort to get a golden ticket to the Hong Kong Derby.The four-year-old has shown glimpses of brilliance in his short time in Hong Kong this season, but fell flat in last month’s Classic Mile, raising question marks about his form.The Irish import bounced back two weeks later however, running a strong third behind the highly rated Enrichment, where he set the pace in a fast-run race.With a rating of 86, Shum knows… View the full article

Santa Anita Park will open up its main track for training Feb. 28 and will also race in the afternoon as scheduled, after two days of evaluation and maintenance because of an increased number of equine fatalities at the Southern California racetrack. View the full article

The daughter of Cross Traffic will return to the races for the first time since her decisive win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies as the 2-5 morning-line favorite. View the full article

At 6, Quijote seems well-positioned to earn the first graded stakes win of his career March 2 when the Florida-bred faces an expected seven rivals in the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes (G3). View the full article

Debt wins first barrier trial, ready to return View the full article

Switch to Van der Merwe for King Louis ride View the full article

At 6-years-old, Quijote seems well-positioned to earn the first graded stakes win of his career March 2 when the Florida-bred faces an expected seven rivals in the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes (G3). View the full article

At the time of filing this story, Santa Anita management hadn’t made a decision about re-opening the track for training Thursday morning. Racetrack surface expert, Mick Peterson, who had flown Wednesday morning from Kentucky to Los Angeles, was still performing his own evaluation of the dirt surface. The track was originally scheduled to re-open Wednesday morning, but track management decided to keep it closed another morning in order to perform further “soil analysis,” and to allow Peterson, director of the University of Kentucky’s Ag Equine Program, time to test the surface consistency using a ground penetrating radar. This maintenance is being conducted to help determine a possible cause for the 19 horses who have been fatally injured at Santa Anita since Dec. 26–six on the dirt during racing, five on the turf during racing and another eight during morning training. The overall total is higher than in comparable periods over the last three years. Santa Anita’s dirt track–which consists of a hard base, the pad and the cushion–has been closed for training since 9 a.m. Monday morning. Since then, track superintendent Andy LaRocco and his crew reportedly peeled back about five inches of the track’s pad and cushion to examine the base. Peterson told the TDN Tuesday that the work LaRocco and his crew conducted the past few days falls into two main categories. The first was to conduct a visual inspection of the surface and the base. The second, Peterson said, consisted of thoroughly mixing the sand, clay and silt that make up the track surface. Because of the 11 1/2 inches of rain that Santa Anita has recently taken, Peterson said that the finer particles of silt and clay could have washed to the inside of the track, leaving the larger, coarser particles of sand accumulated nearer the outside of the track. As part of a broader maintenance program at Santa Anita, the surface moisture content is routinely monitored, said Peterson, and samples of the track are taken monthly and sent for analysis at a laboratory in Kentucky. The samples are tested to determine the exact combination of sand, silt and clay. As for how the samples are taken, there are two main protocols. Ordinarily, four samples are taken at the quarter poles. After periods of rain, a much broader set of samples are taken, to better understand the track consistency both near the rail and further out. The first broader set of samples taken of the Santa Anita track since the rains are currently at the laboratory in Kentucky, where they’re undergoing a particle size analysis, and a bulk density measurement, “to make sure [the cushion will] set up on the pad correctly,” said Peterson. The results are expected back Thursday. While the greatest attention has been squared on the racetrack’s surfaces, experts stress the multi-factorial nature of the possible causes behind any individual catastrophic injury. Evidence has shown that 85% to 90% of all musculoskeletal- related fatalities have pre-existing pathology at the site of the injury, while certain other risk-factors, like the age of the horse, whether it raced at two, and the distance of the race, can all have a bearing on race-day fatalities. What’s more, racetrack fatality numbers also include those from sudden cardiac death, the cause of one training fatality at Santa Anita this winter. In light of the rash of mainstream coverage the fatalities have garnered–including a segment on NBC News–a number of the more prominent trainers were cagey about voicing publicly their thoughts on the issue, but discussed on background Wednesday morning how it has affected their businesses. “I’ve got 10 horses coming in soon,” said one Grade I-winning trainer, who wished to remain anonymous. The trainer displayed a long list of text messages from people, some of them clients, concerned about events at the track. “I’ve [owners] who have invested millions in horses.” Trainer Leonard Powell sent an e-mail to his owners Tuesday evening in which he wrote, “since the first time they sealed it, I’ve had reservations about the main track and we have been using it only extremely cautiously. I don’t think that the track surface is the only reason for that many injuries, but it is definitely a contributing factor. Santa Anita is sparing no expense at finding the reasons for the streak of horses getting hurt. Please be assured that I will only use the tracks in which I’m 100% confident will not put our horses in harm’s way.” Powell told the TDN that he wrote the e-mail to his owners to try to dispel and to clarify some of the rumors circulating. “When an owner sends a horse [into training], it’s like sending a kid to camp,” Powell said. “You like to hear first-hand, who you have your child with, that it’s being taken care of.” Last month, the Powell-trained Like Really Smart fatally broke down on the dirt during a race. Powell has a horse entered on the turf on Friday. Despite the five horses catastrophically injured on the turf these past two months, Powell said he isn’t concerned about the condition of the turf course, he said, because he uses the main course judiciously during morning training. “A lot of the breakdowns on the turf are because of training too much on the main track of a morning,” he said. “Horses accumulate micro-fractures every time they gallop and work, which can transcend to fatal injuries once they race, whether it’s dirt of turf.” All the horses fatally injured at Santa Anita this winter underwent, or will undergo, a standard necropsy. CHRB equine medical director told the TDN Monday that about one-third of the necropsies have been completed, and that the necropsy process can take up to 12 weeks to complete, “depending on the circumstances.” Arthur explained Tuesday that “a few” of the catastrophic injuries were “surprising,” in that the fractures were “atypical.” Though Arthur was unwilling to add any further information on those horses with “surprising” fractures, including specific numbers of horses, he said that “in instances of unusual fracture configurations,” he can request “special necropsy examinations” on a case-by-case basis. “Most fractures occur in fairly predictable locations in fairly predictable configurations,” he said. “We’re interested, also for research purposes, in specific legions, like we see in sesamoid fractures that we think are predisposing injuries not readily amenable to current diagnostic techniques.” On Wednesday, Arthur further clarified the CHRB’s fatality review program. When a necropsy report is completed, a state veterinarian will interview the trainer of the catastrophically injured horse–sometimes with a safety steward present–and ask them a series of questions, to find out if the horse had any prior medical problems, for example, or if any diagnostic procedures had been performed within the last 60-90 days. The veterinarian will also explain the findings of the necropsy with the trainer. The program is voluntary–there’s no state law mandating trainer participation. A proposed regulation mandating participation in a postmortem examination review program was introduced a number of years ago. The proposal failed to pass into law. Arthur said, however, that most trainers willingly partake in the current voluntary program. “We are still working through the protocols and trying different protocols to get the type of information we need,” Arthur said of the program. “When you talk to trainers about fatalities, there’s a natural defensiveness. There’s an emotional aspect that we want to try to get around, so we’re trying to make it collegial and educational and informative. We’re not trying to accuse anybody of anything.” Practicing racetrack veterinarians are also required to routinely submit veterinarian reports to the CHRB, detailing any treatments given to individual horses. The report isn’t designed to keep a comprehensive list of all veterinary procedures performed on a horse, said Arthur. It is a treatment report, not a medical record, he added. Diagnostic procedures like X-rays don’t have to be listed. What’s more, the reports aren’t in an electronic format that can be organized in a quick and easily accessible manner, said Arthur. “CHRB and private veterinarians have been cooperating with The Jockey Club on an electronic system which would be searchable,” Arthur said. That effort is “ongoing,” he said. The ad hoc committee has been finalized, and will comprise Peterson, Hall of Fame retired jockey Alex Solis, now a CHRB commissioner, P.J. Campo, executive vice president, Racing Division, for The Stronach Group, California Thoroughbred Trainer president Jim Cassidy, jockey Aaron Gryder, and exercise rider Humberto Gomez, who exercised the Triple-Crown winning Justify. According to Solis, the committee could also include state veterinarian Tim Grande. Solis said that the committee will hold its first meeting this Thursday, and after that, the committee could convene every Thursday until the end of the meet. View the full article

The daughter of Cross Traffic will return to the races for the first time since her decisive win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies as the 2-5 morning-line favorite in the $200,000 Davona Dale Stakes (G2), a one-mile test for 3-year-old fillies. View the full article

After Tuesday’s announcement from France Galop that the equine influenza outbreak in Lamorlaye, France had spread to a second yard, trainer Julien Phelippon confirmed on Twitter that his yard was the one affected on Wednesday morning. “My yard is Lamorlaye’s second flu outbreak, Phelippon tweeted. “The two positive horses are in solitary confinement. The rest of my string is under close monitoring, going out in the afternoon to avoid crossing other lots. My two starters at Lyon, although healthy, will be non-starters as a precaution. I will not rest until the situation is fully resolved. Thanks to my employees, my BMC veterinary team and to France Galop for their efficiency and valuable help.” View the full article

Bet from a morning line of 10-1 into 9-2 for a rained-off maiden at Gulfstream Wednesday afternoon, Calumet Farm homebred VINCA (f, 3, Oxbow-Elusive Diva, by Elusive Quality) was kicked straight into the lead by Tyler Gaffalione, got a fairly easy time of it up front and coasted through the final eighth of a mile to graduate by the better part of a half-dozen lengths. Brad Kelley’s team acquired three-time graded winner and GI La Brea S. third Elusive Diva for $75,000 in foal to Algorithms at Keeneland November in 2013 and the mare’s value has skyrocketed since, given the exploits of her half-brother Roy H (More Than Ready), who landed a second consecutie GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint last November and just last month became the first horse since Housebuster to be named Eclipse champion sprinter in consecutive years. Elusive Diva is the dam of 2-year-old filly Spicy Legacy (English Channel) and was most recently bred to Mr Z. Libbyris, the filly Elusive Diva was carrying at the time of her purchase, was a $210,000 buyback in foal to More Than Ready at last year’s Keeneland November sale. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Mike Maker. View the full article

A trip to Royal Ascot remains among the options this season for GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). While a crack at the G1 Coronation S. has not been confirmed, trainer Chad Brown has given Ascot officials indications the filly could make the journey. But although hopeful of a positive outcome, Ascot’s head of communications and international racing Nick Smith is aware connections have various targets to consider. “I saw Chad a couple of weeks ago in his yard in Florida, and she certainly has Royal Ascot as a strong option,” said Smith of the ‘TDN Rising Star’. “He’s not known for travelling his horses, but this is certainly one he could do it with. He’s planning to run her on [GI] Kentucky Oaks day [May 3], which is a much later start than would normally be the case. It’s not signed and sealed by any means, but the horse is actively being trained to go. The fact he was even talking about it after she won was a boost. He just wants to do it with the right horse, not take risks with them. They’ve launched a new turf series after the Triple Crown, and his initial reaction to that was that it was a positive development, but they’d be looking at it after Ascot–at this stage.” View the full article

Jockeys in France will not be permitted to strike their mount more than five times in a race beginning Mar. 1, after the Jurisdictional Council of France Galop reduced the permitted number of strokes from six to five, France Galop announced on Wednesday. French stewards are allowed to use their discretion and not discipline jockeys for utilizing a sixth strike until after Mar. 14. In a further rules change, jockeys are also not permitted to raise their elbow above the plane of the shoulders when using their whip. For a first-time whipping infraction, jockeys are fined €75, with the penalties growing more severe from there for repeated infractions. “To put this in context, even before we came down from eight to six strikes, there was a feeling among the various international bodies that meet regularly that the aim should be a limit of five,” a spokesman for the stewards’ panel told Racing Post. “In full consultation with the Association of Jockeys, we decided together that we would like France to be a leader on this issue and with that aim, and with their agreement, we are now coming down from six to five permitted strikes.” View the full article

7th-FG, $45K, Alw/OC, 3yo, 6f, post time: 4:23 p.m. ET CORNACCHIA (Tapit) was crushed into even-money favoritism for his course-and-distance debut Dec. 22, but was steadied hard leaving the half-mile pole, came wide into the lane and was up to graduate by a nose, earning the ‘TDN Rising Star‘ designation. The homebred son of GISW Great Hot (Brz) (Orientate), purchased by Gainesway for $400K at FTKNOV in 2013, cuts back to a sprint trip off a lackluster fourth in a two-turn allowance over a rain-affected strip Jan. 17. Cornacchia was a $685K FTSAUG RNA in 2017. TJCIS PPs View the full article

2018 G1 Dubai World Cup winner Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) was out for a spin over the Meydan main track on Tuesday morning as he prepares for the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 on Super Saturday, Mar. 9. The Godolphin colourbearer, who is based at the Al Quoz training centre only a five-minute drive from Meydan, was part of a six-horse contingent and galloped two laps alongside recent Carnival winners Major Partnership (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Very Talented (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), before distancing his workmates on the second lap. The latter starts in Thursday’s Listed Curlin H. “He did his main work at Al Quoz, but sometimes I take a group of horses to Meydan to get a feel or the dirt track,” trainer bin Suroor told the Meydan notes team. “We show them the track and get some exercise on it. It’s just routine and he looked good on it. He’s going to be ready for Super Saturday, but he will surely improve from the run. He hasn’t raced since November of last year [when third in the $6-million GI Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs]. He’s had a nice break and we are happy with how he’s moved in his work. A week before the race, he will have another blowout at Al Quoz and we will be ready to run. Whatever happens, he will need the run and improve from it.” Bin Suroor also provided an update on reigning G1 Dubai Turf hero Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who will not defend his title and instead point to a campaign in Europe later in the season. “Like [MG1SW] Best Solution (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), Benbatl had a very hard season last year, running from January until November,” bin Suroor explained. “We will try to keep him fresh for the European season and he will miss the Dubai Turf, but we have [MGSW] Dream Castle (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who is doing very well. We will prepare him for the [G1] Jebel Hatta and Dubai Turf and he will try to do what we did with Benbatl did last year. View the full article

It’s been quite a winter for Irish Classic-winning jockey Shane Foley. He got married in December and having taken in Miami and Barbados on honeymoon with his wife Lorraine, he was back on American soil early in the New Year to ride Platinum Warrior (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) at Santa Anita for his boss Zhang Yuesheng. Their first outing together since last year’s G3 Airlie Stud Gallinule S. winner switched from Michael Halford to John Sadler was in the GII San Gabrial S. over nine furlongs Jan. 5 when the pair finished fifth behind Next Shares (Archarcharch). However Foley’s return trip to California a month later proved far more rewarding when Platinum Warrior landed the GII San Marcos S. over an extra furlong Feb. 9 under an enterprising ride from the Kilkenny native. It was Foley’s first experience of riding in America but he obviously had no trouble adapting to the different environment. “They were both only short trips but it couldn’t have worked out any better,” he said. “Platinum Warrior actually ran well the time before. The trip was too short and I got stuck down the inside on him after a low draw. As a result I wasn’t able to get him out and make as much use of him as I’d have liked and I knew he was a couple of lengths better than the bare result.” He continued, “Winning the San Marcos certainly wasn’t a shock to me. They tend to steady up a bit mid race so I made a move in the back straight and was able to get a handy position before kicking on early enough and it kind of looked like I stole it. Thankfully it worked out on that occasion as it doesn’t always.” Foley is hoping to maintain the partnership with Platinum Warrior if his Irish schedule allows, especially if the 4-year-old colt takes up his intended target in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup on World Cup night at Meydan. That race is over two miles, a significant jump in trip but Foley thinks it is something the horse is capable of. “It is a big increase but I think he is crying out for a mile and a half at least but I suppose beyond that you can’t be sure but I’m hopeful he can stay. The [G1] Sheema Classic is probably more suitable trip wise but that tends to be a very hot race so hopefully we’ll make the right choice. I’ve had some success riding in Meydan–I rode five winners at the Carnival in 2013–so I am really looking forward to it. ” With 2019 having gotten off to a flyer and the potential for more to come–he was recently appointed as first jockey to Jessica Harrington–Foley could have been forgiven for feeling quite apprehensive about his season’s prospects this time last year. He had just parted company with Michael Halford having worked with him for 13 years, many of those as stable jockey and he was facing into life as a freelance, a daunting prospect in Ireland when the horse power is concentrated in such few quarters. Foley reverted to hard work, something he certainly isn’t shy of as he went about renewing old alliances and sure enough the winners started to flow. Ultimately Foley rode 65 winners in Ireland last year which was more than he had ridden each of the previous two years when he had a first jockey position. An even bigger indicator of his diligence was the fact he rode winners for 21 different trainers in 2018, a statistic that surprised even Foley when this correspondent mentioned it to him. And it wasn’t just low grade winners that Foley was banging in, he also registered his second Classic success when he steered the Ken Condon trained Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) to victory in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh. “This time last year it was like taking a step into the unknown,” Foley explained. “It was my first year as a freelance with no major yard behind me and while it was daunting I just kept my head down and tried to ride for as many different people as possible. Also it’s not like I fell out with Michael [Halford] or anything, I was still going to ride for him, just not as first choice. Romanised though, he was the highlight of the year without a doubt. To win a Classic for Ken [Condon] who is a very good trainer and a man I have built up a very good relationship with was special. It was nice to repay someone like that by riding a big winner for him. I actually saw Romanised the other morning, he looks great, really strong, so I’m looking forward to getting back on him this year.” A Classic win also helped open new doors for Foley such as the position he now occupies as stable jockey to the increasingly influential Chinese owner Zhang Yuesheng, a role he can continue alongside his new association with Jessica Harrington. Zhang’s growing Irish string, which numbers between 35 and 40 horses, also has Foley brimming with excitement for the season ahead. “Mr. Zhang has some lovely horses to compete with this year. Yulong Gold Fairy (GB) (Mount Nelson {GB}) is probably the most exciting at this stage. She won her Group 3 race last autumn and if she got some heavy ground she could be competitive in any of those top fillies races throughout the season. There’s some nice 2-year-olds among them also to look forward to.” With the Yulong horses spread around a number of trainers like Dermot Weld, Jessica Harrington, Michael Halford, John Oxx, Sheila Lavery and David Marnane, Foley is likely to be busy keeping tabs on the string while also allowing him the opportunity to maintain links with other trainers who have supported him over the years. “I’ll still be riding out for as many people as I can. Mick Donohue who manages Mr. Zhang’s string in Ireland is very good to work with and I’m in a great position at the moment. It looks like I’ll have plenty of nice horses to ride this year and getting the rides in the good races is very important. I don’t like setting targets but I suppose riding another Group 1 winner would be nice but really just to stay sound and ride as many winners as possible would be the aim.” Though only 31 years of age, Shane Foley has ridden group winners on three continents and it was only his recent nuptials that prevented him from taking in another winter stint in Japan late last year. The Japanese racing circuit has been a rewarding experience for Foley–he recorded five winners there in 2017 with two at stakes level–and it is an experience that has certainly stood to him. “I loved riding in Japan, though it can be a bit lonely with the language barrier and the fact you are on your own. However the standard of racing is very high and prizemoney is amazing and that certainly helps you get over the loneliness. With two powerful teams behind him, backed up by the support of a large network of trainers around the country, not to mention a new wife, there seems little chance of Shane Foley feeling any way lonely this year. View the full article

French highweighted sophomore stayer Brundtland (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) looms the clear class of the 2810-metre G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy field for Godolphin on Thursday. A winner of his first four trips to the post, including the G2 Qatar Prix Niel in September and the G2 Qatar Prix Chaudenay one month later for Charlie Appleby, the now 4-year-old signed off his 3-year-old campaign with a solid fourth in the G1 Prix Royal-Oak at Chantilly on Oct. 28. “Brundtland brings a very high level of form into this race, having won twice at Group 2 level and run competitively in a Group 1 race on his most recent start,” said Appleby. “He has had a nice break and looks to have done well from three to four. His main target is the [G2] Dubai Gold Cup on World Cup night and this is a prep run, so we are expecting a nice level of improvement going forwards into that race. While the run will bring him on, he is a class performer and his best form will make him very competitive.” Appleby’s other runner, the Group 3-placed Ispolini (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), won a Meydan handicap over this trip on Jan. 17, defeating both Swedish SW Suspicious Mind (Den) (Appel Au Maitre {Fr}) and the MSP Red Galileo (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). View the full article

Oaklawn Park is increasing the purses of five stakes and adding a stakes to the April 14 card just two weeks after announcing a significant bump to overnight purses. View the full article

AS we get nearer to the Dubai World Cup, it was frustrating watching the racing last week as I felt a few jockeys panicked and ended up losing out instead of keeping their cool and winning. Jockeys shouldn’t be panicking, but it’s been that way all through the Carnival. Maybe it’s because there’s big prize-money […] The post Kieren Fallon Dubai World Cup Carnival Blog appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy will honor Debbie and Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds for their continued support of the backstretch community when the organization hosts its annual N.Y. Chaplaincy Brunch at the Saratoga National Golf Club in Saratoga Springs, NY Wednesday, Aug.14, it was announced Wednesday. The Finleys, who founded West Point Thoroughbreds in 1991 and have grown it into one of the largest Thoroughbred racing partnerships in the game, have offered assistance to stable workers and their families through committee work and support of the chaplaincy’s initiatives. Terry Finley serves on the boards of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, the Catholic Leadership Institute, Thoroughbred Charities of America, the PenFed Foundation, and the Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund. “Debbie and Terry Finley have consistently devoted their time and their energy to improve the quality of life for people throughout the Thoroughbred industry and we are proud to recognize them not only for their efforts but also for the example they have set for others to follow,” said Humberto Chavez, the chaplain for the New York Race Track Chaplaincy. “They have been especially generous with their support of the various programs that are organized by the New York chaplaincy.” View the full article

Oaklawn Park will increase the purse of five of its stakes races–the Mar. 16 Essex Handicap, Apr. 13 GIII Count Fleet H., Apr. 14 GI Apple Blossom H., May 3 Oaklawn Mile and May 4 Oaklawn Invitational–it was announced Wednesday. The Essex, Apple Blossom, Oaklawn Mile and Oaklawn Invitational will each see $50,000 boosts, while the Count Fleet will see a $100,000 increase. Additionally, the $150,000 Fifth Season S., which was not originally on the 2019 stakes schedule, has been brought back as a prep for the Oaklawn Mile and will share the card with the Apple Blossom April 14, the final day of the track’s Racing Festival of the South. “We couldn’t be any more excited about how the 2019 racing season has started and for the future of our racing program,” Oaklawn’s President Louis Cella said. “We have seen tremendous support for our races from around the country and locally, we’ve had great crowds on track that are staying after the races and enjoying our gaming area afterwards. And, there’s still over two months of racing remaining for people to enjoy one of the best entertainment destinations in the region.” The track’s full stakes schedule can be found here. View the full article

Karis Teetan is enjoying a career-best season and he set a new personal best at Happy Valley on Wednesday night as he collected a double.The Mauritian, who finished last term third on the championship table with 52 winners, notched his 53rd and 54th victories – and with 39 meetings still remaining, he is going to smash his previous mark.Teetan combined with Tony Cruz for both of his winners, leading all the way on short-priced favourite Wah May Princess in the fourth race before running over… View the full article

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy will honor Debbie and Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds for their continued devotion to the community of stable workers who support Thoroughbred horse racing. View the full article

Runaway Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) winner Newspaperofrecord, who stole the show along with Enable in November at Churchill Downs, is targeting the Coronation Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot for trainer Chad Brown. View the full article

Santa Anita Park announced to its horsemen Feb. 26 that its main track would be closed for a second day of training Feb. 27 as the surface is evaluated for safety after an increased amount of equine fatalities during its meet that began Dec. 26. View the full article