Press Releases

ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 13, 2013)—A winner of the Grade I La Brea Stakes going seven furlongs on Dec. 26, Book Review was then a sharp second in the Grade II La Canada Stakes going a mile and a sixteenth on Jan. 20, and she’ll try that distance again on Saturday as she heads a six-horse field in Santa Anita’s featured Grade II, $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes for older fillies and mares.

Trained by Bob Baffert, the 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Giant’s Causeway will again be ridden by Rafael Bejarano, who has been aboard in her last two starts after being transferred from New York-based Chad Brown in December.

“The West’s (owner/breeders, Gary and Mary) wanted to see the horse run here and this race really looked like the logical spot for her,” said Baffert following Book Review’s neck victory in the La Brea.

Although Baffert went on to label her “a late running sprinter” following the La Brea, Book Review was bet to the 7-5 second-choice in the La Canada, and was second-best when beaten 2 ¾ lengths by the John Sadler-trained More Chocolate.

A minor stakes winner in New York at a mile and a sixteenth with earnings of $624,955 and a record of 11-5-3-1, Book Review is likely to be favored in Saturday’s Santa Maria.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who will be represented by three horses in the Santa Maria; Lady of Fifty, Going for a Spin and Snow Fall, is holding a strong hand himself.

Lady of Fifty, who was fourth as the 6-5 favorite in La Canada, has six wins from 12 starts, with her most recent triumph coming two starts back in the Grade II, 1 1/16 miles Bayakoa Handicap on Dec. 8, which she won by 3 ¼ lengths under Martin Garcia.

WITH CARRYOVER OF $97,258, PICK SIX POOL REACHES MAMMOTH TOTAL OF $770,773 RESULTING IN 49 WINNERS PAYING $10,413.40 EACH

ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 10, 2013)—With an eye-catching turn of foot, Purim’s Dancer and Gary Stevens burst through at the rail turning for home to take Sunday’s $75,000 Wishing Well Stakes for older fillies and mares by 3 ¼ lengths while covering 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course in 1:12.25.

Off as the third choice in the field of 11at 3-1, Purim’s Dancer, who was making her first start in stakes company for trainer Tom Proctor, sat third in behind dueling leaders Nechez Dawn and Garrett Gomez and Givine and Tyler Baze.

In a move similar to her allowance victory down the hill on Jan. 18, Purim’s Dancer hugged the rail and when Nechez Dawn veered outward crossing the dirt at the top of the stretch, Stevens seized the opportunity and quickly opened up two lengths on the field while annexing his second stakes win in as many days.

“I went back and watched her race from the other day when Garrett rode her and tried to draw up the same trip, and we got it,” said Stevens. “When we crossed the dirt, Garrett’s filly kind of scooted out and my filly has a quick turn of foot…and it was over in a matter of seconds.”

When asked to describe how he felt to win the Grade II San Marcos Stakes on Saturday and today’s Wishing Well, Stevens was quick to defer credit.

“It feels tremendous. Because of guys like these, Tom Proctor here to my right and all the great supporters of Gary Stevens through the years and giving me a shot once again. It’s time to capitalize and we are, but it’s good horses that put you in the winner’s circle.”

Although ridden by Gomez on Jan. 18, Purim’s Dancer was ridden by Stevens for the first time in the Wishing Well.

“We decided late to come in this race,” said Proctor. “Garrett had already committed to the other filly (Nechez Dawn), so it was too late for him to try to ride my filly.”

Purim’s Dancer paid $8.80, $5.40 and $4.20. Owned by Doug Donnelly, Corey Johnsen, Lenny Kohn and Gene McLean, Purim’s Dancer, a 4-year-old filly by the Dynaformer stallion Purim, picked up $48,300 for the win and increased her earnings to $117,960 from a record of 6-4-0-1.

Longshot Dancingtothestars, off at 16-1, was fanned four-wide turning for home and ran second with Edwin Maldonado, 1 ¼ lengths in front of 5-2 favorite Byrama and Rafael Bejarano.

Dancingtothestars paid $14.00 and $7.60.

Byrama broke slowly from the rail and made a good run through the lane to finish three quarters of a length in front of Schiaparelli and Joe Talamo. Byrama paid $3.40 to show.

The early splits for the race were 21.86, 44.22 and 1:06.31.

With a Pick Six carryover of $497,258 stoking the mutuel fire, Sunday’s total Pick Six pool reached $770,773. There were 49 winning tickets, each worth $10,413.40. Two of them were purchased on-track, for $1,728 and $960.00, respectively.

Santa Anita will embark upon a special five-day race week on Thursday, as The Great Race Place will be open on Presidents’ Day, Monday, February 18.

First post time on Thursday is at 1 p.m.

PICK SIX CARRYOVER OF $97,259 INTO SUNDAY, TOTAL POOL SHOULD EXCEED $500,000; NINE-RACE CARD GETS UNDERWAY AT 12:30 P.M.

ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 9, 2013)—Like a shot out of a cannon, Slim Shadey and Gary Stevens sprung out of post position 11 and seized command of Saturday’s Grade II, $150,000 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita and made every pole a winning one, prevailing by one length over 7-2 favorite Interaction while getting 1 ¼ miles on turf in 1:59.17, and providing Hall of Famer Stevens with his first stakes win in a comeback that began on Jan. 6.

A front-running winner of last year’s San Marcos, Slim Shadey, trained by Simon Callaghan, came off a disappointing sixth-place run as the 3-2 favorite in the Grade II San Gabriel Stakes on Jan. 13—a race in which the 5-year-old English-bred gelding by Val Royal was taken off the pace going 1 1/8 miles on turf.

“He went out, he relaxed, and Gary gave him a nice long rein and that’s the way the horse likes to be ridden,” said Callaghan, 29. “It was perfect. After the first couple of furlongs, I kind of said to myself, ‘Well, there’re no excuses from here.’ It was an ideal situation and Gary did a great job. He just let him relax and that’s the key to this horse.”

Slim Shadey set fractions of 24.19, 48.20, 1:12.47 and 1:35.80. Off at 5-1, he paid $13.40, $7.00 and $5.40.

Owned and bred by Phil Cunningham, Slim Shadey picked up $90,000 for his efforts in the San Marcos, increasing his earnings to $613,850. His record now stands at 26-5-4-0.

Stevens, who turns 50 on March 6, had two wins and 11 seconds from 33 mounts coming into the San Marcos and was riding “Slim” for the first time.

“When I worked him the other morning, it seemed like the horse was happy,” said Stevens. “I just wanted to stay out of his way and let him be his own man, and that’s exactly what he is…I haven’t had a lot of horses sprint home like he did in the last 30 years going a mile and a quarter, so it was a great feeling.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling thanks to Simon and the whole team over there for giving me the opportunity on this horse. I’ve had a bad case of seconditis. I knew things would turn around and this is a good race to have them turn around in.”

Favored Interaction was taken far off the early pace from his rail post position and rallied strongly under Joe Talamo but never threatened the winner, finishing 2 ¼ lengths in front of 7-1 shot All Squared Away and Gomez.

“I got through on the rail pretty much the whole way but the winner had things pretty easy up there on the lead,” said Talamo. “He’s a nice horse too. I was proud of my horse. He ran a good race.”

Interaction paid $5.20 and $3.60.

All Squared Away sat mid-pack early in the field of 12, engaged the winner with a quarter mile to go, but was third best, finishing three quarters of a length in front of Fire With Fire and Martin Garcia.

“That horse (Slim Shadey) is deadly when he makes the lead, when he’s able to cruise up there like that,” said Gomez. “…Nobody went up there and messed with him.”

When asked where Slim Shadey would run next, Callaghan said that he would be pointed to the Grade I Woodford Reserve at 1 1/8 miles on turf, on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs, May 4.

There is a Pick Six carryover into Sunday at Santa Anita and it’s expected the total pool will exceed $500,000. First post time for a nine-race program is 12:30 p.m.

WITH PICK SIX CARRYOVER OF $47,834 AS AN INCENTIVE, FRIDAY’S TOTAL POOL REACHED $375,536; 11 WINNING TICKETS PAID $22,585, ONE ON-TRACK

ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 8, 2013)—With 4-5 favorite Hail Mary stumbling badly leaving the gate, Majestic Jewel, with Rafael Bejarano aboard, seized command and never looked back, winning Santa Anita’s featured Armen Keuilian Purse for 3-year-old fillies bred in California by a half length while covering six furlongs in 1:10.80.

Off as the 5-2 second choice in a field of six, Majestic Jewel, trained by John Sadler, carved out fractions of 22.22, 45.56 and 57.81.

“I didn’t know the number three horse (Hail Mary, with Joe Talamo) stumbled,” said Bejarano, who notched his third win of the day. “My horse stumbled just a little, but when she got her feet under her, she was comfortable, so I just put her on the lead. She ran big and she gave me a good kick in the stretch.”

Trained by John Sadler, Majestic Jewel, a 3-year-old filly by Cindago, was bred in California by Lee and Susan Searing and owned by their CRK Stable. She paid $7.80, $5.20 and $3.00. With the winner’s share of 34,800, she roughly doubled her earnings to $69,450 from a record of 5-2-0-0.

Favored Hail Mary ended up third, 2 ½ lengths behind Swiss Bliss and Edwin Maldonado.

“She grabbed a quarter on the second jump out of there,” said Talamo of the favorite. “She ran a perfect race after that but it never does help when they do that.”

Swiss Bliss, off at 16-1, paid $10.20 and $3.60.

Hail Mary returned $2.20 to show.

The Armen Keuilian was carded as the seventh race. Bejarano racked up his fourth win of the day in the eighth and final, as he guided 3-2 favorite Ruled by Kisses to victory, paying $5.00 to win.

With three of his four wins coming in the Pick Six, 11 punters rode Bejarano’s coattails to victory, with each Pick Six ticket paying $22,585. With a carryover of $47,834 serving as a catalyst, Friday’s total pool reached $375,536. There was one winning ticket hit on-track.

The Grade II, $150,000 San Marcos Stakes will highlight a 10-race program on Saturday, with first post time at 12:30 p.m.