Press Releases

Arcadia, CA, Feb. 8, 2013 – Veteran filmmakers and undiscovered newcomers are hard at work on their submissions to earn their share of nearly $30,000 in prize money in the second annual HRTV Film Festival at Santa Anita. A joint project between Santa Anita Park and HRTV (R), The Network for Horse Sports, the non-fiction film festival competition entitled "A Day at the Races" is for Santa Anita-based projects with a maximum running time of five minutes.

Deadline for entering the Film Festival will be March 27 when all film submissions are due.

ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 7, 2013) – Winless in seven starts since a victory in his maiden debut, Motown Men mowed down his nine opponents Thursday with a dominant gate-to-wire triumph in Santa Anita’s $59,250 Blue Creek Purse for California-breds while covering one mile on turf in 1:33.61.

The second choice at 7-2 in the wagering, the 4-year-old Decarchy gelding’s facile victory by 3 ½ lengths in the seventh race made him the seventh non-favorite to succeed on the afternoon and led to a Pick Six carryover of $47,834 into Friday’s program.

While lengthening his lead in the meet’s jockeys’ standings to 10 wins over second-place Edwin Maldonado, Rafael Bejarano promptly sent Motown Men to the lead as Pulpit’s Express gave chase.

The pair raced in that order until hitting the stretch where the winner spurted to a daylight lead before Ride Along rallied to pass Pulpit’s Express by one length for the place.

“The last time I rode him, he never could relax,” Bejarano recalled of a runner-up effort on Jan. 11. “Today, I just left him alone and he went to the lead easily. He ran fast in the beginning, but I still had a lot of horse at the end. It was a good time, 1:33-and-change. It was a good race.” Added trainer Peter Eurton, “Look how fast they ran; it was quite impressive.”

Motown Men paid $9, $4.80 and $3.40. Ride Along, with Tyler Baze in the saddle, returned $8 and $6.20. Pulpit’s Express, ridden by Gary Stevens, paid $9.80 to show.

Owned by the partnership of Mark Gorman, Neil Haymes and Sterling Stables, Motown Men was making his fourth start for trainer Eurton that included a pair of runner-up finishes and a faltering seventh in the $150,000 Zia Park Derby.

Victory in Thursday’s allowance/optional claimer netted earnings of $34,800 to bring Motown Men’s career total to $125,180 from a 2-3-0 record in 9 starts.

Santa Anita presents an eight-race program on Friday. First post is at 1 p.m. The Pick Six begins approximately one hour later with the third race. The Pick Six pool is expected to exceed $300,000.

ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb.

ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 3, 2013)—Game On Dude, with Mike Smith aboard, overpowered an overmatched group of three rivals in successfully defending his title in Sunday’s Grade II, $200,000 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita, winning by 6 ½ lengths while covering 1 1/8 miles in a rapid 1:47.53.

Dispatched at odds of 1-9, Game On Dude broke sharply from post position two and was immediately engaged by 12-1 longshot Basmati, who broke from post five and was ridden by Mario Gutierrez.

“You know I got pressured, even more so than if it was a full field believe it or not,” said Smith. “In these short fields, people make you do things because it’s more of a match race. He has a high, high cruising speed and you just let him get into his rhythm whether that’s up front or off the lead.

“I let him do his thing today and he ran brilliant to be honest. He stood up over on the turn, took one breath and turned around like it was nothing. They were running quick, but that’s just him.”

With Basmati to his outside, the pair dueled through early splits of 23.38 and 46.78. Game On Dude took the lead going to the far turn, getting six furlongs in 1:10.53 and the mile in 1:35.02.

“I knew that other horse (Basmati) was probably going to try him a ways,” said winning trainer Bob Baffert. “They’re trying to win…but Game On Dude, he likes that. He’s competitive. Yeah, if all’s good, that’s where we’re headed (Grade I, $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap at 1 ¼ miles on March 2).

GUILT TRIP & TALAMO WIN GRADE II STRUB FROM OFF PACE AS BAFFERT COLLECTS STAKES DOUBLE, SUGGESTIVE BOY GIVES TALAMO A PAIR AS MCANALLY TRAINS ARCADIA WINNER

By BETH HARRIS

AP Racing Writer

ARCADIA, Calif. _ It's barely February, so Bob Baffert isn't rushing to anoint Flashback as his top Kentucky Derby contender.

The gray colt made a solid case for himself, though, winning the $196,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes by 6 ¼ lengths at Santa Anita in his 3-year-old debut Saturday.

Baffert had a good day overall, with his 2-1 favorite Guilt Trip winning the $200,250 Strub Stakes by 1 ½ lengths for owners Gary and Mary West, who also own Flashback. Baffert also won the first race on the card.

Flashback led all the way in running 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.95 under Julien Leparoux. He paid $3 and $2.40 as the 1-2 favorite in front of 15,349 fans. Flashback won his debut in a sprint race on Dec. 8 at Betfair Hollywood Park by 3 ½ lengths.

"You never know until they go long," Baffert said. "He's always shown us he's a real talented horse. We were hoping he would do something like that."

Flashback led a 1-2 finish for the Hall of Fame trainer, who saddled second-place Den's Legacy. He returned $2.40 to show.

"I outbroke the gray horse (Flashback), but we all know the gray horse is faster than my horse," said Garrett Gomez, who rode Den's Legacy. "We got up there but the gray horse set his own fractions and was able to go slow enough. It's kind of hard to outkick a nice horse."

He's Had Enough, second to Shanghai Bobby in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile here last fall, was a half-length back in third. He's owned by J. Paul Reddam, trained by Doug O'Neill and ridden by Mario Gutierrez, who teamed to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness last year with I'll Have Another.

"The horse has a good future," Gutierrez said. "What are the odds for the same owner, same trainer and jockey to do it again? It's more than 100-1. But we're trying and the horse is good, and he ran good."

The Wests have seven horses as early nominees to the Triple Crown series, including Flashback.

"This horse has got some ability," Gary West said. "He's been a highly touted horse. All his works have been spectacular. He's really blossoming right now. He's still a gangly baby really learning the game."

West said Flashback is likely to make two more starts in preparation for the May 4 Kentucky Derby, which Baffert has won three times.

"I don't want to jinx a horse," Baffert said. "I dream in black-and-white. I don't get ahead of myself."

Despite Flashback's inexperience, Baffert said the colt was "great in the paddock and went to the gate like a professional."

"He's going to run against better horses, which are hopefully all mine," Baffert said, laughing.

The trainer has 23 horses as early nominees to the Triple Crown, second only to Todd Pletcher's 29.

Little Jerry finished fourth. There was no show wagering because of the small field in the race named for the late owner of Kentucky Derby winners Silver Charm and Charismatic. Lewis' widow, Beverly, was on hand to present the trophy to Baffert, who trained many of the couple's horses.

"This is a real sentimental win for me because he was one of the greatest owners in the sport," Baffert said. "It brings back a lot of good memories for me."

The Lewis is a qualifying race for the Kentucky Derby, and Flashback earned 10 points for first place. Den's Legacy earned four points; He's Had Enough picked up two; and Little Jerry earned one.

"I really don't think about the points," Baffert said. "The last prep is the most important. This is when the cream is going to start rising to the top."

In the Strub, 4-year-old Guilt Trip ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.97 with Joe Talamo in the saddle and paid $6.40, $3.40 and $2.60.

Stephanoatsee, ridden by Leparoux, returned $4.20 and $3.40, while Baffert's Fed Biz was another three-quarters of a length back in third and paid $3 to show.

In the $150,000 Arcadia Stakes, Suggestive Boy won by 2 ½ lengths under Talamo. Trained by 80-year-old Hall of Famer Ron McAnally, Suggestive Boy ran 1 mile on the turf in 1:32.73 and paid $10.40, $5.80 and $4.20.

"I was a little worried before the race being in the 13-hole," Talamo said. "Not too many horses win from out there, but he's such a classy horse to get over and save some ground."

Wilkinson returned $8.40 and $5.40, while 4-1 favorite Silentio was third in the 13-horse field and paid $3.60 to show.

THREE WINNING PICK SIX TICKETS EACH PAY $15,283.60, ONE TICKET ON-TRACK GETS 20 % BONUS OF $3,056.72, FOR TOTAL SCORE OF $18,340.32

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 31, 2013)—One succinct admonition from winning jockey Rafael Bejarano summed up the winning strategy in Thursday’s $60,000 Truckee River Purse at Santa Anita: “When you are on the best horse in the race, come around, don’t get stopped.”

And so it was as Bejarano guided 9-5 favorite Causeithertz, a 6-year-old gelded son of the diminutive, multiple graded stakes winning mare, Megahertz, to an easy 2 ½ length victory, wheeling three-deep off the turn for home en route to covering one mile on turf in 1:34.85.

Bejarano, who picked up his third win on the card, sized up the Truckee pace scenario shortly after the field of six broke from the gate and began their run into the Club House turn.

“My horse has speed, but I could see the number one (Innocent Man, with Julien Leparoux) and the number three (Royal F J, with Martin Pedroza) were showing a lot of speed, so I took a little hold into the first turn and put him in a comfortable position at the rail. At the half mile pole, I moved him out and he was just running comfortably.”

Innocent Man set fractions of 22.76, 46.76 and Causeithertz set the remaining interior splits of 1:10.74 and 1:22.62.

Causeithertz provided Bob Baffert with his second win on the day and paid $5.80, $3.40 and $2.20. With the winner’s share of $36,000, he increased his earnings to $189,150. Owned by his breeder, Michael Bello, Causeithertz is a Kentucky-bred son of Giant’s Causeway. His record now stands at 16-3-5-4.

“He’s finally showing the spark of his mother,” said Baffert. “He has to be up near the lead, but Rafael knows him well so he had him where he was comfortable. I try not to give too many instructions. The top riders know what to do.”

Gab Power, off at 5-1 with Joe Talamo, finished second, a neck in front of Innocent Man. He paid $4.40 and $3.00.

Innocent Man was dispatched at 7-2 and finished a nose in front of Royal F J. Innocent Man paid $3.80 to show.

There were three winning tickets in Thursday’s Pick Six, with each paying $15,283.60. One of them was purchased for just $32.00 on-track, and with Santa Anita's 20 percent on-track bonus of $3,056.72, the lucky winner will collect a total of $18,340.32.

In order to be eligible for Santa Anita’s on-track Pick Six bonus, fans must swipe their Thoroughbreds Club card prior to making Pick Six wagers on non-carryover days.