Press Releases

ARCADIA, Calif. (Dec. 14, 2012)—Joe Talamo, who at age 23 led the recently concluded Santa Anita Autumn Meet and thus became the first jockey since Rafael Bejarano or Joel Rosario to win a major meet title in Southern California since Garrett Gomez took the 2007 Hollywood Fall Meet crown, heads a list of world-class jockeys set to compete at Santa Anita’s 2012-’13 winter/spring meet which opens on Wednesday, Dec. 26.

Joining Talamo are the afore mentioned Bejarano, 30, a three-time winter/spring leader who has 10 Southern California riding titles to his credit, Gomez, a two-time Eclipse Award winner who turns 41 on Jan. 1, and who led the nation in money-won four consecutive years (2006-’09), and two-time Eclipse winner Mike Smith, who at age 47, won this year’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic aboard Royal Delta and the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint with Mizdirection. These two wins enabled Smith to break a tie with retired Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey to become the all-time winningest Breeders’ Cup jockey with an incredible 17 World Championship tallies.

Edwin Maldonado, Martin Garcia, Julien Leparoux, Corey Nakatani, David Flores, Aaron Gryder, Tyler Baze, Victor Espinoza and others comprise what many feel is the most competitive Jockeys’ Room in America.

Talamo, whose 37 Autumn Meet wins easily outdistanced Bejarano’s 21 and provided him his first California riding title, is enjoying the best year of his young career.

Talamo’s “big horse” in 2012 has been a 4-year-old filly, Include Me Out, who was most recently third in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 2. Owned by Samantha Siegel’s Jay Em Ess Stable, Include Me Out has won four graded stakes this year, beginning with the Grade II La Canada Stakes on Jan. 22, and the Grade I Santa Margarita Invitational Stakes on March 17, both at The Great Race Place.

ARCADIA, Calif. (Dec. 13, 2012)—On the heels of one of its most successful Breeders’ Cups ever this past November, Santa Anita Park is now readying for its 76th winter/spring meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 26, and will be offering fans a litany of promotions throughout its 17-week stand which runs through April 21.

Fans attending on opening day will receive Santa Anita’s traditional wall calendar, which this season will focus on the future, featuring graded stakes winning fillies and mares along with their most recently arrived progeny. The calendar is free with paid admission.

Arcadia, CA, Dec. 10 -- HRTV (R), The Network for Horse Sports, is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement with Christina Olivares Blacker to join the network, beginning on December 26, the Opening Day of the Santa Anita meeting.

Additionally, HRTV has also reached a deal with Kurt Hoover, making the longtime horseracing TV personality, a full-time member of the network's outstanding announcing team, which is also effective on December 26.

ARCADIA, Calif. (Dec. 6, 2012)—Santa Anita Park announced on Thursday a list of five finalists for the 64th annual Santa Anita George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, with the winner to be announced on HRTV in January.

Javier Castellano, Perry Compton, David Flores, Mario Pino and Rodney Prescott have been selected as finalists for the 2013 Woolf Award, with the winner to be determined by a vote of jockeys nationwide.

The Woolf Award has been presented annually by Santa Anita since 1950 and is regarded as one of the most prestigious honors in all of racing, as it recognizes those riders whose careers and personal character earn esteem for the individual and the sport of Thoroughbred racing. The winner’s trophy is a replica of the life-sized statue of George Woolf, which adorns Santa Anita’s Paddock Gardens area.

Contact:
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ARCADIA, Calif. (Nov. 14, 2012)—Santa Anita Park, which will embark upon its 76th winter/spring meeting on Dec. 26, has announced it will offer a total of 41 graded stakes over the course of its 71-day meet, beginning with the opening day Malibu (3-year-old colts and geldings) and La Brea (3-year-old fillies) Stakes which will serve as the first of nine Grade I events. Both stakes will offer purses of $300,000 and will be run at seven furlongs.

Joining the Malibu and La Brea on opening day is the Grade II, $150,000 Sir Beaufort Stakes for 3-year-olds at one mile on turf.

ARCADIA, Calif. (Nov. 8, 2012)—Santa Anita Park has announced that stall applications are now available at www.santaanita.com, for the track’s traditional winter/spring meeting which will open on Dec. 26.

“We’d like to encourage those horsemen interested in running here to contact us immediately,” said Santa Anita Vice President of Racing Rick Hammerle. “We anticipate a great deal of interest from stables here in California and throughout the country and we’d appreciate hearing from trainers and owners as soon as possible.”