O’Neill has three musketeers for Daytona Stakes

When they go to post at Santa Anita on May 23 for the Daytona Stakes, one conditioner will be serving up a candy bar of sorts. Now, why in the world will a trainer of Thoroughbreds indulge in this type of delight? Take a look at the entries for this 5 1/2 furlong dash...

The Beach is flying into the Pegasus

THE BEACH IS FLYING INTO THE PEGASUS If you are thinking about the Pegasus Cup at Gulfstream Park on January 25, it may be only natural that the Beach comes to mind. And it has nothing to do with the track being in South Florida. The fourth running of the year’s first...

Jockey Smith a grade above

JOCKEY SMITH A GRADE ABOVE Opening day at Santa Anita usually is a proving ground for the past and sometimes gives us a glimpse of the future. The December 28, 2019 edition provided a confirmation for what many already knew in regards to one of the veterans of the...

Experience pays off for Smith and McKinzie

EXPERIENCE PAYS FOR SMITH AND MCKINZIE Knowing what you got is always good and having the guts to trust your stuff can yield great things. When you have the confidence to make a chancy call and it works it can be legendary. When Mike Smith guided three-time grade 1...

Malibu like Dancing with the Stars for McKinzie

MALIBU LIKE DANCING WITH THE STARS FOR MCKINZIE So if you tuned in to the December 26 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita you saw quite the performance from a very talented three-year old. In fact, it was so impressive, if this were an episode of Dancing with the Stars, the...