11:17 PM ET ESPN News Services ARCADIA, Calif. — A horse broke down in the last race at Santa Anita on Wednesday, the track’s first racing death of the winter-spring meet after a spate of deaths last year. Golden Birthday took a bad step in the stretch and jockey Victor Espinoza fell off while trying
Horse Racing
11:39 PM ET Associated Press ARCADIA, Calif. — Omaha Beach won the $300,000 Malibu Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths on opening day at Santa Anita, giving Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith a record 217th Grade 1 victory. Smith surpassed the mark set by retired Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey to become thoroughbred racing’s all-time
7:03 PM ET Associated Press ARCADIA, Calif. — Santa Anita is postponing the opening day of its winter-spring meet by two days to Dec. 28 ahead of next week’s forecast that calls for rain. The Southern California racetrack announced its decision on Saturday. It will be the first time since 1973-74 that the meet doesn’t
2:39 PM ET Associated Press LOS ANGELES — California prosecutors found no evidence of animal cruelty or other crimes during an investigation into a spike in horse deaths at Santa Anita Park racetrack over the past year, according to a report issued Thursday. A task force formed by the Los Angeles district attorney found the
1:36 PM ET ESPN News Services LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — Two horses have died at Los Alamitos racetrack in Orange County, adding to the death toll at Southern California tracks this year. A 4-year-old gelding named Mighty Elijah and a 4-year-old gelding named Into a Hot Spot both died after Saturday’s first race. According to
8:18 PM ET Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Jockeys riding in California wouldn’t be able to strike a horse to make it run faster or be allowed to whip in an overhand motion under a proposed amendment approved by the California Horse Racing Board on Thursday. The rule now goes to a 45-day public comment
8:17 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — The New York Racing Association will shut down stabling and training at Aqueduct beginning Jan. 1 in an effort to consolidate operations at Belmont Park. About 250 horse are stabled at Aqueduct, while the majority of starters in races there travel over from Belmont, which is located
1:58 PM ET Associated Press DEL MAR, Calif. — With the forecast calling for substantial rain in Southern California next week, Del Mar has canceled Thanksgiving Day racing. Track officials said Saturday that they would shift several of the races from Thursday’s card, including the $100,000 Red Carpet Stakes, to expanded 10-race cards next Saturday
6:04 PM ET Associated Press DEL MAR, Calif. — Santa Anita will race less, if at all, in inclement weather during its winter-spring meet that begins on Dec. 26, although what factors will decide whether racing occurs in such conditions haven’t been announced. Led by new chairman Gregory Ferraro, the California Horse Racing Board approved
2:05 PM ET Associated Press DEL MAR, Calif. — The California Horse Racing Board has chosen a longtime veterinarian as its new chairman. Gregory Ferraro was elected Thursday during the board’s meeting at Del Mar racetrack north of San Diego. He was appointed to the governing body five months ago by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Ferraro
9:30 PM ET Associated Press ARCADIA, Calif. — A fundraising campaign to install an equine MRI at Santa Anita has been successful, and it’s expected to be in place during the troubled track’s winter-spring meet that begins on Dec. 26. Karen Klawitter, CEO of the Southern California Equine Foundation, said Tuesday the machine which allows
4:12 PM ET Associated Press DEL MAR, Calif. — A 3-year-old filly has collapsed and died after a workout at Del Mar, while another horse that was injured in a race on Nov. 10 has been euthanized, making it four horses that have died since the track’s fall meet began Nov. 6. Slewgoodtobetrue died in
3:16 PM ET Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The owners of Maximum Security say they will appeal a federal judge’s dismissal of their lawsuit that seeks to challenge the decision to disqualify their horse as winner of the Kentucky Derby. Gary West said in a statement Monday that he has authorized his attorneys to file
11:32 PM ET Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by the owners of Maximum Security seeking to challenge the decision to disqualify their horse as the winner of the Kentucky Derby. Owners Gary and Mary West wanted the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Kentucky to reverse
2:25 AM ET Associated Press LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Breeders’ Cup has named Drew Fleming president and chief executive officer. The board of directors voted unanimously Tuesday to appoint Fleming as the replacement for Craig Fravel, who quit after last weekend’s world championships at Santa Anita to join The Stronach Group, which owns several racetracks.
11:09 PM ET ESPN staff Vow and Declare took out a thrilling Melbourne Cup at Flemington, the Australian stayer beating a host of international raiders to give jockey Craig Williams his first win in the “race that stops a nation.” The Danny O’Brien-trained stayer worked up the rails in the straight to edge out Master
6:21 PM ET Australians are expected to sink over $300 million into the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, but what does the horse you have bet on say about you? ESPN horse racing expert* Mike Wise has run the numbers, read the tea leaves and had a chat to a mate that swears blind that he
10:59 PM ET ESPN News Services Mongolian Groom was euthanized after running in the $6 million Classic at the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita, the 37th horse to die at the California track since December. The marquee race was the last of the two-day world championships, which had seen 13 other Cup races run without