Stakes Advances

ARCADIA, Calif. (Nov.

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 29, 2009) – Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will send out two impressive recent maiden breakers Sunday to tackle a pair of stakes winners, Camille C and Well Deserved, in Oak Tree’s 31st running of the $58,000 Anoakia Stakes for 2-year-old California-bred fillies at six furlongs over Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride surface.

Baffert aims to successfully crash the stakes ranks with Mike Pegram’s Crises of Spirit, a homebred son of Vindication who was a 3 ¼-length maiden winner on Oct. 4, and Kathleen S.

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 28, 2009) – Unbeaten Our Minesweeper, an Idaho-bred who won a pair of stakes in Northern California, will attempt to transfer his form to Santa Anita on Saturday when facing six other 2-year-olds in Oak Tree’s 35th running of the $58,000 Jack Goodman Stakes at six furlongs.

Tyler Baze will take over aboard Art and Betty Sutter’s homebred grey gelding by the Giant’s Causeway stallion Cause Ur Mine. After breaking his maiden at Golden Gate in June, Minesweeper captured Santa Rosa’s $57,000 Cavonnier Jr.

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct.

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 21, 2009) – Mrs Kipling, who went to the sidelines following a disappointing effort at odds of 7-1 in July’s Grade I American Oaks at Hollywood Park, returns to competition Saturday in Oak Tree’s 23rd running of the Grade III, Harold C. Ramser, Sr. Handicap for 3-year-old fillies at one mile over Santa Anita’s Camino Real Turf Course.

Trained by Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale for celebrity chef Bobby Flay, Irish-bred Mrs Kipling attracted solid support in the American Oaks following a close second in Santa Anita’s Grade II Providencia Stakes, her U.S.

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 15, 2009) – Diamond A Racing’s graded stakes winner Tiz West is the most accomplished of eight entrants set to contest Sunday’s $60,000 Lure Stakes, Oak Tree’s featured event at one mile over Santa Anita’s Camino Real Turf Course.

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella hopes to have found a comfortable circumstance to get the 4-year-old Gone West colt back in a winning stride after being denied in eight starts – five of them graded stakes – since capturing Hollywood Park’s Grade III Cinema Handicap in June of last year.

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 14, 1009) – Carl Grether’s Queen Ofthe Catsle will attempt to become the third two-time winner of Oak Tree’s 41st running of the Grade III, $100,000 Sen. Ken Maddy Handicap for fillies and mares at 6 ½ furlongs over Santa Anita’s hillside turf course on Saturday.

But the 5-year-old Tale of the Cat mare is not likely to have an easy task of it when facing 10 rivals headed by Gotta Have Her in the event run as the Autumn Day Handicap until 1999 when renamed to honor the late state senator who was a long-time advocate for horse racing in California.

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 9, 2009) – A pair of stakes races, including the revived $65,000 Louis R. Rowan Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 ½ furlongs, head Oak Tree’s special “Dollar Day” holiday racing program on Monday at Santa Anita Park.

The Columbus Day attraction constitutes the only Monday card of the Oak Tree season with a $1 charge offered for General Admission, programs, beer, hot dogs, sodas, popcorn and coffee.