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There’s a batch to look guardant to arsenic Santa Anita prepares to rise the curtain Sunday connected its 85th winter-spring meet.
There’s a caller look successful the jocks’ room, 1 of the starring contenders for the 2022 Kentucky Derby calls Southern California home, and a colt that figures to beryllium 1 of the leaders of the older-horse part adjacent twelvemonth besides resides close successful our backyard.
Here’s my Christmas privation database for Santa Anita arsenic the historical Arcadia way readies for its 78-day meet:
A peculiar colt
Corniche, unbeaten successful 3 starts aft an awesome triumph successful the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile astatine Del Mar, remains steadfast and is capable to amusement his talents connected Derby time astatine Churchill Downs connected May 7. No telling however the Medina Spirit contention volition play retired and whether Bob Baffert volition inactive beryllium the colt’s trainer erstwhile the Derby preps statesman adjacent year, but this is 1 peculiar colt who lone needs to transportation his 2-year-old signifier into his 3-year-old twelvemonth to triumph the Derby.
A lukewarm welcome
John Velazquez’s enactment successful Southern California done March proves palmy and the 50-year-old autochthonal of Puerto Rico enjoys his stint present truthful overmuch he’ll instrumentality adjacent twelvemonth to articulation what is already a top-notch jockey colony. Velazquez’s accomplishment gives Santa Anita 4 Hall of Fame jockeys, joining Mike Smith, Kent Desormeaux and Victor Espinoza, and helium carries a ton of awesome credentials – 4 Derby victories, 18 Breeders’ Cup victories (second down Smith’s 27) and 6,361 vocation wins. He won six races 1 day astatine Saratoga.
Safety first
A harmless conscionable for horses, jockeys and workout riders. Santa Anita trackman Dennis Moore and his unit are the champion successful the business, and I person each the assurance successful the satellite he’ll person the way successful terrific shape. But sometimes fatally injuries can’t beryllium helped. When an 1,100-pound carnal takes a atrocious step, it doesn’t substance what benignant of information the way is in. It’s the disfigured portion of equine racing that sickens america all.
Climate control
Good upwind passim the meet. There’s nary bigger downer successful the athletics than showing up for an eight-race paper dominated by five- and six-horse fields due to the fact that of scratches owed to the way condition. Bettors emotion wagering connected turf races, and those opportunities are chopped drastically erstwhile it rains. There’s already a large occupation with the equine colonisation that leads to abbreviated fields, but a ton of bedewed upwind would lone exasperate the problem. I cognize we request the rain, but let’s anticipation for a batch of it connected Mondays and Tuesdays truthful the weekends are bully and dry.
Two large rides
Another large equine for Desormeaux and Espinoza, some of whom person shown during 2021 that they tin inactive thrust with the champion of them. Desormeaux, 51, enjoyed 2 banner Del Mar meets, displaying the skills during some the summertime and autumn Bing Crosby meets that earned him a travel to the Hall of Fame successful 2004. If I owned a horse, the 49-year-old Espinoza could thrust for maine anytime.
Respect the riders
Jockeys, immoderate of the champion conditioned athletes successful the world, person recognition for performing astatine specified a precocious level successful a athletics that tin pb to life-changing injuries, oregon adjacent death, successful a heartbeat. There’s a crushed wherefore an ambulance follows these riders astir the way during a race. They are putting their lives connected the enactment each clip they ascent aboard a equine successful the paddock. Think astir that adjacent clip you person the impulse to blast 1 connected societal media.
Prize for Pyfer
Jessica Pyfer, who became the archetypal section pistillate apprentice jockey to triumph 4 races successful 1 time connected May 16 astatine Santa Anita, realizes her imagination of winning an Eclipse Award arsenic the nation’s apical apprentice. She rode against immoderate of the champion successful the federation this year, winning 59 races from 557 mounts (11%). Eclipse winners volition beryllium announced Feb. 10 astatine Santa Anita, and Pyfer would beryllium a deserving choice.
Overdue Derby dreams
One of the galore accomplished horsemen connected the grounds, specified arsenic Richard Mandella oregon John Sadler, wins their archetypal Kentucky Derby. Mandella had Omaha Beach successful 2019, who was the Derby favourite but was scratched lone 3 days earlier the race. It was the textbook illustration of however cruel the athletics tin be. Sadler has had a fewer colts talented capable to triumph the Run for the Roses, but travel up abbreviated each time.
Follow Art Wilson connected Twitter @Sham73
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