Horse Racing News

Lookin At Lucky became the first horse since Spectacular Bid to be named champion 2-year-old male and 3-year-old male.

Not only did Goldikova win the $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) Nov. 6 at Churchill Downs, she won the race for the third straight year to become the only horse in history to win a World Championships race three times.

Always a Princess upset Blind Luck in Sunday's $150,000 El Encino Stakes at Santa Anita, taking advantage of a track that favors speed in two-turn races to win by 3 1/2 lengths.

Blind Luck overcame so many challenges racing coast to coast in 2010 that expectations are excessively high for 2011.

Last January, Champ Pegasus was a maiden. By July, he was a two-time winner and stakes-placed. By October, he was a two-time stakes winner. A month later, he nearly won the nation's biggest turf race in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs.

Grant Jack, who is proven class as a stakes winner at two turns, and Archarcharch, who showed raw talent in winning his maiden in a stakes race, meet for the first time Monday in the $100,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park.

Santa Anita's return to a dirt surface this season prompted trainer Steve Asmussen to finally send a string of horses to the West Coast, and California fans are quickly realizing that wherever Asmussen runs, he wins.

Tar Heel Mom appeared home free at midstretch in last year's $100,000 Sugar Swirl at Gulfstream Park only to falter in the final strides and finish third, beaten a head by Pretty Prolific.

Trainer David Fawkes said it would have been a little embarrassing to show up at Monday's night's Eclipse Award ceremonies had his Eclipse Award candidate Big Drama lost his 2011 debut 48 hours earlier in Gulfstream Park's $100,000 Mr. Prospector.

Zazu will have a new jockey when she makes her first start of the season as the favorite in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.