Racing Lineup Pays Homage to America's Pastime
Horse racing is the Sport of Kings and baseball is America’s Pastime.
Longtime ardent Thoroughbred owner and supporter Nick Alexander has found a way to combine the two games he loves by naming horses after diamond stars of yesteryear and those of mythical fame.
Cal McLish, a 2-year-old gelding owned and trained by Steve Miyadi in today’s second race, is named for Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish, a right-handed pitcher who played Major League baseball from 1944 to 1964, finishing with a 92-92 record for seven teams, starting with the Brooklyn Dodgers and ending with the Philadelphia Phillies.
TO HALL OF FAMER DESORMEAUX, A WIN IS A WIN
Winner of more than 5,600 races in his Hall of Fame career, 44-year-old Kent Desormeaux was excited as a teenager after he won his first race of the meet on opening day aboard Bench Light, a 5-year-old gelding trained by Mike Pender.
“He’s been running against the best turf horses in the state and Friday he was in with his friends. Winning never gets old,” the three-time Kentucky Derby winner said, “even if it’s on a $5,000 claimer.”
With two wins Saturday before departing for Japan to ride Soi Phet at Ohi Race Course in Tokyo for trainer Leonard Powell, Desormeaux increased his career total at Santa Anita to 1,023, good for eighth overall but light years behind leader Laffit Pincay Jr., who has 2,860.
FINISH LINES: Under exercise rider Jesse Cardenas, bargain claim Big Macher worked six furlongs on a brisk Sunday morning in 1:14.60 for the $150,000 California Cup Sprint at six furlongs on Jan. 24. “It was a real easy work,” trainer Richard Baltas said. “He galloped out (seven furlongs) in (one) 28 just cruising around there.” . . . With rain forecast early next week, Big Macher was one of 227 horses that had works recorded on Santa Anita’s main track Sunday morning . . . Warm Breeze, a candidate for next Sunday’s Grade II Monrovia Stakes for older fillies and mares at about 6 ½ furlongs on turf, worked four furlongs on the main track in 47.40 for Simon Callaghan. Kieren Fallon rides in the Monrovia. Others likely for the Monrovia include Biorhythm (Drayden Van Dyke), Heat Trap (Victor Espinoza), Sky Treasure (Corey Nakatani) and Wishing Gate (Gary Stevens) . . . Bob Baffert has impressive maiden winner Callback ticketed for Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Santa Ynez Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 6 ½ furlongs. The Hall of Fame trainer has won the race four times, starting in 2004 with Yearly Report for Golden Eagle Farm and as recently as last year with Awesome Baby for Kaleem Shah . . . Trainer Jeff Bonde, on what he liked when he bought Saturday’s Midnight Lute Stakes winner Distinctiv Passion at the OBS yearling sales for $65,000: “He’s built like Michael Jordan and he runs like him.” . . . Every Thoroughbred turns a year older on New Year’s Day next Thursday, but they’re not alone. Trainer Gary Sherlock celebrates his 69th that day . . . Santa Anita will be dark Monday and Tuesday but reopen for live racing New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, Dec. 31, and race through Sunday, Jan. 4. First post time is 12:30 p.m. . . . Thanks to this item in Sports Illustrated, we end the year on a mirthful note with this nugget of a malaprop from the late baseball great and New York Mets’ announcer for 53 years Ralph Kiner, who died at the age of 91 in 2014: “It’s Father’s Day today at Shea, so to all you fathers out there, happy birthday.”
Source: Ed Golden, Santa Anita Stable Notes