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Towards the end of a lackluster first day of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training April 15, Donato Lanni signed the ticket for Hip 190, a well-bred Curlin filly on behalf of Baoma, the owners of Tenma.

A schedule of this week's racing programming on radio and television compiled by America's Best Racing.

Santa Anita Park, located in proximity to the Los Angeles city area, has been confirmed as the venue of the equestrian events of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Tickets are available for 10th annual America's Best Racing Pre-Preakness Party. In celebration of the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes, the ABR Pre-Preakness Party is set to be held May 14 at Mt. Washington Tavern in Baltimore.

Byron King's Top 12 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, presented by Spendthrift Farm

Sandman made his first appearance on the work tab April 15 since winning the Arkansas Derby (G1) March 29, breezing a half-mile in :49 3/5.

Raul Reyes of King's Equine harbors high expectations for a speedy Into Mischief colt (Hip 416), a full brother to multiple stakes winner Taraz, at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

Dollars & Sense with Frank Angst

East Coast trainer Michael Matz concluded a seven-day suspension for an acepromazine positive from January at Gulfstream Park. He was also fined $1,000.

On the April 14 episode of BloodHorse Monday, Churchill Downs Asia representative Kate Hunter discusses Japanese Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders Admire Daytona and Luxor Cafe, as well as the challenges involved with getting them to the Derby.

A record-setting March auction and the recent success of graduates of Ocala Breeders' Sales 2-Year-Olds in Training Sales have generated excitement ahead of the OBS Spring Sale April 15-18. Recent graduates include Tenma, Sandman, and Dark Saffron.

Buyers have at least five good reasons to be optimistic about the Craven. The last four renewals have produced five group 1-winning graduates, including Native Trail and Vandeek, as well as last year's Futurity Trophy (G1) scorer Hotazhell.

An expanded racing schedule, featuring higher overnight purses and more stakes races, is on tap when Colonial Downs kicks off its 41-day meet, running from July 9 through Sept. 13.

BH Interview with Cristina Holmes

With three more grade 1 wins, owner Sol Kumin will reach the extremely rare 100-win plateau.

California trainer Felix Rondan has been suspended seven days and fined $1,000 after the 4-year-old filly Cee's the Image tested positive for the muscle relaxer methocarbamol after a March 8 race at Santa Anita Park.

The connections of Baeza (McKinzie) have had a change of heart and will ship him to Churchill Downs after all. Though some believe Baeza, the runner-up in the GI Santa Anita Derby, is among the best 3-year-olds in the sport, he has only 37.5 Derby points. That puts him at 23rd on the list. Only 20 horses can start in the race.

Had this been last year, Baeza would have made it in no problem. His second-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby would have earned him 50 points, which, this year, would have tied him for 15th place. But this year, Churchill reduced the number of points awarded in any prep race that had fewer than six horse. There were five in the Santa Anita Derby, including the maiden Westwood (Authentic), who Shirreffs put in the race to guarantee that the points allotment didn't get even smaller.

“There was a little change of mind,” Shirreffs said. “You know how rumors are on the racetrack…but from some of the rumors we've been hearing it seems like there is a possibility that he will get in. We are making arrangements now to go. If he doesn't get in, I don't know what we will do but we are optimistic he will make it in. Obviously, there's the Preakness a couple weeks away, so we'd probably go there.”

Baeza is highly regarded for a number of reasons. He is a half-brother to 2023 Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) and 2024 GI Belmont S. winner Dornoch (Good Magic). Not as precocious as his famous siblings, he took three starts to break his maiden. From there Shirreffs put him in the Santa Anita Derby, where he finished second, losing by only three-quarters of a length to Kentucky Derby favorite Journalism (Curlin). That he is seemingly getting better with every race bodes well for him in the Derby, that is if he gets in the race. Many consider him a serious threat to win.

“He's night and day difference from when he first ran,” Shirreffs said. “He's a lot different. He's more tactical. When he first ran, he didn't know anything about it and he didn't show the kind of speed that he has. Now he's become a lot more practical and he more understands about the company in the race. He's good around other horses now.”

Shirreffs said he was disappointed that Churchill Downs changed the point system for this year, but knows there's nothing he can do about it.

“It's too bad,” he said. “The year we had Honor A.P. was the Covid year and this year they adjusted the point system,” he said. “I know what they were trying to do, but in this particular instance the point system wasn't good at all. But I don't make those decisions and nobody asked my opinion. So to worry about it is waste of energy.”

The post Though 23rd on the Points List, Baeza Will Ship to Churchill in Hopes of Drawing Into the Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, bidding alongside trainer Bob Baffert, went to $900,000 to acquire a filly by Curlin (hip 190) on behalf of Susan and Charlie Chu's Baoma Corp during Tuesday's first session of the OBS Spring sale. Bred by Klaravich Stables and consigned by de Meric Sales, the bay filly is out of stakes-placed Motivated Seller (Into Mischief). She worked a furlong in last week's under-tack show in :9 4/5.

The post $900k Curlin Filly Tops Early Returns at OBS appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The equestrian portion of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will be conducted at Santa Anita Park.

The decision brings a sense of continuity to the Olympics, as the track also hosted the equestrian disciplines when the event was last in Los Angeles, in 1984. The decision also caught many off guard.

The Los Angeles City Council voted in March to approve the sprawling Galway Downs equestrian facility, nearly 100 miles south of LA, as the appropriate venue.

But according to the LA Times, Galway Downs was taken out of consideration a day after LA28, the organizing committee for the games, received approval for its master plan by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in a closed-door session on April 9.

The announcement about Santa Anita came as part of broader unveiling Tuesday of different venues for the various sporting disciplines.

“The 2028 Olympics will be held July 14-30, at a time when Santa Anita Park is traditionally closed for racing and training,” said Nate Newby, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Santa Anita, when asked about possible disruptions to the regular horse population. “Our goal as we work with the LA28 team over the coming months and years is to minimize any potential disruption to racing operations while maximizing exposure for Santa Anita Park.”

“The return of the Summer Olympic Games in 2028 represents a thrilling and prestigious moment, underscoring Santa Anita Park's versatility as a world-class sport and entertainment venue, and as a vital pillar of Southern California's horse sport culture,” Newby continued. “We are excited by the opportunity to again showcase SAP on a global scale. We will be able to share more details as event plans are finalized.”

“The 2028 Olympic venue plan invites communities from across the region to celebrate the Games coming to their backyard with the most exciting sports staged at some of the world's top-tier existing stadiums and arenas, famous beaches and purpose-built temporary structures,” said LA28 chief executive officer Reynold Hoover, in a statement.

“As we come together to prepare, we will help small businesses, create local jobs and implement lasting environmental and transportation improvements that will leave a legacy in our city for generations to come,” said LA City Mayor Karen Bass.

 

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Attorneys for former New York Racing Association head starter Hector Soler have filed suit against NYRA in the United States District Court, Eastern District of New York, alleging discrimination, retaliation in the workplace, and misclassification as an employee exempt from earning overtime.

The suit was filed Tuesday by attorneys Nadia Prevez, Aneeba Rehman, and Andrew Mollica, and seeks compensatory damages, back pay, and punitive damages.

Soler worked at NYRA for 25 years, starting as a part-time assistant starter and working his way up to the role of head starter in 2020. The suits says that he was the first-ever Hispanic or Puerto Rican head starter in the company's history. “Despite attaining a reputation as one of the preeminent starters in New York horse racing, Mr. Soler faced unlawful discrimination and retaliation in the workplace (and) was mis-classified as an exempt employee who was ineligible for overtime, when in fact, his duties were manual in nature and he routinely worked over 40 hours in a given work week.”

The suit says that Soler typically worked 52.5 to 62.5 hours per week and should have been due time and a half for the overtime.

The suit charges that in addition to violating the Fair Labor Standards Act, under which he was due overtime pay, NYRA fired him after he filed for workmen's compensation after being injured in the starting gate at Saratoga in 2024. Prior to that incident, the suit says that Soler had suffered a dislocated shoulder which required surgical intervention; had torn his right hip; suffered abrasions to his L4 and L5 vertebrae; shattered his right elbow, requiring surgery, which led to permanent nerve damage; broke his index finger; suffered nerve damage when he was kicked in the head by a horse; tore his ACL, requiring a total replacement; and finally, on August 4, 2024, injured his meniscus, leading to a complete transplant.

The suit alleges that Soler's direct supervisor, Juan Dominguez, was notified about the injury and asked him to continue working despite it, because no one else could replace him. Soler sought medical attention and was given a cortisone injection and prescribed pain medication, but on Sept. 11, 2024, took protected medical leave and eventually filed a workers compensation claim.

The suit goes on to allege that on Dec. 8, while he was still on leave, he received a his first-ever negative performance review. The suit claims that NYRA began looking for Soler's replacement while he was still on leave, seeking to replace him with a white male. Soler was fired on March 2, 2025.

“The complaint speaks for itself,” said Mollica. “Hector Soler was an exemplary, beloved employee with a spectacular record of employment. He worked through numerous injuries and literally left body parts on the field to do his job in an outstanding manner. We are fully prepared to litigate every aspect of this matter, but, of course, remain hopeful that a resolution can be achieved.”

Patrick McKenna, NYRA's Vice President of Communications, said that NYRA would decline comment on the matter.

The post Attorneys for Dismissed NYRA Starter Soler File Discrimination Suit appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.