The docu-drama which follows 8 jockeys on the rollercoaster ride of the highs and lows of racing is back August 21st . We will follow the trek of 6 returning Jockeys from last season and two new ones to the Kentucky Derby. Garrett Gomez and Corey Nakatani are joining the show and there is much more to look forward to!

Check back for insider information on season 2 beginning Friday August 21^st at 10pm right after Whale Wars!

Get an early look at several May horses as they run Thursday at Hollywood Park and Golden Gate. Hip 110 Miss Madavor (filly by Olmodavor) consigned by B.C.3 Thoroughbreds, Agent and Hip 68 Delta Magic (filly by Proud Irish) consigned by Tricar Stables will face off in the 3rd race Thursday at Hollywood Park. The last race on the day will include Hip 7 A Soft Breeze (filly by El Corredor) consigned by B.C. 3 Thoroughbreds.  Up North action at Golden Gate finds Hip 119 Ringing Bernie (filly by Bernstein) consigned by B.C. 3 Thoroughbreds starting in the 2nd race on the day.

Nineteen year old Joe Talamo who also stars in the reality show “Jockeys” is set to make his first start in the Kentucky Derby on the presumed favorite “I Want Revenge.”  I Want Revenge the son of Stephen Got Even-Meguial was the winner of the Wood Memorial Stakes G-1 and the Gothom Stakes G-3.  I Want Revenge is a Barretts 2008 May 2 year old sale graduate.

 “I Want Revenge”, the son of “Stephen Got Even”, who is a Barretts 2009 May Sale Graduate is likely to be the favorite at the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby. “I Want Revenge” won the Wood Memorial and the Gothem.

Four of the last fifteen Kentucky Derby winners were started (i.e. broke to ride and gotten ready to the races) or sold at Two-Year-Old in Training Sales by consignors (i.e. sellers) that will have horses in the 2009 Barretts May Sale. The only one who didn’t consign the Derby Winner to a sale (was Stephens Thoroughbreds) which prepared the home-bred BARBARO for the races for his owners. This is a very high number from the small number of consignors in the sale.

2006 BARBARO (Stephens Thoroughbreds)

2001 MONARCHOS (Murray Smith)

1997 SILVER CHARM (Hartley/De Renzo)

1995 THUNDER GULCH (Jerry Bailey)

Triumphant Flight won his 3-year-old debut in the $70,000 San Miguel Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday. The California-bred colt (Chullo x Jetinwith Kennedy) is a half-brother to stakes winner Jet West. Tyler Seltzer is the winning owner, Eric Kruljac the winning trainer, Victor Espinoza the winning jockey, and Applebite Farms the winning breeder.

Triumphant Flight was purchased for $36,000 at the October 2007 Barretts California Yearling sale  under the advice of bloodstock agent Larry Zap (see video below). The dark bay/brown colt won the 2008 $130,000 Barretts Juvenile right here at Fairplex Park and then ran second in the $125,000 California Cup Juvenile at the Oak Tree meet.

-Marcie Heacox

A new satellite wagering facility is now open Wednesdays through Sundays at Barretts on the Fairplex Park grounds. It replaces the wagering area in the grandstand clubhouse.

Tracks across North America are on the betting menu.

Seating is available on an outdoor patio and indoors in the restaurant area or in the sales arena. The latter includes free electrical hookups and internet access.

The renovated food service includes drinks, salads, appetizers, sandwiches and desserts.

Parking and admission is free. Enter at Gate 12 on White Ave., south of Arrow Hwy.

Special dates:

• April 4: Santa Anita Derby Day, open 9 a.m.
• May 2: Kentucky Derby Day, open 7:30 a.m.
• May 16: Preakness Stakes Day, open 7:30 a.m.
• June 6: Belmont Stakes Day, open 7:30 a.m.

CLICK HERE for photos of a majority of the horses from the 2009 Barretts March Selected 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. (two pages)

The Barretts March Sale of Selected Two-Year-Olds in Training was completed Tuesday. It was the first sale done in the renovated facility, which includes artificial grass in the outdoor ring (pictured), darker wood around the sales ring, and state of the art seating with internet access (pictured).

As expected, the sale’s numbers were down from last year, a product of the severely weakened economy. The sale topper was hip 121 (pictured), a bay colt by Tiznow out of the mare Hurricane Judy. He was calm as could be in the ring as the highest bid settled at $650,000. The winning bidder was Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables, who bid by phone through Barretts Vice President of Sales, Kim Lloyd (pictured). Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree Stables, Inc. was the consignor. Stonestreet Stables was also the purchaser of last year’s sale topper, an $800,000 Silver Deputy filly.

Complete Sale Results

-Marcie Heacox

Besides the two stakes races this Saturday at Santa Anita, there are two other races of special note.

In race 2 (post time 1 p.m.), Great Legacy will make his second attempt at a career debut. He is a 3-year-old son of the recently pensioned sire Storm Cat, but the most notable name in his pedigree is multiple grade 1-winner Affluent. Great Legacy is her first foal. He was supposed to make his first start on February 7 but was scratched in the gate. Also in race 2 is Turk, trained by Bob Baffert and owned by his wife Jill Baffert. The bay colt, sired by the late Vindication, has been knocking at the door for a win.

The sentimental pick in race 4 (post time 2:02 p.m.) is Return of the King. The 7-year-old gelding was featured in local print and television news reports recently when he won for the family stricken by the Christmas Eve massacre in Covina. David Bernstein trains and Joe Talamo rides in place of the injured Martin Pedroza. Also in the field is one-time grade 1-runner Valiant Effort.

The Ortega family will hold a fundraiser in the infield on Saturday, according to Daily Racing Form notes.

Saturday’s Entries

-Marcie Heacox