Archive for category: Latest News

Courtesy of Santa Anita Park ARCADIA, CA. (Jan. 7, 2023) – In the final race of the day on California Cup Day Saturday at Santa Anita, one of the state’s longest and most successful Thoroughbred owner/breeders, John Harris, witnessed his homebred Coalinga Road rally to take the $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic presented by City National Bank by neck under Hall of Famer John Velazquez. Trained by Carla Gaines, Coalinga Road got a mile and one eighth on turf in 1:49.79.

The Unusual Heat Turf Classic is part of the lucrative CTBA-sponsored Golden State Series for eligible California-bred or sired horses.

Content to stalk the early leaders into the first turn, Coalinga Road was fourth, about two off Kings River Knight with three-quarters of a mile to run. Leaving the three furlong pole, Velazquez was on the move three-deep, gradually overtook Kings River Knight inside the sixteenth pole while prevailing over the onrushing Aligato and Luvluv on the money.

Bred and owned by Harris Farms, Inc., Coalinga Road, who had raced on dirt in his last two starts, most recently on Nov. 19 at Del Mar when third to the multiple stakes winning The Chosen Vron in the statebred Cary Grant Stakes at seven furlongs, was off at 3-1 in a field of eight older horses and paid $8.60, $4.20 and $3.20.

By Quality Road, out of the Johannesburg mare Coco Ecolo, Coalinga Road, in notching his first stakes win, improved his overall race record to 18-4-6-3. With the winner’s share of $110,000, he increased his earnings to $260,600.

Courtesy of DRF.com ARCADIA, Calif. – Fashionably Fast has run his last race.

A six-time stakes winner against California-breds, Fashionably Fast was sent to co-owner and breeder John Harris’s farm in Coalinga, Calif., last week to begin his retirement, trainer Dean Pederson said Monday.

Fashionably Fast won 10 of 33 starts and earned $807,143 in a five-year career from 2018-22.

Continue Reading the story at drf.com

Albany, CA (December 11, 2022) – Royal ‘n Rando, making his thirteenth start of the season, came away with his sixth 2022 victory in the 10th race at Golden Gate Fields, a mile and one-sixteenth allowance over the all weather.

The 3-year-old Tamarando gelding began the year still a maiden and moved up to stakes winner as he has matured. Today, facing older runners in the field, he turned in one of his best performances. Allowed to settle around the first turn and down the backstrech, he kept the talented favorite Kings River night (Acclamation) in sight and when he began his challenge, Royal ‘n Rando kept pace. Going wide into the stretch, he caught the favorite and the two Harris Farms-sired runners drew away from the rest of the field. Royal ‘n Rando was going best at the finish to win by a length and one-quarter.

Royal ‘n Rando finished off a fine weekend for his sire, who saw his 3-year-old filly Tam’s Little Angel earn additional black-type in the Bear Fan Stakes and Tamantari earn her maiden special weight diploma. All three were bred and are campaigned by Larry and Marianne Williams. Royal ‘n Rando is out of the Williams-bred Grand Slam mare, Royal Grand Slam. He is trained by Jeff Bonde.

Courtesy of ctba.com ALBANY, Calif. (Dec. 10, 2022) — On Saturday afternoon at Golden Gate Fields, unbeaten 3-year-old filly Chancery Way faced older foes for the first time in her stakes debut, the $75,000 Bear Fan Stakes for California-bred or sired fillies and mares 3-year-olds old and upward at six furlongs on Tapeta. She picked a good day to run a career best.

Breaking sharply from the gate, Chancery Way went to the lead and set fractions of 22.20, 45.53, 56.7.3 before holding off a late challenge in deep stretch from even-money race favorite Big Summer. Ridden by Kevin Radke, Chancery Way had not competed since a two-turn allowance victory at Sacramento in July. She hit the wire a length and a quarter ahead of Big Summer and stopped the clock for six furlongs on Tapeta in 1:09.89 seconds.

Chancery Way, sent off at odds of 10-1, paid $22.40 to win, $7.80 to place, and $5.00 to show. Big Summer returned $3.00 to place and $2.40 to show while third place finisher Tam’s Little Angel (Tamarando) returned $4.80 to show. Sheza Girly Girl was next followed by All Dialed In, Luxury Liner, Tip Top Gal, Carolina Mia, Hot Rageous and Exactly Wendy.

With the Bear Fan Stakes win, Chancery Way has now won all 4 career starts with lifetime earnings of $110,520. Trained by Jamey Thomas and owned by Andy and Rob Smolich, the California-bred daughter of Mr. Big was purchased for a bargain price of $6,500 at the Northern California Yearling Sale. She was bred by Harris Farms and John Nicoletti.

Albany, CA (December 3, 2022) – Passarando, the 2-year-old son of Tamarando, had already achieved the accolade of juvenile stakes winner when he won the Golden State Juvenile Stakes sprinting. Today, he made his two turn debut and can now claim the honor of two-time stakes winner with his victory in the $77,250 Gold Rush Stakes going one mile over the all weather at Golden Gate Fields.

Frontrunning speed is not Passarando’s forte and he was near the back of the pack around the clubhouse turn and down the backstretch. Roused by jockey Catalino Martinez around the final turn, he rallied inside and then moved outside for the stretch run. He blazed his final furlong, catching the leader inside the final sixteenth and drawing away to win by a length and one-quarter.

Passarando has four wins and two seconds in his first season of racing and he has earned $218,830. He is a third generation homebred for Larry and Marianne Williams. Trained by Steven Specht, he is out of the winning Lucky Pulpit mare, I’m Passing Ya Now.