NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND AT SANTA ANITA PARK

HEAVILY FAVORED LET FAITH ARISE BATTLES TO WIN GRADE III ADORATION STAKES UNDER NAKATANI; HOLLENDORFER CHARGE COMES FROM OFF PACE TO WIN BY A NECK, GETTING 1 1/16 MILES IN 1:43.41


Heavily favored at 3-5, Tommy Town Thoroughbreds homebred Let Faith Arise battled gamely through the lane to win Sunday’s Grade III, $100,000 Adoration Stakes by neck under Corey Nakatani, covering 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita 1:43.41.

FIRST-EVER ‘PREAKNESS DAY’ AT SANTA ANITA HUGE SUCCESS AS GREAT RACE PLACE EASILY OUTPACES LAST YEAR’S ATTENDANCE & HANDLE NUMBERS

With an expanded racing calendar that calls for live racing in Arcadia through June 29, Santa Anita Park operated as a live racing entity on Preakness Stakes Day for the first time ever Saturday, resulting in significant increases in both attendance and handle when compared to last year’s figures at the now-shuttered Hollywood Park.

ESPINOZA GETS HERO’S WELCOME UPON RETURN TO SANTA ANITA; REGULAR RIDER OF CALIFORNIA CHROME HAS THREE SUNDAY MOUNTS AT GREAT RACE PLACE


Jockey Victor Espinoza received a hero’s welcome Sunday at Santa Anita upon his return from Saturday’s 1 ½ length win in the Preakness Stakes aboard superstar California Chrome. The Preakness marked the California-bred colt’s sixth consecutive victory, which includes triumphs in the Kentucky and Santa Anita Derbies, the San Felipe Stakes, the California Cup Mile and the King Glorious Stakes—all accomplished in combination with the 41-year-old native of Mexico City.
MAY 17, 2014

LONGTIME SANTA ANITA FAN EDDIE ESPINOZA HITS MOTHER LODE WITH CALIFORNIA CHROME, WHITTIER MAN NOW STANDS TO WIN $1 MILLION SANTA ANITA DERBY MILLIONAIRE CONTEST IF ‘CHROME’ WINS BELMONT ON JUNE 7
COURTESY OF GREAT RACE PLACE, CALIFORNIA CHROME PROVIDING PLENTY OF GOLD FOR WHITTIER COUPLE


By winning today’s $1.5 million Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, Md., superstar California Chrome continues to touch and indeed enrich the lives of many thousands of racing fans across the world, perhaps none more profoundly than longtime Santa Anita fan, Eddie Espinoza of nearby Whittier, who stands to win a cool million dollars should “The Chrome” win the mile and one half Belmont Stakes on June 7 and thereby become racing’s first Triple Crown winner in 36 years