Baruta clearly the best in Sen. Ken Maddy

Baruta breezed by her rivals in the Grade III Sen. Ken Maddy Stakes on closing day at Santa Anita.

The Brazilian bred sat third under jockey Rafael Bejarano down the hillside turf course behind fast splits of :21 and :43. Taking the lead when the field crossed over to the main turf stretch from weakening leader Amaranth.

Baruta won the Grade III event by a final margin of 1 3/4 lengths, but was not threatened down the lane.

Second place finisher Velvet Mesquite at odds of 7-1 put in a solid runner-up placing. Sitting second throughout the race and staying on down the lane to complete the exacta. 

Theatre Star came flying down the stretch to finish third, but was to late for anything more. While favored Chati's On Top was off a bit slow and never involved.

Baruta returned $11.60 for the win and ran the 6.5 furlong turf race in a good final time of 1:12.96.

This was Baruta's first career stakes victory, but also her last race of her career. She will be sent to Kentucky to be bred. Ending her career with $313,558 in earnings.

Dortmund dominate in return

Arcadia, CA

Dortmund returned to Santa Anita in dominate fashion taking the Big Bear Stakes on Saturday.

In his first race back since finishing fourth in the Preakness Stakes, the 3-year-old colt made short work of the five horse field.

Dortmund sat right off the leader Soi Phet, setting slow fractions of :23 and :47, and took command without even being asked by regular rider Martin Garcia around the far turn.

Garcia said "he's back" and it showed. His final margin of victory was 1 3/4 lengths, but it was done in a geared down workout mode.

The heavy favorite returned $2.60 to win and ran the 1 mile in a final time of 1:36.42.

Second place finisher Point Piper gave a valiant effort to make it close on paper and Motown Men finished a well back third.

Dortumd has now earned more than $1.6 million and is expected to race next in the Grade I Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs in November. 

Towes on ice impressive in Speakeasy

Arcadia, CA

Towes On Ice cruised to victory in the $70,000 Speakeasy Stakes Sunday at Santa Anita.

Jockey Victor Espinoza just had to give a slight tap on the shoulder around the turn to strike the front and kick clear to an impressive 4 1/4 length win.

Front running Big Finish set standard fractions of :22 and :45 for this type of race while Towes On Ice sat right off his number in second before taking command at the top of the stretch.

This was Towes on Ice second career victory and back-to-back wins by a combined 11+ lengths. 

The favored two-year-old colt dominated the race, but ran the 6 furlongs in a normal time for the conditions in 1:09.74.

Second place finisher Street Vision was the only one trying to make this a race, but still finished well back. While Blameitonthelaw rounded out the top three in the five horse field.

Towes On Ice, named for Chicago Blackhawks champion forward Jonathan Towes, returned $3.40 to win.    

Belle Hill ships and wins Autumn Miss Stakes

Arcadia, CA

Belle Hill shipped down to California from Washington's Emerald Downs to take the Grade III Autumn Miss Stakes at Santa Anita Saturday by a half-length.

Speed has been holding well and jockey Leslie Mawing knew he had to be close to the front. Sitting third and three lengths off the hot pace of :22 and :45 opening splits.  

Belle Hill took the lead in deep stretch after pace setter Dreamologist weakened to ninth and second place finisher Paulina's Love could not hold her off in the lane. 

Paulina's Love ran a very game second, after sitting right behind the leader throughout and taking the lead at the top of stretch to only lose by a half-length.

Favored Singling Kitty closed well to finish third after a slow break, but did not threaten the top two.

Belle Hill's winning turf debut gives her four straight wins overall and her first graded stakes victory.

She ran the 1 mile turf race in a standard time for the conditions in 1:35.10 and returned $21.20 to win. 

Surfside Tiara rallies to victory in the anoakia

With a ton of speed up front, Surfside Tiara rallied deep stretch to take the $70,000 Anoakia Stakes Sunday at Santa Anita.

Surfside Tiara broke second to last, but with half the field going to the lead that was not a problem.

Jockey Rafael Bejarano sat patiently behind the quad leaders, found room around the turn and overtook a very game Uptown Twirl for the win.

Surfside Tiara ran the six furlongs in 1:10.84. Not the quickest of times for the distance, but got the job done returning $7.60 on the nose.

Uptown Twirl was the only one to stay strong out of the quadruple leaders and ran a strong race to finish second by a 1/2 length.

Find Joy was a well beaten third. Finishing 6 1/2 lengths further back. While favored Miss Big Stuff weakened around the turn to fourth.

Surfside Tiara is now two-for-four in her career and this was her first stakes victory.