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Horse racing notes: Bob Baffert seeks 7th consecutive Los Alamitos Derby win

July 7, 2023

LOS ALAMITOS LEADERS

(Through Thursday)

JOCKEYS / WINS

Ramon Vazquez / 9

Abel Cedillo / 7

Antonio Fresu / 5

Tiago Pereira / 5

Four tied / 4

TRAINERS / WINS

Peter Miller / 4

Milton Pineda / 4

Jesus Uranga / 4

Four tied / 3

WEEKEND STAKES AT LOS ALAMITOS

Saturday

• $125,000 Los Alamitos Derby, 3-year-olds, 1-1/8 miles

DOWN THE STRETCH

• Trainer Bob Baffert, who has won the Los Alamitos Derby six consecutive years and seven of the past eight, is scheduled to saddle Reincarnate on Saturday when the race, formerly known as the Swaps Stakes when held at Hollywood Park (1974-2013), will be run for the 10th time at Los Alamitos. The 1-1/8-mile event, restricted to 3-year-olds, attracted a field of six. It will be run as the final race on a nine-race card with an approximate post time of 5:05 p.m. Skinner, scratched twice since finishing third in the Santa Anita Derby, is the likely post-time favorite. Trained by John Shirreffs, he’ll be ridden by Mike Smith.

• The California Horse Racing Board reported last week that the state experienced a decline in the number of deaths suffered from injuries during racing and training at California facilities during the 2022-23 fiscal year that ended June 30. Twenty-six horses died last year as a result of musculoskeletal injuries compared to 39 the previous year. “That’s still too many fatalities, but it shows that all of the new regulations, policies and procedures that we’ve introduced in cooperation with the industry have had a significant effect,” CHRB chairman Greg Ferraro said in a statement.

• Rombauer, trained by Southland-based Michael McCarthy when he won the 2021 Preakness and finished third in the Belmont Stakes, is back breezing at Gulfstream Park after a two-year absence and is now in the barn of Saffie Joseph Jr. “He was given time off for an issue he had,” Joseph said. “I train horses for (owner John and Diane Fradkin) and they decided to send him to me.” Joseph said Rombauer, a 5-year-old son of Twirling Candy, could return to the races in August if all goes well. “Hopefully, he stays happy and healthy and comes back to what made him what he was.”

— Art Wilson

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