California Democrats at odds over how to close growing budget deficit

• May 2, 2023

California’s tax revenues continue to fall short of expectations, its deficit continues to grow and with the June 15 deadline for enacting a new budget, there’s a three-way split among the Capitol’s top Democrats.

In January, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that the state had a $22.5 billion deficit, just months after bragging about a nearly $100 billion surplus. However, revenues – particularly personal income taxes – have grown even softer since then. When Newsom unveils a revised 2023-24 budget later this month, he’s expected to declare a wider income/outgo gap.

The problem is exacerbated by two factors: the spending expectations that were raised by last year’s phantom surplus and the lack of revenue clarity because the deadline for filing income tax returns, originally April 18, was extended by six months due to winter storms.

The current budget, passed when surplus projections were soaring, contains dozens of appropriations to create new projects or services, or to expand existing ones, particularly in social welfare and health care fields. The cornucopia of cash pleased advocates for those services, but they were disappointed in January when Newsom proposed to claw back many allocations to close the newly discovered deficit.

Since then, budget stakeholders have been pressing the Legislature not only to resist Newsom’s cuts but increase spending even more. Some of the heaviest pressure is coming from hospitals and mass transit systems, both of which say they face financial collapse if they don’t get billions of dollars from the state.

Last week, state Senate leaders issued their budget plan, entitled “Protect Our Progress,” that, they said, would close the state’s deficit while maintaining last year’s new spending – principally by borrowing money from the state’s stash of uncommitted cash and raising corporate income taxes by more than $7 billion.

“We are, in effect, getting our biggest corporations closer to pay their fair share,” said Sen. Nancy Skinner, an East Bay Democrat who chairs the Senate budget committee.

Spending advocates immediately issued statements of praise for the Senate’s budget framework.

“Senate Democrats’ plan acknowledges that California’s projected budget shortfall will never be solved by putting more burden on those who are struggling, but by asking California corporations to chip in more of their vast wealth – created by working people – to create a stronger economy and deliver on our state’s shared commitment to equity,” Tia Orr of the Service Employees International Union said in one of many supportive statements.

However, business groups denounced the proposed corporate tax increase. “Now is not the time to test California’s ability to withstand the impact of an economic downturn or a recession by placing our economic success at risk,” said Jennifer Barrera, president of the California Chamber of Commerce.

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More importantly, Newsom immediately rejected the tax increase. “Governor Newsom cannot support the new tax increases and massive ongoing spending proposed by the Senate today,” spokesperson Anthony York said in a statement. “It would be irresponsible to jeopardize the progress we’ve all made together over the last decade to protect the most vulnerable while putting our state on sound fiscal footing.”

Significantly, the Senate’s plan didn’t have an endorsement from Assembly leaders. In January, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, a Democrat from Lakewood, said he would prefer to tap the state’s “rainy day” reserves if the deficit widened.

“That’s what it’s there for,” Rendon told POLITICO.

So what’s it going to be? Deeper spending cuts? New taxes? Dipping into the reserves?

Whatever they do, Newsom and legislators will be shooting in the dark. They missed badly last year when the supposed surplus turned to dust, and the state’s fiscal picture is even cloudier this year.

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters. For more stories by Dan Walters, go to Commentary.

​ Orange County Register 

Garden Grove woman pleads guilty to role in management of illegal casinos

• May 2, 2023

SANTA ANA — A 41-year-old Garden Grove woman caught up in a crackdown on illegal gambling, extortion and drug trafficking in Santa Ana pleaded guilty Monday to a federal conspiracy charge.

Honganh Thi Pham was scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 25.

According to the defendant’s plea agreement, from April 2019 through August 2021 she conspired with three other defendants to operate an illegal gambling business.

Phan managed illegal casinos known as “nets” or “slaphouses” in strip malls and homes, including four in Santa Ana, prosecutors said.

The other co-defendants awaiting trial are:–Niem Ngoc Ha, 47, of Fountain Valley, who is accused of opening and running the four casinos, EZ Boba, Sharks, Willits and Asia–Mindy Bui, 37, of Westminster, who allegedly managed the casinos–Sammy Cardona, 36, of Santa Ana, who is accused of being an enforcer.

Bui told Ha Sept. 3, 2020, “that a fight had broken out among customers at EZ Boba, and Bui asked Ha to order Cardona to physically assault the customer that started the fight,” prosecutors alleged in the plea agreement. “Ha agreed to issue the order to Cardona. On the same day, defendant informed Ha that Cardona was on his way to EZ Boba to physically assault the customer who had started the fight.”

Also, Pham sent Ha a spreadsheet image Nov. 10, 2020, showing the casino made a $3,041 profit, prosecutors said.

Pham and another co-conspirator also attempted to shuttle $7,322 in gambling profits from EZ Boba elsewhere on May 13, 2021, prosecutors said.

Pham also sent Ha a spreadsheet showing $8,722 in profits from Willits on Nov. 13, 2020, prosecutors said. That same day, Pham and Ha discussed a police search of the casino and Ha told Pham to find a new home for Willits, prosecutors said.

There was also evidence that Pham and Ha discussed a malfunctioning gambling machine at Asia on Sept. 10, 2020, prosecutors said. And Ha and others possessed gambling devices and $12,300 in cash at Asia on Feb. 16, 2021, prosecutors said.

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​ Orange County Register 

Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot dies at 84

• May 2, 2023

TORONTO — Gordon Lightfoot, Canada’s legendary folk singer-songwriter known for “If You Could Read My Mind” and “Sundown” and for songs that told tales of Canadian identity, died on Monday. He was 84.

Representative Victoria Lord said the musician died at a Toronto hospital. His cause of death was not immediately available.

Considered one of the most renowned voices to emerge from Toronto’s Yorkville folk club scene in the 1960s, Lightfoot went on to record 20 studio albums and pen hundreds of songs, including “Carefree Highway,” “Early Morning Rain” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”

In the 1970s, Lightfoot garnered five Grammy nominations, three platinum records and nine gold records for albums and singles. In the more than 60 years since he launched his career, he performed in well over 1,500 concerts and recorded 500 songs.

He toured late into his life. Just last month he cancelled upcoming U.S. and Canadian shows, citing health issues

“We have lost one of our greatest singer-songwriters,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted.

“Gordon Lightfoot captured our country’s spirit in his music – and in doing so, he helped shape Canada’s soundscape. May his music continue to inspire future generations, and may his legacy live on forever.”

Once called a “rare talent” by Bob Dylan, dozens of artists have covered his work, including Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, Harry Belafonte, Johnny Cash, Anne Murray, Jane’s Addiction and Sarah McLachlan.

Most of his songs are deeply autobiographical with lyrics that probe his own experiences in a frank manner and explore issues surrounding the Canadian national identity. “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” depicted the construction of the railway.

“I simply write the songs about where I am and where I’m from,” he once said. “I take situations and write poems about them.”

Lightfoot’s music had a style all its own. “It’s not country, not folk, not rock,” he said in a 2000 interview. Yet it has strains of all three.

“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” for instance, is a haunting tribute to the 29 men who died in the 1975 sinking of the ship in Lake Superior during a storm.

While Lightfoot’s parents recognized his musical talents early on, he didn’t set out to become a renowned balladeer.

He began singing in his church choir and dreamed of becoming a jazz musician. At age 13, the soprano won a talent contest at the Kiwanis Music Festival, held at Toronto’s Massey Hall.

“I remember the thrill of being in front of the crowd,” Lightfoot said in a 2018 interview. “It was a stepping stone for me…”

The appeal of those early days stuck and in high school, his barbershop quartet, The Collegiate Four, won a CBC talent competition. He strummed his first guitar in 1956 and began to dabble in songwriting in the months that followed. Perhaps distracted by his taste for music, he flunked algebra the first time. After taking the class again, he graduated in 1957.

By then, Lightfoot had already penned his first serious composition — “The Hula Hoop Song,” inspired by the popular kids’ toy that was sweeping the culture. Attempts to sell the song went nowhere so at 18, he headed to the U.S. to study music for a year. The trip was funded in part by money saved from a job delivering linens to resorts around his hometown.

Life in Hollywood wasn’t a good fit, however, and it wasn’t long before Lightfoot returned to Canada. He pledged to move to Toronto to pursue his musical ambitions, taking any job available, including a position at a bank before landing a gig as a square dancer on CBC’s “Country Hoedown.”

His first gig was at Fran’s Restaurant, a downtown family-owned diner that warmed to his folk sensibilities. It was there he met fellow musician Ronnie Hawkins.

The singer was living with a few friends in a condemned building in Yorkville, then a bohemian area where future stars including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell would learn their trade at smoke-filled clubs.

Lightfoot made his popular radio debut with the single ”(Remember Me) I’m the One” in 1962, which led to a number of hit songs and partnerships with other local musicians. When he started playing the Mariposa Folk Festival in his hometown of Orillia, Ontario that same year, Lightfoot forged a relationship that made him the festival’s most loyal returning performer.

By 1964, he was garnering positive word-of-mouth around town and audiences were starting to gather in growing numbers. By the next year, Lightfoot’s song “I’m Not Sayin’” was a hit in Canada, which helped spread his name in the United States.

A couple of covers by other artists didn’t hurt either. Marty Robbins’ 1965 recording of “Ribbon of Darkness” reached No. 1 on U.S. country charts, while Peter, Paul and Mary took Lightfoot’s composition, “For Lovin’ Me,” into the U.S. Top 30. The song, which Dylan once said he wished he’d recorded, has since been covered by hundreds of other musicians.

That summer, Lightfoot performed at the Newport Folk Festival, the same year Dylan rattled audiences when he shed his folkie persona by playing an electric guitar.

As the folk music boom came to an end in the late 1960s, Lightfoot was already making his transition to pop music with ease.

In 1971, he made his first appearance on the Billboard chart with “If You Could Read My Mind.” It reached No. 5 and has since spawned scores of covers.

Lightfoot’s popularity peaked in the mid-1970s when both his single and album, “Sundown,” topped the Billboard charts, his first and only time doing so.

During his career, Lightfoot collected 12 Juno Awards, including one in 1970 when it was called the Gold Leaf.

In 1986, he was inducted into the Canadian Recording Industry Hall of Fame, now the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. He received the Governor General’s award in 1997 and was ushered into the Canadian Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2001.

​ Orange County Register 

Phillies’ Trea Turner returns to face former teammates

• May 2, 2023

LOS ANGELES ― A framed photograph of Trea Turner and Freddie Freeman hung between their two locker stalls last season in the Dodgers’ home clubhouse. They weren’t teammates for long – just one season – but their cheesy, smiling mugs exuded all the good vibes you would expect from a 111-win team.

The vibes were genuine, Turner said Monday, when he returned to Dodger Stadium as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.

“It was special being here, putting on the uniform,” he said. “I think it’s one of the best uniforms to put on in the game. Playing in front of the fans, the team, what they’ve built in the last 11, 12 years, and just being part of that and learning. Just that winning mentality of the franchise from the top down. Knowing what it takes to do that each and every year, it’s so hard.”

The Dodgers acquired Turner and pitcher Max Scherzer in a trade with the Washington Nationals in July 2021. Turner quickly endeared himself to fans with his fleet feet and even quicker bat. He led the National League in batting average (.328) in 2021, then drove in 100 runs and scored 101 last season, batting mostly out of the No. 3 spot in the Dodgers’ lineup.

Perhaps most memorably, in his fourth game as a Dodger, Turner slid foot-first into home plate to score a run against the Phillies, then popped up without a hint of friction between his feet and the ground. The clip still makes the internet rounds from time to time.

The good memories and good vibes headed east after last season. The Phillies lured Turner away with an 11-year, $300 million contract. The Dodgers did not present a formal offer after the season ended, Turner said.

“I had conversations with them in spring training last year; that didn’t work out,” Turner said. “So once that happened, I think anything’s possible. … It’s the business side. I told Andrew (Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations), just be honest with me and I’ll be honest with you. I thought we had great communication. Tip my cap to them. Communicated really well. That’s all I ask of them. Like I said, just didn’t work out.”

Turner said he would have entertained the idea of returning to the West Coast had the Dodgers made an offer.

“I entertained one West Coast team,” he said, ostensibly in reference to the San Diego Padres’ reported contract offer. “I definitely would’ve entertained another. … Yeah, it didn’t work out but I definitely would’ve considered it. I would’ve entertained it. I thought they would be on me. They weren’t.”

In hindsight, the decision to let a franchise shortstop sign elsewhere looks penurious on the Dodgers’ part. After losing Gavin Lux to a season-ending knee injury during spring training, the team has been forced to split shortstop duties among Miguel Rojas, Chris Taylor and – in a surprise to some – Mookie Betts.

“I kind of thought that would happen once I saw the Lux news,” Turner confessed.

Dodger shortstops finished the month of April with a .511 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS), 29th in MLB. Turner’s pedestrian .670 OPS looks outstanding in comparison. His clubhouse presence has been missed, too.

Freeman lauded Turner’s affability and self-deprecating sense of humor.

“Every plane flight, if there’s poker he’s playing,” Freeman said. “He’s hanging out with the guys. Team camaraderie things, he’s always in the middle of it. … He’s one of those guys, you see him and you want to be around him. He has that aura around him that it’s just fun, like a good time.”

ROJAS RETURNS

The Dodgers activated Rojas from the 10-day injured list. He takes the roster spot of catcher Austin Wynns, who was designated for assignment.

Rojas said the injury to his left hamstring was an unfortunate byproduct of the injury to his left groin; he believes wrapping the area too tightly in response to the groin injury led to the hamstring issue. In any event, Manager Dave Roberts said he will not lean too heavily on Rojas the rest of the season.

“There’s no one way to manage a roster, but typically the shortstop position is pretty consistent,” Roberts said. “Sometimes you concede the bat for the consistent defense; we just haven’t had that this year. … It’s not ideal. Whether it’s good or bad, I think time will tell.”

ALSO

Dustin May is officially penciled in to start Wednesday afternoon’s game against the Phillies, but the Dodgers are expected to push him back a day and give Gavin Stone the ball in his major league debut. … Designated hitter J.D. Martinez (back) is not expected to return from the injured list when he is eligible on Friday. The earliest he might return is the Dodgers’ three-game series in Milwaukee beginning next Monday.

UP NEXT

Dodgers (LHP Julio Urias, 3-3, 4.41 ERA) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (LHP Matt Strahm, 2-2, 2.31), Tuesday, 7 p.m., SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market only), 570 AM

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​ Orange County Register 

Orange County softball stat leaders: Final 2023

• May 2, 2023

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

Final Orange County softball stat leaders for the 2023 regular season

To be included, teams must have their stats up to date on the MaxPreps.com leaderboards.

BATTING AVERAGE

Name, school                                                              Avg.               Hits             AB

Mickayla Galaviz, Anaheim                                          .699                 51               73

Isabella Gonzalez, Costa Mesa                                   .672                 45               67

Aleena Garcia, Whittier Christian                                 .670                 61              91

Victoria Perez, Orangewood Academy                        .641                 41              64

Brooke Washa, Calvary Chapel                                   .630                 34              54

Peyton Thomas, Estancia                                            .625                 25              40

Ashley Barajas, Santa Ana Valley                                .600                 18              30

Kayden Connaty, Garden Grove                                  .592                 42              71

Janette Barrios, Anaheim                                             .589                 43              73

Michelle Delgado, Segerstrom                                     .580                 47              81

Mikaila Gorey, Estancia                                                .574                31              54

HOME RUNS

Name, school                                                               HR               PA             GP

Makenzie Butt, Fountain Valley                                      12               93              27

Zoe Prystajko, Huntington Beach                                   10               79              25

Veronica Moore, Fountain Valley                                      9               93             27

Victoria Perez, Orangewood Academy                             8               72             16

Madelyn Martin, Yorba Linda                                            8               85              24

Jadyn Booth, Edison                                                         8               88              28

Katelynn Cammarato, Capistrano Valley Christian           7               77              17

Liliya Cartledge, Yorba Linda                                            7               91              24

Anela Quinones, Sonora                                                   6               62              20

Tea Gutierrez, Huntington Beach                                      6                67             23

Savannah Maier, Capistrano Valley Christian                   6                73             18

ChaCha Miranda, Westminster                                         6                94             25

Anaya Togia, Marina                                                         6                96             26

RUNS BATTED IN                                                        

Name, school                                                                 RBI                 PA             GP

Makenzie Butt, Fountain Valley                                        52                   93             27

Riley Laygo, Whittier Christian                                         50                   98             25

Victoria Perez, Orangewood Academy                            46                   72             16

Anaya Togia, Marina                                                        39                   96              26

Peyton Thomas, Estancia                                                38                   53              15

Aleena Garcia, Whittier Christian                                     37                 100              25

Joanna Barrios, Anaheim                                                 36                   86              21

Jailyn Paderez, Whittier Christian                                     36                   92             25

Kayden Connaty, Garden Grove                                       35                   77             21

ChaCha Miranda, Westminster                                         34                   94             25

Isabella Gonzalez, Costa Mesa                                         33                  84              17

Janette Barrios, Anaheim                                                  32                  81               21

Reygan Schneider, Costa Mesa                                        31                  76              17

EARNED-RUN AVERAGE

Name, school                                                                 ERA                   IP                ER

Brianne Weiss, Orange Lutheran                                     0.64                 98.2               9

Zoe Prystajko, Huntington Beach                                     0.97                 79.2             11

Nevaeh Gomez, La Quinta                                               1.00                 91.1             13

Lexany Alcantar, Anaheim                                                1.26                 55.2             10

Peyton May, Orange Lutheran                                          1.30                 64.2             12

Malaya Majam-Finch, Fullerton                                         1.31                 58.2             11

Alexis Perez, Sunny Hills                                                   1.69                82.2              20

Brynne Nally, Pacifica                                                        1.83                84.1              22

Delaney Faus, Cypress                                                      1.88               44.2              12

Kylie Loertscher, El Toro                                                    2.11                99.1              30

Riley Laygo, Whittier Christian                                           2.24              131.0             42

Mia Valbuena, Marina                                                        2.28              128.2             42

Bayle Hunnicutt, Sonora                                                    2.33              123.1             41

Kayden Connaty, Garden Grove                                        2.34                68.2             23

Eva Hurtado, JSerra                                                           2.47              147.2            52

Loula McNamara, Tesoro                                                   2.47              124.2             44

Mckenzie Wanner, Kennedy                                              2.51                58.2             21

STRIKEOUTS

Name, school                                                                    K                   BF                 IP

Brianne Weiss, Orange Lutheran                                     176                 399              98.2

Zoe Prystajko, Huntington Beach                                     150                 326              79.2

Mia Valbuena, Marina                                                       145                 544            128.2

Nevaeh Gomez, La Quinta                                               139                 392              91.1

Bayle Hunnicutt, Sonora                                                   139                 529            123.1

Katia Wiklem, Laguna Hills                                               118                 503              98.0

Kayden Connaty, Garden Grove                                       114                 323              68.2

Brynne Nally, Pacifica                                                        102                337              84.1

Eva Hurtado, JSerra                                                          101                655            147.2

Lauren Mendez, Foothill                                                     97                 760            174.2

Kylie Loertscher, El Toro                                                     96                 411              99.1

Alexis Felix, Orangewood Academy                                   92                 368              72.2

Sophie Hunter, Edison                                                        89                 346              72.2

Loula McNamara, Tesoro                                                    85                525             124.2

Peyton May, Orange Lutheran                                            83                257               64.2

Nathalie Gonzalez, Los Amigos                                          79                421              80.0

Mia Gonzalez, Buena Park                                                  76                506            107.1

​ Orange County Register 

Dodgers win 4th straight, hit 4 home runs against Phillies

• May 2, 2023

LOS ANGELES ― A year ago, the Dodgers climbed four games above .500 in their eighth game of the season. They never came close to falling back to Earth until October.

For the first time in 2023, the Dodgers (17-13) climbed four games above .500 by beating the Philadelphia Phillies, 13-4, on Monday night.

Inconsistency was the Dodgers’ only consistent hallmark of April. Now, they have four straight wins for the first time this season. With one exception, designated hitter J.D. Martinez, their Opening Day lineup is healthy and active. Their paternity list is vacant.

Could the Dodgers finally be showing a glimpse of the team as it was drawn up in spring training?

“I think we already knew who we were,” said Mookie Betts, who made his fourth start at shortstop and hit one of four Dodger home runs. “It was just a matter of getting us all back. I can’t really help having babies at the same time. We already knew who we were. It was just a matter of putting it into action. Some guys were hitting, some not. Whatever. Fortunately, we put it all together tonight.”

The Dodgers collected a season-high 15 hits and 13 runs in support of starter Tony Gonsolin and three relievers.

Will Smith’s fourth homer of the season drew first blood against Yucaipa’s Taijuan Walker (2-2). A three-run shot by David Peralta in the second inning gave the Dodgers a 4-0 lead. Jason Heyward’s solo shot in the third inning made it 5-0. Betts capped a 3-for-5 performance with his two-run home run in the eighth inning.

Soon after, infielder Kody Clemens was pitching for the Phillies and pitcher Shelby Miller was batting for the Dodgers. The game, never in doubt, had turned into a laugher.

Freddie Freeman also went 3 for 5. Smith, Heyward, Peralta and Michael Busch collected two hits apiece. Busch also struck out looking against Clemens on a 57-mph fastball.

Former Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner received a brief but hearty ovation from the announced crowd of 42,137 at Dodger Stadium in his return with the Phillies. It ended with a relatively uneventful 1-for-4 night at the plate.

Ironically, it was on the day Turner returned to Dodger Stadium that the Dodgers’ once-apparent dearth of shortstops and fear-inducing hitters was not an issue.

“A complete contribution from everyone, one through nine,” Manager Dave Roberts said. “Fun to watch.”

Gonsolin’s second start of the season started with great promise. He did not allow a runner past second base until Kyle Schwarber curled a home run inside the right field foul pole to begin the fourth inning.

The right-hander got two quick outs to begin the fifth inning but could not come up with the third. Two walks and a single loaded the bases; by then Gonsolin was relying almost exclusively on his secondary pitches. His fastball, consistently in the 93-94 mph range last season, has been sitting 91-92 this year after missing most of April recovering from an ankle injury.

“I felt early, commanded the strike zone a lot better than I did the last outing,” Gonsolin said. “The fifth inning, I kind of tried a little too hard and lost the zone a little bit. Overall the boys raked and I got it done.”

Phil Bickford took over with the bases loaded and immediately allowed a pair of runs on a Nick Castellanos single. Both runs were charged to Gonsolin, who allowed five hits and walked two batters in 4⅔ innings.

Victor Gonzalez (1-0) was credited with the win after throwing 1⅓ scoreless innings in relief of Bickford.

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Will Smith goes yard! pic.twitter.com/GWIupxewtY

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 2, 2023

.@DPFreightTrain6 keeps it inside the foul pole for a three-run homer. #HereToPlay pic.twitter.com/XPFcRAjvjS

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 2, 2023

An absolute off the bat of J-Hey. pic.twitter.com/rD9pcagLVK

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 2, 2023

𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘

His third hit of the game is a 2-run homer! pic.twitter.com/c261BZqusE

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 2, 2023

​ Orange County Register 

Kentucky Derby favorite Forte draws the No. 15 position

• May 2, 2023

Three local 3-year-olds, all longshots for Saturday’s 149th running of the Kentucky Derby, landed favorable starting positions during Monday’s post-position draw in the Aristides Lounge at Churchill Downs.

Practical Move, winner of the Los Alamitos Futurity, San Felipe Stakes and Santa Anita Derby in his past three starts, drew the No. 10 post and was installed as the co-fourth choice at 10-1 on the morning line. Ramon Vazquez has the mount on the Tim Yakteen-trained son of Practical Joke.

Yakteen will also saddle Reincarnate in the Run for the Roses. The Good Magic colt was previously trained by Bob Baffert but was transferred to Yakteen’s barn to be eligible for the Derby. Baffert is banned from running horses in the Derby until next year. Reincarnate, third in the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park after winning the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita in January, is 50-1 on the morning line and will be ridden by John Velazquez while breaking from post No. 7.

The third Southland-based Derby horse is Skinner, trained by John Shirreffs. He’ll be ridden by Santa Anita’s leading jockey, Juan Hernandez, who will ride in his first Kentucky Derby. He’s 20-1 and drew the No. 9 post. Shirreffs won the 2005 Derby with 50-1 longshot Giacomo. Skinner, a son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, finished third in the Santa Anita Derby.

Yakteen was short and sweet when commenting on his duo’s post positions.

“Do I like them? Yes,” he said.

Said Shirreffs of Skinner’s draw: “Thumbs up. It’s a good draw.”

Forte, who has won six of seven races lifetime and is the Derby’s 3-1 morning-line favorite, will start from the No. 15 post position with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard. He’ll be looking to give trainer Todd Pletcher his third Derby victory following wins with Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming (2017). Pletcher also has the second choice on the morning line, Tapit Trice (Luis Saez, 5-1), and Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns (Jose Ortiz, 12-1). Tapit Trice brings a four-race winning streak into the race and will start from post No. 5, and Kingsbarns will break from the No. 6 hole.

“I’m good with all of them,” Pletcher said. “Good draws. We’re very happy with it.”

What’s it going to take for Pletcher to find the winner’s circle?

“Key is the first step, get away cleanly and then establish position,” he said. “Tapit Trice isn’t super quick, but hopefully he can get into the first turn, save some ground, get into a good position.”

Brad Cox, who won his first Derby in 2021 when original winner Medina Spirit was disqualified for testing positive for a banned substance and Mandaloun was declared the official winner, will start four horses Saturday, including Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire, the third choice on the morning line at 8-1. The Classic Empire colt also won the Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds and will be ridden by Flavien Prat, who won the 2019 Derby with 65-1 longshot Country House after Maximum Security was disqualified for interference.

Cox’s other starters are all longshots, including Verifying (15-1), Hit Show (30-1) and Jace’s Road (50-1). Hit Show (Manny Franco) was second in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, Verifying (Tyler Gaffalione) was second behind Tapit Trice in the Blue Grass Stakes and Jace’s Road was third in the Louisiana Derby.

Of Hit Show drawing the dreaded rail, Cox said, “It’s OK. We’ll live with it. We have to. He’s doing great.”

Post time for the Derby is 3:57 p.m. PT on Saturday.

The Kentucky Derby field from the rail out with odds: Hit Show (30-1); Verifying (15-1); Two Phil’s (12-1); Confidence Game (20-1); Tapit Trice (5-1); Kingsbarns (12-1); Reincarnate (50-1); Mage (15-1); Skinner (20-1); Practical Move (10-1); Disarm (30-1); Jace’s Road (50-1); Sun Thunder (50-1); Angel of Empire (8-1); Forte (3-1); Raise Cain (50-1); Derma Sotogake (10-1); Rocket Can (30-1); Lord Miles (30-1); Continuar (50-1). Also eligible: Cyclone Mischief (30-1); Mandarin Hero (20-1); King Russell (50-1).

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​ Orange County Register 

Bodysurfers celebrate start of blackball season at the Wedge

• May 2, 2023

There was no sun and no swell to mark the momentous occasion, but that wouldn’t put a damper on the beach celebration.

A group of bodysurfers showed up under drizzly skies at the Wedge, a world-famous Newport Beach surf break, to celebrate “Blackball Day” on May 1, when a rule kicks in restricting flotation devices from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 31.

This year marked the 30th anniversary since the Wedge Preservation Society, a group of passionate bodysurfers, lobbied City Hall to stiffen the rules against the growing number of board riders who were flooding into the wild surf break, causing chaos in the water.

The Wedge today is a place where often thousands of stunned spectators stand on the sand and watch in awe when a big south swell is on the horizon, cheering on bodysurfers, bodyboarders, skimboarders and surfers all hoping to get their piece of the wild waves that can be produced.

When an area has a blackball flag displayed, that means hard boards are restricted from certain areas, but most allow Boogie Boards. Not at the Wedge, where even blow up toys (yes, those have been ridden at the Wedge) aren’t allowed in the water during a blackball.

Longtime bodysurfer Mel Thoman, now 66, helped spearhead the effort three decades ago in 1993, when the “Boogie invasion was flying high,” he said, referring to the popularity of the Boogie Board.

While a blackball period had already existed, it was only enforced from noon to 4 p.m., and didn’t start until later into summer.

“We tried to ride, but there were so many boogs,” he said. “We knew all the lifeguards and asked, ‘Is there anything we can do about the situation?’”

So the group of passionate bodysurfers rallied a petition drive that highlighted the Wedge’s significant role as a historical bodysurfing spot that was in danger of disappearing if they weren’t allowed set hours to ride.

The Wedge’s wave is unique, created by a rock jetty put in by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to protect the Newport Harbor entrance in 1936. While it destroyed a surf break at Corona del Mar, it created the Wedge, which bounces incoming water off the jetty and refracts it to “wedge up” in size, creating steep-breaking waves in shallow water.

It became a mecca for bodysurfing in the 1950s when Fred Simpson, who later invented Viper Fins, and Roger Goodan bodysurfed the Wedge.

The invention of the swim fin allowed the wave riders even more control in navigating the Wedge’s wicked waters.

In the ’70s and ’80s, the Wedge Crew, as they are known, would spend summers soaking up the sun and riding the beefy waves any time a summer south swell showed.

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They held raging parties and tournaments on the sand, bringing blow-up toys to take on the big waves.

The popularity of the Boogie Board in the ’80s is when the chaos began, changing the lineup and creating tension in the water. Then, the surf spot was featured in surf magazines and it soon became a hot spot drawing crowds on the sand and wave riders who wanted to conquer the beast.

Longtime Wedge rider Bill Sharp, who a few years ago started the Wedge Awards, was one of those who fought against the original blackball rules – a kneeboarder who didn’t want less time in the water.

But on Monday, Sharp celebrated with the Wedge Crew, now understanding the importance of keeping the water open and accessible for everyone.

“In a way, it’s worked out for everyone. It gives everyone their slice of the pie,” he said. “You get up early and the boardriders have their feast. Then at 10 a.m., the bodysurfers who can’t compete with the boards, they have their sanctuary hours.”

Then at 5 p.m., people with boards come back and it’s a “free for all,” Sharp said.

“Everyone understands, it’s just what makes the Wedge unique,” he said. “No one is kicked out of the water – it’s just the boards are kicked out of the water. A lot of the guys who are really good surfers or bodyboarders or kneeboarders, they are watermen and they can bodysurf too.”

The celebration on the sand kicked off with a beach cleanup and Thoman putting up a big blackball flag in the sand near the rock jetty where each summer for decades Wedge Crew bodysurfers have gathered whenever a swell shows up.

Lance Jencks, 75, started bodysurfing here in 1965. As he walked up onto the beach he yelled out: “Happy Wedge Day!”

“I come every year,” he said, noting he retired from bodysurfing in 2020. His longtime love affair with the Wedge is “everything,” he said.

“It lasted longer than my first marriage,” he said with a chuckle. “That’s why we live here.”

Bodysurfer Jason Harney, who followed his older brother down to the Wedge when he was 14 years old in 1986, said there’s been a recent resurgence and appreciation for the break since the “Dirty Old Wedge” was released. The 2016 documentary is being featured at the Dana Point Film Festival on Sunday, May 7.

“There are a couple places known for bodysurfing, this is certainly the preeminent one of those,” he said.  “A lot of people, even if they haven’t been down here to ride waves, they are aware of it. That film, being such a historical homage to the group and the place, allows us people to be more aware.”

As the group gathered for a photo, a few small bumps started forming and as the swell inched closer to shore, the bodysurfers all watched in anticipation, cheering as it bounced off the jetty and formed a small peak.

While it wasn’t surfable on this day, they know they have entire summer ahead – and who knows, maybe this summer Wedge season will be one for the history books.

“The Dirty Old Wedge,” which tells the history of the world-famous surf break, will be featured at 5:30 p.m. on May 7 at the Double Tree, 34402 E Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point. For tickets, go to  danapointfilmfestival.org.

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​ Orange County Register