Kyle Frey’s self-imposed break, subsequent treatment lead to ‘biggest day’ as jockey

• September 6, 2024

DEL MAR — Kyle Frey had the best day of his riding career last Saturday.

The jockey rode 22-1 long shot Mixto to victory in the $1 million Pacific Classic five races after winning the Grade II Del Mar Handicap aboard Gold Phoenix.

“This is the biggest day of my racing career,” said Frey, who won $780,000 for connections. “No doubt. This is so sweet. This is a tribute to the glory of God.”

Frey was not at Del Mar a year ago for the Pacific Classic. He was on a seven-week, self-imposed break from the sport to get better control of his mental health.

Had he been riding at Del Mar last summer, Frey said he might not be alive today.

“To be honest, hadn’t I stepped back and away, I’d probably be dead now,” said Frey. “Over the last year and a half, two other riders that I had known … one of them being like a little brother to me … got into the ups and downs of internal conflict. The struggle that we face, a lot of it is pride-driven. We feel like we should be doing better and it shatters our finite identity of ourselves and you feel less than everybody around you, as opposed to just being happy to be alive.”

Frey said he was rocked by the suicide death of 23-year-old jockey Avery Whisman in January of 2023 – which was just one of the events that led him to step back and seek help and health. Frey said his faith helped him realize his plight and build a path for the future.

“I’m totally sure God can cure all things,” said Frey. “The one true way for me is Christianity and Jesus Christ.”

It was after the first weekend of the 2023 summer season at Del Mar that the signals became clear to Frey.

“I was feeling very discontented for a couple years,” he said. “But I’d have a couple good weeks and I’d shrug it off. Six months before I walked away, I moved down slowly but progressively. Then things snowballed in that direction.”

Frey said he went through extensive therapy, including for alcohol abuse. But what carried him most was his faith.

“What that did was give me enough power that I was able to see the truth. I did a deep dive into mental health from different aspects, including religious faith,” he said. “With me, and an alcoholic tendency, the use was to celebrate or self-medicate. If I was doing good, it was a good reason to go party. If I was going bad, it was a way to shrug it off. I’m what I call a recovered alcoholic. I saw things from a warped perspective.”

Frey said he’s in a much better spot than he was 14 months ago. And he was pleasantly surprised upon his return that he had the support from other jockeys and trainers.

“I’m forever grateful to be able to step back and then come back and do very good,” said Frey. “That’s a testament to what I felt was calling me to step away and get myself right. That was a very difficult decision to make as a father of two, a husband and an athlete.

“If you have that little voice telling you to do something, the Holy Spirit, follow it and things will work out in the end. I totally believe that.

“Then, to return and learn how many people were very supportive of the decision that I made. Not only that, but other people who might have questions about where they are mentally have approached me. For a long time, what the reaction might be from people in the sport weighed on my thoughts when I contemplated seeking help. And they had my back.”

And now Frey has the best memory of his career … as well as a punched ticket to the Breeders’ Cup.

Notable

Graduation Stakes winner R Heisman is the 6-5 morning-line favorite going into Friday’s I’m Smokin Stakes — a six-furlong dash for Cal-bred 2-year-olds. But trainer Peter Miller could scratch R Heisman from the $100,000 race and run him in the Grade I Del Mar Futurity on Sunday. That would leave Shea Brennan (Frey) as the horse to beat in a field reduced to five.

• Hot Girl Walk wasn’t disqualified from her win in Sunday’s Generous Portion Stakes, but jockey Antonio Fresu drew a three-day suspension for altering course without sufficient clearance on the far turn.

• Jockey Juan Hernandez (44 wins) and trainer Bob Baffert (21 wins) lead their respective races going into the final three days of the summer meeting. The pair have combined on 19 wins – 43 percent of Hernandez’s total and all but two of Baffert’s wins.

• Diamond Bar Gal ($3.10, Armando Ayuso) won Thursday’s feature —  a five-furlong, $76,000 allowance for older fillies and mares.

First post Friday is 3 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

​ Orange County Register 

Angels fall to Rangers, clinching 9th straight losing season

• September 6, 2024

ARLINGTON, Texas — It has been a rough decade for the Angels.

The team, which last played in the postseason in 2014, clinched its ninth consecutive losing season with Thursday night’s 3-1 loss to the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field.

It’s the longest active streak of sub-.500 finishes in MLB and the longest in the franchise’s six-plus decades.

The Angels (58-82) last had a winning season in 2015, when they finished 85-77 and third in the American League West. Their last postseason appearance was the season before, when they won 98 games and were swept by the Kansas City Royals, 3-0, in an AL Division Series. It has been 16 seasons since they reached an ALCS and more than two decades since they last played in the World Series, when they won their only championship in 2002.

Their previous long streak of sub-.500 finishes was seven consecutive seasons from 1971 to 1977.

Angels right-hander Jack Kochanowicz settled down after a rough first inning, which included four hits, including Adolis García’s three-run homer. Kochanowicz’s 0-and-1 sinker hung up in the zone and García hit it out to right-center.

Kochanowicz escaped more damage in the first with an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play. He held Texas scoreless on three hits, including two infield hits, and a walk and a hit batter, over the next five innings and left after six innings with the team trailing 3-1.

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Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford held the Angels to a run on two hits and two walks over six innings.

After Zach Neto’s RBI single scored Taylor Ward to pull the Angels within 3-1 in the third, Bradford retired the final 11 batters he faced.

The Angels turned to their bullpen in the seventh. Ryan Zeferjahn worked a perfect seventh and after a couple of two-out singles in the eighth, third baseman Charles Leblanc made an inning-ending, over-the-shoulder sliding catch down the left-field line in foul territory.

More to come on this story.

​ Orange County Register 

Ducks lottery pick Beckett Sennecke sidelined 6-8 weeks with broken foot

• September 6, 2024

As the Ducks prepared for next week’s Rookie Faceoff, they announced that the tournament as well as training camp will come and go without lottery pick Beckett Sennecke.

The 18-year-old winger sustained a broken foot during his offseason training and will miss six to eight weeks. That span will encompass the entire preseason, meaning July’s rookie faceoff was quite possibly the only glimpse fans will get of the third overall draft pick in a Ducks uniform this season.

Sennecke shot up the draft board late – to the surprise of many, himself included – and in July he showed some of the reasons for his ascent as he excelled in drills and scrimmages alike.

“He’s a big, long guy. From there, you can see the skill: his skating skills, his puck skills, his vision,” said Matt McIlvaine, who coaches the Ducks’ top minor-league affiliate. “With most young prospects, the focus is on (physique). That would certainly be priority No. 1 for (Sennecke), and he’s already excited about taking the next steps.”

Both Sennecke and fellow first-rounder Stian Solberg, a Norwegian defenseman selected at No. 23 overall, signed three-year, entry-level contracts on July 5.

Once he recovers, Sennecke will likely return to his junior club, the Oshawa Generals. He could also play a significant role for Team Canada at the U20 World Junior Championship. He participated in the Canadian summer showcase last month and was set to compete in the Rookie Faceoff before sustaining the foot fracture.

Last season at the junior level, he tallied 68 points in 63 games, with the stretch run beefing up his totals before offering a strong playoff showing as well with 22 points in 16 contests.

In addition to Sennecke, goalie Tomas Suchanek will also miss the tourney and an even more extended period (6-8 months), following knee surgery to repair a ruptured ACL.

The Ducks open training camp on Sept. 19 and play their regular-season opener on Oct. 12 in San Jose.

​ Orange County Register 

Woman in deadly Anaheim hit-and-run turns herself in

• September 6, 2024

A 44-year-old Anaheim woman was arrested Wednesday after she reported herself to police as the driver involved in a fatal hit-and-run earlier in the week.

The collision occurred in the early morning of Sep. 2, near Anaheim Boulevard and Cerritos Avenue. Officers and emergency personnel found 84-year-old Agustin Chavez from Anaheim lying on the ground and suffering from a severe traumatic injury. He died at the scene, police said.

Police believed Chavez was struck by a vehicle that left the scene prior to their arrival.

On Wednesday, the woman contacted police and provided a statement, identifying herself as the driver of a gray 2020 GMC Acadia SUV involved in the collision.

She was arrested and booked on felony hit-and-run, officials said.

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​ Orange County Register 

High school football: SCNG’s live updates from Thursday’s games

• September 6, 2024

We know how much high school football fans love being at games, seeing their teams in action, but sometimes it can be tough to do on a Thursday night.

The Southern California News Group is going to make your life a little easier, as its large group of reporters will be providing score updates and highlights tonight from games throughout the region.

SCNG has the most games covered, the most updates — that’s all you need to enjoy your Thursday night of high school football.

Recent scores and highlights from tonight’s games

ORANGE COUNTY

4TH DOWN: Foothill converts at midfield on the opening drive.

Knights are marching on Orange. @GoFoothill @ocvarsity pic.twitter.com/ElIoKrP5vw

— Zach Cavanagh (@ZachCav) September 6, 2024

Orange kicks off to Foothill, and the Knights will start at their own 35 yard line.

We’re underway at Fred Kelly Stadoum. @OrangePFootball @GoFoothill @ocvarsity pic.twitter.com/XHWHOfX1Y7

— Zach Cavanagh (@ZachCav) September 6, 2024

1st qtr 7:01

Tustin 7, El Dorado 0

Jon Ioane with a screen pass to Eimesse Essis for a 19-yard score. @ocvarsity @Tiller_Football @eimesse

— David Delgado (@DavidDelgado_OC) September 6, 2024

Nothing screams high school football like a temperature of 96 degrees right before kickoff at Yorba Linda High School, where the Mustangs (2-0) host San Jacinto (1-1). Updates all night. @ocvarsity @SteveFryer

— Lou Ponsi (@PonsiLou) September 6, 2024

SAN GABRIEL VALLEY

@SGVNSports is covering El Rancho vs. West Covina

Looks like El Rancho might have had a TD on this play, looks like feet were in bounds https://t.co/Oaivm8h1VV pic.twitter.com/jYydAjR7ui

— Fred J. Robledo (@SGVNSports) September 6, 2024

West Covina can throw the ball, Chris Perez airs it out for a 58 yard TD to Zander Requena, 7-3 over El Rancho, 3:28 left in first pic.twitter.com/4PBjU9d33H

— Fred J. Robledo (@SGVNSports) September 6, 2024

Honestly, weather not bad at all, field already covered in shade pic.twitter.com/G6poIJ3gXQ

— Fred J. Robledo (@SGVNSports) September 6, 2024

@honellsports is covering Diamond Ranch vs. Covina

INLAND AREA

@PrepDawg2 is covering Summit vs. Miller

Joe Taylor is covering Temecula Valley at Temescal Canyon

@CallMeEPJ is covering Fontana at Norte Vista

Fontana shut out its first two opponents.

Norte Vista needed only one play from scrimmage to end that streak.

Jyden Henderson goes 45 yards for a touchdown.

NoVi 7, FoHi 0 with 9:04 in 1Q.

— Eric-Paul Johnson (@CallMeEPJ) September 6, 2024

Norte Vista wins the coin toss and defers to the second half.

Fontana will receive the opening kickoff from the Braves.

Temperature at kickoff: 98 degrees

— Eric-Paul Johnson (@CallMeEPJ) September 6, 2024

Another Thursday night football game at Norte Vista HS for me.

Tonight, the Braves are hosting Fontana in a nonleague game between 2-0 teams.

Kickoff at 7:30 p.m. pic.twitter.com/lKEzJMdpyD

— Eric-Paul Johnson (@CallMeEPJ) September 6, 2024

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​ Orange County Register 

Court reporter shortage prompts LA Superior Court system to allow more electronic recording

• September 6, 2024

Grappling with a critical shortage of court reporters, the chief judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court system issued an order Thursday, Sept. 5, allowing electronic recording in some proceedings, providing thousands of self-represented litigants with verbatim transcripts for future appeals.

Recording will be permitted during certain family law, probate and civil proceedings when court reporters are not available, Presiding Judge Samantha P. Jessner said during a news conference.

“This general order addresses the constitutional crisis in courtrooms across our large, diverse county,” Jessner added. “A crisis that has left vulnerable litigants in family law, probate and unlimited jurisdiction civil matters with no access to  a verbatim record of their proceedings, essentially extinguishing their ability to seek meaningful appellate review.”

The “worsening and well-documented” court reporter shortage, combined with “arbitrary statutory restrictions” on electronic recording, impacts the court’s ability to provide all litigants fair and equal access to justice, Jessner said.

“Simply put, no record, no justice,” she said.

Union opposes move

The Los Angeles County Court Reporters Association strongly opposes efforts to expand the use of electronic recording beyond what is allowed by state law.

The union representing court reporters employed by the Los Angeles Superior Court system contends Jessner’s order puts litigants at risk of faulty recordings and incomplete or inaccurate transcripts, and does not guarantee their ability to appeal cases,

“We are dismayed that the Los Angeles Superior Court, after failing to invest in a strong court reporter workforce time and again, is now using the court-created crisis to threaten access to quality transcripts,” association President Cindy Tachell said Thursday in a statement. “The LA Superior Court needs to start working with us to effectively recruit and retain qualified court reporters instead of actively undermining this vital profession.”

California law mandates court reporters in all felony and juvenile proceedings and limits the use of electronic recordings as an accurate means of providing verbatim records to criminal misdemeanor, limited civil and infraction cases.

However, electronic recording is widely and successfully used elsewhere, including the California Courts of Appeal, which considers more than 500 cases per year, Jessner said.

“Almost 50 years ago the Legislature deemed electronic recording to be a reliable way to capture the verbatim record in these case types, and we have successfully used electronic recording for many years,” Jessner said. “As a result, we know a reliable and accurate transcript is produced from the recording.”

‘Pay, delay or walk away’

In instances where electronic recording is not permitted and where court-employed reporters are not mandated, self-represented litigants may have to pay several thousand dollars per day to hire private court reporters, Jessner said.

Another option is for litigants and opposing parties to ask for a continuance until a court-employed reporter can be assigned to the proceedings free of charge or forgo the use of a verbatim transcript on appeal.

“As a result of the (court reporter) shortage, this can take weeks or months,” Jessner said. “As you can imagine, delay is often not an option in these cases, especially in domestic violence, conservatorship and child custody cases. In short, litigants in these courtrooms must pay, delay or walk away.”

The Court Reporter Crisis Dashboard, unveiled in August to detail efforts to fill more than 125 court reporter vacancies, indicates that more than 525,000 family law, probate, and unlimited civil proceedings occurred in Los Angeles County without verbatim records from Jan. 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.

Millions for recruitment to no avail

Despite receiving nearly $10 million each year for recruitment and retainment, Los Angeles Superior Court lost 11 court reporters since it began offering financial incentives in early 2023. It has recorded a net loss of 117 court reporters over the past six years.

The state’s 44 trial courts spent $20.3 million on recruitment and retention efforts in 2022 and 2023 with “limited impact” in attracting new hires, states a California Legislative Analyst’s Office report released in March.

As of June, an additional 691 full-time court reporters were needed to meet the state’s minimum staffing requirements, the LAO estimated.

There were 4,752 California-licensed court reporters as of July 1, 2023. However, from 2013 to 2022, the total number of licensees declined by about 19% and the number of new license applications decreased by about 70%, according to the California Department of Consumer Affairs.

Challenges to ramping up

It is uniquely difficult to become a court reporter in California, according to a January 2022 California Trial Court Consortium report. The state requires three exams for licensure and does not make exceptions in its licensing requirements for certified court reporters who relocate from other states.

Aging court reporters also present another challenge. About 46% of active licenses were issued at least 30 years ago and about half of all court-employed reporters were eligible to retire as of Dec. 1, 2023, the LAO said.

The Los Angeles Superior Court system spent nearly $14 million in state funds from July 2022 to June 2024 to retain and recruit court reporters. Its extensive recruitment campaign includes advertising on billboards and bus stations across the county.

It also offers a variety of incentives, including a $50,000 signing bonus for new hires and a $25,000 finder’s fee for referrals from court employees.

The court also has developed a free internal training program for employees interested in becoming court reporters and has agreed to increase the salaries of existing court reporters by 10% over the next two years.

The LACCRA accused the court of misspending millions of dollars from the state for retention and recruitment.

“This is a highly skilled profession that takes proper training,” the union said. “Instead of meaningfully recruiting new candidates, the court spent money on a perfunctory advertising campaign on buses and billboards that did little to generate qualified applicants.”

​ Orange County Register 

Angels’ trip to Texas begins with a tough turnaround

• September 6, 2024

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Angels might have looked a little blurry-eyed against the Texas Rangers in Thursday night’s series opener.

The team’s chartered flight didn’t arrive at DFW Airport until 4 a.m. local time, so the Angels didn’t check into their hotel until nearly 5 a.m.

The first team bus from the hotel to Globe Life Field left at 1:30 p.m.

“I was asleep at like 6 or 6:30,” Angels rookie first baseman Niko Kavadas said. “I think I got six hours and five minutes. Showered and hopped on the bus.”

Manager Ron Washington said he’ll let his players try to catch up on rest before Friday’s game. For Thursday’s game, however, it was all systems go. It was important for the Angels’ young players, especially those with no history at Globe Life Field, to get in some pre-game batting practice.

“[We needed to] come in here today and get a workout and then tomorrow we’ll back off,” Washington said. “You have to get out here and get a feel for the ballpark, do some sweating, and just go for it. No excuses.”

The Angels’ 10-1 victory over the Dodgers on Wednesday night at Angel Stadium, luckily, only lasted 2 hours, 18 minutes.

This is Kavadas’ first trip to Arlington, so getting some BP swings was important.

“We have guys on the squad who haven’t seen the stadium before, haven’t seen how the ball flies, haven’t seen how the ball caroms off of different parts of the wall,” Kavadas said. “I think that’s really, really important, so I’m excited to take advantage of that.”

Players, he said, adjust to tough turnarounds by preparing ahead of time, perhaps sleeping longer in the days before the trip. Thursday’s starting pitcher Jack Kochanowicz, by the way, took an earlier flight to DFW, so he was able to get a full night’s rest.

“You see a day like this on the schedule, and you know it’s coming,” Kavadas said. “So the idea is you backload some sleep prior to it, and then tonight you get some additional sleep as well. So it’s being proactive rather than reactive and taking care of it before it happens, so when nights like these that are inevitable happen, you’ve got some sleep logged.”

WASHINGTON WANTS KAVADAS TO LET IT FLY

Kavadas is only in his third week in the majors, but he’s feeling more comfortable with every at-bat. The 25-year-old Notre Dame alumnus hit his second home run on Wednesday but has struggled for much of his first 13 games, batting .095 with four RBIs, 21 strikeouts, and three walks. Washington keeps reminding Kavadas that “a swinging bat is a dangerous bat.”

“And he does have a dangerous bat, he’s just got to swing it a lot more,” Washington said.

Kavadas has a .409 on-base percentage over parts of four minor league seasons.

“I told him at the major league level, if you don’t get it off your shoulder – because these guys are around the plate a lot, you don’t know the umpires – so if you see something, you’ve got to get a swing at it.”

Kavadas wasn’t in the starting lineup Thursday against Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford. Kavadas said he’s feeling more comfortable, especially with some of his former Triple-A teammates joining him in the clubhouse, such as Ryan Miller and Ryan Zefferjahn.

“It’s been good to have some familiar faces in the clubhouse and I’m getting comfortable with the staff and knowing everyone’s names and how everyone operates,” he said. “I think these last couple of weeks have been really, really good.”

His homer on Wednesday came on a 98.8 mph inside fastball on a 3-and-1 count.

“I was able to create a leverage count and get a really good heater from Bobby Miller on the inner half,” Kavadas said. “Yeah, it felt good to get the head [of the bat] out.”

The Angels want to see more of the same.

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“Hopefully, we can get him to the point where he’s starting to feel more comfortable and starts seeing pitches and swinging at them instead of watching to see if they’re a ball,” Washington said. “Swing before you take.”

STREAKING WARD

Outfielder Taylor Ward is on a tear at the plate. Ward entered Thursday’s series opener against the Rangers with a 14-game hit streak and has five consecutive games with an extra-base hit, including home runs in the past three.

The last time an Angels player homered in more than three consecutive games was Mike Trout, who hit homers in seven consecutive games from Sept. 4-12, 2022.

“It looks like he’s locked in. He’s taking the pitches where they are and swinging at them where they are,” Washington said of Ward. “He’s not trying to force anything and that’s when you know you’re seeing the ball well.”

UP NEXT

Angels (LHP Samuel Aldegheri, 0-1, 3.60 ERA) at Rangers (TBA), Friday, 5:05 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM

​ Orange County Register 

2 teens arrested on suspicion of setting off fireworks that led to the devastating Hawarden fire

• September 6, 2024

Two 16-year-old boys were arrested on Thursday, Sept. 5 on suspicion of setting off fireworks in Riverside that led to the Hawarden fire that burned nearly 600 acres, destroyed six homes and forced scores of families to flee.

The fire raged through a section of Riverside on July 21, consuming around 527 acres, destroying six homes and damaging 18 others, Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said during a news conference on Thursday, Sept. 5.

Of the 18 homes – 13 of them inhabited –  seven had major damage and eight vehicles were lost, Fire Chief Michael Moore said.

The fire was fully contained on July 29.

Arson investigators determined the fire was caused by fireworks after surveillance footage captured three teens in a silver pickup truck that were setting off the fireworks in a field near where the blaze originated — in an area bordered by Alessandro Boulevard, Overlook Parkway and Victoria Avenue, Moore said.

“The fireworks that they ignited were not only illegal in Riverside, but are classified as dangerous in the state of California,” said Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez. “These are not fireworks that can be obtained legally, even in counties where fireworks are legal.”

Authorities filed 27 charges of willful and malicious fire setting against the teens.

The third boy, also 16 and a resident of Northern California, was not arrested on Thursday, but charges were filed with local authorities, said Riverside Police Officer Ryan Railsback.

Details about the boys were not released by authorities because of their ages.

The blaze cost the city at least $1.5 million, Moore said, with the damage to the affected homes estimated to be around $28 million.

“We’re working on cost recovery,” Moore said.

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​ Orange County Register