VANCOUVER, Canada — 

Elias Pettersson scored his fourth game-winning goal of the season and Jacob Markstrom made 49 saves as the Vancouver Canucks beat the Kings 3-2 on Saturday night.

Jake Virtanen also scored his 11th goal of the season and Tyler Motte had his second for Vancouver (20-15-4).

Anze Kopitar and Tyler Toffoli scored for the Kings (16-21-4), who were playing their second game in as many nights following a 3-2 overtime win in San Jose.

Jonathan Quick made 23 saves for the Kings.

Starting his ninth straight game since Dec. 10, Markstrom improved his record over that span to 5-4-0 as he earned his 100th career NHL win.

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The Kings were 0 for 3 on the power play, while the Canucks were 0 for 1. It was the first time in six games that Vancouver failed to score with the man advantage.

In their first game action after a four-day holiday break, the Canucks looked sluggish off the opening faceoff. Markstrom kept the game scoreless as the Kings recorded the first nine shots of the game.

Virtanen got Vancouver on the board with 9:38 left in the first. He grabbed a big rebound off his own shot near the right boards and fired the puck high over an outstretched Quick.

Motte doubled Vancouver’s lead with 28 seconds left in the opening frame, following up a Pettersson rush and rifling a snap shot to the far side over Quick’s glove.

The Kings continued to pressure in the second period, with Markstrom’s biggest save coming off a Toffoli breakaway. On the 25th Kings shot of the game, with 8:08 left in the second period, Kopitar got his team on the scoreboard. He poked a loose puck between the post and Markstrom’s outstretched right foot for his team-leading 15th goal of the year.

Shots after two periods were 30-17 for the Kings.

The Kings tied the game 2-2 at the 6:46 mark of the third period when Toffoli found a loose puck just outside the Vancouver crease.

It took Vancouver just 19 seconds to reply, with J.T. Miller feeding Pettersson off the rush for his 18th goal of the year.

That was enough, as Markstrom stopped 20 of 21 shots in the third.

The Canucks are 3-0-0 against the Kings this season and finished their holiday homestand with a 4-1-0 record. Saturday’s win gives Vancouver 44 points, tying it with the Edmonton Oilers for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

The win is Vancouver’s fourth in a row, its second-such streak of the season.

Hello, my name is John Cherwa and welcome back to our horse racing newsletter as Santa Anita pulls off a terrific opening day.

OK, this newsletter is almost as long as “The Irishman,” so let’s give you what you want to read. But, should you want even more, we take a look at the broader issues Santa Anita faced on opening day. Just click here.

Santa Anita review

Let’s get right to the stakes.

$75,000 Lady of Shamrock Stakes: Normally, a race like this wouldn’t be so interesting on day like Saturday, but the winner was a $1-million purchase with Mike Smith as a pick-up rider. And, she paid $9.00 to win. Brill, who started with so much promise based on her purchase price, won her first race since her debut. Smith took her to the front under modest fractions and held on all the way around to win by 1 ¾ lengths. Smith got the ride when Flavien Prat called in sick and was taken off all his mounts.

Brill paid $9.00, $4.80 and $3.00. Keeper Ofthe Stars was second as the favorite and Lucky Peridot was third. Don Chatlos, who used to be an assistant to Jerry Hollendorfer, was the winning trainer.

Grade 2 $200,000 San Antonio Stakes: Gift Box proved what most in the crowd already knew, he was the best horse in the 1 1/16-mile race. He went to the front and stayed there the entire race, winning by a widening 3 ¾ lengths.

Gift Box, who turns 7 on Jan. 1, will be back for another year. He paid $4.40, $2.80 and $2.20. King Abner was second and Midcourt finished third.

Here’s what the winning connections had to say.

John Sadler (winning trainer): “He trained with a lot of enthusiasm for this race. … He’s been galloping out well in his works, so we thought we had him pretty ready. He was fighting the track at the Stephen Foster [in June at Churchill Downs]. He was going against horses that trained there. He has run against quality horses wherever he has run, so [Saturday] we said let him run a little more free and we had a good result.

“I was kind of hoping [he would go to the front]. I didn’t want to suck back out of there. We talked about lying first or second. He’s always going to be in the first flight so it went really well and he looked so good at the end. That’s what really made me feel good. I felt really good with him coming around the far turn, he looked relaxed, sharp and he was running really well coming down the lane.

“I hope we can go for a Santa Anita Handicap (March 7) double. We have a lot of choices with these handicap horses. We’ll see how he comes out of the race and maybe run him back east or maybe take Higher Power back there. We’re blessed to have two or three horses in this division, so we’re going to kind of mix and match . . . we’re going to be judicious.”

Joel Rosario (winning jockey): “He ran really well. He kind of broke a little slow, but then got it going a little bit. I got to the first turn and he was in front, and he was able to keep on going from that position and take it all the way.”

Grade 1 $300,000 American Oaks: This race for 3-year-old fillies going 1 ¼ miles on the turf was won by Lady Prancealot. She ran near the back of the pack for the first mile and then started making a move on the far turn and rallied down the stretch to win by half-a-length.

Lady Prancealot paid $5.20, $3.00 and $2.40. Mucho Unusual was second and Pretty Point finished third.

Here’s what the winning connections had to say.

Richard Baltas (winning trainer): “This filly came over here from Europe and the first time she worked she had an issue and we gave her a bunch of time. We thought we bought a bad horse but we didn’t. She has been ultra-consistent. I want to give a hat’s off to the guys at San Luis Rey Downs, my assistant trainer who has had her there most of the time. ‘Jersey Joe’ rode an awesome race and we are all happy now.”

Joe Bravo (winning jockey): “I was just glad to be sitting on Lady Prancealot [Saturday] afternoon. I take my hat off to Richard and his team. She was so relaxed post break, so turned off and relaxed like she had full control over the whole race. All I had to do was point her to the hole turning for home and she took me through. She made my job easy. If she was a fat horse she would have never made it.

“Knowing a horse is always key, and the more information you can have, the better. Last time at Keeneland, she really took the lead too early, so I know the type of horse to point her at. I give Richard all the credit. Before the race I told him, ‘She’s walking over here like a winner.’”

Grade 1 $300,000 La Brea Stakes: This was the feel-good story of the day. Hard Not to Love, blind in her left eye, won the race for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs. The filly got an infection in her left eye as a yearling and about a month later it was removed.

She was running against some heavy company with Bellafina, who was trying to wire the field after a quarter-mile and Mother Mother. Hard Not to Love didn’t make her move until the far turn and entered the stretch in third. She won by a convincing 2 ¼ lengths. Hard Not to Love paid $25.30, $6.60 and $4.20. Bellafina was second and Mother Mother was third.

Here’s what the winning connections had to say.

John Shirreffs (winning trainer): “Yes, she was really a handful going to the gate. She only has the one eye, and when she gets nervous, she tends to spin around to see. This was a great race to win. For a filly to win a Grade 1, that’s like a PhD, so it makes it especially fulfilling. Mike [Smith] has really made a difference with her. When he made the decision to ride her, he put his reputation as a horseman on the line. I think that made this even more special.”

Mike Smith (winning jockey): “My hat’s off to West Point Thoroughbreds, John Shirreffs and the whole barn, so many people. They worked so hard with this mare. She has one eye so she gets a little bit of anxiety at times. We work hard with her and it’s great to see the hard work that we put in pay off [Saturday].”

Grade 3 $100,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes: This race, for fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles on the turf, was the closest of all the stakes on Saturday. Mirth made a bold move on the far turn and went from sixth to first entering the stretch. But Tiny Tina fought to take the lead, which Mirth regained and won the race by a nose.

The first two horses were trained by Phil D’Amato. Mirth paid $4.80, $3.00 and $2.20. Tiny Tina was second and Excellent Sunset finished third.

Here’s what the winning connections had to say.

Phil D’Amato (winning trainer): “It may have been Mike Smith’s plan (sitting far back), but I thought we would be sitting second maybe, not that far back. But Mike is a Hall of Famer so he figured it out. [Saturday] she showed a good dimension against good horses so I think at the end of the day she wants to go further than a mile and eighth. This was a good stepping stone [Saturday].”

Mike Smith (winning jockey): “That was awesome. He (Javier Castellano aboard Tiny Tina) got in front of me, but she dug back in. I feel great and can’t wait for the next one. Let’s see if we can do it again. There was a little more pace than I expected but that was fine because that helped me. If it had been just one horse going out there on the lead, then I probably would have had to go early to press him. But this way, I just got to sit and wait and move when I wanted.”

Grade 1 $300,000 Runhappy Malibu Stakes: It was the race everyone wanted, to see if Omaha Beach was as good as advertised. He was. The one-time Kentucky Derby favorite breezed to hand-ridden 2 ¾-length victory. It was the fourth stakes win on the day for Mike Smith and made him the all-time leading Grade 1 winner with 217, passing Jerry Bailey.

Omaha Beach made a move on the backstretch in the seven-furlong race and it was never much of a race when the horses hit the stretch. Omaha Beach paid $2.80, $2.10 and $2.10. Roadster was second followed by Manny Wah, Complexity and Much Better. Omaha Beach will likely have only one other race before going to stud, the Pegasus on Jan. 25 at Gulfstream.

Here’s what the winning connections had to say.

Richard Mandella (winning trainer): “He was supposed to run like this. … He’s like a son. He’s better than a son. He makes me money. He doesn’t cost money. I thought about it a lot and I should have spoken to Mr. [Rick] Porter when he was a 2-year-old and suggest castrating him [so they wouldn’t retire him], and I still haven’t. He’s a great horse. … This is really special for us, Opening Day at Santa Anita, after all the trouble we have been through this year, this place is The Great Race Place and we all need to remember that.”

Mike Smith (winning jockey): “It is very humbling, I am a very blessed man and when you are blessed, opportunities arise, like I get to ride for Mr. Mandella and all kinds of things happen. [Omaha Beach] just gives you that confidence, he exudes it. Mr. Mandella had him trained up so well for this race. I basically stayed as still as I could. I didn’t want to mess it up to be honest. He did it all on his own and he did it pretty handy today.

“It’s just amazing, and this horse speaks for everything. He’s just beautiful, so fun to be around, so fun to ride, and so fun to train. It just shows how great this horse really is. I’m so happy and so blessed to be a part of it. To surpass Jerry [Bailey] on Omaha Beach even makes it that much more special.”

Grade 2 $200,000 Mathis Brothers Mile: The final stakes race of the day was for 3-year-olds on the turf. (You can figure out the distance.) The heavy favorite, Mo Forza, lived up to his expectations running at the back the first half-mile and then rallying strong and taking the lead in mid-stretch. He won by 1 ¼ lengths.

Mo Forza paid $4.40, $3.00 and $2.20. Originaire was second and Neptune’s Storm finished third.

Here’s what the winning connection had to say.

Peter Miller (winning trainer): “I thought we’d be sitting a couple lengths off the pace in third or fourth, and there we were in the back of the pack and five wide, and I’m going ‘Oh Geez, I don’t know about this.’ But the pace was hot, and Joel knows what he’s doing, so everything worked out.

“[Mo Forza] always had the talent but he never really could put it all together I think we haven’t seen the best of him yet. He is just starting to learn and once he relaxes a little bit better and doesn’t want to lay in when he passes that last horse. I think the sky is the limit, he’s just a tremendous horse. A great job by Joel for harnessing him because he is a lot of horse. … I think the [Pegasus] is our first option, if everything is going well. With no Lasix the horse is never been a bleeder and so I don’t see any reason why the Pegasus wouldn’t be our next option.”

Joel Rosario (winning jockey): “It was not my decision [to be so wide] but I just have to be with the horse. I loved making the move on the turn the way he did. I was just hanging on to the bridle and he just loved that so we stayed with that. The trip was good. He was happy where he was. I thought he could get a little closer, but it looked like he wasn’t having that [Saturday], so I left him where he was happy. I knew at some point he was going to get in his speed when it was there for me.”

Santa Anita preview

It would be tough to top Saturday’s opening-day card for pure star power and quality horses, and Sunday’s card does not top it. It’s 10 races starting at 11:30 a.m. and will be the last start for every horses at Santa Anita before their next birthday. (For you newbies, every race horse has the same birthday, Jan. 1, regardless of when they were foaled.)

There are two minor stakes worth $75,000 for 2-year-olds going a mile on the turf. The Eddie Logan is for males and the Blue Norther for fillies.

Smooth Like Strait, at 5-2, is the favorite in the Eddie Logan. He is trained by Michael McCarthy and will be ridden by Geovanni Franco. The colt is two for four this year and is coming of a win in the Cecil B. DeMille at Del Mar by 2 ½ lengths. Golid, at 3-1 for Richard Mandella and Flavien Prat (maybe), is the second choice. He has won once and finished second twice in three starts. He was second in the Cecil B. DeMille. Post is around 2:15 p.m.

Laura’s Light is the favorite, at 3-1, in the Blue Norther. She won her first race and finished in the Jimmy Durante at Del Mar in her only other race. She runs for Peter Miller and Abel Cedillo. Croughavouke is the 7-2 second choice for Jeff Mullins and Umberto Rispoli. She started her career in Ireland for two races before coming to the U.S. She has won one of six and was fourth in the Jimmy Durante.

Here are the field sizes, in order: 10, 8, 6, 10 (3 also eligible), 8, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9 (4 also eligible).

Ciaran Thornton’s SA pick of the day

RACE NINE: No. 7 Into Chocolate (6-1)

Into Chocolate has one victory in six races but almost every race into the turn has looked like she would blow the other horses away but fades. The horse continues to be a victim of issues almost every race from stumbling and then rushing up to being three or four wide in short fields into the turn. We get a major jockey upgrade today to Abel Cedillo and trainer Clifford Sise decides the blinkers have been no help and removes them. The last two workouts, both sub-one minute five-furlong works, are the fastest ever for this horse who also races protected on Sunday. We are getting great value at 6-1 and likely higher as most punters will have by now thrown in the towel and given up betting on this horse. The works and jockey switch tell me now is the time to bet.

Saturday’s results: Front runners dominated Saturday on the dirt which was bad news for No Parking Here who looked like he was running in quicksand into the stretch and finished nowhere. In race 10, however, Umberto Rispoli showed us a glimpse of his riding skills, almost pulling the upset off at 13-1 on Originaire. If he had an earlier lane in the stretch he had the win but alas we had to settle for $9.60 for place. Watch this jockey.

Ciaran Thornton is the handicapper for Californiapick4.com, which offers daily full card picks, longshots of the day, best bets of the day.

Big races review

A look at graded stakes or races worth $100,000 or more on Saturday or late Friday.

Laurel (3): $100,000 Dave’s Friend Stakes, 3 and up, 6 furlongs. Favorite: Threefiveindia ($3.00)

Gulfstream (4): $100,000 Janus Stakes, 3 and up, 5 furlongs on turf. Winner: Extravagant Kid ($4.60)

Aqueduct (4): $100,000 Alex M. Robb Stakes, NY-breds 3 and up, 1 1/16 miles. Winner: Mr. Buff ($3.10)

Laurel (5): $100,000 Gin Talking Stakes, fillies 2-years-old, 7 furlongs. Winner: Bell Aurora ($9.80)

Laurel (6): $100,000 Native Dancer Stakes, 3 and up, 1 1/8 miles. Winner: Someday Jones ($7.60)

Laurel (7): $100,000 Heft Stakes, 2-year-olds, 7 furlongs. Favorite: Monday Morning Qb ($6.20)

Santa Anita (5): Grade 2 $200,000 San Antonio Stakes, 3 and up, 1 1/16 miles. Winner: Gift Box ($4.40)

Gulfstream (6): $100,000 Abundantia Stakes, fillies and mares 3 and up, 5 furlongs on turf. Winner: Jean Elizabeth ($10.00)

Laurel (8): $100,000 Willa On the Move Stakes, fillies and mares 3 and up, 6 furlongs. Winner: Majestic Reason ($5.80)

Santa Anita (6): Grade 1 $300,000 American Oaks, fillies 3-years-old, 1 ¼ miles on turf. Winner: Lady Prancealot ($5.20)

Gulfstream (11): $100,000 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes, 3 and up, 2 miles on turf. Winner: American Tattoo ($2.60)

Santa Anita (7): Grade 1 $300,000 La Brea Stakes, fillies 3-years-old, 7 furlongs. Winner: Hard Not to Love ($25.20)

Sunland (9): $100,000 New Mexico State Racing Commission Handicap, NM-bred fillies and mares 3 and up, 5 ½ furlongs. Winner: Susans Violette ($7.60)

Santa Anita (8): Grade 3 $100,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes, fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 1/8 miles on turf. Winner: ($4.80)

Santa Anita (9): Grade 1 $300,000 Malibu Stakes, 3-year-olds, 7 furlongs. Winner: Omaha Beach ($2.80)

Santa Anita (10): Grade 2 $200,000 Mathis Brothers Miles Stakes, 3-year-olds, 1 mile on turf. Winner: Mo Forza ($4.40)

Big races preview

A look at graded stakes or races worth $100,000 or more on Sunday. All times PST:

12:46 Aqueduct (8): $100,000 Bay Ridge Stakes, NY-bred fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 1/8 miles. Favorite: Our Super Nova (4-5)

1:24 Fair Grounds (7): $100,000 Louisiana Futurity, LA-bred fillies 2-years-old, 6 furlongs. Favorite: Vacherie Girl (4-5)

2:22 Fair Grounds (9): $100,000 Louisiana Futurity, LA-bred 2-year-olds, 6 furlongs. Favorite: X Clown (7-2)

Chris Wade’s LA pick of the day

RACE EIGHT: No. 1 Golden Boy Gonza (7-2)

He has had races where he moves in and out of his racing lane, but he has posted many competitive efforts and lands a good spot for this 110-yard Sunday dash. In his most recent outing, he was bumped back to lose multiple lengths and should be tough with a better getaway while also taking a big drop in class for this race.

Final thoughts

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And now the stars of the show, Saturday’s results and Sunday’s entries.

Santa Anita Charts Results for Saturday, December 28.

Copyright 2019 by Equibase Company. Reproduction prohibited. Santa Anita, Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California. 3rd day of a 60-day meet. Clear & Fast

FIRST RACE.

6 Furlongs. Purse: $55,000. Maiden Special Weight. 2 year olds. Time 22.42 45.22 57.34 1:10.29

Winner–Devil Made Me Doit Dbb.c.2 by Daredevil out of Bible, by U S Ranger. Bred by B. P. Walden Jr. (KY). Trainer: Doug F. O’Neill. Owner: Dunne, Ciaran and Reddam Racing LLC. Mutuel Pool $275,889 Exacta Pool $114,936 Superfecta Pool $45,245 Super High Five Pool $2,357 Trifecta Pool $75,748. Scratched–none.

DEVIL MADE ME DOIT angled in and dueled inside, inched away and came a bit off the rail leaving the turn and into the stretch, was mildly hand ridden for several strides to widen in the stretch and drew off while drifting in a bit late. GARTH dueled outside the winner, stalked just off the inside leaving the turn and into the stretch and held second between foes late. MOON MISCHIEF broke out a bit, saved ground stalking the winner, continued inside on the turn and in the stretch and was edged for the place. CANDY FURY stalked a bit off the rail then between foes leaving the backstretch and outside a rival on the turn, came out into the stretch and just missed the show three deep on the line. PROVOST broke a bit slowly, chased outside a rival then just off the rail, came out in upper stretch, drifted inward in midstretch and weakened. RAILSPLITTER stalked outside then three deep on the backstretch, fell back outside a rival and angled in some on the turn and also weakened. MY SUNSHINE broke a bit slowly, saved ground off the pace and lacked a response in the drive.

SECOND RACE.

1 Mile Turf. Purse: $75,000. ‘Lady of Shamrock Stakes’. Fillies. 3 year olds. Time 23.06 47.62 1:12.38 1:24.15 1:35.75

Winner–Brill B.f.3 by Medaglia d’Oro out of Hung the Moon, by Malibu Moon. Bred by Southern Equine Stables (KY). Trainer: Don Chatlos. Owner: OXO Equine LLC. Mutuel Pool $304,986 Daily Double Pool $78,043 Exacta Pool $177,137 Superfecta Pool $67,846 Super High Five Pool $2,427 Trifecta Pool $110,112. Scratched–none.

BRILL had speed between horses then set the pace inside, inched away again in the stretch and proved best under some urging with the whip turned down and a brisk hand ride. KEEPER OFTHE STARS tugged along the inside early, saved ground stalking the pace throughout and outfinished rivals for the place. LUCKY PERIDOT stalked between horses then a bit off the rail, continued between foes into and on the second turn, came out past midstretch and got up for the show three deep on the line. SOLD IT three deep on the first turn, stalked outside a rival then three wide into and on the second turn and into the stretch and was edged for third between foes late. ANGEL ALESSANDRA had speed outside the winner then stalked outside a rival, bid alongside the winner leaving the second turn, continued between horses in midstretch and was edged for a minor award. BODHICITTA (GB) saved ground chasing the pace, came a bit off the rail for room in the stretch, was in a bit tight off heels past midstretch and was outfinished. MISCHIFFIE (IRE) pulled between horses then chased a bit off the rail, continued between foes into and on the second turn, came out into the stretch and lacked the needed rally. LAKERBALL angled in and chased outside a rival then three deep leaving the backstretch and on the second turn and into the stretch and could not offer the necessary late kick.

THIRD RACE.

6 Furlongs. Purse: $23,000. Maiden Claiming. Fillies. 2 year olds. Claiming Price $30,000. Time 22.45 46.49 59.47 1:13.17

Winner–Cowboys Daughter B.f.2 by Hampton Court (AUS) out of Alert in Class, by Henny Hughes. Bred by Mike Freeny & Pat Freeny (KY). Trainer: Thomas Ray Bell, II. Owner: Bell, II, Thomas Ray, Dang, Randy, Enterante, Frank, Kawaguchi, Ken and Londo, Christine. Mutuel Pool $340,327 Daily Double Pool $32,115 Exacta Pool $194,130 Superfecta Pool $92,062 Trifecta Pool $143,770 X-5 Super High Five Pool $3,710. Claimed–Rickie Nine Toe’s by Zolotas, Steven and Zolotas, Sabina Romo. Trainer: Jorge Periban. Scratched–none.

50-Cent Pick Three (5-2-8) paid $511.95. Pick Three Pool $93,461.

COWBOYS DAUGHTER stalked off the rail then four wide into the turn, came three deep into the stretch and rallied under urging to gain the lead late. IT’S A RIDDLE prompted the pace three deep, took a short lead in the stretch, fought back in deep stretch and held second. RICKIE NINE TOE’S had good early speed and dueled between horses, fought back off the rail in the drive and bested the others. LA ROSA DRIVE angled in and dueled inside, battled along the rail on the turn and into the stretch and weakened some in the final furlong. SWIFT SOCKS broke a bit slowly, chased between horses then a bit off the rail into the stretch and lacked the needed late kick. TACOCAT stalked three deep, angled in outside a rival nearing the stretch and weakened. KUDA HURAA saved ground stalking the leaders, continued inside on the turn and in the stretch and also weakened. QUEEN ARYA broke a bit slowly, settled off the pace inside, came out leaving the turn and into the stretch and lacked a response ion the drive. GOLDEN MELODIE hopped in a bit of a slow start, settled outside a rival then off the rail, was a bit wide into the stretch and was not a threat.

FOURTH RACE.

1 Mile Turf. Purse: $34,000. Maiden Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $62,500. Time 22.52 46.55 1:10.77 1:23.29 1:35.50

Winner–Turn the Switch B.g.3 by Giant’s Causeway out of She’s an Eleven, by In Excess (IRE). Bred by CRK Stables, LLC (KY). Trainer: Peter Eurton. Owner: C R K Stable LLC. Mutuel Pool $448,651 Daily Double Pool $43,101 Exacta Pool $232,393 Superfecta Pool $100,578 Super High Five Pool $5,092 Trifecta Pool $167,936. Scratched–none.

50-Cent Pick Three (2-8-3) paid $4,312.40. Pick Three Pool $45,225.

TURN THE SWITCH saved ground stalking the pace, came out into the stretch, bid three deep, took the advantage under left handed urging a sixteenth out and inched clear late. FIVESTAR LYNCH (IRE) had good early speed and dueled inside, regained the lead on the second turn, fought back inside in the stretch and held second. TROMADOR dueled between horses then outside the runner-up leaving the second turn, fought back between foes in the stretch and was edged for the place. FRIENDLY OUTTHEDOR angled in outside a rival, chased a bit off the rail then inside, came out some into the stretch and again in midstretch and was edged for third. CAMPS BAY chased inside then outside a rival leaving the backstretch, came out on the second turn and five wide into the stretch and finished with some interest. SPEAKEROFTHEHOUSE broke a bit slowly, was between horses early then angled in and saved ground chasing the pace, cut the corner into the stretch, continued inside and was in a bit close off heels at the wire. MUSKOKA chased three deep then outside a rival, went three wide on the second turn and four wide into the stretch, drifted in and lacked the needed rally. RIGHTFUL angled in and chased outside a rival, fell back on the second turn, drifted to the inside in the stretch and did not rally. NO PARKING HERE broke a bit slow, went three deep into the first turn then settled outside a rival, continued three wide on the second turn and four wide into the stretch and lacked the necessary response. MONTANA MOON prompted the pace three deep, fell back outside a rival leaving the second turn, drifted in and weakened. GOLD N GRAND settled inside then a bit off the rail to the stretch and was not a threat.

FIFTH RACE.

1 1/16 Mile. Purse: $200,000. ‘San Antonio Stakes’. 3 year olds and up. Time 23.95 47.33 1:10.99 1:36.13 1:42.73

Winner–Gift Box Grr.h.6 by Twirling Candy out of Special Me, by Unbridled’s Song. Bred by Machmer Hall, Carrie Brogden &Craig Brogden (KY). Trainer: John W. Sadler. Owner: Hronis Racing LLC. Mutuel Pool $603,981 Daily Double Pool $61,365 Exacta Pool $260,953 Superfecta Pool $98,920 Super High Five Pool $12,607 Trifecta Pool $164,270. Scratched–none.

50-Cent Pick Three (8-3-2) paid $931.60. Pick Three Pool $117,255. 50-Cent Pick Four (2-8-3-2) 33 tickets with 4 correct paid $6,869.65. Pick Four Pool $296,519. 50-Cent Pick Five (5-2-8-3-2) 50 tickets with 5 correct paid $12,996.65. Pick Five Pool $755,648.

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GIFT BOX had speed between horses then set a pressured pace inside, came out into the stretch, inched away and drifted back in nearing midstretch and drew clear under some urging. KING ABNER also had speed between foes then prompted the pace outside the winner, was fanned out some into the stretch, could not match that one in the drive but was clearly second best. MIDCOURT broke a bit slowly, was fanned five wide into the first turn, chased outside or off the rail, came three wide into the stretch and gained the show. FIGHT ON three deep early, stalked outside a rival or just off the inside, was between horses in upper stretch and weakened in the final furlong. GRAY MAGICIAN saved ground stalking the pace throughout and also weakened. DRAFT PICK fanned four wide into the first turn, chased outside then alongside a rival, continued off the rail leaving the second turn and into the stretch and had little left for the drive. MUGARITZ drifted three deep into the first turn, stalked outside a rival then between foes leaving the backstretch, dropped back on the second turn and gave way.

SIXTH RACE.

1¼ Mile Turf. Purse: $300,000. ‘American Oaks’. Stakes. Fillies. 3 year olds. Time 24.45 48.67 1:13.80 1:37.96 2:01.70

Winner–Lady Prancealot (IRE) B.f.3 by Sir Prancealot (IRE) out of Naqrah (IRE), by Haatef. Bred by Tally-Ho Stud (IRE). Trainer: Richard Baltas. Owner: Arntz, Craig, Arntz, Josie, Durando, Donald, Iavarone, Jules, Iavarone, Michael and McClanahan, Jerr. Mutuel Pool $586,489 Daily Double Pool $63,299 Exacta Pool $311,811 Superfecta Pool $116,356 Super High Five Pool $6,854 Trifecta Pool $210,715. Scratched–none.

50-Cent Pick Three (3-2-5) paid $36.80. Pick Three Pool $143,835.

LADY PRANCEALOT (IRE) angled in and saved ground stalking the pace, came out into the stretch, split rivals in midstretch then bid inside under urging to gain a slim lead in deep stretch and gamely prevailed. MUCHO UNUSUAL pulled along the rail and steadied early, stalked the pace inside, came out into the stretch, bid three deep to gain a short advantage in midstretch, fought back outside the winner in deep stretch and continued willingly to the wire. PRETTY POINT angled in nearing the clubhouse turn and saved ground off the pace, came out into the stretch and again in upper stretch and rallied for the show. GIZA GODDESS pulled three deep early, chased outside a rival, went three wide on the second turn and four wide into the stretch, drifted in between foes in the drive and was outfinished late for third. APACHE PRINCESS stalked a bit off the rail then between foes in the stretch the first time, continued outside a rival on the backstretch and second turn, came out into the stretch and lacked the needed rally. VIBRANCE pulled her way up four wide on the hill then three deep, stalked off the rail, bid outside the pacesetter on the backstretch and second turn, took a short lead into the stretch, battled between horses in midstretch and weakened late. K P SLICKEM chased inside then a bit off the rail, continued outside a rival on the backstretch, came out on the second turn and four wide into the stretch, drifted in some in the drive and lacked the needed rally. SO MUCH HAPPY took the early lead and set the pace inside, fought back on the backstretch and second turn and into the stretch and weakened in the final furlong.

SEVENTH RACE.

7 Furlongs. Purse: $300,000. ‘La Brea Stakes’. Fillies. 3 year olds. Time 21.70 44.41 1:09.31 1:22.17

Winner–Hard Not to Love B.f.3 by Hard Spun out of Loving Vindication, by Vindication. Bred by Anderson Farms Ont. Inc. (ON). Trainer: John A. Shirreffs. Owner: Mercedes Stables LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds, Dilworth, Scott, Ingordo, Dorothy, Ingordo, David an. Mutuel Pool $651,784 Daily Double Pool $64,646 Exacta Pool $323,349 Superfecta Pool $141,725 Super High Five Pool $9,210 Trifecta Pool $224,044. Scratched–none.

50-Cent Pick Three (2-5-7) paid $42.15. Pick Three Pool $171,336.

HARD NOT TO LOVE fractious in the post parade and a step slow to begin, settled off the rail, went up four wide on the turn and three deep into the stretch, rallied under left handed urging to the front three wide in deep stretch and won clear. BELLAFINA had speed between horses then inched away, set the pace a bit off the rail, dueled inside on the turn, fought back along the fence in the stretch and held second. MOTHER MOTHER three wide early, stalked outside a rival, bid alongside the runner-up into and on the turn and in the stretch, was between foes in deep stretch and bested the others. FIRST STAR saved ground stalking the pace, split horses leaving the turn, angled back to the inside into the stretch and lacked the needed late kick. BELL’S THE ONE settled off the inside, went four wide on the turn, angled in between horses into the stretch and did not rally. DEL MAR MAY stalked between horses then outside a rival, came three wide into the stretch and weakened. STIRRED was in a good position stalking the pace a bit off the rail then outside a rival, dropped back on the turn and lacked a response in the stretch. MOTION EMOTION chased outside then alongside a rival on the turn, drifted inward in the stretch and gave way. FREE COVER saved ground stalking the pace, dropped back leaving the turn and into the stretch and had little left for the drive.

EIGHTH RACE.

1 1/8 Mile Turf. Purse: $100,000. ‘Robert J. Frankel Stakes’. Fillies and Mares. 3 year olds and up. Time 23.95 48.77 1:12.31 1:36.40 1:48.32

Winner–Mirth Dbb.f.4 by Colonel John out of Di’s Delight, by French Deputy. Bred by Barlar, LLC (PA). Trainer: Philip D’Amato. Owner: Little Red Feather Racing. Mutuel Pool $610,687 Daily Double Pool $52,040 Exacta Pool $315,138 Superfecta Pool $130,352 Super High Five Pool $9,467 Trifecta Pool $214,587. Scratched–none.

50-Cent Pick Three (5-7-7) paid $66.25. Pick Three Pool $141,814.

MIRTH stalked outside a rival, went three deep leaving the second turn and four wide into the stretch, took a short lead four wide in midstretch, drifted in under left handed urging, fought back when the runner-up briefly put a head in front in late stretch and gamely prevailed. TINY TINA bobbled at the start, came off the rail and tugged between foes then chased just off the inside, continued between horses on the second turn, came three wide into the stretch, drifted in a bit and bid outside the winner in deep stretch to momentarily put a head in front and continued gamely. EXCELLENT SUNSET (IRE) saved ground stalking the pace, awaited room off heels leaving the second turn, was blocked behind rivals in midstretch, came out for room and rallied between horses for the show. DON’T BLAME JUDY pulled three deep early then chased outside a rival, continued three wide on the second turn and four wide into the stretch and was outfinished for third. CURLIN’S JOURNEY broke a bit slowly, chased three deep then outside a rival, came three wide into the stretch, drifted inward in the drive and lacked the needed rally. STREAK OF LUCK angled in and saved ground stalking the pace, came out a bit into the stretch, was between foes in upper stretch and could not offer the necessary response. MS PEINTOUR pulled three deep then stalked off the rail, bid outside the pacesetter on the backstretch and second turn, battled between horses in the stretch and weakened late. HARMLESS sped to the early lead, angled in and set the pace inside, fought back on the backstretch and second turn and in the stretch and also weakened late.

NINTH RACE.

7 Furlongs. Purse: $300,000. ‘Malibu Stakes’. 3 year olds. Time 22.43 45.02 1:09.55 1:22.33

Winner–Omaha Beach Dbb.c.3 by War Front out of Charming, by Seeking the Gold. Bred by Charming Syndicate (KY). Trainer: Richard E. Mandella. Owner: Fox Hill Farms, Inc.. Mutuel Pool $720,670 Daily Double Pool $74,152 Exacta Pool $258,171 Trifecta Pool $202,069. Scratched–none.

50-Cent Pick Three (7-7-5) paid $46.85. Pick Three Pool $139,024.

OMAHA BEACH chased off the rail, bid four wide into the turn, put a head in front midway on the turn, came three wide into the stret5ch, inched away in the drive and won clear without encouragement while drifting in a bit late. ROADSTER settled off the rail then a bit off the fence, came out into the stretch and clearly bested the others. MANNY WAH stalked outside a rival, bid three deep between horses into the turn, angled in between foes leaving the turn and held third. COMPLEXITY stalked a bit off the rail, bid between horses into the turn then along the inside leaving the turn and into the stretch and weakened. MUCH BETTER a bit slow into stride, went up inside to the early lead, set the pace along the rail, dueled briefly into the turn, fell back on the turn, gave way and was eased in the drive.

TENTH RACE.

1 Mile Turf. Purse: $200,000. ‘Mathis Brothers Mile Stakes’. 3 year olds. Time 22.38 46.39 1:10.57 1:22.43 1:34.26

Winner–Mo Forza B.c.3 by Uncle Mo out of Inflamed, by Unusual Heat. Bred by Bardy Farm (KY). Trainer: Peter Miller. Owner: Bardy Farm and OG Boss. Mutuel Pool $637,955 Daily Double Pool $91,092 Exacta Pool $379,997 Superfecta Pool $187,501 Trifecta Pool $285,233 X-5 Super High Five Pool $6,967. Scratched–none.

50-Cent Pick Three (7-5-5) paid $3.20. Pick Three Pool $119,843.

MO FORZA shuffled a bit early, chased three deep, went up four wide on the second turn, bid three wide leaving that turn and into the stretch, gained the lead nearing midstretch, lugged in some and inched away in midstretch then won clear while drifting in under left handed urging. ORIGINAIRE (IRE) saved ground chasing the pace, came out for room and split horses in midstretch and gained the place. NEPTUNE’S STORM had speed between rivals then dueled outside a foe, battled between horses leaving the second turn, took a short lead between rivals into the stretch, fought back nearing midstretch and held third. BARRISTAN THE BOLD (GB) angled in and chased a bit off the rail then between foes or outside a rival, came out four wide into the stretch and was edged for the show. KINGLY had speed between horses then pulled while stalking the pace between rivals to the stretch and was outfinished for a minor award. PROUD PEDRO (FR) angled in and saved ground off the pace, came out into the stretch and found his best stride late. OCEAN FURY saved ground stalking the pace, came out between horses in the stretch and lacked the needed late kick. NEVER EASY had good early speed and dueled inside, fought back into the stretch and weakened in the final furlong. BOB AND JACKIE four wide early, stalked three deep to the stretch, drifted inward in the drive and also weakened. LOAFERS BOY angled in three deep then pulled outside a rival and between foes on the backstretch, fell back a bit off the rail on the second turn and did not rally. SASH (GB) came off the rail and chased outside a rival, went three deep on the second turn and four wide into the stretch and weakened.

ELEVENTH RACE.

6 Furlongs. Purse: $32,000. Maiden Claiming. 2 year olds. Claiming Price $50,000. Time 22.34 46.46 59.58 1:12.74

Winner–Include the Tax Ch.c.2 by Include out of Suchaprettygirl, by Mazel Trick. Bred by Fleming Thoroughbred Farm LLC (CA). Trainer: Michael W. McCarthy. Owner: Annuzzi, Mel and Jean. Mutuel Pool $468,268 Daily Double Pool $135,185 Exacta Pool $285,943 Superfecta Pool $145,713 Super High Five Pool $25,625 Trifecta Pool $228,298. Scratched–Tenga’s Gold.

50-Cent Pick Three (5-5-2) paid $6.90. Pick Three Pool $213,902. 50-Cent Pick Four (7-5-5-2) 48410 tickets with 4 correct paid $18.60. Pick Four Pool $1,182,234. 50-Cent Pick Five (7-7-5-5-2) 1943 tickets with 5 correct paid $403.65. Pick Five Pool $1,027,613. 20-Cent Pick Six Jackpot (5-7-7-5-5-2) 776 tickets with 6 correct paid $226.78. Pick Six Jackpot Pool $329,338. Pick Six Jackpot Carryover $75,392.

INCLUDE THE TAX saved ground stalking the pace, came out some leaving the turn and into the stretch, went around a rival nearing midstretch then bid inside to gain the lead under left handed urging in deep stretch and won clear. PAPA TONY pulled his way between horses to chase the pace, came out four wide into the stretch, bid four wide in the drive and edged rivals for the place. SIERRA MELODY dueled between horses, took a short lead on the turn, fought back off the rail in midstretch then between foes in deep stretch and held third. TOTALLY TIGER settled off the rail chasing the pace, came a bit wide into the stretch and was edged for the show. TIGER THE MAN dueled three deep between foes then stalked into the turn, re-bid three deep leaving the turn and into the stretch, put a head in front in midstretch and was edged late for a minor share. WICKED BLUE had speed five wide then stalked three deep, continued four wide into and on the turn and five wide into the stretch and lacked the needed rally. JUNGLE BOY pressed the pace four wide then stalked outside on the turn, came five wide into the stretch, drifted in some and weakened. BEYOND PRECHER settled a bit off the rail then inside on the backstretch and turn and into the stretch and could not offer the necessary late kick. RIDGE ROUTE unhurried outside a rival then off the rail, came out into the stretch and did not rally. CHAMPS SUCCESS broke a bit slowly, was sent between horses then dueled inside, inched away briefly into the turn, fought back inside leaving the bend, dropped back in the stretch and weakened.

Santa Anita Entries for Sunday, December 29.

Santa Anita, Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California. 2nd day of a 60-day meet.

FIRST RACE.

6 Furlongs. Purse: $20,000. Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $10,000.

SECOND RACE.

5½ Furlongs Turf. Purse: $59,000. Allowance Optional Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $62,500.

THIRD RACE.

6 Furlongs. Purse: $55,000. Maiden Special Weight. Fillies and Mares. 3 year olds and up.

FOURTH RACE.

1 Mile Turf. Purse: $55,000. Maiden Special Weight. Fillies. 2 year olds.

FIFTH RACE.

6½ Furlongs. Purse: $18,000. Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $12,500.

SIXTH RACE.

1 Mile Turf. Purse: $75,000. ‘Eddie Logan Stakes’. 2 year olds.

SEVENTH RACE.

6½ Furlongs. Purse: $55,000. Maiden Special Weight. Fillies. 2 year olds.

EIGHTH RACE.

1 Mile Turf. Purse: $75,000. ‘Blue Norther Stakes’. Fillies. 2 year olds.

NINTH RACE.

6½ Furlongs. Purse: $57,000. Allowance Optional Claiming. Fillies and Mares. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $40,000.

TENTH RACE.

5½ Furlongs Turf. Purse: $57,000. Allowance Optional Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $40,000.

An apartment fire in Hemet this week that killed a father and two of his children originated from a Christmas tree, authorities said.

The fire broke out shortly after 1 a.m. Friday in a second-story apartment unit in the 100 block of North Alessandro Street, police and fire officials said.

The three killed were identified as Juan Moreno, 41, and his children Maris, 12, and Janessa, 4, authorities said. An unidentified 8-year-old male remains in grave condition at UCI Medical Center.

Moreno went back inside in the house to rescue family members, Hemet police Lt. Nate Miller said Friday.

“He wasn’t seen alive after that.”

Investigators with the Hemet Fire Department and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection made the determination.

“This tragedy underscores how quickly a fire can spread,” Hemet Fire Chief Scott Brown said. “Smoke alarms are a key part of a home fire escape plan. Smoke alarms provide that critical early warning so you can get out quickly.”

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1/13

Under the watchful eye of a scuba diver, Toni Solano works on Honda’s “Our Hope for the Future” float Saturday. 

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

2/13

Amber Bach, 11, of Brea, left, and her grandmother Liz Wassink, 67, of Coupeville, Wash., cut flowers together for a Rose Parade float. 

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

3/13

Paul Sims, 63, of Lakeview Terrace gets on his back to work on the Honda “Our Hope for the Future” float for the Rose Parade. 

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

4/13

Frances Loyd, 76, of Lindsay, Calif., works on Cal Poly universities’ “Aquatic Aspirations” float for the Rose Parade. 

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

5/13

Jan Barham, center, and Claire Glidden work on the Honda “Our Hope for the Future” float for the Rose Parade. 

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

6/13

Joy Wang, 16, from Walnut, Calif., works on the Honda “Our Hope for the Future” float for the Rose Parade.  

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

7/13

Ruby Carrier, 51, left, of Lafayette, Colo., and Robert Gutierrez, 49, of Camarillo work on the Amazon Studios’ Rose Parade float entry to promote the upcoming release of “Troop Zero.”  

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

8/13

Marney Kincaid of Fair Oaks, Calif., glues light blue delphinium petals onto a fish that will be placed on the Cal Poly universities’ “Aqatic Asperations” float for the Rose Parade. 

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

9/13

Scaffolding surrounds Honda’s float “Our Hope for the Future.” 

(Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

10/13

Volunteers work on the Cal Poly “Aquatic Aspirations” float. 

(Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

11/13

Jeremy Kinney, 36, glues lentils onto the Cal Poly “Aquatic Aspirations” float. 

(Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

12/13

Cindy Dice, 27, of Rancho Cucamonga CA cleans up while working on the Cal Poly “Aqatic Asperations” float. 

(Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

13/13

Marney Kincaid of Fair Oaks, CA, adds final touches by gluing light blue delphinium peddles onto a fish that will be placed on the Cal Poly “Aquatic Aspirations” float. 

(Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

Marney Kincaid scooped up a batch of dry blue petals from a plastic container and began placing them one by one on a large pink fish.

“I’ve spent three days on this fish,” she said. “Petaling is labor-intensive.”

When it’s finished, the dried petals will give the impression of scales on a fish, which will then be placed on the Cal Poly universities’ float entry for the 2020 Rose Parade on Jan. 1, New Year’s Day.

Kincaid has been volunteering as a float decorator for more than 20 years and is just one of hundreds of volunteers putting the final touches this weekend on more than three dozen floats that will take part in the 131st Rose Parade.

Inside the Rosemont Pavilion in Pasadena, across from the Rose Bowl, the air was laden Saturday with the scent of hay, coconut, glue, cumin and other natural materials used to assemble the colorful floats. A cacophony of conversation, music and welding echoed through the barn-like building.

A line of spectators watched and took photos of the floats as volunteers added vegetables, seeds and pieces of wood to some of the large floats.

Among them was 69-year-old Edwina Campbell, who had traveled from Houston to California to visit family. It was her first time coming to the parade’s float-viewing events.

“These people have more patience than I would have,” she said, laughing.

Campbell said she was amazed to see the number of volunteers working on the floats as well as the engineering and design work that goes into building the mobile artworks.

Standing together, Rosa Coto, 51, and Moises Ruiz, 55, said it was their first time coming to see the floats before the parade, which serves as a prelude to the Rose Bowl game and typically draws tens of thousands of people from around the country.

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“I’ve always wanted to see them in person,” Coto said. “I like looking at all the details on the floats, it’s amazing.”

This year’s Rose Parade theme is “The Power of Hope,” which aims to celebrate the influence of inspiration and optimism. Rita Moreno, Gina Torres and Laurie Hernandez will serve as this year’s Grand Marshals.

“It is about the belief that what is wanted can be attained,” according to a statement posted on the Rose Parade’s website. “From the struggles of those who came before us to dreams yet to be realized.”

Coto said her favorite was the “Pasadena Celebrates 2020″ float, which was built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of women getting the right to vote.

The float will feature a 30-foot Statue of Liberty holding the tablet of the 19th Amendment and dressed in a suffragette sash. The float will also be adorned with giant banners declaring: “Failure is impossible” and “Honor the past, pledge the future.”

Outside, more than 30 women stood side by side cutting eucalyptus leaves for the float. Loretta Kelly Denkins, 89, said she was especially proud to take part in the decorating.

“I can’t believe it took so long for women to win the right to vote,” she said. “I don’t understand it, some of these women had husbands, sons, brothers and none of them wanted to give them the right to vote? Some of these women went to jail.”

For the Cal Poly float, university officials went with an underwater theme, christening it “Aquatic Aspirations.” The float features a submarine navigating around a sunken shipwreck that has become a home for marine wildlife.

Celeste Doiron, a flower field manager for the team at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, said the float was a joint project between students at her campus and Cal Poly Pomona.

Last March, teams from both campuses got together and came up with the idea for the float.

“We knew we wanted a submarine, a shipwreck and sea life,” she said.

At a nearby table, Kincaid took a brush, picked up a cup of flower glue that sat in warm water to keep it from hardening and began to cover a small section of the tropical fish with glue. She scooped a batch of dry delphinium petals — small, round and blue — and began decorating the pink fish’s blue bands.

“When I saw the theme of the float, I became twitterpated,” Kincaid said.

Fish have always been a big part of her life, she said. Her parents used to take her fishing, and at home she had her own aquariums.

That explained the two koi fish tattoos swimming around her navel. She also has a lion fish on her hip and an archer fish on left arm.

“I’m interested in fish,” she said, smiling.

Nearby, 57-year-old Shannon Weisenberger suddenly picked up a small blue fish to be attached to the float and shook it, causing its shredded delphinium petals to fall off.

“Hello, fish,” she said.

There were chuckles.

“All of a sudden they come to life,” Weisenberger said.

On Christmas Day, David Nicholson Jr. dropped off presents for his son and daughter at the South L.A. apartment where they lived with their mother.

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For D’Vine, 4, he brought a doll set; for Dayvon, 6, a skateboard, walkie-talkies, a Nerf gun and a playsuit of body armor. His daughter was there, Nicholson said, but Dayvon wasn’t. His mother said he was with a man she called “Coach Ty.”

On Thursday, Dayvon’s mother called the boy’s grandparents to tell them he was at the hospital, unable to breathe. Nicholson raced to St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, where a police officer took him aside and told him Dayvon had died.

“My heart just fell,” Nicholson said in an interview with The Times on Saturday. “I couldn’t breathe. No matter how many kids you got, it’s a piece of you.”

The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled Dayvon’s death a homicide.

Tyler D’Shaun Martin-Brand, 23, a friend of the boy’s mother and a supervisor for a Los Angeles Unified School District after-school program, was arrested Thursday by Downey police in connection with Dayvon’s death. He is being held in lieu of $2-million bail.

“This case is a serious and complex investigation,” Downey police said in a statement, “and investigators are still in the process of gathering information, interviewing witnesses and processing evidence. As a result, no other details will be released at this time.”

When he was at the hospital, Nicholson said he was not allowed to touch his son’s body, which was laced with tubes and propped up with a neck brace, “because the body was evidence and they didn’t want it tampered with.” He wasn’t allowed closer than 10 feet, but even from that distance, Nicholson said, he could see lacerations on the boy’s chest, possibly from a belt.

The family said they are devastated by the loss of a little boy who was beloved by his many cousins and classmates. They said he was a ball of energy who liked to play the online video game Fortnite. He was also sharp, his father said, capable of carrying on conversations with adults.

“You wouldn’t believe he was 6 years old, how smart he is,” Nicholson said.

He said he first heard over the summer that his son was spending time with “Coach Ty.” Nicholson said he had separated from Dayvon’s mother about four years ago and she complained he “needed a father figure, he needed somebody to teach him to be a man, and that’s why he’s with the coach,” Nicholson recalled. “I kept hearing coach this, coach that. I was like, ‘Who is this guy? Why is he spending time with my son?’”

Martin-Brand is a program supervisor for the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Beyond the Bell after-school program, a district spokeswoman said in an email to The Times on Saturday.

Dayvon’s family said Martin-Brand worked at Normandie Avenue Elementary, where Dayvon was in the first grade. They said they are disturbed that the man accused of killing Dayvon worked among children, and they want to know “whether this man was hurting any other kids,” said the boy’s grandfather, David Nicholson Sr.

“The truth better all come out,” he said.

Nicholson said social workers removed his daughter from her mother’s care and that she is staying with him. He said he never met Martin-Brand and does not know whether he was the boyfriend of Dayvon’s mother or just a friend. Downey police described Martin-Brand as her “acquaintance.”

Nicholson said Dayvon’s mother made it more difficult for them to visit together. He said he saw Dayvon less frequently as the summer rolled by but that the boy did attend his grandparents’ July 4 bash at their South L.A. home.

He wonders if he somehow failed his son.

“It’s like, where did I fall off?” Nicholson said. “Even though I know damn well I did all I could. It’s unbearable. I might look like I’m cool, like I’m calm, but deep down I’m burning. It’s burning down there.”

Nicholson was standing outside his parents’ home by a chain-link fence adorned with Christmas decorations. Friends stopped by to hug him and offer their condolences.

Inside, Dayvon’s grandfather had fastened a black ribbon to the boy’s stocking. Dayvon never opened the Christmas presents they picked out for him: a thick winter coat, slacks and a couple of plaid shirts.

“Old folks shouldn’t bury young kids,” his grandfather said.

Living in their encampment on Main Street, Niecy and Dion find themselves back where they started.

As fortunate as they had been to be housed, previous habits and old behaviors undermined their ability to hold on to their apartments.

Experts place them in a small minority: About 5% of homeless people fail to make it through a year in supportive housing.

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Their inability to hold on to their apartments places them back in the pool of 59,000 people who live in Los Angeles County without a permanent home. Niecy and Dion receive no special consideration, although they do have a slight advantage.

Their histories are recorded in the county’s homeless database, which is often the first step to securing a housing voucher. Depending on the kind of voucher that had gotten them into housing initially, some will continue to be seen by a case manager who will help them find another apartment.

Before that can happen, though, they need to keep their documentation up to date and participate in a new round of interviews with housing agencies.

To help them remain committed and engaged in the process, their case managers provide them with services that helped them the first time around, including:

— Transportation and/or bus passes so they can get to their appointments on time.

— Funding and special trips so they can get documentation (driver’s licenses, Social Security cards).

— Guidance through interviews and paperwork.

— Clothing, food and hygiene kits.

— Counseling sessions to maintain self-esteem and develop daily coping skills.

Experts emphasize that all of this takes commitment and tenacity, supported by a degree of hope. Nearly 1,200 units of supportive housing are scheduled to open in Los Angeles County in 2020.

Director Billy Woodberry is understated when asked how it feels to have his 1984 film, “Bless Their Little Hearts” — a National Film Registry selection — available for the first time on home video from Milestone Film & Video.

“It took a long time,” he said in a recent phone interview from Lisbon, where he moved this year. “But at least it exists and people can have access to it and they can share it.”

Recognition for the film itself, added to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry in 2013 as a “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant American film, has been a long time coming as well.

Ross Lipman, who restored the film under the auspices of the UCLA Film & Television Archive, called “Bless Their Little Hearts” a “rare gem that finds both magic and pathos in the small events of everyday life.” He noted via email, “It’s all the more deserving of its moment, as it’s long lived in the shadow of [Charles Burnett’s] ‘Killer of Sheep.’ Together they forged a new road in American film which remains underexplored to this day.”

Set in the same South Los Angeles neighborhood as “Sheep,” “Bless Their Little Hearts” stars Nate Hardman and the incomparable Kaycee Moore as Charlie and Andais Banks, whose marriage is strained by Charlie’s chronic unemployment while Andais serves as the breadwinner.

“Bless” is one of the benchmark films of the L.A. Rebellion, a term coined by film scholar Clyde Taylor to refer to a group of black UCLA film students who, like their New Hollywood counterparts, endeavored to challenge the traditional studio system — taking an auteurist approach to how and what movies should be made.

These filmmakers were steeped more in new global cinema movements rather than the pantheon of classical Hollywood directors. “I was most impressed by the new cinemas, especially the ones coming out of Asia, Africa and South America, as well as Soviet cinema [of the 1920s] and Italian neorealism,” Woodberry said.

The blaxploitation films of the 1970s did not impress Woodberry. “Maybe I underestimated them because they were meant to be popular,” he said. “I thought they were opportunistic. I didn’t agree with their politics. They mocked young people trying to be activists. I remember the time of ‘Super Fly.’ Guys were walking around in midsummer in long coats and they were starting to straighten their hair. I preferred films like ‘Nothing But a Man.’”

Burnett’s “Killer of Sheep,” released in 1978, was rescued from obscurity in 2007 when Milestone released it on home video. It found an audience and a new generation of critics who championed its vision of a segment of black life rarely portrayed on-screen. It was one of the first 50 films to be inducted in the National Film Registry, established 30 years ago this year.

Burnett, the most prominent of the L.A. Rebellion filmmakers, was a mentor and creative inspiration to Woodberry (and others in the movement). “He was determined to make movies that he wasn’t seeing in theaters about a place he never saw portrayed,” Woodberry said. “He thought that life there was as interesting and valuable.”

When asked if he and the L.A. Rebellion filmmakers preferred to work outside the system, he laughed. “Hollywood wasn’t on our radar and we weren’t on theirs,” he said.

Jacqueline Stewart, a professor of cinema and media studies at the University of Chicago and co-creator of the L.A. Rebellion Preservation Project (she is also the new host of “Silent Sunday Nights” on Turner Classic Movies), added: “They would have been very happy to have the funding; what they were not in a position to do unlike the New Hollywood filmmakers [of the time] was to effect the kind of structural transformation of American filmmaking such that there could be space for them in Hollywood. There was this consistent view that the kinds of stories they were telling and the kinds of audiences they were prioritizing were not a priority for Hollywood.”

Looking for a follow-up project to his well-received 1980 short film, “The Pocketbook ” (included as a special feature on the “Bless” DVD), Woodberry had his eye on adapting a William Faulkner short story. “I was trying to figure out how shoot a Faulkner story in Southern California,” Woodberry said with a laugh. “Charles [Burnett] told me he had a story and said, ‘I’ll write it and shoot it for you.’”

What he actually did was give Woodberry a 70-page blueprint for “Bless,” leaving him to flesh out the story and characters. It gave Woodberry confidence that Burnett had that kind of faith in his talents, but it was also a burden, he said. “This is someone I admire and was close to and I didn’t want to fail or disappoint him.”

“Bless” bears the stylistic hallmarks of the L.A. Rebellion films: an unflinching sense of place, long takes and naturalistic performances. Suffice to say, a studio would have insisted on ending the film with a deus-ex-machina happy ending, or at least a semblance of hope, for Charlie.

The film’s explosive set piece is a one-take, 10-minute confrontation between Andais and Charlie in which long-buried resentments are unleashed. While the film was scripted, this scene was mostly improvised by the actors. The tension is palpable; in the film’s press materials, Moore reveals that she had wanted a kitchen table between her and Hardman (“I knew I needed a way to keep Nate off me”), but when it came time to film the scene, the table had been removed.

There are three L.A. Rebellion films included in the National Film Registry, Woodberry noted: “Killer of Sheep,” “Bless Their Little Hearts” and Julie Dash’s “Daughters of the Dust.” Moore is in all three of them.

“Bless” had a limited theatrical run. It played for a week at the Royal in West Los Angeles “to qualify for the Academy Awards, which was a big jump,” Woodberry said with a laugh. It also played at the Film Forum in New York.

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Woodberry expected the film to have a long life. “I thought it could play at film festivals because my colleagues had laid that path and some people were curious and interested, and it did that. I thought it could play the non-commercial circuit such as art centers, universities, churches and libraries. Then I thought it would be useful to generate conversation for people interested in the social and political issue of unemployment.”

For Dennis Doros and Amy Heller, the husband and wife co-founders of Milestone, the release of “Bless Their Little Hearts” is an imperative “to challenge the accepted cinematic canon and to seek out ‘lost’ films outside the Hollywood mainstream, especially focusing on women, African American and LGBTQ+ directors and stories,” Doros said in an email.

“Billy Woodberry and his films have not received nearly enough attention. We spent a long time on this DVD release to make sure that we have given this magnificent and powerful film its due and to focus on Billy’s achievements as well as the performance of the incredible Kaycee Moore. She has been terribly ignored by the industry. She should have been hired a hundred times over, and despite her limited work she should be celebrated as one of this country’s great actresses.”

“John Boskovich: Psycho Salon” at O-Town House in L.A.’s Westlake neighborhood is two exhibitions in one.

The first is a survey of more than 50 works that Boskovich (1956-2006) made between 1987 and 1997. It includes sculptures, photographs (silver prints and Polaroids), paintings that look like bumper-stickers, assemblages that function as lamps and a menorah, made of welded steel and military flashlights.

The second is a collection of objects from Boskovich’s home, which looks like it might have been decorated by Oscar Wilde, if he were born in the 1950s and did all his shopping at IKEA and the Rose Bowl flea market. Included are a custom carpet, a handcrafted fireplace screen, a Navajo rug (into which a quote from Allen Ginsberg has been woven), a modernist clock, a statue of Shiva (painted pink), three Hare Krishna figures (each doing double duty as a lamp) and dozens of mass-produced honey dispensers, each made of plastic and shaped like a lovable little bear.

Together, the two halves of the exhibition paint a portrait of the artist as a sharped-eyed loner, a sensitive soul on intimate terms with the pain of being a misfit yet adamant in his refusal to believe that not fitting into society made him special, in any way, shape or form. (That romantic fantasy, born in the Industrial Revolution, still clings to artists today, despite the best efforts of Warhol and Pop Conceptualists like Boskovich.) A harrowing sense of isolation — and utter ordinariness — pulses throughout “Psycho Salon,” catching visitors in an undertow of despair, if not impending doom.

That sense of shared isolation goes back to Thoreau (1817-1862), when he wrote, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” It can be felt in Boskovich’s works made for public exhibition. Most are photographs, often nearly abstract close-ups of men’s bodies, with captions printed beneath them. Others include found images that he has repurposed, sometimes inscribing his phone number or Social Security number on them.

Boskovich’s “Rude Awakening” series features lines from 12-step recovery programs. Other works include quotes by Jean Genet, Camille Paglia, Giorgio de Chirico and T.S. Eliot. Proper names are nowhere to be found in the quotes, replaced by such pronouns as “I” and “you.” The passages that Boskovich has selected are addressed to everyone. The suffering and psychological torment they refer to belong not to him and him alone, but to all of us. His art wants nothing more than to engage in meaningful conversations with people in an expansive social circle.

Boskovich’s embrace of all-inclusive anonymity is embodied by lamps made of leather bondage masks. Translucent plexiglass boxes, made to match the volume his body occupied, drive the ghostly point home.

There’s a message-in-a-bottle quality to these works that Boskovich made for public display. In contrast, the objects he made for his home have a time-capsule quality to them. Yet they are just as cool — and socially oriented.

Standouts include a trio of papier-mâché statues he transformed into lamps and customized with quotes from Eliot’s “Four Quartets.” You get the sense that Boskovich addressed his self in the same way he’d address anyone else — as someone he’d like to get to know better.

Everything he touched started with his self. But it doesn’t end there.

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Addressing a larger, more expansive audience, Boskovich’s public and private works beseech all of us to look outward and engage others. That’s even more important today than it was when Boskovich made his self-reflective yet engaging works.

After 40 years, the winter count of bald eagles in the San Bernardino National Forest is coming to an end. Although local bird-watchers may be disappointed, it’s good news because the number of white-headed raptors has stabilized there.

The San Bernardino total was usually a dozen or so eagles, but for a chance to see countless numbers of Haliaeetus leucocephalus, head north to Squamish in Canada’s British Columbia, which holds an annual count the first Sunday of the new year as part of the month-long Brackendale Eagle Festival and Count 2020.

The festival, which has its headquarters about 5 ½ miles north of Squamish at a Brackendale art gallery, features concerts, lectures, art shows, screenings and tours.

At the center of events is the gallery’s colorful owner, artist Thor Froslev, who invited the inaugural volunteers in 1986 and has been the host and champion of the “World Eagle Capital” ever since.

The walls of the cabin/gallery are lined with eagle art and other modern pieces and has a small café and a Transformers-like tower sculpture that does double duty as a sanctuary for injured baldies.

The specially trained volunteers canvass 20 locations in a 40-mile area on foot, snowshoe, ski and raft, then return to the gallery’s blazing fireplace with their observations and figures, which are entered on an old school chalkboard.

The wait for the final tally is surprisingly tense; unpredictable factors including frozen lakes, water levels and the strength of the salmon run can affect the numbers of the yellow-beaked birds.

The total hit a 3,769 in 1994 but sank to 411 in 2016, but the numbers have been creeping up since then, hitting more than 1,000 last year.

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Where to spot them

For the visitor, numerous eagle-viewing sites running along the Squamish River in the 1.4-million-acre Brackendale Eagles Provincial Park mean you have a good chance of seeing the iconic birds.

First stop should be the Eagle Run dike, which is closest to the Sea to Sky Highway (British Columbia 99) and is north of downtown Squamish.

It’s the home of the EagleWatch viewing shelter, where weekend volunteers answer questions and you can learn about eagles and their salmon prey and look through smartphone camera-compatible high-powered telescopes.

You’ll find large wooden carvings of baldies along the path, and the tree-lined river itself is an ideal habitat for the eagles, which build enormous, heavy nests several feet wide and deep.

These nests are often the first thing you see before your eyes adjust and you start making out their silhouettes on branches or see flashes of them swooping, talon-first, down to the water to snatch up fish.

Even during a casual visit to the area, you’re likely to spot a bald eagle in a tree, atop an electricity pylon or in flight, but if hiking and binoculars aren’t for you, then there are other ways.

“Eagle floats” (raft trips) on the river and its tributaries are a calm way to see the eagles, especially when they take wing alongside or overhead, but there are also bike rides, walking tours and even expeditions on horseback that take you into eagle country.

All usually feature hot chocolate or a campfire at the end, and the views of the Stawamus Chief and Garibaldi Ranges are always spectacular.

Wrap up the day in Squamish, a rapidly growing resort town between Vancouver and the more-crowded Whistler. You can get warm in several ways, including gins, ciders and beers from local distilleries and breweries.

Eagle watching tips

Early morning and mid-afternoon are the best times to look for bald eagles. Keep your eyes on the tallest trees, because that’s where they are most likely to roost.

Stay on the paths and dikes, keep quiet, keep your distance from eagles — and their food — and ensure that all dogs are kept on a leash.

Leave your drones at home. They’re nowhere near as impressive as America’s bird.

Info: Explore Squamish

On Oct. 6, 2010 — in the first year of the decade now drawing to a close — the following headline appeared above a modest 445-word article on a tech-industry website: “Instagram Launches With the Hope of Igniting Communication Through Images.”

It’s an almost comically quaint description of exactly what the company has done over the last nine years. On its way to amassing more than a billion users, Instagram has become many things: a joyful storehouse of family photos, a sledgehammer for celebrity tabloid culture, a shadowy abyss of teen bullying. Oh, and it has also become the most powerful force in shaping commerce this side of Amazon.com Inc.

The smartphone app, which Facebook Inc. acquired in 2012, has notably served as a platform for new forms of consumer marketing. But its influence on spending is far more profound. Because practically everyone now lives their lives on camera, Instagram has played a crucial role in altering both the look and nature of products people buy and the physical spaces where they shop.

Certain items were elevated to the must-have list this decade because they were shareable — that is, they photographed especially well or had a flair of whimsy that racked up the likes and comments. So the ugly Christmas sweater went from ironic joke to something Walmart Inc. had to stock in droves, while matching family pajamas invaded department stores.

Product designers and merchants have gotten wise to this dynamic and have responded in kind. They brought shoppers pool floats shaped like swans and floppy sun hats with cursive kiss-offs like “do not disturb.” They served up eye-catching rainbow bagels, Unicorn Frappuccinos and latte art. They scored with kids’ games such as Pie Face that were perfect for video snippets.

“Bride Tribe” tank tops. Mermaid toast. “Live Laugh Love” wall art. It is doubtful any of these things would even exist if not for Instagram.

In some cases, whole product categories have benefited from the photo-centric world Instagram has created. The beauty business had several booming years this decade, powered by trends such as contouring and strobing that made women feel duck-face-ready. Sales of houseplants skyrocketed as millennials outfitted their homes with fiddle-leaf figs that lent an artful flourish to photos.

And then there are the stores themselves — if that’s still the correct term in the Instagram era. Retailers have created spaces that are alluring sets for photos, such as Tiffany & Co.’s addition of a robin’s-egg blue café to its Manhattan flagship and Canada Goose’s “cold room” sprinkled with real snow. Concepts like the Museum of Ice Cream and Rosé Mansion aren’t so much stores as gallery-museum-commerce crossbreeds built on the back of Instagram.

Meanwhile, restaurateurs have adapted the lighting in their dining rooms to be conducive to photos, knowing diners’ pictures are among their most powerful marketing tools. Splashy lettering, loud wallpaper, neon signs — these have become the default aesthetic of eateries looking to nab a spot in Instagram feeds.

Restaurants are just one component of the “experience economy,” a broader category of consumer spending that has been utterly upended by Instagram. The vacation-photo arms race has led to certain picturesque landmarks being choked by visitors and public lands being degraded. Hotels are also being forced to adapt. Industry giant Marriott International Inc., for example, debuted in 2014 a chain called the Moxy, where guests can opt to have their tiny rooms festooned with photo-friendly inflatable flamingos.

Perhaps Instagram’s most peculiar commercial influence has been its role in creating entirely new spending occasions, particularly around life milestones. Maternity photo shoots have become commonplace; so have birth and newborn photo shoots. Same for “Trash the dress” and home-buying photo shoots. Some of these rituals started becoming trendy before Instagram’s rise, but it is the app that has cemented them as an ordinary thing to drop hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on.

Relatedly, there now exists a weird species of consumer goods that no one needed before they revealed big news via a visual medium. Search Etsy for “pregnancy announcement props,” and you’ll find thousands of items: chalkboard-style signs, pacifiers and dog outfits emblazoned with baby announcements. You’ll find similar props to herald engagements, gender reveals and birthdays by photo.

All of this is before contemplating what an essential tool Instagram has become for brand advertising. Influencers — a class that includes both Hollywood actresses and suburban moms with fewer than 10,000 followers — have perfected the art of hawking everything from fashion to protein drinks to tampons to credit-card rewards programs to their audiences in exchange for fees or gear.

In a $600-million testament to Instagram’s power as a marketing platform, this year beauty industry giant Coty Inc. took a majority stake in Kylie Cosmetics, the makeup brand Kardashian clan member Kylie Jenner had made a hot seller largely thanks to clever promotion on the app. Fast-growing digital upstarts such as Fashion Nova and Revolve Clothing provide additional powerful examples of Instagram’s ability to put a brand on the map.

Instagram’s impact on shopping in the 2010s isn’t as easily quantified as that of Amazon. The online retailer’s transformative role can be seen in its estimated 38% share of the U.S. e-commerce market, a market value that briefly touched $1 trillion and CEO Jeff Bezos’ No. 1 or No. 2 spot on Bloomberg’s Billionaire’s Index.

What Instagram did is change consumer culture. It turned shoppers into a performative swarm of shutterbugs presenting Clarendon-filtered (or maybe Juno-filtered?) versions of themselves and their surroundings to their followers. It changed not only how things are bought and sold, but also why. When period-piece movies are someday made about the 2010s, the aesthetics used to evoke this decade— all-white kitchens, neon-colored foods, major sleeves — will be the ones that sparkled in Instagram’s onscreen world. Real life never looked quite so glossy.

Halzack writes for Bloomberg.