WASHINGTON — 

Just weeks before voters caucus in Iowa, Bernie Sanders has gained a slight edge in the close race for the Democratic presidential nomination there, with the state’s most-watched poll showing him supported by 20% of likely voters, at the front of the pack but with several rivals close behind.

The new Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom Iowa Poll has the Vermont senator 3 percentage points ahead of his next closest rival, Massachussetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who has the support of 17% of likely Democratic caucus-goers. Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg is right behind her with 16% support, and former Vice President Joe Biden has 15%.

The results — a virtual dead heat among the top four — reflect a a nail-biter of a contest in the run-up to Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses Feb. 3. The margin of error for the Iowa Poll, traditionally seen as the most reliable assessment of voters’ leanings, is 3.7 percentage points. The pollsters surveyed 701 likely Democratic caucus-goers from Jan. 2-8.

As close as the race is, the results are welcome news for the Vermonter, whose prospects were thrown into doubt only a couple of months ago after he was hospitalized for heart surgery. Sanders has come bounding back, and his 5-percentage-point gain since the Iowa poll in November offered a reassuring sign that his health hasn’t turned off voters.

The poll was bad news for Buttigieg, who has dropped precipitously in Iowa since he was at the top of the field in that state in November. He has dropped 9 percentage points since then, to 16% from 25%. And for Biden, it suggested that he has not yet built the momentum to create the aura of inevitability he wants.

For Warren, the new numbers suggest a candidate holding her ground; she had earlier lost altitude from her onetime lead in Iowa. The poll showed the senator still in strong contention, as some Iowans apparently have reconsidered their support for one of her main rivals, Buttigieg. She also has the advantage of a robust campaign infrastructure and strong network of activists in Iowa.

Among candidates further back, the poll showed Sen. Amy Klobuchar holding firm with support from 6% of likely voters. She has not been able to capitalize on her Midwestern sensibilities and her record in neighboring Minnesota of winning in heartland counties Trump carried, yet Klobuchar contends that she is a viable alternative to the top four.

The findings are also discouraging for others, particularly New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. Despite his reputation as a rising star in the party and his considerable media exposure, he has consistently been overshadowed in this state’s contest. Booker, after campaigning aggressively in Iowa for nearly a year, has support of just 3% of likely caucus-goers, according to the poll.

He is among several candidates whose weak polling numbers disqualify them from taking the stage when the Democratic candidates debate in Des Moines on Tuesday. New York entrepreneur Andrew Yang, who was the sole nonwhite candidate on the stage at last month’s debate, in Los Angeles, also fell short for this round, with support from 5% of Iowa voters in the new poll.

But another candidate struggling in Iowa — California billionaire Tom Steyer — will be debating in Des Moines on Tuesday. In the new poll, he had support from 2% of likely caucus-goers, but he was able to qualify for the debate thanks to new Fox News polls showing sufficient support for him in South Carolina and Nevada, states that vote soon after Iowa and where a solid showing in the polls can propel candidates to the debate stage under Democratic National Committee rules.

Steyer’s spending on television advertising nationwide has already surpassed $100 million, according to figures posted by CNN, eclipsing that of Biden, Buttigieg, Sanders and Warren combined.

Another billionaire who has weak support in Iowa but is also spending heavily on ads and rising in the polls elsewhere is former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. The poll found that he had the support of just 1% of the potential Iowa voters. Bloomberg, a late entrant into the race, is largely bypassing Iowa and other states that vote early. Instead, he is on a spending blitz in more delegate-rich states that vote later, a risky strategy that assumes Bloomberg can overcome the momentum gathered by rivals who emerge victorious from Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.

Candidates were eagerly awaiting the release of the Iowa poll, which will factor heavily into their strategies to win over and turn out voters in the final stretch.

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SACRAMENTO — 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom began a news conference Friday to unveil his $222.2-billion state budget proposal with a plea for forgiveness and a warning: The exhaustive 90-minute presentation he gave for his first spending plan one year ago wasn’t an exception, it set a precedent.

“I want you to be prepared that I’m going to extend this as a new pattern,” Newsom said of his lengthy budget reveals. “And I do that because I want you to know what my priorities are, I want you to know what matters to me.”

This year, Newsom spoke for nearly three hours, largely delivering his speech in an uninterrupted monologue that offered as much insight about his financial priorities as governor as it did the personality of the sharply dressed 52-year-old Democrat with impeccably styled hair.

Before a captive audience of journalists and television cameras, Newsom appeared to revel in the wonky, fiscal wonderland of his own making. No topic was too big, no detail too small: tampon taxes, a looming economic downturn, billion-dollar pension liabilities and the food on school lunch trays.

“I just had enough of TCAC, CDLAC, OPR, CalVet, HCD, CalHFAs,” Newsom said, losing reporters in a complex web of agencies involved in funding housing programs. “Six of you understand what the hell I just said, no one else does. And that’s the point.”

There was no TelePrompTer in sight, just a notepad on a lectern edged by pink Post-it Notes.

Displaying a speaking style all his own, Newsom described his proposals as “audacious” and formed with “intentionality.” Observers noted the frequency with which he used the words “in this space,” repeating the turn of phrase more than 30 times (not including the times he said “in that space” or “the space”) as he discussed work on school meal programs, the intersection of mental and physical health, a school bond, college affordability and other topics.

“In terms of our intentionality in this space, you recall we put $650 million in emergency grants in last year to help support cities and counties,” Newsom said of funding to address homelessness.

And by the end of the briefing, which began in the morning and stretched until after the lunch hour, not a single reporter’s hand remained raised with questions.

Here are a few quintessentially Newsom moments from the governor’s news conference:

Newsom the marathon speaker
It took a three-person rotation of sign language interpreters to keep up with the governor, who rarely paused for more than a few seconds. Some reporters came armed with snacks, anticipating a long speech. Newsom talked for nearly 100 minutes straight before taking questions.

Name that czar
On the campaign trail, Newsom pledged to appoint the state’s first ever homelessness czar, a Cabinet-level role that would take the lead in addressing one of California’s biggest problems. At a news conference in August, the governor said Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas were both acting in that capacity, though he had not yet filled the position. But Newsom also told the Fresno Bee that Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly was effectively his homelessness czar. Then in December, Newsom hired Matthew Doherty, who led homelessness efforts at the federal level under former President Obama and President Trump, as “an expert advisor” to the governor on homelessness, raising suspicions that he might be the actual homelessness czar people had been waiting for. On Friday, Newsom tried to address confusion over the position, preempting questions from reporters on the topic by doubling down on his ownership of the role: “You want to know who’s the homeless czar? I’m the homeless czar in the state of California.”

Total recall
Newsom’s encyclopedic recall of his budget proposal was on full display at Friday’s presentation. A reporter asked the governor what he would do to address 500,000 housing units that had been approved by developers in California, but hadn’t been constructed. Without missing a beat, Newsom directed the journalist to the exact spot in his 246-page budget that touched on the issue: “Yeah, take a look at page 115, upper right. You’ll see a chart with four graphs.”

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Opening up
Accidentally transposing a bill number in response to a question, Newsom paused to comment about how the fumble was evidence of his learning disability: “… 1611, uh 1161, proving the dyslexia.” The governor, who has made education a centerpiece of his administration, has opened up about his struggle, from time to time talking about how he had a difficult time with his studies while growing up. When visiting an elementary school recovering from the Camp fire last year, Newsom declined an impromptu offer to read to a class of students and admitted that he dreaded reading in public.

Dropping hints
Former Gov. Jerry Brown displayed less public interest in the media. But Newsom often foreshadows actions he thinks will be headline-worthy and tries to direct reporters to stories he thinks they should write. On Friday, Newsom teased a program to give laptops to prisoners that his office hasn’t yet announced: “Ask me about it. Talk to your editors about it. That’s a story when we do it.”

SALT LAKE CITY — 

The No. 8 UCLA Bruins were in unfamiliar territory.

On a historic winning streak, the Bruins have rarely trailed this season but found themselves down by three to Utah in the third quarter.

“We weren’t being tough,” forward Michaela Onyenwere said. “We were doing things we don’t usually do, and we weren’t sticking to our principles.”

Onyenwere and the Bruins returned to form when they turned up their defensive pressure, which led to an offensive onslaught.

Onyenwere had 18 points and nine rebounds, and UCLA routed Utah 84-54 on Friday night to improve to 15-0, extending the best start in school history.

“All of the sudden, we started getting stops, making their passes difficult, and now we’re attacking the paint on offense,” said UCLA coach Cori Close, who is 13-0 against the Utes.

Charisma Osborne added 17 points and eight rebounds to help the Bruins go to 4-0 in the Pac-12 Conference.

Julie Brosseau had 10 points for the Utes (7-8 , 0-4). They have lost four in a row.

The Bruins struggled to find openings in the Utes’ defense until they began extending their own defense, disrupting dribble handoffs and forcing turnovers. UCLA then got transition opportunities and found open shots by moving the ball.

“We started denying the post players, and we showed a lot more ball pressure,” said Osborne, a freshman guard. “That led to us pushing the ball, and that’s when we’re at our best.”

UCLA shot 81% in the fourth quarter to turn it into a blowout.

Trailing in the second half, the Bruins had a 23-3 run bridging the third and fourth quarters that made it 61-44 with 6:37.

Down nine at the half, the Utes started the second half with a stunning 15-2 run that was capped by Brynna Maxwell’s pull-up three-pointer.

“We had momentum, but everything changed in a moment,” Utah coach Lynne Roberts said. “The score doesn’t indicate the battle that this game was.”

Both of UCLA’s big runs were keyed by Onyenwere, a junior who is the Bruins’ leading scorer.

“We need to get the ball to Michaela early, often and everywhere on the floor,” Close said. “But, at the same time, she’s better when we mix up those touches.”

Onyenwere said once the Bruins’ got transition points, they didn’t have to sweat the chance they’d snap their streak.

“No stress at all. I think that it’s cool and just a testament of how hard we work,” Onyenwere said. “We stay poised.”

The Bruins have won 13 straight against Utah. They needed some timely defense to jump-start their offense and get rolling. UCLA looked like a smooth-running machine as it began moving the ball and getting out on the run. “We’re a totally different team when we run,” Close said.

After losing by a combined 66 points to No. 2 Oregon and No. 3 Oregon State, the Utes lost big to their third consecutive top-10 opponent but gave the Bruins a much tougher test for nearly three quarters. Utah’s zone forced the Bruins outside and limited UCLA for a while, but the Utes’ 19 turnovers were too much to overcome.

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UCLA will visit Colorado on Sunday. The Buffaloes defeated visiting USC 66-53 on Friday night.

Utah will host the Trojans on Sunday.

Angel Jackson had 12 points off the bench and Kayla Overbeck and Endyia Rogers each scored 11 for the USC women’s basketball team Friday night, but the Trojans lost 66-53 to Colorado in Boulder, Colo.

Jackson also had three blocks for the Trojans (8-7, 0-4 Pac-12 Conference), who have lost four consecutive games, all in league play. USC shot just 29% from the field, including three for 17 on three-pointers (17.6%). Overbeck added seven rebounds.

Emma Clarke and Quinessa Caylao-Do each scored 13 points for the Buffaloes (13-2, 2-2), who outscored the Trojans 27-12 in the third quarter after trailing 25-23 at halftime. Colorado outrebounded USC 50-31. Clarke had eight rebounds, and Caylao-Do had six.

The Trojans will visit Utah (7-8, 0-4) on Sunday. The Utes lost 84-54 to No. 8 UCLA on Friday night in Salt Lake City.

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How good is Ian Martinez of JSerra?

The Utah-bound senior is certainly playing as if he’s one of the top 10 basketball players in Southern California. On Friday night, he scored 29 points and had the assist to Francesco Borra with nine seconds left that gave JSerra a 55-54 road victory over St. John Bosco in a Trinity League thriller.

Mater Dei defeated Servite 83-68. Devin Askew contributed 25 points. Kunal Bagga had 20 points and Tajavis Miller 17 for Servite. Orange Lutheran defeated Santa Margarita 38-32.

Etiwanda and Damien are on a collision course to meet for first place in the Baseline League. The two schools are set to play next Friday, Jan. 17, at Etiwanda.

Etiwanda (15-2, 2-0) defeated Rancho Cucamonga 81-37. Darryl Jackson had 17 points and Tyree Campbell 15. Damien (14-4, 2-0) defeated Chino Hills 77-62. Malik Thomas finished with 25 points.

In the West Valley League, El Camino Real is 2-0 after an 87-57 win over Chatsworth. Aaron Cortes and Rameon Witt each scored 17 points.

In the Foothill League, West Ranch defeated Saugus 75-69. Jonah El-Farra had 24 points and 14 rebounds. Adrian McIntyre scored 20 points for Saugus. Valencia defeated Hart 82-64. Noah Veluzat had 26 points and nine rebounds.

In the Mission League, Harvard-Westlake’s size was too much for Alemany in a 65-47 victory. Brase Dottin scored 19 points and Mason Hooks had 18 points. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame rallied from a double-digit deficit in the second half to defeat Loyola on the road in overtime 97-96. Ben Shtolzberg had 33 points, including clutch free throws in overtime. Ryan Engs added 23 points.

Agoura defeated Simi Valley 68-59 to go 2-0 in the Coastal Canyon League. Clark Slajchert scored 40 points in Oak Park’s 64-50 win over Camarillo.

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Corona Centennial rolled to an 88-38 win over Corona. Paris Dawson and Jared McCain each scored 14 points.

Oxnard defeated Buena 99-58.

Crossroads defeated Brentwood 69-65. Christian Moore had 25 points for Brentwood.

St. Anthony defeated Gardena Serra 59-32. Jadon Jones had 15 points. Bishop Montgomery defeated Cantwell-Sacred Heart 99-29. Kristopher Krause had 19 points.

Max Allen had 35 points and 20 rebounds to lead Heritage Christian past Valley Christian 83-66.

Westlake defeated Calabasas 61-49. Kyle MacLean and JT Thompson each had 17 points.

Hello, my name is John Cherwa and welcome back to our horse racing newsletter as we get a handicapping lesson from Rob Henie.

Let’s get right to it with our weekly contribution by Ron Flatter of the Vegas Stats and Information Network. He’s always got a lot on his mind and no shortage of opinions. So, Ron, what are you thinking about today?

“Lacking a Grade 1 race this weekend, the mind wanders. Thankfully, the upcoming Eclipse Awards provide a destination.

“Since the voting closed and finalists were determined last week, claims of snubs have already been declared. By time the winners are revealed in less than two weeks at Gulfstream Park there will have been the usual sanctimonious calls to strip certain voters of their privileges, particularly those who show confounding support of obscure candidates.

“Putting those aside, there is a section of the Eclipse process that is screaming for improvement. That is the balloting for human categories.

“To shed some light on how this Spam is made, 254 voters from racetrack offices and the media (myself included) received ballots last month. Along with them came a special, 32-page edition of the Daily Racing Form. Most of it was devoted to 2019 past performances of the more than 130 horses that editors suggested for consideration in 11 divisions. It is an understatement to point out that those 22 pages are annually invaluable.

“The big flaw comes, though, in the five pages near the back devoted to statistics for trainers, jockeys, apprentice jockeys, owners and breeders. Each of those categories is broken into four sets of standings based on earnings, wins, Grade 1 wins and graded-stakes wins. And that is it.

“Where horses’ records read like a diary of the year past, the human statistics are limited to snapshots that may be misleading. For voters who do their homework and take a deeper dive beneath the numerical surface, these lists are helpful first steps. But what about for those who quickly gloss over the tables and vote based on, say, just earnings or some recipe combining money and graded victories?

“Take the breeders category. One finalist – Calumet Farm – led 2019 in earnings and graded wins. But how many voters dug deeper to learn that Brad Kelley’s operation had only one Grade 1 winner – Mongolian Groom?

“Meanwhile, the Woodford Thoroughbreds operation, which got my vote but failed to make the finals, was responsible for likely older female champion Midnight Bisou and year-end Kentucky Derby futures favorite Independence Hall.

“Often voters have used the coattails of their top choice for Horse of the Year and rewarded the connections with votes in their respective categories. That was clearly the case for 2015, when American Pharoah led Bob Baffert to be named trainer of the year and Zayat Stables the top owner and breeder. But the Triple Crown did not help jockey Víctor Espinoza. He lost to Javier Castellano, whose name was conspicuous by being at the top of the standings for earnings and victories.

“This is not to say that one is automatically more deserving of votes than another in any of these examples. It does suggest, though, that voters lacking a depth of information – or the time to research it – are casting ballots like a horseplayer who quick-’caps the next race.

“The obvious solution is to spoon-feed more data to voters, perhaps something like Equibase provides on its website. Type in the name of an owner, trainer or jockey, and there is a tab labeled “Top Horses” that may be parsed to any given year. That annually proves helpful in filling the information void.

“This seems an easy fix to one of the biggest flaws in the Eclipse process. So, too, would allowing voters more than just 35 hours of the new year to consider all that happened in the 365 days beforehand. (Yes, the deadline to cast ballots was Jan. 2 at 11 a.m. PST.)

“Any other suggestions to improve the awards should be welcome. Something tells me that after the ceremony Jan. 23, there will be no shortage of them.”

Ron Flatter is a host and reporter who covers horse racing for the Vegas Stats & Information Network, which is available at SiriusXM 201 and to subscribers at VSiN.com. His Ron Flatter Racing Pod this week includes Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano and longtime Southern California News Group sports writer Art Wilson. The RFRP is also available via Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher and is sponsored by Xpressbet.

Weekly handicapping lesson

It’s time for our weekly handicapping lesson from Rob Henie of the WCHR (West Coast Handicapping Report) and the ECHR (East Coast Handicapping Report). Today’s analysis comes from the seventh race at Santa Anita and incorporates some handicapping angles into the mix. Rob, take it away.

“This is a maiden special weight at 5 ½ furlongs on the turf. When young runners are sent this short, we can often try and decipher the intentions. For example, NU PI LAMBDA for Carla Gaines, has run three times, all going short at both Del Mar and Santa Anita. In all outings, she showed sharp early speed before being caught late, especially in her first two efforts, telling us the scope to her game likely isn’t much, not being sent long, not even being sent six furlongs, only short turf routes. Despite the speed she’s shown, we have a hard time backing a runner where it appears there’s not much to her game except running to the front and simply trying to last. A runner such as RAKASSAH, who’s making her U.S. debut here today, is bred to run super long. So, it’s surprising she sprinted in three straight races in England, and we’ll give the race here Saturday, waiting for two turns next time out for Phil D’Amato. MAJESTIC GIGI has shown little in each of her last two main track starts, and though still not eligible to be bought in a claimer, the connections are now trying her on the turf, hoping she’ll find something she’s yet to show, such as a more tenacious effort the final ⅛. In the end, we’re looking at fresh faces, horses who’ve been working forwardly, and our top selection is KUSTOM FOR KARL (8). This is a nice pattern for Jeff Mullins, much quicker than normally seen from Jeff, thus the placement going ⅝ on the turf, and as we’ve mentioned often, sending a horse five furlongs on the turf is about the same as preparing ‘em to go four furlongs on the main track. It’s not the most taxing preparation to secure a good effort, which is precisely why these short turf races are often won by first timers and horses off layoffs. Notice as well the slow recent work? This is a great sign, telling us they needed nothing more from her while awaiting this debut start. MUNN SHE’S PRETTY (5) debuts for Jonathon Wong, with a slew of slower drills in tap, which is what we typically see from this barn, but with this one, notice the quick recent drill? Also, a great sign, telling us they laid out the foundation in previous months, with a sharp gate drill right before the race, looking for a recent sharpness right before her first try.

“Hot / Cold Race Trends: none

“Win Contenders (order of preference): 8-5-11

“X Out Runners (eliminating on the win end): 2,7,12

“Positive Notes:

“11 She’s So Special – Pretty tough to not include the “regimen” of Peter Miller here, teaming with Joel Rosario.

“First Timers:

“1 Sweet Devil – Drills for Michael McCarthy are nice, while Abel Cedillo is so good with settling his mounts, dangerous from all points on the track.

“3 Wine At Sunset – She’s prepping for longer here for Eric Kruljac.

“Morning Line Underlays / Overlays:

“8 Kustom For Karl – Morning Line 10-1 / WCHR Line 6-1

“TOP PICK: KUSTOM FOR KARL (#8 10-1 Rispoli) Debut

$ Selected Win Wager

“SECOND CHOICE: MUNN SHE’S PRETTY (#5 10-1 Velez) Debut

$ Selected Win Wager”

^{The West Coast Handicapping Report can be found at http://www.westcoasthorseracing.com It has been endorsed by leading trainers, handicappers and industry sources.}

Santa Anita review

Before we get to Friday’s feature, it seems my thoughts on your-guess-is-as-good-as-mine first posts at Santa Anita struck a chord with several readers. I’m not going to go over the same stuff, but we all like consistency and it’s OK if the races end, maybe, a half-hour before dusk some days. Aidan Butler, the AEDOCRFTSG (that’s acting executive director of California racing for The Stronach Group and we’re not even going to mention Chief Strategy Officer), does read the newsletter so maybe he’ll take note of this.

OK, on to the biggest purse race on Friday’s card, an allowance for older horses going 6 ½ furlongs. It wasn’t much of a race as McKale went gate to wire and won by three-quarters of a length. Jockey Drayden Van Dyke had the race in control and didn’t push the horse deep in the stretch.

“He ran fast, but he’d been working really well,” Bob Baffert, winning trainer, told Mike Willman of Santa Anita. “We gave him some time [off] and he came back good. He needed a little freshening.”

Baffert didn’t know about McKale’s next start. He paid $5.00, $3.60 and $2.40. Manhattan UP finished second followed by Royal Trump, Pepe Tono, Seven Scents and Olseau de Guerre.

Santa Anita preview

It’s a nine-race card starting at, (wait, let me guess, it’s nine races, so it must be 12:30 p.m.) yes, 12:30 p.m. Nailed it. It’s a pretty good card with two graded stakes. Four of the races are on the turf and with the rail at zero feet, it means big fields. Except in the graded stakes, of course.

Let’s look at the stakes.

Grade 3 $100,000 Las Cienegas Stakes: This race is for older fillies and mares going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf, which means it would normally be down the hill. The favorite, at 6-5, is Jolie Olimpica for trainer Richard Mandella and jockey Mike Smith. This one is a challenge for handicappers. This is her first U.S. start after three wins in three races in Brazil. She won by 6 lengths, 3 ¼ and 4 ¼. The trainer-jockey combination certainly mitigates some of the mystery.

Storm the Hill, at 9-5, is the second choice for Phil D’Amato and Flavien Prat. Her last nine races have been graded stakes and two of them were Garde 3 wins. Post is around 1:30 p.m.

Grade 3 $200,000 La Canada Stakes: This race used to be a Grade 2, but got downgraded last year, but year upped the purse to $200,000 but it’s still a Grade 3. It’s for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles. The very talented Spiced Perfection is the 5-2 favorite for Peter Miller and Joel Rosario. She has won nine-of-20 lifetime and is coming off a Grade 3 win at Aqueduct. She has only run one of her last five races in Southern California. She has won more than $1.2 million.

Queen Bee to You is the 3-1 second choice for Andrew Lerner and Ruben Fuentes. She has won seen of 32 races but has an amazing 11 seconds. She has won her last two races, the Bayakoa at Los Alamitos and the Betty Grable at Del Mar. Post is around 4:05 p.m.

Here are the field sizes, in order, 5, 8, 5, 9, 8, 9, 12, 8, 12.

Ciaran Thornton’s SA picks of the day

RACE TWO: No. 6 Kristi’s Tiger (12-1)

Kristi’s Tiger won the debut Dec. 6 under this same jockey, Brice Blanc, who is winning 40% for trainer Thomas Bell. The ROI is huge for this duo (when they race, they return a big profit) and Bell also owns the horse. For small stables this is a big positive indicator for me. They also race the horse protected today. She won easily from off the pace last out at five and a half furlongs so Saturday’s distance should pose no issues. We are getting a great value at 12-1.

Friday’s result: She’s a Dime went to the lead but caught in a duel, lost ground on the turn and finished last.

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 preview

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

12:34 Gulfstream (8): $150,000 Marshua’s River Stakes, fillies and mares 4 and up, 1 1/16 miles on turf. Favorite: Andina Del Sur (2-1)

12:55 Aqueduct (8): $100,000 Say Florida Sandy Stakes, NY-breds 4 and up, 7 furlongs. Favorite: My Boy Tate (5-2)

1:32 Santa Anita (3): Grade 3 $100,000 Las Cienegas Stakes, fillies and mares 4 and up, 5 ½ furlongs on turf. Favorite: Jolie Olimpica (6-5)

1:38 Gulfstream (10): Grade 3 $100,000 Tropical Turf, 4 and up, 1 mile on turf. Favorite: A Thread of Blue (5-2)

4:07 Santa Anita (8): Grade 3 $200,000 La Canada Stakes, fillies and mares 4 and up, 1 1/16 miles. Favorite: Spiced Perfection (5-2)

Chris Wade’s LA pick of the day

RACE SIX: No. 1 Last Tia (7-2)

She is a nice-sized runner who worked well (B-/prep) prior to a “much better than looked” third-place finish in a quality debut 36 nights ago. In that effort, this filly got a bit rambunctious prior to breaking a bit slow and being bumped on both sides to lose over a length and a half right from the gate opening. After the tough start, this runner put forth a big run past the gap to finish third while under a light hold nearing the wire. We’ll push this entrant steadily at a medium price to be close up early and right there at the wire.

Final thought

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

Santa Anita Charts Results for Friday, January 10.

Copyright 2020 by Equibase Company. Reproduction prohibited. Santa Anita, Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California. 7th day of a 60-day meet. Clear & Firm

FIRST RACE.

5½ Furlongs Turf. Purse: $55,000. Maiden Special Weight. Fillies and Mares. 4 year olds and up. Time 21.62 44.77 56.97 1:03.08

Winner–Lavender (IRE) B.f.4 by Born To Sea (IRE) out of Goldthroat (IRE), by Zafonic. Bred by Mrs S. M. Rogers & Sir Thomas Pilkington (IRE). Trainer: Matthew Chew. Owner: Roncelli Family Trust and Roney, Michael. Mutuel Pool $138,759 Exacta Pool $61,379 Superfecta Pool $25,911 Trifecta Pool $39,834. Scratched–Stopped Raining.

LAVENDER (IRE) angled in and saved ground chasing the pace, came out in upper stretch and rallied under urging to gain the lead in deep stretch and proved best. DANCE COSTUME chased outside a rival then three deep into and on the turn and into the stretch and got up for the place three wide on the line. VA VA VOOM sped to the early lead, set a pressured pace inside then inched away into and on the turn, drifted out a bit from the whip in midstretch and just held third between foes late. MELA JONES pressed the pace between foes then stalked a bit off the rail into and on the turn and into the stretch, angled to the inside past midstretch, bid along the rail and was edged for the show. RANEEM prompted the pace three deep then stalked outside a rival into and on the turn and into the stretch, came out some in the drive and was outfinished for a minor award. MALIBU CAT broke a bit slowly, stalked inside then just off the rail into and on the turn and into the stretch, came out some in the drive and could not quite summon the needed late kick.

SECOND RACE.

6½ Furlongs. Purse: $22,000. Claiming. Fillies and Mares. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Price $16,000. Time 22.48 45.71 1:10.93 1:17.83

Winner–Busy Paynter B.f.4 by Paynter out of Busy Mis, by Miswaki. Bred by Robert L. Losey, Paul McGinty & WinStarFarm, LLC (KY). Trainer: Brian J. Koriner. Owner: Dare To Dream Stable LLC (Michael Faber), Crawford, Robert J., Faurot, Rod, Graham, Gary and Koriner. Mutuel Pool $184,718 Daily Double Pool $30,680 Exacta Pool $109,575 Superfecta Pool $57,288 Super High Five Pool $71,726 Trifecta Pool $77,801. Claimed–Busy Paynter by Lambert, Jeffrey, Medina, David, Merrill, Ted, Kilgore, Tom and Dos Divas Racing. Trainer: Robert Hess, Jr. Claimed–Cimarron by Sandlot Racing Stables. Trainer: Dean Pederson. Scratched–none.

BUSY PAYNTER sped to the early lead, set the pace a bit off the rail then inside on the turn, came a bit off the fence into the stretch and drew away under a couple cracks of the whip and steady handling. LEADING INDICATOR between horses early, stalked three deep then off the rail on the turn, continued three wide into the stretch and held second. CIMARRON a step slow to begin, saved ground stalking the pace throughout and held third. ALL TEA ALL SHADE broke in and a bit slowly, settled just off the rail then inside into and on the turn, came out into the stretch and again in upper stretch and was outfinished for the show. INCREDIBLY LUCKY stalked between horses then outside a rival on the turn and weakened in the final furlong. PACIFICA (FR) chased outside on the backstretch and turn, came three wide into the stretch and weakened. WINSINFASHION stalked between horses then chased off the rail, continued outside on the turn and three wide into the stretch and had little left for the drive.

THIRD RACE.

1 Mile. Purse: $57,000. Allowance Optional Claiming. Fillies and Mares. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Price $40,000. Time 23.18 46.81 1:12.09 1:25.31 1:38.81

Winner–Persepolis Dbb.m.5 by War Front out of Along (IRE), by Smart Strike. Bred by Along Syndicate (KY). Trainer: Richard E. Mandella. Owner: Bass II, Perry R. and Bass, Ramona S.. Mutuel Pool $183,817 Daily Double Pool $22,215 Exacta Pool $77,261 Trifecta Pool $51,710. Scratched–none.

50-Cent Pick Three (5-2-1) paid $31.95. Pick Three Pool $36,173.

PERSEPOLIS saved ground stalking the pace, bid inside leaving the backstretch to put a head in front into the second turn, dueled along the rail, fought back from the fence in the stretch to regain the advantage in deep stretch and gamely prevailed under urging. VELVET QUEEN had speed between horses then set the pace a bit off the rail, fought back between horses leaving the backstretch and outside the winner on the second turn, put a head back in front in upper stretch, battled alongside that one through a long drive and was outgamed late. MISS FIA three deep into the first turn, stalked outside the winner then bid three deep leaving the backstretch and into the second turn, continued off the rail leaving that turn and into the stretch and just held third. PINK SCATILLAC between horses early, angled in and chased inside, came off the rail on the second turn and three wide into the stretch and was edged for the show. AMATARA three wide early, chased outside a rival, dropped back into and on the second turn, was pulled up leaving that turn when bleeding from the nostrils and was vanned off.

FOURTH RACE.

6½ Furlongs. Purse: $32,000. Maiden Claiming. 3 year olds. Claiming Price $50,000. Time 22.08 45.31 1:11.34 1:18.38

Winner–Benny Chang Grr.g.3 by Cross Traffic out of Al Maha, by Holy Bull. Bred by H. Allen Poindexter (KY). Trainer: Peter Miller. Owner: Rockingham Ranch. Mutuel Pool $215,785 Daily Double Pool $24,730 Exacta Pool $132,115 Superfecta Pool $53,774 Super High Five Pool $3,996 Trifecta Pool $92,355. Claimed–Palace Prince by Acker, Tom, Bloom, Michael, Lindo, Jon, Sommers, Jim and Becker, Barry, Judith. Trainer: William Spawr. Scratched–Yha Yha.

50-Cent Pick Three (2-1-5) paid $6.15. Pick Three Pool $27,351.

BENNY CHANG came in a bit just after the start, sped to the early lead, angled in and set a pressured pace inside, inched away under urging in midstretch and proved best. BIG HOOF DYNAMITE stalked four wide on the backstretch and turn, came three deep into the stretch, angled out four wide again in midstretch and edged a rival for the place. PALACE PRINCE close up stalking the winner between horses then inside leaving the turn and in the stretch and was edged for second. CONNECTION broke a step slowly and steadied when squeezed, pulled his way between horses on the backstretch and was in tight into the turn, angled in between foes, continued between rivals in the stretch and could not offer the necessary late kick. HANDSOME MICHAEL stalked outside then bid three deep on the backstretch and turn and into the stretch, was between horses in midstretch and weakened some in the final furlong. PROMISE NOTHING stalked between rivals early then bid between horses to duel for the lead, fought back on the turn and into the stretch and also weakened in the final furlong. MOONLIGHT BEACH saved ground stalking the pace, fell back some leaving the turn, swung out into the stretch and weakened in the drive.

FIFTH RACE.

6 Furlongs. Purse: $32,000. Maiden Claiming. Fillies. 3 year olds. Claiming Price $50,000. Time 22.36 46.31 59.10 1:12.37

Winner–Kleen Karma B.f.3 by Clubhouse Ride out of Calameera, by Powerscourt (GB). Bred by James Shenouda & Alfred A. Pais (CA). Trainer: Craig Anthony Lewis. Owner: Zephyr Racing LLC and Pais, Alfred. Mutuel Pool $149,627 Daily Double Pool $25,465 Exacta Pool $94,133 Superfecta Pool $52,446 Super High Five Pool $4,142 Trifecta Pool $64,888. Scratched–H and R’s Girl.

50-Cent Pick Three (1-5-1) paid $27.50. Pick Three Pool $37,641. 50-Cent Consolation Pick Three (1-5-3) paid $3.30. 50-Cent Pick Four (2-1-5-1) 1643 tickets with 4 correct paid $67.15. Pick Four Pool $144,690. 50-Cent Pick Five (5-2-1-5-1) 421 tickets with 5 correct paid $690.85. Pick Five Pool $337,752.

KLEEN KARMA broke slowly, settled inside then went around a rival leaving the backstretch and into the turn, moved up inside then came out leaving the bend and four wide into the stretch and rallied under left handed urging to collar the runner-up nearing the wire. RICKIE NINE TOE’S sped to the early lead and angled in, set a pressured pace inside, inched away in midstretch and held on well but was caught late. NIKKILEAKS had good early speed and dueled between horses, fought back between foes on the turn and into the stretch and bested the others. SMART GIRL dueled three deep between horses then three wide on the turn and into the stretch and weakened. STATEFOREST broke a bit slowly, drifted out and dropped back on the backstretch, angled in some on the turn, went around a rival in upper stretch and passed tiring foes. AKUBA pressed the pace four wide then stalked off the rail on the turn, came four wide into the stretch and had little left for the drive. HAY BELLES saved ground chasing the pace, continued inside on the turn and in the stretch and gave way.

SIXTH RACE.

5½ Furlongs Turf. Purse: $35,000. Claiming. Fillies and Mares. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Price $32,000. Time 22.14 45.26 57.00 1:02.91

Winner–Drift Away B.m.5 by Congrats out of Retroesque, by Red Ransom. Bred by Hidden Brook Farm (KY). Trainer: Andrew Lerner. Owner: Del Mar Summer Racing Club LLC, Hidden Brook Farm, Lerner Racing and Howell, Christopher. Mutuel Pool $169,689 Daily Double Pool $19,082 Exacta Pool $87,805 Superfecta Pool $30,457 Trifecta Pool $55,860. Claimed–Classy Atlantic by Cohen, Stuart, Seymour, Lauri, Tannenbaum, Edward M., Mueller, Martin and Scott. Trainer: Vladimir Cerin. Scratched–Mongolian Window.

50-Cent Pick Three (5-1-4) paid $32.70. Pick Three Pool $33,990. 50-Cent Consolation Pick Three (5-3-4) paid $3.60.

DRIFT AWAY dropped back and angled in early, saved ground off the pace, went around a rival leaving the turn and into the stretch, came out in upper stretch and rallied under left handed urging and vigorous handling to gain the lead in late stretch and proved best under a hold in the final strides. SWIRLING had good early speed and dueled between horses, put a head in front early on the turn, battled back inside leaving the turn and into the stretch, inched away past midstretch but could not contain the winner late. CLASSY ATLANTIC pressed the pace four wide and three deep leaving the turn and into the stretch, fought back in midstretch and was edged for the place. BAKO SWEETS dueled three deep between horses, angled in between foes leaving the turn, fought back in midstretch and was outfinished. SHE’S A DIME sent along inside early, dueled from the rail, fell back leaving the turn and weakened in the stretch.

SEVENTH RACE.

6½ Furlongs. Purse: $59,000. Allowance Optional Claiming. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Price $62,500. Time 21.97 44.94 1:09.27 1:15.65

Winner–McKale Dbb.g.5 by Congrats out of Lofty Lizzy, by Unbridled’s Song. Bred by Willow Oaks Stable (MD). Trainer: Bob Baffert. Owner: Watson, Karl, Pegram, Michael E. and Weitman, Paul. Mutuel Pool $207,828 Daily Double Pool $26,374 Exacta Pool $98,659 Superfecta Pool $45,196 Trifecta Pool $73,411. Claimed–Oiseau de Guerre by Doug O’Neill. Trainer: Doug O’Neill. Scratched–none.

50-Cent Pick Three (1-4-1) paid $22.30. Pick Three Pool $24,560.

MCKALE sped to the early lead, set the pace a bit off the rail, drifted in a bit under left handed urging in the final sixteenth and held gamely. MANHATTAN UP chased outside a rival then between horses leaving the backstretch and on the turn, angled to the inside nearing the stretch, continued along the fence in the drive then came out a bit in deep stretch and went on willingly. ROYAL TRUMP stalked off the rail then outside, went three deep on the turn and into the stretch and bested the others. PEPE TONO was in a good position stalking the winner off the rail then outside, went four wide on the turn and into the stretch and lacked a rally. SEVEN SCENTS close up stalking the pace a bit off the rail on the backstretch and turn, was between horses into the stretch and weakened. OISEAU DE GUERRE threw his head at the start, angled in and pulled inside, saved ground on the turn, came out into the stretch and again in upper stretch and lacked a rally.

EIGHTH RACE.

5½ Furlongs Turf. Purse: $55,000. Maiden Special Weight. Fillies. 3 year olds. Time 22.41 45.75 57.58 1:03.65

Winner–She’s Devoted Grr.f.3 by Grazen out of Devoted One, by Broken Vow. Bred by Slam Dunk Stable (CA). Trainer: Richard Baltas. Owner: Slam Dunk Racing. Mutuel Pool $206,606 Daily Double Pool $74,425 Exacta Pool $121,922 Superfecta Pool $54,443 Super High Five Pool $24,329 Trifecta Pool $77,850. Scratched–Ci Voleva, On the Verge, Rose’s Crystal, Too Much Smoke, What a Family.

50-Cent Pick Three (4-1-5) paid $11.00. Pick Three Pool $123,411. 50-Cent Pick Four (1-4-1-5/10/11/12/13) 3319 tickets with 4 correct paid $66.30. Pick Four Pool $288,511. 50-Cent Pick Five (5-1-4-1-5/10/11/12/13) 488 tickets with 5 correct paid $394.60. Pick Five Pool $252,368. 20-Cent Pick Six Jackpot (1-5-1-4-1-5/10/11/12/13) 119 tickets with 6 correct paid $525.04. Pick Six Jackpot Pool $116,997. Pick Six Jackpot Carryover $319,307.

SHE’S DEVOTED bumped and steadied just after the start, pulled and chased a bit off the rail, went outside a rival leaving the turn and three wide into the stretch, came out in upper stretch and rallied under urging to get up three deep on the lined. BELLA VITA broke slowly, settled inside, came out leaving the turn and four wide into the stretch, drifted in a bit in midstretch and rallied between foes to put a head in front nearing the wire and was edged on the line. TIME FOR SALLY sped to the early lead, set a pressured pace inside, inched away into the stretch, kicked clear and held on well but was caught in the final strides. RIDE SALLY RIDE stalked early then pressed the pace three deep to the stretch and weakened in the final furlong. WARREN’S EMPRESS chased between horses then outside a rival into the stretch, angled inward in deep stretch and did not rally. SARA CREWE hopped some and tossed her head a bit at the start then was forced in and bumped early, stalked three deep, came five wide into the stretch, drifted in a bit in the drive and weakened. KISSABLE U came in just after the start, angled in and stalked then pressed the pace between horses to the stretch and also weakened. BELLA D bumped and steadied just after the start, chased a bit off the rail, angled to the inside on the turn, continued along the rail in the drive and did not rally.

Santa Anita Entries for Saturday, January 11.

Santa Anita, Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California. 8th day of a 60-day meet.

FIRST RACE.

6½ Furlongs. Purse: $33,000. Claiming. 3 year olds. Claiming Price $25,000.

SECOND RACE.

6 Furlongs. Purse: $33,000. Starter Optional Claiming. Fillies. 3 year olds. Claiming Price $40,000.

THIRD RACE.

5½ Furlongs Turf. Purse: $100,000. ‘Las Cienegas Stakes’. Fillies and Mares. 4 year olds and up.

FOURTH RACE.

1 Mile. Purse: $23,000. Maiden Claiming. 3 year olds. Claiming Price $30,000.

FIFTH RACE.

1 Mile Turf. Purse: $33,000. Starter Optional Claiming. Fillies. 3 year olds. Claiming Price $40,000.

SIXTH RACE.

6½ Furlongs. Purse: $33,000. Starter Allowance. 4 year olds and up.

SEVENTH RACE.

5½ Furlongs Turf. Purse: $55,000. Maiden Special Weight. Fillies. 3 year olds.

EIGHTH RACE.

1 1/16 Mile. Purse: $200,000. ‘La Canada Stakes’. Fillies and Mares. 4 year olds and up.

NINTH RACE.

1 Mile Turf. Purse: $55,000. Maiden Special Weight. Fillies. 3 year olds. State bred.

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An explosion rocked a portion of a Corona wastewater treatment facility Friday but no injuries or chemical releases were reported, city officials said in a news release.

The blast occurred at 3:52 p.m. in the “biosolids drying structure” at Water Reclamation Facility No. 1, at 2205 Railroad St., the release said. The cause of the explosion is under investigation by the Corona Fire Department and the Department of Water and Power.

The extent of the damage was not disclosed, but the plant continued to operate Friday.

Reclaimed water from the plant is used for landscaping and other non-drinking purposes, according to the Corona DWP website.

SACRAMENTO — 

The Newsom administration is nearing a deal with Huntington Beach that would end a contentious lawsuit over the city’s alleged failure to plan for more affordable housing.

In a letter sent to the Orange County city on Friday, state housing officials said a proposal to increase low-income housing development in the city would meet the terms of a state law that requires all communities to zone for enough affordable housing to meet projected population growth.

If the Huntington Beach City Council approves the proposal by March, the letter said, the city would then be in compliance with the state law.

“We want to compliment the team that Huntington Beach put together that worked with [the state housing department] over the holidays,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a news conference Friday to unveil his state budget proposal.

Last January, Newsom spearheaded a lawsuit against Huntington Beach, arguing that the city backtracked on its plans to zone for affordable housing along the city’s primary commercial corridors and never took action to replace the planned residential density elsewhere in the city, as required by law. The case, filed in the governor’s first month in office, was widely interpreted to be a warning shot against local governments that have resisted housing development — something Newsom has argued is a key cause of the state’s shortage of homes.

Under the deal, which mainly applies to the commercial corridors, the city would have to allow for more projects that set aside at least 20% of their housing for low-income residents. The terms were negotiated by state and city housing officials.

Huntington Beach’s planning commission is scheduled to consider the proposal on Tuesday. Should the city ultimately agree, the central issue in the state’s lawsuit will be resolved, said Russ Heimerich, a spokesman with the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.

“The lawsuit against Huntington Beach is about them not being in compliance,” Heimerich said. “If they come into compliance, the lawsuit would likely become moot.”

Huntington Beach Mayor Lyn Semeta could not be reached for comment Friday. In a statement, City Manager Oliver Chi said city leaders were motivated to act because they wanted to tap state homelessness prevention dollars available only to local governments that are in compliance with the broader state housing law.

Newsom said the proposed deal showed how pressure from his administration could force cities to plan for housing. He held meetings last winter with dozens of cities that were out of compliance with the housing supply law. Since then, 17 local governments — most of them small or rural — have reached agreements with the state on their housing plans without litigation.

Still, Newsom said the state needs to do more, including lowering fees and reducing regulations, to ensure that developers are able to build new housing on land that’s planned for it.

“It’s the most vexing struggle that we have,” he said.

Should the city of Huntington Beach pass the proposed development plan, it would not end all housing litigation with the state. The city has challenged four recently passed state housing laws, arguing that they unconstitutionally impinge on the city’s authority to regulate land-use. That case remains pending in court.

A California law limiting local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities does not infringe on charter cities’ right to run their own police forces, a state appeals court ruled Friday.

The opinion from the California 4th District Court of Appeal overturned a 2018 ruling by the Superior Court of Orange County that prohibited Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra from enforcing the so-called sanctuary state law against the city of Huntington Beach.

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Huntington Beach is one of 121 California charter cities, which are governed by charters adopted by local voters. The city had challenged the law, also known as the California Values Act, arguing that it violated a section of the state Constitution that gives charter cities “supreme authority” over municipal affairs.

But the state appealed, arguing that the law related to a matter of statewide concern.

“Today’s decision is a resounding victory for sanctuary in California,” Jessica Bansal, senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California, said Friday in a statement. “The appellate court decision affirms that all Californians — including the millions living in charter cities — are entitled to the California Values Act’s protections.”

The California Values Act, which was signed into law in 2017, prevents law enforcement officers in many cases from holding and questioning people at the request of federal immigration agents, and limits them from sharing the release dates of some county jail inmates who are in the country illegally.

A man apparently shot his elderly mother to death and then turned the gun on himself Friday afternoon at the Candlewood Suites hotel in Hawthorne, police said.

Hawthorne police officers summoned by hotel staff discovered two bodies and a note indicating the deaths were a murder-suicide, Lt. Gil Sanchez said. The victims had suffered a single gunshot each, Sanchez said, calling it a tragic incident.

The victims’ names and ages were not released. Sanchez said that the mother and son had been staying at the hotel for a couple of weeks, and that she appeared to be in a convalescent condition.

Police arrived at the scene about 3 p.m. The Los Angeles County coroner’s office also is investigating the deaths.

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