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

One of the great hidden pleasures of following horse racing is finding these hidden sources of information. One of my favorites is the weekly Ron Flatter Racing Pod. I’ve mentioned it before and it can be found at most sites that carry podcasts, and it’s free. You can find it here.

Well, this week one of his guests was Mike Rogers, president of racing for the Stronach Group. Rogers and Tim Ritvo, the company’s COO, were on a boondoggle at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris, where Flatter ran into Rogers, who agreed to be on his podcast. (By the way, my best boondoggle was when I was at the Chicago Tribune and went to Australia the year before the Olympics to secure hotels. It’s not like you don’t do work on a boondoggle, for example, Ritvo and Rogers were “recruiting for the Pegasus.”)

Ron asked the question, given what happened at Santa Anita, what would you have done different.

I’ll save my comments for later, but this is his slightly edited answer.

“We tried to self-reflect on all the things that took place,” Rogers said. “Looking back on Santa Anita, look we had terrible weather. It was a multi-factorial event that took place. [There was] a press corps that had a big reach and it got in the mainstream market.

“We had a cluster and we had a high-profile horse, but if you truly take a step back and look at Santa Anita’s numbers, it’s no worse than it’s been the last 10 years. I’m not saying that’s good.

“Clearly the story got traction this year and it made everyone take a step back and self-reflect and look at what we can do to make it better. That’s all positive and that’s good.

“To look at the event and say we were doing things wrong, other than that cluster, overall Santa Anita was not performing any worse than it has been in previous years or against any other race track in North America. But I have to say that’s still not good. We need to be better.”

(Back to me) Oh, boy. First, I’m hoping my friend Ron didn’t get toppled over as Rogers’ nose started to grow as his answer progressed.

Let’s look at how he twice just dismissed the “cluster” of deaths. He said “other than that cluster.” Isn’t that like saying, except for the iceberg, people had a good time on the Titanic? Mike, you can’t dismiss the “cluster.”

He said, “… if you truly take a step back and look at Santa Anita’s numbers, it’s no worse than it’s been the last 10 years.”

So, let’s look at the racing death rates at Santa Anita for the last 10 years, per 1,000 starts, which means it doesn’t include training fatalities:

2009: 0.84

2010: 1.53

2011: 2.94

2012: 2.60

2013: 2.19

2014: 2.28

2015: 2.13

2016: 2.83

2017: 2.36

2018: 2.04

What was it during the winter/spring meeting? 3.17

What was it before the track shut down for 24 days? 4.40

What was it after the track re-opened and there were reforms? 1.86, higher than the national average of 1.68. In fairness, that is better than the Santa Anita 10-year average.

How does it compare to other tracks? Well last year, there were some such as Hawthorne (2.99) and Churchill Downs (2.70) that were higher than Santa Anita (2.04). But then there is Del Mar (0.79), Saratoga (0.97), Belmont Park (0.98), Gulfstream (1.41), Aqueduct (1.57).

Now, I’ll be the first to say that Santa Anita is working its rear end off trying to make the track as safe as it can be. I’m totally convinced safety is the track’s top priority. Talk to the new Santa Anita boss, Aidan Butler, and he’ll make some safety reference quicker than Ritvo and Rogers can say “multi-factorial.”

In a Q&A with the Los Angeles Times, Butler admitted “mistakes were made.” Rogers, in another part of the interview with Flatter, said:

“I don’t want to say anything negative as to how we’ve done things in the past. We’ve had a lot of criticisms and I’m aware of those criticisms [such as] we’re running too many races or we’re worrying about field sizes too much or worrying about the bottom line too much. I think those criticisms were heard and … [we made] some of those changes. We had to look in the mirror as well.”

All I’m saying is part of moving forward is understanding the history of the past.

Handicapping lesson from Rob Henie

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

“The race is a maiden special weight at 5 ½ furlongs. The WCHR has been known for years, for our first timers. We never look at a workout report, nor get any ‘inside information,’ but rather, years of noting the patterns of trainers, understanding who’s well meant, and who’s prepping for another race. When you combine this knowledge, with strong rationale, the results are often favorable. (In 2018 from Aug to Dec, there were 23 debut winners in So. Cal, and we had 22 of ‘em.) Top selection to begin this new day of racing, is RICHIES NOBLE GIRL (#1). She makes her debut for Richard Baltas, and she’s bred to not only run on the turf, but also to run all day, I mean, 1 ¼ to 1 ½ miles, etc. There’s also plenty of foundation, meaning, they could easily debut her going two turns on the surface she’s bred for, but instead, they run on the main track going 5 ½ furlongs? When we look at the worktab, the drills are much quicker than usually seen from Baltas, thus, when we consider all attributes, there’s no question she’s well meant. She shows a precocious side, quicker than her breeding would suggest, looking to break her maiden before the menu of races becomes much more vast, compared lack of ultra-long maiden races around here of 1 ⅛ or longer, not exactly commonplace. ROADRUNNER’S HONOR (#9) debuts for Doug O’Neill, and back around 2005-2006, we used to see quicker drills from Doug with regard to his live first timers (often ridden by Tyler Baze). These days, not as quick, but this one’s working super sharp, telling us there’s nothing Doug can do about, a horse just naturally fast. Not a fan of Rafael Bejarano on the front end, but if he can settle this filly just off the leaders, they can offer a nice final ¼ here.

“Hot / Cold Race Trends: none

“Win Contenders (order of preference): 1-9-10-8

“X Out Runners (eliminating on the win end): 2,5

“First Timers:

“2 Quiet Secretary – Will need the effort for Ian Kruljac.

“4 Crazy Speighty – It appears she’s getting better of late for Bob Baffert, but this is a salty group and we’re more inclined to give the first effort.

“5 My Girl Pearl – Drills are just fine, but again, a decent group and since she’ll be part of the early stampede for the lead, as opposed to offering a contrary style to the masses, we’ll give the race.

“7 Map Maker – Nothing wrong with the drills, but here’s where you can beat Baffert, in a competitive field going very short. It’s when runners aren’t running to the entry box when faced with a sharp Baffert runner going 6 ½ or 7, sprint distances usually rewarding the better horse. We’ll try and beat.

“8 Miss Kitness – Drills for Shelbe Ruis are nice, Mario Gutierrez up is interesting, and we’ll give her a legitimate look here.

“10 Drama for Mama – Solid drills for Richard Mandella, apprentice Jorge Velez riding super, wouldn’t surprise one bit.

“TOP PICK: RICHIES NOBLE GIRL (#1 5-1 Prat) Debut

“SECOND CHOICE: ROADRUNNER’S HONOR (#9 7-2 Bejarano) Debut”

^{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

There were a few longshots on the card at Santa Anita on Friday including the feature, a six-furlong allowance/optional claimer for Cal-breds. The winner was Rick’s Dream, who went for a contested lead and eventually pulled away to win by 3 ½ lengths.

Rick’s Dream paid $17.20, $7.20 and $4.40 for trainer Reed Saldana and jockey Efrain Hernandez. Tiger Strike was second and It’s Fitting finished third.

“He’s a nice little horse,” Saldana told Mike Willman of Santa Anita. “He tries very hard and I used Efrain, because he works a lot of horses for me at Los Alamitos. This horse doesn’t like to switch leads, so I wanted to use Efrain because he’s familiar with him.”

It was the 5-year-old gelding’s fifth win in 19 starts.

Santa Anita preview

It’s an OK card at Santa Anita on Saturday with nine races starting at 12:30 p.m. It’s the dead time before the Breeders’ Cup where there really isn’t great racing anywhere. (Woodbine is the exception on Saturday. Just look at the paucity of $100,000 race in the Big races preview below.) Four of the races are for maidens and there are three races on the turf.

The feature is the $100,000 California Distaff Handicap for Cal-bred fillies and mares going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf. This is a race normally held on the hillside course, but it’s closed for this meet. The favorite is S Y Sky, at 7-5, for trainer Phil D’Amato and jockey Drayden Van Dyke. She’s seven-for-15 lifetime but this year in eight races, she’s won three and finished second five times. She won the Grade 3 Monrovia Stakes.

There are co-second-favorites at 5-2 with Don’t Sell and Just Grazed Me. Don’t Sell, for Doug O’Neill and Mario Gutierrez, has won four-of-eight races this year. She last won the Unzip Me Stakes on Sept. 28. Just Grazed Me, for D’Amato and Geovanni Franco, is four-of-eight lifetime and is coming off a win in an allowance/optional claimer. This is only her third race this year.

Here are the field sizes, in order: 5, 6, 10, 6, 10, 8, 6, 7, 10.

Ciaran Thornton’s SA pick of the day

RACE SEVEN: No. 3 Gypsy Blu (5-1)

Gypsy Blu won three in a row on the hillside course this year before it was shut down. Subsequent five-furlong races have proved too short for the horse. The last race under this current jockey saw ‘Blu fly late to run third and then easily pass the winners on the gallop out. The horse races protected Saturday in this non-graded stakes race, a criterion trainer Mark Glatt wins 22% of. A sharp work adds to the appeal. The distance looks ideal for this hillside specialist and the 5-1 or more price is a great value.

Friday’s result: Kylemore was our second scratch in three days. Perhaps our value hunting is messing with owner/trainer under the radar plans.

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.

1:07 Belmont (7): $100,000 Floral Park Stakes, fillies and mares 3 and up, 6 furlongs on turf. Favorite: Goldwood (7-5)

1:30 Woodbine (7): Grade 2 $250,000 Nearctic Stakes, 3 and up, 6 furlongs on turf. Favorite: Blind Ambition (5-2)

2:05 Woodbine (8): Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes, fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 1/4 miles on turf. Favorite: Red Tea (3-1)

2:13 Belmont (9): Grade 2 $200,000 Sands Point Stakes, fillies 3-years-old, 1 1/8 miles on turf. Favorite: New and Improved (5-2)

2:30 Keeneland (9): $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, fillies 3-years-old, 1 1/8 miles on turf. Favorite: Cambier Park (8-5)

2:42 Woodbine (9): Grade 1 $800,000 Pattison Canadian International, 3 and up, 1 ½ miles on turf. Favorite: Ziyad (1-1)

3:45 Santa Anita (7): $100,000 California Distaff Handicap, Cal-bred fillies and mares 3 and up, 5 ½ furlongs on turf. Favorite: S Y Sky (7-5)

6:11 Delta Downs (8): $100,000 Gold Cup Stakes, La-breds 3 and up, 1 mile. Favorite: Just Stormin (3-1)

Ed Burgart’s LA pick of the day

FIFTH RACE: No. 3 Shes A Famous Royal (7-2)

She lost all chance at the start of last PCQHRA Breeders Futurity trial eighth-place finish when coming away two lengths slow while getting shut off behind horses. She was fourth vs. solid debut field two outs back when facing winner who had previously finished fourth in a trial. She catches a soft field for the maiden $20,000 level while facing no foes who finished better than fourth in last outs.

Final thought

Always looking to add more subscribers to this newsletter. Can’t beat the price. If you like it, tell someone. If you don’t like it, then you’re probably not reading this. Either way, send to a friend and just have them click here and sign up. Remember, it’s free, and all we need is your email, nothing more.

Any thoughts, you can reach me at [email protected]. You can also feed my ego by following me on Twitter @jcherwa

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

Santa Anita Charts Results for Friday, October 11.

Copyright 2019 by Equibase Company. Reproduction prohibited. Santa Anita, Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California. 9th day of a 23-day meet. Clear & Fast

FIRST RACE.

6 Furlongs. Purse: $28,000. Maiden Claiming. 2 year olds. Claiming Price $50,000. Time 21.70 45.16 58.06 1:11.91

Winner–Brickyard Ride Ch.c.2 by Clubhouse Ride out of Brickyard Helen, by Southern Image. Bred by Alfred A. Pais (CA). Trainer: Craig Anthony Lewis. Owner: Alfred Pais. Mutuel Pool $108,812 Exacta Pool $63,370 Superfecta Pool $32,439 Super High Five Pool $2,928 Trifecta Pool $47,112. Scratched–Baltimore Beecho.

BRICKYARD RIDE sped to the early lead, set the pace just off the rail, drifted in under right handed pressure a sixteenth out and held on gamely. GOVENOR CINCH angled in and saved ground chasing the pace, moved up inside in upper stretch, bid along the rail, shifted out slightly from the whip and was in tight inside the winner a sixteenth out and continued gamely to the end. CARNELIAN HERO hopped some in a slow start, was sent along outside a rival then between foes leaving the backstretch and on the turn, angled in entering the stretch, continued along the rail and edged a foe for third. MAHI MAHI stalked outside then off the rail, came three wide into the stretch, was four wide in midstretch, drifted in a bit and was edged for the show. SWEET BOY chased outside then three deep leaving the backstretch and on most of the turn, angled in outside a rival into the stretch and weakened. EL CHAPIN threw his head some and steadied at the start, chased inside then a bit off the rail, angled in on the turn, came out some in the stretch and also weakened. YOU’RERIGHT AGAIN stalked off the rail on the backstretch and turn, came a bit wide into the stretch, was between foes in midstretch and had little left in the final furlong. Following a stewards’ inquiry and a claim of foul by the rider of the runner-up against the winner for alleged interference past midstretch, no change was made when the stewards ruled both runners contributed to the incident between them.

SECOND RACE.

6 Furlongs. Purse: $31,000. Starter Optional Claiming. Fillies. 2 year olds. Claiming Price $40,000. Time 22.07 45.62 58.26 1:12.43

Winner–Vegan B.f.2 by Square Eddie out of Charred Rare, by Momentum. Bred by Reddam Racing, LLC (CA). Trainer: Doug F. O’Neill. Owner: Reddam Racing LLC. Mutuel Pool $94,145 Daily Double Pool $28,047 Exacta Pool $47,521 Trifecta Pool $36,993. Claimed–Vegan by Acker, Tom, Brown, Rusty, Smith, Corey and Spawr, William. Trainer: William Spawr. Scratched–none.

VEGAN had good early speed and dueled between horses then outside the runner-up on the turn, put a head in front in upper stretch and held on gamely under urging. FREEDOM RIDE went up inside to gain a slim lead, dueled along the rail, fought back along the fence through a long drive and continued willingly to the wire. DESTINY’S JOURNEY dueled three deep between horses then stalked off the rail on the turn, came out some into the stretch, drifted in a bit in the final furlong and bested the others. ROSES FOR LAURA pressed the pace four wide then stalked outside a rival on the turn, came four wide into the stretch, also drifted in some and weakened. SMILING TO EXCESS a half step slow to begin, dropped back inside then was taken off the rail to chase the pace, was roused on the turn, came four wide into the stretch and had little left for the drive.

THIRD RACE.

1 Mile Turf. Purse: $50,000. Maiden Special Weight. 3 year olds and up. Time 23.05 47.03 1:11.19 1:22.96 1:34.88

Winner–Coast of Roan Ch.g.3 by James Street out of Susan B Good, by Good Journey. Bred by Ed Delaney (CA). Trainer: Doug F. O’Neill. Owner: Ed Delaney. Mutuel Pool $218,165 Daily Double Pool $16,122 Exacta Pool $118,745 Superfecta Pool $71,591 Super High Five Pool $3,602 Trifecta Pool $92,758. Scratched–none.

50-Cent Pick Three (2-3-3) paid $167.75. Pick Three Pool $48,018.

COAST OF ROAN had speed off the rail then angled in, set a pressured pace inside, edged away leaving the second turn, inched away from rivals again nearing midstretch and held on gamely under urging. BUD KNIGHT saved ground stalking the pace, came out into the stretch, angled back to the inside in midstretch and finished willingly along the fence. JETOVATOR stalked inside, bid between horses into the second turn then stalked just off the rail, bid again between foes in upper stretch, continued off the inside in midstretch then between foes in deep stretch and held third. COOL YOUR JETS tugged early, stalked outside a rival, went up three deep then four wide into the second turn, bid three wide then stalked again leaving that turn, re-bid three deep in upper stretch and was edged for the show. FRAVEL saved ground chasing the pace, went outside a rival on the second turn and three wide into the stretch and lacked the needed rally. SUMMER FUN pulled his way along three deep on the first turn then was a bit rough gaited into the backstretch, stalked outside a rival, steadied sharply between foes into the second turn, angled to the inside leaving that turn and weakened. CAFE CLARA pulled between horses early then pressed the pace outside the winner, was three deep into the second turn, angled in outside a rival on that turn then between foes into the stretch and also weakened.

FOURTH RACE.

5½ Furlongs. Purse: $17,000. Maiden Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $20,000. Time 22.17 45.92 58.53 1:05.31

Winner–Rineshaft Dbb.c.3 by Mineshaft out of Rena de Sonora, by Rubiano. Bred by Get It Got It Good (KY). Trainer: Hector O. Palma. Owner: Always Sunny Stables. Mutuel Pool $139,254 Daily Double Pool $23,302 Exacta Pool $77,796 Superfecta Pool $34,789 Trifecta Pool $51,567. Scratched–Wild Cat Canyon.

50-Cent Pick Three (3-3-3) paid $110.55. Pick Three Pool $19,549. $1 Pick Five (5-1/9-3-1/4-3(STRONACH5)) 5 correct paid $3,913.40. Pick Five Pool $114,587.

RINESHAFT had good early speed and dueled inside, inched away on the turn, was shaken up with the reins to widen in midstretch and proved best under a brisk hand ride and a hold late. TRUEST REWARD saved ground stalking the pace, came out into the stretch, loomed behind the winner then lugged in some to be in a bit close of that one’s heels in upper stretch, continued off the inside and was clearly second best. HARLISS had speed three deep then dueled between horses, stalked between rivals on the turn, came three wide into the stretch and just held third. DISPUTED settled outside then off the rail, angled in on the turn, found the fence in the stretch and was edged for the show. FORTNITE DANCE chased outside a rival then off the rail, swung four wide into the stretch, came under urging in the drive then had the rider lose the whip a sixteenth out and weakened. U S HERO four wide early, dueled three deep then stalked three wide on the turn, came four wide into the stretch and also weakened.

FIFTH RACE.

6½ Furlongs. Purse: $32,000. Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $32,000. Time 22.02 44.61 1:10.57 1:17.29

Winner–Leroy Grr.g.5 by Big Bad Leroybrown out of Could She, by Lear Fan. Bred by Old English Rancho, Sal Berumen & PatsyBerumen (CA). Trainer: Anthony K. Saavedra. Owner: Tyree J. Wolesensky. Mutuel Pool $238,854 Daily Double Pool $21,321 Exacta Pool $142,860 Superfecta Pool $76,517 Super High Five Pool $6,000 Trifecta Pool $104,027. Claimed–Top Brass by Lambert, Jeffrey, Jacobs, Gary,Medina,David,Underhill,Peter and Meredith,J. Trainer: Robert Hess, Jr. Scratched–none.

50-Cent Pick Three (3-3-4) paid $972.20. Pick Three Pool $47,158. 50-Cent Pick Four (3-3-3-4) 40 tickets with 4 correct paid $2,255.15. Pick Four Pool $117,031. 50-Cent Pick Five (2-3-3-3-4) 12 tickets with 5 correct paid $23,740.90. Pick Five Pool $331,289.

LEROY chased a bit off the rail, went outside a rival on the turn then angled in, came out in upper stretch, rallied under left handed urging to bid four wide a sixteenth out and edged the runner-up late. TOP BRASS pressed the pace between horses then four wide, stalked outside on the turn, came three wide into the stretch, re-bid outside foes then between rivals past midstretch to gain a slim lead and was edged late. ROCKO’S WHEEL six wide early, angled in and chased off the rail, split horses into the turn, continued inside leaving the turn, bid along the rail past midstretch and edged a rival for the show. SHANE ZAIN prompted the pace five wide then dropped back and stalked outside, came three deep into the stretch and was edged for third. GETALOADOFTHIS sent between horses early, angled in and bid inside to duel for the lead, kicked clear on turn, came a bit off the rail into the stretch, was between foes past midstretch and was edged for a minor award late. R CHA CHA dueled between horses then stalked outside on the turn, came three wide into the stretch and weakened. LOUD MOUTH saved ground stalking the pace, steadied in tight into the turn, continued inside and also weakened. CONCUR sped to the early lead a bit off the rail, dueled between horses then stalked just off the inside or between rivals on the turn, came out in the stretch and had little left for the drive.

SIXTH RACE.

1 Mile Turf. Purse: $29,000. Waiver Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $25,000. Time 23.86 46.80 1:09.98 1:22.10 1:34.10

Winner–Moonlight Drive (ITY) Dbb.g.6 by Red Rocks (IRE) out of Tina Donizetti (IRE), by Monsun (GER). Bred by Centro Equino Arcadia Srl (ITY). Trainer: Kristin Mulhall. Owner: MacNeil, William and Klosterman, Kenneth. Mutuel Pool $240,579 Daily Double Pool $22,997 Exacta Pool $131,844 Superfecta Pool $66,429 Trifecta Pool $90,605 X-5 Super High Five Pool $5,304. Scratched–Forever Juanito, Kylemore.

50-Cent Pick Three (3-4-5) paid $221.15. Pick Three Pool $37,972. 50-Cent Consolation Pick Three (3-4-6) paid $37.65.

MOONLIGHT DRIVE (ITY) prompted the pace outside the runner-up then stalked on the second turn, re-bid alongside that one under urging past the eighth pole to gain the lead a sixteenth out and won clear. START A RUNNIN sped to the early lead, set a pressured pace inside, inched away on the second turn, fought back a bit off the rail in the stretch, could not match the winner late but held second. OFFSHORE stalked between horses, came out some in the drive and edged rivals for the show between foes. SOBERANO (FR) saved ground chasing the pace, came out leaving the second turn and three wide into the stretch and was edged for third. ZIP THE MONKEY close up stalking the pace inside, bid along the rail past midstretch and was edged for a minor award. IMPRESSION was in a good position stalking the pace three wide to the stretch and lacked the needed rally. PLAY HARD TO GET angled in and settled a bit off the rail, went outside a rival on the backstretch, came out four wide into the stretch and could not offer the necessary late kick. FABOZZI bobbled in a bit of a slow start, chased three deep then outside a rival, continued three wide on the second turn and four wide into the stretch and could not summon the needed response in the drive.

SEVENTH RACE.

6 Furlongs. Purse: $51,000. Allowance Optional Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $16,000. Time 22.01 45.36 58.00 1:11.28

Winner–Rick’s Dream Ch.g.5 by Coil out of Cantina’s Rose, by Decarchy. Bred by B&B Zietz Stables, Inc. (CA). Trainer: Reed Saldana. Owner: Big Iron Racing, LLC. Mutuel Pool $238,989 Daily Double Pool $29,869 Exacta Pool $137,669 Superfecta Pool $61,637 Super High Five Pool $10,568 Trifecta Pool $91,872. Scratched–Ishi.

50-Cent Pick Three (4-5-1) paid $461.60. Pick Three Pool $35,675. 50-Cent Consolation Pick Three (4-6-1) paid $57.10.

RICK’S DREAM had good early speed and dueled inside, inched away under urging in midstretch, came a bit off the rail in deep stretch and won clear. TIGER STRIKE dueled between horses on the backstretch and turn and into the stretch and held second. IT’S FITTING stalked off the rail then between rivals, came three wide into the stretch, was in tight off heels in midstretch, angled to the inside and edged foes for third. MINOSO chased outside then off the rail, angled in outside a rival leaving the turn and into the stretch, came out past midstretch and was edged for the show between horses. CLEM LABINE chased three deep on the backstretch and turn, came four wide into the stretch and was edged for a minor share three wide on the line. SATANTA had speed outside then dueled three deep to the stretch and weakened in the final furlong. ONTHEWINGSOFADREAM bobbled in a slow start, went up inside to chase the pace, continued along the rail on the turn and in the stretch, gave way in the final furlong and was eased late.

EIGHTH RACE.

1 Mile Turf. Purse: $31,000. Starter Allowance. Fillies and Mares. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $50,000. Time 23.60 46.72 1:10.29 1:22.04 1:34.02

Winner–Heathers Grey Grr.f.3 by The Factor out of Jinny Jump Up, by Jump Start. Bred by Frederick C. Wieting (KY). Trainer: Michael W. McCarthy. Owner: Sayjay Racing LLC. Mutuel Pool $402,928 Daily Double Pool $103,555 Exacta Pool $226,792 Superfecta Pool $133,587 Super High Five Pool $21,761 Trifecta Pool $167,689. Scratched–Diamond of Value, Lil Bit Dangerous, Sophie Antoinette, Tiz Wonderfully.

50-Cent Pick Three (5-1-9) paid $84.85. Pick Three Pool $154,752. 50-Cent Pick Four (4-5-1-9/10/11/13) 149 tickets with 4 correct paid $1,988.65. Pick Four Pool $387,801. 50-Cent Pick Five (3-4-5-1-9/10/11/13) 31 tickets with 5 correct paid $6,493.50. Pick Five Pool $263,415. 20-Cent Pick Six Jackpot (3-3-4-5-1-9/10/11/13) 6 tickets with 6 correct paid $9,149.84. Pick Six Jackpot Pool $98,485. Pick Six Jackpot Carryover $105,307.

HEATHERS GREY angled in and pressed the pace outside a rival, stalked a bit off the rail on the backstretch, re-bid alongside the pacesetter on the second turn to take the lead into the stretch, kicked clear under left handed urging and proved best. KITTYHAWK LASS stalked inside then a bit off the rail, went outside a rival on the second turn, came out some in the stretch, was three wide in deep stretch and edged foes for the place. TRUST FUND KITTY angled in on the first turn and saved ground chasing the pace, cut the corner into the stretch, came out in midstretch, split rivals in deep stretch and held third. POSH HOLLY (IRE) three deep into the first turn, chased outside a rival, came out into the stretch and was edged for the show. FLYING TO THE LINE sped to the lead, angled in and set a pressured pace inside, inched away on the backstretch, fought back on the second turn, could not match the winner in the final furlong but gave ground grudgingly to the others. RED BUNTING (IRE) pulled some early, chased outside a rival then between foes, came out some on the second turn then angled in off the rail, angled in again in the stretch and lacked the needed late kick. SABURAI saved ground chasing the pace, came out into the stretch and again in midstretch and could not quite summon the necessary late response. COLDWATER pulled and steadied in tight early, chased outside a rival then three deep on the backstretch and second turn and into the stretch and did not rally. LAKER JET pulled a bit along the inside then chased just off the rail, angled in again leaving the backstretch and saved ground to no avail.

Santa Anita Entries for Saturday, October 12.

Santa Anita, Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California. 10th day of a 23-day meet.

FIRST RACE.

5½ Furlongs. Purse: $21,000. Claiming. Fillies. 3 year olds. Claiming Price $16,000.

SECOND RACE.

1 Mile. Purse: $17,000. Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $10,000.

THIRD RACE.

1 Mile Turf. Purse: $28,000. Maiden Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $50,000.

FOURTH RACE.

6 Furlongs. Purse: $31,000. Starter Allowance. Fillies and Mares. 3 year olds and up.

FIFTH RACE.

5½ Furlongs. Purse: $50,000. Maiden Special Weight. Fillies. 2 year olds.

SIXTH RACE.

1 Mile. Purse: $50,000. Maiden Special Weight. Fillies. 2 year olds.

SEVENTH RACE.

5½ Furlongs Turf. Purse: $100,000. ‘California Distaff Handicap’. Handicap. Fillies and Mares. 3 year olds and up. State bred.

EIGHTH RACE.

1 Mile. Purse: $50,000. Maiden Special Weight. Fillies and Mares. 3 year olds and up.

NINTH RACE.

1 Mile Turf. Purse: $51,000. Allowance Optional Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $40,000.

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

Click:Flexographic Printing Machine For Sale

At Cleveland High School in Reseda on Friday, many teachers weren’t teaching much and their students weren’t learning much as a wildfire raging in the hills spewed choking ash onto campus.

This was not the learning environment that parent Evelyn Alemán had in mind, nor what school district officials had anticipated when they kept scores of San Fernando Valley schools open as the Saddleridge fire raged in the hills above.

The fire emergency led to widespread teacher shortages, mounting school closures throughout the early morning, shelter-in-place orders and early pickups — a tense school day for Valley students and their parents as they navigated road closures, smoky air and, for some, danger.

The wind-driven fire had consumed 7,500 acres, burned at least 31 structures, including homes, and forced thousands of evacuations by late Friday.

Alemán and her daughter, Lucy Macias, were expecting to receive an automated phone alert Friday morning that Cleveland High classes would be canceled. Officials decided to keep the 3,000-student campus open.

Disasters and unusual events make for difficult logistics in the nation’s second-largest school district. Canceling school means quickly getting out word to everyone from bus drivers to families — and then dealing with those who don’t receive the urgent announcements. Officials also are sensitive to the needs of parents who rely on school for child care so they can work or for their children’s breakfast and lunch.

“Handling these emergency situations is never easy,” said L.A. school board member Kelly Gonez, who represents the East Valley. But more attention needs to be paid to the effects of poor air quality and the hardships of employees, she said.

The Los Angeles Unified School District initially decided to close five campuses in or near the fire zone as officials followed news reports Thursday night. Early Friday, it upped the number to “nearly a dozen,” Chief Steven Zipperman of the L.A. School Police Department said in a statement.

The vast majority of the Valley’s 200-plus schools opened as usual. About three dozen charter schools closed. Four Santa Clarita Valley districts closed all schools. Cal State Northridge, Mission College, Pierce College and College of the Canyons in Valencia also shut down for the day.

The Los Angeles district’s decision to keep as many campuses open as possible posed a major problem for teachers and staffers who could not make it to work because of road and freeway closures.

Although the district had no data immediately available, Friday was probably the biggest day for teachers missing work since the six-day teachers’ strike in January.

“Some students … came into our classroom saying, ‘Our teacher isn’t here; can we stay in your class?’” Lucy said. By 8:45 a.m., she had heard multiple intercom announcements about school closures elsewhere, a half-day schedule and air quality concerns. She also watched as some friends made choking noises and said they could taste ash.

“It gave me a little bit of a panic,” said Lucy, who texted her mom to pick her up. She wasn’t the only one. By the time her mother got to school, a line of waiting parents snaked through the hallway outside the office.

Staff, wearing masks, helped to direct traffic.

Some families never made it to school in the first place.

Granada Hills resident Corie Schiffman looked out her window around 2 a.m. Friday and saw burning palm trees. It was time to leave with her husband and two daughters, ages 10 and 7. She decided it would be too dangerous to send them to El Oro Way Elementary School.

Around 6 a.m., they received a call that El Oro would be closed. By then, Schiffman and her family were safely at her mother-in-law’s home in Brentwood.

Annie Wolfstein, who teaches seventh- and eighth-grade math, could not get to Reed Middle School from her home in Canyon Country. She and other cut-off teachers were scrambling to call in lessons while their colleagues tried to cover for them.

Click Here: creed perfume sale

Early in the morning, teachers union leaders called on officials to cancel school in the Valley. Union President Alex Caputo-Pearl called it “shameful” that nearly all schools remained open.

“Many other districts, charters and private schools closed,” Caputo-Pearl said. “That the district didn’t reflects a lack of understanding of schools, a disregard for student and employee health, and a willingness to confuse parents.”

About one-third of teachers could not make it to Pacoima Middle School, said Scott Mandel, the school’s musical theater director and the elected union leader for East Valley schools. At Sharp Avenue Elementary in Arleta, two-thirds could not make it to campus, he said.

By 9:48 am, district officials altered course.

“As conditions changed, out of an abundance of caution, we implemented an early-dismissal schedule for all Valley schools and a few schools located in the fire area in Local District West,” Zipperman said.

The situation in schools was sporadically hectic and frequently uncomfortable.

Reed Principal Freddy Ortiz relayed a district directive to keep students inside but also to turn off all air conditioning units “due to the air quality.” L.A. Unified ultimately issued a shelter-in-place alert to keep students inside, an action more commonly associated with gunfire or a dangerous suspect on or near a campus.

Across the Valley, at Hale Middle School in Woodland Hills, math and science teacher Bruce Newborn reported: “I am smoke-filled, teary-eyed and coughing, but all the kids are safe.”

About a dozen of his students in each class wore masks. And parents were streaming in to pick up students early, which became complicated when the phone system, the pubic address system and the computer system went down, he said.

Newborn lives five minutes from campus, but an office assistant needed 3 ½ hours — instead of 45 minutes — to get from her home in Santa Clarita.

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It is Saturday, Oct. 12.

Get the Essential California newsletter »

Here’s a look at the top stories of the last week:

Top Stories

Fires burning. The Saddleridge fire, which broke out late Thursday in Sylmar amid strong Santa Ana winds, spread rapidly overnight west into Porter Ranch and other communities of the San Fernando Valley on Friday, burning at least 31 structures, closing freeways and forcing thousands to flee.

In Riverside County, a blaze that broke out Thursday afternoon quickly swept through a mobile home park in Calimesa, killing a resident who was unable to escape the flames, officials said Friday.

Here’s a map of all the fires currently burning in California.

Power outages. Earlier this week, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. shut off electricity to hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses in Northern California to reduce wildfire risks.

With forecasts for strong winds in the area, Southern California Edison began to do the same, cutting power to thousands. The utility said power could be cut off to more than 173,000 customers in parts of eight counties. You can look up your address to see if you may be affected.

Here’s all our coverage of the fires and power outages throughout California.

Who’s to blame for the Dodgers’ loss? In front of a booing crowd that had been earlier stunned into silence, the Dodgers’ season ended in a 7-3 defeat that marked the worst collapse in their current seven-year postseason run, writes Bill Plaschke. Houston Mitchell says there’s a whole list of people to blame.

Galaxy’s Edge. Todd Martens says he should have waited until Disney opened Galaxy’s Edge for the crowds to evaporate — little did he know that soon after its May 31 opening, the parks would be a dead zone, with every attraction a walk-on and blissfully bare sidewalks. Here’s his progress report on the Star Wars expansion.

Limits on gun buyers. Following a string of mass shootings across the country this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday toughened California’s already strict gun control laws. He signed a raft of bills that included a major expansion of the state’s “red flag” law and a ban on the purchase of more than one semiautomatic rifle per month.

Click Here: azzaro parfum

Hollister Ranch opens. Newsom also signed into law a bill designed to open the exclusive beaches at Hollister Ranch — a significant move forward under his administration on an issue that had stalled for decades in the face of powerful landowners.

Instagram for weed? San Francisco rapper and marijuana business owner Gilbert Milam Jr. had a very specific desire: He wanted to share photos of weed with his 1.2 million Instagram followers. He created his own, unfiltered version of the Facebook-owned social photo-sharing app — but it all went horribly wrong.

Analyzing racial profiling. Los Angeles police officers search blacks and Latinos far more often than whites during traffic stops, even though whites are more likely to be found with illegal items, a Times analysis has found.

Inequality soars. Wage inequality has risen more in California cities than in the metropolitan areas of any other state, with seven of the nation’s 15 most unequal cities located in the Golden State. More surprising, perhaps, is the inclusion of Bakersfield.

Sexual misconduct lawsuits. The California Democratic Party has spent more than $800,000 on legal costs stemming from three lawsuits alleging discrimination and sexual misconduct by former Chairman Eric Bauman. The sum includes more than $430,000 in attorney’s fees alone.

Test scores released. Just over half of California public school students who took the state’s standardized English language arts test performed at grade level, while only 4 in 10 are proficient in math, according to data released Wednesday by the state Department of Education.

Great white shark bite. While kayaking Oct. 5 off Catalina Island, Danny McDaniel saw the head of a great white bite the back of his kayak. The behemoth left two teeth behind — and based on their size, experts estimated the shark was 19 feet long.

This week’s most popular stories in Essential California

1. Here’s where SoCal Edison may shut off power in California. Los Angeles Times

2. An actor’s death was ruled an accidental drowning. His widow and private investigators suspect foul play. Los Angeles Times

3. In-N-Out Burger owner Lynsi Snyder speaks on spiritual warfare, and her desire to be “plugged in” to God’s plan. The Christian Post

4. Read this excerpt from Joan Didion’s essay “Los Angeles Notebook.” Silver Birch Press

5. Here’s where PG&E may shut off power in California. Los Angeles Times

ICYMI, here are this week’s great reads

Otis the pug is stolen. Otis the pug is found. A homeless man refuses the $15,000 reward. And then things get weird. Mission Local

How Darrell Corti became a tastemaker in California food and wine: “He’s one of those people whose importance is far greater than the name recognition.” Los Angeles Times

They lived on the porous border between haves and have-nots. They died in a double murder-suicide. Los Angeles Times

When GoFundMe gets ugly: The largest crowdfunding site in the world puts up a mirror to who we are and what matters most to us. Try not to look away. The Atlantic

Looking ahead

Saturday Recommendation: The casunziei at Colapasta in Santa Monica

I will be honest, as an Angeleno firmly ensconced in a life east of Western Avenue, San Francisco often seems less cumbersome to get to than Santa Monica — at least any time during rush hour, which occurs roughly between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. every day, give or take. All of which is to say that I do not often fantasize about crossing the 405, let alone approaching Manifest Destiny at the dinner hour.

But restaurant critic Patricia Escárcega has a review of a new, pasta-centric restaurant from a Michelin-starred chef operating out of a tiny kitchen by the shore that has me rethinking my most dearly held beliefs. Here’s what she had to say about the casunziei at Colapasta (and why I’ll soon be trekking west to try it):

“Recently I’ve become mildly obsessed with casunziei, the half-moon-shaped ravioli native to the northeastern part of Italy, where the Dolomite Mountains rise, and that are the house specialty at Colapasta, a low-key trattoria that opened near Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade this summer.

Casunziei are a still life of hyper-saturated color — golden-yellow around the edges, with a brooding, dark-purple center that conjures black figs or dead-ripe summer berries. They are filled with roast beetroot and bathed in brown butter, Parmigiano cheese and poppy seeds; the interplay of the supple, paper-thin pasta and the delicate crunch of the tiny poppy seeds is unusually compelling. Each bite is vivid with the sweetness of beets, their bright earthiness slicing through puddles of melted cheese and brown butter.” [Read the full review.]

Colapasta is located at 1241 5th St. in Santa Monica. (310) 310-8336. Want for more food stories delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the Tasting Notes newsletter, written by restaurant critics Patricia Escárcega and Bill Addison.

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints, ideas and unrelated book recommendations to Julia Wick. Follow her on Twitter @Sherlyholmes. (And a giant thanks to the legendary Diya Chacko for all her help on the Saturday edition.)

Neither in his native Spanish nor in the English in which he has become fluent during his decade as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic does Gustavo Dudamel accept the singular “America” into his vocabulary. There is only Américas or Americas. For this Venezuelan conductor, we are, from the Canadian Yukon to the southernmost reaches of Argentina and Chile, one.

He proclaimed as much at the free Hollywood Bowl event dedicated to all of Los Angeles in 2009, his first concert as music director. He has led multiple festivals of the Americas, celebrating the concert, folk, pop and jazz musics of the continents north and south. Last week he began his 11th L.A. Phil season and the orchestra’s 101st with yet another, this time a two-part look at our contingent continents from the vantage of Walt Disney Concert Hall.

The previous program happened to concentrate on the U.S. with works by Barber, Gershwin, Previn and Copland written in New York and with an unusually narrow thematic focus on the Big Apple, Nashville and Appalachia. Thursday, for Part Two (repeating through Sunday), Dudamel moseyed a bit farther west and a lot farther south.

He looked at our myths and our folklore. He paid more attention to Copland with a winning performance of “Rodeo” of such spectacular vitality and character that he left even the bronco-bucking Leonard Bernstein in the dust. It was a cowboy epiphany, to be sure, Copland like he’s never been heard before.

But the revelation came in Carlos Chávez with a performance of “Sinfonía India,” the Mexican composer’s second symphony, which preceded the world premiere of Argentine composer Esteban Benzecry’s blistering Piano Concerto, “Universos Infinitos.” Mexico proved the convincing center of it all.

We pay far too little attention to Chávez, notwithstanding Southwest Chamber Music having surveyed and recorded his music years ago. His influence on the music of the Americas is crucial. He and Copland were born a year apart (1899 and 1900, respectively) and became close friends in New York, where Chávez spent part of the 1930s, and in Mexico, where Copland visited often. Like Chávez, Copland had periods as a modernist and populist — the latter begun, not coincidentally, with “El Salón México,” inspired by a dance hall Chávez took him to in Mexico City.

Chávez, moreover, happened to throw critical support into the founding of El Sistema, the education program in Venezuela that gave us Dudamel. There is a strong West Coast connection as well: Chávez was a friend to and an influence on Lou Harrison and took part in the early years of Harrison’s Cabrillo Festival in and around Santa Cruz.

“Sinfonía India,” an irresistible 11-minute score from 1936 based on folk material, including a lyrical Yaqui melody from Sonora of such ravishing beauty that once you hear it, you’ll never forget it. It is Chávez’s best-known score (Alfred Wallenstein conducted with the L.A. Phil in 1952). The rhythmic energy is motoric; meters are Stravinskyan in their complexity. But only Chávez gets the flutes to flutter like birds.

Though an experienced conductor, Chávez makes a mess of it in his recording. It’s long been a party piece of Dudamel’s, but it somehow took a decade for him to conduct it here, and he made it sizzle.

Like Chávez, Benzecry, who was born in 1970, is obsessed with ancient Latin American civilizations, their myths and musics, and his “Universos Infinitos” has to be the first piano concerto ever written around the planetary and agricultural cycles that regulated indigenous Americans. Plus, just as Chávez and Copland got much of their technique from Parisian modernism, so too Benzecry.

The concerto, which was written in 2011 but only now is receiving its first performance, has an ambitious programmatic reach. The bravura first movement, the composer writes in his notes, is “subjected to cosmic, atmospheric, agricultural, etc. avatars, with its eternal flux and alternation of situations happy and unhappy.” And that’s only the first theme.

In the nocturnal middle movement, “Nuke Kuyen” (Mother Moon), a melody from the M,apuches of southern Chile and Argentina (who believe themselves descended from stardust) becomes transformed into eerie microtones. The knock-’em-dead toccata that ends the concerto represents a festive winter solstice gathering of Guarani ethnic groups who cover vast swaths of South America.

The concerto is dedicated to the virtuoso Venezuelan pianist Sergio Tiempo, who played it from memory, which seemed an impossibility. A catapulting Tiempo almost never stops for 30 minutes. The Steinway is subject to all you might ever want to subject it to. Phenomenal runs. Tone clusters banged out with the elbows. Percussive playing of the strings inside the instrument. Tiempo somehow made the impossible possible.

Dudamel introduced “Rodeo” with Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man,” with nothing common about it. Any barely capable conductor can get away with “conducting” this (take it from me). But somehow Dudamel made an introductory stroke of timpani gong sound like a universal call of all peoples from all places. The L.A. Phil brass is in the best shape it has ever been in. It was just what the common man and woman needs in this country at this time — again, the impossible possible?

He then chose to conduct the rarely heard full “Rodeo” ballet score rather than the usual “4 Dance Episodes” concert version. The main difference is the inclusion in the middle of “Ranch House Party,” with its honky-tonk piano. There is a commercial video of Copland conducting the last part of the ballet, “Hoe-Down,” with the L.A. Phil. It sounds like good-natured, slightly highbrow cowboy music. Copland never liked too much emotion.

Others have found more in the ballet. The rhythms jerk and leap like a wild horse. The nocturnal episode has a tint of the mystical. I’ve followed Copland performance over the years and know all the recordings. Dudamel went deeper into it than any before him. He also had more fun on the surface.

It was an astonishing performance by the L.A. Phil. Instrumental solos leaped to life, so many so that Dudamel became amusingly flustered at the curtain call trying to remember everyone to acknowledge for a hand. The brass in toto deserved a medal.

A performance of “Rodeo” isn’t supposed to be one of the year’s life-affirming highlights. I know this is tiresome already, but by “Hoe-Down”-time, another impossibility bit a certain Venezuelan cowpoke’s bullet.

Click Here: azzaro parfum

SERIES

Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr. Isabella Rossellini, Anjelica Huston and Mia Farrow explore their family histories and the generations preceding their famous film industry families in the season finale. 6 p.m. KOCE

Crikey! It’s the Irwins In a new season of the documentary series, Terri, Bindi and Robert Irwin continue Steve Irwin’s (“The Crocodile Hunter”) mission to bring people closer to animals and inspire them to protect and preserve our environment and its wildlife. 8 p.m. Animal Planet

Saturday Night Live David Harbour hosts with musical guest Camila Cabello. 8:29 p.m. NBC

SPECIALS

Beyond the Headlines: The College Admissions Scandal With Gretchen Carlson Airing as a one-hour companion special to the new TV movie “The College Admission Scandal,” this special documents the story of how some rich and famous people used their money and influence to get their children accepted into a few of the best colleges in America. 10:03 p.m. Lifetime

MOVIES

Mission: Impossible — Fallout In the sixth installment of the action-movie franchise adapted from a classic TV spy series, IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) leads his team to track down plutonium that vanished in a mission gone wrong. Vanessa Kirby, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson and Alec Baldwin also star. 8 p.m. Epix

Happy Death Day 2U This sequel to the surprise 2017 box-office hit “Happy Death Day” spins the story into more of a science fiction direction with a healthy dose of black comedy. Jessica Rothe returns as Tree Gelbman, who awakens stuck in a parallel universe. In that world, her boyfriend (Israel Broussard) is with someone else while her friends and fellow students are dramatically different. Even worse, she is once again the target of a masked killer. 8 p.m. HBO

The College Admissions Scandal Loosely based on the ongoing academic scandal involving celebrity defendants, this 2019 drama stars Penelope Ann Miller and Mia Kirshner as a pair of wealthy mothers who share an obsessive desire to get their daughters into the best possible colleges. A smooth-talking college admissions consultant (Michael Shanks) offers them what sounds like a foolproof plan to achieve that goal, until the FBI picks up on the scheme and both moms face criminal prosecution. 8 p.m. Lifetime

Love, Fall & Order As autumn arrives a New York attorney (Erin Cahill) travels back to her Vermont hometown to help save her dad’s (Gregory Harrison) farm, which is at risk in a bitter legal battle with his neighbor. She runs into an old high school rival (Trevor Donovan), now a lawyer, who is representing the woman suing her father in this new romance. 9 p.m. Hallmark

The Banana Splits Movie This new TV movie is definitely not for kids. Set around the 1960s Hanna-Barbera children’s show “The Banana Splits Adventure Hour,” things start out wholesome enough as a young birthday boy (Finlay Wojtak-Hissong) and his family attend a taping of that vintage series. Events take a terrifying turn, however, resulting in lots of gore and a rising body count. Dani Kind, Romeo Carere, Steve Lund and Sara Canning also star. 9 p.m. Syfy

WEEKEND TALK

SATURDAY

Today (N) 6 a.m. KNBC

SUNDAY

CBS News Sunday Morning Rita Braver follows up with a group of transgender kids she met five years ago. Elton John. Mariska Hargitay (“Law and Order: SVU”). (N) 6 a.m. KCBS

Good Morning America (N) 6 a.m. KABC

State of the Union With Jake Tapper Topics: 2020 election: Presidential candidate Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-South Bend, Ind.). Republican party: Former Gov. and author John Kasich (R-Ohio) (“It’s Up to Us: Ten Little Ways We Can Bring About Big Change”). Panel: Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Md.); Scott Jennings; Xochitl Hinojosa, DNC; Linda Chavez, Becoming American Initiative. (N) 6 and 9 a.m. CNN

Fox News Sunday With Chris Wallace Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad. Panel: Jason Riley; Donna Brazile; Guy Benson; Charles Lane. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV; 11 a.m., 4 and 11 p.m. FNC

Fareed Zakaria GPS President Trump’s Syria decision and phone call with Ukraine’s President; assessing foreign policy: Author (“Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For”). Syria; President Trump’s Syria decision: David Miliband, International Rescue Committee. Trade negotiations between the U.S. and China: Stephen Schwarzman, the Blackstone Group. (N) 7 and 10 a.m. CNN

Face the Nation Sec. of Defense Mark Esper. Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank). Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.). Political polling: Anthony Salvanto. Panel: Toluse Olorunnipa, the Washington Post; Gerald Seib, the Wall Street Journal; Amy Walter, Cook Political Report. (N) 7:30 a.m. KCBS

Meet the Press Former Sec. of Defense and author James Mattis (“Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead”). Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.), Panel: Cornell Belcher; Peggy Noonan; Ashley Parker; Michael Schmidt. (N) 8 a.m. KNBC; 3 p.m. MSNBC

This Week With George Stephanopoulos Health issues; 2020 election: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). The impeachment inquiry: Rep. Jim Himes (D-Con.); Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.). Panel: Rick Klein; Rachael Bade, the Washington Post; Stephanie Brown James; Jonah Goldberg. (N) 8 a.m. KABC

Reliable Sources With Brian Stelter Coverage of the Ukraine scandal and the impeachment probe: Sam Donaldson; Douglas Brinkley. Shep Smith resigns from Fox News; Ronan Farrow accuses NBC News of a coverup: David Zurawik, the Baltimore Sun; Irin Carmon, New York magazine. President Trump and his fans: Author Amanda Marcotte (“Troll Nation”). A former Bush and Reagan administration official on why he believes Trump is unwell: Peter Wehner. Online extremists: Andrew Marantz, the New Yorker. (N) 8 a.m. CNN

MediaBuzz Mollie Hemingway; Gillian Turner; Rafael “Ray” Suarez; former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer; Jonah Goldberg; Emily Jashinsky, the Federalist. (N) 8 a.m. and midnight FNC

60 Minutes Psychedelics; the mass protests in Hong Kong; Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad. (N) 7 p.m. KCBS

SPORTS

College Football Michigan visits Illinois, 9 a.m. ABC; Oklahoma versus Texas, 9 a.m. Fox; South Carolina visits Georgia, 9 a.m. ESPN; Memphis visits Temple, 9 a.m. ESPN2; Teams TBA, 9:30 a.m. FS Prime; Alabama visits Texas A&M, 12:30 p.m. CBS; Florida State visits Clemson, 12:30 p.m. ABC; Cincinnati visits Houston, 12:30 p.m. ESPN2; Iowa State visits West Virginia, 1 p.m. ESPN; Texas Tech visits Baylor, 1 p.m. FS1; Ole Miss visits Missouri, 4 p.m. ESPN2; USC visits Notre Dame, 4:30 p.m. NBC; Penn State visits Iowa, 4:30 p.m. ABC; Nebraska visits Minnesota, 4:30 p.m. FS1; Florida visits LSU, 5 p.m. ESPN; Hawaii visits Boise State, 7:15 p.m. ESPN2; Washington visits Arizona, 8 p.m. FS1

NHL Hockey The Nashville Predators visit the Kings, 3 p.m. Fox Sports Net

Baseball NLCS, Game 2: The Washington Nationals visit the St. Louis Cardinals, 1 p.m. TBS. ALCS, Game 1: The New York Yankees visit the Houston Astros, 5 p.m. Fox;

For more sports on TV, see
the Sports section.

Customized TV listings are available here: www.latimes.com/tvtimes

Click Here: azzaro parfum

Shepard Smith is stepping down from his long-held position at Fox News, where his nonpartisan voice stood out on the conservative-leaning channel.

Smith reported on some of the buzziest stories of the last 23 years, from O.J. Simpson’s civil trial to the Florida recount to President Trump doubling down on his Alabama error as Hurricane Dorian loomed. There were a number of gaffes along the way too, as happens over the course of decades.

Throughout his career at Fox News — he was with the network when it launched in `1996 — his straightforward approach to news granted the media outlet credibility, and his departure is likely to be a blow to its efforts to remain a reliable news operation.

Smith has had media wonks buzzing. There have been reports that the relationship between Smith and Fox News management had grown increasingly tense, especially with regard to the network’s opinion hosts. Rumors — denied by the network — asserted that he was told by management to lay off in his recent feud with opinion host Tucker Carlson or he would find himself off the air. But Smith’s motivation for parting ways with the network remains officially unknown.

Here’s a select, eclectic timeline of some highs and lows from Smith’s time at Fox News:

1997: O.J. Simpson, Gianni Versace and Princess Diana

Then a reporter, Smith covered high-profile stories around the world. Early in the year, he was in Los Angeles to report on O.J. Simpson’s civil trial. That July he covered the murder of designer Gianni Versace in Miami’s South Beach by Andrew Cunanan, then that September went to London to cover the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, who was 36 when she died in a car crash while fleeing the paparazzi in Paris.

1998: Impeachment of President Clinton

After two years on Fox News’ payroll, Smith was dispatched to Washington, D.C., to report as the Republican-majority House impeached Clinton for lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice in the Paula Jones case.

1999: The Columbine massacre

Smith covered the Columbine High School massacre. In 2018, during coverage of the Parkland, Fla., school shooting, he took time out of his broadcast and got emotional listing the 24 school shootings that had taken place in the U.S. in that 19-year period between Columbine and Parkland, which was the 25th.

2000: The Florida recount

Dispatched to Florida to cover the historic Bush-Gore recount, Smith hit a minor speed bump when he was arrested and charged with aggravated battery after a parking-space disagreement with another journalist turned violent. Smith allegedly ran his car into the other reporter, Maureen Walsh, who sustained some bruises. Smith eventually saw the felony charge downgraded to a misdemeanor, to which he pleaded not guilty. George W. Bush won the recount and the presidential election.

2002: The Jennifer Lopez slip-up

It was one of the most cringeworthy moments of Smith’s career: While talking about Jennifer Lopez’s hit song “Jenny From the Block,” the anchor accidentally said, “But folks from that street in New York, the Bronx section, sound more likely to give her a curb job” than another kind of job. He’d intended to finish with “than a block party,” but only got through the “bl” before blurting out a slang term for oral sex. He later apologized, saying, “Sorry about that slip-up there. I have no idea how that happened, but it won’t happen again.”

2005: Hurricane Katrina

Smith traveled to New Orleans, where he reported on site amid the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, interviewing victims who had lost everything and had nowhere to go. His reports highlighted the destruction and hopelessness that officials initially said were nonexistent in the days after the storm.

2012: The suicide video

Smith apologized to viewers after Fox News aired live video of a carjacker shooting himself in the head. During his afternoon show, the network was following a police chase near Phoenix. While Smith narrated the carjacker’s movements, the man unexpectedly pulled out a gun and died by suicide. After a commercial break, Smith apologized to viewers:“We really messed up. And we’re all very sorry. That didn’t belong on TV.”

2013: Papal conclave

Fox News sent Smith as one of a select group of journalists commissioned to document the selection of the new election of the new pope — or so they thought. As it turned out, the papal conclave elected not to choose a new pope that day, resulting in a stunning show of symbolic black smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel. A day later, Pope Francis was appointed as the new head of the church.

2015: Mona Lisa and Leonardo DiCaprio flub

In a hilarious gaffe, the journalist accidentally credited actor Leonardo DiCaprio with painting the “Mona Lisa,” instead of real Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci. The botched Fox segment, about a mission to identify the model for the Louvre staple, soon went viral on social media.

2019: Trump call-out on Hurricane Dorian

The TV anchor went after President Trump for wrongly warning that Hurricane Dorian threatened Alabama and then refusing to admit his mistake. Smith called POTUS’ warning “fake news defined” and strongly criticized him for insisting he was right. “Some things in Trumplandia are inexplicable,” Smith said.

Click Here: cheap kanken backpack

Readers react to Domingo’s departure

I wonder how #MeToo activists and victims feel about Mark Swed’s extended apologia for Plácido Domingo [“As Domingo exits his legacy lingers,” Oct. 3]: “[I]n the end, we may very well have to conclude that he’s human, and that maybe he couldn’t have done all the great things he did without also having done what he shouldn’t have, and hurting people along the way.” Is that what was said about Harvey Weinstein? Kevin Spacey? Garrison Keillor?

Mitch Paradise
Los Angeles

::

Thank you, Mark Swed, for the beautiful tribute to Plácido Domingo while withholding judgment. It is a sad time but we have wonderful memories.

Alison Riggs

Campbell

20 best Asian American films

Re: “The Asian American canon: What are the 20 best films by and about this diverse population in the last 20 years? We asked experts,” Oct. 6: Brian Hu’s list of the 20 best Asian American films of the last 20 years was an eye-opener. As a life-long movie fan, who prides himself on paying attention to obscure foreign-language and cross-cultural cinema, I was stunned at how few of the movies listed I had even heard of. While we can all rejoice in having long ago transcended the likes of “Charlie Chan,” we obviously have a ways to go. Onward!

David Macaray
Rowland Heights

::

In the spirit of Brian Hu’s significant article, “The 20 Best Asian American Films of the Last 20 Years,” about overdue canons and begetting more of them, the addition of Joan Chen is essential. As an actress she has worked with many of the filmmakers cited in your survey, though Chen originally emigrated to the U.S. to study directing at Cal State Northridge. Her debut film, “Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl,” earned many festival honors and critical recognition around the world, including the 2000 Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature.

Nancy Nigrosh
Los Angeles

The price of admission

Christopher Knight’s comments on the historical background to the Huntington exhibit “Nineteen Nineteen” are on the mark [“Review: ‘Nineteen Nineteen’ isn’t what it used to be,” Oct 9]. I also liked his remark that until 1969 the endowment followed the explicit intent of the donors that the public be admitted free. The cost of about $25 today prohibits poor families’ attendance. An outside official audit of the budget is needed.

Robert Baker
Pacific Palisades

::

Christopher Knight needs to get his facts straight. Unlike the Getty, Hammer or Broad, the Huntington is situated on 207 acres, with 17 gardens, three art galleries, a botanical conservatory and a library with 10,000 items. Unlike the Getty, Hammer or Broad, the Huntington is a historical treasure. Unlike the Getty, Hammer or Broad, which charge $15 to $20 for parking, the parking at the Huntington is free. The Huntington has free admission on the first Thursday of each month, free school programs and provides free buses to schools that cannot afford one.

Susan Harbach
Sherman Oaks

Readers rally around a film critic

Sunday’s letter writers complained about film critic Justin Chang’s erudition and knowledge of film history, suggesting that somehow they made the reviewer self-centered [Letters, Oct. 6]. These traits, accompanied by his thoughtful analysis, articulate writing and obvious delight in good cinema, are exactly why I look forward to Justin’s reviews. Please leave Justin alone, we need more like him.

Gary Williams
South Pasadena

::

The function of a film critic may be open to debate but I am getting very cranky reading letters criticizing Justin Chang’s style and erudition. I am buoyed by his enthusiasm for film every time I read one of his reviews. I have enjoyed so many movies I never would have seen had I not read his assessment. What I particularly like is that he explains how he arrives at his conclusions — he may refer to movies I have not seen but his reasoning is clear.

Rottentomatoes.com offers a numerical assessment for people who prefer their movie reviews short and simple.

Nancy Ramseyer
Burbank

::

Justin Chang’s review of “Joker” [“Joaquin Phoenix puts on quite a show in ‘Joker.’ And the portrait of madness is both bleak and glib,” Oct. 1] is an example of excellence in film criticism. He paints a picture of the film without revealing third-act spoilers, he writes of the cultural climate the film is being released into, and he presents a firm grasp of the cinematic history that influenced the filmmakers. Chang is an outstanding critic. Keep up the good work.

Abel Horwitz
Los Angeles

::

I often disagree with film critic Justin Chang’s assessments of current movies I’ve also seen, but I have to say his review of “Joker” is a gem of creative writing within the genre of film criticism. His intricate, complex, precise, visually and emotionally charged words sound great as presented in his dive into the disturbing world of the film at hand. The review is overly long — more appropriate for a feature piece than a film critique — but absorbing in its descriptions and analysis with such powerful use of language to capture the intensity and entanglements of the film itself.

Still, I wouldn’t assume his take on the film is one I will end up agreeing with after I’ve seen the movie. His final comparison with “Taxi Driver” — one of the most overrated and severely flawed films that many critics continue to cite as a masterpiece — tells me I just can’t trust the final judgment of Chang regarding whether a film is good, bad or mediocre.

T.R. Jahns
Hemet

An opera star gone too soon

Thank you, Mark Swed, for your moving eulogy for one of the most magnificent people to grace our world [“Jessye Norman used her voice wisely,” Oct. 4]. She was here for too short a time.

Susan Greenberg
Los Angeles

Swed remembers Bernheimer

Thank you, Mark Swed. Your remembrance of Martin Bernheimer was stunning [“A critic who transformed criticism: Martin Bernheimer was a law unto himself for 30 years as The Times’ classical writer,” Oct. 2].

Your summary of the history and impact of Martin’s work at the L.A. Times was immensely interesting. But even more significant to me was how you also interwove your own personal life into the narrative. As a result, I have a much clearer image of what makes you tick. Thank you for your candid and refreshingly intimate reflections.

Denis Moreen
Palm Springs

::

I write in response to Mark Swed’s mean-spirited obituary of Martin Bernheimer.

I took a course in music criticism from Mr. Bernheimer in 1981 at USC. The class turned out to be the highest quality instruction I received in the School of Music during my years there.

Mr. Bernheimer never, not once, commented on the appearance of the USC women taking the course, the women on the USC campus in general, or the women we discussed as performing artists in the coursework. He was never inappropriate and he treated the students with respect, dignity and kindness. This made Bernheimer a stand-out at a time when it was customary and accepted that men professors and adjunct faculty routinely tried to “date” female students, showed up at student parties off-campus, commented during class and outside of class on the appearance and apparel of female students, and dangled the prospects of employment before starving and hopeful students trying to get a toehold as professional musicians.

Christina Cole
Chandler, Ariz.

Don’t forget Lt. Uhura

I was sorry to read of the passing of the beautiful and talented Diahann Carroll, the star of her own groundbreaking show in 1968 [“Diahann Carroll 1935-2019: Groundbreaking actor of TV, films and stage,” Nardine Saad, Oct. 4]. But to credit her as the first African American woman to be cast in a non-domestic role would be a surprise to the equally beautiful and talented Nichelle Nichols, who had been co-starring as Lt. Uhura for two full seasons on “Star Trek” when “Julia” premiered in 1968. As head of communications on the Starship Enterprise, Lt. Uhura was not in charge, but she was clearly not a domestic servant either.

Lynn Swanson
Anaheim Hills

Editor’s note: The reader is correct. The story should have made it clear that Diahann Carroll was the first African American woman to be cast as a lead actress in her own series. Nichols’ groundbreaking role was as a supporting character in “Star Trek.”

Rock or not rock?

John Sykes, new chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, stated in your article [“The Sunday Conversation: Ready to rock the hall,” Randy Lewis, Oct. 6] ] that he recognizes that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is no longer about a single genre of music. I say that it’s now time to change the name to the Music Hall of Fame. Rock and Roll is rock and roll and not any other genre of music.

Steve Shaevel
Woodland Hills

::

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s new chairman, John Sykes, thinks Notorious B.I.G. has a “good shot” at getting inducted? Maybe someone should inform Sykes why Biggie will be unable to attend the ceremony, so he may choose his words more thoughtfully in the future.

Jim Cushinery
Los Angeles

In the matter of President Trump

The next time the L.A. Times editorial staff needs a journalist to write an excoriating anti-Trump article (“Trump mojo takes a steep dive,” Oct. 4), I would recommend that they place television critic Lorraine Ali at the bottom of a very long list. Notwithstanding the Times’ political leaning, the placement of her polemic against the president in the Calendar section of the paper seems inappropriate.

William Preston, M.D.
Laguna Beach

Poetry on stage

Regarding theater critic Charles McNulty’s review “‘A Play Is a Poem’ is such a pity” [Sept. 24]: It seems to this Mark Taper subscriber that when the ovens and showers of the Nazi regime are lampooned, as they are in “A Play Is a Poem,” it feeds into the rhetoric of the Holocaust deniers.

One wonders if the writer, Ethan Coen, or artistic director, Michael Ritchie, considered that this final skit of the evening might be offensive to theatergoers? Did they consider that those attending could very well have lost not-too-distant relatives in the mentioned Auschwitz, Sobibor or other death camps? (And, no, this cannot be equated with the goose-stepping silliness of “The Producers” that made Hitler the butt of the joke, not concentration camps.)

I’ve seen placards at the entrance to auditoriums stating that smoking and gunfire are used during a play.

Perhaps, in this case, the Taper would be kind (judicious) to add, “At this performance, the Holocaust is ridiculed.”

Michael Levin
Long Beach

If the “Downton Abbey” movie reignited your love of elegance and grandeur, how about a regal experience at a grand hotel steeped in history? Here are four places that have that touch of class.

Oakland/Berkeley

Perched in the Oakland Hills with views of San Francisco Bay, the original building on what is now the grounds of the Claremont Club & Spa was built as a private English castle. It burned and was later rebuilt as a hotel resort, opening to the public in 1915. Roam the 22 acres and revel in the surrounding gardens for a taste of a noble English estate (which straddles the dividing line of two cities).

Cost, info: Rooms from $279 per night; $199 per night on select Sundays; bit.ly/claremontclub

Colorado Springs, Colo.

The Broadmoor started as a dairy farm, but as a hotel, it has been dazzling guests since it opened in 1918. It’s home to 10 restaurants, a robust art collection, a movie theater and falconry. The only masterpiece more majestic than the property itself is the Rocky Mountains backdrop. The 784 guest rooms and suites have half-canopy beds and marble baths, which give them a timeless appeal.

Cost, info: Rooms from $450 a night; broadmoor.com

Lenox, Mass.

Blantyre, built in 1902, is a 110-acre estate surrounded by lush woodlands in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts. (“Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes has been a guest at this property.) Blantyre’s grand staircase is reminiscent of a castle’s, typical of the Gilded Age mansions built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The estate was purchased in 2016 and given a multimillion-dollar upgrade but kept the best of the heritage that befits a historic site.

Cost, info: Rooms from $436 a night; blantyre.com

Adare, Ireland

Adare Manor, once the ancestral home to the second Earl of Dunraven, exudes a 19th century splendor. This neo-Gothic 840-acre estate, filled with limestone arches and gargoyles, is a retreat worthy of any royal. In fact, members of the British royal family are said to have visited in 1897. After a recent renovation, the property has 42 new guest rooms, a redesigned golf course and a grand ballroom. Step into the stately Great Hall with its carved wood-paneled walls, tapestries and black marble fireplace, and relish having arrived.

Cost, info: Rooms from $360 a night; adaremanor.com

The town of Tequila, Mexico, may not have the biggest or the showiest or the most popular Day of the Dead displays, but it does offer a chance to double down on its cultural history — and its spirits. Travelers who stay overnight can learn about the traditional November holiday dedicated to lost loved ones as well as the history of the liquor for which the town is named.

Tequila, about 43 miles west of much bigger Guadalajara, will host events Nov. 1 to celebrate the day that’s all about remembering the dead and honoring their spirits. You can follow the late-night procession to the altar — decorated with offerings such as flowers, tamales and sometimes liquor and cigarettes — and the lighting of candles.

In the town’s plaza, stories will be told, including one about the celestial characters involved in the mythical birth of tequila. By the way, tequila is a designation of origin product, meaning it can only be made in Tequila to be authentic (just like Champagne can only be produced in the Champagne region of France).

The next day, visitors can hop aboard the Tequila Train, also known as the Jose Cuervo Express. You’ll tour the liquor company’s 250-year-old La Rojeña distillery, watch how agave is harvested (agave is the plant from which tequila is made), enjoy a classic toast and then hop the train to Guadalajara.

It’s the historic blue-green agave fields that landed the spot the designation “magic town” from Mexico’s tourism board and placed it on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In 1758, the Spanish king awarded Jose Cuervo (a real person who’s name was Don Jose Antonio de Cuervo) the land in Tequila which he turned into an agave farm. The rest is history.

The hour-long train ride comes with more tequila drinks and a pro tasting guide to answer questions and provide tasting tips. Tickets on the Nov. 2 train start at $107 for adults and $95 for children 6 to 17 years old. (The train runs year-round, in case you come at any other time of the year.)

Info: Jose Cuervo Express

Click Here: cheap kanken backpack

As a result of the General Motors strike, more than 100 of the auto maker’s suppliers have laid off as many as 12,000 of their own workers, according to an industry trade group.

The largest U.S. labor strike in a decade is starting to ripple through the nation’s economy, with the potential to weaken data on manufacturing and jobs that economists are scrutinizing for signs of a recession.

Now in its fourth week, the walkout of 48,000 General Motors workers has forced the shutdown of 34 plants across the United States. That is already showing up in weekly jobless claims and will lower the Labor Department’s payroll figures for October, according to economists. It may also weigh on the monthly manufacturing surveys and production numbers. The biggest, and hardest to predict, is the risk of spillover into consumer confidence and spending, which accounts for nearly three-quarters of growth.

The effects of the strike are exacerbated in an economy already facing systemic issues, including slowing manufacturing as companies step down investment amid uncertainty caused by the U.S.-China trade war and global slump. Although economists expect the strike’s effect to be temporary, deterioration in economic reports would create challenges for forecasters, who see a 35% chance of recession over the next 12 months.

“It’s a vulnerable picture, and the strike adds to the bucket of risks and volatility that the consumer is looking at,” said Julia Coronado, president of MacroPolicy Perspectives, an independent research firm. “The risks are just stacking up, and when you get an accumulation of risks stacking up, sometimes they can feed on each other.”

In an effort to end the strike, this week GM boosted its offer to the United Auto Workers union by about $2 billion, pledging $9 billion of investment in U.S. plants, according to a person familiar with the matter. On Friday, the union issued an open letter accusing GM of stalling negotiations to “starve UAW-GM workers off the picket lines” and protect its own interests.

Effects of the strike could also create noise in the data that’s “going to make it harder to get a sense of how the manufacturing sector is holding up,” said Sarah House, senior economist at Wells Fargo & Co. “It could make it hard to determine how much momentum the economy is losing right now.”

The clearest effect so far is in the labor market: The striking workers make up only about 0.03% of total employment in the United States but may have played a role in bumping up jobless claims for three straight weeks. Claims rose in states most reliant on auto production — including Michigan, Tennessee, and Indiana — though benefit filings declined nationally in the most recent week. Although most state laws prevent striking workers from getting unemployment benefits, they can still file, which is reflected in the count.

Click Here: ADELAIDE CROWS 2019 MEN’S HOME GUERNSEY

As a result of the stoppage, more than 100 of GM’s suppliers have laid off as many as 12,000 of their own workers, including truckers, parts makers and suppliers, according to the Original Equipment Suppliers Assn., an industry trade group. Less tangible is the slowed business at local restaurants, cafes and retailers.

While total car production makes up only about 0.8% of gross domestic product — and GM accounts for about a fifth of that — the strike likely reduced manufacturing output by 0.4 of a percentage point last month and may have a similar effect this month, according to Capital Economics. As a result, factory output probably declined 0.5% in September from the prior month, the group said in a research note.

“Cuts in this sector will likely continue to rise, especially if the strike at General Motors continues and the fallout impacts suppliers,” wrote Joshua Shapiro, economist at the research firm MFR.

The overall effects likely won’t show up in GDP until the fourth quarter of this year, because workers walked off the job mid-September. It’s already forecast to be one of the weakest quarters in recent years, with an annualized GDP growth rate of 1.7%, according to a survey of economists by Bloomberg News.