It took Charlatan nearly eight months to return to the races, but when he did, he brought his career full circle and reminded everyone of why he created such a fuss earlier in the year.

With an 11 race-card that included six stakes, all run in idyllic weather conditions, Santa Anita Park set an all-time opening day record pari-mutuel handle of $23,003,159 Dec. 26.

Blowing past the dueling leaders in the final furlong, John Sondereker’s Kiss Today Goodbye powered to a half-length victory in the $200,500 San Antonio Stakes (G2) with fellow 3-year-old Idol taking second in the Dec. 26 stakes at Santa Anita Park.

Edward Seltzer and Beverly Anderson’s homebred Eres Tu kept her perfect comeback season intact and became a graded stakes winner in the process with a one-length triumph Dec. 26 in the $150,000 Allaire du Pont Stakes (G3) at Laurel Park.

Suffolk Downs will suspend on-site simulcast operations beginning Dec. 28 and through at least Jan. 15 due to an increase of COVID-19 positives in the Boston area, the track announced Dec. 26. 

Blowing past the dueling leaders in the final furlong, John Sondereker’s Kiss Today Goodbye powered to a half-length victory in the $200,000 San Antonio Stakes with fellow 3-year-old Idol taking second in the Dec. 26 stakes at Santa Anita Park.

Robert and Lawana Low’s Colonel Liam overwhelmed nine rivals in the $75,000 Tropical Park Derby Dec. 26 at Gulfstream Park, making an emphatic case for inclusion in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1T).

A filly on the improve, Duopoly upset grade 1 winner Sharing with a frontrunning two-length score in the $302,500 American Oaks (G1T) Dec. 26 at Santa Anita Park.

Harpers First Ride put the finishing touches on an outstanding season by dismissing a bid from Cordmaker at the top of the stretch and rolling home a 3 1/4-length winner in the $100,000 Native Dancer Stakes Dec. 26 at Laurel Park.

Godolphin homebred Fair Maiden was a 20-1 outsider in the $300,000 La Brea Stakes (G1) Dec. 26 at Santa Anita Park, but the 3-year-old Street Boss filly was full of run.

Smooth Like Strait resumed winning ways and notched his third graded victory of the year in the $201,000 Mathis Brothers Mile Stakes (G2T) Dec. 26 at Santa Anita Park, handing a three-quarters-of-a-length defeat to Storm the Court.

Danon the Kid heads for the 2021 Japanese classics with a perfect record and full of promise after besting 14 rivals, several of them previously undefeated, in the Dec. 26 Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Nakayama Racecourse.

The purse for the March 27 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) has been retained at US$12 million, but purses for the remaining eight races on the undercard have been reduced, the Dubai Racing Club announced Dec. 26.

Will’s Way, winner of the 1997 Whitney Handicap (G1) and 1996 Travers Stakes (G1), died Dec. 24 at Old Friends at Cabin Creek in Greenfield Center, N.Y., Old Friends announced Dec. 25. He was 27.

When 4-year-old Descente lined up in the starting gate for the Dec. 5 Claiming Crown Glass Slipper Stakes at Gulfstream Park, breeder Bernard McCormack had a feeling that the filly’s time had finally come.

It basically came down to a victory by a neck in his first ever stakes on the grass—the $70,000 Remington Park Turf Sprint—but that win among four victories boosted Welder to his unprecedented third Horse of the Meeting Championship.

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Andie Biancone’s Sole Volante regroups from a Triple Crown campaign with a return to turf in Saturday’s $75,000 Tropical Park Derby Dec. 26 at Gulfstream Park.

A one-year ban on foreign-breds bought after Nov. 15, 2020, to race in South Korea next year preceded a call to suspend trade with Korea based on welfare issues. Korea Racing Authority said multiple programs show commitment to aftercare and welfare.

The Professional Jockeys Association has welcomed the news the Levy Board has agreed a contribution to ensure the continuation of the career-ending insurance scheme for jockeys for a further six months while future funding for the scheme is sought.

Racing at Cheltenham will be forced to go behind closed doors after Gloucestershire was one of many regions to have tier restrictions tightened in an announcement by health secretary Matt Hancock Dec. 23.