#Allen Jerkens

This is "last call" weekend for Breeders' Cup hopefuls with more than a dozen "Win and You're In" races spread across three U.S. tracks. It's also Arc weekend in Paris and Winx seeks her 28th straight win in Australia. There's even more, with important 2-year-old races in Canada and the Group 1 Sun Chariot in England. Twenty-eight straight wins? It…

The ball drops at Times Square, fireworks explode around the globe and North American Thoroughbreds celebrate their birthdays at midnight on Jan. 1. A few of the newly turned 3-year-olds waste no time starting their once-in-a-lifetime quest for the Kentucky Derby starting gate as Aqueduct rings in 2018 with the $150000 Jerome Stakes. On New Year's…

Like many front-runners, Knicks Go is an all-or-nothing proposition. As a 2-year-old, he wired the Breeders' Futurity by 5 1/2 lengths at odds of 70-1 and ran second at 40-1 in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Then the potential star turned into a nobody, losing his next nine races. Out of desperation, owner Korea Racing Authority replaced Ben Colebrook…

Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Practical Move upset three of trainer Bob Baffert's 2-year-olds in the weekend's feature race, the Grade II Los Alamitos Futurity, adding his name into the mix of candidates for the 2023 Kentucky Derby. Things went a bit more to expectations among the Japanese 2-year-olds as the three favorites reported 1-2-3 in Sunday's Grade 1…

Derma Sotogake (4) wins the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun on Wednesday -- the second leg of the "Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby." Photo courtesy of Katsumi Saito Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Candidates for next year's Kentucky Derby take center stage again in a weekend horse racing schedule that also includes the first "Win and You're In" race for the 2023…

One of the big betting races this weekend comes from Gulfstream Park, as the H. Allen Jerkens Handicap is the ninth race on the card. This race is due off at 4:11 p.m ET, and it will see a field of at least 12 runners compete over two miles on the turf. A number of runners are in with a chance this weekend, and more information about some of the…

SARATOGA SPRINGS - After trying two turns, Jack Christopher returned on Saturday to what he is - an exceptional 3-year-old sprinter. In his first start since a third-place finish in the nine-furlong Haskell at Monmouth Park last month, Jack Christopher cut back in distance impressively with a 1 1/4-length victory in the Grade I Allen Jerkens run at…

Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' multiple Grade 1-winner Mind Control will retire on top of his game after securing a trademark gutsy score in Saturday's Grade 1, $750000 Cigar Mile Handicap presented by NYRA Bets, at Aqueduct Racetrack. Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and piloted by fellow Hall of Famer John Velazquez, the 6-year-old son…

Flightline wins his third straight race in style in Sunday's Grade 1 Malibu at Santa Anita. Benoit photo, courtesy of Santa Anita Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Epicenter entered the Kentucky Derby picture with a handy win Sunday at Fair Grounds while a sparkling Opening Day program at Santa Anita featured a dazzling performance by budding superstar…

Mind Control after the 2021 G2 John A. Nerud, his most recent win on the NYRA circuit (Susie Raisher) By Ryan Martin - NYRA Press Office OZONE PARK, N.Y.- Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' dual Grade 1-winner Mind Control will attempt to go out on top when he takes on a field consisting of three other Grade 1 winners in Saturday's Grade 1,…

Epicenter, shown training before his second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, meets the winner of that race, Rich Strike, again Saturday in the Grade I Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs Aug. 26 (UPI) -- The "Midsummer Derby" at Saratoga pits the first three finishers from the Kentucky Derby against one another again in…

The 153rd running of the Travers headlines the biggest day of the summer at Saratoga. Six graded stakes including five Grade 1 races highlight the 13 race card. The $1.25 million Travers drew a very competitive field of eight runners for the'Midsummer Derby', and post time for the 1 1/4 mile Travers is 5:44 p.m. ET and Race 11 on the card. The…

For Nest (Curlin), the easy route to the Breeders' Cup includes a stop in the GI Alabama Aug 20. It's a prestigious race, has a $600000 purse and Nest would be an odds-on favorite against many of the same horses she thrashed Saturday in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks. But what fun is that? Owners Mike Repole, Michael House and Eclipse…

In this biweekly series, racing analyst Keeler Johnson shares promising horses from his handicapping watch list, reviewing runners who have recently caught his eye and previewing horses scheduled to run back in the near future. Upcoming Entries Victorious in the Raven Run (G2) at Keeneland last fall, Caramel Swirl kicked off 2022 with a flashy 3…

OZONE PARK, N.Y.- Maitha Salem Mohammed Belobaida Alsuwaidi's Group 3-winning sprinter Meraas could be speed of speed in Saturday's Grade 3, $200000 Bold Ruler, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and upward, at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet. The Bold Ruler co-headlines a stacked card that includes the Grade 2, $300000 Kelso, a one-turn mile…

Jim Bakke, Gerald Isbister, Coolmore Stud, and Peter Brant's Jack Christopher tracked the pace from second early, then moved to the lead nearing the stretch and captured his third win at the elite level in the $500000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1) Saturday at Saratoga. The 3-year-old Munnings colt suffered his first loss last time out when…

Older sprinters take the spotlight in the Vosburgh (G2) at Aqueduct on Saturday, October 8. The seven-furlong dirt race offers a $250000 purse as well as an expenses-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint for its winner. The race features a field of five, a combination of experienced and hard-knocking sprinters as well as a couple of four-year-olds…

Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports The fastest horses on dirt will be in action in the Breeders' Cup Sprint Competitive betting market is already expected for the exciting race The Breeders' Cup will see some of the biggest equine stars compete, but none more may be more captivating than the Breeders' Cup Sprint. A purse of $2 million is the prize for…

A quartet of stakes for three-year-olds, highlighted by the $275000 Dogwood (G3) at seven furlongs, were offered at Churchill Downs Saturday evening. Unraced since a fourth in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), champion two-year-old filly Echo Zulu got back in the win column with a sharp wire-to-wire tally in the Dogwood. The classy frontrunner has now won…

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Grade I winner Gunite, the odds-on 3-5 favorite, ran down front-running stakes- winner Conagher with a furlong to run and scored a three-length victory in Saturday night's second running of the $274500 Harrods Creek for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs. Winner of the Grade I Hopeful at 2, the Harrods Creek was Gunite's third sprint…

Harrods Creek Stakes: Gunite Fires On All Cylinders (Gunite wins the Harrods Creek Stakes at Churchill Downs on Saturday night / Photo by Holly M. Smith) From the Churhcill Downs Media Team: Grade I winner Gunite, the odds-on 3-5 favorite, ran down front-running stakes-winner Conagher with a furlong to run and scored a three-length victory in…

Cyberknife, shown winning the Arkansas Derby, runs in Saturday's $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing. Coady Photography, courtesy of Oaklawn Park Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Saturday's Pennsylvania Derby brings together many of the top U.S. 3-year-olds just hours after a few of the top prospects for next year's European Classics kick off the…

Gunite Ready to Fire in Saturday Night's Harrods Creek Stakes (Gunite / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Winchell Thoroughbreds' Grade I-winning sprinter Gunite will meet Patricia's Hope and Mark Farrar's speedy Conagher for the third time as the headliners in Saturday night's second running of the $275000 Harrods…

The fight for the top of the podium in the older male division was thought to have been between the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile champion Life Is Good and the multiple graded-stakes-winning Olympiad in Saturday's 95th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney. But CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm's Life Is Good, the esteemed 4-year-old son of Into…

Churchill Downs' Barn Notes: Echo Zulu Returns in Saturday's G3 Dogwood Stakes (Echo Zulu / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churhcill Downs Media Team: L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds' three-time Grade I-winning filly Echo Zulu will make her first start since finishing fourth in this year's $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade…

Staying on top of the key horse racing information is pivotal at this stage of the season, as connections begin to detail whether they will be targeting Breeders' Cup races in November. However, who are some of the key 2022 Breeders' Cup contenders that should be on the radar of all racing fans? Horse: Flightline Jockey: John Sadler It goes without…

It's been a big Saturday so far for jockey Irad Oritz, Jr., who recorded his second straight Breeders' Cup victory in just the third World Championships race of the card. Following his frontrunning triumph in the Turf Sprint aboard Wesley Ward's Golden Pal, Ortiz followed the same playbook to pilot WinStar Farm and China Horse Club's Life Is Good…

The New York Racing Association on Monday announced that all-sources wagering handle at Saratoga Race Course surged to a record $878211963 million for the 2022 summer meet, eclipsing the previous record of $815508063, established in 2021, by 7.7 percent. The record setting 40-day meet generated average daily handle of $21955299, which is also the…

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Chad Brown clinched his fifth H. Allen Jerkens Award for leading trainer at Saratoga Race Course and secured his 12th stakes triumph of the summer meet when saddling Emaraaty to his first graded win in Closing Day Monday's 64th running of the Grade 3, $200000 Bernard Baruch Handicap for 3-year-olds and upward going…

Epicenter: easy winner of the Travers Stakes Connections of Epicenter described a dominant victory in the Travers Stakes as "everything you hope for" after the Kentucky Derby runner-up produced a scintillating performance to strike at Grade 1 level for the first time. A record crowd of 49672 watched the Steve Asmussen-trained colt, sent off an…

Today is Day 36 of the Saratoga Race Course meet. Racing starts at 1:05 p.m. RECENT STORIES FROM THE DAILY GAZETTE AT THE TRACK Based on her first start, 2-year-old filly Be Your Best has learned her racing lessons well. She made her debut at Saratoga Race Course on July 31, winning by 3 1/4 lengths under jockey José Ortiz for owner/breeder Mike…

SARATOGA SPRINGS-Gunite and jockey Tyler Gaffalione recovered from a stumbling start and some bumping in the home stretch before staying on to score a neck victory in the 30th running of the $200000, Grade II Amsterdam Stakes, Saratoga's Sunday feature. The win for the 3-year-old colt was the third graded stakes victory in two days for trainer…

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Steve Asmussen fielded a question Sunday morning asking for an example of a 3-year-old he's trained who experienced aftereffects later in the season from having weathered the grueling Kentucky Derby prep season and Triple Crown series. He laughed and said, "Every single one of them that wasn't Curlin or Gun Runner." Judging from…

In Spa Selections, Saratoga correspondent Joseph Aiello provides Saratoga picks for a handful of key races at Saratoga, including all of the exciting stakes action! Race 5 - Fasig-Tipton Lure Stakes 1. #7 Sifting Sands (5-1) - Has already won twice at Saratoga and is likely to be overlooked with the other Chad Brown trainee taking more money, he…