#Golden Gate Fields

In what will go down as the most surreal week in sports since 9/11, racing got a double spoonful of distasteful medicine. As the sports world - and the real world - come to grips with the spreading coronavirus, the horse world must also sort out the impact of the criminal bombshell that dropped Monday. Rival trainers Jason Servis and Jorge Navarro,…

Essential Quality, shown winning the Grade I Travers, is among the favorites in a Breeders' Cup Classic field announced this week. Photo courtesy of New York Racing Association Oct. 29 (UPI) -- It's a week for looking forward as horse racing around the globe nears its annual champion-making events and youngsters get in final licks to make a case…

Largent, shown winning the 2020 Fort Lauderdale Stakes, returns from an 11-month layoff to contest Saturday's Tropical Turf at Gulfstream Park and could be considered for the Grade 1 Pegasus Turf with a good effort. Photo by Ryan Thompson, courtesy of Gulfstream Park Jan. 7 (UPI) -- A potential prep for the Pegasus World Cup Turf in Florida, a…

Trainer Bob Baffert holds a strong hand when he sends out the favored pair of Ganadora and Under the Stars in a field of six older females in the Grade 3 La Canada Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita. Ganadora is the more lightly raced of the duo, but will likely be the post-time choice. The $1 million yearling purchase pushed a strong pace before…

Kentucky Derby second-place finisher Mandaloun (pink cap) wins Sunday's Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park. Photo courtesy of Monmouth Park June 14 (UPI) -- Maybe it's a little early to crown Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality as best 3-year-old in the nation, especially after Mandaloun's impressive victory in Sunday's Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth…

The first full weekend of live racing action in 2023 features a pair of Kentucky Derby prep races - the Jerome Stakes from Aqueduct on Saturday and the Sham Stakes from Santa Anita on Sunday. Both races offer 10-4-3-2-1 qualifying points towards the Kentucky Derby to the top five finishers. Saturday's $150000 Jerome Stakes has drawn a field of…

Edwin Maldonado / 6 John Velazquez / 6 TRAINERS / WINS Philip D'Amato / 14 Bob Baffert / 7 Doug O'Neill / 6 George Papaprodromou / 6 Peter Miller / 5 Saturday • $400000 Grade I Hollywood Derby, 3-year-olds, 1 1/8 miles (turf) • $100000 Grade III Jimmy Durante Stakes, 2-year-old fillies, 1 mile (turf) • $100000 Stormy Liberal Stakes, 3-year-olds and…

The Breeders' Cup is over, but it's not really over. The breakdown of Mongolian Groom during the stretch run of the $6 million Classic sucked the air out of the vast Santa Anita grandstand on Saturday. Fans slumped toward their cars or buses, as what had been two days of sensational - and safe - racing was instantly overwhelmed by yet another death…

Maximum Security, the colt disqualified from victory in the Kentucky Derby, returns to the winner's circle Saturday at Belmont Park. Photo courtesy of New York Racing Association Oct. 28 (UPI) -- It was a very good weekend of horse racing for Japan as Lys Gracieux landed the Group 1 Cox Plate in Australia and Almond Eye returned to her dominant…

A Triple Crown sweep lies silent this year with Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike side-stepping Saturday's Preakness Stakes. But a trio of big-time talents make this year's middle jewel a fabulous, triple-threat race. Kentucky Derby runner-up and beaten favorite Epicenter was installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite by Pimlico oddsmaker Keith…

Welcome to the 12 tips of Santa Anita. We're counting down to the meet at the Great Race Place with stats, facts and figures related to one of the nation's premiere meetings. 12. Jockeys Of the top 15 riders by starts at the winter-spring meeting this year, only Juan Hernandez, Flavien Prat and John Velazquez won more than 20 percent of their…

Last Saturday's Florida Derby, Arkansas Derby and Jeff Ruby produced as many as seven starters for the Kentucky Derby on May 7. A similar allotment may be known by the end of racing Saturday after the Santa Anita Derby, Blue Grass and Wood Memorial. The Santa Anita Derby in California features the brilliantly fast Forbidden Kingdom and Messier in…

Hello, my name is John Cherwa and welcome back to our horse racing newsletter as we think the best racing at Santa Anita this weekend will be on simulcast. I know this is an odd topic for the newsletter, but when you think about it, not really. The world learned Friday morning of the death Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II. He was 99. If…

Winning connections celebrate after the inaugural running of the Royal Saint Lucia Turf Club's $150000 Pitons Cup on Friday. Photo courtesy of Royal Saint Lucia Turf Club Dec. 16 (UPI) -- On a horse racing weekend when "new" was the watchword from Japan all the way to Saint Lucia in the Caribbean, Instilled Regard and War Story provided a hint of…

Mr. Misunderstood wins Saturday's Commonwealth Turf at Churchill Downs, headed for bigger things in the year to come. Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs A spate of major weekend races around the world fueled hopes for the coming season, even as this year's championships are still being debated. In Australia, Redzel silenced any lingering doubts…

Jockey John Velazquez, riding Authentic, celebrates winning the Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday. Photo by John Sommers II/UPI | License Photo Nov. 9 (UPI) -- The Breeders' Cup World Championships, just as they were designed to do, nicely wrapped up some issues for the 2020 racing season, including the "Horse of the…

California Spangle holds off Golden Sixty in Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Mile Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Jockey Club HONG KONG, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- A super day for Hong Kong highlighted weekend horse racing with action-starved fans emerging from pandemic lockdowns to cheer on some new heroes from the Sha Tin Racecourse grandstand. Two-year-old filly…

Handicapper J. Keeler Johnson shares horses to play in a bevy of carryovers at Aqueduct, Golden Gate Fields, and Woodbine, including a trio of mandatory-payout wagers. One of the biggest carryovers up for grabs on Sunday can be found at Aqueduct, where the $1 Pick 6 has tossed up a lucrative $38428 non-jackpot prize pool. Looking for a single to…

Arkansas' iconic Oaklawn Park, literally situated within a National Park, kicks off its biggest season ever Friday and runs 68 dates through Kentucky Derby Day on May 6. A track record 45 stakes races will be offered and total nearly $14 million purses alone. Friday's opening day feature will be the $150000 Advent Stakes, a 5-1/2 furlong dash for…

All along, Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson hoped he wouldn't have a chance to be in Louisville on the first Saturday in May, sipping mint juleps and watching the Kentucky Derby in person. - THIS STORY WAS UPDATED FRIDAY -- That would have meant the Avalanche already had been eliminated from the playoffs. But for a while, it seemed there was a…

As the dust settled on Rich Strike's improbable 81-1 victory in the 148th Kentucky Derby on Saturday, the question of who would challenge him in the Preakness Stakes on May 21 in Baltimore, Maryland began to make the rounds across the country. Rich Strike, a last-minute Derby entrant who got a dream trip under jockey Sonny Leon for trainer Eric…

Regal Glory winds up her career with a victory in Sunday's Grade I Matriarch at Del Mar. Benoit photo, courtesy of Del Mar Turf Club Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Mind Control and Regal Glory wound up their careers with Grade I victories a continent apart in weekend racing, while the another name popped up on the "Road to the Roses" Kentucky Derby 2023…

Coast-to-coast Grade 1 stakes races are in the offing this weekend as Aqueduct and Del Mar start the month of December with a bang. Saturday's Grade 1 Cigar Mile in New York and Hollywood Derby in California will set the weekend table for Sunday's Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes on the west coast. It's a month on the racing calendar that will build to a…

Two Emmys wins Saturday's Grade I Mr. D. Stakes at Arlington Park, the final gasp of what once was the Arlington Million. Photo by Coach Photography, courtesy of Arlington Park Aug. 16 (UPI) -- There was something for everyone in Saturday's presumed final run of "Million Day" at Arlington Park with a victory for top international raiders and…

Nest (white bridle), shown winning the 2021 Demoiselle at Aqueduct, returns as a heavy favorite in Saturday's Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, a Kentucky Oaks prep. Photo by Joe Labozzetta, courtesy of New York Racing Association Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Potential Kentucky Derby candidates are in action from California to Florida and all the way to…

Sconsin, shown winning the 2021 Winning Colors Stakes at Churchill Downs, tries for a repeat in the Memorial Day renewal. Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs May 27 (UPI) -- The long Memorial Day weekend is not short on racing action with two "Win and You're In" events, one in California amid a flurry on Grade I races and the other in Chile. The…

Rich Strike, seen posing the morning after his Kentucky Derby win, returns in Saturday's Grade I Clark Stakes with a chance to stake a claim for year-end honors. Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs Nov. 25 (UPI) -- It's getting to be crunch time for horses who seek year-end honors, and this weekend's Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs provides one of…

Havnameltdown wins Sunday's Bob Hope Stakes for 2-year-olds at Del Mar. Benoit photo, courtesy of Del Mar Turf Club Nov. 21 (UPI) -- One of the more interesting subplots of late-year racing is the emergence of late-blooming 2-year-olds and Del Mar's weekend program featured two of those -- Havnameltdown among the colts and Justique in the filly…

Photo of Top Harbor by Vassar Photography Berkeley, Calif. -The fastest of the fast signed on to compete in the 2022 edition of the Oakland Stakes at Golden Gate Fields for sprinters on Saturday afternoon. By the end of the race, one entrant was clear at the wire, stamping himself as one of the best one-turn horses in the Bay Area this year. Top…

Early Voting Set for Preakness; Zandon Decision Pending BALTIMORE, Md. - Trainer Chad Brown has not decided whether he will have one or two runners in the 147th Preakness (G1) on May 21 at Pimlico Race Course. Klaravich Stables' Early Voting (Gun Runner) is on course for the 1 3/16-mile Preakness, while Brown said that he is still considering a run…

After a record-setting $28.1 million was bet at Keeneland for Blue Grass Day, Week 2 of the four-week spring meet features five more prominent stakes races going off Friday or Saturday. The Kentucky Derby trail quiets a bit after a flurry of major preps in recent weeks, but potential Preakness players will be in action in Keeneland's Lexington…

The mile-and-a-half Test of the Champion at the Belmont Stakes on Saturday is all that awaits the Triple Crown season for 2022. In reality, it will be more of a test to see if 80-1 Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike is more akin to the Beatles or Chumbawamba. Do we have a superstar or one-hit wonder in our midst? The answer comes against a field…

In his regular gambling blog, John Piassek presents his top picks for the upcoming weekend in horse racing, offering betting options at different budget levels. Piassek's Plays is brought to you by Horseplayers.com, the official online qualifying site of the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC) and National Horseplayers Championship (NHC).…

Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Kentucky-based horses ably defended their home turf in the weekend Claiming Crown series at Churchill Downs, while 2-year-olds, some still eyeing a shot at next year's big races, were at work at tracks from coast to coast. Del Mar swung back into operation, and Woodbine and Churchill Downs had rich stakes offerings. On the…

There were 31 winning tickets on Friday's final Stronach 5 with each ticket worth $3452.30. The Stronach 5 featured races from Laurel Park, Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields along with a low 12 percent takeout. The Stronach started with $4 winners in Laurel's eighth race (Fly Me Home) and Gulfstream's eighth's race…

Yibir, shown winning the 2022 Breeders' Cup Turf, preps for another American invasion with a start Friday at Newmarket in England. Photo by Carolyn Simancik/Eclipsesportswire, courtesy of Breeders' Cup April 29 (UPI) -- With a week to go before the Kentucky Derby, there's plenty of racing action to keep fan interest alive with Breeders' Cup runners…

Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Last weekend, some of the world's best horses were on display in the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. This weekend, the blue-collar horses get their time in the sun in the Claiming Crown races 75 miles to the west at Churchill Downs. We'll also see if the Twin Spires folks have been able to coax grass to grow, as two of…

On a sloppy track at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Omaha Beach held off Improbable to win the 2019 Arkansas Derby on Saturday. Omaha Beach entered the Arkansas Derby as a slight 8-5 favorite over Improbable at 9-5, and by virtue of his win, Omaha Beach earned 100 Kentucky Derby points and further established himself as one of the top…

Lone Star Park hosts its "Million Day" on Memorial Day... it should be a great day for wagering and watching! Our turfman has you covered with free picks, and some targeted analysis. The Grade 3 Steve Sexton Mile anchors the card...

Messier wins Sunday's Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar for trainer Bob Baffert. Benoit photo, courtesy of Del Mar Turf Club Nov. 15, 2021 Trainer Bob Baffert saddled the winners of both 2-year-old races at Del Mar, Bell's the One was a popular winner at Churchill Downs, while Mandate scored a big upset at Aqueduct in highlights of weekend horse…

In the days leading up to the 146th running of the $1 million Preakness Stakes (G1), usracing.com is publishing profiles of the contenders. The 1 3/16-mile second leg of the Triple Crown is May 15 at Pimlico Race Course. Profiles will be updated with post positions and odds following the draw early next week. By Richard Rosenblatt By winning the El…

Flavien Prat, atop Flightline, looks between his legs for the rest of the field after winning the Breeders' Cup Classic at the Breeders' Cup Championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday. Photo by Mark Abraham/UPI | License Photo LEXINGTON, Ky., Nov. 7 (UPI) -- The Breeders' Cup is in the rearview mirror and the star of the…

Off mounts last weekend due to being kicked in a paddock mishap on May 20, Jessica Pyfer, the 2021 Eclipse Award winner as outstanding apprentice jockey, notched her first stakes win Saturday at Santa Anita as she put Bally's Charm on the lead and never looked back en route to a 5 ¾ length win in the $150000 Snow Chief Stakes. The Snow Chief was…

Stone-cold sprinters rarely capture the imagination of America's horse betting populous. But combine a lightning-fast colt from San Francisco with a tough-nut war hero of the same geographic denomination and, well, the imagination runs wild. The colt was Lost in the Fog. While San Franciscan to his core, his name didn't quite fit because, no matter…

ARMAGNAC MAKES SWITCH TO GRASS IN G3 LA JOLLA SUNDAY One of the things trainers love about Del Mar, aside from its great weather and being close to the beach, is the opportunity to train horses on the turf. Obviously that's a plus for those conditioners who have established turf horses, but it's especially handy for those trainers who have wondered…

Opening weekend of the prestigious meeting at Keeneland runs Friday through Sunday, including 11 key stakes preps that will be showcased at this year's Breeders' Cup host site. Stars like Golden Pal, Letruska and Malathaat are just some of the names expected to grace the Lexington oval. But Keeneland won't fly solo on the national marquee, which…

Monday, October 3, 2022 at 10:33 am |Back to: Northern Rose and connections in the winner's circle Saturday Vassar Photography By Statistically speaking, Northern Rose (Northern Causeway), a 6-year-old chestnut mare with a 4-for-32 claiming-level record, was hardly the star of the stable for trainer Duane Offield, who died Sept. 29 after a long…

We're just five weeks from the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland, and final rehearsals are taking place around the world. Santa Anita's fall meet opens Friday with a welcome sign for prospects across as many as 10 divisions, while Belmont-at-Aqueduct hosts superstar Life Is Good for Saturday's Woodward Stakes. Meanwhile, Kentucky Derby…

Recent polling shows two ballot initiatives that would legalize sports betting in California are long shots to be approved by voters in November. That may be bad news for racing, but it is complicated. Proposition 26 would allow for in-person sports wagering at the state's tribal casinos and at four racetracks: Santa Anita, Del Mar, Golden Gate and…