#Laurel Park

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…

The summer of 1966 was a memorable one, as Aunt Edith became the first filly to win the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in what was the 16th renewal. Trained by Noel Murless and ridden by Lester Piggott, Aunt Edith was bouncing back from an odds-on defeat in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, where she finished a 15-length…

Stonewall Star after her victory in the Key Cents (NYRA/Coglianese) NYRA Press Office OZONE PARK, N.Y.- Barry Schwartz's New York homebred Stonewall Star will look to regain winning form for trainer Horacio De Paz in the $100000 Franklin Square, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for state-bred sophomore fillies, on January 22 at Aqueduct Racetrack. The bay…

While the vision for the future of the Preakness continues to improve and excite, the economic reality grows dimmer and more desperate. Under a law passed last April, the Maryland Stadium Authority was required to submit two progress reports to House and Senate Committees, the first by Sept. 30, 2022, and the second by Jan. 1, 2023. The racing…

As Keeneland prepares to host the 2022 Breeders' Cup in two weeks, the Lexington, Ky., track continues its October meet Saturday with a graded stakes for filly sprinters. Smash Ticket (5-2) is morning-line favorite for the Grade 2, $350000 Raven Run Stakes. Post time from Keeneland is 5:16 p.m., with FanDuel TV to broadcast the seven-furlong sprint…

Some of the best thoroughbreds in the world compete in the Pegasus World Cup, a prestigious invitation-only race. This event, presented by Baccarat, will be held in the Carousel Club at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, January 28. There is no doubt that fans have been anticipating the yearly event and keeping an eye on the list of contenders. With a…

Lovely Ride wins Saturday's Pippin Stakes at Oaklawn Park Coady Photography, courtesy of Oaklawn Park Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Trainer Bob Baffert saddled the first three finishers in Sunday's $100000 Grade III Sham Stakes at Santa Anita, a "Road to the Kentucky Derby" race, while the other weekend qualifier went to a colt who might find the Derby distance…

The Queens County Stakes is a 1 1/8-mile dirt stakes for 4-year-olds and up and this year a nearly full field of 11 has been entered including two trained by Norman Cash. The runners exit dirt races in 10 cases including five at Aqueduct, three at Laurel Park and one each at Parx and Keeneland with the final runner coming out of a synthetic race at…

The trail toward the first Saturday in May reaches its next step on the first Saturday in January. Arctic Arrogance is the 8-5 morning-line favorite for the $150000 Jerome Stakes. Post time from Aqueduct is 3:16 p.m., with FS2 showing the one-mile event for 3-year-olds. The Jerome awards its top five finishers Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a…

Drafted (outside) holds off Little Vic to win the $135K Gravesend (Chelsea Durand) By Mary Eddy - NYRA Press Office OZONE PARK, N.Y.- Veteran gelding Drafted needed every inch of the Aqueduct Racetrack stretch to win a dramatic photo finish, but did so under a well-timed ride from Luis Rodriguez Castro to score a nose victory in Friday's $135000…

Forewarned wins last year's edition of the Queens County (NYRA/Coglianese) NYRA Press Office OZONE PARK, N.Y.- Trainer Uriah St. Lewis' graded stakes-placed Forewarned will attempt to defend his title in the $150000 Queens County, a nine-furlong main track test for 3-year-olds and upward, on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack. "He's doing fantastic and…

Battle Bling after her win in the 2022 Ladies (NYRA/Coglianese) By Keith McCalmont OZONE PARK, N.Y.- Michael Dubb and Gandharvi's graded-stakes winner Battle Bling will look to defend her title in Sunday's $150000 Ladies, a nine-furlong test for fillies and mares 4 years old and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack. Trained by Rob Atras, the soon-to-be…

Aqueduct Barn Notes: Ridin With Biden Headlines Saturday's Queens County Stakes From the NYRA Media Team / Mary Eddy: Cash is King and LC Racing's graded stakes-winner Ridin With Biden will look to double up on stakes scores as he wraps up his 4-year-old campaign in Saturday's $150000 Queens County, a nine-furlong main track route for 3-year-olds…

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…

Morello drawing away to a win in the $62000 Feature Allowance at Laurel Park, Oct. 8, 2022. (Jim McCue/MJC) NYRA Press Office OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, Iapetus Racing and Diamond T Racing's graded-stakes winner returns from a two-month absence in Friday's $135000 Gravesend, a six-furlong sprint for 3-years-old and up, at Aqueduct…

Zandon, shown winning the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes, runs in Saturday's Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. Photo courtesy of Keeneland Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Triple Crown contenders from the past three seasons will battle it out in a field of seven for one of this weekend's top races, the Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, where 2023 Kentucky Derby hopefuls…

Bobby Flay's homebred Pizza Bianca (#4 outside) under Jose Ortiz on her way to winning the Hilltop Stakes at Pimlico May 20, 2022, and earning Black Type. (Maryland Jockey Club photo) By Maribeth Kalinich There's a phenomenon happening in North America. Turf races are booming. That is in part thanks to more European horses coming across the pond to…

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…

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…

With the Road to the 2022 Kentucky Derby paused until Jan. 22, fillies take the spotlight Saturday. Under the Stars (8-5) leads a field of six lined up for the Grade 2, $200000 Santa Ynez Stakes. Post time from Santa Anita is 7:06 p.m. EST, with TVG showing the seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies. The Santa Ynez pays out Road to the 2022…

Curlin is known as "The Classic Sire." A talented race horse in his own right, he has been an en vouge sire for Classic distance winners. Saratoga honors him on Friday. Curlin was born in 2004. The Chestnut horse was sired by Smart Strike and was out of a Deputy Minister Mare. The 11 time winner was Steve Asmussen who stands as the all-time…

Hot Peppers after her win in the Jersey Girl June 12 (NYRA/Coglianese) By Keith McCalmont - NYRA Press Office OZONE PARK, N.Y.- Michael Dubb and Michael J. Caruso's graded-stakes winner Hot Peppers returns from a three-month layoff in Saturday's $120000 Garland of Roses, a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Aqueduct…

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…

The Pegasus World Cup was created in 2017 and is held annually in January at Gulfstream Park. It is a Grade I event run on dirt at a distance of one mile and one furlong and is available to horses four years old and up. The Pegasus World Cup was created in 2017 and is held annually in January at Gulfstream Park. It is a Grade I event run on dirt at…

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…

The calendar has turned to December with plenty of other sports going on (including World Cup soccer added to the mix), but Team Tuley continues to look for value at tracks from coast to coast. I'm joined by my regular contributors Ed Sehon (aka Mr. Ed from his Saratoga and Keeneland columns here at VSiN.com/horse-racing/) and Rampart race and…

Malibu Moonshine breaking her maiden on a super sloppy track by 6 lengths at Pimlico Sept. 9. (Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club) By David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club LAUREL, Md. - Happy Face Racing Stable's Malibu Moonshine, scratched as a top contender from last month's Maryland Million with a fever, returns to Laurel Park to make her Maryland and…

Zandon, shown winning the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes, runs in Saturday's Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. Photo courtesy of Keeneland Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Triple Crown contenders from the past three seasons will battle it out in a field of seven for one of this weekend's top races, the Grade I Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, where 2023 Kentucky Derby hopefuls…

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…

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…

Battle Bling victorious in the G3 Turnback the Alarm (Joe Labozzetta) By Keith McCalmont - NYRA Press Office OZONE PARK, N.Y.- Michael Dubb and Gandharvi's graded-stakes winner Battle Bling will look to add to her spoils when she headlines a talented field of 11 in Saturday's Grade 3, $200000 Go for Wand, a one-turn mile for fillies and mares…

Knicks Go warms up for Saturday's Pegasus World Cup. Photo by Lauren King, courtesy of Gulfstream Park Jan. 28 (UPI) -- It's only January, with lots of races yet to come, but it's possible the "race of the year" could be run Saturday in the $3 million Grade I Pegasus Stakes at Gulfstream Park as speedy Breeders' Cup champions Knicks Go and Life Is…

March 18 (UPI) -- Oaklawn Park steps to the fore in weekend horse racing with a pair of competitive races on the Saturday program while the BMW Hong Kong Derby and the Golden Slipper in Australia headline the international action. Otherwise, there's no getting around the fact it's a relatively slow weekend. So we'll have a week-ahead look at…

The 95th running of the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) is set to go this Saturday at Aqueduct. A field of 11 will contest this year's running that features several horses looking to continue to make a big impact on the Kentucky Derby trail. Offering 100-40-20-10 Derby points to the top four finishers, the Wood is slated for an approximate post time of 6…

David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club LAUREL, Md. - Baxter Racing Stable's Swayin to and Fro, showing a new dimension, took advantage of her inside draw to lead all the way around and edge clear late to notch her second career stakes victory in Saturday's $100000 Safely Kept at Laurel Park. The 32 running of the Safely Kept for 3-year-old fillies was…

The Week in Review by T.D. Thornton The annual Claiming Crown races were two weeks ago. But a surprise black-type feast for blue-collar campaigners took place over Thanksgiving weekend, when horses once claimed for tags as low as $10000 and $16000 ran away with three of five stakes at Laurel Park, and an 8-year-old gelding bought last year for…

When trainer Damon Dilodovico dropped a $16000 claim slip on Armando R on behalf of owner Ronald Cuneo last November, it appeared to have been a misstep. Armando R won the day they claimed him, burning up the last of his conditions, and then ran poorly in his first start in the new barn, finishing eighth of nine in a first-level allowance. "Ron had…

Ronald Cuneo's Armando R, scratched from a Thanksgiving Day allowance, came with a steady run on the far outside down the center of the track to upset favored Ournationonparade by a half-length in Saturday's $100000 Richard W. Small at Laurel Park. The 22nd running of the 1 1/8-mile Richard Small for 3-year-olds and up anchored three stakes on the…

The Breeders' Cup is behind us, but Team Tuley continues to look for value at tracks from coast to coast. I'm joined by regular contributors Ed Sehon (aka Mr. Ed from his Saratoga and Keeneland columns here at VSiN.com/horse-racing) and Rampart race and sports manager Duane Colucci. We live up to the coast to coast claim with plays at Aqueduct in…

This week marks the latest installment of a series on America's Best Racing, the Beginner's Bet of the Week sponsored by NYRA Bets. Each week, this blog will explore a new type of bet by explaining exactly what it is, how best to use that bet, and by putting the wager into practice in a race. Holiday horse racing awaits at tracks like Gulfstream…

May 20 (UPI) -- The Preakness, even without Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike, is the marquee event in weekend horse racing, but by no means the only top-shelf event on the schedule. Pimlico Race Course provides an impressive supporting program on Friday and Saturday. Churchill Downs and Monmouth Park add to the mix. On the international front,…

Trainer Mark Shuman wasn't sure whether running Angel Art, a two-year-old Imagining filly, Saturday in a maiden special weight race at Laurel Park was a good idea. Spoiler alert: It was. "We could have waited and run her in one of those waiver maiden claimers," Shuman said. "And I worry when they start dumping all the sand on the track." The sand,…

Misty Veil 10.05pm Churchill Downs 1pt each-way Coach 10.35pm Churchill Downs 2pt win The Grade 3 Chilukki Stakes has been won by some lovely fillies and mares over the years including in 2015 when the Brad Cox-trained Spelling Again took the honours. This year the trainer is looking to add to that sole victory with course winner Coach. This…

The only graded stakes on Saturday's racing schedule features distaffers battling under the twin spires. Coach is the 9-5 morning-line favorite for the Grade 3, $300000 Chilukki Stakes. Post time from Churchill Downs is 5:35 p.m. EST, with FS2 showing the one-mile race for 3-and-up fillies and mares. The Chilukki is part of a November Churchill…

Oaklawn Park rolls into Friday with another great card! Turfwriter and resident picker, J.N. Campbell has you covered with all of his free picks... and of course, some specific analysis. Enjoy! Race 1: 7-2-4-8 Race 2: 6-7-1/1A-3 Race 3: 1-8-3-7 Race 4: 1-3-7-4 Race 5: 7-4-1-3 Race 6: 5-3-7-9 Race 7: 1-4-7-5 Race 8: 2-8-4-3 Race 9: 8-10-3-2 **Most…

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 name Phil Thomas does not appear in present-day past performances. The last race on his training record was run more than three years ago. His last winner was at the end of the summer of 2013. But something he said resonates to this day with horseplayers handicapping the Kentucky Derby. "I bet if you looked at it," he said, "horses that won the…

Whereshetoldmetogo winning last year's edition of the Bender by a neck. Photo by Jim McCue/MJC David Joseph/Maryland Jockey Club LAUREL, Md. - Defending champion Whereshetoldmetogo, a 13-time career stakes winner, and graded-stakes winners Cordmaker and Double Crown top 24 horses nominated to the $75000 Howard & Sondra Bender Memorial Friday, Nov.…