Nest romps in Beldame, final tuneup for BC Distaff

The 40th Breeders' Cup is 10 days away, so let's catch up on a couple notes of interest. Breeders' Cup entries will be drawn on October 30, but a pair of Todd Pletcher-trained superstars - Forte and Nest - won't be among the nearly 200 horses competing for a title. Pletcher, though, has several others in his stable that are capable of success.…

Thegate-to-wire victory Sunday for Idiomatic in the Grade 1, $600000 Spinster Stakes at Keeneland did not simply stamp her as the favorite to win theBreeders' Cup Distaff next month at Santa Anita. It embossed the changing ofthe guard in the older-female division. Thatwas as much a result of Idiomatic's 4 1/4-length victory at even money as itwas…

Carl Spackler makes the grade in the Hall of Fame (G2) Aug. 11 at Saratoga (Chelsea Durand) By Keith McCalmont - NYRA Press Office SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.- Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will saddle a pair of top contenders in graded stakes-winner Carl Spackler and the improving Activist Investing in Friday's Grade 3, $175000…

Saratoga has brought out Nest's best. The champion filly aims for another big stakes score there Friday. Nest is the 4-5 morning-line favorite for the Grade 1, $500000 Personal Ensign Stakes. Post time from Saratoga is 5:44 p.m. EDT, with FS2 showing the 1 1/8-mile race for 4-and-up fillies and mares. The Personal Ensign is annually an important…

Dr. Miranda previews the 2023 Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) from Saratoga, then gives her top picks & long shots. Top older females Nest & Clairiere are set for a rematch following the local Shuvee Stakes (G2) that Nest won last time out. Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House's Nest will look to keep her perfect Saratoga Race…

Nest struts her stuff in the Shuvee (G2) July 23 at Saratoga (NYRA/Coglianese) By Keith McCalmont - NYRA Press Office SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.- Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House's Nest will look to keep her perfect Saratoga Race Course record intact in Friday's Grade 1, $500000 Personal Ensign. Trained by Hall of…

Nest (Curlin), off since finishing fourth in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, was second in the betting to Clairiere (Curlin)-who already had a pair of Grade I victories to her credit this termr-but it was the returning champion who sailed under the wire first in the GII Shuvee S. at Saratoga Sunday. Sent off at 4-5, Nest broke on top, but…

The 2023 Kentucky Derby will take place Saturday at Churchill Downs, and the draw for the 149th Run for the Roses was held Monday with current betting favorite Forte (3-1) and regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. starting from Post 15 in a full field of 20. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the son of Violence enters on a five-race winning streak. The only post to…

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Cyberknife is going into his finale as the favorite. The 4-year-old is the 5-2 morning-line top choice for Saturday's $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park, to be run at a mile and an eighth on the dirt. It'll be the final race before the winner of last year's Haskell Stakes and Arkansas Derby starts…

LEXINGTON, KY - Mike Repole is heading into Breeders' Cup weekend with' Uncle Mo' on his side. After fulfilling a lifelong dream by running one-two in the GI Belmont S. with the recently retired and Spendthrift-bound Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) and Nest (Curlin)-one of Repole's seven Grade I victories on the year-the momentum has continued to build for…

Shadwell Stable's Malathaat (Curlin) strode home a powerful winner of the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at Keeneland, earning an automatic berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. The 2-5 favorite was never far from the front behind a moderate pace and surged up to challenge Letruska (Super Saver) nearing the stretch. Malathaat ricocheted to the lead off…

Nest tuned up for her engagement in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland next month with an effortless victory in the GII Beldame S. at Aqueduct Sunday. Making her first start against her elders, the 1-9 favorite broke well from her inside post and was on the lead in the early strides before allowing Travel Column (Frosted) to take over…

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Nest, the odds-on favorite to win Saratoga's $600000, Grade I Alabama Stakes, was forced to overcome a very rough start before she became an eased-up winner of the 142nd running of the 3-year-old filly race in front of a paid crowd of 39127. Nest, the 12 1/4-length winner of the Spa's $500000, Grade I Coaching Club American Oaks…

Triple Crown veteran Todd Pletcher had simple advice Saturday for jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. before the Belmont Stakes. "Be patient," Pletcher said. "I think you have the best last quarter of any horse in the race." Sometimes, less is Mo. Mo Donegal pulled away down the home stretch and held off filly Nest to win the Belmont Stakes, giving Pletcher a…

ELMONT, NY - The kid from Queens got his GI Belmont Stakes. Carrying the royal blue-and-orange, New York Mets-inspired silks of Middle Village native Mike Repole, Donegal Racing and Repole Stable's Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) delivered an authoritative, three-length victory as the 5-2 favorite before an announced crowd of 46103 in Saturday's GI Belmont…

Admittedly, I'm not that excited about this year's Belmont Stakes. After his amazing run as an 80-1 shot, Rich Strike was held out of the Preakness. The Preakness was then won by Early Voting, who is now being held out of the Belmont. I can handle a Belmont that doesn't have a chance for a Triple Crown winner. But I really wish we could at least…

The 154th running of the Belmont Stakes takes place on Saturday in Elmont, N.Y., with Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike returning after sitting out the Preakness. At 80-1, Rich Strike was the second-biggest long shot winner in the history of the Kentucky Derby. Although he didn't run in the Preakness, there was a Rich Strike effect. Fenwick opened…

Nest takes a shot against males in the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday for trainer Todd Pletcher, a man who has won this race with the filly Rags to Riches in 2007. Even though Nest belongs in the Belmont, choosing the filly requires faith that the 1 1/2 miles elevates her to a new level. On previous form alone in normal route races, Nest…

After the thrilling run of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes is the next race in the Triple Crown, set this year for its 147th running. The 2022 Preakness Stakes will air on Saturday, May 21 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. ET on CNBC and from 4:00 to 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Coverage is also available to stream live on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app…

The Preakness Stakes returns in its traditional spot after the Kentucky Derby in the Triple Crown season. The race has been called "The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans" because a blanket of Maryland's state flower is placed across the winning colt or filly. NBC is home to the 147th Preakness Stakes, providing comprehensive race coverage and analysis…

As training days go, Todd Pletcher would take a lot more weekends like this. Days where he puts out a potential Kentucky Derby winner and a potential Kentucky Oaks winner. The Hall of Fame trainer's Derby contender? Mo Donegal, who provided Pletcher with his record-tying seventh Wood Memorial title and third in five years. Mo Donegal punched his…

One year ago, trainer Todd Pletcher's filly Malathaat started her 3-year-old campaign with a late rally to win Ashland Stakes by a head. The victory launched her to an Eclipse Award-winning season that also included Grade 1 wins in the Kentucky Oaks and Alabama Stakes. Pletcher will hope for similar things Friday and beyond with Nest (2-1),…

The Breeders' Cup World Championships return to Kentucky this weekend, and fans will get a look at some of the top thoroughbreds from the United States and abroad. Keeneland will be hosting the Breeders' Cup for the third time after the event made its debut at the track in 2015 and returned in 2020. There are 14 races on the Breeders' Cup slate,…

The 154 running of the Belmont Stakes is just around the corner, so let's look at the competition with our 2022 Belmont Stakes betting preview. The oddsmakers weigh in with their prognostications and predictions for which horse will go home with the winner's share of that $1500000 purse. While this year's Triple Crown hopes were dashed when the…