#Saratoga Special

The Grade 1, $500000 Champagne produced another unlikely winner on Saturday at Belmont at the Big A, with trainer Chad Brown's Blazing Sevens closing down the center of a sloppy and sealed main track to prevail by 3 1/4 lengths en route to a potential start in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. The 151st running of the Champagne, run at one mile…

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…

The Saratoga Race Course meet has a deeply ingrained reputation as one of North America's major proving grounds for the mettle of a freshman sire, offering some of the deepest 2-year-old competition for both maidens and graded stakes horses. As one of the meets on the calendar that has the full attention of breeders and stallion operations alike,…

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…

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…

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…

Regal Glory, shown winning the 2021 Matriarch at Del Mar, takes on male rivals in Saturday's Grade I Fourstardave at Saratoga. Benoit photo, courtesy of Del Mar Turf Club Aug. 12 (UPI) -- Turf racing at Saratoga, Del Mar and Churchill Downs tops the weekend agenda, with a pair of Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" slots up for grabs. A third…

SARATOGA SPRINGS - How much of a future is there for Mo Strike? That's the question facing Brad Cox, the trainer of the 3 1/2-length winner of the 107th running of Saratoga's Grade II Sanford Stakes. The contest for 2-year-olds drew a field 12, with most of them making their second career starts. Mo Strike, fresh from a maiden win at Churchill…

The Grade 2, $400000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes is one of the first few races which are part of the Kentucky Derby Championship Series that award 50 points to the winner, which historically has been enough to give that horse a spot in the starting gate on the first Saturday in May. Leading the full field of 12, plus one also-eligible, is…

With three different Derby points races on Saturday and many other graded stakes races, fans can watch racing all day and not get bored. From a betting standpoint, the Grade 2, $750000 Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct, Grade 1, $1 million Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland and Grade 1, $750000 Santa Anita Derby appear chalky. Players need to either go…

The Arlington Million, which has been rerouted to Churchill Downs following the sale of Arlington Park, is one of the big weekend graded-raced this Saturday. But we've also more top-notch contests at Saratoga and Del Mar to look forward to. Let's take a look at the best races this Saturday and the probable runners. We've three Grade 1 turf races to…

Will Take Charge, runner-up to Mucho Macho Man in the Breeders' Cup Classic and the 2013 Eclipse Award Champion Three-Year-Old Colt, takes on a field of ten rivals in Sunday's Grade 1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park, the first installment of the 2014 Jockey Club Tour on FOX. (Post time: 6:01 p.m. Eastern; TV: Fox Sports 1). Hall of Fame trainer D.…

From its inception through 2007, 10 different tracks hosted the Breeders' Cup: from Florida to Chicago to Toronto, from New York to LA. Since then, however, the big day(s) have been on a decidedly more restricted rotation. Santa Anita has hosted seven times since 2007, with three at Churchill and the others at Del Mar and Keeneland, which hosts for…

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Damon's Mound, who logged his first career win five weeks ago at Churchill Downs, stepped up the racing ladder to Grade II company and pulled off a handy win in Saturday's co-feature, the $200000 Saratoga Special. The race was a rare visit to Saratoga for jockey Gabriel Saez and the first for the colt's trainer, Michelle Lovell.…

If you think that Johnny Avello at the Wynn Las Vegas would feel threatened by the competition of the Breeders' Cup Future Wager being put together by the Breeders' Cup itself, you don't know how Johnny Avello got to be this town's best bookmaker for horse racing. "I think it's a good idea," he said. "I like it. I'm glad they've started…

Ray Acevedo-USA TODAY Sports Some of the brightest two-year-olds in the U.S. will be in action in the Champagne Stakes this weekend As well as being a Breeders' Cup Challenge Race, it also offers ten points on the Road To The Kentucky Derby There will be a great deal of excitement this weekend, as we will get a first look at some of the brightest…

Gulfport, second in the Grade 1 Hopeful last out, headlines a field of six 2-year-olds set to battle it out in Saturday's Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at the Belmont fall meet being held at Aqueduct. After a pair of very impressive wins at Churchill Downs to begin his career, including the Bashford Manor Stakes, the Steve Asmussen charge was a troubled…

Sometimes, in assessing stakes races, it is best to look at the history of the race and see if there is a dominant factor in that history. This weekend's racing features both the Champagne Stakes and the Miss Grillo Stakes, two Win and You're In races for the Breeders' Cup (coverage begins Saturday at 4 pm ET on NBC). For both races, you need to…

Todd Pletcher's favorite Mo Donegal ran down a furious pacesetting We the People at the start of the stretch to win the 154th Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park. Irad Ortiz Jr. was in the irons for the winning ride. This is the fourth Belmont Stakes win for Pletcher and was his debut in the final leg of the Triple Crown. This is Donegal Racing's first…

OZONE PARK, N.Y.- Jonathan Poulin, Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael B. Tabor's regally-bred Verifying, a half-brother to 2019 Champion Older Dirt Female Midnight Bisou, will make his stakes debut in Saturday's Grade 1, $500000 Champagne, a one-turn mile for 2-year-olds, at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

Once in a while you are reminded of a horse that inspires curiosity. Perhaps a mention in a pedigree or a press release. A photo pops up in a search for something completely unrelated. This reminder came in the form of an Ebay listing. Oh yes, the horse, his name is Wallenda. The Ebay item was a winner's plaque from a very special race. The Suffolk…

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. New to the Watch List As a son of 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper out of Regret (G3) winner Beyond Blame, Loggins is…

Michael McLouglin's Curly Jack is the early points leader on the 2023 "Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve" after the Good Magic colt won Saturday's 41 running of the $299250 Iroquois (Grade III) for 2-year-olds by one length over Honed at Churchill Downs. Jace's Road was another half-length back in third and betting…

For me, one main attraction to superfectas is that a superfecta probable payout pool is not displayed making this bet an unknown endeavor relative to an exacta and even trifectas in some circumstances where the probable payouts are available. However, if you observe the pool results over a long period of time, you will come to realize the heavily…

On Saturday, September 17, nine two-year-old colts will stretch out to 1 1/16 miles in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. The event holds two designations: it is a challenge event for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and also the first prep race for the 2022 Kentucky Derby, offering points on a 10-4-2-1 scale to the top four finishers.

The 2023 Kentucky Derby trail begins Saturday at the track that will host that event next May. Echo Again (2-1) is the morning-line favorite for the Grade 3, $300000 Iroquois Stakes. Post time from Churchill Downs is 4:55 p.m. EDT, with FS2 showing the 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-olds. The Iroquois kicks off the series of points-paying preps toward…

Modern Games, shown winning the 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, returns to North America for Saturday's Grade I Ricoh Woodbine Mile. Photo by Alex Evers, EclipseSportswire, courtesy of Breeders' Cup Sept. 16 (UPI) -- Racing moves back to Churchill Downs and Aqueduct this weekend, but the main focus is north of the border, where Woodbine stages an…

Fans will be back for the first time innearly two years. The newly laid main track is a year old. And the Pick 6 has anew $1 minimum. Those may be the easy-to-spot talking pointsfor Thursday's opening of the Saratoga summer. Eventually it gets back to basics- handicapping angles for the 40 days of racing at the Spa. Horse Racing Nation surveyed…

Nasser Bin Omairah's Mo Strike attended a strong pace but had plenty of stamina to spare en route to an impressive score in Saturday's Grade 3, $175000 Sanford, a six-furlong sprint for juveniles at Saratoga Race Course. Trained by Brad Cox, the Uncle Mo bay entered from a prominent three-quarter length debut win in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special…

Closing day at Saratoga features six 2-year-olds aiming to take a division lead on the road to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Gulfport (9-5) is the morning-line favorite for the Grade 1, $300000 Hopeful Stakes. Post time from Saratoga is 6:11 p.m. EDT, with FS2 showing the seven-furlong sprint for juveniles. The Hopeful is the first Grade 1 race of…

By several hours, the Hopeful Stakes get the honor of being the first Grade 1 of the year for 2-year-old males. That means it gives horseplayers the first glimpse of possible 2022 Kentucky Derby contenders. In this edition of the 117-year-old, seven-furlong sprint on Saratoga's closing day, you get 11 colts, geldings, and ridglings all trying to…

Back after a one-year hiatus and relocated from suburban Chicago to Churchill Downs, Saturday's Grade 1 Arlington Million will have an eerie feel. It's like seeing Joe Namath in a Los Angeles Rams jersey or Hakeem Olajuwon playing for the Toronto Raptors at the end of their careers. This American turf icon moves in front of America's most iconic…