#Wesley Ward

Knicks Go, seen winning the Grade I Pegasus World Cup in January, is favorite for Saturday's Grade I Whitney at Saratoga. Photo courtesy of Gulfstream Park Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Rich purses drew some top foreign talent for the Saratoga Derby and Oaks on Saturday and Sunday on the upstate New York turf to highlight a big weekend of Thoroughbred…

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,…

It is easy see why Tiz The Law is a heavy favorite for the Belmont Stakes. His two Grade 1 wins and his 4-for-4 record on fast tracks put him alone in the front of the plane while the rest of the field is stuck in coach. But if it is easy to declare that he will win Saturday, why is it so hard to figure out who will lead him there? Blame it on Fore…

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…

Racegoers returned to Royal Ascot on Tuesday There are at least two Americans who are very excited about being at Royal Ascot. One of them was among those waiting for the gates to the Royal Enclosure to be opened. She was patient and polite. Not everyone was like that. One of the Ascot greencoats had no idea why there was a delay. The first…

Don't be a plonker - go with Jubiloso to land the Coronation Stakes (4.20, ITV) on Friday. Sir Michael Stoute's filly, whose uncle is the great unbeaten champ Frankel, faces a big step up in class but could hardly have made a more promising start to her career. An easy winner at Chelmsford at the end of April, Jubiloso went on to blitz her rivals…

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…

Headlined by classic winners Authentic, Swiss Skydiver and Tiz The Law, 184 horses were drawn Monday afternoon into 14 fields for the $28 million Breeders' Cup championships Friday and Saturday at Keeneland. The morning lines were determined by handicapper Mike Battaglia. [] Below are the fields and odds for the 14 Breeders' Cup races in reverse…

Potential Breeders' Cup Horses Work Lexus Raven Run Winner Caramel Swirl Returns To Churchill Downs Conditioner Cox's "Cool Little Horse" Perryville Winner He'smyhoneybadger LEXINGTON, Ky. - Charles Fipke's undefeated Lady Speightspeare, scratched at the gate for the Oct. 16 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana, at Keeneland…

This will be the 39th renewal of the great transatlantic horseracing shemozzle that is the Breeders' Cup and, while some races are a lot newer than that, most have a historical profile worth noting. What follows are some observations based on what we've seen previously in the hope that it might help to predict what will happen in Keeneland on the…

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…

Two weeks after a Grade 1 win at Saratoga, trainer Christophe Clement is putting the star of his barn back in the starting gates. Gufo (7-5) is morning-line favorite Saturday for the Grade 2, $1 million Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes. Post time from Kentucky Downs is 5:45 p.m., with the race broadcast on both CNBC and FanDuel TV, the network formerly…

Trainers work their whole lives hoping to get a horse that can win them a single Grade 1 or Group 1 race. Charlie Appleby has a horse that won him two Group 1s in five days. Already a repeat winner Tuesday in the King's Stand, Blue Point (1-1 in the U.S., 3-2 in the U.K.) did it again Saturday. He held on to win by a head in the $764520 Diamond…

The Royal Ascot Carnival for 2019 concludes this Saturday night, headlined by the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m) and the Hardwicke Stakes (2400m). WATCH LIVE RACING AT tab * Above offers may only be available to select customers.Back Me 9 Lope Y Fernandez (Bet Now: $2.50) is a son of Lope De Vega for Aidan O'Brien that was well supported when…

And now we wait. Post positions are drawn and morning line odds set for all 14 Breeders' Cup races to be run Friday and Saturday at Churchill Downs, which will host the championships for the first time since 2011. Get a look at the fields below. Friday, Nov. 2 • 10 races total carded; first post time 12:55 p.m. It's an overflow field, as expected…

Knicks Go capped a Horse of the Year season late Saturday afternoon, winning the $6 million Breeders Cup Classic by 2¾ lengths over provisional Kentucky Derby champion Medina Spirit in the finale of the two-day event at Del Mar. Former Del Mar riding champion Joel Rosario guided the third choice in the field of eight to his third Grade I win of the…

War of Will, shown winning the Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland in July, is a major player in Saturday's Grade I Woodbine Mile. Photo courtesy of Keeneland Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Two days of top-level turf action at Woodbine, including three Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" events, provide the feature attraction in weekend horse racing. Two of the…

TEMPLEGATE takes on day four of Royal Ascot confident of banging in a few winners under the summer sun. Read on for our man's top tips and read his guide to EVERY race and runner below. MEDITATE (2.30 Ascot, nap) She was impressive when landing a Group 3 success over this trip at Naas last time. She had lots left in the tank there and should…

Campanelle gave American trainer Wesley Ward his fourth Queen Mary Stakes success with a hard-fought display under Frankie Dettori at Royal Ascot. The daughter of Kodiac, who only made her debut at Gulfstream Park at the end of May, turned in a thoroughly professional performance to lift the Group Two dash for two-year-old fillies over five…

The 2022 Royal Ascot festival is well underway, with punters set to enjoy two more thrilling days of action in Windsor. The first three days of Royal Ascot haven't disappointed, but there are still plenty of races to come. From the Gold Cup to the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, Ascot is one of the standout fixtures in the racing calendar, and they are…

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…

From the Turfway Park Media Team: Lucrative purse money and Kentucky Derby qualifying points will be on the line during Turfway Park's annual Winter/Spring Meet, which will begin Sunday, Jan. 1 and feature the Grade III, $700000 Jeff Ruby Steaks on Saturday, March 25. Led by the Jeff Ruby Steaks on the Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by…

TEMPLEGATE takes on day two of Royal Ascot confident of pulling off his top hat and tails - and banging in a few winners. Read on for our man's best tips and back the horses by clicking their odds. You will find his complete breakdown of every race and runner below. And at the very bottom are his tips for every race taking place today - plus don't…

Lope Y Fernandez: impressive winner on debut at the Curragh this month Market trends favour hotpot Lope Y Fernandez with 18 favourites or joint-favourites landing the opening contest on the final day in the last 42 editions. The Aidan O'Brien-trained colt was a convincing winner at the Curragh this month, a race won by subsequent National Stakes…

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…

Dettori was at his best on the 7-4 joint favourite, trained by John Gosden, to see off runner-up Vazirabad and long-time leader Torcedor in third. It was the 47-year-old jockey's sixth Gold Cup win and he treated the 70000 crowd to a trademark flying dismount. Joint favourite Order Of St George, the 2016 winner and last year's runner-up, could only…

The highlight of the Boxing Day card for the opening of Santa Anita Park's winter meet has to be the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes, as multiple Grade 1 winner Taiba ships home to compete against three-year-olds for one last time. A field of nine total will be going seven furlongs on the main dirt course for the $300000 prize pool. This one will be carded…

While much of the country is suffering through extreme cold and winter storms, officials at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., are preparing for their traditional day-after-Christmas opening on Monday, Dec. 26. Temperatures are expected in the upper 70s and there is no rain in the forecast for Monday, though a storm is expected to roll into…

The final chance for three-year-old dirt males to vie for Grade 1 glory before turning four and having to face older horses comes Monday, December 26, at Santa Anita. The race covers seven furlongs on the Santa Anita main track, and drew a field of nine horses. As usual for such a late-season three-year-old race, it drew a mix of classy locals and…

That's it for the day from Goodwood. We hope you've had a good afternoon and enjoyed the Sussex Stakes, it certainly lived up to the hype. Do join us again tomorrow when we'll be back here hunting for winners once again. Following the Sussex Stakes, William Buick reported that Vatican City, unplaced, was struck into; the Veterinary Officer reported…

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…

CAMPANELLE (4.20) can sparkle for Californian Ace Wesley Ward in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes on Day Five of Royal Ascot. The sprinter first showed her liking for this track when hammering Sacred in the 2020 Queen Mary. The filly added the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville to her CV with an easy defeat of Nando Parrado. She ran another blinder here…

When a jubilant Frankie Dettori and his mount Stradivarius were saluted by a 70000 crowd at Royal Ascot a year ago, life was very different. Covid-19 and social distancing were unheard of. Now flat racing's biggest meeting is set to take place behind closed doors with jockeys wearing face masks. On Tuesday, there will be no Queen, Royal procession…

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…

Clock watchers couldn't fail to notice the lightning fast sectionals the Kodiac filly out of Yajala recorded during her two-furlong workout on Monday, and the well-related youngster duly drew a final bid of 460000gns on day two of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale. Jake Warren, stationed on the back stairs, tried hard to land the sought after…

The rains stopped at Pimlico Thursday morning just as Kentucky Derby winner Justify (pictured) stepped out to test the track in preparation for Saturday's Preakness. Photo courtesy of Maryland Jockey Club The sun didn't shine on My Old Kentucky Home on Derby Day this year and it's unlikely to shine on Saturday's Preakness, either. But for Derby…

Keeneland Barn Notes: Basin Gets Final Prep for G2 Blue Grass Stakes (Trainer Steve Asmussen / Photo by Holly M. Smith) From the Keeneland Media Team: GRADE 1 WINNER BASIN WORKS FOR TOYOTA BLUE GRASS Toyota Blue Grass (G2) hopeful Basin, who races for Terry Green's Jackpot Farm, was the first horse to breeze over Keeneland's fast track Monday when…

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…

The French racing community collectively love Ascot like no other fixture outside their own borders and will be on the royal racecourse in force to prove it this week. In fact the powers that be at France Galop are so enamoured of the meeting that they schedule nothing above Listed status on the Flat in opposition, allowing everyone to focus on the…

Welcome to another edition of America's Best Racing's Main Track. Each Tuesday in this space we spotlight the most meaningful story of the past week, detailing news that stands out because of its importance or perhaps the emotional response it generates. Looking ahead, if you believe there's a story this week that should be featured in next…

Lucrative purse money and Kentucky Derby qualifying points will be on the line during Turfway Park's annual Winter/Spring Meet, which will begin Sunday, Jan. 1 and feature the Grade 3, $700000 Jeff Ruby Steaks on Saturday, March 25. Led by the Jeff Ruby Steaks on the Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve, Turfway Park will offer…

Ladies' Day this year will better resemble what Royal Ascot is world famous for: fashion, pomp and pageantry as the crowd - despite limited in number - make up for lost time in terms of putting on their finery to match the best flat racing in the world. This is also the moment of the week when Her Majesty The Queen, if she does decide to go to the…

Controversy enveloped the final Breeders' Cup race at Del Mar on Friday when a horse that had been removed from the wagering was allowed to run and crossed the finish line first in the $1 million Juvenile Turf. The bizarre incident on one of horse racing's biggest days occurred after Modern Games, the inside horse in the field of 13, reared back in…

Our Juvenile Watch (and reigning Tipstar champion) columnist Ross Millar returns to preview the remainder of the two-year-old races at the Royal meeting. Find out which horse he fancies to take advantage of a late change of target, particularly if forecast rain arrives. The first day of Royal Ascot has been and gone it was great to see crowds back…

Trainer John Sadler thought the best place for Bran to start was far from his Southern California base, and in Saturday's $1 million FanDuel Turf Sprint, a Grade 2, six-furlong test at Kentucky Downs. His decision worked out perfectly, as jockey Vincent Cheminaud guided the 4-year-old gelding to victory by a neck over pace-setter Artemus…

Clockers' Corner was not as crowded as it was two springs ago, but it still felt lively Thursday morning. Trainers Carla Gaines and Vlad Cerin brought around their dogs, who playfully breached whatever canine protocols there are for social distancing. Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux was the best-dressed gent in the joint, sporting a colorful…

Flip a coin when deciding which was more surprising Saturday at Del Mar - Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi winning two Breeders' Cup races or his 5-year-old mare, Marche Lorraine, scoring a shocking 49-1 upset in the $2 million Distaff. The Distaff, traditionally one of the most formful of the Breeders' Cup races, was hardly that on this day as…

Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard Letruska after their victory in the Juddmonte Spinister G1 at Keeneland October 10, 2021 (Coady Photography) Mac McBride/DMTC News DEL MAR, Calif.-Two of the nation's top jockeys will make cameo appearances at Del Mar this weekend. Irad Ortiz, Jr. and Joel Rosario both plan to ride Sunday's card. The two future Hall of Famers…

The daughter of No Nay Never, who also holds an entry in the Group One Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at the three day meeting, is one of 22 remaining entries for the six furlong contest on Saturday 9th July following Tuesday's scratchings deadline. This year the Darley July Cup is worth a record £600000 and continues to form part of the QIPCO British…

Channel Cat, shown winning the Grade I Man o' War in May, is among the favorites for Saturday's Grade II Red Smith Stakes at Aqueduct. Photo courtesy of New York Racing Association Nov. 19 (UPI) -- High-class graded stakes racing is spread across North America this weekend, with a turf showdown in New York, a tough mile event for fillies and mares…