SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Competing much like he trained, Golden Tornado (McKinzie) showed Saturday that he is a 2-year-old colt to pay attention to. While his connections were confident of his ability level, Golden Tornado made it clear that he was indeed ready for the prime time of a $100,000 maiden special weight test at [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — There a was an easy-to-embrace educational angle to Deep Learning (Cairo Prince)'s victory in the third race Friday at Saratoga Race Course. In her career debut Klaravich Stables' 2-year-old filly dealt with some bumping exiting the gate leaving her a bit farther off the early pace than trainer Chad Brown expected. [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Moments into the post-race interview Thursday, Steven Duncker took a small step back, bowed his head slightly and wiped away a tear. For sure, Duncker was pleased to be back in the winner's circle at Saratoga Race Course but the maiden victory by Teddy's Rocket (Liam's Map) brought more than typical [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Many of the smiles and chuckles following Ted Noffey's victory in the first race at Saratoga Race Course Saturday had very little to do with his solid 1 1/2-length victory. They were about his name, which was the result of a very simple but humorous mistake, as his, err, namesake Ned [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY–Late in the Hall of Fame induction ceremony Friday, master of ceremonies Tom Durkin moved close to the microphone and declared it time for the “Smarty Party” to begin. The crowd that filled the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion for racing's annual feel-good day roared its approval. Within a few minutes, Smarty Jones (Elusive Quality), [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.–As Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher suspected, grass was the proper surface for Snow Face Princess (Midshipman). Two months after making her career debut on the dirt at Aqueduct, she secured a victory Wednesday in the sixth race at Saratoga, a $100,000 maiden special weight contest for 2-year-old fillies. Snow Face Princess [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Through 14 days of Saratoga's season, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher's 2-year-olds are getting the job done. Pletcher picked up his fifth victory in the top-level $100,000 maiden special weight races Sunday when Tapit's Legacy (Tapit) cruised to a five-length victory in the third race under Hall of Fame jockey [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In the first race of her career Friday, Time to Dream (Not This Time) showed that she could very well have been given a fitting name. After overcoming trouble under jockey Jose Ortiz, the Repole Stable bay stormed from off the pace in the stretch to win the seventh race, a [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Howard Read chuckled as he recalled the instructions he gave trainer Jeremiah Englehart, who was shopping for a New York-bred at the 2024 OBS April Sale. “To get somebody we could get on the track last summer and actually win,” Read said, “rather than buying a horse and then letting him [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – A quick and eventful start provided Emphasis (Yaupon) with a strategic advantage that helped him win the seventh race Saturday at Saratoga Race Course. As a result, Emphasis–the “other” colt by first-year sire Yaupon in field of eight–led pretty much every step of the way and prevailed by a length in [...]

SARATOGA SPRING, NY – Since racing began here in the 1860s, Saratoga has been a career launching pad for 2-year-old maidens. It should not be a surprise that the tradition continued last summer. Dozens and dozens of young horses destined for greatness picked up their first victories at the Spa. A very short list of [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – And now for the main event. With nine days of racing already in the books–a proper warmup by any measure, topped by the GI Belmont Stakes–the 157th season of racing at Saratoga begins Thursday with a 10-race program. It is the earliest-possible start in the calendar-driven schedule for the 40-day season [...]