SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It was a low-key celebration for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott Saturday night after Sovereignty (Into Mischief) continued his stampede through the 3-year-old male division. “Put a couple hamburgers on the grill,” Mott said, sitting at his desk in his office at the Oklahoma Training Track on a soggy Sunday [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – As the 2-year-old colt Soldier N Diplomat (Army Mule) was charging down the stretch at Saratoga Race Course Saturday afternoon, his owner, Vinnie Viola, up in his clubhouse box, was eyeballing him and the finish line at the same time. “I was holding my breath the whole way down,” Viola said. [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.-'TDN Rising Stars' Fierceness (City of Light) or Mindframe (Constitution) in the GI $1 million Whitney Stakes? Will one of them be running or will it be both? Those questions got definitive answers Saturday morning outside Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher's barn on the Oklahoma Training Track. When entries are taken for [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – So far, trainer Joe Sharp has done little wrong at the Thoroughbred meet at Saratoga. If you've been following along, you know he has won six races with his first 15 starters. You might not know that he is also doing ok across the street at the harness track. Sharp has [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.–One of the most anticipated horses on the grounds at Saratoga comes to the races on Saturday. His name is Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and he is the unquestioned headliner in the GII, $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes, the traditional local prep for the GI, $1.5 million Travers Stakes on Aug, 23. Why shouldn't he [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When he found out he was going to need a new jockey, John Shirreffs didn't blink. He knew who was going to ride Baeza (McKinzie) in Saturday's $500,000 GII Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. And the jockey isn't all that new, not to Baeza. Baeza will be reunited with [...]

Trainer Mike Maker is a man of few words. Really, he is. Don't take it personally. The 56-year-old is just not naturally blabby. The TDN's Tim Wilkin sat down with him in his office on the backstretch at Saratoga Race Course, and found that Maker has some things to say. A former assistant to the [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. –The expectations? Oh, they were through the roof. Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse thought his 3-year-old filly La Cara (Street Sense) was going to run huge in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga. Those hopes turned to despair mighty quick. About eight hours before the CCA Oaks was run [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.–The work is done. Now, Sovereignty (Into Mischief) waits for the $500,000 GII Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course next Saturday. Winner of the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes, Sovereignty's connections are confident he is ready to make his first start since that Triple Crown campaign. Saturday, morning at 7:30, [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Arguably the best older horse in training, Mindframe (Constitution), went back to work Friday morning. The 4-year-old colt had his first work since winning the loaded GI Stephen Foster Stakes last month for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Mindframe worked an easy four furlongs in :52.46 (76/78) on the main [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The first six days of Saratoga have been hot. As in really hot. Blast furnace type hot. Trainers have felt it. Jockeys. Patrons. New York Racing Association executives. Parking attendants. Everybody. And, of course, the horses. But the stars of the show have been watched very carefully by those entrusted to take [...]

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The milestone victory came about 530 miles away from Saratoga Race Course, but that wasn't going to stop Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse from celebrating. Casse, 64, won his 4,000th career race when It's Witchcraft (Tapit) won the 11th race at Colonial Downs by a nose in a four-horse photo finish. [...]