Amsterdam

Smoken Wicked (Bobby's Wicked One), a two-time stakes winner versus fellow Louisiana-breds, broke through at the graded level with a dominant performance in Friday's GII Amsterdam S. at the Spa. The 5-2 chance pressed favored Macho Music (Maclean's Music) through an opening quarter in :22.09, took over approaching the quarter pole and blasted off for home to win impressively by 5 3/4 lengths. Sixth behind the aforementioned Macho Music in the GII Pat Day Mile S. May 3, Smoken Wicked entered off a second-place finish in the Maxfield S. June...

The Dutch imprint goes much deeper than archeological digs, as it is woven into the cultural and political history of the Empire State. New Netherland was never fully wiped from New York's cartographic DNA after the English won a series of 17th-century conflicts that resulted in the region's changing its national standard. The GII Amsterdam S., to be run at Saratoga Race Course this Friday, is a nod not only to the nearby New York town of the same name, but that important Dutch heritage. Formerly the Screen King S.,...