Aqueduct

Amo Racing's Hill Road (Quality Road) may have earned himself a tilt at the June 7 GI Belmont Stakes with his win in the GIII Peter Pan Stakes at Aqueduct Saturday. "He bounced out of the Peter Pan in good shape," trainer Chad Brown said Sunday. "Hopefully once we get him back under tack and he's healthy and good, we will go onto the Belmont." A debut winner at Leopardstown last August, Hill Road was third behind champion Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del...

Ed Seltzer, Beverly Anderson and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's LOVE CERVERE (f, 3, Into Mischief--Panther Strike, by Black Minnaloushe) had several rivals to pass entering the final furlong of Saturday's inaugural Take The A Train Stakes at Aqueduct, but took flight and motored home down the center of the track to become the 174th stakes winner for her all-conquering sire while giving trainer Christophe Clement and jockey Joel Rosario a sweep of the afternoon's black-type contests on the grass. A latest fifth as the favorite in the Sanibal Island Stakes at...

When lawmakers passed the New York State budget Thursday, the package included a gift for horseplayers. Starting Sept. 1, New York will join Kentucky and Washington as the only racing states to break payoffs to the penny. However, the bill allows for nickel breakage on on-track wagers, provided all breakage proceeds are dedicated to aftercare funding. It was not immediately clear which tracks would adopt the penny breakage and which would chose the nickel-breakage package. Both NYRA and Gov. Kathy Hochul were supportive of the move to penny breakage. "The...

A competitive group of 3-year-olds have signed on for Saturday's GIII Peter Pan Stakes, headlining a quartet of graded stakes at the Big A Saturday. Attempting to rebound off a last-out fourth as the favorite in the GII Wood Memorial Stakes in April, St Elias Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Captain Cook (Practical Joke) will try to revert to the form that saw him win a pair of tests at the New York oval. Sixth going six panels at Churchill in his career debut for Norm Casse last October, the bay...

With Derby weekend in the books, we take a look back at the graded races in April that led us there. The month did not disappoint with great racing from coast to coast, although Keeneland, as per usual, was the star of the show. If the top of the sport is measured by graded races, few race weeks are as packed with quality or as anticipated as the boutique meets at Keeneland. With an inevitable focus on the Lexington track, we look at trends and notable items from the country's...

Grande (Curlin) will not make the elongated Churchill Downs starting gate for the GI Kentucky Derby on Saturday because he was ruled off by the state veterinarians, according to a tweet on X from owner Mike Repole. Initially it was reported by Churchill Downs that trainer Todd Pletcher scratched the horse because of a foot bruise. The runner-up in the GII Wood Memorial Stakes was prepping last week for the Derby at Keeneland before making the trip over to train at Churchill Downs. A $300,000 Keeneland September buy, the 3-year-old...

7th-Belmont The Big A, $85,360, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($100,000), 5-1, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:35.89, ft, 1 1/4 lengths. CASSIAR (f, 3, City of Light--Nellie Cashman {GSW, $349,839}, by Mineshaft), runner-up in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks behind recently-scratched Kentucky Oaks entrant Five G (Vekoma), cut back to the mile but faced several salty fillies including the come-backing GI Frizette Stakes winner Scottish Lassie (McKinzie). That 2-5 favorite made much of the running, setting a pressured pace just ahead of Dry Powder (Gun Runner) through fractions of :23.78 and :46.57. Cassiar...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Princess Attitude in Lexington. Frankel Filly Graduates At Keeneland Watts Humphrey, Jr.'s Princess Attitude (Frankel {GB}) ran out a one-length winner at Keeneland for trainer Victoria Oliver on April 24 (video). Making her fifth start, the filly was bred by Bryant H. Pursuit of Success III in Kentucky. Out of multiple graded winner and multiple Grade I-placed Keertana, herself by GI Breeders' Cup...

Laurelin (Ire) (Zarak {Fr}) issued a well-timed move down the lane to stroll home in the Memories of Silver Stakes at Aqueduct on Sunday afternoon. The Goffs September Yearling Sale grad who was picked out by Form Bloodstock donned cap and gown by 1 1/2 lengths on debut during the Belmont At The Big meet Oct. 13. Trainer Graham Motion then sent the filly into the Tepin Stakes over the same turf course Nov. 17 and the chestnut visited the winner's circle again. Taking a break, the 3-year-old went off...

7th-Aqueduct, $71,340, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($100,000), 4-27, 3yo, 1m, 1:36.58, ft, 3 1/4 lengths. GARAMOND (c, 3, Uncle Mo--Blue Watch, by Tapit) broke his maiden by 1 3/4 lengths on debut at Tampa Bay Jan. 25. The colt ran third to Flood Zone (Frosted) in the GIII Gotham Stakes Mar. 1 before going off as the 5-2 second choice here in a field that scratched down from eight to three. The homebred rolled from the word 'go' and gave 'TDN Rising Star' Cornucopian (Into Mischief) a dose of his own...

Dream On, who set the pace before tiring and finishing fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf last Nov. 5, reversed his form after fading out of contention into fifth when last seen in the Mar. 8 Columbia Stakes over the Tampa Bay Downs turf course. Third in last season's GI-Can Summer Stakes behind New Century (GB) (Kameko), GISW-Can, $323,176, he commenced his campaign with a Jan. 11 allowance score over a sixteenth further on the Gulfstream Park turf. Ridden by Javier Castellano, the 4-1 shot in the field...

Part of a favored Klaravich Stable entry favored at 70 cents on the dollar, Strategic Focus (c, 3, Gun Runner--Curlin's Mistress, by Curlin) turned in a highly polished debut effort, outfinishing a pair of older rivals to become the newest 'TDN Rising Star' for his boom sire. Drawn widest in a field of eight, the $500,000 Keeneland September purchase broke fractionally to his right and was taken in hand by Dylan Davis to race in the second half of the field behind fractions of :23.38 for the opening quarter and...