Aqueduct

On March 3, 2019, Happy Farm (Ghostzapper) was claimed by trainer Jason Servis for $30,000 at Aqueduct. The dark bay gelding would remain in that barn for an entire year where he'd go on to finish no worse than second in seven starts - highlighted by a victory in the 2019 GIII Fall Highweight Handicap. Within days of Happy Farm's second-place finish in the GIII Tom Fool Handicap on March 7, 2020, Servis was arrested and charged following a multi-year investigation overseen by the FBI that identified over 30 people...

He made those that swallowed 1-5 really have to sweat it out, but in the end, Chester Broman's 'TDN Rising Star' Sand Devil (Violence) got to the wire first after a long stretch duel in Saturday's state-bred restricted Damon Runyon Stakes at Aqueduct, running his record to a perfect three wins from as many trips to the races. An impressive four-length winner of his six-furlong debut Dec. 8, the immaculately bred colt was dropping back slightly in trip after decimating first-level allowance rivals by better than a dozen lengths going...

St. Elias Stable's Captain Cook (Practical Joke), winner of Saturday's Withers Stakes at the Big A, is expected to make his next start in the GII Wood Memorial Apr. 5, according to trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. Sunday. The Wood awards the top-five finishers 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby points, respectively. "He's got a big step forward next time when we run him back in the Wood, but he's got plenty of time and we love that--so does he," Dutrow, Jr. said. "He'll be running back over a track he's won two races...

'TDN Rising Star' Captain Cook (Practical Joke), a 9 1/4-length maiden winner going seven furlongs in the Aqueduct slop Dec. 28, delivered as the 7-5 favorite stretching to 1 1/8 miles in Saturday's downgraded Withers Stakes at the Big A, good for 20 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby. Longshot Surfside Moon (Malibu Moon) was second. Omaha Omaha (Audible) was third. The 7-5 favorite sat a tracking trip in an outside third, revved up three deep on the far turn and took care of business from there...

When Mo Quality (Mo Town) failed to meet his reserve as a 2-year-old, Gary Broad's Walmac Farm opted to race the colt in their own silks and send him on to trainer Chris Davis. Looking back now, Davis is just fine with how it all played out as the son of Mo Town is set to start in this weekend's Withers Stakes at Aqueduct on the road to the Kentucky Derby. A $50,000 Keeneland September purchase for Walmac, Mo Quality didn't get much action when he was offered at last...

Stud TNT's Running Away (f, 3, Gun Runner--Allez Marie, by Unbridled's Song), a five-length, wire-to-wire winner at third asking--her first try on dirt--going two turns at Churchill Downs Nov. 30, never looked back in Saturday's $125,000 Busanda Stakes at the Big A, good for 20 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Oaks. The 3-2 favorite cleared her rivals from her outside draw in post six beneath the hot-handed Sahin Civaci, led through fractions of :23.83 and :48.50 and kept on finding in the stretch to score by 2...

Thursday's scheduled Jan. 9 live racing card at Aqueduct Racetrack has been cancelled due to high winds, according to a release from the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) Wednesday evening. The winds are anticipated to impact the New York City area throughout the day Thursday. Aqueduct will remain open Thursday for simulcasting, with live racing expected to resume on Friday with a first post of 12:40 p.m. ET.

Prep season for the GI Kentucky Derby is still in its earliest stages, but a couple of races over the weekend gave us some things to get excited about. It appears, in GII San Vicente Stakes winner Barnes (Into Mischief), we have an early Derby favorite that could give Bob Baffert his first official Derby win since Authentic (Into Mischief) in 2020 in what would be his return to America's most famous race after the Churchill ban. Sold for $3.2 million at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, this could be a special horse....

Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch's Scorching (Mo Town) takes aim at the Road to the Kentucky Derby as he targets the Mar. 1 GIII Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. The one-turn mile for sophomores awards 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers. Trained by John Charalambous, the Ontario-bred colt was last seen winning the restricted Oct. 6 Cup and Saucer Stakes over the Woodbine Racetrack turf. The CTHS sale graduate scored the victory by disqualification after Ashley's Archer (Karakontie {Jpn}) got his nose down first on the wire...

Out the fastest and never giving his rivals a chance, Cyclone State (c, 3, McKinzie--Chanel's Legacy, by Dominus) picked up an easy 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby with an eye-catching gate-to-wire win in the Jerome Stakes. Sent to the lead early under Luis Rivera, Jr. despite acting up in the gate, the 3-1 shot never seemed anything but a winner as he posted fractions of :23.43, :47.25, and 1:13.20 as he coasted into the lane with an eight-length advantage. Kept to business as Omaha Omaha (Audible)...

With plenty of tasty birthday cake in the offing, a cadre of newly-minted 3-year-old colts have blown out their candles and are ready for stakes action across four tracks on Saturday. Leading the charge at Santa Anita is the GII San Vicente Stakes, which is the annual renewal of the seven furlong dirt race. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has won 13 prior editions, including last year with Muth (Good Magic). In customary fashion, the Hall of Famer enters a pair of runners in Barnes (Into Mischief) and Romanesque...