Aqueduct

Life and Times (Justify), the least experienced runner in the field, impressed in his belated debut, wiring a field over course and distance Nov. 1. by 5 3/4 lengths to earn a 94 Beyer Speed Figure. The 3-5 favorite on the step up Saturday, he had little issue handling this group of winners, pressuring Commuted (Gun Runner) for the early lead through the half in :46.60. Once in command, he drew off comfortably to lead this group in by 6 3/4 lengths with Dreamlike (Gun Runner) closing from last to...

There is nothing unpredictable when it comes to trainer Todd Pletcher's record in the GII Demoiselle Stakes because he has had his share of top flight winners like Stopcharging Maria (Tale of the Cat), Malathaat (Curlin) and Nest (Curlin). On Saturday in the 104th edition of the race at Aqueduct, the Hall of Famer's count hit 10 when his Repole-owned filly Zany (American Pharoah--Mo' Green, by Uncle Mo) looked stout as she motored home to nab 10 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Oaks. Zany's career started with...

2nd-AQU, $85k, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 11:48 a.m. ET MR. MIRACLE (Curlin) gets his career started for a high-powered partnership that includes Jeff Drown, Gary Broad's Walmac Farm and Gainesway Farm. A son of one-time 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Cherry Lodge (Bernardini), a listed winner and Grade I-placed at the races, the Mar. 28 foal fetched $700,000 at Keeneland September last fall from bloodstock agent Mike Ryan, who bought the colt's yearling full-brother for $1.4 million this past September. Cherry Lodge is a full-sister to GSW Gala Award and...

It has been well-documented that you have to go all the way back to Thunder Gulch in 1994 to find the last winner of the GII Remsen Stakes to go on to double up in the GI Kentucky Derby. But the nine-furlong contest, which offers the winner 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, has seen its profile elevated by the results of the last handful of runnings. In 2021, Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) dropped his nose down on the line ahead of Zandon (Upstart) and the duo...

On the first day of scheduled racing at Aqueduct after the jockeys walked out Sunday after the first race, things returned to normal Thursday. The eight-race program was run without any interruptions as the dispute between NYRA and the local riding colony seemed to be on its way to being resolved. According to Kendrick Carmouche, the local representative for the Jockeys' Guild, the riders had several issues with NYRA. A breaking point occurred Sunday when the riders learned that NYRA Assistant Clerk of Scales Brian Pochman was told to go...

Trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr. had the spot picked out immediately following Igniter (Volatile)'s impressive maiden win going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct Sept. 27. "Right away I said, 'Man, we got to sit on him and run him in the Remsen,'" Dutrow said. "'If he's looking for two turns, he's gonna be one of the ones.'" Igniter is one of 12 set for a fantastic renewal of the GII Remsen Stakes going 1 1/8 miles at the Big A Saturday. Drawn in post seven with Manny Franco in the irons,...

Trainer Andy Simoff, who has been training Thoroughbreds since 1987, has won over 360 races while finding stakes success with horses like stakes winners Howgreatisnate (Speightster) and Alta Velocita (Il Postino). On Saturday, the Delaware-based trainer will saddle Jumping the Gun (Gun Runner), who will look to provide her conditioner with his first graded stakes victory in Aqueduct's GII Demoiselle, a nine-furlong test for juvenile fillies. "She's doing really well, and everything has gone perfect," Simoff said. "She hasn't missed a work and the track's been good at Delaware, so...

Having been released from Northwell Hospital, where he was sent after a serious spill on Nov. 14 at Aqueduct, in which he suffered serious injuries, Dylan Davis is back home and expects to return to riding sometime in January or February. Davis was given an update and the predicted time of return by his orthopedist after a visit Monday. "It's better now that I am home," Davis said. "I spent 10 days in the hospital after that accident. I wound up getting surgery on my right collarbone. That was all...

Jockeys' Guild President & CEO Terry Meyocks issued a statement Monday saying that NYRA and the Guild had made progress regarding the dispute that led to the jockeys walking out after the first race Sunday at Aqueduct. "NYRA and the Jockeys' Guild had a lengthy and productive meeting (Monday) to address the issues that led to the cancellation of live racing at Aqueduct Racetrack on Sunday," Meyocks said in a statement. "This was an unfortunate event that impacted the owners, trainers and bettors who support NYRA throughout the year. Today's...

The New York jockey colony refused to ride after Sunday's first race at Aqueduct because of a number of recent problems they have said they were having with NYRA management. The latest incident occurred around the time of the first race when the jockeys learned that NYRA Assistant Clerk of Scales Brian Pochman was told to leave work and go home after he balked at additional duties that NYRA had asked him to do. Pochman was not fired. "I have never seen such disrespect to a jockey colony and the...

Citing a series of alleged rule violations related to "cruelty, mistreatment, neglect or abuse" of Thoroughbreds, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has served Rudy Rodriguez with a "notice of violation and show cause" that could result in a potential provisional suspension and perhaps more serious penalties for the 53-year-old former jockey who has consistently ranked near the top of the New York trainer standings for the past 15 years. The HISA notice, which was served upon Rodriguez Nov. 21, 2025, and made public on Nov. 26, stated that...

There has been much discussion in the press recently about the ongoing negotiations on the 2026 racing calendar in New York. In truth, we are closer than reports would suggest on reaching an agreement. Currently, there are four days for the Winter meet, four days for the Saratoga meet, and two days at the Spring meet that are in dispute. We are advocating strongly to retain these dates because we believe that a robust year-round racing calendar is vital to the long-term health of New York's Thoroughbred industry. Year-round racing...