Belmont Park

Andiamo a Firenze (c, 2, Speightstown--My Every Wish, by Langfuhr) bossed what appeared on paper to be a well above-average group of state-bred maidens to become the newest 'TDN Rising Star' for his outstanding WinStar Farm-based stallion. A close relation to connections' GISW Firenze Fire--by Speightstown's son Poseidon's Warrior ($2,730,350)--the Mr Amore homebred was away like a shot from the inside stall and set a strong pace in advance of the debuting and well-backed filly Danseur d'Oro (Bolt d'Oro), covering the opening quarter in :22.49 over a sloppy main track....

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-BEL, $75K, MSW, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:00 p.m. ANDIAMO A FIRENZE (Speightstown), a half-brother to Grade I-winning sprinter Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior), debuts in this spot for trainer Kelly Breen. His older brother won a total of 13 black-type events for Breen and earned over $2.7 million. He is also a half-brother to stakes-placed Firenze Freedom (Istan). The Mr Amore Stable homebred has posted back-to-back bullet works at Belmont, going four furlongs from the gate May 12 in :47 3/5 (1/44) and five furlongs May...

GI Kentucky Derby upsetter Rich Strike (Keen Ice) arrived in New York by van from Kentucky at 1 a.m. Wednesday to prepare for the GI Belmont S. June 11. With exercise rider Gabriel Lagunes up, Rich Strike visited Belmont's dirt training track at 9:30 a.m. with the accompaniment of outrider Juan Galvez and his pony Stormy, making two laps the wrong way round. "He settled down a lot the second time round. A lot of that was trying to get him used to the pony. You could see the farther...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. CALIFORNIA Track: Santa Anita Date: 05/28/2022 Licensee: Abdul Alsagoor, jockey Penalty: Three-day suspension Violation: Careless riding Explainer: Apprentice Jockey Abdul Alsagoor, who rode Poseidon's Kid in the eighth race at Santa Anita Park on May 27, 2022, is suspended for 3 racing...

Creative Minister (Creative Cause), coming off a third-place effort in the GI Preakness S., tuned up for the June 11 GI Belmont S. with a four-furlong work in :48.33 (2/5) at Belmont Park Tuesday. NYRA clockers caught Creative Minister marking off a quarter-mile in :24 over the fast track, rolling through without much urging from jockey Heman Harkie. Rounding the turn and heading for the wire, Harkie remained still aboard the grey colt who continued a steady rhythm down the stretch to complete the work in :48.33, galloping out five-eighths...

Years ago, a dear friend, Joe Spadaro, a veteran turf writer who coined the phrase "get with the program!", and I were at a bar one evening up on Jericho Turnpike after the races at beautiful Belmont Park. We were commiserating with the Eclipse Award-winning writer Paul Moran about racing. I was always a pretty opinionated guy (still am) and Joe could hear my tone of voice elevating to rebut something that Paul said. Joe turned to me and said "Tom, never get into it with somebody who buys ink...

A New York racing tradition began in 1971, the first time that Memorial Day was officially celebrated each year on the last Monday in May. A crowd of 61,147 showed up that Monday at Belmont Park to watch Tunex win the $121,600 Metropolitan Mile for trainer Allen Jerkens and owner Hobeau Farm. For the next 42 years, New York racing fans circled Memorial Day on their calendars, knowing that it would be one of the biggest days of the year, thanks to the GI Metropolitan H. In 1976 and 1977,...

8th-Belmont, $94,000, Alw (NW2$X), Opt. Clm ($62,500), 5-28, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:36.63, ft, neck. HIGHLY MOTIVATED (c, 4, Into Mischief--Strong Incentive {SW, $123,568}, by Warrior's Reward), an easing 4-5 favorite, overcame a bit of a slow start, but sat a good inside trip thereafter and outbattled his 'TDN Rising Star' stablemate Stage Raider (Pioneerof the Nile) to the line to lead home yet another Chad Brown-trained exacta Saturday afternoon at Belmont Park. Off to a hesitant beginning and then bumped by The Reds (Tonalist) to his outside, the $240,000 Keeneland November...

Stonestreet Stables has enjoyed a good bit of success over the last few years sourcing fillies from Europe and placing them with Wesley Ward, such as MG1SW and two-time Royal Ascot heroine Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}); GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint S. winner Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}); and SW Ruthin (GB) (Ribchester {Ire}). The latest success story from their European venture is Chardy Party (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who took her record to two-for-two Saturday in Belmont's GIII Soaring Softly S. Rallying from well back to take...

At an impasse with NYRA over health insurance benefits, the union representing assistant starters at Belmont, Aqueduct and Saratoga has informed the racing organization that it will wage a strike starting on the day of the GI Belmont S. if its demands are not met. With recent discussions between NYRA and Local 3 of the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers failing to produce a solution, the union served NYRA with a Notice of Intent to Strike. The union is asking for NYRA to pick up the health coverage from the...

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Forte (Violence) was no secret to the betting public as the heavy 1-5 favorite for the Friday lid-lifted at Belmont Park and ran away from his overmatched rivals down the lane to earn 'TDN Rising Star' accolades. The $80,000 Keeneland November weanling turned $110,000 Keeneland September acquisition had registered three works since shipping up from trainer Todd Pletcher's South Florida base at Palm Beach Downs and signaled his readiness with a best-of-24 half-mile from the gate that was timed in :48 flat May 20,...