Belmont Park

The second-longest shot on the board in a compact field of six, Jeff Treadway homebred Sail By (Astern {Aus}) sat closest to a soft pace and took full advantage of her trip to cause the upset in Saturday's GII Miss Grillo S. at Belmont Park. Away alertly from the inside gate, Sail By conceded the lead to rank outsider Charlee O (Tourist), who enjoyed a soft time of it up front through an opening half-mile in :49.40. Stablemates and market leaders McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Kinchen (Ire) (Lope de...

Sunday's running of the Bertram F. Bongard S. for New York-breds at Belmont ended in tragedy as Happy Happy B (Honor Code) broke down during the race and had to be euthanized. The 2-year-old suffered a catastrophic injury to his right front leg. Breaking down about 70 yards before the wire, Happy Happy B threw rider Jose Ortiz, who was sent to North Shore Hospital to have his left leg evaluated. Ortiz's agent Jim Ricco Jr. reported Sunday evening the rider was fine and was not expected to miss any...

The once-defeated 3-year-old filly Bella Sofia (Awesome Patriot) looms a short-priced favorite facing four older females in Sunday's GII Gallant Bloom H. at Belmont Park. A smashing 11 1/4-length winner of a local six-furlong maiden May 6, the $20,000 OBS June graduate yielded late to be second to then-unbeaten Australasia (Sky Kingdom) in the June 6 Jersey Girl S. The dark bay returned to winning ways, scoring by 6 1/2 length in a first-level allowance over this surface July 11 and came from just off a moderate tempo to dust...

Sent off at odds of 3-4 to open his account at first asking, Overstep (Into Mischief) turned on the afterburners through the Belmont stretch to become yet another 'TDN Rising Star' for his all-conquering stallion. Drawn one from the outside in stall eight, the $360,000 Keeneland September yearling pressed the pace outside of 7-1 chance Silver Samurai (First Samurai), appearing to have that one whenever Irad Ortiz, Jr. elected to pull the trigger. On even terms with 2 1/2 furlongs left to run, Overstep was shaken up once heads were...

A number of runners aiming for prestigious events at Belmont Park and/or the Breeders' Cup breezed Saturday morning at Belmont Park. Godolphin's Maxfield (Street Sense) covered a half-mile on the main track in :49.55 (35/50) with an eye towards next Saturday's GII Woodward S. "It was a very good work," said trainer Brendan Walsh. "We just wanted to give him a feel for the track. He did all of his serious work in Saratoga. It was just a routine half-mile. He galloped out really well. We're all set for the...

'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good got an easy prep for his expected appearance in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in Saturday's GII Kelso H. at Belmont Park, scoring virtually untouched and eased down late. Off at 1-20 with $212,404 of the $251,965 win pool and $353,424 of the $389,409 place pool on his nose, the $525,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase easily out-footed distant second choice Chance It (Currency Swap) and led through an opening quarter in a manageable :23.53. Chance It was pulled up and out of the...

Robert and Lawana Low's Classy Edition (Classic Empire) became the second stakes winner for her freshman sire (by Pioneerof the Nile) with a popular victory in Friday's Joseph. A Gimma S. at Belmont Park. Favored off a smashing 6 3/4-length debut success at Saratoga Sept. 5 for which she was named a 'TDN Rising Star', the $550,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic breezer was beaten for speed and trailed the field early before being steered to the outside of her rivals and improved into midfield to the turn. Niggled at into the final...

A pair of Belmont-based Grade I winners turned in works over the last few days and will be trained up to the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar Nov. 5 and 6, their trainers confirmed Sept. 19. Shadwell Stables' 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin) breezed an easy four furlongs over the Belmont training track Sept. 18 in :49.49, her first breeze since winning the GI Alabama S. at Saratoga Aug. 19. She will not have another start prior to the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar Nov. 6. "It...

Higher Truth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has had the misfortune of running into some of the best the 3-year-old filly turf division has to offer in her two most recent appearances, but looks to be the one that have to beat in Saturday's $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. at Belmont Park. A 500,000gns purchase by Mike Ryan at Tattersalls October-Book 1 in 2019, Higher Truth won back-to-back races over 10 furlongs of this turf course during the spring/summer meeting, then just failed to reel in the fast-finishing Santa Barbara (Ire)...

NYRA track announcer John Imbriale received a positive COVID-19 test result after experiencing mild symptoms following the conclusion of the Saratoga meeting, according to NYRA's Senior Director of Communications Patrick McKenna. "As a result of the mandatory 10-day isolation period, Imbriale will miss the opening weekend of the fall meet and is scheduled to return Thursday, Sept. 23," McKenna said. "In his absence, Frank Mirahmadi will handle the race calling duties Thursday, Sept. 16. Chris Griffin, who was named the lead race caller at Parx in March, will call Friday-Sunday....

George Hall and Sport BLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player (Honor Code) will train up to the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar following his win in Saturday's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, trainer Steve Asmussen confirmed Sunday. "Max Player is better than he's ever been and physically he's developed into this," Asmussen said. "There's more of him. He's a horse that's continued to grow, fill out and mature. There's a lot more of Max Player as a 4-year-old than there was as a 3-year-old. He's bigger and stronger....

The Belmont Park spring/summer meet generated $632,208,251 in all-sources handle, a 20.6% increase over the 2019 spring/summer meet and 63.5% above the 2020 spring/summer meet, which was abbreviated to just 25 days because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The spring/summer meet, which began Apr. 22 without spectators in attendance before reopening to a limited number of spectators May 1, boasted 59 stakes races worth $16.95 million in total purse money. Average daily handle over the 48 days of racing was $13,171,005, a 20.6% increase over 2019. The abbreviated 2020 spring/summer meet...