Belmont Park

Letruska (Super Saver) continued her ascension with a powerful, front-running performance in Saturday's GI Ogden Phipps S. at Belmont Park, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. The bay was backed as the 6-5 favorite in this scratched-down field of five after posting a heart-stopping victory over the brilliant Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GI Apple Blossom H. Apr. 17. With Jose Ortiz subbing for his sidelined brother Irad Ortiz, Jr. once again here, Letruska seized the early advantage and was tracked by last year's GI...

There appeared on paper to be a lack of pace in Saturday's GI Jackpocket Jaipur S., but that could only mean one thing--the two back markers, Bill Mott pupils Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) and Chewing Gum (Candy Ride {Arg}), flew home from out of the clouds to cap a near $168 exacta for a buck. With the victory, Casa Creed also earned an automatic berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint this fall. Even-money favorite Bound for Nowhere (The Factor) could only manage third after being pestered on the...

Search Results (Flatter) bounced back from a narrow defeat in the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks to handle a stellar field of fillies in the prestigious GI Acorn S. Saturday at Belmont Park. Well supported by the bettors with what appeared to be a narrow figure edge on her other accomplished foes, the dark bay broke alertly but was reined in by Javier Castellano to stalk from fourth of the five out wide as last year's local GI Frizette S. winner and second choice Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief) cruised to the fore....

Practical Joke (Into Mischief) came into the juvenile sales season with plenty of hype and the first-crop Coolmore stallion has not disappointed in the sales ring or on the racetrack where his second winner romped home to a 'TDN Rising Star' debut at Belmont Park Saturday. Sent off the 2-5 favorite, Wit was away a half-step slowly and trailed the field in the early going. But the dark bay colt made a powerful, sustained rally on the far turn and came four wide into the stretch, where he idled for...

Irad Ortiz, Jr., the leading rider at the current Belmont spring/summer meet, will be out of action for about two weeks after being unseated in Thursday's fifth race, agent Steve Rushing said. The 28-year-old, who has won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey for the past three years running, was transported to hospital for further evaluation and cleared. "A CT scan and X-rays were negative," said Rushing. "He will probably be out for two weeks." Ortiz was named to ride Known Agenda (Curlin) in Saturday's GI Belmont S. Trainer Todd...

ELMONT, NY -- What a difference a year makes. Back in its traditional spot on the calendar and 1 1/2-mile distance after the COVID-19 pandemic turned the world-and Triple Crown-completely upside down in 2020, Saturday's GI Belmont S. will feature a showdown between last year's champion 2-year-old colt Essential Quality (Tapit) and GI Preakness S. upsetter Rombauer (Twirling Candy). The Godolphin homebred was unstoppable in his first five career starts, headed by a win in the 2020 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Sent off as the 5-2 favorite in the GI...

Peter Callahan's Eclipse Award winner Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), the joint second choice on the morning line for Saturday's $500,000 GI Ogden Phipps S. at Belmont Park, will be scratched from the race after spiking a fever. "Unfortunately Swiss Skydiver had a 104 fever this morning. We are a scratch," trainer Ken McPeek tweeted early Friday. "We've treated her to knock down the fever and will regroup later in the season." Last year's GI Preakness S. upsetter returned from her winter's rest to romp by 2 3/4 lengths in the GI...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-BEL, $90K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 11:35 a.m. Juvenile colts kick off the festivities on GI Belmont S. day. Trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle three for the big one, and two members of the next generation in here. Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Gainesway Stable's Wit (Practical Joke) was a $575,000 Keeneland September buy. He is a half brother to the talented Washington-based GSW Barkley (Munnings). Wit's stablemate Keepcalmcarryon (Union Rags) cost $75,000 at the same auction. His dam Lavender Chrissie (Scat Daddy) was...

A field of eight is set to go postward in the GII Belmont Gold Cup at Belmont Park Friday, with only Conviction Trade (Exchange Rate) ever having attempted the marathon two-mile distance. The 5-year-old set the pace before settling for second in the H Allen Jerkens S. at Gulfstream Park last December. Again on the front end early, he tired to third in the 1 1/2-mile John B. Connally Turf Cup S. at Sam Houston Jan. 31. Eighth in the Mar. 20 GII Muniz Memorial Classic S. at Fair Grounds...

Lane's End Racing and Hronis Racing's Flagstaff (Speightstown), fresh off a dramatic first Grade I victory in the May 1 Churchill Downs S., will be aiming for a third straight win when he goes postward in the GII True North S. at Belmont Park Friday. The 7-year-old gelding won the GIII Commonwealth S. at Keeneland Apr. 3 before outbattling Lexitonian (Speightstown) and Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) in a blanket finish in the Churchill Downs. He is cutting back from seven furlongs to 6 1/2 furlongs for the True North. "It was...

Alex Campbell's Mean Mary (Scat Daddy), who dominated last year's GII New York S. by a front-running 5 1/4 lengths, faces 10 rivals as she seeks to defend her title in the 1 1/4-mile race at Belmont Park Friday. The 5-year-old mare was beaten just a neck when second to Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) in the GI Diana S. at Saratoga last summer and vied for the lead before tiring to seventh in the Nov. 7 GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf. She went wire-to-wire to win the GIII Gallorette...

Japan's France Go de Ina (Will Take Charge) put in his final breeze for Saturday's GI Belmont S. Wednesday, going five furlongs over Big Sandy in 1:02.62 (5/9). Under exercise rider Masaki Takano, he hit the track, clocking splits of :13.12, :25.78 and :49.23. Trainer Hideyuki Mori was on site to watch his charge, who was last seen finishing seventh in the GI Preakness S. "He moved really well. We were really happy with the work this morning," Mori said through translator Kate Hunter. "The extra time between this race...