Belmont Park

Given a positive ride by Javier Castellano, R A Hill Stable and Gatsas Stable's Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}) dared them to catch him in Saturday's GI Runhappy Metropolitan H. at Belmont, and catch him they could not, as the immaculately bred chestnut made every yard of the running to best perfect-trip Network Effect (Mark Valeski) by 1 1/4 lengths. Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) was forced to cover ground on the turn, but plugged on gamely to be third, while favored 'TDN Rising Star' McKinzie (Street Sense) had little...

TDN Rising Star Frank's Rockette (Into Mischief) wasn't given the easiest of tasks in the early going of Saturday's GIII Victory Ride S., but she showed her grit and class late with a hard-fought head score over the well-meant Reagan's Edge (Competitive Edge). Off a hair slow, the Bill Mott trainee raced out to take an early advantage from her inside draw and was closely attended by Reagan's Edge, an allowance winner at Churchill in May, and Center Aisle (Into Mischief), a $1.5-million Fasig-Tipton Florida sale graduate who scored first...

Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables' Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) breezed a half-mile in company in an easy :49.30 over the Belmont main track Saturday morning as she completed her preparations for the July 11 GII Ruffian S. at Big Sandy. Partnered with Javier Castellano, the 5-year-old worked in the company of her multiple stakes-winning stablemate A Bit of Both (Paynter) and was timed in splits of :12.30 and :24.40 before galloping out five-eighths of a mile in 1:02.10. "Today it was a very...

6th-Belmont, $66,000, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($80,000), 7-3, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:40.67, ft. SPICE IS NICE (f, 3, Curlin--Dame Dorothy {GISW, $749,740}, by Bernardini) romped by 12 lengths to earn the 'TDN Rising Star' tag in her Gulfstream unveiling Jan. 12. Runner-up to Tonalist's Shape (Tonalist in that venue's GII Davona Dale S. Feb. 29, the $1.05-million KEESEP purchase was fifth to divisional leader Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks last time Mar. 28. Hammered down to 1-2 favoritism to get back in the winner's circle in...

'TDN Rising Star' Frank's Rockette (Into Mischief), never worse than second in seven lifetime starts, seeks her first graded win in Belmont's GIII Victory Ride S. at 6 1/2 furlongs. While her only black-type win was the ungraded Any Limit S. Feb. 22 at Gulfstream, she had a trio of seconds last year in the GI Frizette S., GI Spinaway S., and GII Adirondack S. ranging from 6 1/2 panels to eight furlongs. Since shipping up from Payson Park, the Bill Mott pupil has had three works at Belmont--two of...

Rare is the high-caliber turf contest in New York that doesn't go through Chad Brown and the GI Manhattan S. is no exception. The reigning four-time Eclipse winner as outstanding trainer has the favorite, multiple graded stakes-winning Instilled Regard (Arch). Last seen getting a 102 Beyer when winning Belmont's June 6 GII Fort Marcy S. at a furlong shorter, Instilled Regard has won graded stakes three years running and looks to remedy the lack of a Grade I victory on his resume here. Instilled Regard's reopposing stablemate Devamani (Fr) (Dubawi...

A talented and deep field of eight will line up for Saturday's highly anticipated 127th renewal of the GI Runhappy Metropolitan H. at Belmont Park. An unlucky second behind the mighty Mitole (Eskendereya) in last year's contest, 'TDN Rising Star' McKinzie (Street Sense) figures to vie for favoritism. He was first or second in all seven of his starts in 2019, led by a win in Saratoga's GI Whitney S. and a runner-up finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. The four-time Grade I winner made up for a dismal...

The only female in Belmont's GIII Poker S. field Saturday, Gary Barber's Got Stormy (Get Stormy) enters the eight-furlong test packing top credentials as one of only two Grade I winners in the field of nine. Victorious in last summer's De La Rose S. against fillies at Saratoga, she returned a week later to score by 2 1/2 lengths over the boys in the GI Fourstardave H. Not ducking anyone when second in the GI Woodbine Mile and GI Breeders' Cup Mile last fall, she came from off the pace...

We are increasingly familiar with the kind of traction even the most brazen untruth can achieve in the era of social media. I guess people either no longer believe in hell, or they've decided they're headed there anyway. But let's not kid ourselves that we were ever especially diligent in authenticating what we read in the Good Old Days of hot-metal print. How apt, for instance, that a highly pertinent observation long credited to Mark Twain--that "a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting...

The New York Racing Association will team with Delaware Park to host a Cross Country Pick 5 encompassing all graded stakes July 4. The wager will feature the GIII Delaware Oaks, GIII Kent S., the GI Runhappy Met Mile, the GI Manhattan S. and the GII Suburban H. The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool....

Officials at the New York Racing Association and New York State Gaming Commission have removed the precautionary quarantine placed on Barn 37 at Belmont Park after test results for a horse with a suspected case of Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) came back negative. Freudnme (Freud), a 4-year-old colt trained by Chris Englehart, exhibited fever and neurological symptoms Saturday morning, which triggered a precautionary quarantine of all 37 horses stabled in Barn 37 at Belmont. In addition, heightened biosecurity measures were immediately implemented throughout the barn and all horses were monitored for...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency PAIR OF WELL-BRED DEBUTANTES IN CHURCHILL OPENER 1st-CD, $79K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:00p.m. The appropriately named LUCKY FIND (Uncle Mo), a $50,000 KEESEP buy from a deep Helen Groves family, makes her career bow in this spot for Glen Hill Farm and Tom Proctor. Out of MSW Tea Time (Pulpit), the bay hails from the family of dual champion Covfefe (Into Mischief) and Grade I winners Arch (Kris S.) and Acoma (Empire Maker). Robert and Lawana Low homebred Sea Garden (Curlin) also debuts in...