Belmont Stakes Racing Festival

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - It was a 'Man' versus boys in the GI Woody Stephens S. at Saratoga Saturday. C R K Stable's Englishman (Maxfield), a well-beaten second behind Crude Velocity (Beau Liam) in the battle of unbeaten 'TDN Rising Stars, presented by Hagyard' in the GII Pat Day Mile S. on Kentucky Derby day, turned the tables with authority on the cutback to seven furlongs, equaling Darby Creek Road's track record of 1:20.40 set in 1978. "It doesn't surprise me," winning trainer Cherie DeVaux said. "This horse is so...

It's been nearly six months since Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's homebred Reef Runner (g, 5, The Big Beast--Paradise Bay, by Blame) has competed on these shores (a win in the Janus Stakes at Gulfstream in December), but he hasn't been idle. He brought a G2 1351 Turf Sprint win home from Saudi Arabia and barely missed the top three in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai. On Saturday at Saratoga, he showed international competition made him razor sharp and ready for the GI Jaipur Stakes on Belmont Stakes Day....

Classic Q (f, 4, Classic Empire--Lovely Em, by Scat Daddy) is proving classy "to a T." Last seen securing her first graded win on Kentucky Derby Day in the GII Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes, the Gary Barber, Blue Crevalle Racing, and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners colorbearer doubled up on Belmont Stakes Day, capturing the $500,000 GI Just a Game Stakes at Saratoga in front-running fashion. In addition to kicking off the graded action on a stellar day of racing for the much-heralded Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, the Just a...

Pete Aiello, the regular announcer at Gulfstream, will take over the Santa Anita booth in place of Frank Mirahmadi while the latter is in New York to call the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga. Aiello also served as the replacement during last year's festival in New York. Jason Beem, the regular Tampa Bay Downs announcer, will replace him at Gulfstream for this weekend. "I feel honored that Frank and the Santa Anita team invited me back out this weekend," Aiello said. "The Great Race Place is aptly named and...

Saturday's Belmont Stakes is the last of nine top-level events on the weekend and the final of the six highly anticipated Grade I contests scheduled for a bumper card at Saratoga, short, medium and long on both the turf and the main track. A top-quality field of seven is set to face the starter in the GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap, for which 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Nysos (Nyquist) is the 9-5 morning-line favorite and 126-pound topweight in the 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders'...

Using her speed from the outside gate, Roja (Karakontie (Jpn)--Redmeansgo, by Red Ransom) made the lead and never looked back in the GII Intercontinental Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Thursday afternoon. The win was the first graded victory of her career. In her lone 2026 start, the blazing fast filly hurdled a turf sprint versus optional claimers at Churchill Downs Apr. 29. Her first visit to the winner's circle came when she broke her maiden at third-asking just over a year ago at Laurel Park. Roja was the runner-up...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - And it's only Belmont Stakes eve. Highlighted by a fantastic renewal of the GI DraftKings Acorn S. featuring four out of the top five finishers from the GI Kentucky Oaks, a stacked 14-race program awaits on day three of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Friday. Three Chimneys Farm and Douglas Scharbauer's 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Always a Runner (Gun Runner) made it a perfect three-for-three with a powerful, come-from-behind victory beneath the lights on the first Friday in May at Churchill Downs....

Sent off the even-money favorite to run his current winning streak to three, Mo Speed Racing's West End Kid (Twirling Candy) sat a stalking trip and had plenty left for the final furlong to easily take out Thursday's GIII Pennine Ridge Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Drawn widest in a field of nine and exiting a comfortable Churchill allowance victory May 8, the bay colt was asked for a bit of speed by Tyler Gaffalione passing the stands for the first time, but was content to take the sit from...

With the 2026 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival underway at Saratoga, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is offering early access for tickets to the 2027 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. The 2027 event will be returned to Belmont Park, which has been undergoing a three-year transformation. The new Belmont Park will open for live racing Sept. 18. NYRA will provide fans the opportunity to enter a presale drawing for a variety of ticket packages. Deposits for premium hospitality packages and preferred seating at the 2027 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival can...

General Admission tickets for Belmont Stakes Day on Saturday, June 6, will be available for purchase at the gate upon arrival. General Admission tickets will be sold at the admission gates on the day of the event for $75, the same price offered online at www.BelmontStakes.com. Fans bringing coolers must ensure all ice is contained inside sealed bags upon arrival at the admission gates. Designated cooler inspection lanes will be set up at Gate B (Union and East Avenue) and Gate C (Nelson Avenue). All fans with coolers must enter...

'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Golden Tempo (Curlin) was not the only marquee name on the worktab over the last 48 hours, as horses prepping for next week's Belmont Stakes Racing Festival--as well as some household names not heading to upstate New York--turned in breezes at racetracks from coast-to-coast, from Saratoga, Laurel and Fair Hill to Santa Anita. To follow are works in alphabetical order at the various venues with parenthetical mention of intended targets or races to which the horses have been nominated. Saratoga (Oklahoma unless othewise indicated)...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has updated protocols to further enhance fan safety and security while supporting the longstanding cooler policy tradition at historic Saratoga Race Course, the track said via a press release on Friday. Fans bringing coolers to Saratoga Race Course will be required to ensure all ice is contained inside sealed bags upon arrival at the admission gates. The policy will take effect with the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, June 3-7, and will continue during the Saratoga summer meet, July 3-Sept. 7. The initiative is...