Belmont

5th-Belmont, $90,000, Msw, 7-2, 3yo/up, 1 1/16mT, 1:39.94, fm, 5 lengths. CAPENSIS (c, 3, Tapit--Tara's Tango {GISW, $806,004}, by Unbridled's Song), the $2-million topper at the covid-impacted 2020 Keeneland September sale, began repaying his powerful ownership group's investment Saturday with a dominant debut win on the grass. A bit chilly on the board at 5-1 having had all his recent preparations at Saratoga, the handsome grey was somewhat sluggish early and settled in second last off the inside. Ridden along on the turn for home, he got going in earnest...

The uber-talented 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief), last seen tiring to fourth in the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 26, returned from the bench in style with a dominating, front-running win sprinting over three rivals in the GII John A. Nerud S. at Belmont Park Saturday. Away alertly from his rail draw, the 1-5 favorite was shadowed by GI Carter H. winner Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) through an opening quarter in :22.19 and a half-mile in :44.70. With Flavien Prat sitting chilly, Life Is Good hit the...

The New York Racing Association and trainer Marcus Vitali have reached a settlement regarding NYRA's effort to exclude the trainer from participating at its three tracks. According to NYRA spokesman Pat McKenna, the agreement requires that the terms of the settlement remain confidential. The TDN reached out to both Vitali's attorney Brad Bielly Friday in an attempt to gather more information. By mid-afternoon, he had not responded. Vitali told the TDN that he was not aware of the terms of the deal. In September, NYRA announced that it would begin...

Holiday weekends are often synonymous with exciting race cards and this Fourth of July weekend is no exception with a dozen graded events on tap Saturday that include some of racing's best. The highlight of the day's action is the return of 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief), who is making his first start back since finishing fourth in the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 26 in Belmont's GII John A. Nerud S. A dominant winner of last year's GII Kelso H. and GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile...

6th-Belmont, $90,000, Msw, 6-26, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:17.35, ft, 5 3/4 lengths. ACCRETIVE (g, 3, Practical Joke--Mallory Street {SP, $111,837}, by Street Sense), bet hard for this belated unveiling Sunday at Belmont, ran to the money with a dominant victory despite covering significantly much more ground than all of his rivals. Displaying a shark worktab from Chad Brown's auxiliary base at Monmouth, capped by a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 (1/7) June 17, the gelding was favored throughout the wagering before breaking as the 5-4 chalk. Settling in fifth...

4th-Belmont, $90,000, Msw, 6-26, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:17.20, ft, 4 lengths. SAINT TAPIT (c, 3, Tapit--Havre de Grace {Horse Of The Year, Ch. Older Mare, MGISW, $2,586,175}, by Saint Liam), the fifth foal to race out of 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace, flashed potential that he might be her most talented foal to date with a convincing first-out success Sunday at Belmont. Showing an above average but not eye-popping worktab, capped by a half-mile gate breeze over this track in :48 4/5 (17/61) June 19, the homebred...

The 13-2 longest price on the board in a compact field of four, Klaravich Stables' Gerrymander (Into Mischief) sat a perfect inside trip and responded when push came to shove to comfortably take out Saturday's GII Mother Goose S. at Belmont Park, becoming the 50th winner at the graded level for her outstanding sire. Quickly into stride for Joel Rosario, the $375,000 Keeneland September acquisition set the pace in advance of heavily favored Juju's Map (Liam's Map), but last year's GI Darley Alcibiades S. winner and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile...

A pair of graded stakes for 3-year-olds highlight Saturday's racing action, starting with the GII Mother Goose S. at Belmont. Two of the five fillies are looking to rebound after off-the-board finishes in the May 6 GI Kentucky Oaks, 'TDN Rising Star' Shahama (Munnings) (sixth) and Venti Valentine (Firing Line) (14th). Shahama is making just her second U.S. start after starting her career with a perfect four-for-four record during her time in Dubai. Her trainer Todd Pletcher is looking for his seventh Mother Goose victory here. "It was hard to...

A three-member panel assigned with the task of deciding whether or not the New York Racing Association was justified in punishing Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert announced its decision late Thursday afternoon, issuing a one-year suspension from the NYRA tracks, effective immediately. In April, a hearing officer recommended that Baffert be suspended for two years, so Thursday's decision was not a complete loss for the embattled trainer. After a federal judge ordered that NYRA could not impose a ban on Baffert without affording the trainer due process, a hearing...

The Classic season is over. A surface reading shows that Arrogate (Unbridled's Song), Keen Ice (Curlin), and Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) got the GI Kentucky Oaks, GI Kentucky Derby, and GI Preakness S. winners, respectively, from their first crops, and proven star sire Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie), who had a Derby winner from his first crop in 2016, sired the GI Belmont S. winner. Sometimes, however, what's between the lines is as important as what's on the page, and Taylor Made's Not This Time (Giant's Causeway), whose second-crop sons...

The winner's circle after Saturday's GI Belmont S. surely rivaled any in Triple Crown history in terms of population after Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) crossed the wire three lengths to the good. In addition to Mike Repole and his substantial crew of family and friends, the celebration contained the massive partnership of Donegal Racing, which brings all of its investors along for the ride with every horse it purchases. Tuesday, the CEO of Donegal, Jerry Crawford, sat down with Joe Bianca and Bill Finley of the TDN Writers' Room presented...

Fleet-footed champion Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) was fittingly hammered down to 1-5 favoritism against an overmatched field in Belmont's GII True North S. Friday and he more than ran to that backing with a dominant victory. Hustling up to take his preferred position at the head of affairs, Jackie's Warrior was confronted by 12-1 shot Mr Phil (Mr Speaker), but he easily shook that foe off as the opening quarter went up in :22.83. Loping along on a loose rein under Joel Rosario, the bay clocked a half-mile in :45.52....