Belmont

May 28 Insights: Happy Saver Returns at Belmont

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 3rd-BEL, $96K, Alw/Opt. Clm, 4yo/up, 1m, 2:02 p.m. ET Wertheimer and Frere's undefeated Grade I winner HAPPY SAVER (Super Saver) is slated to make his first start since October in this one-mile allowance/optional claiming affair early on Friday's card at Belmont. Debuting last June with a powerful 5 1/2-length score going seven local furlongs that earned 'TDN Rising Star' honors. Repeating with a four-length success when stretched out to two turns at Saratoga, the homebred passed his first stakes test in annexing the Federico Tesio...

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Belmont S. Draw to Air June 1

America's Day at the Races will broadcast a special half-hour show on FS2 Tuesday, June 1 from 11-11:30 a.m. that will air the draw for the June 5 GI Belmont S., presented by NYRA Bets. Presented by America's Best Racing and Claiborne Farm, the broadcast schedule for America's Day at the Races the following week are (EST): Thursday, May 27 (FS2: 5 - 8:30 p.m.) Friday, May 28 (FS2: 12:30 - 5:30 p.m.) Saturday, May 29 (FS2: 12:30 - 6 p.m.) Sunday, May 30 (Bally Sports SoCal: 3 - 5:30...

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Rebel's Romance Readies for Belmont

Godolphin's Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) breezed six furlongs over Belmont's main track Wednesday in advance of next weekend's GI Belmont S. Prior to the move, Rebel's Romance, accompanied by Desert Peace (Curlin), briefly schooled in the paddock before heading to the track and jogging clockwise in front of the grandstand and around the far turn. The G2 UAE Derby winner tracked Desert Peace along the outside as NYRA clockers caught the duo through initial splits of :25.00, :36.80 and 1:00.58. Just past the quarter-pole, Rebel's Romance took a slight...

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Belmont/Elmont Parade Returns May 29

Following its cancellation in 2020 due to COVID-19, the Belmont/Elmont Parade will return Saturday, May 29, announced the New York Racing Association, Inc. Named in honor of the late Paul Sapienza, a life-long Elmont resident and former president of the Elmont Chamber of Commerce, who died last November, the parade will kick off at approximately 10 a.m. This year's grand marshals will be Frank Hrbek, a Commissioner in the Elmont Fire District and a scout leader; and Gene Vanhaaren, a veteran and an active member of American Legion Post 1033....

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France Go De Ina Settling in Well at Belmont

Yuji Inaida's France Go de Ina (Will Take Charge) visited Belmont's main track for the first time Friday to begin preparations for a start in the June 5 GI Belmont S. Trained by Hideyuki Mori said the Kentucky-bred was settling in well to his new surroundings after arriving at Belmont last Monday following his seventh-place finish in the GI Preakness S. "It's been 15 years since I've been here," said the 62-year-old with a laugh Saturday morning on the Belmont backstretch via translator Kate Hunter.  "I forgot how big it...

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Belmont Post Position Draw June 1

The post-position draw for the GI Belmont S. will be held Tuesday, June 1 at 11 a.m. in the Belmont Cafe at Belmont Park. The 153rd Belmont, which takes place Saturday, June 5, heads a three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival kicks off Thursday, June 3 and will include 17 stakes races--including eight Grade Is--to be contested on Belmont day. The post-position draw will be followed by a Q&A session with selected trainers and owners moderated by NYRA. The Belmont draw will air live on FS2 beginning at 11 a.m. A...

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'Always' in Control: Malibu Moon Filly Romps to Rising Stardom at Belmont

Just two days after her superstar sire died at the age of 24, Three Chimneys Farm's Always Carina (Malibu Moon) followed up a highly-graded debut victory with a facile allowance/optional claiming romp at Belmont despite a troubled start, earning 'TDN Rising Star' honors. Unveiled at a nickel below even-money over a muddy, sealed track Apr. 11 at Aqueduct, the homebred shook off some intense early pace pressure and splashed clear in the lane to a four-length success, earning a 94 Beyer. Returning with a quartet of local interim breezes, capped...

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Michael McCarthy Joins Writers' Room

Fresh off the first Classic win of his career with his first Triple Crown starter, trainer Michael McCarthy joined the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by JPMorgan Private Bank Wednesday morning. Calling in via Zoom from his Santa Anita stable as the Green Group Guest of the Week, McCarthy discussed getting Rombauer (Twirling Candy) to run his peak race in Saturday's GI Preakness S., whether he has any regrets about not running in the GI Kentucky Derby, what he learned from former boss Todd Pletcher and more. "When the horses...

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Runhappy Filly Romps at Belmont

2nd-Belmont, $87,300, Msw, 5-13, 2yo, f, 5f, :58.02, ft, 11 3/4 lengths. HAPPY SOUL (f, 2, Runhappy--Cowgirl Lucky, by Stephen Got Even) was hammered down to 2-5 favoritism for a barn known for its prowess with early season juveniles and ran to the money with a dominant performance. Away alertly, the bay took command and never looked back, blitzing through splits of :22.16 and :45.46. She crossed the line a good 10 lengths clear of 8-5 shot Lemieux (Nyquist) in a field scratched down to five. In her prior start,...

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May 14 Insights

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency MOTT UNVEILS SUMMER WIND HOMEBRED 4th-BEL, $90K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1m, 2:31p.m. Bill Mott unveils the latest blue-blooded colt to hail from Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Farm in SOUTHERN FLAG (Union Rags). His second dam is the farm's matriarch, SW & GSP Misty Hour (Miswaki), who has produced the likes of MGSW India (Hennessy), dam of MG1SW Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}) and SW Kareena (Medaglia d'Oro); and SW Pilfer (Deputy Minister), who is the dam of MGISW To Honor and Serve (Bernardini), GISW Angela Renee (Bernardini)...

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National Defense Filly Blitzes Belmont Maidens for 'Rising Star' Badge

Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}), a strong second debuting on the Keeneland main track last month, got to her likely preferred surface of turf Sunday at Belmont and rocketed clear in the lane for 'TDN Rising Star' honors. Bought for £75,000 by Ben McElroy at the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale last October, Twilight Gleaming became the first starter for her freshman sire when backed down to 3-5 Apr. 8 at Keeneland, and ran a game second despite being pinched at the start and going wide on the turn. Recording...

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Not This Time Colt Sharp in Belmont Debut Score
Not This Time Colt Sharp in Belmont Debut Score

1st-Belmont, $83,700, Msw, 5-9, 2yo, 5fT, :56.92, fm, 3 lengths. LUCCI (c, 2, Not This Time--Lucky'stormwarning, by Lookin At Lucky) showed a sharp Keeneland worktab for this unveiling, capped by a half-mile breeze in :47 3/5 (4/23) Apr. 28, and was made a fractional 5-4 favorite. Breaking sweetly from his rail draw, the $290,000 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling buy quickly scampered clear and showed the way through a modest :22.92 quarter. Pressured harder by Speak Unity (Union Rags) as the pace picked up past a :45.32 half, Lucci stiff-armed that rival...

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