Belmont

A pair of 'TDN Rising Star' sophomores take on their elders in a five-horse renewal of the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. Saturday at Belmont, which is a "Win and You're In" event for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Leading the sophomore duo is unbeaten Happy Saver (Super Saver). A dominant debut winner going seven panels at Belmont June 20, the Todd Pletcher pupil dominated a nine-furlong allowance next out at Saratoga July 26. The Wertheimer and Frere homebred made it three-for-three in Laurel's Federico Tesio S. Sept. 7....

Undefeated Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) looks to continue his domination of the 2-year-old colt division as the headliner in Belmont's GI Champagne S. Saturday, a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup. A debut winner at Churchill June 19, the bay scored a decisive win in the GII Saratoga Special S. Aug. 7 and was an impressive victor of the GI Runhappy Hopeful S. at Saratoga Sept. 7, earning a 95 Beyer Speed Figure. "He handles everything well," said trainer Steve Asmussen's Belmont Park-based assistant trainer Toby Sheets. "Just...

Vequist (Nyquist) was ultra-impressive when earning her diploma in the GI Spinaway S. Sept. 6 and looks to replicate that performance at Belmont Saturday in the GI Frizette S., which grants the winner a spot in the gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Missing by just a nose in her 4 1/2-panel unveiling at Parx July 29, the dark bay graduated in style with a dominant 9 1/2-length success in Saratoga's Spinaway. "She has to confirm it; anybody can do it once," Butch Reid said. "You have to...

Winner of the 2018 GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational S., Channel Maker (English Channel) made amends for a close second in last year's renewal with a front-running score in the 2020 edition Saturday at Belmont. Taking up his preferred position at the head of affairs, the chestnut clicked off splits of :22.89, :49.44 and 1:14.45. Still in front turning for home, the hard-knocking gelding kept on finding in the lane, rolling clear to victory. "We would have wanted to envision it working out this way and it worked out,"...

Grade I winner Dunbar Road (Quality Road) tops a short, but sweet field Sunday in the GII Beldame S. at Belmont. Winner of last year's GI Alabama S., the bay finished off her sophomore season with a fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff in November. She's been perfect so far in 2020, capturing the Shawnee S. May 23 and won the GII Delaware H. last time July 11. Letruska (Super Saver) started her career in Mexico, where she was undefeated. A two-time stakes winner at Gulfstream, the bay was...

Unbeaten Plum Ali (First Samurai) looks to keep her perfect record in tact Sunday in Belmont's GII Miss Grillo S. A debut winner going two turns at Saratoga July 23, the chestnut captured the Mint Juvenile Fillies S. Sept. 7, making her the only black-type winner in the field. Brad Cox saddles a promising runner in Caldee (More Than Ready). Off the board when unveiled in a main track sprint at the Spa July 19, the bay romped by 6 3/4 lengths next out when switched to the turf and...

W.S. Farish's multiple Grade I winner Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) will meet surging 'TDN Rising Star' Complexity (Maclean's Music) for the first time since their juvenile season over a flat mile in the GII Kelso S. Saturday at Belmont. Second to Complexity at 14-1 in the GI Champagne S. here two falls ago, Code of Honor captured the GII Xpressbet Fountain of Youth S. two starts later and was runner-up via disqualification in the GI Kentucky Derby two starts after that. Dominating the GIII Dwyer S. over track...

Klaravich Stables' Public Sector (GB) (Kingman {GB}) will try to build off an impressive debut victory at Saratoga with a graded stakes success as a likely favorite in Saturday's GII Pilgrim S. for juvenile males on the Belmont turf. Bought for 170,000 guineas as a Tattersalls October yearling, the bay was unveiled as a 2-1 favorite Aug. 15 at the Spa and rallied from seventh to win going away by two lengths, clocking his final five-sixteenths in a sharp :28.80. He has drilled five times since then for Chad Brown,...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. will host the Cross Country Pick 5, encompassing five Grade I contests from Belmont Park and Keeneland Race Course Saturday, Oct. 3. The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool. The Cross Country Pick 5 is comprised of: Leg 1 - Belmont, R7: GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (4:03 p.m.) Leg 2 - Keeneland, R8: GI First Lady (4:51 p.m.) Leg 3 - Belmont, R9: GI Belmont Derby Inv. (5:06...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency PAIR OF BLUE-BLOODS DEBUT IN NY 4th-BEL, $63K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6f, 2:30p.m. Regally bred Godolphin homebred TACTICAL MOVE (First Defence) debuts for Bill Mott in this test off of a string of bullet works, most recently breezing a best-of-30 half-mile in :49 flat on Saratoga's Oklahoma track Sept. 21. He is out of Grade I winner Game Face (Menifee), who is also responsible for GSP Coliseum (Tapit). Chad Brown also unveils a well-bred runner in Juddmonte homebred Starfront (Malibu Moon), a half to GSP Eloquent...

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., America's leading jockey, has tested positive for COVID-19, the jockey confirmed in a phone call Wednesday afternoon. The news was first reported by Dave Grening of the Daily Racing Form. Ortiz, who had been serving two consecutive five-day suspensions for careless riding July 3 and 31 at Belmont and Saratoga, respectively, said that he was asymptomatic. He rode his last race Sept. 16 at Kentucky Downs, and had not ridden in New York since Sept. 7, the last day of the Saratoga meeting. "I'm feeling good,"...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency HALF TO WHITMORE DEBUTS AT CHURCHILL 4th-CD, $75K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 2:14p.m. Ron Moquett unveils a half-brother to his stable star Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) in SKIP INTRO (Liam's Map). The $190,000 KEESEP buy's talented older sibling has captured 10 graded events so far for earnings over $3.1-million. Juddmonte homebred Floriform (Into Mischief) also debuts in this test. The bay is out of MSP July Jasmine (Empire Maker), who is a half-sister to MGSW & MGISP Rob Roy (Lear Farn). TJCIS PPs   MOTT UNVEILS GODOLPHIN...