George Weaver

In a day good for the runners who made the pace, Johnny's Red Storm (Twirling Candy) made every pole a winning one and took home the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint Stakes Sunday afternoon. The George Weaver charge came into this race off a sterling debut Aug. 3 at Saratoga, where he similarly took a field of auction-price restricted maidens gate-to-wire by four lengths. Training well in New York since then and shipped down for the race, the betting public liked him to the tune of 8-5 odds, and he was...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - George Weaver, Javier Castellano and Belgian (Beau Laim) combined to make all the right moves Thursday that yielded an 11-length victory in the sixth race at Saratoga Race Course. When a mid-afternoon downpour forced the $100,000 maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds to be moved from the Mellon Turf Course to the main track, five of the nine horses entered were scratched. Weaver said he never considered taking Belgian, who he trains for Newtown Anner Stud Farm, out the contest. "He's handy enough on the dirt,"...

2nd-Saratoga, $80,000, Msw, 8-3, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:01.66, fm, 4 lengths. JOHNNY'S RED STORM (c, 2, Twirling Candy--Estoril, by Into Mischief) was unveiled for co-owner Rick Pitino's outfit as the 9-5 choice here. The favorite sprinted out of the blocks to a clear lead up the backstretch. Making every pole a winning one through the top of the lane, the 2-year-old donned cap and gown for the St. John's coach by four lengths to the good over Capanaparo (Caracaro). The winner's unraced dam--a half-sister to GSW Tide of the Sea...

Under normal circumstances, Reagan Swinbank would have been at Saratoga July 10 to watch his filly Cy Fair (Not This Time) debut in a Saratoga maiden turf sprint. Swinbank had been receiving nothing but good reports from trainer George Weaver, and those reports proved to be accurate. Cy Fair won the race by 3 1/4 lengths, enough to be named a 'TDN Rising Star.' But Swinbank couldn't be there as his week was largely taken up by attending funerals. They were for the 27 campers and counselors who were killed...

Winless since October of his juvenile year, Governor Sam (Improbable) finally broke out of his slump with a smart effort in the GIII Quick Call Stakes at Saratoga. The George Weaver charge managed to string together four victories in a row last season, and begrudgingly faded to third Nov. 1 at Del Mar in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint to wrap that campaign. Back in action Apr. 30 at Churchill Downs for his 3-year-old bow in the William Walker Stakes, Governor Sam again faded to third behind SW...

Nothing like claiming your second lifetime win in a graded stakes at Saratoga, especially so when your last time on the board was a year ago at the venue. A pricey $600,000 OBS March juvenile purchase in 2024, Italian Soiree (Uncle Mo) came with big expectations and her connections refused to throw in the towel despite their filly not hitting the board in the last five starts at the black-type level. Her 2025 attempts included a Feb. 8 seasonal bow in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs where she...

SARATOGA SPRINGS - The best thing trainer George Weaver did at the 2025 OBS Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in-training was give a filly named Cy Fair (Not This Time) a second glance. On Thursday, opening day of the 40-day race meet at Saratoga, Weaver was sure glad he did. Cy Fair stamped herself as a keeper as she rolled to a 3 1/4-length win in a $100,000 Maiden race for 2-year-old fillies at 5 1/2 furlongs on the Mellon turf and earned a 'TDN Rising Star' in the process. Ridden...

Cy Fair (f, 2, Not This Time--Remarqued, by Arch) was an eye-catching debut winner sprinting over the lawn at Saratoga on Thursday's opening-day card, good for 'TDN Rising Star' honors. Drawn in post eight with John Velazquez at the controls, the 5-1 chance chased on the outside in a joint second through an opening quarter in :21.51. She challenged for command on the far turn, took over with a quarter of a mile to go and blasted off from there to win by 3 1/4 lengths while stopping the timer...

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced juveniles from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes, sponsored by OBS Sales, highlights debuting and stakes-entered 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, including links to their under-tack previews. Here are the horses entered for opening day of the traditional summer meet at Saratoga....

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has lifted the precautionary quarantines by the New York State Department of Agriculture (NYSDA) of Barns 60 and 63 at Saratoga Race Course, the organization said in a press release on Saturday. As a result, all horses stabled in Barns 60 and 63 are once again permitted to enter races, effective immediately, and to train with the general horse population beginning Sunday, June 29. Barns 60 and 63, which contains horses under the care of trainer George Weaver, were placed under a precautionary...

The New York State Department of Agriculture has lifted the 14-day quarantine of Barn 28 on the Belmont backstretch, according to a release from the New York Racing Association (NYRA). All horses stabled in Barn 28 are now permitted to enter races as of Saturday, June 28, and to train with the general horse population beginning Sunday, June 29. Barn 28 was placed under quarantine on June 14 after a case of strangles was identified in the barn. The George Weaver-trained 2-year-old gelding Mo Curls was sent for treatment on...

A group of horses located in Barn 66 at Saratoga Race Course have been put under a 14-day quarantine by the New York Racing Association and the New York State Gaming Commission due to a positive case of strangles. Tenacious Child (McKinzie), an unraced 2-year-old filly trained by George Weaver and stabled in Barn 66, was tested for a number of potential ailments over the weekend, and a positive test for strangles was returned Wednesday night. In addition to Barn 66, horses under the care of Weaver stabled in Barns...