GI Belmont Derby
"Looking for the hidden gem." That, to Mike Slezak, is the point of crossover; the place where his breakout success dovetails with a personal passion that has now evolved into a way of life. "Which means trying to ask questions in a different way," he elaborates. "Not making assumptions, looking a little closer." To the many who first encountered Slezak in his American Idol debrief shows, the next stage of the analogy will make perfect sense. "It's scouting for a contestant like David Cook," he explains. "No-one thought he was...
Sainthood, 11th last time in the GI Kentucky Derby, became the first black-type and graded stakes winner for his sire (by Medaglia d'Oro) with a resilient victory in this off-turf prep for the GI Belmont Derby Invitational S. Beaten a head dirt sprinting at Gulfstream Jan. 9, the dark bay scored by a nose around two turns on the Fair Grounds main track Feb. 13. He earned a spot into the Derby starting gate with a runner-up finish in the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks over Turfway Tapeta Mar. 27, and...
Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Insights features Tides of War, a full-brother to GISW Deauville (Ire). 11.45 Deauville, Mdn, €22,000, unraced 2yo, c/g, 9 1/2f (AWT) Fitri Hay, Michael Tabor and Susan Magnier's TIDES OF WAR (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}), an Andre Fabre trainee, is a full-brother to GI Belmont Derby Invitational hero Deauville...
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...
The first mare bred to Wasabi Ventures Stallions' Grade I scorer Force the Pass (Speightstown--Social Queen, by Dynaformer) was confirmed in foal Mar. 12 at St. Omer's Farm in Forest Hill, Maryland. The mare, Wasabi Ventures Stables'-owned Magical Point (Point Given), is out of a full-sister to Grade I-winning sire Include and is the dam of three winners. Campaigned by his breeder, Richard Santulli's Colts Neck Stables, Force the Pass won the 2015 GI Belmont Derby as a 3-year-old. Also victorious in the GIII Penn Mile that season, he added...