In an exhibition of pure sprinting prowess, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum's Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) brought all his power to bear on his rivals on Friday to register back-to-back successes in Goodwood's G2 King George Qatar S. Despite the contrasting ground conditions to the easy turf he encountered 12 months ago and the obvious questions posed by defeat in the June 19 G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, the bay attracted heavy support as the 8-11 favourite and was in front before he had raced two...
The 17th edition of the Claiming Crown, held Saturday at Gulfstream Park, generated total handle of $10,118,000--up 0.57% from 2014 despite rainy conditions which caused four races to be taken off the turf. Gulfstream was hosting the event for the fourth year. "We're extremely pleased with the success of Saturday's Claiming Crown," said P.J. Campo, General Manager of Gulfstream Park and Vice President of Racing for The Stronach Group. "We had big fields and tremendous participation from horsemen throughout North America. We're confident the numbers would have been even more...
After a nation-wide vote among his peers, Julien Leparoux is the winner of the 2026 George Woolf Award, Santa Anita Park announced via press release. The George Woolf Award honors riders whose careers and personal character earn esteem for the individual and for the sport. It has been presented annually by Santa Anita since 1950. As each year's winner is selected by a vote of fellow jockeys, it is one of the most cherished honors given to a rider. Entering Friday, Leparoux has won 3,066 races and tallied purse earnings...
With an elite-level victory under his belt, jockey Diego Herrera will move his tack east to set up at Gulfstream Park in South Florida, the track announced Sunday afternoon. The 21-year-old Herrera was the pilot aboard British Isles (Justify) last Saturday when the gelding pulled the upset to take home the Big Cap. An Inglewood, CA native, he's also won the 2025 GIII Cecil B. DeMille on Unrivaled Time (Not This Time) and the 2024 GIII Autumn Miss Stakes with Watchtower (Demarchelier {GB}). His move comes after Herrera traveled to...
Slam Dunk Racing, Deborah Baltas, and Cynthia McClanahan's British Isles (g, 5, Justify--Purely Hot, by Pure Prize), a private purchase by the team from Coolmore connections two years ago, has spent the majority of his 24-race career in allowance company, but took full advantage of the scratched-down field of five in Saturday's GI Santa Anita Handicap in Arcadia to emerge a winner at the elite level. It was not just the big blazed-faced chestnut's first Grade I win, but also his first black-type victory. Leaving from the outermost post, British...
Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) will be scratched from Saturday's GI Santa Anita Handicap after he acted up and had to be removed from an airplane in Florida Tuesday morning as his flight to California was preparing to take off. Mike Welsch of Daily Racing Form previously reported the story, quoting trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. "We could have tranquilized him," Joseph told Welsch. "But with the medication regulations I didn't want to take that chance just four days before the race. He's never done anything like this before, so I'm not sure if...