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...
Gold Square LLC's Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map), who suffered his first career defeat when beaten nearly 12 lengths into fifth behind Commandment (Into Mischief) in the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes on Feb. 28, worked five-eighths of a mile in :59.65 (1/2) at Palm Meadows Thursday. "He worked well," said Gold Square's Al Gold between races at Gulfstream Park. "We're looking forward to his next race. We don't know yet where it's going to be." Last year's GI Champagne Stakes winner was off awkwardly in the Fountain of Youth,...
Harvey A. Clarke Racing Stables' Gosger (Nyquist), who won last year's GIII Stonestreet Lexington Stakes before taking a pair of heartbreaking defeats behind Journalism (Curlin) in Grade I company, makes his 4-year-old debut in a two-turn allowance with an option to enter for a $125,000 claiming tag Saturday afternoon at Gulfstream Park. The homebred son of Gloria S. (Tapit), a half-brother to Grade I winner Harvey's Lil Goil (American Pharoah), won the Lexington in just his third career start for Brendan Walsh and looked every bit a winner of the...
In an effort to create greater opportunities for Florida-breds, the Florida HBPA will put up $2 million that will go toward both raising purses for Florida-breds and creating new stakes races for horses bred in the Sunshine State. Owners and trainers with Florida-breds will have their first opportunity to collect a portion of the $2 million Apr. 25 when six state-bred stakes races, each worth $100,000, will be offered on the Gulfstream card. The HBPA's decision to promote and fund Florida-bred stakes races comes after the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and...
The catalogue for the inaugural Inglis Digital USA GI Curlin Florida Derby Sale is now online, offering buyers the chance to participate on the Mar. 28 marquee card of Gulfstream Park's Championship Meet. Bidding will be open through Mar. 23, with the first lot closing at 3 p.m. ET. Sellers with horses entered on the Florida Derby day card will be able to supplement them into the auction for full or percentage sales. Among the entries in the Curlin Florida Derby Sale is Lightning Tones (Tonalist), who is being pointed...
Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will be on-site at Gulfstream Park for the GI Curlin Florida Derby on Saturday, Mar. 28. As part of Florida Derby Day, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will be recognized with a named race on the undercard. After the race, the winning connections will be presented with a Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance branded blanket and commemorative gift bag. A Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance representative will be on-site to host the winners of the "Off to the Races" VIP Experience online benefit auction. Donated by 1/ST RACING, the Florida Derby Day VIP...
New Jersey racing has not had it easy, and has not had it easy for a long time. Monmouth was in such dire straits that, after the end of the 2025 meet, there was so little money in its coffers that the track wasn't able to pay horsemen money that was owed to them for months. That problem arose despite the fact Monmouth was receiving an annual $10-million subsidy from the state to supplement purses. Worried that the subsidy, never a sure thing, might go away under the newly elected...
4th-GP, $84k, Msw, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 2:19 p.m. ET. Star Actress (Justify), a full-sister to champion 2-year-old filly and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Just F Y I, stretches to two turns for her second career start for Bill Mott. The George Krikorian homebred rallied from seventh to finish a close second on debut going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Feb. 8. She earned a 73 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort. The aforementioned Just F Y I brought $4.5 million from Katsumi Yoshida at the 2025 Fasig-Tipton November...
The Florida Legislature's 2026 regular session concluded with decoupling legislation again failing to reach Governor Ron DeSantis's desk, according to a press release from the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association on Friday. HB881 passed the House but companion bill SB1564 never received a hearing in the Senate. A special session is expected to finalize the state budget. Lonny Powell, the FTBOA's CEO, said in a statement that, "Decoupling has stalled again. Once more, the FTBOA and our industry partners defended Florida's Thoroughbred industry. We thank the industry partners who...
7th-GP, $84k, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 3:52 p.m. ET. Gary and Mary West homebred Final Story (Candy Ride {Arg}) has posted four bullet workouts, including a five-furlong breeze in 1:02 (1/28) Mar. 7, at Brad Cox's Payson Park base ahead of this debut run. Final Story's dam Book Review (Giant's Causeway) carried the couple's hot pink-and-black silks to a win in the 2012 GI La Brea S. and a close second in the 2013 GI Ballerina S. Leading sire and 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner was bred on this...
After being involved in a spill in Thursday's fifth race at Gulfstream, Irad Ortiz, Jr. was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. When reached by the TDN via text, his agent, Steve Rushing, said he had no updates and was awaiting the results of tests. Early indications were that Ortiz was not seriously injured. Reporting on FanDuel TV, Caton Bredar said Ortiz was complaining of hip pain, but added that he told the ambulance driver he was "fine." "I'm told by track officials that Irad was alert, awake, conscious,...
5th-FG, $54K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 3:45 p.m. ET. SHE'S OUR TEN (Constitution) will carry the colors for Lee Searing and C R K when she is unveiled under trainer Peter Eurton at Fair Grounds on Friday. The dark bay initially went to Hidden Brook for $215,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale before being purchased by C R K for $675,000 during OBS April last year. Out of MSP Quality Heat (Quality Road), the filly's lone siblings are an older half-brother by Nyquist and a younger half-sister by Not...
After breakdowns during the 2024 racing season forced the closure of the Clinton E. Phipps Sr. Racetrack on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands in February 2025, yet another accident took place during Sunday's opening day Spring Stakes feature Mar. 8 that saw a Thoroughbred euthanized and a jockey taken to a local hospital. The story covering the incident was first reported by Bill Kiser of The Virgin Islands Daily News Mar. 9. The breakdown last Sunday is part of a larger story at the Phipps track, which reopened...