H. Allen Jerkens
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--As the hours shrink to minutes and the 156th running of the GI, $1.25 million Travers Stakes gets upon us, those closest to Sovereignty (Into Mischief), the 2-5 morning-line favorite, handle the agonizing moments until post time in different ways. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott admitted he'll "probably" be nervous. "It's like being on the freeway," he said outside his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track as Sovereignty munched on some grass a few feet away. "Defensive driving all the time. So far, everything has been good....
Verifying (Justify), who stands at Florida's Pleasant Acres Stallions, was represented by his first foal when a filly was born Jan. 25. The filly is out of the Malibu Moon mare Selective Memory and owned by Belvedere Farm. "There is so much to say about Verifying and the potential for his progeny to take the racing industry by storm," said Director of Stallion Services Christine Jones. "A half-brother to 6x Grade I winner Midnight Bisou, Verifying is a dual hemisphere stallion who had a very successful breeding debut in Florida...
While he lost nothing in defeat when trying two turns for the first time in the GI Haskell Invitational S. the Jack Christopher (Munnings) everyone is accustom to was back at Saratoga, charging home a decisive winner of the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. Hammered down to 1-2 favoritism getting back around one turn, the flashy chestnut tracked Conagher (Jimmy Creed) from second through a :22.18 first quarter. Drawing alongside as the half went in :44.53, Jack Christopher skipped to the front when Jose Ortiz shook the reins at...
When considering stallion potential, brilliance and precocity are rarely left out of the equation. But a unique find emerges when a headlining juvenile can carry out his talent as a sophomore and even as an older horse before beginning his stud career. Two of WinStar Farm's new recruits for 2021, Improbable (City Zip) and Promises Fulfilled (Shackleford), showed brilliance early on in their careers as flashy debut winners before each went on to become stakes winners at three and four. We spoke with WinStar's David Hanley on the pair of...
Sharon Ann Maloney, often known as "Sam" and a frequent presence on backsides for the past 50 years, passed away Thursday, Oct. 1, in Warrenton, Va., after a battle with cancer. She was 73. Maloney worked as a groom and exercise rider in her 20s, particularly for trainer Willard Proctor in California, before returning to her home state of Virginia to concentrate on breaking yearlings. Maloney spent summers in Saratoga, including decades working at the barn of H. Allen Jerkens. In her home state, she worked for trainer Barbara Graham...
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Though he is quick to dismiss any talk that he might win the trainer's title at Saratoga Race Course, veteran Christophe Clement acknowledges that most everything has gone very well for his stable in the first half of the season. Entering Wednesday's card, the midway point of the 40-day meet, Clement was second, two wins behind Todd Pletcher, in the competitive standings with 15 victories, matching his career-best at the Spa in 2015. He already has a personal-best six stakes wins. The Clement runners top the...