Horse Racing

8th-Prairie Meadows, $36,810, Msw, 7-7, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :52.37, ft, 3 1/2 lengths. GUNITE MAX (f, 2, Volatile--Super Simple, by Super Saver) fired a bullet three furlongs from the gate in :35 3/5 June 21 and was sent off as the 21-10 second choice for this first trip to the races. Off a fraction slowly, the $12,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling was hustled up to press the pace from second into the turn. Sent to the front in upper stretch, the bay swapped leads on cue and covered her final...

Chatalas (Gun Runner), all-the-way winner of last year's GII Chandelier Stakes prior to a down-the-field finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies while under the care of Mark Glatt, was sent to trainer Grant Forster this term with an eye on the age-restricted dirt stakes east of the Mississippi. The plan was off to an auspicious beginning Saturday when the bay, having her first start of 2024, fought back tenaciously at the fence to take Saturday's GIII Indiana Oaks. Sent straight into the lead from the inside post by...

Making his first start around two turns and looking for a third straight victory in succession, Juddmonte homebred Dragoon Guard (Arrogate) was sent for the lead from his outside draw and made every pole a winning one in Saturday's GIII Indiana Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Pegged at 7-2 on the morning line and sharing the grey/roan coloring that runs rampant in his pedigree (sire, dam, grandsire, damsire and damsire's sire), Dragoon Guard--off as the 19-10 second-elect--was given a positive ride from Florent Geroux and led his rivals into the first...

Cinderella's Dream (GB) (Shamardal), who lost her undefeated record when beaten just over four lengths into seventh in the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket May 5, atoned for that defeat in no uncertain terms, flashing home powerfully through the final furlong to take out Saturday's GI Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes at Aqueduct. With fellow once-beaten She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}) taking the lion's share of the pari-mutuel activity at odds of 4-5, Cinderella's Dream was a relatively generous 7-2 at the off and was content to take back...

In a sit-sprint race that turned out to be a tactical affair, Trikari (Oscar Performance), the lesser-preferred half of an uncoupled, Amerman Racing-owned entry with 8-5 second choice Endlessly (Oscar Performance), sat handy to a sluggish pace, engaged long-time leader White Palomino (Kitten's Joy) at the furlong grounds and just held off a late re-rally from the pace-advantaged front-runner to take Saturday's GI Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes at Aqueduct. Two-back winner of the May 4 GII American Turf Stakes--at cricket-score odds--and exiting a game third in the GIII Penn Mile...

Due to a weather forecast that calls for hot temperatures, high humidity and corresponding excessive heat index readings, officials at Delaware Park, acting upon the recommendation of the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission (DTRC) veterinarians and stewards, canceled Saturday's live racing program. The heat and humidity combined are forecast to reach 105 degrees during the day on Saturday. Saturday's program will not be redrawn and will be run as carded on Monday, July 8. Racing is expected to resume Sunday, July 7 with a first post of 12:30 p.m. ET. A...

Winner of three of his four starts on the grass last season, including two at the Grade III level, Amerman Racing's Endlessly (Oscar Performance) returns to the grass for the first time as a 3-year-old as the 6-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday's $750,000 GI Belmont Derby. Typically contested over 10 furlongs at Belmont Park, this year's renewal takes place over a mile and three-sixteenths at Aqueduct. Victorious in the GIII Del Mar Juvenile Turf and GIII Zuma Beach Stakes, Endlessly was a wide-trip eighth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Sunday running at Kokura Racecourse: Sunday, July 7, 2024 10th-KOK, ¥29,450,000 ($183k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1200mT PROTOPOROS (JPN) (c, 4, War Front--Cavale Doree {Fr}, by Sunday Break {Jpn}), a debut winner going this distance at Chukyo just over two years ago for the Carrot...

A day after an 'unexpected water issue' caused by Wednesday evening storms forced the closure to the public of Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky, track officials announced Friday morning that it would be business as usual for the afternoon's live program. "Thank you to our staff, the local Henderson community and racing fans for their patience," said Ellis Park General Manager Matt Pressley. "We're looking forward to seeing everyone out at the track [Friday]." Strong storms passed through the region Wednesday night, causing a power outage to the grandstand that...

5th-Fukushima, ¥13,720,000 ($84,982), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800mT, 1:49.9, gd/fm. DEL AVAR (c, 2, Frankel {GB}--Amour Briller {MSW-Jpn, $2,317,880}, by Smart Strike) came from a seemingly unlikely position at a late juncture to graduate in highly impressive fashion at first asking. Away a half-step slowly from gate four, the homebred colt lingered in the latter third of the 16-strong field racing around the first turn and was shuffled back to about third-last after overracing as they reached the backstretch. Still only 11th at the third corner, Del Avar caught the eye with...

8th-Los Alamitos, $43,000, Msw, 6-30, 2yo, f, 5f, :57.48, ft, 1 3/4 lengths A. Z. WILDCAT (f, 2, Munnings--Lucky Long, by Lookin At Lucky) prevailed in a good pari-mutuel battle and then backed it up on the track in professional style to open her account as the narrow 2-1 favorite. The $200,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase brike a bit inward, but was up to press the early issue before sitting the pocket trip from third around the hairpin turn. Produced three wide into the stretch, the filly went to the...

Fresh off a spectacular four-timer during the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting, Wathnan Racing--the horse racing operation of the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Al-Thani--saw its blue-and-tan colors cross the line first and second, respectively, in Sunday's Hanshin Stakes by the progressive Cagliostro (Upstart) and Tumbarumba (Oscar Performance), each acquired by Wathnan over the last several months. Placed in last year's GIII Indiana Derby and GIII Smarty Jones S. and fifth in the GIII Oklahoma Derby for a partnership including West Point and David Ingordo, Cagliostro narrowly annexed a two-turn Keeneland...