Horse Racing
A berth in the G1 Melbourne Cup is at stake in Thursday's GII Belmont Gold Cup, the first of the weekend's graded stakes during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga. The New York Racing Association has gone so far as to fly in one of the world's premier commentators, Victoria-based Matt Hill, to describe the action in the two-mile test--essentially two laps of the inner turf course at the Spa. Godolphin won the 2018 Melbourne Cup with Cross Counter (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Siskany (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) returns to...
Tisbury Stud's Austin and Amanda Luttrell have purchased Springland, a 260-acre horse farm located in Bourbon County, Kentucky. Founded in 1962 by W.K. Taylor while he was the general manager at Claiborne Farm, parts of Springland's original parcel were eventually sold to Hidden Brook and Beau Lane. However, it was Taylor's grandson, Bill Nicholls, who added to the estate in the late 1990s. The Luttrells--who started Tisbury Stud two years ago by leasing 130 acres--intend to offer the ultimate in racehorse care with breeding, foaling, racetrack lay ups and sales...
Rick Gold is the recipient of the Ed Friendly Industry Service Award, also known as the TOC Chairman's Award, the Thoroughbred Owners of California announced Monday morning. Following eight years of service to the TOC and other industry boards, Gold is retiring this year. He served as the chairman of the TOC's Integrity & Safety Committee and he played a key role in helping to safeguard California and industry interests during the formation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), according to a release. Gold has campaigned the likes...
BetMakers has signed two-year market access and content agreements with the betting platform bet365 relating to fixed-odds wagering in New Jersey and Colorado, the Melbourne, Australia-based company said in a release. Bet365 will be licensed by BetMakers to offer fixed-odds bets on Thoroughbred racing to bet365 customers in the state of New Jersey and will also be licensed to distribute BetMakers' Thoroughbred racing content to bet365 customers in New Jersey and both Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing in Colorado.Bet365 will also be licensed to distribute BetMakers' Thoroughbred racing content to bet365...
MGISW Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) broke her maiden at first asking under the Twin Spires by just over three lengths and that is how her younger 3-year-old half-brother Star of Wonder (Uncle Mo--Starship Warpspeed, by Congrats) tackled a sloppy Sunday afternoon at Churchill Downs. For his efforts, the homebred rose into the 'TDN Rising Star' heavens. Well-backed as the 2-1 second choice here, he bided his time toward the back as the frontrunners set a hot pace of :22.65 for the first quarter mile and :45.35 for the initial half-mile. Keeping off...
Delahaye closed powerfully to earn her first graded victory in the GIII Mint Julep S. Sunday at Churchill Downs. The even-money favorite was jostled between rivals at the break and was taken in hand to settle well off the pace as longshot Safeen went out to the early lead. Safeen was unchallenged through pedestrian splits, while Delahaye raced three wide with two horses beaten down the backstretch. The favorite rushed up into contention with a four-wide move approaching the stretch, inhaled the pacesetter inside the final furlong and strode clear...
A plan was hatched by owner Peter Lau and trainer Danny Shum as early as last June to set their multiple champion Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) on a course towards the G1 W S Cox Plate in Melbourne some four months later. Having departed Hong Kong in mid-September, the gelding endured a sub-optimal period in quarantine at Werribee until the Australian government approved the shipment of his regular feed from Hong Kong to Victoria and Romantic Warrior was an underdone fourth in the G1 Turnbull S. at Caulfield Oct....
2nd-Monmouth, $51,675, Msw, 6-1, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :51.92, ft, 4 lengths. OBLIGING (f, 2, Munnings--Humor Me Colonel, by Colonel John) was well-backed at the windows for this debut as the 1-10 choice. The filly sat just to the outside of longshot Apocalyptic (Cairo Prince) up the backstretch. Putting away the speed around the far turn, the 2-year-old galloped home under a hand ride to get her picture taken by four lengths over Teca (Improbable). The winner is a half-sister to Beautiful Empire (Classic Empire), SW-Can, SP-USA, $157,494. A half-sister...
Making his first trip to Penn National, Frankie Dettori completed a stakes double with a last-jump success aboard Qatar Racing and Hunter Valley Farm's First World War (War Front) in Friday's GIII Penn Mile. Sent off as the 33-10 third betting favorite behind last-out GII American Turf S. upsetter Trikari (Oscar Performance) and the twice-raced New York shipper Good Lord Lorrie (Hard Spun), the $285,000 Fasig-Tipton November weanling took up a position just behind midfield as 6-1 Set (Oscar Performance) galloped his rivals along through enervating fractions of :23.09 and...
Though she won the May 11 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies S. at Gulfstream, which qualifies the winner for a trip to the Royal Ascot meeting, Bullet (War Front) will be staying in North America, reports D J Stable's General Manager Jon Green. Horses that win the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies or the Royal Palm Juvenile S. are offered an automatic berth into a 2-year-old stakes at Royal Ascot plus a $25,000 travel allowance. Gabaldon (Gone Astray), the winner of the Royal Palm division for colts, will make his next start...
The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has offered several updates to morning training policies for fans during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga, the entity said in a Friday release. Fans may attend morning training at the main track between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. (all times Eastern) on Thursday, June 6 and Sunday, June 9, and can enter the venue only through Gates C and D. These gates are located at the intersection of Wright Street and Frank Sullivan Place, outside of the 1863...
The Belmont Child Care Association, Inc. (BCCA) will host its annual Spring Fling Hat Luncheon and Fashion Presentation on Thursday, June 6 at The Garden City Hotel, 45 7th St., Garden City, New York, the organization said in a release Friday. The luncheon will begin at 11:30 a.m. ET with a cocktail reception featuring two-tiered raffles and a luxury silent auction, followed by a seated luncheon. This year's online silent auction will feature a 2025 Belmont Stakes package, which includes a private luxury box for five. Online bidding opens Monday,...