Horse Racing

Francis X. "Buddy" Keegan, Jr., a New Jersey Racing Commissioner since 2006 and a breeder/owner who raced horses in the state since 1963, passed away on Thursday, June 5. He was 86. In addition to being a long-serving commissioner on the New Jersey Racing Commission, Keegan was president of the New Jersey Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, president of the New Jersey Horsemen's Association and was a patron of Monmouth Hunt. Keegan was also a member of the Thoroughbred Club of America, the Green Mountain Horse Association and the National Hunt Association....

Due to heavy rain impacting the Saratoga Springs region, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has moved Saturday's GI Jaipur Stakes and GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes to Sunday, according to a press release from the organization on Saturday morning. The Jaipur [ninth race], a "Win and You're In" for the GI Prevagen Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, and the Manhattan [12th race], which will be contested at nine furlongs on the inner turf rather than the originally scheduled 1 3/16 miles on the Mellon turf, will be run...

Klaravich Stables' Dynamic Pricing (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) beat Excellent Truth (Ire) (Cotai Glory {Ire}) to a spot at a crucial stage in Friday's GI Just A Game Stakes at a very soggy Saratoga and outstprinted the 8-5 chalk to the wire to give trainer Chad Brown his eighth victory in the one-mile contest in its last nine renewals and a fourth in succession. Half of those eight Just A Game winners were ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., but he elected to jump off the last-out GIII Beaugay Stakes...

'TDN Rising Star' Parchment Party (Constitution) slid on his duck boots and ran on nicely after making the GII Belmont Gold Cup as a 'main track only' entrant. With significant rainfall in the offing during the afternoon, the race was reduced one level when it was taken off the grass and cutback from two miles to one and three-quarters. Still, entries were prepared to chase the 'Golden Ticket' which offered the victor an automatic berth in the Nov. 4 running of the G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup worth more than AUD...

When last seen at Saratoga some 10 months ago, Asbury Park (GB) (c, 3, Frankel {GB}--Limonar {Ire}, by Street Cry {Ire}) took unsurprising action as the 8-5 favorite, passed several rivals in the lane but fell short in fifth and had been missing since. Returning Friday as the 7-5 favorite and bearing the silks of his breeder St Elias Stable, the fashionably bred colt was void of early speed from his middle draw and was dragged back to the latter third of the red-hot Flavien Prat through a driving rainstorm....

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 Hanshin Racecourse as 2-year-old racing kicks off the season on the Japan Racing Association circuit: Sunday, June 8, 2025 5th-HSN, ¥14,250,000 ($98k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400mT YU PHAROAH (c, 2, American Pharoah--Limari, by Medaglia d'Oro) cost trainer Hideyuki Mori $75,000 at...

A 2024 Eclipse Award finalist in the Female Sprinter category, Ways and Means (Practical Joke) chaired the GII Bed o' Roses Stakes session like a seasoned pro at the Spa on Friday afternoon. Named a 'TDN Rising Star' after debuting a winner by an eye-catching 12 3/4 lengths as a juvenile upstate that August, the filly last season turned in a sparkling performance when she netted the GI Test Stakes over the local course Aug. 3, and followed that up with a score in the GII Gallant Bloom Stakes at...

1st-Churchill Downs, $113,925, Msw, 6-6, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :52.09, ft, head. LILIES N PARADISE (f, 2, Maxfield--Why Oh You, by Yes It's True) was shoved across the line by Edgar Morales to become the second winner from the first crop to the races for her promising young sire (by Street Sense) in the Friday opener at Churchill Downs. Off only fairly from the three hole, the bay filly was hustled along to keep tabs on the leading trio, including Lael Stables' well-backed Pulstar (Kantharos), who made the running three...

Let go at odds just north of 9-1 for the customarily patient Bill Mott barn, Godolphin's Ragtime (Union Rags--Burmilla, by Storm Cat) went to hot favorite Endorse (Curlin) with less than a furlong to race in Friday's second race maiden at Saratoga and kicked home nicely to score by four lengths en route to a 'TDN Rising Star' badge. Drawn the rail for the Sovereignty connections, the homebred was away without incident beneath Junior Alvarado and made ground inside to sit just ahead of midfield and behind the four-strong leading...

Woodbine cancelled its Friday races due to poor air quality from wildfires in the area, the racetrack said in a press release. Environment Canada's air quality index for Toronto was listed as 'High Risk' Friday and was expected to remain at that level throughout the day. As of Thursday, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center said 201 fires were burning in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, with half of them considered "out of control." Woodbine Entertainment's decision to cancel came through consultation with the HBPA and the Alcohol...

During the running of the ninth race--the Mount Vernon Stakes--at Saratoga Race Course on Wednesday, the Todd Pletcher-trained SW Whatlovelookslike (English Channel) was pulled up and on Thursday the 6-year-old was humanely euthanized, according to a press release from NYRA VP of Communications Pat McKenna. The wearer of saddle cloth 10 was pulled up by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. after sustaining an injury to the right hind. The mare was immediately attended to by on-track veterinarians, who stabilized the injury and transported the Barry Schwartz-owned runner to Rood & Riddle...

The 22nd New Vocations All-Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show Presented by Heider Family Stables raised over $184,000, according to a press release from the organization. Proceeds from the event go directly to support New Vocations' efforts to rehab, retrain and rehome retiring racehorses. New Vocations' annual show brought together over 150 retired Thoroughbred racehorses from 14 different states, showcasing the versatility of the breed. Both familiar faces and new exhibitors competed in a variety of classes, including dressage, hunter, jumper, in-hand, Western, and pleasure. New additions to this year's show included...