Horse Racing

AUBURN, Wash.--The headline in the local edition of The Seattle Times on Wednesday, June 19, 1996 was full of elan as it fired off a bold prediction the day before the opening, "Racetrack Will Help Put Auburn On The Map." The building of Emerald Downs, which replaced the venerable and beloved oval at Longacres, was set to anchor development in the region and usher in a new era for the city which the paper said would attract "gamblers, shoppers and spectators." Some folks quoted were optimistic about the wiping away...

Laurelin (Ire) (Zarak {Fr}) issued a well-timed move down the lane to stroll home in the Memories of Silver Stakes at Aqueduct on Sunday afternoon. The Goffs September Yearling Sale grad who was picked out by Form Bloodstock donned cap and gown by 1 1/2 lengths on debut during the Belmont At The Big meet Oct. 13. Trainer Graham Motion then sent the filly into the Tepin Stakes over the same turf course Nov. 17 and the chestnut visited the winner's circle again. Taking a break, the 3-year-old went off...

7th-Aqueduct, $71,340, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($100,000), 4-27, 3yo, 1m, 1:36.58, ft, 3 1/4 lengths. GARAMOND (c, 3, Uncle Mo--Blue Watch, by Tapit) broke his maiden by 1 3/4 lengths on debut at Tampa Bay Jan. 25. The colt ran third to Flood Zone (Frosted) in the GIII Gotham Stakes Mar. 1 before going off as the 5-2 second choice here in a field that scratched down from eight to three. The homebred rolled from the word 'go' and gave 'TDN Rising Star' Cornucopian (Into Mischief) a dose of his own...

Arcadia Michigan Stable's Here Comes Francis, a son of the gone-too-soon Improbable, improved his record to two impressive victories from as many trips to the races, as the chestnut bossed a field of entry-level allowance rivals by 5 1/4 comprehensive lengths Saturday afternoon at Tampa Bay Downs, becoming the newest 'TDN Rising Star' for his efforts. He received an 89 Beyer Speed Figure. Having cost $100,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September sale, the Feb. 23 colt breezed his eighth of a mile in a slick :9 4/5 ahead of last...

Normandy Coast (Omaha Beach), winner of a rained-off renewal of the Listed Palisades Stakes at Keeneland on Apr. 6, was hammered down to owner Steven Judy for a final bid of $355,000 to top Friday's single-session Keeneland April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale. The auction took place following the conclusion of the final day of racing at the adjacent racetrack. A $60,000 purchase out of the 2023 Fasig-Tipton October Sale, Normandy Coast raced for Red Gate Racing and was trained by Eddie Kenneally to three wins from his five...

The European Athletics Championships of 1966 constituted the first major international sporting event where human athletes were officially drug tested. Driving this watershed moment was growing alarm that more and more athletes were turning to performance-enhancing drugs with near impunity and no small amount of personal risk. Several amphetamines were found in the system of Danish cyclist Knud Enemark Jensen after he collapsed mid-race at the 1960 Rome Olympics, fracturing his skull. He later died in hospital. Seven years after that, British cyclist Tommy Simpson collapsed and died during the...

7th-Keeneland, $110,000, Msw, 4-25, 3yo, 6f, 1:10.74, sy, 3/4 length. WILL TO PREPARE (c, 3, Game Winner--Hessie's Girl, by Giant's Causeway), a $185,000 Keeneland September purchase, was dismissed at 21-1 in what looked a fairly hot maiden on paper, including the $800,000 KEESEP grad Il Cavallino (Into Mischief), a half to MSW Botanical (Medaglia d'Oro), and Lifes Reward (Into Mischief), a homebred full-brother to MGISW 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good. The chestnut colt was beaten for speed and dropped out to race near the back of the pack early...

5th-Keeneland, $123,056, Alw, 4-25, (NW2$X), 4yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:38.58, yl, neck. SWEET REBECCA (f, 4, American Pharoah--Sweet N Discreet {SW & GSP, $366,447}, by Discreet Cat), a latest fifth to the commonly owned Pounce (Lookin At Lucky) in the GIII Lake George Stakes at Saratoga last July, led home a 1-2 finish for her Coolmore-based stallion in a salty allowance on closing day of the spring stand at Keeneland. Off at a penny shy of 4-1, the $250,000 Keeneland September yearling was given a positive ride by Flavien Prat and...

Kentucky Oaks hopeful and 'TDN Rising Star' Quietside (Malibu Moon), winner of the GII Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn, and the Kentucky Derby-bound Grande (Curlin), runner-up in the GII Wood Memorial Stakes at the Big A, worked at Keeneland on Friday. Quietside was clocked in :48.20 for a half-mile with her Oaks jockey, Jose Ortiz, in the saddle. "Jose and I had a plan to give her just a half-mile and easy gallop out just to keep her on her toes from here on out," trainer John Ortiz said. "She worked...

Equibase has enhanced the foreign past performance data with internal points of call information and short comments for the expected Japanese runners in the Kentucky Derby, the company said in a press release on Friday. Luxor Cafe (American Pharoah) has made six career starts in Japan--at Tokyo, Sapporo, and Nakayama racecourses--while Admire Daytona (Jpn) (Drefong) made five starts at Tokyo Racecourse prior to his win in the G2 UAE Derby at Meydan. "Our track and field team spent considerable time gathering race footage then charting the points of call and...

Dew Sweepers LLC's Tough Critic (Caravaggio), who came from well off the pace to graduate at first asking in a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint at Keeneland Apr. 24, is a late addition to tonight's Keeneland April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale, the sales department said via a Friday press release. Paramount Sales, agent, will consign the Apr. 29 foal as hip 89 to the auction, which kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET. Trained by George Weaver, the dark bay colt attracted the services of top rider Flavien Prat for...

Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Fierceness (City of Light) is pointing to the GII Alysheba Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard where it's possible he could duel with fellow Todd Pletcher trainee Locked (Gun Runner), according to a tweet by Fierceness owner Mike Repole on Friday. The message on Repole's account said, "Fierceness will be making his 4-year-old debut at Churchill Downs in the Alysheba Stakes. He will square off vs barn mate and super-talented multiple Grade I winner Locked! What a matchup! Racing fans wanted to see more older horses comeback...