In an exhibition of pure sprinting prowess, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum's Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) brought all his power to bear on his rivals on Friday to register back-to-back successes in Goodwood's G2 King George Qatar S. Despite the contrasting ground conditions to the easy turf he encountered 12 months ago and the obvious questions posed by defeat in the June 19 G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, the bay attracted heavy support as the 8-11 favourite and was in front before he had raced two...
The 17th edition of the Claiming Crown, held Saturday at Gulfstream Park, generated total handle of $10,118,000--up 0.57% from 2014 despite rainy conditions which caused four races to be taken off the turf. Gulfstream was hosting the event for the fourth year. "We're extremely pleased with the success of Saturday's Claiming Crown," said P.J. Campo, General Manager of Gulfstream Park and Vice President of Racing for The Stronach Group. "We had big fields and tremendous participation from horsemen throughout North America. We're confident the numbers would have been even more...
The sales season looks a lot different these days for Dr. Barry Eisaman and his wife Shari. The husband-and-wife duo's Eisaman Equine was a fixture at the OBS sales for decades, but their shingle has been notably absent since 2023. With the pinhooking and consigning chapter closed, the Eisamans are now focusing on the other aspect of their business: breaking and training two-year-olds and rehabilitating older horses for some of the country's leading ownership groups. One morning earlier this month, as the breeze show was just getting started some 20...
By now, no doubt, it must be among my most wearily familiar complaints. Only last week, in fact, I was again lamenting the days when old-school trainers would start Classic campaigns round one turn, gaining sharpness and conditioning without entering a stress zone. Nowadays those benefits are forfeited by the twin imperatives of hiding horses in their stalls, even as they need GI Kentucky Derby points. Those points being unavailable in sprints, the defining test of the American Thoroughbred has duly been shorn of raw speed. Other traditionalists presumably shared...
St. Elias Stable, William H. Lawrence and Glassman Racing's Iron Honor (Nyquist) earned 50 points to the Kentucky Derby when winning Saturday's GIII Gotham at Aqueduct. According to Michele Dollase, assistant to trainer Chad Brown, the colt came out of the race in good order. "He came out of the race great. He ate up and looks good this morning," said Dollase. "We're on to the next race. As of right now, he is good. He came out of the race really good." Brown said post-race he will keep the...