Joel Rosario

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--For 41 straight years, Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey had found his way to the winner's circle at Saratoga Race Course. The way things had been going this summer, he was starting to think his streak of at least one win at the Spa was going to come to a screeching halt. Five Bars (Maxfield) split through rivals late and emerged victorious in Saturday's third race at Saratoga, a $100,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs. When the Stuart Janney homebred won the...

A sneaky 9.90-1 chance while making her debut in what appeared to be a typically salty Travers Day maiden, Stuart Janney III's Five Bars (f, 2, Maxfield--Secure Connection, by Data Link) was broadsided bilaterally and pinched back at the break and raced near the back of the pack into the final quarter mile of Saturday's third race from the Spa, but went through her gears and split rivals late to score narrowly, nicely enough to be named the afternoon's second 'TDN Rising Star'. Drawn gate four, Five Bars was smashed...

A good two-horse battle on the tote ended up being a one-horse affair on the Saratoga main track, as Boyd Racing's second-time starter Tennessee Belle (f, 2, Yaupon--Belle Gallantey, by After Market) put away her well-backed chief market rival Nonna Teresa (Gun Runner) approaching the stretch and powered through the lane to graduate by 7 1/4 lengths Saturday afternoon. At one point separated by just $3,000 on the board, the $75,000 Keeneland November weanling turned $160,000 Fasig-Tipton February yearling was ultimately sent off as the 1.05-1 favorite clear of 2-1...

Jockey Luis Rivera, Jr. was transported to Saratoga Hospital after his mount in Friday's eighth race at Saratoga, Rock Harbor (Exaggerator), fell inside the final furlong of the one-mile claiming event over the inner turf course. Rivera was sent for evaluation of his left leg and hip, according to a release from the New York Racing Association's Patrick McKenna. Rivera's agent, Jimmy Riccio, later posted an update on X to say the rider was sore, but uninjured. Really happy to say that @jockeylriverajr avoided injury. Thank God for that and...

Flavien Prat has been suspended by the Saratoga stewards for three days as a result of his ride aboard race favorite Zulu Kingdom (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) in Friday's GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes. Though Prat crossed the line 1 1/2-lengths in front of runner up Luther (GB) (Frankel {GB}), he was ultimately disqualified from the win for causing what the stewards deemed as interference on the first turn of the one-mile race. Joel Rosario, the jockey aboard Luther, lodged an objection following the race and the...

Luther (GB) (Frankel {GB}) crossed the line a clear second to hot favorite Zulu Kingdom (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) in Friday's featured GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga, but endured a year's worth of trouble in running and was ultimately promoted to the victory by the stewards. Taken back to the rear of the field as Mi Bago (Vekoma) stole away up front, the Tattersalls October graduate was bumped soundly into the first turn by longshot Tiz Dashing (Tiz the Law) and was relegated to...

SARATOGA SPRINGS - On Saturday, there were three $100,000 maiden special weight races at Saratoga Race Course. All of them were won by a 2-year-old with prior experience. On Sunday the beat continued as Malus (Into Mischief) rolled to a three-length win in his second career start. Originally scheduled for the Mellon Turf Course at 5 1/2 furlongs, it was moved to the main track at the same distance because of Saturday rain. And it was just what Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher ordered. Malus, ridden by Hall of...

Saturday at Saratoga, while stuck in Mother Nature's crosshairs, provided trainer Chad Brown a tenth GI Diana Stakes victory with Excellent Truth (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) and saw 'TDN Rising Star' Far Bridge (English Channel) dominate the GII Bowling Green Stakes. With their charges emerging from the efforts in good shape, the connections are tentatively looking to the future. In the Brown camp, Excellent Truth's effort only served to strengthen what the conditioner already believed going into the contest--that his mare was one of the best in the country. After...

6th-Saratoga, $90,000, (C), Msw, 7-3, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:05.46, ft, 5 1/2 lengths. IRON ORCHARD (f, 2, Authentic--Onebrethatatime {MSP, $133,283}, by Brethren) went off heavily favored at 3-5 facing auction-restricted maidens as a New York-bred. As advertised right from the break, she was quickly solo on the lead through the opening strides and dealt only with minor pressure up the backstretch from second-time starter Winrooski (Win Win Win). Shrugging that rival off as the half went in :46.37, Iron Orchard came home on cruise control under a motionless Joel...

Ed Seltzer, Beverly Anderson and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's LOVE CERVERE (f, 3, Into Mischief--Panther Strike, by Black Minnaloushe) had several rivals to pass entering the final furlong of Saturday's inaugural Take The A Train Stakes at Aqueduct, but took flight and motored home down the center of the track to become the 174th stakes winner for her all-conquering sire while giving trainer Christophe Clement and jockey Joel Rosario a sweep of the afternoon's black-type contests on the grass. A latest fifth as the favorite in the Sanibal Island Stakes at...

Returning to the scene of his victory in last year's GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, LSU Stables' 'TDN Rising Star' Far Bridge (English Channel) stamped his authority on Saturday's GII Man o' War Stakes at Aqueduct, defeating his chief market rival Anglophile (English Channel) by a deceptively easy margin. The prohibitive favorite was given a dig away from the stalls by Joel Rosario to open up his early options, but when longshot Decanter (Kitten's Joy) and Capture the Flag (Quality Road) elected to go on with it, Far Bridge was...

Under what was described as "perfect conditions" by analyst Kaitlin Free, a busy Saturday morning at Churchill Downs ensued as seven GI Kentucky Derby contenders logged published workouts for the "Run for the Roses" and a pair of GI Kentucky Oaks contenders also drilled for their connections, according to a press release from the track on Saturday morning. The tab included top Derby point getter Burnham Square (Liam's Map), who went a half-mile in :49.40 under pilot Brian Hernandez Jr. Trained by Ian Wilkes, the GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes...