Pimlico

For the GI Preakness S., which is scheduled to take place Saturday, Oct. 3, The Stronach Group and 1/ST LIVE have partnered with Baltimore's Darin Atwater and his Soulful Symphony, which will orchestrate the musical transformation of traditional Preakness moments, including the National Anthem, Riders Up, and the Call to Post. Three-time Grammy winner Wyclef Jean will join the festivities and use the platform that would have included the traditional "Maryland, My Maryland" performance to instead reimagine a unique piece. American jazz musician and Lady Gaga's band leader Brian Newman...

L. William & Corinne Heiligbrodt's Yaupon (c, 3, Uncle Mo--Modification, by Vindication), an impressive last out winner of Saratoga's GII Amsterdam S. Aug. 29, made it a perfect four-for-four with a powerful, front-running victory while equaling the stakes record in Thursday's GIII Chick Lang S. at Pimlico. The 3-5 favorite blasted out to the front from his outside draw, and was ridden along by John Velazquez to hold a narrow advantage. He began to shake free as they straightened for home and wasn't for catching in the stretch, rolling to...

Despite losing the ultra-talented GISW Volatile (Violence) to an untimely injury in late September, the Hall of Fame Steve Asmussen barn still has another big bullet to fire in the sprint division in the form of the up-and-coming unbeaten sophomore Yaupon (Uncle Mo) in Thursday's GIII Chick Lang S. at Pimlico. The L. William and Corinne Heiligbrodt colorbearer, a $255,000 OBS June acquisition (:10), made it a perfect three-for-three in front-running fashion while making his stakes debut in Saratoga's GII Amsterdam S. last time Aug. 29. The Chick Lang 4-5...

At this stage exactly four weeks ago, trainer Tom Drury, Jr. was sitting pretty with Art Collector (Bernardini), who figured the solid second choice in the GI Kentucky Derby four days hence. But, as happens all too often in this game, fate intervened, and 24 hours later, Bruce Lunsford's homebred was a high-profile defection from the Run for the Roses. A month later, the colt will again try to play the role of spoiler, this time as the morning-line 5-2 second favorite to Derby hero Authentic (Into Mischief) in Saturday's...

GI Kentucky Derby hero Authentic (Into Mischief) was assigned gate nine in a field of 11 and was installed the 9-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday' GI Preakness S. at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. John Velazquez has the return call on Authentic, who goes for a third consecutive victory at the Grade I level, having beaten Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic) in the GI TVG.com Haskell S. before defying those who concluded he would not stay the 10 furlongs of the Derby by outfighting heavily favored Tiz the Law (Constitution) beneath...

Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic) was named likely to make the line-up for Saturday's GI Preakness S. at Pimlico following a four-furlong work in :48 flat (2/88) at Churchill Downs Sunday. "Most likely he's going to go, but tomorrow we'll make the decision," trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said. "We were very happy with the work." Ny Traffic came up a nose short of Authentic (Into Mischief) when second in the July 18 GI TVG.com Haskell S. Sunday's work was his first since finishing eighth behind that rival in the Sept. 5...

A trio of candidates for the GI Preakness S. at Pimlico Oct. 3 turned in their final serious moves Saturday morning at Churchill Downs. Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector (Bernardini), who was forced to miss the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby owing to a minor foot injury, tuned up for the final leg of this year's reconstituted Triple Crown by drilling a half-mile in :48 flat with big-race rider Brian Hernandez, Jr. in the saddle. The GII Toyota Blue Grass S. and Runhappy Ellis Park Derby hero was caught in fractions...

Jaxon Traveler (c, 2, Munnings--Listen Boy, After Market) shot out to the front and left them all in the dust, romping to a 'TDN Rising Star' performance on debut at Pimlico Friday. The even-money favorite, a $140,000 purchase by West Point Thoroughbreds and Marvin Delfiner after breezing in :10 flat at the postponed OBS April Sale, was working bullets at Steve Asmussen's Belmont base, including a five-furlong move from the gate in :59 3/5 (1/18) Sept. 13. The dark bay raced under pressure early, but appeared to be doing it...

Even as Pimlico Race Course opened Sept. 24 for its two-weekend, GI Preakness S. mini-meet, work was being done at Laurel Park to prepare for a return to a four-day weekly schedule when the Oct. 8-Dec. 31 meet resumes there. "It's all systems go up here at Pimlico. We're trying to get the old mare looking good for NBC, and we're looking forward to a really good event," Sal Sinatra, the president of the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC), which owns both tracks, told Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) members during Thursday's...

William H. Lawrence's Liveyourbeastlife (Ghostzapper), the runner-up in the GII Jim Dandy S. at Saratoga Sept. 5, worked five-eighths in :59.89 (3/9) Thursday over the Belmont Park main track in preparation for the GI Preakness S. Oct. 3. Trainer Jorge Abreu said that the dark bay would be supplemented to the third and final leg of the Triple Crown. "He breezed really well today," Abreu said. "He went in :59 4/5, which is something he's never done before. We're going to take a shot." Liveyourbeastlife, a $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Florida Select...

GI Alabama winner Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) remains possible to contest the GI Preakness S. at Pimlico Oct. 3. "It's going to depend on who shows up," said trainer Ken McPeek. "We are also nominating her to the [GI] Spinster [Oct. 4] and she's been invited to the [GI] QEII [Oct. 10]. We're shopping it, that's all. We have three good choices. My strong preference would have been a 3-year-old filly Grade I [on dirt], but there isn't one out there." Both alternatives to the Preakness, the nine-furlong Spinster for fillies...

For the fourth consecutive year, the Maryland Jockey Club is offering the $100,000 Sentient Jet Trainer Bonus to horsemen that accumulate the most points during stakes races over GI Preakness S. weekend, Oct. 1-3 at Pimlico Race Course. Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen captured the $50,000 prize in both 2017 and 2018 but finished second to Brad Cox in 2019. Led by the 145th running of the Preakness, presented this year as the final jewel in a refashioned Triple Crown and a "Win and You"re In" qualifier for the...