Saratoga Race Course

In Risk It (Gun Runner), who made his career debut in Saturday's first race at Saratoga, you had a horse by an exceptional sire, one who sold for $500,000 as a yearling, was taking money at the windows and is trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. He figured to be a runner, and he was. Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Risk It broke sharply, quickly opened up by two lengths on the backstretch and cruised home from there in a race that was never in doubt. A $136,5000 maiden special...

1st-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 8-18, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:11.29, my, 1 1/2 lengths. COREY AND QUINN (f, 3, Uncle Mo--Youcan'tcatchme {Ch. Female Sprinter-Can, MGSW, $425,710}, by The Daddy) debuted as the 7-5 favorite here and after yielding the front up the backstretch to Spun Special (Hard Spun), the bay filly took over the lead around the far turn. With a sixteenth left, she found more to turn back a charge from La Girvina (Girvin) to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Out of an extended female family which includes GI Kentucky Oaks...

"What's in a name?" Spurning Master Shakespeare and embracing anecdotal evidence, consider the tale of how Saratoga's Oklahoma Training Track got its name. Horsemen complained that the distance across Union Avenue to the main course was such a hike that it might as well be in Boomer Sooner land. Another piece from the past concerns the name of the Alabama S. Dating to 1872, the race was given that moniker after the Derby-winning owner William Cottrell of Mobile asked if it could be dubbed after his home state, instead of...

Throughout two weeks in early August at Saratoga, which included Whitney Weekend and the Fasig-Tipton sales, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) made a significant impact through multiple avenues, the organization reported in a press release late Thursday. NYRA's Community Outreach Booth showcased TAA's efforts and accomplishments. Honored with the distinction of having two named races on Aug. 5-6, drawing attention to their vital work. Received a $25,000 donation from James and Shari Ough. Facilitated a memorable experience for the winners of the VIP package in the Off to the Races...

The tough old pro Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) has now won four Grade I races, plus two more graded stakes over a career that began in 2018. There's been a lot of highlights, but for his co-owner Lee Einsidler, one stands out, and it is last Saturday's win at Saratoga in the GI Fourstardave H. To get the inside story on this year's Fourstardave and the remarkable career of Casa Creed, Lee Einsidler joined us this week on the TDN Writers' Room podcast sponsored by Keeneland. He was the Green...

During the Wednesday running of race five at Saratoga Race Course, a $50,000 starter allowance going nine furlongs over the turf, Wisecraken (McCraken) sustained a catastrophic injury to his right hind leg, Pat McKenna, NYRA's Vice President of Communications, said via email Wednesday afternoon. Despite the immediate response of on-site veterinarians, the horse was humanely euthanized due to the severity of the injury. The 3-year-old gelding owned by Ironhorse Racing Stable LLC was trained by Michelle Nevin and ridden by Ricardo Santana, Jr., who was uninjured.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y. - Katsumi Yoshida's Defining Purpose (Cross Traffic) brings a solid resume and a sounds-like-fiction backstory to the GI Alabama S. on Saturday. Now owned by one of the world's top breeding operations, Yoshida's Northern Farm, the gray 3-year-old filly was rejected by buyers when she was offered at sale as a short yearling at Keeneland in January 2021. Colette VanMatre, the Indiana businesswomen who runs a tiny breeding business, decided she would race Defining Purpose. Last year, VanMatre reached out to trainer Kenny McPeek, who agreed...

It wasn't that Deterministic (Liam's Map) blew away the field in Saturday's fifth race at Saratoga, enroute to earning 'TDN Rising Star' honors. The $625,000 Keeneland September purchase won by just a half-length over 24-1 shot Hurricane Nelson (Khozan). But considering who he beat and how he did it, Deterministic very well may have a bright future. "There's so much promise when you win a race like this," said co-owner and NYRA Board member Steven Duncker. "This was a war out there today. Everybody liked their horses and they ran...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - After an electrifying renewal of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearling Sale just five days ago, the action returns to the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion Sunday evening for the company's New York-Bred Yearlings Sale. Bidding begins at 7 p.m. with a session of 100 catalogued yearlings and is followed Monday by a session of a further 264 yearlings which begins at 12 p.m. "People seem very eager to buy horses," Don Robinson said between all-shows at his Winter Quarter Farm consignment Saturday morning. "Hopefully it carries over...

4th-CNL, $60K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1 1/16mT, 3:00 p.m. A $700,000 Ylg FTSAUG purchase, INTEGRATION (Quality Road) debuts for Shug McGaughey. Out of 2016 GI Del Mar Oaks heroine Harmonize (Scat Daddy), who was campaigned and bred by Larkin Armstrong, this 3-year-old colt hails from a deep, extended female family which includes MGSWs like Al Khali (Medaglia d'Oro), Cappuchino (Capote) and Hungry Island (More Than Ready), plus GI Diana S. heroine and MGSW Somali Lemonade (Lemon Drop Kid) and MGISW Verrazano (More Than Ready). TJCIS PPs 5th-SAR, $136K, Msw, 2yo, 7f,...

It was a performance worth waiting for. Rescheduled from the end of last Friday's rain-cancelled card, the GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. finally got its day on course as 'TDN Rising Star' Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) drove right on past his opposition to pick up his first graded-stakes win. Second by a head on debut Jan. 21 to another 'Rising Star' in GI Belmont Derby winner Far Bridge (English Channel), the Chad Brown trainee responded with 8 3/4-length rout over the Gulfstream green...

After a deluge of rainfall this past week in the Saratoga Springs area, last Friday's $500,000 GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. for 3-year-old colts at a mile over the grass was postponed seven days, as an interesting mix of American and European invaders reconvene on the Inner Turf. With conditions which could be soft to yielding, trainer Chad Brown saddles three entries with GISP Appraise (Ire) Kodiac {GB}), Mischievous Angel (Into Mischief) and Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), while also present is the winner...