Saratoga

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Last Friday, trainer David Jacobson watched as his ultra-consistent 5-year-old gelding Banishing (Ghostzapper) won the $1-million GII Charles Town Classic Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths. Jacobson is toying with the idea of bringing Banishing back to the races on Sunday to run in the $1-million GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes at Saratoga. All signs are pointing that way: the horse has already shipped up to the Spa and Jacobson entered Banishing in the race. He is among the nine horses that were entered Wednesday, which...

Looking to remain perfect while making her stakes debut, 'TDN Rising Star' Time to Dream (Not This Time) made short work of her rivals as she ran off to an easy victory in Saratoga's P.G. Johnson Stakes Wednesday afternoon. A headstrong Vernon Valley (Vekoma) went to the front from her outside draw while Time to Dream, breaking from post 1, settled at the back early through moderate early fractions of :24.03 and :49.21. Given the signal by Irad Ortiz Jr. exiting the far turn, the 3-5 choice was drawn to...

Jay Briscione, one of the six owners that make up Atlantic Six Racing, knows how lucky he has been. Some two years ago he and his partners privately bought a Jersey-bred son of Bucchero (Kantharos) out of a mare named Adorabella (Ghostzapper). At the time, Bucchero was an unproven sire and Adorabella never made it to the races. Briscione admits all he was looking for was a horse who could win New Jersey-bred races at Monmouth. What he got was a winning lottery ticket named Book'em Danno. It's been quite...

Jay Briscione is one of the lucky co-owners enjoying the ride of a lifetime with the fan-favorite New Jersey-bred Book'em Danno. He joined this week's TDN Writers' Room to share the story behind the gelding, who added a third straight graded win in this weekend's GI Forego Stakes, and discuss what's in store for his future.

8th-KD, $250K, Alw, (R), 2yo, f, 6fT, 5:23 p.m. ET. Patricias Hope and Carolyn Wilson's Sassy C W (Yaupon) looks for her fourth consecutive victory while trying the grass for the first time. Earning the TDN Rising Star tag when galloping off to an impressive 5 1/4-length victory at Churchill Apr. 30, the $350,000 OBS March grad made it two straight with a three-length score in Saratoga's Astoria Stakes in June. Favored when holding on to win by a neck in the 5 1/2-furlong Prairie Gold Lassie Stakes July 4,...

Snow Face Princess (Midshipman), Tuesday's Fasig-Tipton August Digital sales topper for Winchell Thoroughbreds, will head to Kentucky Downs, trainer Steve Asmussen confirmed to the TDN Wednesday. The recent winner of the 5 1/2-furlong Bolton Landing Stakes at Saratoga Aug. 17 will stretch out just a bit and target the $1-million Untapable Stakes Sept. 7 going 6 1/2 furlongs for her new connections. Winchell Thoroughbreds, whose Ron Winchell co-owns the unique track in Franklin, KY, bought the 2-year-old daughter of Crusin Alone (Honor Code) for $775,000 Tuesday. Snow Face Princess, who...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Fille d'Oro at Saratoga. Wootton Bassett Filly Paints The Spa Gold Gregory Hoffman's Fille d'Oro (Wootton Bassett) dashed home a debut winner at Saratoga on August 23 (video). Bred by Ecurie des Charmes and Haras d'Etreham, the filly was picked up for €330,000 at the Arqana August Yearling Sale by Clay Scherer and is trained by Brad Cox. The third foal out of...

The program "Students to the Starting Gate", an initiative tied to the donation of 500 backpacks containing essential school supplies to community-based organizations serving families in Queens, Nassau and Saratoga Counties, has been launched by the New York Racing Association, according to an organization release Monday. Beginning Tuesday, Aug. 26, NYRA staff and Saratoga's, Gallop, will visit Saratoga City Center at 5 p.m. to help distribute backpacks and school supplies to students at the 2025 Salvation Army Back to School Expo. Downstate, NYRA provided students in the Elmont Union Free...

Brad Cox is native son of Louisville, Kentucky and proud of it. He also never goes anywhere without his trademark blue and white Brad Cox baseball cap. Career dreams? Of course he has them. One of these days, he might even take a vacation. Brad sat down with the TDN's Tim Wilkin to talk about that and a whole lot more. Here is the final installment of the Saratoga Q&A TDN: You grew up two blocks from Churchill Downs, correct? Brad Cox: That is correct. TDN: And you got a...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - At 6:30 Sunday morning, Sovereignty (Into Mischief), the hero of the 156h GI, $1.25 million Travers Stakes, was out and about around the Hall of Fame barn of trainer Bill Mott at the Oklahoma Training Track The 3-year-old colt, fresh off his resounding 10-length win in the Travers, grazed in the courtyard at the barn, looking like he could run another 1 ¼ miles later in the day. The margin of victory is tied for the fourth largest in Travers history. Sovereignty's blowout win was the...

Legion Racing, MHM Stables, Ed Stefanski and William Conlin's  Carmel Coast (Omaha Beach), a 5 1/2-length debut winner at the Spa Aug. 10, will point to the GI Frizette Stakes on Oct. 4 at Belmont at the Big A, according to trainer Whit Beckman Sunday. The one-turn mile Frizette is part of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen series for the GI Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar. The connections opted to bypass the upcoming GI Spinaway on closing weekend. "We're going to wait for the Frizette," Beckman confirmed. "We knew she...

Head coaches from two Capital Region sports programs will be available for photo and autograph opportunities at Saratoga as part of Fan Appreciation Week festivities (Aug. 27 - Sept. 1), according to a New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) release Sunday. Siena Men's Basketball head coach Gerry McNamara and Siena Women's Basketball head coach Terry Primm will visit Saratoga on Wednesday, Aug. 27, while newly appointed Adirondack Thunder head coach Sylvain Cloutier will make an appearance on Friday, Aug. 29. Both meet-and-greets will take place from 2 p.m. until 3...