Saratoga
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - As 'TDN Rising Star' Tennessee Belle (Yaupon) proved Saturday, flattery can come from both directions, who you beat and who you have lost to. When handicappers and bettors took a look at the past performances for the fourth race at Saratoga Race Course, $100,000 maiden special weight 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs, they saw that Tennessee Belle was a 3 1/4-length second in her debut on July 26. And that loss was to 'TDN Rising Star' Tommy Jo (Into Mischief), a most impressive maiden winner this...
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...
The right-hand man to Christophe Clement for nearly three decades, assistant trainer Christophe Lorieul will be presented with the inaugural D. Wayne Lukas award, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) announced Saturday. Created this year and to be given annually, the D. Wayne Lukas Award is presented to a New York-based assistant trainer who demonstrates qualities that the late Hall of Famer himself exemplified--dedication, a strong work ethic, and a high commitment to excellence. In addition to a trophy, the winner will receive a $10,000 award. The presentation will...
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...
Who's the current leader of the 3-year-old filly division? Featuring a rubber match between GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) and two-time GISW La Cara (Street Sense), we'll have our answer following a fantastic renewal of Saturday's GI Alabama S. at Saratoga. Good Cheer made it a perfect seven-for-seven for trainer Brad Cox with a powerful win on the first Friday in May, but never factored as the 1-4 favorite, finishing a lackluster fifth in the GI Acorn S. in the Saratoga slop June 6. The Godolphin homebred,...
4th-SAR, $100k, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 2:20p.m. ET A homebred for St Elias Stable, Nonna Teresa (Gun Runner) will head out for conditioner Todd Pletcher on what could turn into a very quality-heavy afternoon for debuting runners at The Spa. From the female line of the great Personal Ensign through third dam MGISW My Flag (Easy Goer), the chestnut is out of MGSW Teresa Z (Smart Strike), herself a half-sister to the dams of GSW-UAE Queen Azteca (Sharp Azteca) and MGSP Colorful Mischief (Into Mischief). Her final prep for this...
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - George Weaver, Javier Castellano and Belgian (Beau Laim) combined to make all the right moves Thursday that yielded an 11-length victory in the sixth race at Saratoga Race Course. When a mid-afternoon downpour forced the $100,000 maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds to be moved from the Mellon Turf Course to the main track, five of the nine horses entered were scratched. Weaver said he never considered taking Belgian, who he trains for Newtown Anner Stud Farm, out the contest. "He's handy enough on the dirt,"...
6th-SAR, $90K, Msw, (S), 2yo, 6f, 4:06 p.m. ET Froutien (Galilean), a $700,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training graduate, debuts against fellow New York-breds. The Tagermeen Racing colorbearer posted six workouts at Todd Pletcher's Monmouth Park base ahead of this debut run. From the first crop of MSW California-bred Galilean, he hails from the extended female family of MGISW 'TDN Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution). Froutien also changed hands for $95,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearling Sale and RNA'd for $160,000 at OBS March. TJCIS PPs
Mike Renfro caught 28 touchdowns during his eleven seasons in the NFL playing for the Houston Oilers and the Dallas Cowboys. Like most athletes, even after all these years, he misses those Sunday afternoons, the camaraderie with his teammates and the thrill of competition. But what would fill the void when he walked off the field for the last time in 1988? To Renfro, that's a very easy question to answer. He discovered horse racing. Thirty-seven years later, Renfro is part of the CJ Thoroughbreds ownership group, which has its...
9th-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-13, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:03.72, fm, neck. QUIET STREET (f, 2, Street Boss--Serene, by Tapit) overcame a rough start to win the Wednesday nightcap for the Sovereignty connections. A sneaky-live 6-1 from an 8-1 morning line, the homebred was pinched back from between horses at the break and was forced to travel from the rear, but was allowed to settle and was not ridden off her feet by Junior Alvarado. Last, but under a hold on the turn, Quiet Street swung into action seven or eight...
In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. The gone-too-soon, two-time GI Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic heroine and three-time champion Royal Delta (Empire Maker) left behind only one foal, the winning filly Delta's Royalty (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The future looks bright for the 8-year-old mare's second produce Noble Dynasty (c, 2, Kingman {GB}), who recorded a fantastic runner-up finish for Besilu Stables and Hall of Famer Bill Mott on debut going a mile over...
John and Leona Velazquez were publicly recognized for their longstanding commitment to the backstretch community at Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct on Wednesday when they received the Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson Award from the New York Race Track Chaplaincy at the 18th annual fundraising brunch at the Saratoga National Golf Club, the non-profit said in a press release on Wednesday afternoon. On hand to assist with the award presentation was Marylou's Whitney's daughter, Heather Mabee. The brunch set a new record for fundraising. "Anyone who has spent much time around...