Saratoga

C R K Stable and Grandview Equine's Baeza (McKinzie) worked over Saratoga's Oklahoma track Monday morning in advance of a start in Saturday's GI Belmont Stakes. With Flavien Prat aboard, the half-brother to Classic winners Mage (Good Magic) and Dornoch (Good Magic) reeled off splits of :24.89, :48.93 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:16.41, according to NYRA clockers. "I thought the work was very good, especially the way he moved over the racetrack," said Shirreffs Monday. "He is light on his feet. Everything he does is effortless." A winner...

The GI Belmont Stakes, presented by NYRA Bets will return to FOX Sports for its 157th edition, which takes place at Saratoga Race Course June 7. The third jewel in the Triple Crown highlights the Belmont Stakes Festival, which kicks off Friday with six graded stakes--including the GI Ogden Phipps and GI DK Horse Acorn Stakes. Saturday's Belmont Stakes card features seven additional graded stakes, including the GI Metropolitan and GI Woody Stephens. Pro Football Hall of Famer and longtime FOX NFL Sunday analyst Terry Bradshaw will make special appearances...

Accomplished artist Mark Tremonti will headline the entertainment lineup for the 2025 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced Monday afternoon. On Belmont Stakes day June 7, members of Tremonti's band will perform multiple trackside orchestral sets, culminating in Tremonti's vocal rendition of "New York, New York" before the running of the 157th GI Belmont Stakes. The day will include five Grade I events among eight gradeds total. Admission gates will open to the public at 9:00 a.m. with first post for the 14-race...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - It didn't take long for trainer Michael McCarthy to make the decision. After watching his long-striding colt Journalism (Curlin) gobble up the ground at Saratoga Race Course Sunday morning, McCarthy gave the thumbs up sign. Journalism is going to run in Saturday's 157th edition of the $2-million GI Belmont Stakes. "Based off what I saw here this morning, I would be hard-pressed to find a reason not to enter," McCarthy said after Journalism worked four furlongs in :47.54 on the main track with regular jockey Umberto...

GI Kentucky Derby third Baeza (McKinzie) arrived at Saratoga Race Course Thursday evening to prepare for his upcoming start in next weekend's GI Belmont Stakes. Trained by John Shirreffs, the half-brother to both Dornoch (Good Magic) and Mage (Good Magic) arrived at 8:45 p.m. from California along with the Doug O'Neill-trained Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief), who will likely enter the GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap. "He looks pretty bright coming off the van," said Shirreffs on Thursday evening. Of the colt's Derby effort, Shirreffs added: "I thought he ran...

Items from the estate of the late Virginia Kraft Payson, proprietor of Payson Stud in Lexington and Payson Park Training Center in Florida, will be offered over the course of five auctions via Bluegrass Auction, Appraisal & Realty in June. Showcasing Payson's extensive collections of fine jewelry, rare antiques, and numerous paintings and prints--some numbered and from limited runs--over 1,200 items will be put on offer June 15-22. Said works are by renown sporting artists like Henry Stull, Jenness Cortez, Fred Stone, and Peter Howell, and include topics such as...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) have placed Barn 85 at Saratoga Race Course under a 14-day precautionary quarantine until further notice due to a positive case of strangles in that barn. Strangles is a contagious bacterial infection that generally affects a horse's respiratory system and causes symptoms similar to those of strep throat in humans. When properly diagnosed and treated, strangles is not considered a life-threatening infection and horses recover fully. Barn 85 contains horses trained by Jeremiah Englehart and...

In 10 days, Frank Mirahmadi will be in the announcers' booth to call the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga, both on-track and for the national Fox broadcast. His best trick to combat the nerves? His imagination. "Once the big Fox broadcast starts, there's no question the adrenaline goes to a new level," said Mirahmadi, appearing as the Gainesway Guest of the Week on the TDN Writers' Room podcast, presented by Keeneland. "The key with the big races--and I've learned this over many years, it's almost 30 years now that I'm calling...

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will open two new special exhibitions and host several public events to coincide with the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival held June 4-8. The Museum's latest exhibits, A Look Through the Eyes and Life of Charlotte C. Weber and Greg Montgomery: 40 Years of the Travers Poster open to the public Wednesday, June 4. On exhibition in the Museum's McBean Gallery through Nov. 2, A Look Through the Eyes and Life of Charlotte C. Weber chronicles the remarkable journey in thoroughbred racing...

Racecaller Frank Mirahmadi is counting down the days until this year's Belmont at Saratoga. He joined this week's TDN Writers' Room to discuss the upcoming Classic event and share his fondest racing memories.

'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic), scratched from the GI Kentucky Derby with a foot bruise, worked seven furlongs in 1:24.80 (1/1) at Santa Anita Friday morning in preparation for the GI Belmont Stakes at Saratoga June 7. He previously worked four furlongs in :49 at Churchill Downs May 11. The front-running winner of the GII Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct Apr. 5 is trained by Bob Baffert and campaigned in partnership by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge...

GISW Scottish Lassie (McKinzie) continued her preparations for the GI DK Horse Acorn Stakes over the Oklahoma training track while 'TDN Rising Star' Shred the Gnar (Into Mischief) joined the discussion by officially being pointed for the contest set for June 6 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga. The former, trained by Jorge Abreu, breezed five panels alone Sunday morning in 1:04 flat shortly after the 8:15 a.m. renovation break. She was the only work at the distance on the day. "It was good, and more than enough,"...