Saratoga

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY -- Never shy about being a promoter, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas did not have to use his best pitch as he looked ahead to the GI Personal Ensign S. on Aug. 25 where he will saddle Secret Oath (Arrogate). Always an important race that draws the top older dirt fillies and mares, the $500,000 Personal Ensign will once again have a strong lineup on Friday. Champion Nest (Curlin) and Clairiere (Curlin), who ran 1-2 in the GII Shuvee S. on July 23 are the...

7th-DMR, $82K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 8:15 p.m. A filly whose pedigree needs no introduction, TAMARA (Bolt d'Oro) is the latest foal out of MGISW Beholder to make the races for Spendthrift Farm and trainer Richard Mandella. Beholder, now a graded-stakes producer with Teena Ella (War Front), saw her youngest foal by Curlin bring a sale-topping $4,000,000 at last week's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. Out of blue hen Leslie's Lady, she is of course a half-sister to GISW Mendelssohn and leading general sire Into Mischief. Drawn on the...

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at both Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes highlights debuting 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. To follow are the horses entered for Saturday at Saratoga, Del Mar and Ellis Park: Saturday, August 19, 2023...

Friday's first race at Saratoga is named in honor of Bob Coglianese, the late NYRA track photographer who passed away in December. Coglianese, who would have been celebrating his 89th birthday, spent more than half of a century documenting racing history. Friends from his decades at the track are welcome to join in the winner's circle presentation following the race and all are encouraged to turn their attention to the on-track screens for a video tribute. If you would like to honor his legacy, the Coglianese family recommends donations to...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - In an atypical move, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said that GIII Saratoga Special S. runner-up Market Street (Street Sense) will likely make his next start on grass in the Aug. 31 GIII With Anticipation S. Lukas, 87, built his exceptional career with dirt horses and most years saddles far fewer horses on the grass. So far in 2023, just six of his 193 starters (3%) have run on turf. Since the beginning of 2019, 11.9% of his starters have been on turf. His...

Art Collector (Bernardini), a winner of eight stakes, including the 2023 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational and the 2021 GI Woodward S., was euthanized Thursday in Saratoga after developing laminitis. Horse Racing Nation was first with the story. "This was sudden and a tough experience for me and my wife," said owner-breeder Bruce Lunsford. "I can summarize this pretty easily. He gave me my highest highs in this business and now my lowest low. That's as simple as I can put it. He will be in my brain and my...

6th-ELP, $70K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, 3:18 p.m. Live Oak Plantation's CHARLOTTESAPPROVAL (Into Mischief) makes it to the races Friday afternoon at Ellis Park in her first start since bringing $1,000,000 as a yearling at last year's Fasig-Tipton New York Select Yearling Sale. She is the second foal out of MGSW Curlin's Approval (Curlin). Racing out of the Mark Casse barn, she fired a bullet drill two back, going four furlongs from the gate in :47 3/5 (1/16) July 6 and most recently went another four furlongs in :48 4/5...

Coming in off a gate-to-wire victory in the Tyro S. on July 30, No Nay Mets (Ire) (No Nay Never) looks to extend his record to three-for-four in Friday's Skidmore S. at Saratoga. Trainer George Weaver was so impressed with his juvenile pupil's recent performance at Monmouth Park that he decided to send the two-time stakes winner to another start less than three weeks after seeing the winner's circle. "It's hard early on with these 2-year-old races to know exactly what you're running against, but when you win by five...

   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 Activist Investing in a Saratoga race last weekend. Kingman Colt Doubles Up In New York The Klaravich Stables/Chad Brown axis combined with Saratoga winner Activist Investing (GB) (Kingman {GB}) on Sunday (video). Already a winner during the Belmont at Aqueduct meet third out last October, the son of Astronomy's Choice (GB) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) was bred by Robin Geffen. Joining the Klaravich fold...

6th-Saratoga, $115,000, Alw, 8-16, (NW1$X), 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:09.86, ft, 5 lengths. THREE RIVERS (f, 3, American Pharoah--Flying Spur {GISP, $198,821}, by Giant's Causeway) delivered on debut with a 1 3/4-length victory downstate June 24, good for a 78 Beyer, and stayed perfect with a sharp score here. The 5-2 chance mixed it up on the front end through fractions of :22.18 and :45.29 and blasted off into the stretch to win going away by five lengths. Portage (Tonalist) was second. Mike Rutherford homebred and distant GI Kentucky Oaks third-place...

Godolphin's Cody's Wish (Curlin), third in the nine-furlong GI Whitney Aug. 5 at Saratoga, is expected to return to one-turn racing this fall at the Belmont at the Big A meet, according to Michael Banahan, Director of Bloodstock for Godolphin. A potential landing spot for the 5-year-old could be the seven-furlong GII Vosburgh S. for 3-year-olds Sept. 30, a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint in November at Santa Anita. Banahan indicated that the Vosburgh could also be used as a steppingstone to the GI Dirt...

Blue Rose Farm's Arcangelo (Arrogate) posted a five-furlong breeze in 1:01.63 over the Saratoga's main track under Javier Castellano in preparation for the Aug. 26 GI Travers S. Trainer Jena Antonucci said she was pleased with the GI Belmont S. winner's work, which served as a maintenance breeze after he covered the same distance in 1:00.21 on Aug. 6. "It went super. It was everything we were looking for," Antonucci said. "The big heavy lifting was in the prior work, so we'll just keep his feet on the ground for...