Saratoga
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 victories of a quartet by Ballylinch Stud's Lope De Vega (Ire). Lope De Vega Filly Best At Saratoga Making her debut, Ozara (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) eked out a win at Saratoga for Cheyenne Stable, LLC and Christophe Clement (video). Bred by the Fleche D'Or Partnership, the bay was a 350,000gns yearling at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. The second...
NYRA officials scratched a pair of horses from the third race at Saratoga Friday because their last start, the GIII Robert G. Dick Memorial S. at Delaware, has seen four horses encounter problems in their next starts back. The Daily Racing Form was the first to report the story. Both of the top two finishers, winner Sopran Basilea (Night of Thunder {Ire}) and runner up Ever Summer (Summer Front) suffered fatal injuries over the Saratoga turf in the last week. Sopran Basilea finished fourth in the GII Glens Falls S. Aug. 3...
OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing and CMNWLTH's GI Kentucky Derby hero Mage (Good Magic) turned in his penultimate breeze ahead of his anticipated appearance in the Aug. 26, GI Travers S., going six furlongs in 1:12.98 over the Saratoga main track Friday morning under exercise rider J. J. Delgado. According to Daily Racing Form, Mage galloped out seven furlongs in 1:26.31 and was up the mile in 1:40.66. It was a stiffer breeze than last week, when he covered five furlongs in 1:01.03 over a track with a high...
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, Ellis Park and Del Mar and including any already-raced...
John Ortiz draws the analogy of playing cards to what it feels like going into a stakes race at Saratoga. Everyone keeps their hand close and you never can tell who might be bluffing. But the trainer of Brightwork (Outwork) may have let his poker face slip when he spoke with Irad Ortiz Jr. in the paddock ahead of the GIII Adirondack S. on Sunday. "I walked in there confident and with a smile," Ortiz shared. "Irad had worked her and I said, 'You know what you've got and I...
In the absence of Godolphin standout and GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf winner Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the role of morning-line favorite for Saturday's feature at Virginia's Colonial Downs fell to GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational winner Atone (Into Mischief). A Godolphin-bred gelded son of leading sire Into Mischief, the Michael Maker trainee, owned by Three Diamonds Farm, put a career best 103 Beyer Speed Figure to take down Brazilian standout Ivar (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 28. He'll stretch out to 1 1/4 miles...
5th-Saratoga, $88,000, (S), Msw, 8-10, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.93, ft, 3 lengths. MISS D'OR CHERIE (f, 2, Bolt d'Oro--Above Fashion {SW & GSP, $188,590}, by Paddy O'Prado) was drawn widest in a nine-strong field for Thursday's state-bred maiden at Saratoga and turned in a most professional debut effort to open her account at first asking. Outsprinted through the opening exchanges by Snarky (Redesdale), who won the break from the rail, the $300,000 OBS April acquisition showed ample early pace to sit right off the leader's flank from second. Inching closer...
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 Thursday at Saratoga: Friday, August 11, 2023 Ellis 7, $70k, 2yo, 6f,...
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- It turned out that a non-decision is precisely what settled who would ride GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) and GI Belmont S. winner Arcangelo (Arrogate) in the GI Travers. Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano rode both horses to their victories in the Triple Crown series and had his choice of which one to ride in the Travers on Aug. 26 at Saratoga Race Course. He holds the Travers record of six wins. Mage's trainer, Gustavo Delgado, asked Castellano on Monday to give him...
The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will offer a Late Pick 5 pool seeded with $100,000 on Saturday, at Saratoga Race Course. The additional money offered in Saturday's Late Pick 5 pool is to honor NYRA's commitment to horseplayers following extenuating circumstances on Sunday's card that saw three races taken off-the-turf late in the day which disrupted a number of multi-race wagers. Featuring a 15% takeout rate and 50 cent minimum, the Late Pick 5 is open to retail customers only and offered on every live race day at...
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Owning a very similar name and the same color, sire, owner and trainer, Mel's Baby Sister (Cross Traffic) was moved Wednesday into the stall occupied by the late Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic). Despite the names given to them by owner Bill Parcells, the NFL Hall of Fame coach, to honor trainer Melanie Giddings, Maple Leaf Mel and Mel's Baby Sister are not related. Maple Leaf Mel was on her way to victory in the GI Test S. Saturday when she suffered a catastrophic leg injury...
Klaravich Stables homebred Ways and Means wowed the crowd in her 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy debut on Sunday at Saratoga, but for the connections who have worked with the daughter of Practical Joke leading up to that 12 3/4-length romp, her impressive performance came as no surprise. Out of the Klaravich-campaigned stakes winner Strong Incentive (Warrior's Reward), Ways and Means was a standout at Dell Ridge Farm since the day she was foaled. Sent to Nick de Meric's in Ocala to go through her early training, again she was one of...