In an exhibition of pure sprinting prowess, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum's Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) brought all his power to bear on his rivals on Friday to register back-to-back successes in Goodwood's G2 King George Qatar S. Despite the contrasting ground conditions to the easy turf he encountered 12 months ago and the obvious questions posed by defeat in the June 19 G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, the bay attracted heavy support as the 8-11 favourite and was in front before he had raced two...
The 17th edition of the Claiming Crown, held Saturday at Gulfstream Park, generated total handle of $10,118,000--up 0.57% from 2014 despite rainy conditions which caused four races to be taken off the turf. Gulfstream was hosting the event for the fourth year. "We're extremely pleased with the success of Saturday's Claiming Crown," said P.J. Campo, General Manager of Gulfstream Park and Vice President of Racing for The Stronach Group. "We had big fields and tremendous participation from horsemen throughout North America. We're confident the numbers would have been even more...
Tom Amoss, a fixture of the American racing circuit for more than four decades, has announced that he will step down from his career as a trainer. After a storied 39-year career that saw him rise from the local ranks in Louisiana to the pinnacle of the sport with Grade I wins at Churchill Downs, Saratoga and Oaklawn Park, Amoss will officially hand over the management of his stable to head assistant Kinnon LaRose effective April 1. LaRose, who joined the operation in 2020, has served as Amoss's head assistant...
There is a no-frills air to George Weaver, evident in everything from his worn-in boots to the strictly utilitarian office in his Palm Beach Downs barn. Weaver has little interest in shouting his success from the rooftops. He'd rather let the horses do the talking. "I feel like your horses should do the advertising for you," Weaver said. "When they win, I think it tells everybody what you're about. We let the horses kind of tell us when they're ready to go. That always leads to the best success on...
Santa Anita Park will host friends of late trainer John Shirreffs for a Celebration of Life to be held Sunday, March 15 in the Chandelier Room from 1-3 p.m. The public gathering is open to all who knew the trainer during his tenure as a fixture on the Southern California racing circuit, including his many years at Santa Anita Park. Shirreffs passed away unexpectedly at age 80 on Feb. 12 in his Arcadia, CA home after a brief illness.
Fresh off an action-packed Saturday at Gulfstream Park, Bill Mott wasted no time returning to the routine at his Payson Park base. The Hall of Fame trainer was back on the track the following morning to oversee Horse of the Year Sovereignty (Into Mischief) progressing toward his 4-year-old debut. The Godolphin homebred worked four furlongs in company in :49.80. Mott described the breeze as "workmanlike," noting that it was exactly the type of effort he has come to expect from the three-time Grade I winner. "He's not a spectacular workhorse...