training title

Shifting his tack to Churchill Downs for the 26-day Fall Meet, Irad Ortiz Jr. rounded out the session with 46 wins, including two landed on Sunday's closing day. The mark represented the most wins at the meeting since Julien Leparoux won 63 races "It's been very successful since moving to Kentucky," Ortiz Jr. said. "It's been great to be able to ride for so many new owners and trainers. I'm very thankful for everyone who's helped us get to where we are." Represented by Steve Rushing, Ortiz' most notable wins...

When the Belmont at the Big A fall meet wrapped Sunday, it was a familiar name leading the trainer standings as Chad Brown captured his 36th individual training title on the New York Racing Association (NYRA) circuit. The 32 wins at the Belmont fall meet--which ran from Sept. 11 through Nov. 2--marked his 14th consecutive Belmont fall title. "My team has done an unbelievable job--not only my team at Belmont, but my surrounding teams when we ship horses in--everyone has contributed," said Brown. "We have a diverse group of horses...

The 29-day Santa Anita Hollywood Meet wrapped up Sunday with Antonio Fresu winning the jockey's title, Phil D'Amato as top trainer and Nick Alexander as leading owner. For Fresu, this was his first jockey's title at Santa Anita. The 33-year-old native of Italy has been riding in the U.S., specifically the Southern California circuit, since April 2023. Fresu ended the Hollywood Meet with 34 wins from 152 mounts (22%) to finish four wins clear of runner-up Juan Hernandez. Fresu also had five stakes wins to lead all jockeys. At last...

The Aqueduct Racetrack spring meet, which ran from Apr. 3 to Apr. 27, concluded with jockey Kendrick Carmouche earning his fourth riding title at a New York Racing Association's meeting. Carmouche led all other riders to secure his second Big A spring meet riding title with 21 wins after collecting his 4,000th career win Apr. 5. The 41-year-old claimed his second Aqueduct spring meet title after clinching the 2022 meeting with 19 wins. He completed the meet with a 73-21-9-17 record and earnings of $1,144,463, good for a win rate...

Jockey Jaime Rodriguez won twice on Monday's Memorial Day holiday program to clinch his first riding title at historic Pimlico Race Course, while Brittany Russell left Old Hilltop with her third straight leading trainer crown at the Preakness Meet. Rodriguez won 12 times, three more than runners-up Jorge Ruiz and Sheldon Russell. "It was a tight race for me. Everybody was pretty much even. It was fun," Rodriguez said. "All the horses ran good." It is the fifth riding title in Maryland for Rodriguez, who earlier this year won Laurel...

The partnership of Roger Spiess' Spiess Stable and Randy Klopp rounded out the 2022 season at Horseshoe Indianapolis with 31 wins, bringing their purse earnings to just shy of the $1 million mark to earn their second consecutive title for Leading Thoroughbred Owner at the Shelbyville oval. The earnings tally of $979,041 for 2022 sets a new record for most purse earnings recorded by an owner of either breed in track history. "I'd have to say winning the $250,000 stakes [with Latigo] was the highlight of the year for us,"...

Mike Maker, with 42 training titles at Kentucky's five racetracks, is very much a contender this summer for the coveted prize at Saratoga Race Course. A remarkable stretch of nine wins from 25 starters last week pushed Maker to the top of the table with 14 wins in the first 14 days of the 40-day season. He had at least one winner in each of the five racing days of the week and his stable hit the board at a 72% rate. That run of success enabled Maker to finish...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Though he is quick to dismiss any talk that he might win the trainer's title at Saratoga Race Course, veteran Christophe Clement acknowledges that most everything has gone very well for his stable in the first half of the season. Entering Wednesday's card, the midway point of the 40-day meet, Clement was second, two wins behind Todd Pletcher, in the competitive standings with 15 victories, matching his career-best at the Spa in 2015. He already has a personal-best six stakes wins. The Clement runners top the...

Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen surpassed Dale Romans as the winningest trainer in the history of Churchill Downs Friday, sending out Drop Dead Gorgeous (Strong Mandate) to win the opening race on the program. The victory was his 738th at the historic Louisville oval. "If anyone knows American horse racing, they know what Churchill Downs means to the sport," Asmussen said. "This is a very significant honor. I know the people who have been in this spot before, and been here consistently, and for us to have won the most...