Whit Beckman

The Belmont Pledge, an initiative led by a group of trainers committed to supporting retired racehorses beyond their racing careers, will return ahead of the third leg of the Triple Crown, it was announced Wednesday. Trainers Michael McCarthy, George Weaver, Whit Beckman and Amelia Green have once again pledged a portion of their earnings from the Belmont Festival to benefit the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and its mission of providing dignified lifetime care to retired Thoroughbreds. "I am heartened by the support from Michael, George, Whit and Amelia," TRF's Executive Director...

LAUREL, MD--Napoleon Bonaparte was reputed as saying "Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools." Never was a phrase more appropriate aprospos than the lead up to Saturday's GI Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park. Given the absence of both the Kentucky Derby winner and runner-up, it seemed like everyone and his brother emerged on the scene to take a shot at the second leg in the Triple Crown. While several contenders may have seemed like they may have been stretching to get the distance or...

The same trainer-jockey combination Whit Beckman and Tyler Gaffalione teaming up with GI Preakness entrant Ocelli later in Saturday's card, enjoyed a victory earlier in the day when Bring the Smoke got up just in time to take the GIII Maryland Sprint Stakes at Laurel. The most lightly-raced 4-year-old with only three prior starts under his belt, Bring the Smoke, getting blinkers off this time, was given a 7-1 chance while stepping into black-type company for the first time in his career. Breaking from Post 1, he was pinned back...

As the industry-wide debate over the Triple Crown's spacing grows increasingly loud, Whit Beckman is choosing to listen to his horse. Ocelli (Connect), the gutsy colt who defied 70-1 odds to finish third in the GI Kentucky Derby after drawing into the big event just two days beforehand, is one of three Derby contenders preparing to take on the second leg of the Triple Crown. Should he find the winner's circle, he would become the first maiden to win the GI Preakness Stakes since 1888. Beckman's confidence to swim against...

 Ocelli (Connect), third in the GI Kentucky Derby as a maiden and the biggest longshot in the field of 18 at odds of 70-1, is now under consideration for the 151st GI Preakness Stakes May 16 at Laurel Park. Trainer Whit Beckman on Tuesday upgraded Ocelli's likelihood for the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown from "extremely unlikely" on Sunday to "maybe" Tuesday. "If you look at it from a pace perspective, it could go as fast as the Derby," Beckman said. "He's doing great. That's the only reason I'm...

With nominations for the $500,000 Virginia Derby closing Wednesday, Feb. 25, GSW Incredibolt (Bolt d'Oro) and Ocelli (Connect) have emerged as likely starters, Colonial Downs said in a press release on Friday. The 1 1/8-mile Virginia Derby will be run Saturday, Mar. 14, highlighting Colonial Downs's three-day meet held Mar. 12-14. Nominations for all seven opening week stakes also close Feb. 25. Held just under two months from the GI Kentucky Derby, the Virginia Derby awards 50-25-15-10-5 qualifying points to the top five finishers toward a berth in the "Run...

6th-SA, $70K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 6:12 p.m. ET. While a good portion of the country is tossing another log on the fire in an attempt to stave off the frigid temperatures, out in toasty Arcadia a group of maidens led by some intriguing prospects have assembled for a hot race. Chief among them is POTENTE (Into Mischief) who Speedway Stables made the second topper when they went to $2.4-million to acquire the colt at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. Sent to trainer Bob Baffert, the first-time starter is out...

Trainer Brad Cox's outfit was like a hen on a June bug towards the end of Keeneland's 'Fall Stars' meet and subsequently kept pouncing on wins at Churchill, Horseshoe Indy and Aqueduct as the calendar flipped to the more autumn-like weather of November. Louisville's favorite son collected 20 winner's circle visits across 61 starts from Oct. 21 on, which included a Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) playlist in the GIII Hagyard Fayette Stakes, an Oaks points deposit for Life of Joy (Gun Runner) in the Rags to Riches Stakes and...

Legion Racing, MHM Stables, Ed Stefanski and William Conlin's  Carmel Coast (Omaha Beach), a 5 1/2-length debut winner at the Spa Aug. 10, will point to the GI Frizette Stakes on Oct. 4 at Belmont at the Big A, according to trainer Whit Beckman Sunday. The one-turn mile Frizette is part of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen series for the GI Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar. The connections opted to bypass the upcoming GI Spinaway on closing weekend. "We're going to wait for the Frizette," Beckman confirmed. "We knew she...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Though she wasn't exactly perfect leaving the gate in her career debut Sunday, Carmel Coast (Omaha Beach) did everything else right in the fifth race at Saratoga Race Course. With a 5 1/2-length victory in the $100,000 maiden special weight contest for 2-year-old fillies, Carmel Coast was an emphatic best-in-class performer. Runner-up Lovely Christina (Vekoma) was 10 1/2 lengths in front of third-place filly, Essential Coffee (Nyquist). Carmel Beach and jockey Kendrick Carmouche reached the wire in 1:17.25 and paid $12.20. The Legion Bloodstock team identified...

A group of former Todd Pletcher assistant trainers have pledged to donate a percentage of their earnings from the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival to support the mission of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF), the organization said on Thursday in a press release. Michael McCarthy, George Weaver, Jonathan Thomas, Whit Beckman and Amelia Green have each committed a portion of their festival earnings to the TRF, underscoring their dedication to the welfare of retired racehorses. Click here to learn more about helping the TRF.

Under what was described as "perfect conditions" by analyst Kaitlin Free, a busy Saturday morning at Churchill Downs ensued as seven GI Kentucky Derby contenders logged published workouts for the "Run for the Roses" and a pair of GI Kentucky Oaks contenders also drilled for their connections, according to a press release from the track on Saturday morning. The tab included top Derby point getter Burnham Square (Liam's Map), who went a half-mile in :49.40 under pilot Brian Hernandez Jr. Trained by Ian Wilkes, the GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes...