Sparkman: Teresa Z provides Smart Strike with a last hurrah
Sparkman: Teresa Z provides Smart Strike with a last hurrah
John P. SparkmanJun 19, 2018
Sparkman: Teresa Z provides Smart Strike with a last hurrah
Rose's Vision punched his ticket to the Queen's Plate with a strong performance as a longshot in the Plate Trial, finishing second to favored Telekinesis. The Artie Schiller colt, a third-generation homebred for Chiefswood Stable, is from a family that has consistently found stakes success.
Two longtime Pennsylvania breeding programs notched victories on Saturday's star-studded Belmont card, with Spring Quality winning the Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes and Prince Lucky taking the Easy Goer Stakes.
With the eyes of the racing world on Belmont Park for a three-day run of 18 stakes races, capped by Justify's bid for history, both host state New York's breeding program and its perennial leading sire showcased themselves well.
How do you breed a Triple Crown winner? Short answer: breed the dam of at least two high-quality stakes winners to a leading sire.
While a different group of 3-year-olds vies for the victory in the oldest and longest American classic each year, one horse has been a consistent presence in the recent history of the Belmont Stakes, and that is Tapit.
Two-time Horse of the Year Curlin has been a prolific sire in the American Triple Crown series. He looks to extend his reputation as a classic sire north of the border with the likes of Queen's Plate hopeful Dixie Moon.
Classic sire Northern Afleet, who showed his versatility with three diverse Eclipse Award champions, was euthanized Friday at Taylor Made Farm in Nicholasville, Ky., after the sudden onset of a gastrointestinal problem. The son of Afleet was 25.
Should Justify complete a Triple Crown sweep Saturday, the Belmont Park winner's circle will be filled to overflowing with members of his various ownership groups, media, and other entities. But a similarly raucous winner's-circle celebration could take place some hours earlier, should the Churchill Downs Racing Club's Warrior's Club continue a solid season with a victory in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap.
The Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap has a history of being a stallion-making race because it showcases the brilliance that is so desired in the American market. Solid sires have continued to emerge from the historic race in recent years – including Ghostzapper and Quality Road, who are positioned to showcase themselves on Belmont's major weekend of racing.