Newly-minted Hall of Fame jockey Abe Hawkins, enshrined via the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame’s Historic Review Committee, was one of the most accomplished American athletes both before and in the aftermath of the Civil War. But his successes and his enigmatic life story cannot be divorced from dark chapters in American history.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Colonial Affair, in 1994, was the last horse to win the Whitney and Jockey Club Gold Cup in the same season. Since then, nine Whitney winners have tried the 1 1/4 miles of the Gold Cup without success.
Arthur’s Ride, winner of Saturday’s Grade 1 Whitney in Saratoga, is expected to try and become the next horse to attempt to annex the prestigious double. This year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup will be on Sept. 1.
“If you run well, or however you run, if you want to go to the Breeders’ Cup it gives you 60 days,” Mott said. “That’s got to be enough time.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - In just 24 hours, John Ortiz experienced all the emotions involved with training Thoroughbred horses.
On Saturday afternoon, Ortiz had to scratch his Grade 1-winning filly Brightwork from the Grade 1 Test Stakes - what would have been her first start in nine months - when she flipped in the paddock, suffering what fortunately were just superficial cuts and scrapes.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Adare Manor’s eighth career stakes win in Saturday’s Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar was one of her finest, in the opinion of her Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.
Watching from Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where he ran National Treasure in the Whitney, Baffert saw Adare Manor close from fourth along the inside on the backstretch, and rally wide on the turn under jockey Juan Hernandez before pulling clear by 2 3/4 lengths as the 3-5 favorite.
DEL MAR, Calif. - A bold win by Full Serrano in his American debut in an allowance race at Del Mar on Saturday may lead to a start in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 31.
Owned by Hronis Racing and trained by John Sadler, the Argentine-bred Full Serrano led throughout the one-mile race, prevailing by 2 1/4 lengths.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Bloodstock agent and Thoroughbred owner Ramiro Restrepo, trainer Gustavo Delgado, and the latter’s son and assistant Gustavo Delgado Jr., had the ride of their lives with 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage. They have the chance to dream big again after a powerhouse debut by Ferocious on Saturday at Saratoga – and the colt’s presence in the barn can be credited to the success of last year.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Due to heavy rains that fell overnight, the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby and the Grade 3 Troy Stakes scheduled for Saturday at Saratoga have been canceled and will be rescheduled for Aug. 10, the New York Racing Association announced just before post time of Saturday’s 13-race card.
Four other races scheduled for the turf – races 1, 4, 9 (the Lure Stakes), and 13 – were moved to the main track.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Gun Runner, the 2017 Horse of the Year, made his final start on Jan. 27, 2018, with a victory in the Pegasus World Cup, his star setting after a career that spanned more than 28 months.
About three weeks later, eventual 2018 Horse of the Year Justify streaked onto the scene with a debut victory on Feb. 18, 2018, with his meteoric career spanning just 111 days, but including a sweep of the Triple Crown.
Maximum Security has been disqualified from the 2020 Saudi Cup, the richest race in the world, and his trainer, Jason Servis, has been handed a lifetime ban from racing in the country, the administrator of the race, the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, announced on Friday.
The rulings on Friday will officially elevate Midnight Bisou to first place, with Maximum Security placed last. Held up for more than four years, the purse for the race will now be distributed according to the new order of finish.
A report prepared by the New York State Gaming Commission examining two clusters of racing fatalities at Saratoga Race Course last year has recommended that the track’s operator develop more sophisticated techniques to identify and modify the moisture content in areas of its dirt and turf courses, among a litany of other recommendations.
