Sun, 10/05/2025 - 18:01

Napoleon Solo, Iron Orchard not definites for Breeders' Cup

Barbara D. Livingston
Napoleon Solo earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure for Saturday's victory in the Champagne Stakes.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The connections of the two Grade 1 juvenile stakes winners at Aqueduct on Saturday are in no hurry to decide if they will send their charges West for the Breeders’ Cup to be run in less than four weeks at Del Mar. 

Napoleon Solo, the 6 1/4-length winner of the Grade 1 Champagne for 2-year-old males, and Iron Orchard, the nose victor of the Grade 1 Frizette for 2-year-old fillies, will both be considered for, but are from certain to move on to, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies, respectively. 

Sun, 10/05/2025 - 15:01

Sovereignty works five furlongs, 'on schedule' for Breeders' Cup Classic

Barbara D. Livingston
Sovereignty’s move on Saturday was his fourth since his 10-length romp in the Travers Stakes on Aug. 23.

Sovereignty, the leading 3-year-old in the country who will bid for Horse of the Year honors in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 1 at Del Mar, stepped up his preparations for that race by working five furlongs in 1:01.44 on Sunday morning over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga. 

Sun, 10/05/2025 - 14:18

Jeff Siegel, longtime racing commentator, handicapper, owner, dies at 74

Barbara D. Livingston

Jeff Siegel, the renowned Southern California television commentator and syndicated handicapper who was also a race-horse owner and college basketball enthusiast, died on Saturday after a lengthy illness, Santa Anita officials said.

Siegel was 74. He spent nearly his entire adult life in various capacities of racing, beginning with a position on the Hollywood Park publicity staff in 1974.

Sun, 10/05/2025 - 09:30

Take Charge Tom gets some vacation time

Coady
Take Charge Tom last ran Sept. 28 in the Oklahoma Derby.

Take Charge Tom, a five-time stakes winner who captured the Grade 3 Canadian Derby in August at Century Mile, will have the winter off, according to trainer Robertino Diodoro.

Take Charge Tom last ran Sept. 28 in the Oklahoma Derby. He dropped out of the race on the final turn and was subsequently given a van ride back to the barn in a precautionary measure, Diodoro said.

Sun, 10/05/2025 - 09:20

Jackman’s Ride will stick to Southwest races

Dustin Orona Photography
Jackman's Ride earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 95 in winning the Great West Stakes at Remington Park.

Jackman’s Ride ran the race of his career when the 8-year-old won last month’s $250,000 Great West Stakes at Remington Park.

The new turf sprint was designed as a potential steppingstone for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, but plans are to keep Jackman’s Ride in the Southwest market, according to trainer J.R. Caldwell.

“We’ll just keep him right here at home,” he said. “We’re just going to enjoy him, keep him in his spots, keep him happy.”

Jackman’s Ride is owned by Oklahoma residents Steve and Wanda Dupy.

Sun, 10/05/2025 - 09:11

Bracket Buster may race once more this year... or not

Barbara D. Livingston
Bracket Buster was given a 100 Beyer Speed Figure for his win in the Oklahoma Derby.

Bracket Buster has returned home to Keeneland following his Oklahoma Derby win and trainer Vicki Oliver said late last week that his next move will be determined soon.

She said he could run back one more time this year in the Grade 3, $350,000 Fayette on Oct. 25 at Keeneland, or he may have wrapped up his season in the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby on Sept. 28 at Remington Park.

“We’ll just see how he trains and make our decision in the next 10 days or so,” she said.

Sat, 10/04/2025 - 12:40

Deterministic done for year, will return to racing in 2026

Barbara D. Livingston
In addition to victories in the Fourstardave and Manhattan, Deterministic won the Grade 2 Ft. Marcy at Aqueduct in May.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Deterministic, a two-time Grade 1 winner this year and among the leaders of North America’s male turf division, will not race again this year, but he will be brought back for a 5-year-old campaign in 2026, trainer Miguel Clement confirmed on Saturday. 

Deterministic has not had a published work since he won the Grade 1 Fourstardave at Saratoga on Aug. 2. Two months prior to that, he won the Grade 1 Manhattan, a race shortened from 1 3/16 miles to 1 1/8 miles and also run at Saratoga on June 8. 

Fri, 10/03/2025 - 17:24

Cedeno out two to three months after fracturing wrist in spill

Coady Media
When jockey Carol Cedeno was unseated, she fell in the path of oncoming horses and was stepped on twice.

Jockey Carol Cedeno is expected to miss two to three months after being unseated during a race at Meadowlands Racetrack last weekend. She required surgery to treat a fracture in her left wrist and suffered several minor fractures in her back, but she is expected to make a full recovery.  

Cedeno was aboard Micro Brewsky in the fourth race at Meadowlands on Sept. 27 when the 5-year-old gelding briefly took the lead in the stretch before stumbling badly. He was taken off the track in an equine ambulance and was later euthanized, per trainer Derek Ryan. 

Fri, 10/03/2025 - 14:38

Excellent Truth retired after suffering injury

Barbara D. Livingston
Trainer Chad Brown sent Excellent Truth in for an exam after he felt she wasn't moving well.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Excellent Truth, the Grade 1 Diana winner, has been retired from racing after suffering an injury during training, owner John Stewart reported on X.

“I am sad to announce that Excellent Truth has been retired after sustaining an injury during training,” Stewart posted. “After consulting with the best medical professionals in the industry, we believe she has, unfortunately, ran her last race.”

Fri, 10/03/2025 - 14:21

Journalism works for Breeders' Cup Classic

Barbara D. Livingston
Journalism worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 Friday at Santa Anita.

Three works completed, three to go for the star 3-year-old Journalism in advance of a scheduled start in the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1.

On Friday at Santa Anita, Journalism worked five furlongs in 1:00.80, his first at that distance since a second-place finish by 3 1/4 lengths to Fierceness in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 30. Journalism had half-mile workouts at Santa Anita on Sept. 20 and Sept. 26.

On Friday, Journalism worked with the Uruguayan import Touch of Destiny.