Wed, 06/07/2017 - 12:46

Belmont Clocker: Senior Investment, Epicharis continue to train well

Barbara D. Livingston
With Dylan Davis aboard, Senior Investment works a half-mile on Tuesday at Belmont Park.

Belmont Park

Weather: Overcast

Track: Fast

Temp.: 55

 

ELMONT, N.Y. – The weather here has felt more like April than June over the past few mornings, cold and dreary as trainers put the finishing touches on their contenders for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes.

The final two works for this year’s Belmont were turned in here Tuesday, maintenance-type breezes by Senior Investment and Epicharis.

Wed, 06/07/2017 - 12:26

Freshness key factor for four new shooters in Belmont Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Twisted Tom is 3 for 3 since adding blinkers in January.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Fresh horses can be dangerous horses.

Epicharis, Hollywood Handsome, Meantime, and Twisted Tom are the new shooters Saturday in the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes. Each is making his first start in a Triple Crown race, against horses who have been battling it out in either the Kentucky Derby or Preakness, or both, as is the case with Lookin At Lee.

“Sometimes a fresh horse is good this time of year going into these sort of races,” said Brian Lynch, who trains Meantime.

Wed, 06/07/2017 - 11:20

With loss of Connect, Pompa takes bad with good

Michael Amoruso
Paul Pompa Jr. lost Connect to injury but still has two horses for the Metropolitan Handicap.

ELMONT, N.Y. – When his cellphone rang at 8:15 in the morning May 27 and Chad Brown’s name was displayed on the caller ID, Paul Pompa Jr. didn’t have a good feeling.

“When you get a call from a trainer at a weird time, you just wonder what name they’re going to mention,” Pompa said.

Wed, 06/07/2017 - 08:54

Classic Empire to miss Belmont Stakes with hoof abscess

Barbara D. Livingston
Classic Empire, with assistant trainer Norman Casse and trainer Mark Casse (right) at Belmont Park on Tuesday, was the runner-up in the Preakness.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Classic Empire, who would have been the favorite in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, is out of the race owing to an abscess in his right front hoof, trainer Mark Casse said Wednesday at Belmont Park.

Classic Empire flew to New York on Tuesday from Kentucky. On Wednesday morning, "he wouldn't put the foot down," Casse said.

"He'll be better as soon as it busts open,” Casse said. “He'll have instant relief, but he can't run. He's been too good to us."

Tue, 06/06/2017 - 14:39

Twilight Eclipse to give eventing a try

Barbara D. Livingston
Twilight Eclipse set a world record for 1 1/2 miles in the 2013 Pan American at Gulfstream.

Grade 1 winner Twilight Eclipse has been retired from racing, and will be trained for a second career in eventing.

The 8-year-old Purim gelding finished his ontrack career with 8 wins in 40 starts over six seasons of racing for earnings of $2,103,953. He raced all but his first two starts for West Point Thoroughbreds, and was trained by Tom Albertrani for the bulk of his career. His final two starts were with trainer Graham Motion.

Tue, 06/06/2017 - 11:03

Ferguson steps down from Godolphin post in wake of flap with Suroor

Barbara D. Livingston
John Ferguson was a major figure in making high-flying sales purchases for Godolphin before becoming its CEO and racing manager in December 2015.

John Ferguson, a longtime figure in Sheikh Mohammed Al-Maktoum’s Godolphin operation, has stepped down as CEO and racing manager.

In a release, the international organization named Joe Osborne, managing director of Godolphin in Ireland, as the company’s interim chief executive.

“We are committed to our objective of achieving success for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and his family,” Osborne said. “Our thanks go to John Ferguson for his longstanding contribution to Godolphin and Darley.”

Tue, 06/06/2017 - 08:10

Epicharis, Senior Investment work for Belmont Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Epicharis trains Tuesday at Belmont Park. He worked five furlongs over the training track in 1:06.03.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Epicharis and Senior Investment both turned in workouts on Tuesday morning at Belmont Park in preparation for the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.

Epicharis, the Japanese invader, was timed by Daily Racing Form going five furlongs on the training track in 1:06.03, but he went off very slowly for the opening quarter-mile and then finished quickly through the lane, with his final three furlongs in 37.07 seconds while working by himself.

Mon, 06/05/2017 - 15:40

McPeek not afraid to take a swing with Senior Investment

Barbara D. Livingston
Ken McPeek and Senior Investment will try to upset the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Ken McPeek flew into New York on Sunday night from England, back in the States after sending Daddys Lil Darling overseas to race June 2 in the Epsom Oaks. If a flash of inspiration motivated that trip, a bolt of lightning ruined it.

Spooked by a storm while warming up for the race, Daddys Lil Darling lost her wits and ran off. Her jockey, the starting gate looming before his runaway mount, dismounted, and Daddys Lil Darling, though uninjured, was scratched after getting loose.

Mon, 06/05/2017 - 14:30

Irish War Cry ready as he can be for Belmont Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Trainer Graham Motion said the Belmont Stakes is still a possibility for Irish War Cry.

ELKTON, Md. – Irish War Cry established himself as an elite member of the 3-year-old crop this winter with wins in the Grade 2 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park and the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. But after he finished 10th as the second choice in the Kentucky Derby, some are curious if the real Irish War Cry will show up Saturday in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes.

There are reasons to believe he will run to his ability.

Irish War Cry worked six furlongs at his Fair Hill Training Center base Saturday, and trainer Graham Motion said he was “quite excited about” the work.

Mon, 06/05/2017 - 13:00

Belmont Doings: Going from Derby to Belmont, once a rare move, has become commonplace

Barbara D. Livingston
Tapwrit (left) and Patch (right) are going right from the Kentucky Derby to the Belmont Stakes for trainer Todd Pletcher.

ELMONT, N.Y. – In 2000, in a Belmont Stakes that, like this year, did not include the winner of the Kentucky Derby or Preakness, Commendable scored an 18-1 upset that seemed utterly forgettable on the day. But he in fact ushered in a trend that has only gotten more pronounced in the years since.