Churchill Downs Inc. officials are involved in “active discussions” with officials in Louisiana on an agreement that would avert the company’s plan to seek the end of live racing at Fair Grounds racetrack in New Orleans, the company confirmed Friday.

In a response to questions, CDI said in a statement Friday morning that Gov. Jeff Landry has taken “direct involvement” in the discussions and that the company is “engaged in active discussions with the Louisiana Racing Commission and the horsemen with the aim of reaching a resolution that is favorable to all of the stakeholders.”

Making official what had been widely known for a long time, the Belmont Stakes will be held in Saratoga in 2026 and run at 1 1/4 miles, the third straight year the third leg of the Triple Crown will be held at the upstate New York track.

The Belmont, typically run at 1 1/2 miles at Belmont Park, has been run at Saratoga since 2024 due to the renovation of Belmont Park. That track, in Elmont, N.Y., is expected to re-open in September 2026 and the Belmont Stakes will return to Belmont in the spring of 2027.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine has released an updated list of 51 Canadian-bred 3-year-olds who are eligible for the 2025 Canadian Triple Crown, along with the 36 Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies nominated to the 2025 Woodbine Oaks.

The top three finishers from last Sunday’s Queenston Stakes at Woodbine – Notorious Gangster, Regal Guest, and Dewolf – are all nominated to the Triple Crown. The stakes-winning turf miler Tom’s Magic is another high-profile nominee.  

Viewership of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday night at Saratoga Race Course on FOX’s flagship network station peaked at 5 million viewers while the race was being run, according to the network.

The broadcast on FOX and a separate broadcast on FS1 averaged 3.83 million viewers, according to FOX, up 5 percent over the average viewership for the two programs last year.

FOX said that the 5 million number made the race the most watched sporting event on Saturday. The Saturday broadcast schedule included a rivalry game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Nitrogen, the 17-length winner of Saturday’s off-the-turf Wonder Again Stakes, will return to the turf for her next start but trainer Mark Casse said she could be candidate for the Grade 1 Alabama back on dirt on Aug. 16.

Nitrogen won her fifth straight race when she galloped in the slop in the Wonder Again, a race that was scheduled for the turf but was moved to the dirt after 2.24 inches of rain fell in the Saratoga area over a 24-hour period, prompting track officials to cancel turf racing on Saturday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Raging Torrent, the winner of Saturday’s Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Saratoga, was scheduled on Tuesday to head back to Southern California, where he will likely make one start before the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Meanwhile, Fierceness and White Abarrio, second and fourth, respectively, in the Met Mile, will remain in Saratoga and are likely to meet again in the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes here on Aug. 2.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Mid-morning Sunday, with Bill Mott preparing to do yet another round of interviews, he took a peek into Sovereignty’s stall and noticed the colt was lying down sleeping.

“That’s interesting,” Mott said. “I guess maybe he’s starting to feel it. I’m starting to feel it, I can tell you that.”

Just before noon on Saturday, the New York Racing Association announced that its two Grade 1 grass races on the 14-race Belmont Stakes card would be moved to Sunday, while all of the remaining grass races on the card would be moved to the dirt.

With that, a blockbuster card appeared to be headed for a big-time bust.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - It was just six days before the 2025 Florida Derby, on March 23, when jockey Junior Alvarado’s dream to finally win the Kentucky Derby nearly ended. The 38-year-old veteran suffered a slightly fractured scapula when his mount, the Bill Mott-trained Term, fell after suffering a heart attack less than a quarter-mile into a maiden race on the turf at Gulfstream Park.