The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association will honor the memory of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas by establishing the D. Wayne Lukas Award, to be given annually to a New York-based assistant trainer who demonstrates the qualities the late Hall of Fame horsemen exemplified: dedication, a strong work ethic, and a high commitment to excellence.
In late summer 2014, Smiling Tiger had completed his first year as a stallion in California when co-owner Phil Lebherz realized a change was necessary.
Smiling Tiger stood at Lebherz’s Premier Thoroughbreds, near Oakdale, but needed to be at a more prominent farm, Lebherz remembered over the weekend.
“It was too insane,” Lebherz said of managing the stallion. “I decided I needed an expert group of people.”
Lebherz called John Harris and inquired whether Harris Farms in Coalinga could take Smiling Tiger.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - All-sources handle for the four-day July Fourth Racing Festival at Saratoga was $83,634,479, a 121 percent increase over the handle of $37,842,226 during the corresponding four days held at Aqueduct last year.
There were 44 races run at Saratoga over the four days, including a 12-race card on Saturday that handled $26,021,891. Sunday’s 10-race card, with no stakes race, handled $17,679,036. Last year, at Aqueduct, there were 38 races run over the four days July 4-7.
Sweet Azteca is likely to have only one race before an intended start in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 1 after winning her first start of 2025 in record time in Saturday’s Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos.
Trainer Richard Baltas said on Sunday that Sweet Azteca may start in the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes at seven furlongs for fillies and mares at Saratoga on Aug. 23. The winner of the $500,000 Ballerina Stakes receives a fees-paid berth to the BC Filly and Mare Sprint.
While Tip Top Thomas showed he could be effective around two turns winning Saturday’s Grade 3 Indiana Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis, trainer Todd Pletcher does not view him as a 1 1/4-mile horse, so he does not plan on pointing him to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on Aug. 23.
Pletcher said he wouldn’t be averse to trying 1 1/8 miles with Tip Top Thomas, and the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 20 could be a long-range goal. That race is at Parx Racing, which has the $200,000 Smarty Jones on Aug. 19 as a prep.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Magnitude, who made an eye-catching return to the races with a 9 1/4-length victory in Saturday’s $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows, was expected to arrive in Saratoga on Wednesday to prepare for his next race, which could be the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on Aug. 23.
Trainer Steve Asmussen was not ready to commit to a next start just yet when reached by phone Sunday morning, but he was just glad to have Magnitude back.
“See how we do, we’ll celebrate him for awhile,” Asmussen said.
Bonnie Jenne, one of the most beloved and tenured trainers in Washington horse racing history, died on June 26 of lymphoma. She was 76.
Jenne's Friendship Stable was a modest family operation. She saddled 15 stakes winners at Emerald Downs since its 1996 inception, including Ladyledue, the state champion filly of 2008; and multiple stakes winner Couldabenthewhisky, who won the Gottstein Futurity and was honored as Washington's champion 2-year-old male in 2010. She finished her career with 472 victories and earnings of $4,183,831.
CYPRESS, Calif. - When Nevada Beach won a one-mile race for maidens at Santa Anita on April 19, he was not rated as one of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s leading 3-year-olds of 2025.
Slightly more than two months later, the rankings have shifted.
Nevada Beach won the $100,000 Los Alamitos Derby in his third start on Saturday, and is likely bound for the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 23.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Journalism worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds at Santa Anita on Sunday, three weeks after his second-place finish in the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga.
Trainer Michael McCarthy said Sunday’s workout was an indication of Journalism’s desire for more serious exercise.
“He was acting like he wanted to do something,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy timed Journalism galloping out five furlongs in a minute.
