Sun, 07/07/2019 - 18:05

Lezcano wins Belmont riding title; Brown repeats as leading trainer

Keeneland/Coady Photography
Jose Lezcano will be based at Aqueduct this winter instead of in South Florida.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Jose Lezcano’s decision to stay in New York last winter continues to pay dividends this spring and summer as he captured the Belmont Park riding title with 44 victories, one more than Luis Saez.

Jose Ortiz finished third in the standings with 40 wins, one more than his brother Irad Ortiz Jr. and Joel Rosario, who tied for fourth with 39 wins apiece.

Lezcano’s $3.34 million in purse earnings were fourth-best behind Rosario, who had $4.22 million, aided largely by his victory aboard Sir Winston in the Belmont Stakes.

Sun, 07/07/2019 - 15:57

Concrete Rose settled at Spa, pointing for Saratoga Oaks

Barbara D. Livingston
Concrete Rose earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 90 for her win in Saturday's Belmont Oaks.

About 12 hours after she won the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational, Concrete Rose left Belmont Park by van for Saratoga where she was bedded down by late Sunday morning.

Trainer Rusty Arnold said provided all goes well over the next four weeks, Concrete Rose will run in the inaugural $750,000 Saratoga Oaks on Aug. 2. That race is run at 1 3/16 miles.

Sun, 07/07/2019 - 14:26

Henley's Joy plans to advance to Saratoga Derby

Barbara D. Livingston
Henley's Joy earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure for his win Saturday in the Belmont Derby.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Henley’s Joy appears to be a horse who thrives on racing and he most likely will make his seventh start of the year in the $1 million Saratoga Derby on Aug. 4, trainer Mike Maker said Sunday morning.

Henley’s Joy ended a five-race losing streak with a three-quarter-length victory over Social Paranoia in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby. Maker, who was in Kentucky over the weekend, said all reports are the horse came out of the race in good order.

Sun, 07/07/2019 - 14:20

Preservationist may await Woodward

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA
Suburban winner Preservationist is likely to make his first Grade 1 start in the Aug. 31 Woodward Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. – After making a successful stakes debut winning Saturday’s Grade 2, $700,000 Suburban Stakes, Preservationist will now move north to Saratoga where he most likely will skip the Grade 1 Whitney on Aug. 3 and point to the Grade 1 Woodward on Aug. 31.

Preservationist earned a career-best 108 Beyer Speed Figure for his 4 1/2-length victory over Catholic Boy in the Suburban and running back in four weeks off a lifetime-best figure may not be prudent.

“Most likely won’t go there,” Jerkens said of the Whitney.

Sun, 07/07/2019 - 14:04

Jim Dandy likely next for Code of Honor

Barbara D. Livingston
Code of Honor's ultimate summer goal is the Grade 1 Travers on Aug. 24.

ELMONT, N.Y. – With his primary summer target the Grade 1 Travers on Aug. 24, trainer Shug McGaughey said Sunday that if all goes well, Code of Honor would make his next start in the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on July 27.

McGaughey said Code of Honor came out of his 3 1/4-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 3 Dwyer Stakes fine and he was shipped early Sunday morning to Saratoga. In rallying from last to win the Dwyer, Code of Honor ran a mile in 1:35.81 and earned a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure.

Sun, 07/07/2019 - 10:47

Kevin Patterson breaks record for consecutive wins with 15th straight score

Trainer Kevin Patterson broke the late Frank Passero’s record of 14 straight wins Saturday night when he sent out Flashy Dragon Girl to win the seventh race at Charles Town. Flashy Dragon Girl won the first-level allowance by 4 1/2 lengths.

Patterson has now won with 15 consecutive starters dating back to May 31. All of the wins during his streak have come at either Charles Town or Mountaineer Park.

Passero won 14 straight races at Gulfstream Park in 1996.

Sat, 07/06/2019 - 17:27

Insufficient entries force Los Alamitos to drop Thursday card

Los Alamitos Race Course
The Los Alamitos summer meeting runs from June 27 through July 14.

CYPRESS, Calif. – Los Alamitos will not race on Thursday after the track failed to draw sufficient horses when entries were compiled on Saturday.

Track officials said nine-race programs are tentatively scheduled for Friday through Sunday, the final three days of the summer meeting that began on June 29.

Because of the cancellation, Los Alamitos will run a maximum of nine of the 12 scheduled days for the summer meeting. Programs on June 27-28, a Thursday and Friday, were scrapped in early June due to concern over a shortage of available horses, officials said at the time.

Sat, 07/06/2019 - 15:32

Ward has runners in both Saratoga opening-day stakes

Chelsea Durand/NYRA
Abyssinian got a 71 Beyer Speed Figure with his maiden-race triumph.

Though he couldn’t conquer Royal Ascot this year, trainer Wesley Ward now turns his attention to Saratoga, where he will be represented in both of Thursday’s opening-day stakes on the 10-race card.

Ward will send out debut winner Aurelia Garland in the Grade 3, $150,000 Schuylerville Stakes for 2-year-old fillies and the 3-year-old filly Abyssinian against the boys in the Grade 3, $100,000 Quick Call Stakes, scheduled for 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf.

Sat, 07/06/2019 - 13:28

Trainer Kevin Patterson records 14th straight win

Trainer Kevin Patterson’s amazing win streak continued Friday night at Charles Town when C. D. Jammin won the third race.

Patterson has now won with 14 consecutive starters dating back to May 31. All of the wins during his streak have come at either Charles Town or Mountaineer Park.

C.D. Jammin’s victory equaled the late Frank Passero’s 14 straight wins at Gulfstream Park in 1996. Patterson will aim for his 15th winner in the seventh race Saturday night at Charles Town with Flashy Dragon Girl.

Fri, 07/05/2019 - 13:56

Migliore to book mounts for Chris Landeros

Barbara D. Livingston
Richard Migliore (above) will act as agent for Chris Landeros.

ELMONT, N.Y. – The former jockey and current television analyst Richard Migliore will begin working as an agent for jockey Chris Landeros at the upcoming Saratoga meet. It will be Migliore’s first foray into being an agent.

Migliore said he rode with Landeros in California after Landeros lost his apprentice status.

“I always likes him as a rider and I thought he was a very good person,” Migliore said.

Migliore’s brother, Michael, is the agent for jockey Dylan Davis.