Mon, 06/11/2018 - 13:56

Justify possible for Saturday night parade

Justin N. Lane
Justify, winner of Saturday's Belmont Stakes, may be paraded between races at Churchill Downs on Saturday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Triple Crown winner Justify is scheduled to be out of the public eye for the foreseeable future – with the highly possible exception of a parade between races Saturday night at Churchill Downs.

Justify arrived at Churchill at 1:25 p.m. Monday following a flight from New York, where on Saturday the colt attained immortality by winning the Belmont Stakes and becoming the 13th Triple Crown winner. He is just the second to complete the sweep while unbeaten, following Seattle Slew (1977).

Mon, 06/11/2018 - 13:50

Eight expected for Stephen Foster

Barbara D. Livingston
Alysheba Stakes winner Backyard Heaven was assigned 121 pounds for Saturday's Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Backyard Heaven, a smashing winner of the Grade 2 Alysheba earlier in the Churchill Downs spring meet, was expected to be the top-weighted starter when entries were taken here Wednesday for the Grade 1, $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap.

Mon, 06/11/2018 - 11:10

Mother Goose possible for Road to Victory

Michael Burns
Trainer Mark Casse said Road to Victory, winner of the Alywow this past weekend, could run back in the Grade 2, $250,000 Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park on June 30.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mark Casse had a big weekend at Woodbine, picking up eight wins from the Saturday and Sunday races. Among those were stakes wins on Saturday from Telekinesis in the Plate Trial Stakes and Road to Victory in the Alywow Stakes.

Casse said Road to Victory could run back in the Grade 2, $250,000 Mother Goose Stakes for 3-year-old fillies over 1 1/16 miles on dirt at Belmont Park on June 30.

Mon, 06/11/2018 - 11:00

Casse likely to have three in Queen's Plate

Michael Burns
Plate Trial Stakes winner Telekinesis will likely run in the June 30 Queen's Plate.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mark Casse said both Plate Trial Stakes winner Telekinesis and Woodbine Oaks runner-up Wonder Gadot emerged from their Saturday starts in good order and are likely to run in the $1 million Queen’s Plate on June 30.

Casse could have as many as three in the Queen’s Plate, as Neepawa is also likely to run. Neepawa finished a troubled third in an allowance race over 1 1/16 miles here on May 20. He breezed five furlongs in 59 seconds Saturday morning on Tapeta.

Mon, 06/11/2018 - 11:00

Dixie Moon possible for Queen's Plate

Michael Burns
Dixie Moon (inside) beats Wonder Gadot by a head in the Woodbine Oaks on Saturday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Catherine Day Phillips said Dixie Moon was in good order Sunday morning following her victory in Saturday’s $500,000 Woodbine Oaks over Wonder Gadot. Owned by Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry, Dixie Moon will now be considered for the $1 million Queen’s Plate on June 30 for her next start.

Sun, 06/10/2018 - 17:35

Gronkowski, Good Magic, others now point to Travers

Justin N. Lane
Trainer Chad Brown said that Gronkowski, who finished second in Saturday's Belmont Stakes, will likely start in the July 28 Jim Dandy Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. - As Triple Crown winner Justify's connections mull his future, the trainers of the 3-year-olds left in the wake of his Belmont Stakes and Triple Crown victories Saturday are honing in on a summer campaign that is likely to see some of them compete in the $1.25 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 25.

Sun, 06/10/2018 - 14:45

Monomoy Girl likely to race twice more before Breeders' Cup Distaff

Barbara D. Livingston
Monomoy Girl wins her third consecutive Grade 1 Saturday with a two-length victory in the Acorn Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. – As Justify has established himself as the clear leader of the 3-year-old male division, Monomoy Girl has done the same in the 3-year-old female division. Unlike Justify, who has wrapped up a championship with his Triple Crown sweep, Monomoy Girl still has more work to do.

On Sunday, one day after winning the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park for her third consecutive Grade 1 victory, Monomoy Girl returned to Churchill Downs to prepare for a summer and fall campaign that is designed to end in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Churchill in November.

Sun, 06/10/2018 - 13:23

Spring Quality, Sadler's Joy might get rematch in Bowling Green

Barbara D. Livingston
Spring Quality returned $38 for his neck victory in Saturday's Grade 1 Manhattan.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Spring Quality and Sadler’s Joy, the one-two finishers in the Grade 1, $1 million Manhattan Stakes on Saturday, might meet again in the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green Stakes on July 28 at Saratoga.

Sadler’s Joy as of Sunday seemed the more solid Bowling Green participant; trainer Graham Motion said no plans had been set for Spring Quality, and that a race like the Arlington Million also could be considered.

Sun, 06/10/2018 - 10:38

Justify gives Baffert second slice of history with Triple Crown win

Barbara D. Livingston
From left, jockey Mike Smith, trainer Bob Baffert, and assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes with Triple Crown winner Justify on Sunday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – A lot was thrown at Justify over the past four months, but he handled it all in unprecedented fashion, and on Sunday, trainer Bob Baffert said Justify had emerged from his Triple Crown-clinching victory in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday in good condition and was “ready to go.”

Sat, 06/09/2018 - 21:45

Belmont Stakes handle strong, but falls short of last two Triple Crown attempts

Total betting on the Belmont Stakes this year, the first year a Triple Crown was on the line since American Pharoah’s 2015 Belmont, was $79.7 million, according to a chart of the race, a 68 percent gain on handle for the race last year but short of the amount of money bet three years ago.