The 5-year-old mares Bryan's Jewel and Onepointhreekarats, who took turns beating each other in a pair of stakes earlier this season, square off for the third time since May in Thursday's $50,000 Unbridled Belle Stakes at Delaware Park.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With King Kreesa having moved on to bigger and better things, the remainder of the New York-bred male turf division’s elite is set to meet Thursday in the $150,000 West Point Stakes at Saratoga.
Led by defending West Point winner Lubash, 10 New York-breds – not including four main-track-only entrants – were entered for the West Point, carded for 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf course.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Alan Goldberg won the most prestigious turf race for fillies and mares at Saratoga when Irish-bred Laughing captured the Grade 1 Diana Stakes on July 27.
DEL MAR, Calif. – A decade has gone by since jockey Julien Leparoux emigrated from France to the United States to pursue a riding career.
“I’m almost American,” he said last weekend.
He certainly has seen most of the country.
Reade Baker has worn many hats and been many places in his 66 years on this earth, always as a Canadian. He can recall his last foray onto the backstretch at Arlington Park in 1968, when he was a groom for an unplaced horse named Sharp Eyed Quillo in what was then one of the premier events for 2-year-old Thoroughbreds in North America, the Arlington-Washington Futurity.
“Bill Resseguet won it,” Baker said this week from his barn at Woodbine near Toronto, referring to a colt named Strong Strong, ridden by Danny Gargan. “King Emperor was second.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - In the month of August, the Saratoga winner’s circle has been the place to be for jockey John Velazquez.
One day after winning five races on Sunday’s card, Velazquez took two more on Monday, including the $100,000 Kid Russell Stakes aboard Strapping Groom, whom Velazquez steered to a 1 3/4-length victory over Candyman E. It was three lengths back to Leave of Absence in third.
Of the nine stakes John Velazquez has won at this meet, six have come for his primary client, trainer Todd Pletcher. On Saturday, Velazquez will be in the enemy camp when he rides Fiftyshadesofhay against the Pletcher-trained Princess of Sylmar in the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It’s been almost a year since Compliance Officer’s most recent start, but after watching the five-time New York-bred stakes winner work Monday, trainer Bruce Brown said it might be time to start looking for a race.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Not long ago, running a 2-year-old three times at the Saratoga meet was commonplace. More recently, it’s almost blasphemy to think that such a thing could happen.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Wise Dan will have one more race before the Breeders’ Cup Mile, and trainer Charlie LoPresti appears to be leaning toward waiting for the Grade 1, $750,000 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland on Oct. 5 as opposed to the $1 million Woodbine Mile on Sept. 15.
