Wed, 06/28/2023 - 13:45

Little Vic will look to rebound in John Nerud Stakes

By David Grening
Debra A. Roma
Little Vic is set to start in Saturday's Grade 2 John Nerud Stakes at Belmont, following a last place finish in the Grade 1 Carter, in which he bled.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Little Vic, who bled when finishing last in the Grade 1 Carter on April 8 at Aqueduct, will return to the races in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 John Nerud Stakes at Belmont Park.

Little Vic brought excellent form into the Carter where his connections were confident he was going to run a big race, but the horse was pressing a half-mile in 44.84 seconds before retreating.

“He surprised me that he bled,” trainer Juan Carlos Avila said. “Maybe the 44-second half-mile was too much for Little Vic.”

Wed, 06/28/2023 - 11:52

Keeneland fall stakes worth a record $9.05 million

By Matt Hegarty
Keeneland/Coady Photography
Keeneland's front-loaded stakes schedule is headed by the $1 million, Grade 1 Turf Mile on Oct. 7.

Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Ky., will offer a record $9.05 million in stakes purses during its fall meet this year, the track announced on Wednesday.

The purses, which include $1.3 million in money from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund only available to Kentucky-bred horses, will be distributed in 22 stakes over the 17-day meet. Twelve of the stakes races are scheduled to be held on the grass, while 10 are scheduled for the dirt. Seventeen of the 22 stakes are graded.

Tue, 06/27/2023 - 17:05

Golden Bandit eyeing turf stakes in Kentucky

By Mary Rampellini
Coady Photography
Golden Bandit wins the $100,000 Canterbury Derby, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 88.

Golden Bandit is a turf horse on the rise, and he’s now under consideration for a pair of upcoming stakes in Kentucky following a sharp win in the $100,000 Canterbury Derby earlier this month at Canterbury Park.

Trainer Coty Rosin said Tuesday that the $200,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby on Aug. 5 at Ellis Park is tentative target for Golden Bandit, with a longer-range goal the $750,000 Gun Runner for 3-year-olds at a mile on Sept. 2 at Kentucky Downs.

Mon, 06/26/2023 - 14:02

Rose Maddox to Great Lady M. Stakes

By Steve Andersen
Benoit Photo
Rose Maddox (inside) has only missed the board twice in her career and is expected to make her next start in the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos.

Rose Maddox finished seventh in a field of eight in the Soviet Problem Stakes in her first career start at Los Alamitos in December 2021.

So much has changed for Rose Maddox in the last 18 months. A two-time stakes winner earlier this year, Rose Maddox is expected to return to Los Alamitos for the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes for fillies and mares at seven furlongs on July 4.

Mon, 06/26/2023 - 14:00

Geaux Rocket Ride works for Haskell, could be big day for Mandella

By Steve Andersen
Benoit Photo
After working five furlongs in 1:00.60 and a win in the Affirmed Stakes, Geaux Rocket Ride is on schedule for a start in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational July 22 at Monmouth Park.

Geaux Rocket Ride, the winner of the Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita on June 2, is on schedule for his Grade 1 debut in the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 22 after working five furlongs at Santa Anita on Monday.

The lightly raced Geaux Rocket Ride may not be the only runner for trainer Richard Mandella in a major stakes at Monmouth Park that afternoon.

Mon, 06/26/2023 - 13:05

Well-bred filly Playback makes debut at Ellis

By Nicole Russo
Debra A. Roma
Tapit's Conquest comes in Friday's allowance at Ellis off a second in the Sir Barton Stakes on the Preakness undercard.

Playback, the first foal out of Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Blue Prize, makes her debut on Friday at Ellis Park. The $120,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies has drawn a full field of 12, plus an also-eligible.

Sat, 06/24/2023 - 19:20

Belmont fall meet back at Aqueduct with six Breeders' Cup qualifiers

By Mary Rampellini
R. L. Thibodeau
The Belmont at the Big A fall meet will include 40 stakes and six Breeders' Cup qualifying races.

The Belmont Park fall meet, to be run at Aqueduct this season, will feature six Breeders’ Cup qualifying races as part of the meet's 40 stakes worth a cumulative $8.7 million, the New York Racing Association announced Saturday.

The 28-date season starts Sept. 14 and runs through Oct. 29.

Belmont’s fall meet is being run at Aqueduct this year because of ongoing capital improvement projects at Belmont.

Fri, 06/23/2023 - 15:35

Grade 3 winner Rated R Superstar retired

By Mary Rampellini
Coady Photography
With earnings of $1.8 million, Rated R Superstar has been retired. Owner Danny Caldwell announced Friday that his 10-year-old gelding would head to Old Friends Farm for retirement.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – The popular multiple graded stakes winner Rated R Superstar has been retired from racing and is scheduled to ship next week to Old Friends, owner Danny Caldwell said Friday.

Old Friends is a Thoroughbred retirement facility in Georgetown, Ky. Rated R Superstar won 13 of 70 starts for earnings of $1.8 million. The 10-year-old gelding has been galloping at Lone Star Park.

Caldwell said his wife, Allison, has been working on the retirement plans with Old Friends the last few days and the couple announced the decision Friday. 

Fri, 06/23/2023 - 12:45

Mage returns to work tab with eye on Travers

By Mike Welsch
Barbara D. Livingston
Mage worked an easy five furlongs in 1:05 on Friday at the Thoroughbred Training Center, his first work since the Preakness.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The paths of Mage and Arcangelo are likely destined to cross on one or more occasions during the second half of the 2023 season, beginning with the Grade 1 Travers on Aug. 26 at Saratoga. But the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winners are certainly no strangers to one another, not only having wintered and won their maidens during this year’s Gulfstream Park Championship meet but having done so from under the same roof on the Gulfstream Park backstretch.

Thu, 06/22/2023 - 18:48

Belmont: $43,810 pick six carryover for Friday card

By Mary Rampellini
Barbara D. Livingston
First post on Friday at Belmont Park is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

There will be a pick six carryover of $43,810 into Friday’s card at Belmont Park. The $1 bet will run on races 4-9.

The pick six went unsolved Thursday on a card that saw 42-1 shot Tryinmyheartout ($87) wire the eighth race for a neck win over Lifelovenlaughter. Tickets with 5 of 6 winners returned $521.50.

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