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A federal judge Thursday dismissed the lawsuit against Ahmed Zayat, owner of GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile), alleging gambling debts. Howard Rubinsky claimed Zayat owed him $1.65 million dating back to 2003. In dismissing the case, Judge William J. Martini sited the expiration of the six-year statute of limitations. A statement from Zayat spokesperson Matthew Hiltzik said, “The Zayats are very grateful for the court's decision, which vindicates them and reinforces everything they have been saying. They were always confident that the...

by T.D. Thornton  The 2015 Pan American Racing Conference is all about how the Thoroughbred industry can achieve harmonization through globalization. But before challenges and opportunities can be tackled at a worldwide level, panelists and moderators who kicked off Thursday morning's opening sessions emphasized that the bigger picture still starts with individual horses.  To set the backdrop for how the sport might prosper in the future, Alex Waldrop, the chief operating officer and president of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, didn't mince words in his opening remarks about how the...

A year since his GI Belmont S. win, Tonalist (Tapit) is rolling with a head full of steam into the GI Metropolitan H., a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. The Belmont specialist is a perfect four-for-four at his home track and was given the 5-2 morning-line nod to keep his spotless Big Sandy record intact. Since last year's Belmont upset, Tonalist was second to Wicked Strong (Hard Spun) in the GII Jim Dandy S. and third behind V.E. Day(Curlin) in the GI Travers S. at the Spa. Back...

Regis Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Shook Up (Tapit) headlines the 11-horse field that will line up for the 85th running of Belmont's GI Acorn S. Although the gray filly hasn't found her way back to the winner's circle since her 13 1/2-length graduation in the Fair Grounds mud Jan. 3, her runner-up efforts in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks Mar. 28 and May 1 GI Kentucky Oaks--at odds of 26-1-- have garnered her the 7-2 morning-line nod.  Another impressive gray will vie for the top spot Saturday in Robert Luttrell's undefeated Promise Me...

Amerman homebred Coffee Clique (Medaglia d'Oro) looks to defend her title in the 22nd running of the GI Longines Just a Game S., but will face an extremely competitive field of nine rivals. The Brian Lynch trainee was sidelined for nine moths following her win here last year and she's made just two efforts so far this season, completing the trifecta behind Lady Lara (Ire) (Excellent Art {GB}) and Sandiva (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) in the GII Honey Fox S. in Hallendale Mar. 28 and second behind Tepin (Bernstein) in the GII Churchill Distaff Turf Mile May 2. "She won...

The hard-knocking Twilight Eclipse (Purim), fresh off his first Grade I win, looks to be the favorite to get it done again Saturday afternoon in Belmont's GI Knob Creek Manhattan S. The consistent West Point Thoroughbreds colorbearer hasn't been out of the trifecta in his last seven starts--finishing behind champion Main Sequence (Aldebaran) in five of those efforts--and most recently took home the hardware in the GI Man o' War S. going 1 3/8 miles over this course May 9.  "We're coming back and trying to go two-for-two in Grade Is with...

Nancy Favreau, Kathy Psoinos and Michael Tabor's undefeated colt Competitive Edge (Super Saver) will look for his fifth victory in Saturday's GII Woody Stephens S., which will kick off the graded action on the Belmont card. The $750,000 Fasig-Tipton March purchase romped by double digits in his 'TDN Rising Star' debut before easily annexing the GI Hopeful S. He suffered a hairline fracture after that effort, but returned to the races with a decisive victory in the Tamarac S. at Gulfstream Mar. 27 and recently tallied the GIII Pat Day Mile at Churchill May...

Tri-Bone Stables's Effinex (Mineshaft) seeks his third-straight victory while he faces a full field in Belmont's GII Brooklyn Invitational S. Saturday. An upset winner of the Empire Classic for New York-breds here Oct. 18, the then-3-year-old finished fourth in both the Hawthorne Gold Cup H. in November and restricted Alex M. Robb S. over the Big A inner on New Year's Eve. He returned to annex a muddy optional claimer over the likes of next-out 12 1/2-length romper Coach Inge (Big Brown) in Ozone Park Mar. 27, and picked up the slack for trainer...

by J.M. Severni  Six-time Bavarian champion trainer Wolfgang Figge has traveled the world riding and training Thoroughbreds, but Saturday will mark his inaugural foray into the American racing scene when Magic Artist (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) lines up in Belmont's GI Knob Creek Manhattan S. The conditioner, who began his racing career as an amateur jockey, apprenticed under legendary German trainer Sven von Mitzlaff in Cologne before taking out his training license in 1976. Figge worked as a freelance trainer until 2006, when Hans-Gerd Wernicke named him head of his Rennpferde Training Center...

by J.M. Severni  Six-time Bavarian champion trainer Wolfgang Figge has traveled the world riding and training Thoroughbreds, but Saturday will mark his inaugural foray into the American racing scene when Magic Artist (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) lines up in Belmont's GI Knob Creek Manhattan S. The conditioner, who began his racing career as an amateur jockey, apprenticed under legendary German trainer Sven von Mitzlaff in Cologne before taking out his training license in 1976. Figge worked as a freelance trainer until 2006, when Hans-Gerd Wernicke named him head of his Rennpferde Training Center...

By Steve Sherack Although lacking a private training session for the GI Belmont S. runners--half of the field of eight--headed by the imposing dual Classic winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile), strutted their stuff over the main track after the 8:30 a.m. renovation break Thursday.  They packed the rail by the clubhouse turn gap to get ready to catch a glimpse of the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. hero train while Mubtaahij (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) took a tour of the paddock on another chilly and overcast morning in Elmont, New York.  Trainer...

The TDN's Christie DeBernardis caught up with trainer Mike de Kock in Barn 22 at Belmont Park, where the South African conditioner has been stabling his GI Belmont S. contender Mubtaahij (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum, Mubtaahij was ultra impressive in winning the G2 UAE Derby, which gave him enough points to qualify for the GI Kentucky Derby. The connections gave de Kock the green light to go to Louisville and participate in his first Kentucky Derby, where Mubtaahij finished a respectable eighth after a less than...