Astoria S.

All four of the stakes winners on the Thursday card at Saratoga exited their respective races in good order according to their conditioners. The Grey Wizard (Ire) (Caravaggio) took home the GII Belmont Gold Cup S. with a timely surge at the wire, which earned the 5-year-old the Golden Ticket for the G1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington Nov. 5. Trainer Graham Motion said, "He looks really good, this morning. I'm very happy with him. He scoped clean and he looks really well." Motion said he will speak with [owner] Aron...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY -- Trainer Wesley Ward said it was his fault that 'TDN Rising Star' Long Neck Paula (Uncle Mo), the 2-1 morning-line favorite in Thursday's Astoria S., was scratched by the stewards. Ward said he took Long Neck Paula to Burke Equine Therapy to go in a cold water spa on Wednesday. Unbeknownst to Ward, there is a rule stating that permission must be granted by the stewards before a horse can be taken off the grounds for such treatment. "I didn't know, it's my own fault," Ward...

Closing Act (Munnings) put it all together here to secure the first black-type victory of her young career in the Astoria S. as the 3-5 favorite. A step slow on debut May 11 beneath the Twin Spires, she showed a good turn of foot in the lane to run down rivals for a neck win over an experienced rival. Brushing with Living Magic after leaving the blocks, she was urged along to keep pace from the outside of rivals and went as far as four wide into the final bend. Gaining...

Fasig-Tipton has added seven supplemental entries to Monday's July Selected Horses of All Ages sale including a lifetime breeding right to young stallion Girvin (Tale of Ekati-Catch the Moon, by Malibu Moon) as HIP 611. The freshman sire is off to a quick start at stud with his first crop of two-year-olds in 2022, siring five winners from eight runners to date. These include the undefeated Devious Dame, who captured the Astoria S. at Belmont on June 9 in a 5 1/4-length romp. Girvin sired two more maiden special weight...

John Oxley's Devious Dame (Girvin) ooked to be making hard work of it while consigned to an imperfect trip in Thursday's $150,000 Astoria S. at Belmont Park, but the 2-5 favorite on the strength of a 5 1/2-length debut success on Churchill debut May 5 leveled off nicely when asked to claim pacesetting Alexis's Storm (Race Day) passing the eighth pole and glided clear to become the first black-type winner for her freshman sire (by Tale of Ekati). Away only fairly from the five hole, the $240,000 OBS March breezer...