Belmont at the Big A

Live racing has been cancelled Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack as hazardous weather is forecasted for the area, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced in a release late Friday afternoon. High winds and significant rainfall are expected in the New York metropolitan area and are expected to create inclement weather conditions on Saturday. The National Weather Service (NWS) is calling for sustained high winds with gusts up to 40 MPH and heavy rainfall throughout the day. Saturday's race card for the Belmont at the Big A meet was scheduled...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Master Of The Seas in the Ricoh Woodbine Mile at Woodbine on Saturday.   Dubawi Gelding Masters Woodbine Mile Foes The Classic-placed Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) won his first race at the Grade I level for breeder Godolphin and Charlie Appleby in the Ricoh Woodbine Mile on Saturday (video). Already a five-time group winner who was second in the 2021...

5th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 2:45 p.m. Currently in fifth place on TDN's first-crop sire tally behind fellow Spendthrift Farm leader Maximus Mischief, Vino Rosso will look to add to his haul when MASMAK hits the track for the first time Friday afternoon. Originally purchased for $70,000 by Tom McCrocklin at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the chestnut colt went to FMQ Stables at the OBS Spring Sale earlier this year for $475,000. Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Florent Geroux, Masmak's dam GSP Nite in Rome is also...

After then-Irish-based Aspen Grove (Ire) (Justify) took the GI Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks and French filly Elusive Princess won the GIII Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks, it was only fitting another European, Godolphin homebred Eternal Hope (Ire) (f, 3, Teofilo {Ire}--Voice of Truth {Ire}, by Dubawi {Ire}), should capture the GIII Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. Saturday for her first graded/group win. Last-out Parx stakes winner Neecie Marie (Cross Traffic) was second, while Leopardstown G3 winner Speirling Beag (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {(Ire}), sixth in the Belmont Oaks behind Aspen Grove, finished third. Sporting...

Racing roads converge this Saturday. With a little over a month left before horses and their connections officially point to Santa Anita, the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series returns to Woodbine Racetrack. Featured are three 'Win and You're In' chances, including the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile. Meanwhile, at Churchill Downs, the prep seasons officially open for 2-year-old colts and fillies, who are seeking to bank points for next May's 150th editions of the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks. There is much to get to with Belmont at the Big...

Godolphin's Cody's Wish (Curlin), third in the nine-furlong GI Whitney Aug. 5 at Saratoga, is expected to return to one-turn racing this fall at the Belmont at the Big A meet, according to Michael Banahan, Director of Bloodstock for Godolphin. A potential landing spot for the 5-year-old could be the seven-furlong GII Vosburgh S. for 3-year-olds Sept. 30, a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint in November at Santa Anita. Banahan indicated that the Vosburgh could also be used as a steppingstone to the GI Dirt...

The Belmont at the Big A Fall Meet will offer 40 added-money events worth nearly $8.8 million, officials from the New York Racing Association announced Saturday. Due to ongoing capital improvements at Belmont Park, the fall meeting will be staged for the second straight season at Aqueduct from Thursday, Sept. 14 through Sunday, Oct. 29, and will feature three Grade I events and a half-dozen 'Win and You're In' qualifiers in a variety of Breeders' Cup divisions. The GIII Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks over 11 furlongs on turf, the final...

Irad Ortiz, Jr. paced all other riders at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet to secure the leading rider title with 35 wins. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano came in second [27 wins] with Manny Franco and Jose Lezcano tied for third [23 wins]. Ortiz, Jr. earned his 21st NYRA meet title on the heels of a strong summer meet at Saratoga Race Course where he posted 55 wins. Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown earned his fourth NYRA meet title of the year with 24 winners, finishing...

In the weeks leading up to the Breeders' Cup, most of the news is focused on when the stars are shipping and breezing. But, with one week left to go before World Championship Saturday, there is plenty of racing action with seven graded events from coast-to-coast. Sophomore colts take center stage at Keeneland in the newly upgraded GIII Bryant Station S. GI Belmont Derby hero Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) looks to make amends after an unplaced effort in the course-and-distance GI Shadwell Turf Mile Oct. 8. His best efforts have...

New York-bred Fingal's Cave (Carpe Diem), perfect in four career starts in the Big Apple, takes on graded stakes company for the first time in Saturday's GII Lexus Raven Run S. at Keeneland. The bay cuts back in distance to seven furlongs after capturing her stakes debut in Saratoga's Fleet Indian S. versus state-breds going 1 1/8 miles in the mud Aug. 26. "At some point, we will challenge her and this seems to be a good spot," trainer David Donk said. "The Raven Run is for straight 3-year-olds, it's...

Skims (GB) (Frankel {GB}) took over on the GII Sands Point S. turn under Hall of Famer John Velazquez and kept finding from there to turn the tables on Vergara (Noble Mission {GB})--who beat her by a head last time in the Dueling Grounds Oaks--while giving her superstar sire yet another graded winner. Victorious in her first two turf routes, the Andrew Rosen homebred was subsequently third in the GII Appalachian S. at Keeneland in April and again in Belmont's GII Wonder Again S. over yielding sod June 9. Fifth...

Trainer Chad Brown will saddle the top two choices on the morning-line for Saturday's GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. at Keeneland, one of three graded stakes races on the afternoon. McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the even-money choice to become Brown's fifth winner in this prestigious affair, broke through with a career high in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. July 9 and added the GIII Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. at Aqueduct Sept. 17 two starts later. She cuts back in trip to 1 1/8 miles here. McKulick...