Belmont Park

Echo Zulu Heads to Kentucky for More Tests

Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), last year's champion 2-year-old filly, will be sent to Kentucky for additional tests after being scratched behind the gate before Saturday's GI Acorn S. at Belmont Park. The filly was scratched by the track veterinarian due to lameness in her left foreleg, but X-rays taken Saturday were all clean, according to trainer Steve Asmussen. "She is giving us all the signs that we want to see," said Scott Blasi, assistant to Asmussen, who added that the filly will be shipped to Kentucky for a full evaluation...

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The Week in Review: The Day That Jack Christopher and Flightline Stole the Show

After winning the GII Remsen S. and the GII Wood Memorial S. and running a credible fifth in the GI Kentucky Derby, Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) put it all together on Saturday. He was the decisive winner of the GI Belmont S. to give New Yorker Mike Repole a one-two finish in the final leg of the Triple Crown at his home track. It was a good story and a good performance from a very good horse. It was not, however, the highlight of the day. It's hard to overshadow...

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Belmont Day Generates $98 Million In All-Sources Handle

Edited Press Release Saturday's Belmont S. Day card, highlighted by Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo)'s victory in the 154th running of the $1.5 million GI Belmont S. presented by NYRA Bets, generated all-sources handle of $98,766,906. On-track handle for the 13-race program, which included eight top-level races among nine total stakes, was $9,530,303. All-sources handle for the Belmont S. presented by NYRA Bets alone was $50,248,624. The three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which featured 17 stakes and 33 races in total from Thursday through Saturday, June 9-11, generated all-sources handle of...

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Flightline Overcomes Eventful Trip in Hill 'n' Dale Met Mile

A few strides into the running of Satuday's GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. at Belmont Park, John Sadler, the trainer of 'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit), admitted to a bit of a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. "When I saw him behind early, I wanted to throw up on myself," he said. Despite some very anxious moments, particularly at multiple junctures during the opening 440 yards of the stallion-making test, the $1-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate proved more than equal to the task, as he strode clear...

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Casa Creed Right At Home in the Jaipur

Sent off at a fraction of the 10-1 mutuel he returned to his supporters 12 months ago, Lee Einsidler's LRE Racing and Mike Francesa's JEH Racing Stable's Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) enjoyed a beautiful inside trip in defense of his title in the GI Jaipur S. Saturday afternoon and, once tipped out a furlong from home, ran down an alibi-free favorite Arrest Me Red (Pioneerof the Nile) to score at 4-1. Making his U.S. reappearance on the back of strong turf sprint efforts in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, Casa Creed...

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Quality Road's Bleecker Street Comes Flying Late to Take the New York

For a brief few moments in the stretch it looked like Chad Brown, represented by odds-on Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}); six-for-six second choice Bleecker Street; and 9-2 third choice Virginia Joy (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB})--not to mention pacesetter Flighty Lady (Ire)--might not actually get his record-tying fourth New York S. trophy. But depth like that, and all for Peter Brant, is nearly impossible to beat, and Bleecker Street, perhaps the most unsung unbeaten horse in the country, flew home in last-to-first fashion to reach a new high. Stretching out to...

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Immaculately Bred Arrogate Colt Gets 'Rising Star' Nod

Juddmonte's Artorius (c, 3, Arrogate--Paulassilverlining, by Ghostzapper) backed up his highly impressive runner-up effort on his six-furlong debut behind 'TDN Rising Star' Under Oath (Speightstown) at Keeneland Apr. 16 with a similarly promising performance when stretched to a mile Friday at Belmont. His deceptively easy 3/4-length success over big-figure maiden Gasoline (Curlin x Yellow Agate) earns him the 'Rising Star' designation. With the vanguard early, the dark bay eased back to sit third and on the fence behind a sharp opening quarter-mile in :22.98. Shuffled back one position to sit...

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Belmont Stakes 154: Where Did They Come From?

1) WE THE PEOPLE, c, Constitution--Letchworth, by Tiznow Owner: WinStar Farm, Bobby Flay, CMNWLTH, Siena Farm Breeder: Henley Farms (KY) Trainer: Rodolphe Brisset Sales History: $110,000 Keeneland November weanling, $220,000 Keeneland September yearling, $230,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream 2-year-old Pedigree Notes: Trying to become the second Belmont winner in three years for WinStar's star fourth-crop sire (Tiz the Law in 2020), We the People is the second foal to race out of Letchworth, a $40,000 Keeneland January purchase by Henley Farms at Keeneland January in 2019. Letchworth is a daughter of Harmony...

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Devious Dame a First Black-Type Winner for Girvin in Astoria

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...

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Thursday Morning with Kentucky Derby Winner Rich Strike

ELMONT, NY - With regular exercise rider Gabriel Lagunes in the saddle, GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) circled the shedrow shortly after 8:30 a.m. on a sticky Thursday morning at Belmont Park. Making his way through the picturesque Belmont backstretch about 10 minutes later with a good-sized entourage in tow, Rich Strike entered the paddock via the tunnel as owner Richard Dawson and trainer Eric Reed, both sporting plenty of black-and-red Rich Strike swag, chatted by the famed Secretariat statue. With torrential pre-dawn thunderstorms leaving the main...

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Weekly Stewards & Commissions Rulings: May 31 – June 6

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where.   California Track: Santa Anita Date: 06/03/2022 Licensee: Irad Ortiz, jockey Penalty: $500 Violation: Excessive use of the whip Explainer: Jockey Irad Ortiz is fined $500.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1688(b)(7)(d) (Use of Riding Crop - more than...

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Wonder Again Kicks Off Belmont Stakes Festival

The GII Wonder Again S., which grants a spot in the GI Belmont Oaks starting gate to the top three finishers, kicks off a race week loaded with stakes action Thursday in what NYRA refers to as the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Chad Brown has saddled the winners of three of the eight renewals of this event and it is of no surprise that he sends out the race favorite again this year in Klaravich Stables' two-time stakes winner Consumer Spending (More Than Ready). She is a deserving favorite after...

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