Belmont Park

A number of runners aiming for prestigious events at Belmont Park and/or the Breeders' Cup breezed Saturday morning at Belmont Park. Godolphin's Maxfield (Street Sense) covered a half-mile on the main track in :49.55 (35/50) with an eye towards next Saturday's GII Woodward S. "It was a very good work," said trainer Brendan Walsh. "We just wanted to give him a feel for the track. He did all of his serious work in Saratoga. It was just a routine half-mile. He galloped out really well. We're all set for the...

'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good got an easy prep for his expected appearance in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in Saturday's GII Kelso H. at Belmont Park, scoring virtually untouched and eased down late. Off at 1-20 with $212,404 of the $251,965 win pool and $353,424 of the $389,409 place pool on his nose, the $525,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase easily out-footed distant second choice Chance It (Currency Swap) and led through an opening quarter in a manageable :23.53. Chance It was pulled up and out of the...

Robert and Lawana Low's Classy Edition (Classic Empire) became the second stakes winner for her freshman sire (by Pioneerof the Nile) with a popular victory in Friday's Joseph. A Gimma S. at Belmont Park. Favored off a smashing 6 3/4-length debut success at Saratoga Sept. 5 for which she was named a 'TDN Rising Star', the $550,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic breezer was beaten for speed and trailed the field early before being steered to the outside of her rivals and improved into midfield to the turn. Niggled at into the final...

A pair of Belmont-based Grade I winners turned in works over the last few days and will be trained up to the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar Nov. 5 and 6, their trainers confirmed Sept. 19. Shadwell Stables' 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin) breezed an easy four furlongs over the Belmont training track Sept. 18 in :49.49, her first breeze since winning the GI Alabama S. at Saratoga Aug. 19. She will not have another start prior to the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar Nov. 6. "It...

Higher Truth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has had the misfortune of running into some of the best the 3-year-old filly turf division has to offer in her two most recent appearances, but looks to be the one that have to beat in Saturday's $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. at Belmont Park. A 500,000gns purchase by Mike Ryan at Tattersalls October-Book 1 in 2019, Higher Truth won back-to-back races over 10 furlongs of this turf course during the spring/summer meeting, then just failed to reel in the fast-finishing Santa Barbara (Ire)...

NYRA track announcer John Imbriale received a positive COVID-19 test result after experiencing mild symptoms following the conclusion of the Saratoga meeting, according to NYRA's Senior Director of Communications Patrick McKenna. "As a result of the mandatory 10-day isolation period, Imbriale will miss the opening weekend of the fall meet and is scheduled to return Thursday, Sept. 23," McKenna said. "In his absence, Frank Mirahmadi will handle the race calling duties Thursday, Sept. 16. Chris Griffin, who was named the lead race caller at Parx in March, will call Friday-Sunday....

George Hall and Sport BLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player (Honor Code) will train up to the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar following his win in Saturday's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, trainer Steve Asmussen confirmed Sunday. "Max Player is better than he's ever been and physically he's developed into this," Asmussen said. "There's more of him. He's a horse that's continued to grow, fill out and mature. There's a lot more of Max Player as a 4-year-old than there was as a 3-year-old. He's bigger and stronger....

The Belmont Park spring/summer meet generated $632,208,251 in all-sources handle, a 20.6% increase over the 2019 spring/summer meet and 63.5% above the 2020 spring/summer meet, which was abbreviated to just 25 days because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The spring/summer meet, which began Apr. 22 without spectators in attendance before reopening to a limited number of spectators May 1, boasted 59 stakes races worth $16.95 million in total purse money. Average daily handle over the 48 days of racing was $13,171,005, a 20.6% increase over 2019. The abbreviated 2020 spring/summer meet...

Chad Brown won 32 races to capture his sixth consecutive trainer's title at the Belmont spring/summer meet, which opened Apr. 22 and concluded Sunday. His win total was five more than second-place finisher Christophe Clement. Rob Atras was third with 19 wins, while Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and Mike Maker each finished with 18 victories. "It takes a lot of good horses, loyal and patient owners and, of course, the team," Brown said. "This meet wasn't easy. We had a bad virus run through the barn and that really...

The 11-race Stars and Stripes Day card at Belmont Park Saturday generated $21,535,076 in all-sources handle. The card featured the $1-million GI Belmont Derby and the $700,000 GI Belmont Oaks. The Derby and Oaks kicked off the New York Racing Association's Turf Triple series which will continue in the males division with the Aug. 7 $1-million GI Saratoga Derby Invitational and on the distaff side with the Aug. 8 Saratoga Oaks. Saturday's Belmont card, which also included the GIII Victory Ride S., attracted an on-track crowd of 3,574 and on-track...

Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) worked through traffic late to break through in her fourth straight attempt at the highest level and complete the first half of the GI Belmont Oaks/GI Belmont Derby double for the Coolmore contingent Saturday. Deemed a 'TDN Rising Star' off a 2 1/2-length debut success at The Curragh last September, the buzzed-about bay could only manage fourth in the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket May 2 and again in the G1 Cazoo Oaks at Epsom June 4--both as the favorite. She was most recently...

1st-Belmont, $87,300, Msw, 7-10, 2yo, 6f (off turf), 1:10.70, gd, 2 1/4 lengths. DOCTOR JEFF (c, 2, Street Boss--Wild Bea {SP}, by Wild Rush), entered for main track only, took over favoritism from chief market rival Fort Ticonderoga (War Front) in the final minutes and made 13-10 look like a gift in the Saturday opener from Belmont. Drawn just outside Fort Ticonderoga in gate two, Doctor Jeff was hustled away from stalls by Joel Rosario and cut out the opening couple of furlongs in :22.61 while under light urging. Ridden...