Belmont Park

'TDN Rising Star' Momos (Distorted Humor) will switch to grass for Sunday's GIII Futurity S. at Belmont Park, a 'Win and You're In' for the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland. A runaway debut winner at Saratoga July 18, the $180,000 OBSMAR graduate pressed a hot pace and stayed on for third behind ultra-impressive unbeaten MGISW Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) in the GII Saratoga Special S. last time Aug. 7. "He's been training well," trainer Christophe Clement said. "I trained him on the grass and thought he worked...

With the remnants of Hurricane Delta slated to dump a significant amount of rain in the region, officials at the New York Racing Association elected not to card the GII Hill Prince S. for sophomore turf horses and the GII Knickerbocker S. for older turf males for Monday's Columbus Day program at Belmont Park. The Hill Prince will be carded next Saturday, Oct. 17, while the Knickerbocker will take place the following afternoon. Each race carries purse money of $150,000.

Shadwell Stable's Malathaat (Curlin), a daughter of Grade I winner Dreaming of Julia (A.P. Indy), ran to the money and her pedigree with a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy debut victory at Belmont. Breezing a half-mile bullet in :49 1/5 (1/10) on Saratoga's Oklahoma training track Oct. 3, she was hammered down to 4-5 favoritism for this career bow. Running the middle of the bunched up sextet early, the $1.05-million KEESEP buy pushed her way up to contest the pace as the first quarter went in :23 flat. Clocking a half-mile in...

Sophomore fillies take center stage in the GII Sands Point S. at Belmont Saturday and among leading contenders in the eight-furlong event is Waterford Stable's Speaktomeofsummer (Summer Front). Victorious in last fall's Chelsey Flower S. at the Big A, she kicked off 2020 with a fourth-place finish in Belmont's Wonder Again S. in June before realizing a head score in Saratoga's GII Lake Placid S. July 19. Rank in the early going of the Saratoga Oaks Invitational S. at 9 1/2 furlongs Aug. 16, the Christophe Clement trainee finished fourth...

After missing an intended start in the GI Forego S. at Saratoga in late August with a foot abscess, the talented Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}) is training up to next month's Breeders' Cup at Keeneland. The chestnut punched his ticket(s) to Lexington with eye-catching victories at Belmont Park in the 'Win and You're In' GI Runhappy Carter H. June 6 (GI Sprint) and GI Runhappy Metropolitan H. last time July 4 (GI Dirt Mile). He kicked off his 4-year-old campaign with a sharp win in Gulfstream's Sir Shackleton S. Mar....

Plum Ali remained undefeated and picked up her second straight stakes win with a convincing score in Sunday's GII Miss Grillo S. on the Belmont turf. Unveiled going two turns over the Saratoga lawn July 23, the $65,000 Keeneland September buy rallied to a two-length success. Shipped south to Kentucky Downs for the Mint Juvenile Fillies S. Sept. 7, the chestnut overcame a troubled start and uncorked a powerful late run to score going away by 2 3/4 lengths. Hammered down late to even-money favoritism, Plum Ali traveled last of...

Gufo (Declaration of War), favored at 7-5 in Saturday's GI Belmont Derby Invitational, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland, came storming down the stretch to deliver a smart, one-length victory over No Word (Silent Name {Jpn)). Mo Ready (Uncle Mo) was third. Gufo capped a four-race winning streak with come-from-behind scores in Gulfstream's English Channel S. May 2 and Delaware's GIII Kent S. July 4. He established a new course record in the latter. He rallied from seventh to finish a very close...

Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic) was named likely to make the line-up for Saturday's GI Preakness S. at Pimlico following a four-furlong work in :48 flat (2/88) at Churchill Downs Sunday. "Most likely he's going to go, but tomorrow we'll make the decision," trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said. "We were very happy with the work." Ny Traffic came up a nose short of Authentic (Into Mischief) when second in the July 18 GI TVG.com Haskell S. Sunday's work was his first since finishing eighth behind that rival in the Sept. 5...

Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior), just a nose shy in a heart-stopping renewal of the GII Vosburgh S. last year, contested then as a Grade I, continued his love affair with Belmont Park in this 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland. Firenze Fire sat a stalking trip in second through an opening quarter in :22.33, made his move at the leader as they stacked up four across the track past the quarter pole, and kicked home nicely to punch his ticket to Lexington. Favored Funny...

3rd-Belmont, $63,000, Msw, 9-26, 2yo, f, 1m, 1:39.43, ft. AMERICAN WEST (f, 2, Curlin--Jacaranda {GSW, $207,200}, by Congrats), a $925,000 Keeneland September purchase, sat relatively handy to a strong pace, came calling for the lead three off the inside at the furlong grounds and withstood a late rails rally from Millefeuille (Curlin) to graduate at first asking Saturday at Belmont Park. Settled in a stalking third as favored Jouster (Noble Mission {GB}) set the pace from expensive Louisiana-bred Leia Marie (Exaggerator), American West, chilly on the board at 5-1, was...

Sackatoga Stables' Tiz the Law (Constitution) returned to the worktab for the first time since finishing second to Authentic (Into Mischief) as the favorite in the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby, breezing a half-mile in an easy :50.07 with regular exercise rider Heather Smullen in the irons. "It was a nice, easy work," trainer Barclay Tagg said. "I wasn't looking for much. I just wanted him to go out there and stretch his legs. He hadn't done anything in three weeks." Prior to his hard-trying runner-up effort in the Derby,...

Following the untimely retirement of the ultra-talented GISW Volatile (Violence) earlier this week, an evenly matched field of six will line up for Saturday's GII Vosburgh S. at Belmont Park, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. The 2-1 morning-line favorite Engage (Into Mischief), winner of last fall's GII Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. at Keeneland, makes his first start since finishing a non-threatening fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita. He's been training steadily at Steve Asmussen's Churchill base for this. Belmont...