Belmont Park

6th-Belmont, $61,110, Msw, 9-19, 2yo, 1m, 1:37.56, ft. LIKEABLE (c, 2, Frosted--Dashing Debby {SW}, by Medaglia d'Oro) endured a fairly eventful trip in his rained-off Saratoga debut Aug. 22, racing wide on the turn and striking final-furlong interference before just missing by a head. Stretching out to a mile and remaining on the dirt for this second try, the $350,000 yearling was the 23-10 second choice to odds-on Engrave (Flatter) and jumped well to head them off out of the chute. Always going better than the chalk, Likeable began to...

Magic Attitude (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) made her Stateside debut in style with a late-surging victory as the heavy favorite in the GI Belmont Oaks Saturday, the first Grade I event of the track's fall meet. Caboosing the quintet early, the even-money favorite--who was receiving Lasix for the first time--bided her time at the back as second-choice Antoinette (Hard Spun) clocked a half-mile in :49.99. Still last entering the far turn, the bay swung out three wide in the lane and unleashed a furious rally, powering clear late for a decisive...

1st-Belmont, $63,000, Msw, 9-18, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:12.01, ft. ZAINALARAB (f, 2, War Front--Delightful Joy {GSW, $179,200}, by Tapit), whose $1-million purchase price out of last year's Keeneland September sale was the second-highest for her hugely successful stallion, got the Belmont fall meet off on a chalky note, grinding her way past her chief market rival Exact (Competitive Edge) for a narrow victory. Allowed to sit the box-seat trip as Exact made the running in advance of the blinkered Jade Empress (Shanghai Bobby), Zainalarab was pulled off the fence in...

Godolphin's Antoinette (Hard Spun) tops a five-horse field in this year's renewal of the GI Belmont Oaks Saturday. Winner of an off-the-turf version of the Tepin S. last year, the bay was third in both the GII Fair Grounds Oaks Mar. 21 and the Gardenia S. at Oaklawn May 1. Third in again in what is traditionally the local prep for this event, the GIII Wonder Again S. June 20, she completed the trifecta in the GI CCA Oaks July 18. Antoinette returned to the winner's circle last time with...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-BEL, $63K, Msw, 6f, 2yo, f, 1:00 p.m. ET Shadwell Stable's ZAINALARAB (War Front) will get both her racing career and the Belmont fall meet underway Friday when facing five other juvenile fillies in this sprint. Bought for $1 million even at Keeneland September, the bay is the first foal out of GSW Delightful Joy (Tapit), a half-sister to GSW Cali Star (Street Cry {Ire}) and 113 Beyer-earning SW Seymourdini (Bernardini). Trained by Chad Brown, she shows a steady worktab going back to mid-July at...

America's Day at the Races returns this week on FOX Sports and MSG Networks to provide coverage and analysis of racing from Belmont Park, Churchill Downs and Delaware Park, the New York Racing Association announced Wednesday. After a summer hiatus, the show resumes Thursday with live racing from Churchill Downs and Delaware Park, before transitioning Friday-opening day of the 27-day Belmont Park fall meet--for complete coverage of this weekend's live racing from Belmont Park and Churchill Downs. Produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, the acclaimed national telecast airs...

The New York Racing Association announced Sunday its COVID-19 health and safety protocols for jockeys during the 27-day Belmont Park fall meet, which will open Friday, Sept. 18 and run through Sunday, Nov. 1. In order to mitigate risk and reduce the spread of COVID-19, Belmont Park will be closed to out-of-town jockeys until further notice. Members of the regular NYRA jockey colony who travel to ride at any other racetrack during the Belmont Park fall meet will be required to provide two negative COVID-19 tests taken within a five-day...

A limited number of licensed owners will be permitted to attend live racing at Belmont Park on the day that their horse is entered to race, NYRA announced Friday. To reduce density and adhere to social distancing guidelines, the size of the ownership group will be restricted to 10 individuals per horse. All owners within the group must be in possession of a valid New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) license. Horses with identical ownership will be limited to 10 total admissions regardless of number of horses running that day....

Saratoga Race Course's jockey safety protocols and travel restrictions that were established July 14 will remain in place throughout the end of the meeting. It was announced earlier Friday morning that Churchill Downs will be requiring that all jockeys be in the state by Aug. 31 who will be riding in the GI Kentucky Derby. "The NYRA policy instituted on July 14 to address jockey travel and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 will remain in place through the end of the 2020 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course," Pat McKenna,...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Though he is quick to dismiss any talk that he might win the trainer's title at Saratoga Race Course, veteran Christophe Clement acknowledges that most everything has gone very well for his stable in the first half of the season. Entering Wednesday's card, the midway point of the 40-day meet, Clement was second, two wins behind Todd Pletcher, in the competitive standings with 15 victories, matching his career-best at the Spa in 2015. He already has a personal-best six stakes wins. The Clement runners top the...

According to a Newsday story, a 2-year-old filly let out of her stall Thursday at Belmont Park by a former employee resulted in a fall that led to the filly's death. The former employee, identified by the Nassau County Police Department as Ramzan Antooa, 38, of Elmont, had been spotted at approximately 7:45 p.m. by Belmont's security personnel releasing the filly, the paper said. He was arrested at the scene and charged with burglary and reckless endangerment of property. Newsday quoted New York's Gaming Commission's database as stating the horse...

Belmont Park's abbreviated Spring/Summer Meet generated $15,466,198 in average daily handle from all sources, a 42% increase over the 2019 spring/summer meet. Held over 25 days and without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the live meet marked the return of professional sports to the New York area and was conducted with strict health and safety protocols in place. "We would like to thank the horseplayers for their enthusiastic support of New York racing during this most unusual spring/ summer meet," said NYRA President and CEO Dave O'Rourke. "That we...