Belmont Park

Both 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Lion (Justify), winner of the GI Woody Stephens S. and National Treasure (Quality Road), the GI Preakness winner who faded to sixth after setting the pace in the GI Belmont S., were back at Santa Anita and doing well after competing on last Saturday's Belmont Stakes card at Belmont Park according to trainer Bob Baffert. Prospective next starts have not been named for either runner.

With the construction of the new Belmont Park scheduled to begin after the spring 2024 meet, and plans for the 2025 event still uncertain, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) expressed their preference that a non-Belmont-Park Belmont Stakes be held at Saratoga rather than Aqueduct. "Should the construction of a new Belmont Park require the Belmont Stakes to be run at a different venue, then NYRA's preference would absolutely be to hold the event at Saratoga Racecourse," said NYRA's Director of Communications, Patrick McKenna, in a text to the TDN...

First Row Partners and Team Hanley's Prerequisite went wire-to-wire to take the rescheduled GII Wonder Again S. in just her third career start at Belmont Park Sunday. Sent off at 7-1, the bay filly rushed up to take the lead into the first turn and she was tracked by Spansive (Karakontie {Jpn}) through fractions of :23.67 and :47.94 in a strung-out field down the backstretch. She scampered away into the lane and was clear in upper stretch, but was all out to hold off the late-closing Be Your Best. "I...

Well, Triple Crown, now that the book has been closed on your 2023 campaign, it's time for your annual performance review. Yes, I realize you're not a tangible, actual entity, and that your entire being is really just a concept based around the sequence of three historic horse races conducted over a five-week span every spring. As such, perhaps you think you're above a little constructive criticism. But we're living in a new era of accountability and I know you want to do your part to remain the focal point...

Godolphin homebred Cody's Wish (Curlin) became the third graded winner on the day for his magnificent stallion, overcoming an imperfect passage to stamp his authority on Saturday's GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. at Belmont Park and in so doing, punching his ticket to defense of his title in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita Nov. 4. Fidgety pre-start in gate one, the bay missed the break slightly--as many drawn the inside going Belmont's one-turn mile are wont to do--and found himself near the back of the...

How good is Caravel (m, 6, Mizzen Mast-Zeezee Zoomzoom, by Congrats)? The defending GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner skipped the upcoming G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot and instead stayed closer to home in the GI Jaipur S. at Belmont Park, once again plundering the turf sprint division over males. The $400,000, six-furlong Jaipur is a 'Win and You're In' race for the Turf Sprint and a title defense in the Nov. 4 Santa Anita edition is in the cards for Caravel, said Sheikh Fahad Al Thani, Chairman...

ELMONT, NY - Five years ago, Justify became the 13th winner of the Triple Crown with a gate-to-wire victory in the GI Belmont S. The Ashford Stud-based stallion, quite fittingly, celebrated his first Grade I winner as a sire on the Belmont undercard courtesy of 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Lion (Justify)'s good-looking 1 3/4-length victory as the 2-1 favorite over Drew's Gold (Violence) in Saturday's GI Woody Stephens S. Gilmore (Twirling Candy) was third. The win marked a triumphant return to the Big Apple for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert,...

ELMONT, NY - Stonestreet homebred Clairiere (Curlin) successfully defended her title with a late surge to nail Search Results (Flatter) in dramatic fashion by a half-length in Saturday's GI Ogden Phipps S. at Belmont Park. Played Hard (Into Mischief) finished third. Clairiere joins Take D' Tour (2006-07), Sightseek (2003-04) and Heatherten (1984-85) as back-to-back winners of the prestigious 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. "I'm unbelievably proud of her," said winning trainer Steve Asmussen after registering his fourth Phipps victory in five years. "What a...

ELMONT, NY - Juddmonte's streaking champion sprinter Elite Power (Curlin) kicked off the graded stakes portion of Saturday's absolutely stacked GI Belmont S. program with a sensational performance in the GII True North S. Off as the 3-4 favorite, last year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint hero looked to be at a major disadvantage from the go in the 6 1/2-furlong affair, chasing in an outside fourth as the field of six crawled through fractions of :23.25 and :46.12. The blaze-faced chestnut, nonetheless, ranged up while three wide approaching the quarter...

ELMONT, NY -- Godolphin homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) followed up her thrilling GI Kentucky Oaks victory with a hard-fought, head decision over Dorth Vader (Girvin) in Friday's GI Acorn S. at Belmont Park. Occult (Into Mischief) was another four lengths back in third. Cutting back to a one-turn 1 1/16 miles here, the 9-5 second-choice raced within striking distance in an outside fifth as the stretching-out and favored 'Rising Star' Munnys Gold (Munnings) led through fractions of :23.34 and :46.37. Pretty Mischievous loomed boldly while...

ELMONT, NY - Breathe easy. Following significant improvement in air quality conditions throughout New York State, the 155th GI Belmont Stakes--celebrating the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's performance of a lifetime in the final leg of the Triple Crown--will go on as scheduled Saturday evening. If there's one sire's name that you want to see when handicapping the 1 1/2-mile Classic, it's Tapit. Responsible for a co-record four Belmont winners, two second-place finishers and two third-place finishers, the 22-year-old Gainesway kingpin will be represented by potential race favorite Tapit Trice (Tapit)...

ELMONT, NY -- Peter Brant's 'TDN Rising Star' In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) took her customary spot on the front end and never looked back en route to a dominating 3 3/4-length wire-to-wire tally as the 1-5 favorite in Friday's GI Just a Game S. at Belmont Park. Last year's GI Del Mar Oaks heroine and G1 Coronation S. runner-up Spendarella (Karakontie {Jpn}) was second; Wakanaka (Ire) (Power {GB}) was third. In Italian left the gate from her rail draw running beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. and led through an opening...