Belmont Stakes

Juddmonte homebred Batten Down (Tapit), a full-brother to multiple graded winner Tacitus, worked five furlongs in company in 1:01.09 (1/4) over the Oklahoma training track in Saratoga Monday, but trainer Bill Mott is still considering whether the sophomore will line up for the June 8 GI Belmont S. Batten Down, with jockey Junior Alvarado up, went on the outside of stablemate Arthur's Ride (Tapit) as NYRA clockers caught them through splits of :12.54, :24.80, :36.99 and through five-eighths in 1:01.99 before galloping out in 1:14.19 and 1:28.94. The pair stayed...

The Wine Steward (Vino Rosso), most recently seen finishing second in the May 11 GIII Peter Pan S., is being considered for either the 10-furlong GI Belmont S. or the seven-furlong GI Woody Stephens S., both at Saratoga June 8. "It depends on the trip, but I think he can get it [the distance]-- he's bred to get it and should be able to," David Staudacher, who co-owns the colt with Paradise Farms Corp., said regarding the 10-furlong Belmont distance. "I think he likes the track up there, so we'll...

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said GI Preakness S. winner Seize the Grey (Arrogate) will ship to Saratoga on Saturday, June 1 to prepare for the GI Belmont S. on June 8. "He came out of the Preakness remarkably well," Lukas said by phone from his base in Louisville, Ky. "Of all my [15 Triple Crown race winners], he might have come out of his race the best of any of them. He is doing damn good." Lukas said Seize the Grey will be the only horse from...

Last year's champion 3-year-old colt Arcangelo (Arrogate) captured the GIII Peter Pan S. before adding top-level victories in the GI Belmont S. and the GI Travers S. A scratched-down field of six is expected to line up for Saturday's renewal of the Peter Pan at Aqueduct, which serves as the local prep for the final leg of the Triple Crown, which will be held at Saratoga and run at 1 1/4 miles June 8. 'TDN Rising Star' Deterministic (Liam's Map), a fantastic winner of the one-turn mile GIII Gotham S....

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - While most of the racing world was focused on the 150th GI Kentucky Derby run last Saturday at Churchill Downs, the final stop on the Triple Crown series--the 156th GI Belmont S., some six weeks hence on June 8--is already at the top of the charts for plenty of people in this horse-centric upstate city. In order to accommodate the massive makeover of Belmont Park, New York Racing Association officials decided last year to stage the 2024 and 2025 runnings of the Belmont S. at Saratoga...

Bell Gable Stable's Nutella Fella (Runhappy), off since winning last year's GI Hopeful S., could return to action in the June 8 GI Woody Stephens S. The bay colt upset the Hopeful at 54-1, but suffered a hind ankle injury while training for the GI Champagne S. and underwent surgery. He has been working at Oak Ridge Training Center in Ocala and is currently back with trainer Gary Contessa's string in Saratoga. "He worked five-eighths in 1:01 in Ocala before I brought him up last week," Contessa said. "He'll probably...

Reserved tables in the Saratoga Race Course picnic paddock will be sold exclusively through a random drawing for Belmont Stakes Day on Saturday, June 8, the New York Racing Association, Inc. announced Thursday. As is the case during the 40-day summer meet, the vast majority of Saratoga's backyard picnic tables -- approximately 700 -- will be available on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the four-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Fans may enter the picnic paddock random drawing at BelmontStakes.com beginning Monday, Mar. 25. Approximately 100 picnic tables will be available...

Hall of Fame jockey and long-time Florida steward Walter Blum died early Thursday, Mar. 14 due to complications of lung disease, announced his son Walter Blum Jr. on social media. He was 89. The story was first reported by the Daily Racing Form (DRF). The Brooklyn, N.Y. native started his racing career young as a hotwalker before launching into riding in 1953 at 19, and leading the country in wins in both 1963 and 1964. While largely riding in New York and New Jersey, Blum did travel for high-profile rides....

Highlighted by the 156th edition of the GI Belmont S. on Saturday, June 8, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has revealed the stakes schedule for the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which will be held at Saratoga Race Course from Thursday, June 6 through Sunday, June 9. The 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will include 23 stakes races with purses totaling $10.1 million, the highest purse levels and number of stakes offered since the launch of the multi-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in 2014. NYRA has increased the...

The year 2023 was a pretty rough one for the sport of horse racing, and there was little to suggest that this year would be any different. The sport seems to be caught in a downward spiral as we move from one crisis to another and are left to wonder "what next?" So far this year, the answer to that question is that maybe things will be better in 2024 than we might have thought. There have been several recent positive developments for the sport, many of them having to...

The Coolmore team went to $1.6 million to secure the broodmare prospect Prank (Into Mischief--Callingmissbrown, by Pulpit) (hip 77) during Monday's first session of the Keeneland January sale. The 4-year-old bay, a half-sister to GI Belmont S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following a scintillating debut victory at Saratoga in 2022, but was injured and never raced again. She was consigned to the sale by Gainesway, which campaigned her in partnership with LNJ Foxwoods and StarLadies Racing.

The remaining days in 2023 dwindled to a few last week, a welcome development considering the year that it was. Yes, there was some good news. Arcangelo (Arrogate) winning the GI Belmont S. for trainer Jena Antonucci was as good a story as we've seen in some time. The saga of Cody's Wish (Curlin) continued to tug at our heartstrings. The sales continue to post huge numbers. Purses have soared in Kentucky and at Oaklawn, with maidens running for pots in excess of $100,000. But for every good story there...