Belmont

A three-member panel assigned with the task of deciding whether or not the New York Racing Association was justified in punishing Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert announced its decision late Thursday afternoon, issuing a one-year suspension from the NYRA tracks, effective immediately. In April, a hearing officer recommended that Baffert be suspended for two years, so Thursday's decision was not a complete loss for the embattled trainer. After a federal judge ordered that NYRA could not impose a ban on Baffert without affording the trainer due process, a hearing...

The Classic season is over. A surface reading shows that Arrogate (Unbridled's Song), Keen Ice (Curlin), and Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) got the GI Kentucky Oaks, GI Kentucky Derby, and GI Preakness S. winners, respectively, from their first crops, and proven star sire Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie), who had a Derby winner from his first crop in 2016, sired the GI Belmont S. winner. Sometimes, however, what's between the lines is as important as what's on the page, and Taylor Made's Not This Time (Giant's Causeway), whose second-crop sons...

The winner's circle after Saturday's GI Belmont S. surely rivaled any in Triple Crown history in terms of population after Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) crossed the wire three lengths to the good. In addition to Mike Repole and his substantial crew of family and friends, the celebration contained the massive partnership of Donegal Racing, which brings all of its investors along for the ride with every horse it purchases. Tuesday, the CEO of Donegal, Jerry Crawford, sat down with Joe Bianca and Bill Finley of the TDN Writers' Room presented...

Fleet-footed champion Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) was fittingly hammered down to 1-5 favoritism against an overmatched field in Belmont's GII True North S. Friday and he more than ran to that backing with a dominant victory. Hustling up to take his preferred position at the head of affairs, Jackie's Warrior was confronted by 12-1 shot Mr Phil (Mr Speaker), but he easily shook that foe off as the opening quarter went up in :22.83. Loping along on a loose rein under Joel Rosario, the bay clocked a half-mile in :45.52....

   Two of a Kind remained unbeaten in two starts with a game front-running score in the Tremont S. Thursday at Belmont. Unveiled at over 7-1 May 4 at Churchill, the Brian Lynch trainee popped out to the front from the rail and widened in the lane for a 3 3/4-length score. Made a narrow 2-1 favorite Thursday, the bay wasn't quite swiftest out of the gate, but overtook longshot Putthepastbehind in the opening furlong. Clicking off a :22.40 quarter while lightly pressed by Zelenskyy Strong (Uncaptured) on the turn,...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency JUDDMONTE BLUEBLOOD HOPES SECOND TIME'S A CHARM 1st-BEL, $90K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1m, 12:50 p.m. Blueblooded Juddmonte homebred ARTORIUS (Arrogate) ran a huge race on debut at Keeneland Apr. 16, producing an eye-catching rally from well back to be second behind a 'TDN Rising Star' performance from Under Oath (Speightstown). The son of MGISW Paulassilverlining (Ghostzapper), who was recently profiled in Steve Sherack's "Second Chances" column, gets that second chance Friday in the Belmont opener. He faces a pair of well-related colts also making their second...

Though not a proponent of "fixing" the Triple Crown by spacing the races further apart, I can't deny that the series has a problem. GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) passed the GI Preakness S. Preakness winner Early Voting (Gun Runner) won't be running in the GI Belmont S. this Saturday and not a single horse will contest all three Triple Crown races this year. The Triple Crown ends with a race that is good but could be a lot better. Lining up the best horses possible for...

Members of the Belmont Park jockey colony will participate in an autograph signing Friday to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockey Fund (PDJF). The special meet and greet and autograph session featuring riders from the Belmont jockey colony with a suggested donation to PDJF will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday on the first floor grandstand. Benefits from the signing will go directly to the PDJF. The PDJF is an independent charitable organization that provides financial assistance to jockeys who have suffered catastrophic on-track injuries. For more...

Back in 2005, when he won the GI Preakness S. and the GI Belmont S. with Afleet Alex (Northern Afleet), Jeremy Rose was convinced that the run he was on would never end. He was just 26, had already won more than 950 races and had won an Eclipse Award in 2001 as the nation's top apprentice. Rose was well established as one of the top riders in the Mid-Atlantic region, was earning in the mid-six figures every year and his best years seemed yet to come. "It may sound...

The New York Thoroughbred Breeders, in conjunction with the New York Racing Association, New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund has introduced a lucrative new purse enhancement for owners of New York Stallion-sired New York-breds competing on the NYRA circuit. Effective immediately, the 'New York-Sired Bonus' will provide an additional $5,000 to the winning owner of a New York-sired New York-bred who finishes first in all open company and New York-bred restricted maiden special weight, allowance, and allowance optional claiming races. The...

'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready), at one point considered a leading Triple Crown contender, looks to have found a new home on the lawn after leading at all calls Saturday to justify 19-10 odds in Belmont Park's nine-furlong GII Pennine Ridge S. A 6 3/4-length debut winner at Gulfstream going a mile in December followed by an easy Tampa optional claiming tally in January, the WinStar Farm and Siena Farm representative was fourth in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 5 and third after showing the...

4th-BEL, $90K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 4:40 p.m. FOR GOOD (Curlin) gets his start for Chad Brown and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds. The $800,000 KEESEP yearling purchase, who is out of MSW and GSP Glinda the Good (Hard Spun), comes from the same Stonestreet Thoroughbreds pipeline that produced juvenile champion Good Magic, who was also campaigned by this colt's connections. Purchased for $1-million at the 2016 KEESEP sale, Good Magic went on to take the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and GI Haskell Invitation in addition to finishing runner-up in the GI...