Belmont

Coolmore partners Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith and Masaaki Matsushima's Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) may return for Belmont's Oct. 9 GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, according to T.J. Comerford, traveling assistant for trainer Aidan O'Brien. "He ran well at Saratoga. He was a little unlucky that he didn't get out, but he ran a really good race," Comerford said. "He stays well. He actually seems to be getting better. He seems to be coming back to his old self, which is good. He's a Juddmonte winner at...

Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) looks for his third straight win since turning back to grass sprints in Friday's loaded GIII Troy S. going 5 1/2 furlongs at Saratoga. The 2019 GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. winner followed a sixth-place finish in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. Mar. 6 with wins in Belmont's seven-furlong Elusive Quality S. Apr. 24 and the six-furlong GI Jackpocket Jaipur S. last time June 5. The re-opposing Chewing Gum (Candy Ride {Arg}) completed the exacta that day at 28-1 while...

'TDN Rising Star' Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the beaten G1 Cazoo Epsom Derby favorite, paid fitting tribute to his late superstar sire with a 1 1/4-length success over Tokyo Gold (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) in Saturday's GI Belmont Derby Invitational. The Coolmore connections and trainer Aidan O'Brien also delivered with Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational on the undercard. The even-money favorite, drawn on the inside in post two, raced in seventh around the clubhouse turn and began to creep closer while racing in between...

'TDN Rising Star' Souper Sensational (Curlin), a jaw-dropping winner of her first two career starts last fall at Woodbine, got back on track in a big way with a dominating performance in Saturday's GIII Victory Ride S. at Belmont. Outfooted through fractions of :22.81 and :45.68, she was locked and loaded in fifth beneath Flavien Prat approaching the quarter pole, and exploded with a four/five-wide blitz from there to record a career high. The chestnut went winless in four previous starts at three after capping her 2-year-old campaign with a...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency ALLEN HOMEBRED DEBUTS AT BELMONT 1st-BEL, $90K, Msw, 2yo, 6fT, 1:00p.m. Joe Allen homebred FORT TICONDEROGA makes his career bow in this spot for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey. By fellow Allen homebred War Front, the bay is out of European SW & MGSP Ballet Pacifica (Minardi), who is also the dam of SW & GSP Secretary at War (War Front); MGSP Doswell (Giant's Causeway); and GSP Entrechat (Giant's Causeway). His second dam is MGISW Kostroma (Ire) (Caerleon), who also produced Grade I winner Ariege...

Australasia (Sky Kingdom) looks to take her record to seven-for-seven and score her first graded win Saturday in Belmont's GIII Victory Ride S. The dark bay dominated her fellow Louisiana-breds with four straight wins--three of which were stakes--by a combined 24 1/4 lengths. Scoring her first win against open company on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard May 1, she rallied to victory in the local Jersey Girl S. June 6. Bella Sofia (Awesome Patriot) completed the exacta in the Jersey Girl after running away to an 11 1/4-length graduation on...

Every year the GI Belmont Oaks and Derby attract an intriguing mix of European invaders and America's best sophomore turf horses and this year is no exception. The Coolmore contingent, Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore have a strong shot at taking their second renewal of this race with 'TDN Rising Star' Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who enters this race of a narrow runner-up in Group 1 company. A debut winner at the Curragh in September, the bay was fourth in the G1 QIPCO One Thousand Guineas May 2 at...

Last Saturday's Perfect Sting S., originally scheduled as a listed race, was downgraded after coming off the Belmont turf and the American Graded Stakes Committee decided that it will not be reinstated for its 2021 renewal. The race will be recorded as a non-listed black-type race. It is the policy of the American Graded Stakes Committee that a race that is scheduled for the turf course but is moved to the dirt track after the closing of nominations because the turf course is unsuitable for racing and is automatically downgraded...

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) on Tuesday gave notice to a federal judge that it intends to file a formal motion to dismiss trainer Bob Baffert's civil complaint, which seeks to overturn NYRA's ban against him. On May 17, NYRA informed the Hall of Fame trainer with the highly-publicized string of recent equine drug positives that he was temporarily not welcome to stable or race at the association's three tracks, Saratoga Race Course, Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack. That ban, NYRA said at the time, would be re-evaluated once...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. announced the stakes schedule for the 28-day fall meet at Belmont Park, which will include 20 graded stakes, including 47 stakes worth $11.15 million in purses. The fall meet, which will run from Thursday, Sept. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 31 will offer four Grade I races and five "Win and You're In" qualifiers to the Breeders' Cup in November at Del Mar. The first Breeders' Cup qualifier is the $1-million Jockey Club Derby for 3-year-olds going 1 1/2 miles on the turf Sept. 18....

The Jockey Club (TJC) on Wednesday told the judge in Bob Baffert's federal lawsuit against the New York Racing Association (NYRA) that in deciding whether or not to lift the trainer's banishment from Saratoga, Belmont Park and Aqueduct, it is imperative to consider the larger issue that tracks should be entitled to bar anyone "credibly responsible for the administration of medication resulting in a substance violation" in order to "protect the health and safety of the sport's participants." Using a "friend of the court" brief, which is a legal document...

The New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) unanimously advanced a rule proposal Tuesday that seeks to end the resource-draining practice of jockeys appealing riding infractions during big-money race meets like at Saratoga, then withdrawing those protests once the meet is over for the sole purpose of delaying a suspension until it is more convenient for the penalized rider to serve the days. The proposed rule, which first must be published in the state lawmaking register and then be subject to a public commentary period before coming up again for a...