Belmont

Friday Insights: Pletcher Has Strong Hand In Friday Action At Saratoga

1st-SAR, $100K, Msw, 3yo/up, 7f, 12:20 p.m. The second day of the Belmont at Saratoga festival continues with a strong opening race featuring China Horse Club homebred TRULLI WARRIOR (Curlin). Dam Alberobello, who CHC purchased as a yearling for $475,000, is related to a trio of 'TDN Rising Stars' in half-sisters MGSW/GISP Jojo Warrior (Pioneerof the Nile) and MSW/GSP J Z Warrior (Harlan's Holiday) along with full-sister GISW A Z Warrior. The 'Rising Star'-quality continues through the family with Jojo Warrior's son Under Oath (Speightstown) and A Z Warrior's daughter...

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Richard Migliore Joins the TDN Writers' Room

It was a first-of-its-kind TDN Writers' Room this week as the crew gathered to discuss the first GI Belmont S. to run at Saratoga Race Course. To get started on their handicapping ahead of a jam-packed weekend of racing at the Spa, the team brought in Green Group Guest of the Week Richard Migliore, an on-air racing analyst for NYRA who will be part of the FOX Sports coverage of the Belmont on Saturday. Calling into the show--which is presented by Keeneland--from the famed picnic tables of Saratoga, Migliore said...

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Richard Migliore Joins the TDN Writers' Room

Richard Migliore, a retired jockey and now a racing analyst for NYRA and Fox Sports, joins this week's TDN Writers' Room to discuss a jam-packed card for Belmont Stakes weekend.

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HRRN To Celebrate 'A.P. Indy Week' In Belmont Lead Up

Horse Racing Radio Network (HRRN) will celebrate 'A.P. Indy Week' in the lead up to Saturday's GI Belmont S. Announced via release Monday, HRRN noted that 'A.P. Indy Week' will run Monday, June 3 through Saturday, June 8 and feature tributes to the 1992 Belmont winner and late Lanes End stallion. Listeners will also hear replays of some of his biggest wins and interviews with some of his connections looking back on his racing career. A Keeneland September Sale topper at $2.9m, A.P. Indy (Seattle Slew) was consigned by Lanes...

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Pletcher Runners Busy On Friday Work Tab; Belmont Preps Continue

The Todd Pletcher-trained trio of Fierceness (City of Light), Antiquarian (Preservationist) and Mindframe (Constitution) all visited the track Friday morning in preparation for upcoming starts in the GI Belmont S. held at Saratoga. 'TDN Rising Star' and Champion 2-year-old Male Fierceness marked his first work since finishing off the board as the favorite in the GI Kentucky Derby earlier this month. Working in company with stablemate Mindframe, the pair covered a half-mile in :50 flat over the Oklahoma training track, galloping out in 1:02 2/5, 1:14 3/5 and 1:28 2/5....

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The Week In Review: Seize The Grey Won The Preakness; His Trainer's Glow Illuminates The Sport

In terms of positive momentum, the best result in the aftermath of every year's GI Preakness S. is for the GI Kentucky Derby winner to triumph again in Baltimore, setting up a potential Triple Crown bid that infuses the sport with a three-week burst of buoyancy leading up to the GI Belmont S. In the majority of years that doesn't happen, which is why the elusive Triple Crown is so special. So the next-best result is an exciting race with a compelling storyline. Saturday's 149th Preakness didn't quite deliver on...

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Derby Winner Mystik Dan To Ship To Saratoga, Decision On Belmont Awaits

GI Kentucky Derby winner and GI Preakness S. runner up Mystik Dan (Goldencents) will ship to Saratoga but trainer Kenny McPeek has yet to make a decision on whether the colt will contest the third leg of the Triple Crown, the GI Belmont S. "It's impossible to be disappointed about being involved with these kind of races and be competitive," McPeek told assembled media at Pimlico Sunday morning. "One, they are hard races to get into, but to be competitive in them is a big deal. You just do your...

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Vekoma Gets First Winner With Fortuna Mia At Horseshoe Indy

4th-Horseshoe Indianapolis, $32,000, Msw, 5-13, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :53.60, ft, 4 lengths. FORTUNA MIA (f, 2, Vekoma--Windy Lane, by Cairo Prince), dispatched at 5-1, quickly hooked up with Run Camila Run (West Coast) to her inside. The top pair opened up on the field and worked through an opening quarter in :22.45 before Fortuna Mia began to gain an upper hand. Run Camila Run ducked to the outside to try to re-engage but the winner was already gone and hit the wire four lengths in front. An objection was...

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Pipsy Impressive In Last-To-First Soaring Softly Win

Just five months after bringing 700,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale, Pipsy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB})  impressed in her North American debut with a last-to-first win in the GIII Soaring Softly S. at Belmont's The Big A meet Sunday. As a juvenile in her native Ireland, she won two of her three races including a listed stake before heading to auction where Woodford Thoroughbreds stuck the winning bid and imported the filly to race out of the William Walden barn. The tepid 3-1 favorite had her backers watching on nervously...

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Peter Pan Winner Antiquarian To Ship To Saratoga With Eye On Belmont

The Todd Pletcher-trained Antiquarian (Preservationist), who won Saturday's GII Peter Pan S. at Belmont's The Big A meeting, will point towards the GI Belmont S. held at Saratoga, Pletcher confirmed Sunday. "He certainly acts like it," said Pletcher when asked about whether the added distance would benefit Antiquarian. "We didn't get him in until October, but he's always done everything very professional." Both Antiquarian and Peter Pan third-place runner Protective (Medaglia d'Oro) will ship to Saratoga sometime in the coming week where they will join last year's champion 2-year-old Fierceness...

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Jockey Club Steward To Change At NYRA Tracks

Samantha Randazzo will no longer serve as The Jockey Club steward at New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA) racetracks, the Jockey Club announced Thursday. The move was made with immediate effect. Current NYRA safety steward Juliet Kagno will fill the vacancy for the remainder of NYRA's Aqueduct spring meet and for the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet from May 2 to July 7. Former Jockey Club steward at NYRA Dr. Ted Hill will assume the steward position during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga from June 6-9...

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Longtime NYRA Employee Michael Prunetti Dies At 77

Michael F. Prunetti, a veteran NYRA employee, passed away March 15 at the age of 77. Remembered by his NYRA colleagues in a note released Saturday, Prunetti spent over 40 years as a racing official around New York tracks including time as the Assistant Racing Secretary. "What a kind gentleman he was," recalled NYRA Stakes Coordinator Andrew Byrnes. "Mike took the time to teach me how to do things the right way. I learned a tremendous amount under him. He was one of the best. He was a jewel." Prunetti...

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