Brooklyn Strong

Trainer Kenny McPeek said Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimney Farm's King Fury (Curlin) will be pointed to the GI Kentucky Derby or the GI Preakness S. after winning the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. Saturday at Keeneland. The chestnut returned last night to McPeek's division at Churchill Downs, where he has two wins including the Street Sense S. With the 20 points he earned in the Lexington, King Fury ranks 28th on the Derby points leaderboard and would need several defections to draw into the May 1 Run for the...

Realistic cases can be made for six or seven of the nine 3-year-old males signed on for Saturday's GII Wood Memorial S. as the New York staple GI Kentucky Derby prep returns with a competitive renewal after a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19. Given the narrowest of nods on the morning line is Klaravich Stables' Risk Taking (Medaglia d'Oro). Unable to factor in his first two outings, one sprinting on dirt and one routing on yielding turf, the $240,000 Keeneland September buy sprung to life when returned to dirt over...

Mark Schwartz's Brooklyn Strong (Wicked Strong), off since winning the GII Remsen S. last December, tuned up for a start in the Apr. 3 GII Wood Memorial with a five-furlong work in 1:01.13 (3/13) at Parx Saturday. "He went by himself from the pole. Hopefully, we can hit one work a week up to the Wood," said trainer Daniel Velazquez, who wasn't on hand for the drill after being hospitalized with a lacerated liver and torn bicep suffered during a training accident earlier Saturday morning. Velazquez had hoped to start...

The New York Thoroughbred Breeders has announced divisional nominees for its 2020 championships. A panel of New York Turf writers, broadcasters, handicappers, racing analysts and photographers will vote on the winners of each division and the 2020 New York-bred Horse of the Year. Champions will be announced during a virtual awards event Apr. 5. The event will be hosted on www.NYTBAwards.com. Among the nominees are GII Remsen S. winner Brooklyn Strong (Wicked Strong) (2-Year-Old Male), multiple stakes winner Laobanonaprayer (Laoban) (2-Year-Old Filly); and GI Travers S. and GI Belmont S....

Native New Yorker Brooklyn Strong (Wicked Strong) earned his black-type badge against fellow Empire-breds last out in the Oct. 24 Sleepy Hollow S. and took his career to the next level Saturday with a gritty victory in the GII Remsen S. at Aqueduct. Away alertly under Joel Rosario, the 7-1 shot raced two wide near the back of the quintet as favored Ten for Ten (Frosted) clicked off early splits of :23.67 and :47.86. Inching up into third alongside GIII Nashua S. victor Pickin' Time (Stay Thirsty) on the backstretch...