George Weaver

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. Colloquial (c, 2, Vekoma--Terminology, by Bernardini), sidelined since finishing a fast-closing and big-figure second behind Mentee (City of Light) on debut at Aqueduct in June, is nearing a return to the races. Off at odds of 4-1 in his unveiling for George Weaver, the chestnut was urged along by Manny Franco and chased from an inside third as the aforementioned full-brother to champion and 'TDN Rising Star'...

Longshot Sacred Wish (Not This Time) just outlasted favored Gina Romantica (Into Mischief) to win the GI Matriarch Stakes and give her sire a sweep of the two graded events at Del Mar Sunday. The 4-year-old filly had finished on the board in six graded events, but the Matriarch was her first win at the graded level and her defeat of Gina Romantica put an end to trainer Chad Brown's string of four straight victories in the race. Dismissed at 12-1, Sacred Wish sat just off pacesetting Ag Bullet (Twirling...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - If the 2024 racing season at Saratoga Race Course wrapped up Labor Day weekend, why are so many of the best horsemen in the country still sticking around? Overlooking the famed Oklahoma Training Track, and, at the moment, enveloped in bright fall foliage, the former home to 2023 Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin) seems like a good place to start. "What did we win, five the last two years? That's not bad," Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said with a smile standing outside...

   Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country.   NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS The following rulings were reported on HISA's "rulings" portal and through the HIWU "pending" and "resolved" cases portals.   Resolved ADMC Violations Date: 10/22/2024 Licensee: Filiberto Quiroz, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty...

Repole Stable's Breeders' Cup-bound homebred full-brothers champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) and Mentee (City of Light) turned in workouts on a brisk autumn morning over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track Thursday. Fierceness, who was last seen winning a thrilling renewal of the GI DraftKings Travers Stakes Aug. 24, breezed five furlongs to the outside of the stakes-placed Classic Catch (Classic Empire) in 1:01.69 (1/3). The GI Breeders' Cup Classic will be next for Fierceness. "It was another excellent breeze, pretty much what we've become accustomed to seeing...

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA)-related rulings from around the country. NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS The following rulings were reported on HISA's "rulings" portal and through the HIWU "pending" and "resolved" cases portals. Resolved ADMC Violations Date: 10/15/2024 Licensee: Michelle Hemingway, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Medication...

Owned by Alex Bregman's Bregman Family Stable, Laurice (Bolt d'Oro) kicked off her career in the right way, winning Saturday's sixth race at Saratoga. The race was run at 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf and Laurice was sent off at 7-2. Bregman is an MLB All-Star who plays for the Houston Astros and has been an enthusiastic owner since getting involved in racing. George Weaver was the winning trainer. With Junior Alvarado aboard, Laurice stalked the pace set by Moonlight Promises (Promises Fulfilled), took control at the top of...

When Beautiful Thief (Dialed In) won the 12th race at Saratoga Saturday, a maiden special weight on the turf for fillies three and up, she was doing more than visiting the winner's circle for the first time. Her victory pushed trainer George Weaver over the threshold of 1,000 career wins in North America. "It feels good. It took a lot of years to get here, we've been working hard for many, many years," said Weaver. "You don't really think about these things until they happen. There was a little gap,...

Just last week, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) Authority released its latest safety figures, showing a four-quarter consecutive decline in equine fatalities. Indeed, in the second quarter of this year, tracks operating under HISA reported 0.76 racing-related equine fatalities per 1,000 starts--significantly lower than the perennial national average. But on the flip side of these statistics is an ongoing concern among stakeholders that the enforcement arm of the national program is in certain areas proving too onerous, and that the penalties aren't always an appropriate response to the...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - With majority owner Alex Bregman in Seattle for the Houston Astros' game against the Mariners, his partner, Reagan Swinbank, took care of the winner's circle duties Friday at Saratoga Race Course following Governor Sam's (Improbable) impressive maiden-breaking victory. Swinbank said he jumped at the opportunity to buy an interest in the colt purchased by the MLB star's Bregman Family Racing LLC for $275,000 at the OBS April sale of 2-year-olds. "We invested based on Alex and his team's opinion," Swinbank said. Swinback recalls the analysis of...

Trainer George Weaver is one of several trainers whose horses have tested positive for metformin who will have their suspensions deferred as the Board of Directors of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has requested additional review of the drug which is heavily prescribed and used to treat diabetes in people. "In line with HISA's Anti-Doping and Medication Control requirements, metformin is included in the Prohibited Substances List because there is no recognized therapeutic use for the substance in horses involved in Thoroughbred racing," HISA Board Chairman Charles Scheeler said...

1st-Belmont The Big A, $90,000, Msw, 5-24, 2yo, 5 1/2f (off turf), 1:05.53, ft, head. SOONTOBEKING (c, 2, King for a Day--Swayed, by Freud) ran third on debut May 10 sprinting five panels on a muddy main track facing state-bred rivals. Moved to the barn of Mitch Friedman as his former trainer George Weaver is under a provisional suspension enforced by HIWU, Soontobeking made all the right moves late in his second try to graduate. First bobbling at the break and then bumping with a rival soon after, the only...