GI Whitney S.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--The easy thing would be to blame the racetrack. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert wasn't going to do that the day after his National Treasure (Quality Road) finished a non-threatening sixth in Saturday's $1 million GI Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. National Treasure, who had been at the top of most lists as the best older horse in the nation, laid an egg as the 4-5 favorite. "He just didn't show up," Baffert said on the Saratoga backstretch Sunday morning. "Once he didn't get into the...

Highlighted by the 155th GI Travers S. Aug. 24 and the GI Whitney S. Aug. 3, the 40-day Saratoga meet features 19 Grade I races as part of 71 stakes worth $20.75 million in total purses, the New York Racing Association said concerning the release of the schedule on Friday. Following the four-day opening week, which starts on Thursday July 11, racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, apart from closing week, when the 2024 summer meet will conclude on Monday, Sept. 2. Saratoga Live, the...

Horse of the Year candidate and GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner White Abarrio (Race Day) will kick off his 5-year-old campaign in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Feb. 24. A subsequent start in the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan Mar. 30 could be in the cards as well. The Rick Dutrow, Jr.-trained C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable, LLC colorbearer has breezed three times at Santa Anita since Christmas Eve, including a five-furlong move in 1:00.40 (9/58) Jan. 8. "He's gonna go over...

It's been a roller coaster year for White Abarrio (Race Day), but it ended on the highest of possible notes, with a victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. To talk about the Breeders' Cup, future plans for the horse, the decision to hire Rick Dutrow as the trainer and more, co-owner Mark Cornett was the Green Group Guest of the Week on this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast, which is presented by Keeneland. With the status of Saffie Joseph, Jr. in limbo after he was temporarily banned by Churchill...

C Two Racing Stable and Antonio Pagnano's White Abarrio (Race Day), a 6 1/4-length winner in Saturday's GI Whitney S. at Saratoga, exited his victory in good order, according to trainer by Rick Dutrow, Jr. Sunday morning. "I don't know if it's sunk in yet," said Dutrow, Jr. who celebrated his 64th birthday Saturday. "I kept anticipating another horse to come challenge him. I felt extremely comfortable when he broke good and was laying off the speed horse--I felt any time that he wanted him, he could have him. I...

Cody's Wish (Curlin) will be heavily favored over five rivals to add another chapter to racing's feel-good story in Saturday's GI Whitney S. at Saratoga. The Godolphin homebred, winner of last term's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and the stallion-making GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H. at Belmont Park June 10, seeks his first career win beyond one mile in the nine-furlong Whitney, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita. The 1-2 morning-line favorite, named after Cody Dorman, who was born with the...

It was a good week to have a Hall of Fame jockey on the TDN Writers' Room, presented by Keeneland, as the Green Group Guest of the Week and especially to have that jockey be Jerry Bailey, who knows a thing or two about analyzing a race for an audience. Bailey pulled no punches when asked about whether or not he felt Forte (Violence) should have been disqualified in the Jim Dandy Saturday at Saratoga. "I thought it was a bad call," said Bailey. "I thought he was the best...

Reigning GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner and MGISW Cody's Wish (Curlin) was installed as the 1-2 morning-line favorite and will exit from gate six after Wednesday's GI Whitney S. draw. The 96th running of the $1 million race is set for this Saturday, Aug. 5 and it offers a 'Win and You're In' berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in November. Cody's Wish Hall of Fame trainer, Bill Mott said after the draw, "Every time you bring a horse over like this, you stand the risk of getting...

Trainer Kenny McPeek confirmed Lucky Seven Stable's Smile Happy (Runhappy) for next Saturday's GI Whitney S. at Saratoga Race Course, but his stablemate for the same owner, Rattle N Roll (Connect), will take his show on the road. Both horses last raced in the GI Stephen Foster S. July 1 at Ellis Park. McPeek said Rattle N Roll will target either the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga or the GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Both races are run at 10 furlongs September 2 and are "Win and...

Barry "The Sniper" Spears, a successful handicapping tournament player, public handicapper, podcast host and influential voice in the world of horse racing Twitter, joined the latest episode of Bettor Things with Joe Bianca this week for a wide-ranging conversation on topics inside the sport and out. Later in the show, following up a profitable first week of his handicapping segment sponsored by the Breeders' Cup in which he gave out $17.60 Haskell winner Cyberknife (Gun Runner), Bianca lays out his plays for Saturday's GI Whitney S. at Saratoga, a star-studded...

MGISW Life Is Good (Into Mischief) will break from outside in post six in Saturday's GI Whitney S. at Saratoga. The winner of four of five starts in 2021, including the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, the imposing bay annexed this season's Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream and Belmont's GII John A. Nerud S. July 2. He also finished fourth in the Dubai World Cup in March. "I wasn't really concerned too much about the post position in a compact field like this," said trainer Todd Pletcher, who also...

Breeder Emory Alexander Hamilton is looking forward to her trip to Saratoga this weekend to cheer on the talented Olympiad (Speightstown) in what looks to be an ultra-competitive edition of the GI Whitney S. "He has done so well; it's really amazing," Hamilton said enthusiastically. "The Whitney is going to be a tough race. There are some really good horses going there, but Bill Mott and his owners have been patient with him and it has paid off." Hamilton, who looks forward to drawing out the mating plans for her...