King for a Day

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...

Stephen Brunetti, whose family operates Red Oak Farm and Red Oak Stud and owns Hialeah Race Course, passed away Monday after a long battle with cancer. He died at his home in Delray Beach, Florida, surrounded by his family. He was 56. His passing was first announced in a Facebook posting from his son, Stephen Brunetti Jr. Brunetti took on an added role at Red Oak when his father, John Brunetti Sr., passed away in 2018. Along with his brother John Jr., he also took over as the owner of...

The seven stallions managed by IHDV Stallions LLC will see their stud fees remain static for 2024. Leading the roster is multiple Grade I winner Mind Control (Stay Thirsty), who set New York records for mares covered (190) and number tested in foal (171), has relocated to the Stillwater, New York, farm for the 2024 breeding season, having stood at Rockridge Stud in 2023. The move to Irish Hill & Dutchess View Farms was predetermined by the 'unprecedented and cooperative' agreement that brought Mind Control to the Empire State. IHDV...

The New York State Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund's incentive and rewards program continues to drive new interest and investment in New York stallions, particularly those whose pedigrees fit the race conditions and surfaces of the New York Racing Association (NYRA). Sons of champions and horses that were popular and successful in New York are debuting at stud and coming with significant mare bookings generated in part by the buyers' market at the breeding stock sales during the past three months. Rick Burke's Irish Hill Century Farm, established by his...

Multiple stakes-winning King for a Day (Uncle Mo--Ubetwereven, by French Deputy) will begin his stud career in 2021 under the management of Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions LLC in Saratoga, New York. He will stand for $6,000 Live Foal Stand and Nurse. Bred and raced by Stephen P. Brunetti's Red Oak Stable, King for a Day won last year's Sir Barton S. and defeated champion Maximum Security (New Year's Day) to win the Pegasus S. at Monmouth Park. He was a narrowly beaten second while concluding his racing career...

The lone horse to defeat-err, let's make that cross the wire ahead of--recently crowned champion 3-year-old colt Maximum Security (New Year's Day) is nearing a return to the races. Red Oak Stable homebred King for a Day (Uncle Mo) posted a hard-fought victory over the disqualified GI Kentucky Derby winner after that one stumbled at the start in the TVG.com Pegasus S. at Monmouth June 16. The bay disappointed in his next start, however, and was placed on the sidelines following a well-beaten fifth-place finish as the 5-2 second-choice after...

Maximum Security (New Year's Day) faces a speed-laden field of six foes as he looks to bounce back in Saturday's GI TVG.com Haskell Invitational S. at Monmouth Park, which carries a "Win and You're In" berth to this year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic. The saga the Gary and Mary West homebred has been embroiled in is well documented--a controversial DQ from first to 17th in the GI Kentucky Derby led to plenty of debate, and litigation, and the GI Xpressbet Florida Derby winner skipped the next two legs of the...