Manhattan S.

For an operation so accustomed to success on these shores, the first two-plus days of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival proved surprisingly and disappointingly fruitless for Godolphin, trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick. Siskany (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was flat as the heavy favorite in Thursday's GII Belmont Gold Cup, while English Rose (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) was last but one as the pick in Friday's GI New York S. Mischief Magic (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) was a fair fifth in Saturday's GI Jaipur S. to add insult to injury,...

The purses for maiden and allowance races, both open and restricted, will be increased between $10,000 and $13,000 for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, to be held at Saratoga Race Course Thursday through Sunday, June 6-9. Open maiden special weight contests will offer purse money of $100,000, up from $90,000, while New York-bred maidens will run for $85,000, an increase from $75,000. Open entry-level allowance purses will be upped by $10,000 to $110,000, while New York-bred first-level allowance races will offer $90,000, a boost from $80,000. The open non-winners of...

A trio of 3-year-olds from the barn of Todd Pletcher took to the Belmont dirt training track Friday morning as they prepare for stakes engagements during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), who defeated GI Preakness S. hopeful Early Voting (Gun Runner) in the GII Wood Memorial S. Apr. 9 ahead of a closing fifth in the GI Kentucky Derby May 7, breezed a half-mile in the company of his GI Central Bank Ashland S.-winning stable companion Nest (Curlin) in :50.02. Owned by Donegal Racing and Repole...

Rare is the high-caliber turf contest in New York that doesn't go through Chad Brown and the GI Manhattan S. is no exception. The reigning four-time Eclipse winner as outstanding trainer has the favorite, multiple graded stakes-winning Instilled Regard (Arch). Last seen getting a 102 Beyer when winning Belmont's June 6 GII Fort Marcy S. at a furlong shorter, Instilled Regard has won graded stakes three years running and looks to remedy the lack of a Grade I victory on his resume here. Instilled Regard's reopposing stablemate Devamani (Fr) (Dubawi...