Monmouth

Therapist (Freud), winner of last weekend's GI United Nations at Monmouth, will be pointed for Kentucky Downs' $1.7 million, GII FanDuel Kentucky Turf Cup Sept. 9, according to trainer Mike Maker. Maker confirmed that stablemate Red Knight (Pure Prize), the UN third-place finisher who won the Kentucky Turf Cup last year, will also target the 12-furlong race. The 9-year-old won the June 10 GI Man o' War S. The Turf Cup is a 'Win and You're In' for the Breeders' Cup Turf, held at Del Mar this November. "[Therapist] finished...

Undefeated two-for-two GIII Southwest S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) has been made the slight 5-2 morning-line favorite for Saturday's $1-million, GI TVG.com Haskell S. at Monmouth Park at the expense of GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic), who was tabbed as the joint 3-1 second choice alongside GI Toyota Blue Grass S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit). The top three choices drew post positions eight, four, and five, respectively. "I believe the horse's entire body of work and his entire career...

After initially saying he was uninjured following a spill he was involved in on Sunday at Monmouth Park--and even riding two races later--jockey Jorge Luis Gonzalez revealed Monday that he suffered a stable fracture of his L3 vertebrae from the incident that could sideline him four to six weeks. Gonzalez went for tests at Monmouth Medical Center late Sunday night after feeling discomfort. "I'm in a lot of pain now," he said. In addition, jockey Samy Camacho, involved in the same spill, will undergo further evaluation Monday in Florida to...

GII Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) remains a possibility for either the GII Jim Dandy July 29 at Saratoga Race Course or the previous week's GI Haskell S. at Monmouth Park said Spendthrift Farm's general manager Ned Toffey. "We're freshening him a little bit, keeping some options open," Toffey said. "There's the Haskell and the Jim Dandy and we'll look at those, but we'll talk with [trainer] Todd [Pletcher] and just keep things open. Obviously, it gets pretty tough with fewer spots for these good 3-year-olds. You won't find...

Salute the Stars continued his rise through the ranks here with a determined victory in the Pegasus S. at Monmouth Park. Coming into the race riding a two race win-streak which began when he wrapped his juvenile season with a victory against maidens at Ellis on the grass, he moved from John Ortiz to Brad Cox before his seasonal bow last out May 14 in an off-turf allowance. Winning there by a neck, he was made the 5-2 second choice behind Kingsbarns, who was reappearing for the first time since...

Parx track announcer Chris Griffin has been named the new track announcer at Monmouth Park starting with the 2023 meet that gets underway in May. Griffin, the back-up announcer at Monmouth Park since 2020, will replace Frank Mirahmadi, who is taking over as the track announcer at Saratoga next summer after eight years at Monmouth Park. Mirahmadi is also the track announcer at Santa Anita. The 41-year-old Griffin was also recently named the track announcer for the Aqueduct winter meet that runs from January through April. "We're pleased to have...

Monmouth Park showed a 25.2% increase in total handle and a 16.07% increase in on-track handle, while Paco Lopez won his ninth riding title and Claudio Gonzalez earned his first training title as the Jersey Shore track closed out its 77th season Sunday. Total handle was $217,243,199 this summer compared to $173,511,611 a year ago. On-track handle was $17,753,794 in 2022 compared to $15,216,978 a year ago. Total attendance was 368,101. Monmouth ran 60 live days of racing this year compared to 55 a year ago. "We're extremely pleased by...

While his half-sister, Nest, has been racking up the Grade I victories at Saratoga this summer, Lost Ark (Violence--Marion Ravenwood, by A.P. Indy) stayed behind in Todd Pletcher's Belmont division with Monmouth's Sapling S. targeted. Mission accomplished, as the 2-year-old remained undefeated in two starts and romped by 7 1/2 lengths in the Sapling. Shuffled back at the start, but securing a mid-pack spot on the inside, Lost Ark was content to let Bourbon Spirit (Liam's Map) battle it out up front for the :23.94 quarter and :47.51 half. Angled...

Michael Beychok, the 2012 National Handicapping Championship winner, has made plenty of headlines this year. A well-known, outspoken horseplayer, Beychok joined the latest episode of Bettor Things with Joe Bianca this week to talk about his class-action suit against Bob Baffert surrounding the since-vacated 2021 Kentucky Derby victory of Medina Spirit, his vow to move his handle to sports betting in response to drug issues in racing, the approach to tournament play that helped him win the NHC, his day job as a political consultant and more. Also this week,...

Michael Beychock, the 2012 National Handicapping Championship winner, has made plenty of headlines this year. A well-known, outspoken horseplayer, Beychok joined the latest episode of Bettor Things with Joe Bianca this week to talk about his class-action suit against Bob Baffert surrounding the since-vacated 2021 Kentucky Derby victory of Medina Spirit, his vow to move his handle to sports betting in response to drug issues in racing, the approach to tournament play that helped him win the NHC, his day job as a political consultant and more. Also this week,...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - With the $1.25 million GI Travers S. on Aug. 27 as his summer goal, trainer Chad Brown said Thursday morning that he is close to declaring what path his GI Preakness S. winner Early Voting (Gun Runner) will take to Saratoga's biggest race. Brown has two options: send the colt to Monmouth Park to face unbeaten stablemate Jack Christopher (Munnings) in the GI Haskell Invitational S. on July 23 or wait a week and race him against another stablemate, GI Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Zandon (Upstart)...

Though admitting that he deserved his eight-day suspension after being the aggressor in an altercation with Paco Lopez following a July 1 race at Monmouth, Nik Juarez has some choice words for his fellow jockey, calling him "careless and someone who has no regard for his fellow riders." Lopez was suspended five days for his ride aboard Midnight Diva (Midnight Lute) in that day's seventh race. Juarez was suspended for eight days and fined $500 for "initiating a physical confrontation with another jockey." According to the footnote of the race,...