Saratoga

'Rising Star' Carl Spackler Back On Top In Kelso

Saturday's GIII Kelso Stakes lost a fair bit of its intrigue when Godolphin's Mysterious Night (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) was declared from the race, and it was eFive Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) who proved the chief beneficiary, defeating Talk of the Nation (Quality Road) in what more or less amounted to an eight-furlong match race.    Call Me Harry (Street Sense), easily the longest shot in the field of four, led under the wire for the first time, but was content to let...

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Summer Breezes: July 14, 2024

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes highlights debuting 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. To follow is the lone such horse entered for Sunday at Saratoga: Sunday, July 14, 2024 Saratoga 1, $100k, 2yo,...

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Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Pletcher Has Another Ace Juvenile as Mentee Takes Aim at Sanford

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--During his Hall of Fame career, trainer Todd Pletcher has won the GIII Sanford at Saratoga a record eight times. He'll look to pad that stat on Saturday when he saddles Mentee (City of Light) in the six-furlong race, which will be run for the 108th time. "For me, it's always about the 2-year-olds," Pletcher said outside his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track when asked what the most exciting part of training is for him. "The 2-year-old program is fantastic here; the state program is great. We...

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Twirling Candy's Twirling Queen Extends Streak In Coronation Cup

Twirling Queen (Twirling Candy) made it four wins from as many starts as a 3-year-old and remained perfect in two appearances on the grass, posting a comfortable victory in Friday's Coronation Cup Stakes at Saratoga. With 9-5 morning-line favorite Star of Mystery (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) scratching in favor of Sunday's GIII Quick Call Stakes, the Coronation Cup shaped a more open affair, and Twirling Queen put herself right into the mix early just off the pace disputed by Ever So Sweet (Ire) (Calyx {GB}), the 9-4 choice, and Toupie (Uncle...

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Justify Filly Miss Justify Rides the Rail to Wilton Victory

Miss Justify (Justify) rallied smartly along the fence in the stretch to capture Friday's $135,000 Wilton Stakes at Saratoga. Third in the Smart Halo Stakes while making her final start for trainer Susan Cooney at Laurel last November, the bay made two previous attempts for Todd Pletcher this term, including a front-running, last-out win going a one-turn mile in an optional claimer at Churchill Downs June 1. Backed at odds of 5-2 here, the rail-drawn Miss Justify chased from fourth through an opening quarter in :23.71. She crept up closer...

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Saturday Preview: 'Red Hot' Chili Flag One Of Five Diana Chances For Brown

Chad Brown has won the GI Diana Stakes seven times in its last eight runnings and, well, the odds say that right about 5:45 p.m. Saturday, that will be eight out of the last nine. That's because the Mechanicville native will send out half of the 10 runners for the first elite-level contest of the Saratoga meeting. Strength, indeed, in numbers, but a quintet also not short on quality. Chili Flag (Fr) (Cityscape {GB}) is perhaps the antithetical European import for the barn in the sense that she required three...

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Saturday Insights: American Pharoah Colt Ready For Inaugural Launch At The Spa

7th-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 3:54 p.m. ET. SAM'S ROCKET (American Pharoah) debuts for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The colt went for $115,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Fall Yearling Sale before going to Frank Fletcher for $925,000 as the second highest price during this year's OBS April Sale. Dam More Roses (Uncle Mo) was purchased by D.C. Goff for $475,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale while Sam's Rocket--her only foal to date--was in utero. The first-time starter's stakes-winning second dam Flattermewithroses (Flatter) also produced two-time GII Santa...

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Summer Breezes, Sponsored By OBS: July 13, 2024

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes highlights debuting 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. To follow are the horses entered for Saturday at Saratoga and Ellis: Saturday, July 13, 2024 Saratoga 1, $80k, 2yo,...

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Thousand Words's The Queens M G Causes A Schuylerville Boilover

C Two Racing Stable and Mathis Stables' The Queens M G (Thousand Words) provided her freshman sire (by Pioneerof the Nile) with a second juvenile stakes winner Thursday afternoon, returning $91 to her backers for a convincing 2 3/4-length victory in the Listed Schuylerville Stakes on opening day at Saratoga. The dark bay triggered a similarly hefty mutuel when graduating at first asking at Keeneland in April, but she flopped home last of seven as the 21-10 favorite behind Whatintheliteral (Lord Nelson) in the local June 6 Astoria S. after...

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Saratoga Notebook Presented By NYRA Bets: It's Going To Be A Long Weekend For Mo Plex Trainer Englehart

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY -- It's a tossup as to what is the biggest sporting event this weekend for trainer Jeremiah Englehart. The choices are these: the $175,000 GIII Sanford Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday or the Vermont Lacrosse Classic two and a half hours away in the town of Essex. Come again? Englehart will do double duty because three of his five kids are in the lacrosse travel tournament. He wont miss that. And he can't be absent from the Spa because he has to to saddle Mo...

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Casamigos 'For Jocks And Horses' To Benefit TRF, PDJF

The 2024 Casamigos 'For Jocks and Horses' event will be held at the Adelphi Hotel in Saratoga Springs, NY, on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, with all proceeds to benefit the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) and Permanently Disabled Jockeys' Fund (PDJF). During the event, which will take place between 6 and 8 p.m., guests will enjoy gourmet hors d'oeuvres, a signature Casamigos cocktail made exclusively for the event and a silent auction featuring unique items and experiences. The event is expected to be attended by some of the biggest stars in...

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Summer Breezes: Friday, July 12, 2024

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes highlights debuting 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. To follow are the horses entered for Friday at Saratoga: Friday, July 12, 2024 Saratoga 6, $80k, 2yo, (R), 5...

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