SF Racing

Ellis Park will host its first Grade I race in its 100-year history Saturday, but there are plenty of other graded stakes scheduled before the Fourth of July at Belmont Park, Delaware Park, Woodbine Racetrack and Gulfstream Park. Here's a rundown of what's on tap. Showdown in Belmont's Dwyer One of two graded stakes on Saturday in Elmont is the GIII Dwyer S. Going a mile, the race pits Fort Bragg (Tapit), who was forced to scratch from the GI Woody Stephens S. by trainer Bob Baffert when the 3-year-old...

GI Preakness S. winner National Treasure (Quality Road) worked five furlongs in :59.55 seconds over Belmont Park's main track on Monday in preparation for Saturday's $1.5 million GI Belmont S. With exercise rider Erick Garcia aboard, the colt galloped out six furlongs in 1:11.20 and seven furlongs in 1:25.20. "He worked very well this morning," trainer Bob Baffert's assistant, Jimmy Barnes, said. "It's a big track and you can find yourself lost out there. Erick did an excellent job working him and now we're just waiting for the race." National...

National Treasure (Quality Road) turned in his first work since winning the May 20 GI Preakness S., going four furlongs in :50.62 (9/15) at Belmont Park Tuesday as he continues preparations for the June 10 GI Belmont S. With jockey John Velazquez up for trainer Bob Baffert, National Treasure was caught by New York Racing Association clockers in a swift opening split of :23 2/5. Velazquez had the colt under a hold down the lane before letting the talented bay gallop out strongly. "I wanted to jog him to the...

'TDN Rising Star' Doppelganger (c, 4, Into Mischief--Twice the Lady, by Quiet American) finished up full of run down the stretch to upset Saturday's GI Carter H. at the Big A. The longest shot on the board at odds of 17-1, he caboosed the field of six early and was up a spot into fifth through an opening quarter in :22.40. Under a ride on the far turn, the bay had his work cut out for him a quarter of a mile from home. Steered out and into the clear...

As the managing partner of Starlight Racing, Jack Wolf is a part of a team that can always be counted on to have several prospects for the GI Kentucky Derby. That's the case again this year as the trio of Starlight, SF Racing and Madaket Stables will have horses in Saturday's GII San Felipe S., the GIII Gotham S. and the John Battaglia Memorial. To discuss those runners and Starlight's philosophies when it comes to trying to acquire Derby candidates Wolf was the Green Group Guest of the Week on...

The nominees for the Mar. 4 GIII Gotham S. at Aqueduct include four horses that have been under the care of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, but were nominated under the names of new trainers. Baffert is banned from running in this year's GI Kentucky Derby and any horse under the care of a trainer suspended by Churchill Downs must be moved to a new barn by Feb. 28 in order to earn Derby qualifying points. On Friday, a U.S. District Judge ruled against Baffert as he sought a...

'TDN Rising Star' Newgate (Into Mischief), the winner of last Saturday's GIII Robert B. Lewis S. at Santa Anita under Frankie Dettori, has been diagnosed with a minor hock issue that will prevent him from making a start in the GI Kentucky Derby. The news of the injury was announced on Twitter early Friday by Tom Ryan, the managing partner of one of the colt's owners, SF Racing LLC. "His prognosis to return is excellent," Ryan wrote. "We look forward to seeing him back this summer." Ryan also wrote that...

The Kentucky Derby points are back on the table in December. Well, for trainers Leandro Mora and Tim Yakteen that is, as it is once again time for the GII Los Alamitos Futurity. In prior contests, it would have been 10-4-2 or 1 to the top four finishers, but since we only have a five-horse field, and with Bob Baffert currently forced to abrogate his Derby egg hunt despite yet another re-christening of his legal stab at Churchill Downs, it is just Mora and Yakteen that are eligible. Out of...

ETOBICOKE, ON--Heading into the 163rd Queen's Plate, most of the pre-race talk swirled around X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables and SF Racing's Moira (Ghostzapper), and her pre-Woodbine Oaks antics that led to her ultimately running, and romping, without hind shoes. Keeping her shoes--if not entirely her composure--firmly intact prior to Sunday's Classic fixture at Woodbine, the filly appeared to sprout wings in the stretch, cruising to an eye-catching seven-length victory over the Mark Casse-trained pair of Hall of Dreams (Lemon Drop Kid) and Sir For Sure (Sligo Bay {Ire}). "There are...

Moira looped the field impressively en route to a dominant score in Sunday's Woodbine Oaks, providing trainer Kevin Attard with a second-straight win in this event and adding to a long list of accomplishments for her ownership group. And she did it all without her hind shoes, having acted up in the paddock and been unable to be adequately re-shod in time. An impressive debut graduate from out of the clouds in the C$250,000 Princess Elizabeth S. here last October, the bay settled for second as the favorite in the...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 8th-TAM, $31,500, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 3:48 p.m. William Mack's GIANT'S FIRE (GUN RUNNER), a $510,000 KEESEP yearling purchase, makes his first trip to post for trainer John Terranova. The chestnut colt is out of an unraced half-sister to multiple Group 1 placed Mad About You (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}). Also debuting is Godolphin homebred Exacting (Ghostzapper), a son of multiple Grade I placed Centring (A.P. Indy), who will be saddled by Eoin Harty. Jonathan Thomas sends out firster Dubrovnik (Union Rags)--a $180,000 FTKSEL yearling purchase--for...

A pair of Speightstown 'TDN Rising Stars'--Nashville and Charlatan--looked to have their four rivals over a barrel in Saturday's GI Runhappy Malibu S., the traditional post-Christmas opening day feature at Santa Anita Park. The former had the benefit of recency, his three wins from as many starts coming by 24 3/4 lengths combined, while the latter was resurfacing for the first time since crossing the line best in the slightly slower of the two divisions of the GI Arkansas Derby May 2. Nashville was sent off the 13-10 favorite to...