Delaware Park will honor trainer J. Larry Jones for his accomplishments and dedication to racing with a special tribute at the Wilmington racetrack Saturday June 20.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
On April 19, as light rain fell, Friesan Fire posted his final work at Keeneland before he heads to Churchill Downs for the May 2 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Join Trainer Larry Jones as he answers questions like: Tell about how your two leading Kentucky Derby contenders Old Fashioned and Friesan Fire are doing and what the plans are for them between now and the first Saturday in May.
Friday, March 27, 2009
The stallion barn at Darley America hosts a dazzling quartet of young stallions who have all celebrated the birth of their first offspring in recent weeks.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Storm Cat has been a titan among North America's commercial sires, and he added to his considerable reputation in 2008, leading all stallions based on the average price of their yearlings sold at public auction for the sixth time in his breeding career. He returned to the top following a two-year break during which he fell to second behind Danzig in 2006 and ranked third behind A.P. Indy and Kingmambo in 2007.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Darley America has announced the stud fees for its 16 stallions for the 2009 breeding season. All stallions, with the exception of Street Cry, Elusive Quality, and E Dubai, have had their fees reduced from their 2008 levels.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The Jockey Club released the Report of Mares Bred (RMB) statistics Oct. 16 for 2008 that show a continued decline in North American Thoroughbred breeding activity.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Rick Porter of Fox Hill Farms has hired Jeff Barkley as his private trainer, beginning a transition resulting from trainer Larry Jones' recent announcement that he will wind down his operation and retire.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Trainer Larry Jones, who earlier this year saddled Proud Spell to win the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) and the following day had ill-fated Eight Belles finish second in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), said he plans to retire by the end of 2009.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
American combo of Bernardini, Elusive Quality, Hard Spun, Any Given Saturday, Consolidator, and Henny Hughes to shuttle to Darley Australia.
Monday, June 02, 2008
PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter
Big Brown's victory in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands and Hard Spun's second in the Derby last year are the latest indicators that the Danzig line is asserting some authority in America's premier dirt races. Want more proof? How about last year's older male champion Lawyer Ron (a son of Danzig's son Langfuhr)and the emerging sire Exchange Rate, who got two grade I winners in his first crop. Friday, May 16, 2008
Should Eight Belles run on Saturday, she will provide trainer Larry Jones with his second Kentucky Derby (gr. I) starter. Last year he conditioned Hard Spun, who ran a credible second behind Street Sense and was also owned by Rick Porter's Fox Hill Farms.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Eclipse Award winners Bernardini and Street Sense will be headed to Sheikh Mohammed's Darley operation in Australia for the 2008 Southern Hemisphere breeding season once their duties are completed at Darley near Lexington.
Friday, February 29, 2008
The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association has named Hard Spun as its first-ever Horse of the Year.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Hard Spun, by Alan Porter
Friday, January 25, 2008
Mario Pino became the 15th jockey in North America to earn 6,000 wins Nov. 7 when he piloted Pass Play to victory in the seventh race at Laurel Park.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Prior to this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), Larry Jones, trainer of eventual runner-up Hard Spun, said of the meteoric rise of the then undefeated Curlin, "Six months from now, we could be looking at Curlin as a super horse."
Well, it is now six months later, and Jones' words, unfortunately for him, have become prophetic.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Street Sense, this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner and the previous year's 2-year-old male champion, will enter stud for $75,000 at Sheikh Mohammed's Darley near Lexington.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Start engraving the Eclipse Awards. This year's honors are all but a done deal. Despite the horrible conditions at Monmouth Park, the Breeders' Cup World Championships were surprisingly formful, with several favorites and leading contenders turning in dominating performances.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Curlin swept past Hard Spun down the stretch to win the Breeders' Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge (gr. I) by 4 1/2 lengths.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Steve Haskin interviews Larry Jones about the undefeated Juvenile Filly, Proud Spell and Hard Spun's post position for the Classic.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Jockeys John Velazquez and Garrett Gomez offered opinions on their Breeders' Cup mounts in an Oct. 25 press conference held at Monmouth Park the day before the Oct. 26-27 event was to get under way.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Steve Haskin interviews Larry Jones about the undefeated Juvenile Filly, Proud Spell and Hard Spun's post position for the Classic.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Two days before the Oct. 26-27 Breeders' Cup World Championships, trainer Todd Pletcher reviewed his 11 starters and shared his thoughts on the upcoming races, including possible scratches should the surfaces turn up wet or yielding due to weekend showers.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
There are five top 3-year-olds in the Breeders' Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge (gr. I), but there are strong 3-year-old contenders in at least three other World Championship races.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
A field of nine was drawn Oct. 23 for one of the deepest and most contentious runnings of the Breeders' Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge (gr. I). The two horses who drew the most attention were Hard Spun and Lawyer Ron, who likely will dictate how the race will be run.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
The eyes of the horse racing world are squarely fixed on next week's Breeders' Cup, with a total of 160 pre-entries (141 individual horses, 19 cross-entered) for 11 races. It will be a year of many firsts for the World Championships.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Ask Rick Porter and Vinery Farm manager Tom Ludt to comment on the sales histories of the 2-year-old Posse colt Kodiak Kowboy and his dam, Kokadrie, and the two men spin a circular tale.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Now, that was a super weekend of racing. Whether it was Turfway Park's Polytrack, Santa Anita's Cushion track, or the dirt track at Belmont, this was racing at its best. The races were thrilling, formful, and showcased a good number of the sport's top stars.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
There they were at the head of the stretch, and the Sept. 29 Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) had developed into the showdown everyone hoped it would be. On the lead, Hard Spun barreled toward the finish line. Just off his hip, Street Sense dug deep to reel him in. This time, unlike in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), Hard Spun would not be denied the victory.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Having the top two finishers in this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) entered in the Sept. 29 Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) has led to an increase in local and national coverage of the event.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Sitting in the stakes barn at Turfway Park two days before the Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. III), Craig Callis still has a hard time believing that a $2,300 yearling purchase actually brought him here.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Making final preparations for the Oct. 27 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) at Monmouth Park, Jim Tafel's Street Sense and Rick Porter's Hard Spun will have a much-anticipated rematch in the Sept. 29 Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) over Turfway Park's Polytrack.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Carl Nafzger, trainer of Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Street Sense, discussed his reasoning for racing against grade I winner Hard Spun in the Sept. 29 Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) at Turfway Park during a National Thoroughbred Racing Association media teleconference Sept. 25.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
James Tafel's Street Sense, winner of this year's Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), tuned up for a run in the Sept. 29 Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) at Turfway Park with a five furlong work Sept. 25 at Churchill Downs.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Street Sense and Derby runner-up Hard Spun will meet for the third time in next Saturday's $350,000 Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) at Turfway Park, it was announced Sept. 22.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Rick Porter, whose Hard Spun won the Aug. 25 King's Bishop Stakes (gr. I), is launching a new partnership venture named Turf Club USA. Porter, who races as Fox Hill Farm, has also campaigned grade I winners Jostle and Round Pond.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
A long-range look at how the Breeders' Cup Classic Powered by Dodge (gr. I) is shaping up, ranked in order, and with the latest odds in the Wynn Las Vegas Race Book.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
By Dan Liebman - Thankfully, someone at the time did have an interest in standing Danzig, Storm Cat, and Mr. Prospector, respectively. And, our breed has been changed forever because of their decisions.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Heavily favored Hard Spun, a colt who has made all the major dances for trainer Larry Jones this season, earned his elusive first grade I victory when he turned back a serious challenge from First Defence in the $250,000 King's Bishop (gr. I) for 3-year-olds at Saratoga Aug. 25.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
While slightly difficult, it is entirely possible to come to Saratoga without watching a horse race. You can come, for instance, to enter the hot dog eating contest â€" and if you are like Crazy Legs Conti from New York City and can consume 21.5 hot dogs as he did yesterday, you can also win.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Hard Spun likely has only three races left in his career. That was conformed when it was recently announced that the Danzig colt would stand for Darley after the Breeders' Cup.
That means, Saturday's $250,000 King's Bishop Stakes (gr. I) may provide Hard Spun with his best chance to finally capture an elusive Grade I race, as he shortens up to seven furlongs in a test for 3-year-olds over Saratoga's main track.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Haskell Invitational (gr. I) runner-up Hard Spun worked at Delaware Park Aug. 19 in preparation for the King's Bishop Stakes (gr.I) at Saratoga Aug. 25.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Despite his poor effort in the Whitney Handicap (gr. I), Brass Hat will make a return visit to Saratoga for the Woodward Stakes (gr. I) Sep. 1, trainer Buff Bradley said Sunday.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
There was the rubber match between Street Sense and Curlin in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I). Didn't Happen. There was the showdown between the two in the Travers Stakes (gr. I). Not going to happen. There was Rags to Riches headlining Lady's Day at Belmont for the CCA Oaks (gr. I). Didn't Happen. There was Rags in the Saratoga limelight for the Alabama. Not going to happen.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Under a confident ride from Garrett Gomez, Any Given Saturday moved past pace-setting Cable Boy, then caught Hard Spun in mid-stretch and pulled away for a decisive 4 1/2-length victory in the Haskell Invitational (gr. I) at Monmouth Park.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
During the post position draw for the Aug. 5 running of the $1-million Haskell Invitational (gr. 1), Steve Asmussen was asked if Curlin was the best horse he has ever trained. A master of understatement, Asmussen flatly replied: "I think that would be very reasonable."
Thursday, August 02, 2007
TVG will offer exclusive, live on-site coverage of the $1-million Haskell Invitational (gr. I) at Monmouth Park Aug. 5.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
A field of seven is shaping up for the $1-million Haskell Invitational (gr. I) at Monmouth Park Aug. 5. The race, presented by Vonage, is for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
The 2007 running of Monmouth Park's $1-million Haskell Invitational Presented by Vonage (gr. I) promises to be one of the best ever, with Preakness (gr. I) winner Curlin, Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) runner-up Hard Spun, and the undefeated Cable Boy heading the field.
Friday, July 20, 2007
