Three-time grade I winner Summer Bird, the leading candidate for an Eclipse Award in the male 3-year-old division, worked five furlongs in 1:00.45 under regular rider Kent Desormeaux after Oak Tree's second race Oct. 25.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
There will be Jockeys galore at Old Friends Oct. 20, as more than a dozen top riders have confirmed their appearance for "Jockey Day."
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Interference in deep stretch cost Juddmonte Farms a chance to win their own race, as their English homebred Proviso crossed the wire first in the $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster (gr. I) but was disqualified for veering out sharply inside the sixteenth-pole. The disqualification gave the victory to Brushwood Stable's Mushka, who crossed the wire second by 2 1/4 lengths, but likely would have gone by Proviso had her path not been impeded.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Interactif may have stamped himself as the horse to beat in next month's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IIT), as he turned in a dominating performance in the $125,000 Bourbon Stakes (gr. IIIT) Oct. 11 at Keeneland.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Summer Bird continued his meteoric rise to the top of the Thoroughbred ranks, as he turned back fellow 3-year-old Quality Road to win the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) by a length Oct. 3 at Belmont Park.
Saturday, October 03, 2009
The Horsemen's Golf Tournament, to benefit the New York Racing Association's Backstretch Employee Service Team, will be held Tuesday, Oct. 6 at Wheatley Hills Golf Club in Williston Park, Long Island, New York.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Belmont Stakes and Shadwell Travers (both gr. I) winner Summer Bird left his connections with wide smiles the morning of Sept. 19 after a solid workout for the 3-year-old's next engagement, the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) Oct. 3 at Belmont Park.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Wertheimer and Frere's homebred Interactif made his turf debut a successful one, pulling off a 15-1 upset in the $109,500 With Anticipation Stakes (gr. IIIT) Sept. 4 at Saratoga.
Friday, September 04, 2009
Summer Bird continued his meteoric rise to the top of the nation's 3-year-old ranks, as he rolled through the slop for an easy 3 1/2-length score in the $1-million Shadwell Travers (gr. I) Aug. 29 at Saratoga.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Jockey Kent Desormeaux made it back-to-back grade I wins on a soggy Arlington Park turf course when he guided Dynaforce to victory in the $750,000 Beverly D. Aug. 8.
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Starlight Partners' Take the Points, locked in a stirring stretch duel with Black Bear Island, got up in the final strides under Kent Desormeaux to earn his first graded stakes win in the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) Aug. 8 on the Arlington Park turf.
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Summer Bird put in his final work for the $1.25 million Haskell Invitational (gr. I), breezing five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 July 26 with jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
William Backer's homebred filly Blind Date came from off the pace to take a short advantage in mid-stretch, then narrowly outdueled Shared Account to win the $150,000 Virginia Oaks (gr. IIIT) by a head July 18 at Colonial Downs.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Favored Gozzip Girl gave a superb performance from off the pace to win the $700,000 American Oaks (gr. IT) at Hollywood Park July 5.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Circle E Racing's Mr. Sidney pulled away from Inca King in the final sixteenth of a mile to win the $167,700 Firecracker Handicap (gr. II) by 1 1/2 lengths on the July 4 card at Churchill Downs.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Summer Bird will not breeze this weekend as originally planned in preparation for the $1 million Haskell Invitational (gr. I) on Aug. 2, according to trainer Tim Ice.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
One of the strangest Triple Crowns in memory has come to an end, leaving being a flood of memories and wild and wacky moments.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
It was a bird that won the June 6 Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park, but it was not Mine That Bird but rather Summer Bird that won the final leg of the Triple Crown.
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Trainer Tim Ice will scale new heights, literally, when he visits the Empire State Building for the first time June 2. Figuratively, Ice, the conditioner of Summer Bird, hopes to reach the zenith of his burgeoning training career in the $1 million Belmont Stakes (gr. I) June 6.
Monday, June 01, 2009
Farnsworth Stables' Gozzip Girl took all the heat, but was still able to find enough in the final yards to hold on for a 1 1/2-length victory in the $150,000 Sands Point (gr. II) May 30 on the Belmont Park turf.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Parading made it consecutive graded stakes victories when he held off Just as Well in the $150,000 Dixie Stakes (gr. IIT) at Pimlico May 16.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Kent Desormeaux, one of Maryland's all-time leading riders and a two-time winner of the Preakness (gr. I), took home the $14,000 first prize in the inaugural Pimlico Jockey Challenge May 15.
Friday, May 15, 2009
As the sun rose over Churchill Downs April 26, WinStar Farm's Hold Me Back posted a solid workout as he continues to prepare for the May 2 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Jockey Joe Talamo has pledged $25,000 to Children's Hospital in New Orleans if he wins his first Kentucky Derby (gr. I) May 2.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Stuck wide on the backstretch of the $150,000 Ben Ali Stakes (gr. III), jockey Kent Desormeaux took a chance when he encouraged Parading to take control over his pace rivals heading into the final turn. The decision paid off when Parading ran away in upper stretch on the way to his first graded stakes victory April 19 at wet and windy Keeneland.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Third in the Doubledogdare Stakes (gr. III) a year ago, Donald Adam's homebred Indescribable was much the best in the 2009 running of the $100,000 event, as she pulled away in the stretch to win by 2 1/4 lengths April 17 at Keeneland.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Circle E Racing's Mr. Sidney took command at the top of the lane, then outdueled Passager in a long stretch drive to win the $300,000 Maker's Mark Mile (gr. IT) on Keeneland's yielding turf course April 11.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Eight of the nation's top jockeys, including Eclipse Award winners Kent Desormeaux, Edgar Prado, Garrett Gomez, and John Velazquez, will square off in the inaugural Jockey Challenge at Pimlico Race Course May 15, the day before the $1 million Preakness Stakes (gr. I).
Friday, April 10, 2009
Quality Road turned back a bid from even-money favorite Dunkirk in upper stretch and drew away for a sensational 1 3/4-length victory in the $750,000 Florida Derby (gr. I) March 28 at Gulfstream Park. The son of Elusive Quality set a new 1 1/8-mile course record in 1:47.72.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Dress Rehearsal, a steadily improving Irish-bred filly trained by Bill Mott, turned the tables on prohibitive favorite Criticism to win the $150,000 Orchid Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the Gulfstream Park turf course March 22.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
WinStar Farm's homebred Hold Me Back overcame a poor break to win the $500,000 Lane's End Stakes (gr. II) at Turfway Park in his first start of 2009 for trainer Bill Mott March 21.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux will receive the inaugural Bill Hartack Charitable Foundation award at a ceremony at the Harrah's New Orleans Hotel March 12 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Kenny McPeek stole the show in the two highly-anticipated 3-year-old allowance races Jan. 8 at Gulfstream Park. The trainer won both 1 1/8-mile events with second-time starters and now has a pair of good-looking colts to watch for on the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) trail.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
George Strawbridge Jr.'s Palmilla, the only graded stakes winner in an overflow field of 12 older fillies and mares, tops the wide open $150,000 Rood and Riddle Dowager Stakes at Keeneland Oct. 19.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Carriage Trail took over rounding the far turn, opened up a big lead in the stretch and despite drifting out badly, went on to win the $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster (gr. I) in stakes record time under Kent Desormeaux Oct. 5 on the Keeneland Polytrack. The victory earned the 5-year-old mare an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic (gr. I) Oct. 24 at Santa Anita.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Marc Keller's Grand Couturier scored his second consecutive grade I win, coming from off the pace to post a resounding victory in the $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (gr. IT) Sept. 27 at Belmont Park.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Dynaforce repelled a challenge from heavily favored Mauralakana at the top of the stretch to power away to a four-length victory in the $588,000 Flower Bowl Invitational (gr. IT) at Belmont Park Sept. 27.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Big Brown made his return to turf a successful one Sept. 13 in the $500,000 Monmouth Stakes, as he sprinted to a commanding early lead under Kent Desormeaux and then gamely held off Proudinsky for the length of the stretch to win by a neck.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Donald Adam's homebred Adriano became a graded stakes winner on a second different surface Aug. 30 in the $501,500 Kent Stakes (gr. IIIT), as he rallied with a strong stretch move to get up by a half-length on the Delaware Park turf.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Mauralakana, given a perfect ride by Kent Desormeaux, swept to her first grade I victory in the $750,000 Beverly D. over the Arlington Park turf Aug. 9, winning her fourth consecutive race for trainer Christophe Clement.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
It certainly wasn't as impressive as his wins in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) or Preakness (gr. I), but Big Brown got the job done in the $1 million Haskell Invitational (gr. I) before 45,132 spectators at Monmouth Park Aug. 3.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
In an effort to raise money for The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, the Race Track Chaplaincy of New York has organized a basketball game between members of the Saratoga jockey colony and the Texas Titans, a 6th grade Texas-based AAU team.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux reached a historic milestone at Saratoga Race Course July 27 when he guided Gumpster Stables' Bella Attrice to win the seventh race and notch his 5,000th career victory.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Eaton's Gift, winner of the Swale Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park in February, takes on an inexperienced field in the $150,000 Amsterdam Stakes (gr. II) for 3-year-old sprinters at Saratoga July 28.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Front-running Thorn Song slammed the door on prohibitive choice Einstein in the stretch and held on for a one-length victory in the $213,250 Firecracker Handicap (gr. IIT) over a yielding Churchill Downs turf course July 4.
Friday, July 04, 2008
Mauralakana had to work a bit harder than she did when taking the Sheepshead Bay (gr. IIT) at Belmont last month, but the talented mare still earned her third consecutive victory and fourth stakes of the year June 21 when she held off a pair of challengers to capture the $242,000 New York Stakes (gr. IIT) by a neck. She became a millionaire in the process.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
This is not about Rick Dutrow or Kent Desormeaux or Michael Iavarone. They've been beaten up enough. This is mostly about the victim many people seem to have forgotten: Big Brown, who has fallen out of favor quicker than Roger Clemens. The question is: why?
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Big Brown's downfall in the Belmont came in his training regimen.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
The loss of the 2004 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) by Smarty Jones still plays in Stewart Elliott's mind, especially around this time of year. He thinks of the pressure going into that race, remembering the media frenzy and build-up of public recognition.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Kent Desormeaux showed Sunday night that his ability to get the most out of a racehorse is not the only talent he has retained from his youth. The jockey displayed good form when throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at New York's Shea Stadium prior to the June 1 night game between the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
