Racing in graded stakes company for the first time since disappointing in the Gotham (gr. III) this spring, Haynesfield looked like a completely different 3-year-old this time around, as he took over approaching the quarter-pole and easily repelled odds-on favorite Gone Astray to win the $103,500 Discovery Handicap (gr. III) by 4 1/2 lengths Nov. 21 at Aqueduct.
49 minutes ago
Unbridled Belle, as expected, made her final start in New York a winning one, drawing off to an easy four-length victory as the prohibitive choice in the $109,000 Turnback the Alarm Handicap (gr. III) at Aqueduct Oct. 31.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Banrock and You Go West Girl tallied victories in a pair of $150,000 turf stakes for New York-bred horses on closing day of Belmont Park's fall meet Oct. 25. Ramon Dominguez and Todd Pletcher win individual titles.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Ramon Dominguez rode four stakes winners Oct. 24 at rainy Belmont Park, including a three-quarters of a length victory by Haynesfield in the $250,000 Empire Classic.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Ronchalon Stable's Belle Allure notched her first stakes win in North America Oct. 21 at Belmont, getting up in the final jumps to edge Kristi With a K in the $106,500 Athenia Stakes (gr. IIIT).
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Elliot Mavorah's Interpatation pulled a shocker in the $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (gr. IT) and did it in sensational fashion. The 7-year-old gelding was passed by Gio Ponti with a furlong remaining, then re-rallied on the heavy favorite to score a 43-1 upset Oct. 3 at Belmont Park.
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Sweet Goodbye will attempt to become the latest female to bowl over the boys when she takes her six-for-eight lifetime record into the $200,000 Jim McKay Maryland Million Classic at Laurel Park Sept. 26.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
In a battle of all-star sprinters at showery Saratoga Aug. 9, even-money choice Fabulous Strike edged past stubborn pacesetter Go Go Shoot in deep stretch to win the $250,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (gr. II).
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Jockey Ramon Dominguez and trainer Gary Contessa continued to dominate the competition in New York. Dominguez ran away with the jockey title for the 64-day spring/summer meet at Belmont Park and Contessa edged Christophe Clement for the training title.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Jockey Ramon Dominguez set a modern-day record for victories at Belmont Park's spring/summer meet when he guided Michael Dubb and Robert Joscelyn's I've Got Speed to win the fifth race July 24, notching his 93rd winner for the meet.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Castleton Lyons' Gio Ponti notched his third consecutive grade I win when he came from off the pace to take the $500,000 Man o' War Stakes at Belmont Park July 11. The 4-year-old son of Tale of the Cat won for the fourth time in five starts on Belmont's turf course.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Undefeated Cat Moves became a grade I winner in her stakes debut, outfighting Light Green to capture the $300,000 Prioress Stakes (gr. IT) as a pair of Edward P. Evans Virginia homebreds took first and second at Belmont Park July 4.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Favored Porte Bonheur showed needed improvement in her second start of the year when she wore down Spritely in the final strides to post a nose victory in the $150,000 First Flight Handicap (gr. II) at Belmont Park June 28.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Lansdon B. Robbins III's Legal Consent scored his third straight victory at Belmont Park June 21, holding off a late rally from Slevin to take the $105,500 Mike Lee Stakes for New York-breds.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Seattle Smooth wore down Seventh Street in the homestretch to win the Ogden Phipps Handicap (gr. I) for her first grade I victory June 13 at Belmont Park.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford said Monday that Regal Ransom and Desert Party are both scheduled to run in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I).
Monday, April 20, 2009
Even-money favorite Seattle Smooth took over coming off the turn and rolled to a dominating 5 3/4-length victory in a scratch-filled running of the $142,500 Bed o' Roses Handicap (gr. II) April 18 at Aqueduct.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Jockey Ramon Dominguez rode four winners at Aqueduct March 29, including both $100,000 divisions of the New York Stallions Stakes, putting an exclamation point on his record-setting Big A inner dirt track championship.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Bigger things await Haynesfield after the 3-year-old colt outclassed five rivals in the $107,600 Whirlaway Stakes Feb. 7 for his third consecutive win on Aqueduct's inner track.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Haynesfield picked up his third consecutive victory Jan. 3, warding off a stiff mid-stretch challenge from Mike From Queens and drawing off to a 3 1/2-length victory in the 34th running of the $69.700 Count Fleet Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile and 70 yards on Aqueduct's fast inner dirt track.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Fabulous Strike, the 1-2 favorite among the four remaining starters in Aqueduct's Gravesend Handicap (gr. III) Dec. 27, proved an easy winner of the $103,100 event.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Court Vision surged from last in the stretch to win the $500,000 Hollywood Derby (gr. IT), giving jockey Ramon Dominguez a sweep of both grade I stakes on the Hollywood Park turf course Nov. 30.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Favored Cocoa Beach staged a furious rally through the homestretch to nab pacesetter Precious Kitten in the final strides, winning Hollywood Park's $500,000 Matriarch (gr. IT) on the grass by three-quarters of a length Nov. 30.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Favored Old Fashioned made sure there wasn't a lot of suspense about the outcome of the $200,000 Remsen Stakes (gr. II) for 2-year-olds at Aqueduct Nov. 29. The son of Unbridled's Song grabbed the lead early and then romped to a 7 1/4-length victory in New York.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Livin Lovin overtook favored Gemswick Park inside the furlong pole and rolled to a 4 1/4-length romp in the $107,800 Tempted Stakes (gr. III) for 2-year-old fillies at Aqueduct Nov. 2.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Jeffrey Puglisi's Sky Diva won the $400,000 Frizette Stakes (gr.I) Oct. 4 at Belmont Park and earned herself a starting berth to the $2 million Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr.I) Oct. 24 at Santa Anita.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
IEAH Stables and WinStar Farm's Court Vision, who lost to Gio Ponti by a nose in the July 19 Virginia Derby (gr. IIT), turned the tables on his rival Oct. 4 in the $250,000 Jamaica Handicap (gr. IIT), as the son of Gulch edged in front in mid-stretch and went on win by a three parts of a length on the Belmont turf.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Godolphin Stable's Cocoa Beach has raced in her native Chile and in the Middle East, but apparently, she has found a home in New York.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
After battling dual-classic winner Big Brown down the stretch in the Sept. 13 Monmouth Stakes only to fall a neck short, Gary Tanaka's Proudinsky will try to get back to his winning ways when he takes on eight turfers in the $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (gr. IT) Sept. 27 at Belmont Park.
Thursday, September 25, 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
Odds-on choice Indyanne missed the break, enabling upsetter Porte Bonheur to run her down mid-stretch en route to winning the $110,100 Victory Ride Stakes by a half-length at Saratoga Aug. 23.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Desert Party, purchased by Darley for $2.1 million earlier this year, received a rail-skimming ride from Edgar Prado and ran away from three rivals in the scratched-diluted $150,000 Sanford Stakes (gr. II) July 24 in the mud at Saratoga.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Mission Approved wired 11 rivals in taking the $153,624 Singspiel Stakes (Can-III) on the Woodbine turf course on Queen's Plate Day June 22.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Fabulous Strike, an early favorite for last year's TVG Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) before a serious lung infection ended his season, returned in the Vincent A. Moscarelli Memorial Stakes at Delaware Park June 21, easily defeating two rivals in the six-furlong event.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Polytrack seems to be to the liking of Edward Seltzer's Verdana Bold, as the 3-year-old filly won for the second time in as many starts on the synthetic surface, this time in the $259,300 Selene Stakes (Can-III) May 18 at Woodbine.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Seven older sprinters will try to earn their first graded stakes score May 17 at Pimlico Race Course when they do battle in the $100,000 Maryland Sprint Handicap (gr. III) the first of 10 blacktype races on Preakness Stakes (gr. I) day.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Chelokee, who suffered a dislocated right front ankle during the running of the May 2 Alysheba Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Downs, has "at least a 50-50 chance" of survival, according to prominent equine surgeon Larry Bramlage.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
In 2006, Ramon Dominguez rode Bluegrass Cat to a second-place finish behind Barbaro in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). He was close enough to practically taste the victory, and this year he's chasing it with renewed determination aboard the Todd Pletcher-trained Monba, his fifth Derby contender.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Just when it looked as if Todd Pletcher would be sitting out this year's Kentucky Derby, his two best Derby hopes from day one - Monba and Cowboy Cal - came through for him with a first and second in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I).
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Favored Hadavision notched her first career added-money victory in the opening day $100,300 Peach Blossom Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Delaware Park April 19.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
With Edgar Prado deciding to ride Adriano in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), Ramon Domiguez was named by trainer Todd Pletcher to ride Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) winner Monba.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Jockey Ramon Dominguez and trainer Gary Contessa won their respective titles and set records when Aqueduct concluded its 2007-08 inner-track meet March 30. Racing switches to the main track April 2.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Trainer Michael Matz said that Gotham winner Visionaire appears to have come out of his March 8 Gotham Stakes (gr. III) victory in good shape, and will ship back to Palm Meadows in Florida March 11.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Lord Snowdon, using his patented late move, wore down Man of Danger and Debussy in the final yards to post the first stakes win of his career in the $81,600 Paumonok Handicap at Aqueduct Jan. 26.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Still going strong at age 10 and one of the most popular horses on the New York circuit, Evening Attire makes his 64th career start in the $75,000 Aqueduct Handicap Jan. 19.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Dill Or No Dill left no doubts as to who was best in the $81,475 Ruthless Stakes by winning the six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies by 5 1/2 lengths at Aqueduct Jan. 6.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Giant Moon kept his undefeated record intact by winning the $81,525 Count Fleet Stakes by a neck over Spanky Fischbein at Aqueduct Jan. 5.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
In honor of (and caused by) an 8:00 a.m. deadline, Hall of Fame inductions, an upcoming afternoon of racing coverage, and an evening of sales assignments, we defer to a smattering of quotes and scenes witnessed by your faithful correspondent, who peruses the backside of Saratoga (almost) every morning.
Monday, August 06, 2007
All of the betting favorites fell apart, leaving Team Valor's lightly regarded Unbridled Belle to pick up the pieces, and she drew off smartly under Ramon Dominguez to win the $1 million Delaware Handicap (gr. II) for fillies and mares at Delaware Park Sunday.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
American invader Street Sounds tallied her first stakes win in Canada via disqualification in Sunday's CAN$250,000 Bison City Stakes for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
