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Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Mine That Bird breezed Aug. 25 at Saratoga for the first time since undergoing minor throat surgery last week and the next 24 hours should determine whether he will run in $1 million Shadwell Travers (gr. I).
Tuesday, August 25, 2009Fans coming to Saratoga Race Course Aug. 26 will be able to help the almost 200 Thoroughbred horses recently rescued from a Greene County Farm. In April, 2009, police raided the Climax, N.Y. farm of horse breeder Ernest Paragallo who has been arraigned on 35 counts of animal cruelty, accused of failing to adequately care for the horses at his farm.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Darley Stable's Justenuffhumor and Magnolia Racing Stable's Cowboy Cal resume what may be a budding rivalry when they meet Aug. 28 in the $200,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap (gr. IIT) at 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf at Saratoga.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Edward P. Evans' Quality Road put in his final breeze before the Aug. 29, grade I, $1-million Shadwell Travers at Saratoga Race Course, covering five furlongs over the muddy main track in :59.68, fourth fastest of 24 at the distance on the morning of Aug. 24.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Though Rachel Alexandra was not in the $600,000 Alabama (gr. I), Donver Stable's Careless Jewel did her best impression of the superstar filly, running away from seven rivals to win by 11 lengths in a breakthrough performance Aug. 22 at Saratoga.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Summer Bird breezed five furlongs over the main track at Saratoga Aug. 22 with Kent Desormeaux up. The time for the move, seventh best of nine at the distance, was 1:00.91 over a muddy track.
Saturday, August 22, 2009New York Racing Association-operated Saratoga has been fully accredited by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Safety and Integrity Alliance, officials announced Aug. 21.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin confirmed Aug. 20 that Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren Jr.'s Charitable Man, third in the Jim Dandy (gr. II), would make his next start in the Shadwell Travers (gr. I) on Aug. 29.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
There are two ways to look at the field for the $600,000 Alabama (gr. I): It could be a disappointment that the nation's top 3-year-old filly, Rachel Alexandra, is not included in the field. Or, a more optimistic view would be that many of the talented fillies entered for the prestigious race are only there because Rachel Alexandra is not in the field.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Barbara Hunter's homebred Keertana, winner of three in a row including the last two in stakes company, leads an evenly-matched field of eight 3-year-old fillies who will take to the Saratoga turf for the $150,000 Lake Placid Stakes (gr. IIT) on Aug. 21.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
For nearly a quarter of a century, Denny Brace has guarded the gap at Saratoga's Clare Court training track, among the loveliest spots at the racecourse, as if he's watching over the crown jewels.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Of the three major races for juvenile males at the Saratoga, D. Wayne Lukas has won the Sanford (gr. II) and Hopeful (gr. I) five times apiece, and the Saratoga Special (gr. II) three more times. On Aug. 20, Lukas will go for Special No. 4 when he sends out longshot Activity Report in the $150,000 event.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009The New York Racing Association invites female racing fans to the fourth annual Women's Day Expo at Saratoga Race Course, which will take place Aug. 19 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Rachel Alexandra breezed five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.37 on a foggy Monday morning on the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga Race Course, after which trainer Steve Asmussen said discussions would begin "in earnest" on where the filly would make her next start.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Attendance is up 8.4%, on-track handle up 12.3%, and all-sources handle up 4.8% from 2008 totals midway through the 2009 meet at Saratoga Race Course.
Monday, August 17, 2009
International Equine Acquisitions Holdings (IEAH), through agent Nick Sallusto, was the biggest-spending domestic buyer at the recent Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling auction in New York, paying $2,150,000 for six yearlings. All the horses could be offered next year at sales of 2-year-olds in training, according to IEAH president and director Michael Iavarone.
Monday, August 17, 2009
A Medaglia d'Oro colt brought the sale-topping price of $275,000 as the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling auction ended its two-night run Aug. 16 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y, well behind last year's record-setting pace. Trainer Seth Benzel, agent for Whitehall Stable, purchased the bay yearling. James Pippo is the president of Whitehall, which puts together racing partnerships.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Quality Road, expected to be among the favorites for the $1 million Shadwell Travers (gr. I), turned in his first work since his record-setting victory in the Amsterdam (gr. II) Aug. 16 at Saratoga, covering six furlongs in 1:13.19.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
One month after her impressive second-place effort in the Schuylerville (gr. III) at Saratoga, Peter Callahan's Beautician is back for another shot in the $150,000 Adirondack (gr. II) on Aug. 19.
Sunday, August 16, 2009The Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale got off to a rocky start Aug. 15 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The gross revenue dropped 41.7% from a year ago while the average and median prices both plunged 47.1%. The buy-back rate was 54.3% compared to 52.5% in 2008.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
A day of upsets at Saratoga was punctuated by the most shocking surprise of all in the $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational (gr. IT), as the 33-1 longshot Telling took over approaching the top of the stretch and held off Better Talk Now for his first stakes win.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Kent Desormeaux climbed aboard Summer Bird Aug. 15 as the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner put in his first serious work for the $1 million Shadwell Travers (gr. I) over the main track at Saratoga.
Saturday, August 15, 2009Fasig-Tipton reversed the negative business trends seen at Thoroughbred auctions this year at its recent Saratoga select yearling sale, where the gross revenue, average price, and median price all enjoyed significant upswings from 2008. The second and final auction on the company's upstate New York calendar is the New York-bred preferred yearling auction, which will be held Aug. 15 and 16. Each session will start at 7 p.m. (EDT).
Friday, August 14, 2009
Martin and Pam Wygod's homebred Courageous Cat took over on the far turn and held off Sal the Barber in the stretch to claim his third consecutive turf victory in the $150,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (gr. IIT) Aug. 14 at Saratoga.
Friday, August 14, 2009
The New York Racing Association will pay tribute to one of the most popular horses in racing when the recently-retired Commentator is honored on Sept. 6 at Saratoga.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Saratoga is already the only racetrack in the country where fans can catch a glimpse of all three 2009 classic winners, and on Friday, Aug. 21, three lucky individuals will win a chance to meet one of these great horses face-to-face.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Marc Keller's Grand Couturier has only won three of the 14 stakes he has attempted in this country, but the 6-year-old horse sure knows how to pick his spots. All three of the scores have been in grade I races, including two in the prestigious Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes (gr. IT) at Saratoga.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Looking ahead to a possible start on the grass in the fall, trainer Tim Ice had Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Summer Bird galloped the morning of Aug. 12 over the Oklahoma turf course as part of his preparations for the $1 million Shadwell Travers (gr. I) Aug. 29 at Saratoga Race Course.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009Twelve more races qualified under the purse incentive program created to increase field size during week two of the 2009 Saratoga Race Course meet, according to The New York Racing Association. Purse increases from incentives during the meet's second week totaled $74,750, a 16.5% advance over the original purse values.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Fasig-Tipton officials worked hard, and Sheikh Mohammed shopped hard. The end result was a soaring Saratoga select yearling sale that provided its participants with a brief, two-evening respite from all the bad news generated by a struggling Thoroughbred industry that is reeling from a global financial crisis and its own internal problems. In a performance most unusual in these difficult economic times, the auction enjoyed upswings from 2008 of 45.6% in gross revenue, 11.1% in average price, and 9.9% in median price.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009"I've never seen anything like this," said Holly Bandoroff of Denali Stud of a bizarre incident that involved a well-bred dark bay or brown filly, a bald man in a plaid shirt, at least three Fasig-Tipton officials, and several policemen during the second and final session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale in New York Aug. 11.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
A Storm Cat colt, hip 204, commanded the highest price so far, $2.8 million, at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
With both his parents by his side, Bob Baffert, the sixth winningest trainer of all time by money won, will be inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame at Saratoga Aug. 14. A three-time champion trainer, Baffert, who has three Kentucky Derby (gr. I) wins, four Preakness (gr. I) victories, and seven Breeders' Cup titles under his belt, enthusiastically reflected on his experiences in the industry during a National Thoroughbred Racing Association teleconference Aug. 11.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
With two previous winners of the Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap (gr. IT) slated to contest this year's running at Saratoga Aug. 15, it's safe to say the day will not be lacking in excitement.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
After trainer Alan Goldberg watched the results of the Secretariat (gr. IT) for 3-year-olds at Arlington Park last weekend, he knew he'd made the right decision to skip the race in Chicago with Richard Santulli's Straight Story.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Preakness-winning filly Rachel Alexandra put in her first work at Saratoga Race Course the morning of Aug. 11 in preparation for her as-yet-to-be-determined next start, covering a half-mile in :50.72 under exercise rider Dominic Terry.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The average and the median price the first day at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale was up from last year's comparable session.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Boosted by the Sheikh Mohammed stimulus package, the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale got off to a sizzling start Aug. 10 in New York at a time when the struggling economy is causing prices to fall at other Thoroughbred auctions. The gross revenue for the 76 horses that sold was $25,470,000, which was a whopping 40.3% increase from the opening session a year ago. The average price grew 10.7% to $335,132, and the median price increased 6.4% to $250,000.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
A muscular bay son of first-crop sire and champion Bernardini became the first horse to command seven figures Aug. 10 during the opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling auction, bringing $1.2 million from Sheikh Mohammed.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Buyers and consignors were upbeat as they prepared for the Aug. 10 start of the two-night Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale in New York.
Sunday, August 09, 2009Here is a list of horses that buyers and consignors believed could bring high prices during the second session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale Aug. 11 in New York.
Sunday, August 09, 2009Here is a list of horses that consignors and buyers thought had the potential to bring high prices during the first session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling auction in New York Aug. 10.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Read what buyers and consignors had to say Aug. 9, the day before the start of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale in New York.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
The longest shot in a field of six, 18-1 Bullsbay pulled a shocking upset in the $750,000 Whitney Handicap (gr. I) Aug. 8 at Saratoga, splitting horses on the turn and pulling away for a 1 1/2-length score under Jeremy Rose.
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Indian Blessing, the champion female sprinter of 2008, is set to breeze Aug. 8 as she points towards a return to the races in the $300,000 Ballerina (gr. I) on Aug. 29.
Friday, August 07, 2009
The unemployment rate is down; more homes are being sold; the stock market is on the upswing; and some companies that were hit hard by a plunging economy are starting to make money again. With the recession showing signs of easing, is a rebound in the Thoroughbred marketplace on the horizon?
Friday, August 07, 2009
Game Face, a romping winner of the Princess Rooney Handicap (gr. I) last out and five-time graded stakes winner, will carry top weight of 122 pounds as the even-money morning-line favorite in the $150,000 Honorable Miss (gr. II) Aug. 9 at Saratoga.
Thursday, August 06, 2009The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale will have a touch of the exotic this year with a colt by Encosta de Lago among its offerings. Encosta de Lago was the leading sire in Australia for 2008/2009, and his offspring generate bidding frenzies when they're sold Down Under. But will buyers at Saratoga be interested when they have a chance to buy one of the stallion's sons Aug. 11, during the second session of the New York auction?
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Stonestreet Stable's Rachel Alexandra was on Saratoga's Oklahoma training track Aug. 6 for a gallop and will return to the work tab next week, most likely Aug. 11, trainer Steve Asmussen said.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
The Eclipse Award voting is still more than five months away, but the star-studded $250,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (gr. II) Aug. 9 at Saratoga may go a long way in deciding the nation's top sprinter.
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