New York jockeys will start riding full time with equine friendly riding crops beginning Wednesday, Aug. 19, at Saratoga.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Munnings ran the race his connections always thought he was capable of, impressively winning the Woody Stephens (gr. II) June 6 at Belmont Park.
Saturday, June 06, 2009
A reoccurring theme in this year's Triple Crown has been the game of musical chairs among jockeys. It couldn't have worked out more beautifully for Calvin Borel.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Some leading current and retired jockeys will test their karaoke skills against each other during an April 17 talent competition at the Keeneland Entertainment Center. The event, titled "Riders Up!," will benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund of the Jockeys' Guild.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Santa Anita Park on Nov. 19 released a list of five finalists for the 60th annual Santa Anita George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, with the winner to be announced in January.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Jockey John Velazquez was resting in good condition at a Lexington hotel Oct. 4 following his release from the University of Kentucky Medical Center. He was hospitalized a day earlier when he suffered a serious concussion in a spill at Keeneland Race Course.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Jockey John Velazquez reached a major milestone at Belmont Park Sept. 28 with his 4,000th career victory when he guided Rogue Agent to a six-length victory in the muddy first race.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
There are plenty of reasons for Ready's Echo to not prove contentious in the June 7 Belmont Stakes (gr. I). But a stunning late run to third in the May 10 Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II) demands respect for the maiden winner.
Friday, May 30, 2008
It's never especially exciting when all other entries in a race carry 117 pounds and your filly is given 121, but trainer Kiaran McLaughlin considers extra weight a fair assignment considering the last performance of his Alwejeeha, and he expects good things from the Shadwell homebred in the $150,000 Sands Point Stakes (gr. III) at Belmont May 31.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
In January, Tracy Farmer's Commentator blistered to a new track record at Gulfstream Park as he trounced an outclassed field of five allowance competitors by 14 lengths. In March, he demolished six Richter Scale Sprint Handicap (gr. II) contenders while drawing off to win by 13 3/4 lengths. But the 7-year-old Distorted Humor gelding faces his steepest test of the season this Memorial Day, when he heads a field of nine in the $600,000 Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) at Belmont Park.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
The top-weighted runner in the $250,000 Dixie Stakes (gr. IIT) at Pimlico May 17 is coming off a sixth-place finish, while his closest competitor also ran sixth in his last start. That leaves a chance at graded earnings readily available to seven other runners in the 1 1/8-mile turf event on the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) undercard.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Of the seven horses headed postward in the $100,000 Bold Ruler Handicap (gr. III) at Belmont Park May 10 - from the lightly-raced Lucky Island to the hard-knocking Callmetony - every one looks like a legitimate contender.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
John Velazquez is well-known for his successful partnership with trainer Todd Pletcher, so it is extremely fitting that his Derby contender this year come from Pletcher's stable. Cowboy Cal is Velazquez's mount, and if the jockey improves off his second-place finish aboard Invisible Ink in 2001, he'll have himself a winner.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Handicappers who take on the $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III) will probably find their challenge not in choosing a winner, but in selecting the order of finish behind Robert LaPenta's prohibitive favorite War Pass.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and the Jockeys' Guild have agreed to a new scale of mount fees for jockeys at tracks run by the New York Racing Association which will take effect April 2, the Guild announced in a March 8 press release.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
You could take nothing away from the top three finishers in the $350,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap, but Turtle Bird Stable's Sir Whimsey got the job done and drew away in the final furlongs to win by a half-length.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
The New York Racing Association has unveiled its logo for the 140th running of the Belmont Stakes (gr. I), the 1 1/2-mile final leg of Thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Trainer Nick Zito has a barn loaded with potential Kentucky Derby contenders, and four of those 3-year-olds made impressive moves this weekend.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Meeting in Florida Jan. 18, representatives of the Jockeys' Guild and the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis said they will partner to develop standard programs for on-track treatment of spinal and brain injuries suffered by jockeys and exercise riders.
Friday, January 18, 2008
A group of New York jockeys is asking all parties in the ongoing negotiations for the New York racing franchise to come up with creative solutions to the problems facing the industry.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
In his second start for new trainer Tom Albertrani, Host takes the Canadian Turf Handicap (gr. IIIT).
Friday, January 04, 2008
Marital Asset is a newcomer to the stakes scene, but the A.P. Indy colt is coming off a pair of handy allowance wins and that could make him a player in the $100,000 Queens County Handicap (gr.III) at Aqueduct Dec. 8.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
The Barclay Tagg-trained Dave took advantage of a clear outside trip under jockey Joe Bravo to win the $150,000 Red Smith Handicap (gr. IIT) over the yielding turf at Aqueduct Nov. 10.
Saturday, November 10, 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
Jockeys Aaron Gryder and Joe Bravo were the only riders in attendance at the Breeders' Cup post-position draw held Oct. 23 at Monmouth Park, as jockeys planned to meet with Breeders' Cup management over issues involving tickets and parking.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Star European turf horse Dylan Thomas and Jim Scatuorchio's English Channel will enter the starting gate next to each other as the first and second morning-line choices for the Oct. 27 John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT).
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Unbridled Belle has lived in the shadow of her more illustrious stablemates for most of her career. But when Todd Pletcher trainees Rags to Riches, Indian Vale, Panty Raid, and Octave stepped out of the spotlight, the grade I-winning Broken Vow filly got her chance to shine.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Jockeys John Velazquez and Javier Castellano were both relatively uninjured following a Sept. 13 spill at Belmont Park. Castellano will ride the Sept. 14 card, and although Velazquez opted to take off his mounts Sept. 14, he will return to the saddle Sept. 15 to pilot his assigned starters, including Rags to Riches in her greatly anticipated Gazelle Stakes (gr. I) appearance.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
With eight racing days remaining until the end of the 2007 meet at Saratoga Race Course, the track's jockey colony is tightly bunched as usual, but the shifting fortunes of several riders make for an interesting match-up as we head into closing week. Here's a look at Saratoga's top 10 jockeys and their nearly finished summer seasons heading into Sunday's card.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Wednesday morning, the cameramen are in full swing at Saratoga. In the paddock, they cluster around for the Travers draw, tripods balanced like long-legged storks. In the winners' circle, they form an orderly line for Senator Bruno's conference on the fight against horse slaughter. Down near the rail, they lift cameras to shoulders and zoom in for local track reports.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Members of the New York Racing Association's gate crew will meet Thursday with jockeys at Saratoga Race Course to discuss issues caused by miscommunication before the start of several recent races at the New York oval, NYRA CEO Charlie Hayward said.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Trainer Todd Pletcher has assigned jockeys to all of his potential starters for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). Meanwhile, with 15 days remaining until the running of the 133rd Derby, top agents are ironing out plans for their riders' May 5 mounts.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Jockey John Velazquez took off his scheduled mounts at Belmont Park Thursday, citing the ankle pain that has been bothering him for several days.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Sunday's Ruffian Handicap (gr. I) at Belmont Park features only five fillies, but the catch is the top three choices in the race all run their best when on the front end.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Scat Daddy pushed his backers to the brink but delivered an impressive performance late to run down Teuflesberg in the final strides of the $147,000 Sanford Stakes (gr. II) at Saratoga July 27. Scat Daddy was the 3-10 favorite in the five-horse field of 2-year-olds while Teuflesberg went off at 13-1 odds.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Jockeys John Velazquez, Garrett Gomez, and Edgar Prado are competing in the jockey category of the ESPY Awards, in which fans vote for outstanding performers or performances in 39 different categories.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Jockeys' Guild chairman John Velazquez and other board members from the organization met Monday to discuss the June 26 selection of California sports agent Dwight Manley as the Guild's national manager. Velazquez, speaking about Guild issues for the first time since mid-June, said Tuesday the organization's main objective remains to work with horsemen in a positive manner.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Jockey John Velazquez returned a winner in his first start since being sidelined in an April 20 racing accident at Keeneland when he piloted Mr Sam I Am to a 2 3/4-length win for trainer Todd Pletcher in Belmont Park's fourth race on Friday.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Jockey John Velazquez, sidelined with a fractured right shoulder blade and cracked ribs after a Keeneland racing accident on April 20, said he may return to racing before the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) on June 10.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Two-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey John Velazquez remained hospitalized Thursday evening following a nasty spill in Keeneland's feature race, the Forerunner Stakes. The incident occurred when Velazquez's mount, Up an Octave (Brahms), broke down and fell less than a sixteenth of a mile after winning the $110,600 turf event for 3-year-olds.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Magna Graduate won his second straight stakes Saturday at Belmont, coming from off the pace to win the $287,250 Discovery Handicap (gr. III) over favored Scrappy T.
Saturday, October 29, 2005
You didn't say goodbye to your money if you bet on Adieu in the Spinaway Stakes (gr. II) at Saratoga Friday.
Friday, August 26, 2005
The racing world has been long awaiting Wednesday's opening of the Saratoga meeting in upstate New York--so why must we say "so long" so soon?
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
New millionaire Limehouse hadn't won a race in nearly 14 months, but he has now won two in a row after taking the $250,000 Brooklyn Handicap (gr. II) at Belmont Park Saturday.
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Sand Springs took the lead early and held off the late run by heavy favorite Intercontinental to spring the upset in the $300,000 Emirates Airline Just a Game Breeders' Cup (gr. IIT) Saturday at Belmont Park.
Saturday, June 11, 2005
The stakes program got off to a good start Saturday at Pimlico with odds-on choice English Channel blazing home well clear in the $100,000 Woodlawn Stakes for trainer Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez.
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Trainer Todd Pletcher sent out favorites that were defeated in consecutive stakes at Pimlico Friday, but he did not make it three in a row as Spun Sugar easily won the $200,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr. II).
Friday, May 20, 2005
Ashado, who missed the Louisville Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) on Kentucky Derby day because her trainer was not satisfied with her weight assignment, may run this Friday carrying that same 123 pounds.
Monday, May 16, 2005
In the race on Kentucky Derby day anticipated nearly as much as the Derby itself, Half Ours showed what everyone already knew. Of juveniles that have started so far this year, he is the clear leader of the class.
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Even-money favorite Limehouse, who ran fourth in last year's Kentucky Derby (gr. I), ran this year on Kentucky Oaks day, winning the $112,900 Alysheba Stakes.
Friday, May 06, 2005
