Bert and Diana Firestone have retired their four-time grade I winner Winchester from racing for stallion duty.
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
While lightly raced this year, four-time grade I winner Winchester has by far the most decorated career heading into the Nov. 26 W.L. McKnight Handicap (gr. IIT) at Calder Casino & Race Course.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) lost one of its contenders Oct. 29 when Mr. and Mrs. Bertram Firestone's Winchester was taken out of consideration following a workout at Belmont Park.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Cape Blanco and Teaks North, both two-time grade I winners on turf this year, headline a star-studded six-horse field for the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (gr. IT).
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Grade I winners Royal Delta and Winchester work five furlongs at Belmont Park.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Proposals for horse racing and marriage abound.
Winchester delivered the fourth grade I victory of his career Aug. 13 when he rallied from last to take the Sword Dancer Invitational (gr. IT) at Saratoga.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Teaks North will try to jump to the top of the standings when he takes on seven rivals in the $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational (gr. IT) Aug. 13 at Saratoga.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011The legacy of the late Edward P. Evans was carried on in a big way when the 2010 Virginia-bred champions were announced by the Virginia Thoroughbred Association.
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Free Fighter ended a drought of 14 months when he ground out a two-length victory in the off-the-turf Stars and Stripes Stakes at Arlington Park July 23.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Multiple grade I stakes winner Winchester heads a field of seven grass runners entered for the $100,000 Stars and Stripes Stakes (gr. IIIT), a 1 1/2-mile turf event July 23.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Snow Fairy cemented her status as the finest 3-year-old filly in the world when she rallied from far back to nab Irian in the final 50 yards to win the HK$20 million Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup (HK-I) at Sha Tin Dec. 12.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Winchester, the only United States-based horse taking part in the 2010 Cathay Pacific International Races at Sha Tin Racecourse Dec. 12, drew post post position 3 for the HK$14 million Hong Kong Vase (HK-I).
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Dangerous Midge made sure European jockey Frankie Dettori didn't go home empty handed when he wore down pacesetter Champ Pegasus in deep stretch to win the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) Nov. 6.
Saturday, November 06, 2010
If Winchester were to capture the Nov. 6 Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Turf, the Virginia homebred would provide his owners, Bertram and Diana Firestone, with yet another prestigious victory for the history books.
Friday, November 05, 2010
The main focus this year, of course, will be on "Mighty Mare"--Zenyatta--who hopes to conclude her amazing career in the Classic with her 20th victory in as many starts, and the French femme fatale, Goldikova.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Lenny and Steve present a Lightning Round Recap of the weekend's stakes races and their Breeders' Cup implications.
Winchester swept past favored Paddy O'Prado in deep stretch to comfortably win the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes (gr. IT) on a yielding Belmont Park Widener Turf Course Oct. 2.
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Paddy O'Prado will get his stiffest test when he makes his debut against older horses in the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (gr. IT) Oct. 2 at Belmont Park.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Each year, it seems the Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) paints the same bleak picture for the American grass horses.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Al Khali finally got loose in mid-stretch and ran down odds-on favorite Winchester in the final yards to win the $150,000 Bowling Green Handicap (gr. IIT) Sept. 11 at Belmont Park.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Millionaire 7-year-old Grand Couturier has not been a factor in four starts this season, but his connections are hoping he will return to form in a race he won a year ago, the Bowling Green Handicap (gr. IIT) at Belmont.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Jason Shandler looks at the Turf Division, dominated by Gio Ponti in 2009.
Irish-bred Chinchon, making just his second start in the U.S., showed an explosive turn of foot in the stretch and came from off the pace to capture the $760,000 United Nations Stakes (gr. IT) July 3 at Monmouth Park.
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Jason, Tom, and James Scully of twinspires.com preview the United Nations (gr. IT) at Monmouth Park on July 3.
Four grade I winners and a pair of intriguing international contenders were among the nine entered for a suddenly wide-open editon of the $750,000 BetFair/TVG United Nations Stakes (gr. IT) July 3 at Monmouth Park.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Winchester registered his first stakes win since taking the 2008 Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) when he posted a 21-1 stunner in the $400,000 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap (gr. IT) at Belmont Park June 5.
Saturday, June 05, 2010
Winchester will be the favorite in the $150,000 Pan American Stakes (gr. IIIT) March 27 at Gulfstream Park, a race that also will mark the season debut of Fred Bradley's remarkable 9-year-old gelding Brass Hat.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The turf might not have been as firm as he likes it, but front-running Presious Passion had little trouble handling it in the $150,000 Mac Diarmida Stakes (gr. IIT) at Gulfstream Park Feb. 28.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Charismatic 7-year-old gelding Presious Passion attempts to add a repeat win in the $150,000 Mac Diarmida Stakes (gr. IIT) Feb. 28 at Gulfstream Park to his sterling record.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Seven-year-old turf specialist Presious Passion will look to defend his Mac Diarmida title Feb. 28 at Gulfstream Park. Presious Passion was second in last year's Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Park.
Thursday, February 18, 2010Veteran campaigners Presious Passion and Cloudy's Knight, a pair of grade I winners who starred in last month's Breeders' Cup races, meet in the $150,000 W.L. McKnight Handicap at Calder.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Cloudy's Knight, moving in tandem with favorite Winchester during a big stretch move, caught Yate's Black Cat just before the wire to win the $125,000 Sycamore (gr. IIIT) by a head Oct. 22 at Keeneland.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Christophe Clement has had many talented stakes winners during his years as one of the nation's leading turf conditioners, but the French-born trainer now admits Gio Ponti may be at the top of that list. On Oct. 3, the 4-year-old son of Tale of the Cat seeks his fifth consecutive grade I grass victory when he lines up for the $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational at Belmont Park.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Favored Grand Couturier got the soft going he appreciates and a solid pace to chase, helping him to his first win of the year in the $158,500 Bowling Green Handicap (gr. IIT) at Belmont Park Sept. 13.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Grand Couturier heads into the $150,000 Bowling Green Handicap (gr. IIT) at Belmont Park Sept. 13 as the morning line favorite in spite of a fifth-place finish in Saratoga's Sword Dancer Invitational (gr. IT) last month that left trainer Robert Ribaudo a bit perplexed.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
The Irish tandem of trainer Dermot Weld and jockey Patrick Smullen, who combined to win the Matriarch (gr. IT) at Hollywood Park four years ago with Dress to Thrill, have returned with their sights set on the $250,000 Hollywood Turf Cup (gr. IT) Dec. 6.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
The 5-year-old mare Black Mamba, scratched from the one-mile Matriarch at Hollywood Park this past weekend, instead will run in the $250,000 Hollywood Turf Cup (gr. IT) at 12 furlongs Dec. 6 against males.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
As it often does, the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) has produced the morning-line favorite for the the $3-million Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) as Aidan O'Brien's Irish raider Soldier of Fortune leads a packed field of 11 at Santa Anita Oct. 25.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Although they have dominated the $3-million Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) at other venues, top European imports have not performed especially well when the Breeders' Cup has been held at Santa Anita, where they must contend with tighter turns, hard turf, and warm temperatures.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
Winchester, winner of the Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) is part of an exceptionally strong contingent of European turf runners this year. The son of Theatrical may be headed for the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT). If he wins, Theatrical will become the first Turf winner to sire a Turf winner.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Rene Douglas snuck a peek around each shoulder approaching the quarter-pole in the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT), knowing that he had a loaded gun underneath him. The veteran jockey then let Winchester loose, and the 3-year-old son of Theatrical swallowed pacesetter Tizdejavu, eventually drawing clear for a convincing 7 1/4-length upset victory Aug. 9 at Arlington Park.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Michael Cooper and Pamela Ziebarth's Tizdejavu, undefeated on turf, will be after his fourth consecutive victory over the surface in the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) Aug. 9 at Arlington Park. Tizdejavu, trained by Gregory Fox, was installed as the 6-5 morning line favorite in the 1 1/4-mile test for 3-year-olds. Nine were entered.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008The first reported foals by international champion Johannesburg and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner Red Bullet were born the beginning of January.
Friday, January 09, 2004
Copyright © 2012 Blood-Horse Publications. All rights reserved internationally.
