After Zagora stormed home in last year's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, owner Martin Schwartz and trainer Chad Brown are hoping for a repeat with Alterite, already a grade I winner in her first U.S. start.
Richard Santulli's Laughing has emerged as a middle-distance grass star this year, and hopes to add the Flower Bowl Sept. 28 at Belmont Park to victories in the Diana, Ballston Spa, and Eatontown.
Grade I winner Hooh Why towers over her foes in terms of accomplishments going into the May 25 Arlington Matron Stakes (gr. III) at Arlington Park.
For the second year in a row, owner Martin Schwartz returned to the Eclipse Awards podium to receive a trophy in the female grass horse category, thanks to Zagora.
Gitchee Goomie, a grade III-winning daughter of City Zip, was the first horse to bring six figures at the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale when she brought a final bid of $250,000 from Frank Stronach's Adena Springs.
Hit It Rich, who last year won her first graded stakes in the Long Island Handicap (gr. IIIT), attempts to conclude her career with another victory in the race at Aqueduct Nov. 10.
In the final start of her career, multiple graded stakes winner Upperline outfought Ciao Bella in the homestretch to prevail in the $125,000 Rood and Riddle Dowager Stakes Oct. 21 on the Keeneland turf.
Upperline will be returning to the course and 1 1/2-mile distance where she captured the Grey Goose Bewitch Stakes (gr. IIIT) in the spring.
Flaxman Holdings' Aruna seeks back-to-back wins in the $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster (gr. I) at Keeneland Oct. 6, facing 12 rivals as she attempts to become just the fourth horse to accomplish the feat.
Sheikh Ahmed al Maktoum's Nahrain, second in last year's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT), edges Zagora and Dream Peace to win the $400,000 Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes (gr. IT) Sept. 29 at Belmont Park.
Multiple graded stakes winner Zagora heads the $600,000 Flower Bowl Invitational (gr. IT) at Belmont Park Sept. 29, while European invaders I'm a Dreamer and Nahrain are poised to challenge.
A look at the career of the late German sire Monsun. read blog
Monsun, whose 108 stakes winners include champion and John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) winner Shirocco and 2011 Eclipse Award winner Stacelita, has been euthanized.
Hayley Turner became the first female jockey to win the $750,000 Beverly D. Stakes (gr. IT) Aug. 18 when she rode I'm A Dreamer to hold off the late charge of Marketing Mix at Arlington Park by a nose.
With horses invading from at least four countries as well as various parts of the U.S. for the Beverly D. Aug. 18, it is somewhat ironic that the 3-1 morning line favorite has been based at Arlington much of the summer.
The Beverly D. Stakes that is part of Arlington Park's International Festival of Racing is ripe with contenders who are hard to separate on paper.
Lewis Schaffel, Jim Collins, and Joel Schwartz' Team, winner of three of four starts this year, will make her stakes debut July 14 in the $200,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Delaware Park.
Patsy C. Symons' Gitchie Goomie got her first graded stakes score in the $250,000 Dr. James Penny Memorial Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Parx Racing July 3.
An evenly-matched field of nine older fillies and mares heads postward July 3 in the $250,000 Dr. James Penny Memorial Handicap (gr. IIIT), each seeking her first graded stakes score.
Mystical Star got sweet revenge in the $200,000 New York Stakes (gr. IIT) June 30 at Belmont, experiencing no difficulties at the start to keep her from victory as she did in the May 26 Sheepshead Bay (gr. IIT) last time out.
Flaxman Holdings' top-class turf mare Aruna will face a new contender in the $200,000 New York Stakes (gr. IIT) at Belmont Park June 30, when trainer Chad Brown sends Banimpire to her U.S. debut.
Flaxman Holdings homebred Aruna took charge at the five-sixteenths pole and held off Hit It Rich to win the Sheepshead Bay, a race that was impacted by a troubled start for Mystical Star and Magical Cat.
Tom and Evan handicap the Sheepshead Bay Stakes at Belmont Park this weekend. watch video
No factor in her only start this year, Aruna looks to get back on the beam for trainer Graham Motion in the $200,000 Sheepshead Bay Stakes (gr. IIT), scheduled for the inner turf course at Belmont Park May 26.
Monsun, a four-time leading sire in his native Germany, came through with his 100th and 101st stakes winners May 6.
| Horse | Trainer | Breeder / Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Aruna | H. Graham Motion |
|
| Deluxe | William I. Mott |
|
| Distorted Legacy | Barbara J. Minshall |
|
| Dynaslew | Seth Benzel |
|
| Emerald Beech | Jonathan E. Sheppard |
|
| Gitchee Goomie | Richard A. Violette, Jr. |
|
| Senada | Jonathan E. Sheppard |
|
| Stacelita (FR) | Chad C. Brown |
|
| Race | Track | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Marshua S. | LRL | |
| Frank Whiteley Jr S. | LRL | |
| Rego Park S. | AQU | |
| Tomball S. | HOU | |
| 96Rock S. | TP |
