Big Names Line Up For Empire Classic

Eleven state-bred Thoroughbreds will vie for the title of "Best of New York" Oct. 23 when they assemble for the $200,000 Empire Classic, the centerpiece of New York Showcase Day at Belmont Park.

Vic Zast's Saratoga Diary: Hoop Dreams

The end of the extra four days of Saratoga horse racing was marked by the morning workouts and rumors about a ringer on the jockeys' basketball team.

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Giant Moon Shines in Excelsior Upset

Al Fried Jr.'s homebred Giant Moon, a New York-bred with a second and a first in state-bred stakes in his previous two starts, wore down Cool Coal Man to post a game victory in the April 4 Excelsior Stakes (gr. III) at Aqueduct.

Barrier Reef One to Beat in Excelsior

It's been three up and three down this year at Aqueduct for Barrier Reef headed into Saturday's Excelsior Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. III) at the New York track.

Preakness Notes: May 16

Trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. said May 16 that he is nearly as confident that the Boundary colt will win the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) as he was before his dominating win in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).

Preakness Profile: Giant Moon

Fresh off being named the 2007 champion juvenile male by the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Preakness Stakes (gr. I) hopeful Giant Moon will be looking to get back to his winning ways in the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Preakness Notes: May 13

Behindatthebar, Giant Moon, Riley Tucker, Stevil, and Tres Borrachos turn in their final workouts before the May 17 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) at Pimlico.

First Preakness Contender Hits Pimlico

Bear Stables' Kentucky Bear was the first Preakness Stakes (gr. I) contender to arrive at Pimlico, while others are scheduled to ship in next week.

Recapturetheglory Headed to Preakness

Saying "we're there to win", co-owner Ronnie Lamarque announced May 7 that Recapturetheglory, who finished fifth to Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), is confirmed for $1 million Preakness Stakes (gr. I) May 17 at Pimlico Race Course.

Giant Moon Glows at Belmont

Giant Moon, one of the new shooters Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown will face in the Preakness Stakes (gr.I) May 17, worked over Belmont Park's fast main track May 7.

Seven Confirmed for Preakness

With the May 17 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) 11 days away, the field set to test Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Big Brown continues to change as the connections of some of the top 3-year-olds weigh a start in the middle jewel of racing's Triple Crown at Pimlico Race Course.

Several Turn in Works for Wood Memorial

Trainer Todd Pletcher sent out two of his charges for works March 30 on the fast training track at Belmont Park. Both Stonerside Stable's Texas Wildcatter and Peachtree Stable's Spurrier are nominated to the April 5 Wood Memorial (gr. I) for 3-year-olds at nine furlongs on Aqueduct's main track.

Visionaire Exits Gotham in Good Shape

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.

Visionaire Finds Way in Foggy Gotham

The 3-year-old picture in New York was about as foggy as the weather conditions at Aqueduct March 8, but Visionaire helped clear things up a bit with a late burst to capture the $250,000 Gotham Stakes (gr. III) by a nose over Texas Wildcatter.

Undefeated Giant Moon Set for Gotham

Trainer Richard Schosberg, who has been preparing his New York-bred Giant Moon for the March 8 Gotham Stakes (gr. III) at Aqueduct, is anxious to see if the colt will continue to show an affinity for long distances as he looks toward the May 3 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).

Giant Moon Works for Gotham

With exercise rider Cesar Correa in the saddle, Giant Moon, a son of Giant's Causeway, worked in company with New York-bred maiden Mighty Morris. The workmates finished on even terms. Giant Moon's final time on the fast track was the third-fastest of 27 at the distance.

Giant Moon Skipping Whirlaway

Good news for the 3-year-olds running in the $100,000 Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct Feb. 2: Undefeated Giant Moon is not in the field. Seven were entered in the 1 1/16-mile Whirlaway, which serves as a prep for the March 8 Gotham Stakes (gr.III) at Aqueduct.

Giant Moon on the Rise

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Giant Moon displayed a lot of heart in winning The Count Fleet Stakes over a stubborn Spanky Fischbein and shows he should be a key contender among the East Coast 3-year-olds this year. One thing that shouldn't be a question regarding Giant Moon is his potential to stay the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) trip.

Giant Moon Has His Trainer Hoping

Trainer Richard Schosberg's Derby dreams didn't come to fruition with Maria's Mon, the champion 2-year-old male of 1995, after an injury kept the colt on the sidelines for the Kentucky Derby (gr. I). Thirteen years later, however, Schosberg can start dreaming again with the undefeated Giant Moon.

Giant Moon Remains in Perfect Orbit

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.

Giant Moon Shines in Count Fleet

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.

Giant Moon Shines Over Count Fleet

The undefeated Giant Moon will try to keep his winning streak alive when he makes his open stakes debut in the $75,000 Count Fleet at Aqueduct Jan. 5.

Giant Moon Remains Unbeaten

Favorite Giant Moon kept his unbeaten streak intact as he dug in to hold off a fast-closing Spanky Fischbein to post a 1 3/4-length tally in the $75,000 Damon Runyon Stakes, for two-year-olds, at Aqueduct on Dec. 8, virtually clinching divisional honors as champion New York-bred two-year-old colt of 2007.