Thu, 06/07/2018 - 10:56

Impressive debut winner Montauk injured, euthanized

Justin N. Lane
Montauk wins his debut by 11 1/4 lengths and earns a Beyer Speed Figure of 87.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Montauk, one of the more impressive debut winning 2-year-olds of 2017, was injured during a workout Thursday morning at Belmont Park and had to be euthanized, trainer Todd Pletcher confirmed.

Montauk had completed the first quarter of a half-mile breeze on the training track when he was pulled up by his exercise rider. He was vanned off and later euthanized.

“He fractured his left shoulder and had to be euthanized,” Pletcher said. “Very disappointing, very unusual injury, breezing an easy half.”

Wed, 06/06/2018 - 15:36

Jockey Santana's patience, hard work could pay off Tenfold

Barbara D. Livingston
Ricardo Santana Jr. ranks eighth in the nation with $5.9 million in mount earnings this year.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Ricardo Santana Jr. watched from the jockeys’ room at Churchill Downs as Creator outfinished Destin to win the 2016 Belmont Stakes by a nose.

“I was a little upset,” said Santana, who had ridden Creator in his four previous starts, including a victory in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby and an eighth in the Kentucky Derby. “I was on that horse.”

Santana had been removed in favor of another 23-year-old jockey, Irad Ortiz Jr., who was a regular at Belmont Park, which has a unique 1 1/2-mile oval.

Wed, 06/06/2018 - 14:41

Justify arrives for Belmont Stakes, walks shed row

Barbara D. Livingston
Trainer Bob Baffert leads Justify through the shed row at Belmont Park on Wednesday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Justify, who will make a Triple Crown bid in Saturday’s 150th Belmont Stakes, arrived at Belmont Park on Wednesday at approximately 2:15 p.m. Eastern after a flight from Kentucky, where he had been based since his victory in the Preakness Stakes.

:: Get Clocker Reports, PPs, news, analysis, and more for the 2018 Belmont Stakes

Wed, 06/06/2018 - 13:36

Longacres Mile a summer target for Riser

Reed & Erin Palmer Photography/Emerald Downs
Riser was an easy winner of the Governor's Stakes at Emerald Downs on June 3.

Riser received a career-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure for his dominating win in the $50,000 Governor’s Stakes at Emerald Downs Sunday. The 4 1/4-length front-running victory over Barkley and Mach One Rules stamped him as the local favorite for the Grade 3, $200,000 Longacres Mile, the most important race at the meet. The Mile will be held on Aug. 12.

Wed, 06/06/2018 - 12:26

Guaranteed pools for exotic wagers Friday, Saturday

The New York Racing Association will offer a number of guaranteed pools and a pair of two-day daily-double wagers Friday and Saturday.

The Friday card, which includes five stakes, begins at 12:50 p.m. Eastern. There will be a pick four beginning on race 8 that comprises the Grade 2 True North, Grade 2 New York Stakes, Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup, and a maiden race on turf. A minimum pool of $500,000 is assured.

Wed, 06/06/2018 - 12:06

Glyshaw thinks Bucchero has chance in King's Stand

Barbara D. Livingston
Bucchero, shown working at Churchill in April, had a final breeze for the King’s Stand on Tuesday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Tim Glyshaw isn’t sure whether he’ll feel like David facing Goliath or a Stranger in a Strange Land when he makes his first trip to Europe.

“I’ve never been,” said Glyshaw, who is headed to Royal Ascot with stable star Bucchero for the Group 1 King’s Stand on June 19, opening day of the prestigious five-day meet in Great Britain. “So I’m pretty pumped about it.”

Wed, 06/06/2018 - 11:50

Queen's Plate: Dixie Moon enters Woodbine Oaks with eyes on bigger prize

Michael Burns
Dixie Moon paid $4.80 in winning the Cup and Saucer Stakes on Sunday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Catherine Day Phillips and owners and breeders Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry are attacking the Queen’s Plate for the second year in a row.

At this time last year, Day Phillips and the Fitzhenry family were celebrating a victory in the Plate Trial with Guy Caballero. This year, Guy Caballero’s younger half-sister Dixie Moon is looking to claim her place in the Queen’s Plate starting gate. She is expected to be among the favorites for Saturday’s $500,000 Woodbine Oaks, which would serve as her final prep for the $1 million Queen’s Plate on June 30.

Wed, 06/06/2018 - 11:16

New Triple Crown trophy designed to be mobile

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
The redesigned Triple Crown trophy.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Should Justify win Saturday’s Belmont Stakes and capture the Triple Crown, his connections will be the first recipients of a new-look trophy.

Following American Pharoah’s Triple Crown sweep in 2015, Chris Kay, the president and chief executive of the New York Racing Association, wanted to redesign the Triple Crown trophy. The previous version, Kay said, was only seven inches tall “and didn’t have any distinctive nature to it.”

Tue, 06/05/2018 - 17:55

Justify will start from rail in Belmont Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Justify worked five furlongs under Martin Garcia in 1:01.40 Monday morning at Churchill Downs.

FLUSHING, N.Y. – There will be truth in advertising on Saturday at Belmont Park, as Justify, the number one 3-year-old in the land, will wear saddle cloth number one when he breaks from the rail in the Belmont Stakes in his bid to sweep the Triple Crown.

Justify, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness and unbeaten in five starts, drew the rail when posts were drawn Tuesday night at Citi Field for the 150th Belmont Stakes. Nine others were entered in the race, but all eyes will be in Justify as he attempts to become the 13th Triple Crown winner.

Tue, 06/05/2018 - 17:06

25 years after her Belmont Stakes win, Krone still feels the satisfaction

Barbara D. Livingston
Julie Krone and Colonial Affair win the 1993 Belmont Stakes.

CARLSBAD, Calif. – In some ways, Julie Krone’s life today is just as it was 25 years ago, when she helped mold youngsters over a period of months, in concert with others who had the same goal, to see it pay off with a brilliant performance when it counted most.

It used to be with horses. Krone won 3,704 races, none more significant than her 1993 Belmont Stakes victory aboard Colonial Affair, to this day the only Triple Crown race won by a female jockey.