Fri, 05/09/2025 - 14:39

Grande to undergo further testing

Debra A. Roma

Grande was forced to scratch from the Kentucky Derby due to a cracked heel.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Grande, who was scratched from the Kentucky Derby by the state regulatory veterinarians due to a cracked heel, was to undergo further tests to determine the extent, if any, of his injury.

Grande was examined by Dr. Larry Bramlage at the Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital last Tuesday, but those tests came back “inconclusive,” according to trainer Todd Pletcher

“He’s actually going for further tests on Tuesday,” Pletcher said. “So far, we haven’t found anything to hang our hat on.”

Fri, 05/09/2025 - 14:37

Brown expected to have plenty of contenders for Belmont Racing Festival

By David Grening

Debra A. Roma

Spirit of St Louis, winner of the Grade 1 Turf Classic, will lead string of contenders for trainer Chad Brown at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown will point his bevy of stakes winners from the first weekend in May to races at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga during the first week of June.

Spirit of St Louis, who won the Grade 1 Old Forester Turf Classic on May 3 at Churchill Downs, will be pointed to the Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes on the Belmont Stakes undercard. Typically run at 1 1/4 miles, the Manhattan will be run at 1 3/16 miles because of the configuration of Saratoga’s turf course.

Fri, 05/09/2025 - 12:26

Good Cheer returns to track, pointing to Acorn Stakes

By Nicole Russo

Debra A. Roma

Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer is being pointed to the Grade 1 Acorn on June 6 at Saratoga.

Undefeated Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer returned to the track Tuesday at Churchill Downs, and trainer Brad Cox confirmed that the Godolphin homebred is targeting the Grade 1, $500,000 Acorn Stakes on June 6 at Saratoga. That could kick off a summer campaign through the division’s major events in New York.

“I thought she came out of the race incredibly well,” Cox told Churchill Downs publicity.

Fri, 05/09/2025 - 09:29

Assiniboia meet opens with lower takeout rates, healthier horse population

By Ron Gierkink

Jason Halstead

Assiniboia begins a 50-day 2025 meet on Tuesday.

Winnipeg’s Presidents’ Trophy-winning Jets have taken the city by storm as they advance through the National Hockey League playoffs. Racing returns to the Manitoba capital on Tuesday when Assiniboia Downs commences a 50-day meet that goes to Oct. 8, filling a void for sports fans after hockey season ends.

Racing will be conducted on Tuesdays and Wednesdays until June. Mondays will be added to the schedule on June 2, June 23, July 14, Aug. 4, Aug. 25, and Sept. 15. Post time is 7:30 p.m. Central.

Thu, 05/08/2025 - 14:50

Glatt ready to debut Cheever after solid works

By Steve Andersen

Benoit Photo

On Saturday at Santa Anita, trainer Mark Glatt debuts Cheever, who was a $700,000 purchase as a 2-year-old last year.

This much is certain - Cheever was an expensive purchase for $700,000 as a 2-year-old in 2024 and has worked well from the gate in recent weeks in advance of his first start in a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita on Saturday.

How the race will unfold and whether Cheever can beat what looks to be a talented field is unclear to trainer Mark Glatt.

“His works have been very good from the gate,” Glatt said on Thursday. “There is some chance that’s a little bit of a sandbagger in the morning and that he’ll show more in the afternoon.

Thu, 05/08/2025 - 14:50

Mi Hermano Ramon sets sights on Shoemaker Mile for return

By Steve Andersen

Barbara D. Livingston

According to trainer Mark Glatt, Mi Hermano Ramon is targeting the Shoemaker Mile for his return.

Trainer Mark Glatt has Grade 1 goals later this month with the two-time stakes winner Mi Hermano Ramon, who is scheduled to start in the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile on turf at Santa Anita on May 26.

A 5-year-old gelding, Mi Hermano Ramon had a busy late autumn and winter campaign that included a win in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar last November and a game second to Johannes in the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes at Santa Anita in December.

Thu, 05/08/2025 - 13:43

Backed by additional funding, Monmouth opens 50-day meet

By Marcus Hersh

Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO

Monmouth will begin it's 50-day meet on Saturday, with the Long Branch Stakes topping the card.

Monmouth Park, the famed track on the Jersey Shore, launches a 50-day 2025 race meet Saturday.

The track will race two days per week, Saturday and Sunday, until mid-June, when Fridays are added. Even a limited schedule would be difficult to imagine without the $10 million purse subsidy Monmouth annually receives from state government coffers. Last year, a state law passed automatically renewing a $20 million subsidy, split between Thoroughbred and Standardbred purses, through 2029.

Wed, 05/07/2025 - 14:36

Winning juvenile Quarter Horse disqualified due to age rule

By Steve Andersen

The Quarter Horse filly The Lady Is a Vamp was disqualified from a win at Los Alamitos on April 27 because she had not reached the second anniversary of her foaling date, according a ruling published by Los Alamitos stewards on Saturday.

In California, 2-year-olds cannot race until they have reached two years of age. The Lady Is a Vamp is listed as having been foaled on May 3, 2023.

The discrepancy was not caught by trainer Paul Jones or any racing or track officials at Los Alamitos.

Wed, 05/07/2025 - 14:31

Tampa Bay Downs sees boost in all-sources handle

By David Grening

Tom Keyser

Tampa Bay Downs ran 266 of its 821 races on turf at the 2024-2025 meet.

All-sources handle at Tampa Bay Downs at the 2024-2025 meet was $377,972,374, a 4.5 percent increase over the $361,483,261 handled at the 2023-2024 meet, it was announced Wednesday.

There were 821 races run at the 90-day meet, 266 on turf. Average field size was 8.47 horses per race. At the 90-day meet in 2023-2024, there were 821 races run, 253 on turf. Average field size was 8.26 horses per race.

Wed, 05/07/2025 - 14:23

Baeza back at Santa Anita to prepare for Belmont

By Steve Andersen

Barbara D. Livingston

Baeza’s performance in the Kentucky Derby left trainer John Shirreffs confident that 1 1/4 miles is a good distance for the colt.

Baeza, who drew into the Kentucky Derby from the also-eligible list last week, returned to trainer John Shirreffs’s stable at Santa Anita on Tuesday evening.

Baeza, who races for Lee and Susan Searing’s CRK Stable, will be based in California in the buildup to his next scheduled start, the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes at Saratoga on June 7. The Belmont is also expected to be the next start for Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty.

In the Derby, Baeza was beaten 1 3/4 lengths by Sovereignty and was a neck behind second-place finisher Journalism.

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