Sun, 06/06/2021 - 18:50

Fashionably Fast works half-mile for Thor's Echo Stakes

Benoit Photo
Fashionably Fast (foreground) wins the Tiznow Stakes over statebreds in his last start. He will shoot for an open-company stakes win in the Santana Mile.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The five-time stakes winner Fashionably Fast worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds at Santa Anita on Sunday in advance of a scheduled start in the $100,000 Thor’s Echo Stakes for California-breds at six furlongs on Saturday.

A 6-year-old gelding, Fashionably Fast won the Tiznow Stakes for statebreds at a mile in February and has been third in his last two starts, both against open company – the Santana Mile on March 28 and an allowance race on April 24.

Sun, 06/06/2021 - 18:42

Medina Spirit possible for Haskell Invitational in July

Barbara D. Livingston
Medina Spirit (right) outruns Mandaloun to finish first in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 1.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Medina Spirit has resumed galloping at Santa Anita for a summertime comeback following a controversial win in the Kentucky Derby on May 1 and a third-place finish in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 15.

Medina Spirit’s win in the Kentucky Derby has been the focus of international news after the presence of the therapeutic medication betamethasone was found in a post-race test. Medina Spirit could be disqualified from the Kentucky Derby win, pending a hearing.

Sun, 06/06/2021 - 16:41

Jockey Joe Bravo leaving Jersey, heading for Southern Cal

Barbara D. Livingston
Joe Bravo plans to be based at Oaklawn Park this winter for the meet that opens Jan. 25.

Veteran jockey Joe Bravo is switching coasts this summer, leaving his longtime base at Monmouth Park in New Jersey for Southern California.

Bravo said Sunday that he will begin riding in California at Santa Anita from June 18-20 and will ride the Del Mar summer meeting from July 16 to Sept. 6.

“I’ll go from one beach to another,” Bravo said.

Bravo, 49, said his decision was largely based on new regulations at Monmouth Park that restrict jockeys from using the whip in races. Bravo has been the leading rider at Monmouth Park 13 times.

Sun, 06/06/2021 - 15:02

Appleby trio turns in solid performances on Belmont undercard

Barbara D. Livingston
Althiqa was given a 101 Beyer Speed Figure for the victory in the Just a Game on Saturday.

Charlie Appleby didn’t get to run Rebel’s Romance in the Belmont Stakes, but the other three runners he shipped here at the beginning of May all ran super in their races on Saturday.

Althiqa and Summer Romance finished first and second in the Grade 1 Just a Game with the former rallying along the inside of the latter to win the one-mile turf race for females by three-quarters of a length.

“I watched the replay, that was something,” said Sophie Chretien, who traveled with the Appleby runners to New York. “That was super class.”

Sun, 06/06/2021 - 14:51

Hard Love gets up at wire in Belmont Derby prep

In the same race in which Kentucky Pharoah jockey Kendrick Carmouche was unseated at the start, the 3-year-old Hard Love got up by a head to defeat Desert Peace, a 4-year-old, in a second-level allowance race.

Sun, 06/06/2021 - 14:36

Carmouche breaks ankle in spill, out 8 to 10 weeks

Michael Amoruso
Jockey Kendrick Carmouche broke his right leg in a spill at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 9.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Jockey Kendrick Carmouche is expected to be out 8 to 10 weeks after breaking his right ankle in an incident leaving the starting gate in Saturday’s last race at Belmont Park.

Carmouche, who broke his right leg in a spill at Kentucky Downs in 2018, was scheduled to fly to Tennessee on Sunday afternoon and undergo surgery on Monday morning. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Philip Kregor, who operated on Carmouche in 2018.

Sun, 06/06/2021 - 11:33

Belmont Stakes 2021: Total handle up 13.6% compared to 2019

Jim Sewastynowicz
Total handle on the Belmont Stakes card was $112.7 million, a record for a non-Triple Crown Belmont card.

Total betting on the Belmont Stakes on Saturday afternoon was $60.46 million, a 13.6 percent increase over handle the last time the race was held in its traditional place on the Triple Crown calendar in 2019, according to the New York Racing Association.

Sat, 06/05/2021 - 19:12

Belmont Stakes 2021 results and payouts

Results and payouts from the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes on June 5, 2021, at Belmont Park, won by Essential Quality.

2   Essential Quality – $4.60 / $3.00 /$2.60 

4   Hot Rod Charlie – $4.10 /$2.90 

3   Rombauer – $3.50 

6   Known Agenda 

1   Bourbonic

7   Rock Your World

8   Overtook

5   France Go de Ina

$1 Exacta (2-4) – $7.50

50-cent Trifecta (2-4-3) – $10.85

$1 Double (4-2) – $5.00

$1 Pick Three (3-4-2) – $59.00

50-cent Pick Four (8/3/4/2) –$269.25

Fri, 06/04/2021 - 14:46

NYRA creates scholarship to honor Liz Bracken

ELMONT, N.Y. – The New York Racing Association announced the creation of the Elizabeth Bracken Memorial Scholarship to support and encourage students enrolled in the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program to secure careers in the Thoroughbred industry.

The $10,000 scholarship, to be awarded annually, will be open to juniors and seniors who completed one full semester in the RTIP and have expressed the desire to work in the Thoroughbred racing industry.

Fri, 06/04/2021 - 14:46

McGaughey has eye on Curlin Stakes for First Captain

Chelsea Durand/NYRA
First Captain wins his debut on April 24 at Belmont. He won an allowance race a month later to remain unbeaten.

ELMONT, N.Y. – First Captain, a pricey colt who has won around one turn in his first two starts, may get the chance to stretch out to 1 1/8 miles in the $120,000 Curlin Stakes on July 30 at Saratoga, trainer Shug McGaughey said.

McGaughey said First Captain would be nominated to the Grade 3, $250,000 Dwyer Stakes going a mile here July 5, but the idea of stretching the horse out around two turns sounded more appealing.