Several up-and-coming 2-year-olds look to build off the perfect starts to their careers in the July 13 $175,000 Sanford Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course. Of the eight juveniles entered in the six-furlong dirt race, five are undefeated. Two showed a desire to set the pace in their maiden victories. If history means anything, then all eyes should be on Mo Plex , who will have Irad Ortiz Jr. in the irons. Ortiz has won three of the last six editions of the Sanford. The 31-year-old native of Puerto Rico also has led the Saratoga standings five times, including each of…

Buzz is already building for the 2024 Far Hills Race Meeting Oct. 19. A terrific card has been finalized anchored by the $250,000 American Grand National and featuring an exciting new race as Far Hills will honor Hall of Famer McDynamo with a sweepstakes named in his honor. Far Hills, N.J., will host a seven-race, all-stakes card worth $700,000 for the Far Hills Race Meeting, the crown jewel of American steeplechasing. The day’s marquee event is, of course, the American Grand National at 2 5/8 miles on the Moorland Farm course. Far Hills also is introducing the McDynamo Maiden Sweepstakes, a…

Editor’s note: Gargan was interviewed before Thursday’s Schuylerville Stakes.Question: What’s a general overview of your background until now?Answer: Well, I grew up on the racetrack. My father [Dan] was a jockey. He actually rode in the Belmont against Secretariat, so it’s pretty cool that I ended up winning the Belmont. He won the [Kentucky] Oaks that year, ’73, with Bag of Tunes, so that was a pretty big accomplishment. I grew up my whole life in horse racing. I worked for Wayne [Lukas] as a young kid for quite a while. Then I worked for Tony Reinstedler for a little…

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — Missing from action for two months, but certainly not forgotten, beaten GI Kentucky Derby favorite and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Fierceness (City of Light) is ready to make his comeback. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said the Repole Stable homebred is set to resume competition in the GI Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 20 with stablemates Mindframe (Constitution) and Tuscan Sky (Vino Rosso). Mindframe is making his first start since finishing second in the GI Belmont Stakes on June 8. Tuscan Sky won the Pegasus Stakes on June 15 at Monmouth by 6 3/4…

Wall Street’s self-regulator and a firm challenging its enforcement authority have both flagged a recent Fifth Circuit ruling on a private horse racing group’s power as cutting in their favor in a case at the D.C. Circuit.In the wake of SEC v. Jarkesy, in which the US Supreme Court reined in a government agency’s use of in-house judges near the end of its term, the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit turned its own spotlight to private industry self-regulators. Its July 5 opinion in National Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Ass’n v. Black, held part of … Read More:

The Bloomingdales have made attending opening day at the track a multi-generational tradition, even as Scott Bloomingdale has lived in Florida for around a decade.His son Nick said he always comes up to keep up the tradition. It’s also tradition that has included Nick’s son Connor for the last three years.“I used to come up with my mother,” said Scott Bloomingdale.Nick Bloomingdale said he loves getting to spend the time together and Connor is always happy.Connor spent the day trying to help his dad and grandpa pick winning horses while playing with his own stuffed horse, who he named Mr.…

{{monthName}} {{day}}, {{year}} {{hour12}}:{{minuteTwoDigit}}{{dayPeriod}} The opening at Saratoga 2024 and Saturday’s Grade 1 Diana Stakes are front and center on this week’s episode of the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.TV analyst Maggie Wolfendale Morley of Fox Sports and the New York Racing Association discusses some of the most-anticipated races this summer, including next month’s Travers (G1) as well as the early highlights of the meet.Trainer Ignacio Correas IV talks about his mare Didia, a recent Grade 1 winner who faces nine rivals including five from the Chad Brown barn this weekend in the Diana.Paddock Prince handicapper David Levitch returns to offer…

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.The summer meet at Saratoga is known for long shots and upsets in important races. That is exactly what happened on opening day Thursday when The Queens M G won the listed Schuylerville Stakes at 44-1, the longest shot on the board, triggering huge payouts in all the pari-mutuel wagers.The Queens M G was purchased for $3,500 as a yearling and won her debut race at Keeneland in April at 45-1 for trainer Israel Acevedo, beating a field of 11 by a head after a battle down the stretch. After the race the 2-year-old filly was bought privately by…

Until a bunch of 2-year-old fillies turn the Schuylerville into a three-ring circus.The 156th Saratoga Race Course meet opened on Thursday with a 25-year-old Preakness-winning jockey guiding a grizzled 8-year-old chestnut to victory for trainer Rob Falcone Jr., who equaled his total number of victories for the previous two Saratoga meets combined before the 2024 meet was barely a few minutes old.When the meet was five hours old, in the 10th race, mayhem ensued in the Schuylerville for 2-year-old fillies, as the morning-line favorite, Complexion, had to be reloaded after banging herself around in the starting gate. Then two fillies…

The track didn’t like him back so much in the Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup last year, at least not from a results standpoint.But, facing a stakes-caliber field in the ninth race on opening day of the 2024 meet on Thursday, Warrior Johny won comfortably under jockey Joel Rosario despite being bumped around after the start.It was an allowance optional claiming race, but carried a $120,000 purse and included horses who had competed in races like the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Travers and Met Mile, not to mention Warrior Johny’s seventh-place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup last summer.Bauer…