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It’s Belmont Stakes Day and The Special brings it all with previews of all seven stakes – the Belmont, Met Mile, Just A Game, True North, Jaipur, Woody Stephens and Manhattan. All but the True North are Grade 1’s and that Grade 3 sprint features champion Book’em Danno and Breeders’ Cup winner Bentornato. The Belmont itself … Read more
Tom Bellhouse bought Irad Ortiz Jr. a hot chocolate. Offered him a seat in the West Point Thoroughbreds’ golf cart. Nobody else was around. It was 5 o’clock in the morning at the Morning Line Kitchen. Bellhouse was waiting for Kiaran McLaughlin’s first set. Ortiz was waiting for his agent, waiting for a break. It … Read more
Mark Casse and Jon Green heard and read the comments. They tried to ignore the knocks and notions, sentiments from the wannabes and hopeful sharps that Nitrogen not only preferred the grass but probably was better on the stuff. Ignoring only goes so far, especially when it comes to digs at a champion filly. Nitrogen … Read more
A transatlantic flight once again paid off for Chad Brown in more than just frequent flier miles. In 2023, the trainer made what has become a regular trip to the Tattersalls yearling sale in England. When he arrived, he signed off on a filly that bloodstock agent Mike Ryan picked out, a daughter of Night … Read more
A historic Triple Crown ends today and brings the curtain down on a historic run at the most historic of places. The 158th renewal of the Belmont Stakes makes its final run at Saratoga Race Course today, concluding a three-year run in upstate New York while construction of a new Belmont Park on Long Island … Read more
Kentucky Oaks winner and Acorn Stakes favorite Always A Runner makes the cover of our second edition and provides a great example in overcoming odds. Pleuropneumonia sent her to a New Jersey veterinary clinic last year and delayed her career debut. She recovered and has more than made up for lost time. This edition previews … Read more
If you’re reading this in Saratoga Springs – or anywhere else for that matter – you are almost certainly aware that the Belmont Stakes will be held for the third and final time Saturday at venerable Saratoga Race Course. The Belmont is back for a second encore on Union Avenue, as the new Belmont Park … Read more
1-5-5-6-1-5-4-8-4-7-1. A win in the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard in 2024. Five consecutive losses. A win in the Sheppard in 2025. Three straight losses. Jimmy P added his latest 1 to his string of Saratoga 1s with late a lunge to win the Grade 1 Beverly R. Steinman Stakes at Saratoga Wednesday. Owned by Madaket … Read more
Once more, with feeling Saratoga Race Course hosts the Belmont Stakes for the third (and final?) time as construction of the new Belmont Park nears completion. The old place gets a good one as Saturday’s field includes the first, second and fourth horses from the Kentucky Derby five weeks ago at Churchill Downs plus the … Read more
The Special’s first edition of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival makes it to newsstands and paper racks – and web pages and mailboxes too – despite the usual first-day gremlins. We preview Thursday’s stakes-filled card, cover the New York Showcase Day and an oddball steeplechase stakes won by the Saratoga-loving Jimmy P. Plus columns from … Read more
The third and final installment of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course opens Wednesday with a 10-race card featuring a Grade 1 hurdle stakes and six New York-bred stakes. The New York Showcase Day card starts at 12:35 p.m. with the Grade 1, $150,000 Beverly R. Steinman Hurdle Handicap, which attracted a … Read more
