Join The Saratoga Special Readers Club for exclusive access to news, swag, discounts, special events and more
Members of the editorial team at The Saratoga Special tuned in and covered Sunday’s Empire Showcase Day program for the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. The package of articles appeared shortly after the races on the NYTB website and we’re happy to “showcase” them here for your enjoyment. Mama’s Gold posts monster upset in Empire … Read more
You recovered from last week? Some years, the Far Hills hangover can feel like a real thing and this year’s big steeplechase day packed a punch. The American Grand National battle between Snap Decision, Galvin and High Definition is as good as Thoroughbred racing gets. Three game horses delivered huge efforts. Bravo and just 5 … Read more
Far Hills, the show of shows. The season’s richest meet, championship day, whatever you want to call is upon us again. It’s the 103rd running of the meet, which is just bananas when you think about it. It wasn’t that long ago that we all called it Essex and the feature was worth $12,000. Now, … Read more
The autumn steeplechase season gets serious with the Virginia Fall Races at stately Glenwood Park outside Middleburg, Va. Saturday. This used to be a two-day affair (who’s staying at the Red Fox?) with racing Saturday and Sunday. Of course, they used to saddle in the paddock way up on the hill behind the boxes and, … Read more
History lesson time. Just three horses have earned more than $1 million in North American steeplechase history – McDynamo with $1,310,104, Lonesome Glory with $1,215,809 (he earned a $250,000 bonus which doesn’t factor in the official NSA standings so he comes in at 965,809 on that leaderboard; he also won twice in England and another … Read more
Here we go. The autumn (don’t say fall) steeplechase season comes back to life Saturday with the races at Shawan Downs outside Baltimore. The six-race card starts at 12:30 p.m. and includes races over hurdles and timber. If you’re keeping score at home – and nobody is – we left you after the spring season with … Read more
Jeff Matty was only 13 when Smarty Jones captured the collective heart of the horse racing world by coming within a length of winning the Triple Crown in 2004. (Queue Tom Durkin: “And Birdstone wins the Belmont Stakes.”) In his third year as executive director of the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, Matty came up with … Read more
By Tim Wilkin When it was over, trainer Kenny McPeek admitted he didn’t have his super filly Thorpedo Anna at her absolute best in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing. But she was good enough. The runaway leader of the 3-year-old filly division overcame a tricky trip and won the 1 … Read more
On Friday afternoon in a hotel lobby as legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas discussed Seize the Grey’s chances in the Grade 1, $1 million betPARX Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing, it was suggested to him that it looked like his horse was going to the lead. “If he does, he’s going to be very tough … Read more
Next up for Next is Parx’s Greenwood Cup Next. That would be two things. It’s the name of a horse that has been chewing up marathon races over the last two years. And it would be the name of the race upcoming for the 6-year-old gelding. That is the 1 1/2-mile, Grade 3, $200,000 Greenwood … Read more
