The $1 million dollar Grade 1 Travers Stakes 2020 installment was moved up- three weeks earlier than usual in the COVID-19 adjusted racing calendar. This years race runs a month ahead of the Kentucky Derby. In doing so, the Mid-Summer Derby became an official prep race for the Run for Roses with qualifying points to the top four finishers (100-40-20-10). TIZ THE LAW was named … Continue reading The 2020 Travers Stakes
The annual summer highlight of the horse racing calendar takes on an added importance this year. COVID-19 has disrupted every aspect of The Sport Of Kings. Traditionally a late-August, Mid-Summer affair, this year’s 151st Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course has been moved up three weeks in light of the rescheduled Kentucky Derby which will be contested on September 5th. The $1 million dollar, Grade … Continue reading Mid-Summer Derby
Any jockey expecting to ride in the Kentucky Derby on September 5th or Kentucky Oaks on September 4th must arrive in Kentucky by August 24th according to proposed regulations issued by Churchill Downs. Track president Kevin Flanery said during a conference call with horsemen Monday afternoon that the rule, and its implementation is still under consideration. All riders, not just those shipping in from out … Continue reading Derby Jockey Conundrum
The mile and an eighth Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday drew a field of five headed by the 6-5 Morning Line favorite TOM’S D’ETAT. In addition to the $750,000 dollar purse, as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, the field will vie for a Win and You’re In spot for the BC Classic. All five horses in the field have earned … Continue reading Winner Of The Whitney
Saturday’s $750,000 dollar, Grade 1 Whitney Stakes is an annual highlight of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet. It is a race that has major importance on the road to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in the fall. Even without the Breeders Cup significance the Whitney is one of the most historic and significant races for older dirt horses in North America. Some of the … Continue reading The 2020 Whitney Stakes
When former NYRA track announcer Tom Durkin walks down Broadway in Saratoga Springs, it is almost as if he is stepping back in time. Fans often stop him to remind him of one of his legendary race calls and to express their appreciation for his extraordinary career. Those conversations mean the world to Durkin. “You’re walking down the street and somebody stops you and has … Continue reading The Legendary Tom Durkin
The Daily Racing Blog was going to take a closer look at Saturday’s Grade 1, $250,000 dollar Vanderbilt Stakes at Saratoga, but frankly with a short field of five horses it offers little betting Value. The Morning Line favorite VOLATILE seems to be head and shoulders above the rest in this one. Next Saturday is the Whitney Stakes which will certainly have a larger, more … Continue reading Jockeys & Trainers At The Spa
The Travers Stakes will be truly living up to its nickname of The Midsummer Derby this year. As part of a revamped Saratoga Race Course schedule, the 1 1/4-mile Travers has been moved up three weeks to an August 8th date while still retaining the one million dollar purse as an enticement to on-the-fence entrants. The Travers is usually held on the final Saturday in … Continue reading Travers Talk
Women have played key roles in horse racing since the celebrated sport’s earliest days. Yet few women – or men for that matter – at any level of the sport created a legacy that can rival the respect and importance of Marylou Whitney. Whitney, who died July 19, 2019 at age 93, did so much more than simply race in the famed Eton blue … Continue reading Marylou Is Still A Presence
The Haskell Stakes (G1) has retained its million dollar purse and still remains a part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series that offers the Winner a place in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 7th. However, the signature race at Monmouth Park has undergone some changes (as everything else has) in 2020. No longer an invitational race, the mile and eighth Grade 1 was … Continue reading The Haskell Stakes
