Saturdays feature event at Saratoga is the 142nd running of the Alabama Stakes. The prestigious stakes race for 3-year-old fillies is one of the oldest races for females in the United States, with its first edition taking place in 1872 in a race Won by WOODBINE, a horse owned by August Belmont. The race itself was not precisely named in honor of the great state of Alabama; rather, it was … Continue reading The Alabama Stakes
Think you have what it takes to become a jockey? Physically you need to weigh roughly between 108-118 pounds. There is no height limit for jockeys, though most are fairly short, given the weight limitation. The lankiest of jockeys is no more than 5 foot 5 inches tall. And despite their diminutive stature, riders must be able to control a horse that weighs 1,200 pounds, … Continue reading Want To Be A Jockey?
Just like the horse for which it’s named, the Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga has come a long way since its inaugural running in 1985. From 1987 to 1994, the New York-bred gelding FOURSTARDAVE Won at least one race at Saratoga yearly, including the 1988 Albany Handicap, the 1989 and 1991 West Point Handicaps, and consecutive editions of the Daryl’s Joy in 1990 and 1991. Trained by Leo … Continue reading The Fourstardave
The name is back and the purse is restored but, otherwise, the renewal of the Arlington Million (G1), this Saturday bears little resemblance to the event that ushered in the era of seven-figure Thoroughbred purses. The most obvious change is the venue. Arlington International Racecourse where JOHN HENRY famously defeated THE BART in the inaugural Million in 1981, is no more. Churchill Downs Inc., which owns the … Continue reading The Arlington Million
Thoroughbred horse racing is an outdoor sport and races typically take place rain or shine. That means track conditions can vary widely with the weather. The Daily Racing Blog often refers to track conditions and the amount of moisture held by dirt and turf (grass) racing surfaces. If you’ve ever got confused by all the track condition lingo, no worries. Here are the explanations in … Continue reading Know The Track Conditions
Given the immense talent and extraordinary depth of the star-studded jockey colony competing at Saratoga this year, an interesting question arises. Where does this group rank among the greatest of all time? The talent begins with Irad Ortiz Jr. but hardly ends there. Ortiz swept three consecutive Eclipse Awards as North America’s leading rider from 2018 to 2020, a stretch matched only by Jerry Bailey, … Continue reading The World’s Best Riders
Wednesday marks the beginning of the third week of racing at Saratoga Race Course, and the second visit to the Spa for the Daily Racing Blog. It is day 15 of a season of 40 racing cards, at a track where top horses, trainers, and jockeys congregate, for some of the best racing action all year long. Saratoga is universally considered one of the premier … Continue reading Some Saratoga Horse Sense
This Saturday the Saratoga Race Course will host the 94th running of the Whitney Stakes. The Daily Racing Blog would be remiss if we didn’t talk about the Queen of Saratoga– Marylou Whitney, who passed away July 19th of 2019, at the age of 93. For seven decades, Mrs. Whitney was among the most successful owners in thoroughbred racing. In 1958 she married Cornelius Vanderbilt “Sonny” Whitney, one of the founders of the National Museum of … Continue reading The Whitney…Marylou
The 2022 season racing season at Saratoga is two weeks old. The Daily Racing Blog would love to report that it’s kicking ass and taking names, but no horse player at this stage of the meet is drinking anyone’s milkshake. It is the nature of the beast here at America’s track. There are certain thoroughbred race horses (regardless of their odds) that always battle back. … Continue reading The Summer Place To Be
When temperatures start rising above 90 degrees (as they did this past weekend), spectators at Saratoga Race Course grow concerned about the horses. The Daily Racing Blog and staff were in attendance at The Spa over the weekend and can attest to the fact that it was more hot springs than spa. The New York Racing Association (NYRA) said it closely follows New York State’s … Continue reading Horses & The Heat
