Mark Casse is one of the most successful trainers in North America. He has handled some very talented horses; CLASSIC EMPIRE, SIR WINSTON, TEPIN, and WAR OF WILL just to name a few. Casse is well known and respected throughout the industry, so just like (dated reference alert) EF Hutton, when Mark Casse talks people should listen. “Horses were not bred to run on the dirt,” said the trainer. “They were bred to … Continue reading Synthetic Surfaces, Yes/No ?
With the Breeders’ Cup Championships a mere 3 weeks away the Daily Racing Blog would like to take a look back at some of the all time greats of the game since the advent of the Breeders’ Cup in 1984. First up CIGAR. The transformation of CIGAR from a horse that showed modest turf ability to one that developed into a legend on dirt illustrates … Continue reading Give That Man A CIGAR !
Belmont Stakes (G1) and Travers Stakes (G1) Winner ARCANGELO breezed five furlongs in 1:03.25 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.13 over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga on Friday. “Everything was good,” trainer Jena Antonucci said. “It was what we were looking for, it was just a maintenance work today. It’s too soon for serious stuff. He had one previous breeze after [the Travers] and … Continue reading ARCANGELO Ready For Arcadia
New York racing relocates back downstate to its temporary Autumn home at Aqueduct Park as the renovation project at Belmont continues. The 2023 Belmont at the Big A race meet is ready to commence on September 14th. The traditional Belmont Park fall meet, filled with big purses and loaded with important races, will once again be held at Aqueduct in 2023 for a 28-day season that will run four … Continue reading Belmont @ The Big A
This is the time of year in horse racing when, as you reach a certain age, you realize just how difficult it is to keep time from slipping past us. Old friends reemerge while others disappear or pass away. Acquaintances become friends as mutual admiration takes hold. Saratoga has (seemingly), mastered at least the illusion that time, while still slipping away can do so at a … Continue reading The Spa Is Over
The 1 ¼-mile, Grade 1 Travers, known as the Mid-Summer Derby, is the centerpiece of the Saratoga meet and is, aside from the Triple Crown, the most sought after prize for 3-year-old racehorses. Here is a look at the very competitive field of seven: 1. FORTE [ML 7-5] Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. Trainer: Todd Pletcher. Was a veterinarian scratch on the morning of the Kentucky … Continue reading Who Wins The Travers Stakes ?
WHY MID-SUMMER DERBY ? A couple of reasons: the Travers is restricted to 3-year-old Thoroughbreds, which is what defines a Derby. Also, because the race attracts such an incredible field, you’ll be seeing some of the stars of Triple Crown season at Saratoga on Saturday. THE MORE YOU KNOW. So, you already learned that only 3-year-old Thoroughbreds can run in the Travers; here’s some more … Continue reading More Useful Travers Info
Saturday is the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. It is by far the most popular day of the entire meet. It features five Grade 1, Stakes races, totaling over 5 million dollars in purses. So perhaps a little background on the race itself is in order: THE NAME: When the Saratoga Racing Association named the Travers Stakes for William R. Travers (one of the founders of America’s oldest race course), they sought only to … Continue reading Travers Week Begins
The Alabama Stakes has long been one of the most important races in the United States for 3-year-old fillies. The list of past Winners reads like a who’s who of Distaff stars through the decades. The 1 ¼-mile test at Saratoga is the longest Grade 1 dirt stakes for 3-year-old fillies and a key race on the road to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, hence this tough field of ten: … Continue reading Who Gets Away In The Alabama ?
Saturdays feature race at Saratoga Race Course is the Grade 1, $600,000 dollar 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, … Continue reading Sweet Home Alabama Stakes
