Legendary may be a word that is over-used in the world of sports these days and horse racing is no exception. But when speaking about former track announcer Tom Durkin– legendary might very well be an understatement. On a recent rendition of Fox Sports Network Cart Talk with Jonathon Kinchen, we were all reminded just how special Mr. Durkin was to racing and is to … Continue reading The Legendary Tom Durkin
The Daily Racing Blog has, for the most part, felt that Labor Day is synonymous with the end of the Saratoga Summer. Monday is Labor Day– the last day, the last race, the last push as the horses drive down the home stretch. The last flash of the tote board, and knowing that MTP now stands for Months To Post. A lump is present in … Continue reading Enjoy The Final Days Of Saratoga
Alas, the summer at Saratoga is coming to an end. But we shan’t bid adieu before the famous Jockey Club Gold Cup kicks off the final weekend at The Spa. The road to the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic will make one final stop at Saratoga Race Course this Saturday, September 3rd, as some of the best male dirt horses in training will square off in the $1.25 … Continue reading Jockey Club Gold Cup
Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes drew a field of eight 3-year-olds that will face the 1 1/4-mile distance at Saratoga. Here’s a look at the field: 1. CYBERKNIFE [ML 7-2] Trainer: Brad Cox. Jockey: Florent Geroux. Has Won four out of his last five races with the only loss coming in the Kentucky Derby (G1) when he beat only two horses to the wire. Among his … Continue reading Who Wins The Travers?
Saratoga Race Course has a vivid history in all things horse racing. But perhaps The Spa is most well-known for this: it’s the racetrack where favorites lose and longshots score the biggest Victories of their lives. MAN O’ WAR and SECRETARIAT lost at Saratoga. A horse named JIM DANDY Won the 1930 Travers Stakes over that year’s Triple Crown Winner GALLANT FOX at amazing odds of 100-1. … Continue reading Travers Upsets
The historic $1.25 million dollar, Grade 1 Travers Stakes dates all the way back to 1864, which means it’s older than the any of the Triple Crown races. The 1 ¼-mile contest annually attracts some of the best 3-year-old Thoroughbreds in the country and is often referred to as the Mid-Summer Derby. The Travers can be a tricky race to handicap. Its rich purse and great prestige … Continue reading Travers Trends
The .50 cent late Pick 5 at Saratoga on Friday paid $6,752 dollars. The Pick 5 is one of the best wagers on the menu at any race track in the country. With its low 15% takeout rate and .50 cent minimum bet, the Pick 5 can be a lucrative wager for beginners and experts alike. This particular wager has become immensely popular. At Saratoga Race … Continue reading Winning A Pick 5
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
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
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
