Horse Racing

Dynamic One comes into the Grade 2 Suburban off his first victory of 2022. The 4-year-old is sizzling trainer Todd Pletcher's best prospect to grab the conditioner he second Suburban title. (Image: Adam Coglianese/NYRA Photo)

Hot-Handed Pletcher Driving Dynamic One Into the Suburban

With the Grade 2 Suburban Stakes on the agenda, Todd Pletcher isn’t slowing down on making Belmont Park his personal playground. Not this weekend, when he sends out Dynamic One and Untreated in Saturday’s Suburban on Belmont Park’s closing weekend. The Suburban, which sends its 4-year-olds and up 10 furlongs […]

Florent Geroux will bring his tack west to Del Mar for this summer's meet on the California coast. (Image: Coady Photography)

Florent Geroux Going West, Riding at Del Mar this Summer

Bucking the recent trend of California riders heading East, Florent Geroux will ride at Del Mar this summer, according to his agent Doug Bredar. Bredar made the announcement on Twitter on Tuesday morning. Geroux followed along, retweeting Del Mar’s announcement that announced the jockey is “Beach bound.” Geroux spent the spring […]

Damon's Mound won his debut race by 12 1/2 lengths, bringing another juvenile star to the forefront. (Image: Coady Photography)

Climb Aboard the Precocious Damon’s Mound Bandwagon

Damon’s Mound, the latest 2-year-old worth keeping several eyes on, announced his presence at Churchill Downs Saturday with a flourish. A 12 ½-length authoritative flourish in a maiden special weight race on the Stephen Foster undercard. Damon’s Mound took apart the six-furlong maiden special weight in 1:09.84. He debuted with […]

Willy Boi beat odds-on rival Drain the Clock and four others to win the Grade 3 Smile Sprint at Gulfstream Park. The 4-year-old gelding is unbeaten in three 2022 races. (Image: Coglianese Photos/Lauren King)

Co-Favorite Willy Boi Leaves Them Smiling After Smile Sprint Score

Both Willy Boi and Drain the Clock left the Gulfstream Park gate at 4/5 for Saturday’s Grade 3 Smile Sprint Stakes, the first-among-equals undercard race to the Grade 2 Princess Rooney Invitational on Gulfstream’s Summit of Speed program. And in this battle of chalk-vs.-chalk, Drain the Clock blinked first. Actually, […]

Becca Taylor is a nose away from being undefeated in nine races. She heads a seven-horse field in the Grade 2 Great Lady M Stakes at Los Alamitos. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Becca Taylor Ready for Los Alamitos Close-Up at Great Lady M Stakes

Los Alamitos shows off one of its main features during its two-week Los Angeles County Fair Thoroughbred meet Monday with the Grade 2 Great Lady M Stakes. The 6 ½-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-year-old and up headlines a nine-race Fourth of July card at the small Southern California […]

Belmont Stakes winner Mo Donegal suffered bone bruising coming out of the Belmont and will miss most of 2022. (Image: AJ Photo/NYRA.com)

Belmont Stakes Winner Mo Donegal Sidelined With Bone Bruising

You can scratch one Triple Crown race winner from future 2022 races, after Belmont Stakes winner Mo Donegal suffered bone bruising coming out of that victory that will cost him a large chunk of the rest of 2022. Mo Donegal came out of his three-length Belmont Stakes victory with the […]

What a winning Pick 5 ticket looks like. OG News' Brian Robin hit this on Canterbury Park's Northern Stars Turf Festival June 22. (Image: OG News)

The Highs and Lows of Being a Horseplayer, Pick 5s to Derby Downers

This spring, I endured the true ups and downs of being a horseplayer, which – as anyone who has ever placed a bet on the creatures who can’t explain themselves can attest – is a true manic-depressive exercise. First, the manic. Last week, I enjoyed one of the biggest highlights […]

Grade 2 Alysheba winner Olympiad will take his share of wagers in Saturday's Grade 2 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs. He is the 5/2 second choice on the morning line. (Image: Coady Photography)

Rivalries Begin, Strong Contenders Abound in Stephen Foster

The Grade 2 Stephen Foster is a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series race. But its importance goes beyond merely sending its winner to the flagship $6 million Classic. This year’s Stephen Foster brings us what we need in racing: a good rivalry. In this case, that’s 2/1 […]

Shedaresthedevil owns three Grade 1 victories, including this 2020 score in the Kentucky Oaks. But she comes into Saturday's Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs 0-for-her-last-5. (Image: Coady Photography)

Mandaloun, Life Is Good, Speaker’s Corner Head Cross Country Pick 5

Last year’s Kentucky Derby champion, two of the most dynamic sprinters in the country, and a multiple Grade 1 winner looking for redemption headline this week’s New York Racing Association’s Cross Country Pick 5. This week’s Cross Country Pick 5 is an all-stakes sequence. The week’s races come from Belmont […]

Olympiad is 4-for-4 in 2022, with this solid victory in the Grade 2 Alysheba at Churchill Downs on the ledger. He is expected to contend for the Grad3 2 Stephen Foster title Saturday. (Image: Coady Photography)

Churchill Downs All-Stakes Pick 5 Features Eclectic, Familiar Names

A veritable all-star roster of eclectic talent that includes a Kentucky Derby winner, a Kentucky Oaks winner, a Breeders’ Cup Sprint victor, and a true horse for course highlight Churchill Downs’ Saturday All-Stakes Pick 5. The All-Stakes Pick 5 wager encompasses all five of the Twin Spires’ stakes races on […]

Champion sprinter Ce Ce returns to defend her title in the Grade 2 Princess Rooney Invitational. THe 6-year-old mare is the 4/5 favorite to repeat. (Image: Gulfstream Park)

Ce Ce Returns to Princess Rooney Seeking Another Coronation

The Grade 2 Princess Rooney Invitational played a key role in Ce Ce’s coronation as Champion Female Sprinter last year. And the marquee race on Gulfstream Park’s Summit of Speed card provides the perfect setting for the versatile mare to defend her title. Saturday’s $300K Princess Rooney is a seven-furlong […]

Racing on the Churchill Downs turf course is done for the Spring Meet, canceling one turf stakes race and sending three others during closing weekend to the main turf. (Image: Coady Photography)

Churchill Downs Cancels Turf Racing for Duration of Spring Meet

Citing more problems from its new turf course, Churchill Downs officials suspended racing on the Matt Winn Turf Course for the track’s closing weekend. The decision cancels the Grade 2 Wise Dan Stakes and sends three other stakes originally carded for the turf course to the main dirt track. Those […]

Drain the Clock hasn't won a graded stakes since holding off Jackie's Warrior in last year's Grade 1 Woody Stephens. He can end that streak with a victory in Saturday's Grade 3 Smile Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park. (Image: Coglianese Photos/Susie Raisher)

Drain the Clock Running Toward Good Vibes at Smile Sprint

The Grade 3 Smile Sprint is a race Drain the Clock needs right about now. A nice, low-pressure graded stakes race that should allow him to rebuild his confidence in familiar surroundings. Those surroundings are Gulfstream Park, where the six-furlong Smile Sprint is one of the featured races on Gulfstream’s Summit […]

Taiba, seen here relaxing in his Churchill Downs stall during Derby week, hasn't run since finishing 12th in the Derby. He may be one of trainer Bob Baffert's entries in the July 23 Grade 1 Haskell Stakes. (Image: Chad B. Harmon)

Baffert May Pick Up Sophomore Mantle at Familiar Spot

The Haskell Stakes and Bob Baffert have become so synonymous that the Hall of Fame trainer has nine Haskell titles on his mantle. And with his suspension ending this Sunday, Baffert may send one or more horses in his quest for Haskell title No. 10. The Asbury Park Press reported […]