Tag: Emmanuel

Classic Causeway led this cavalry charge in last month's Belmont Derby. He is one of seven horses from that race in Saturday's Grade 1 Saratoga Derby. (Image: Coglianese Photos)

Classic Causeway Can’t Run Away And Hide in Saratoga Derby

This time, Classic Causeway won’t be sneaking up on the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby field as a 26/1 afterthought. That untested turf question mark is now an exclamation point. And thus, we have the biggest storyline for Saturday’s Saratoga Derby, the second leg of the New York Racing Association’s Turf Triple. […]

Wit and Jose Ortiz will move to grass for Friday's Grade 2 National Museum of Racing at Saratoga. (Image: Francesca Le Donne Photo/NYRA.com)

With Precedent and Pedigree, Wit Brings His Next Act to the Grass

As Todd Pletcher sees it with Wit, the turf pedigree is there. As he sees it through recency bias, moving him to grass has a good precedent. And as Pletcher sees it through recent history, why not? The Hall of Fame trainer moves his 3-year-old multiple graded stakes winner to […]

Emmanuel, seen her after winning the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge last month, was scratched from Saturday's Grade 1 Belmont Derby over a medication procedure gaff. Trainer Todd Pletcher was fined $1,000 for the procedure violation. (Image: Coglianese Photos/Susie Raisher)

Pletcher Fined for Medication Procedure Offense After Emmanuel Scratch

The fallout from Todd Pletcher scratching Emmanuel from Saturday’s Grade 1 Belmont Derby went beyond taking front-end speed out of the race. The Daily Racing Form reported Pletcher scratched Emmanuel for receiving three doses of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory within seven days of a race. Dr. Scott Palmer, the equine medical […]

Nations Pride is one of five European invaders to Saturday's Grade 1 Belmont Derby at Belmont Park. He is the 5/1 second choice. (Image: Godolphin)

Yes, There’s a Heavy European Flavor to the Belmont Derby

Based on what we saw in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational last year, this European invasion wasn’t only predictable, it was expected. After supertrainer Aidan O’Brien sent Bolshoi Ballet across the Atlantic and into the Belmont Park winner’s circle in 2021, the British are definitely coming. So are the […]

Interstatedaydream won the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan comfortably. She is the favorite for the Indiana Oaks, Leg 4 of this week's Cross Country Pick 5. (Image: Jerry Dzierwinski/Maryland Jockey Club)

Sophomores Take Center Stage in All-Stakes Cross Country Pick 5

Belmont Park’s two Grade 1s share the stage with the biggest day on Horseshoe Indianapolis’ schedule to create this week’s all-stakes Cross Country Pick 5. The New York Racing Association starts this week’s Cross Country Pick 5 at home with the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational. The 10-filly field of […]

Emmanuel's last victory came in this allowance optional-claimer at Tampa Bay Downs three starts ago in January. He makes his turf debut in Saturday's Grade 2 Pennine Ridge at Belmont Park. (Image: SV Photography)

Former Derby Prospect Emmanuel Ready for His Turf Close-Up

One week before several of his former Triple Crown trail rivals tackle the “Test of the Champion:” the Belmont Stakes, Emmanuel tackles his first turf test in Saturday’s Grade 2 Pennine Ridge at Belmont Park. The 1 1/8-mile trek along Belmont Park’s inner turf course serves as a key prep […]

Americanrevolution won the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct in his last start. He headlines the Blame Stakes field, the penultimate leg of this week's Cross Country Pick 5. (Image: Coglianese Photos)

This Cross Country Pick 5 Features Grade 1 Winner, Four Stakes Races

The return of a Grade 1 winner and an intriguing Grade 2 stakes race provide the highlight of this week’s New York Racing Association Cross Country Pick 5. This week’s races come to horseplayers from Belmont Park and Churchill Downs. The aforementioned Grade 1 winner is Americanrevolution, who returns six […]

Zandon captured the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes shortly after he closed at 18/1 in the final Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool. (Image: Keeneland/Coady Photography)

Epicenter Finishes as Final Favorite in Last KDFW Pool

With four weeks remaining until the May 7 Kentucky Derby, horseplayers stuck by Louisiana Derby winner Epicenter, making him the 9/2 favorite in the fifth and final Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) pool. That pool closed Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET, prior to the running of the final 170-point Kentucky […]

Smile Happy is the 9/5 favorite in a 12-horse Blue Grass Stakes field. He has two wins and a second in three races. (Image: Coady Photography)

Smile Happy, Zandon Set Themselves Apart in Blue Grass Stakes

Keeneland’s stop on the Kentucky Derby trail, the Blue Grass Stakes, headlines opening weekend at the Lexington, KY. track. But this edition of Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile Derby prep does so with a renewed prestige boost. Grade 1 status. The Blue Grass regained that status this year, putting it with the Santa Anita Derby, […]

Emmanuel won this December debut by daylight. He makes his anticipated stakes debut in Saturday's Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park. (Image: Coglianese Photos/Ryan Thompson)

All Eyes are on Emmanuel to Drink From This Fountain of Youth

Emmanuel is on many Kentucky Derby watch lists as one of the colts to watch in Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth. Horseplayers watched him win his first two starts by a combined 11 ¼ lengths. They watched him get bet down to 18/1 in Circa Sports’ Derby futures and […]

Smile Happy finished as the 8/1 individual favorite for the third consecutive Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) pool. (Image: Keeneland/Coady Photography)

KDFW Pool 3: Smile Happy, All Other 3-Year-Olds Favored Yet Again

There was a familiar look to the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) Pool 3 that emphasized the Bob Baffert factor is alive and well – and that Smile Happy doesn’t have to run to draw money. Once again, “All Other 3-Year-Olds” – a.k.a. the field – closed as the betting […]

Tiz the Bomb is the 10/1 second individual choice behind stablemate Smile Happy in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2, which closed Sunday. (Image: Coady Photography/Keeneland)

Both the Field, Smile Happy, Keep Their Favorite Status in KDFW Pool 2

Just like it did in November’s Pool 1, the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2 finished with All Other 3-Year-Olds as the favorite, and Smile Happy closing as the individual favorite. While Smile Happy closed at the same 8/1 odds he finished at in Pool 1, All Other 3-Year-Olds wound […]