Tag: Jack Christopher

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 […]

After his third-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Haskell Stakes, Jack Christopher will cut back to races like the Pat Day Mile. (Image: Coady Photography)

Jack Christopher’s Route Experiment Ends, Will Cut Back in Distance

Turns out, nine furlongs was a bridge too far for previously unbeaten Jack Christopher, And the 3/5 odds he left the Monmouth Park gate carrying for Saturday’s Grade 1 Haskell Stakes were nowhere near his realistic chances for winning. This explains his third-place finish behind 7/1 Cyberknife and 2/1 Taiba. […]

Cyberknife (inside) held off a surging Taiba at the wire to win the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes. He set a Monmouth Park record for 1 1/8 miles along the way. (Image: Monmouth Park)

Cyberknife Carves His Way To Haskell Title, Monmouth Park Record

Cyberknife not only left the heralded Haskell Stakes duel between Jack Christopher and Taiba in the dust, he left both horses behind – along with the Monmouth Park track record for 1 1/8 miles. Also left behind was Jack Christopher’s aura of invincibility, along with Chad Brown’s chances of sweeping […]

Taiba's biggest victory in his three-race career came in April's Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. The Bob Baffert charge shipped east as the morning line favorite for the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park Saturday. (Image: Benoit Photo)

The Haskell Buzz Follows Baffert’s Taiba, Brown’s Jack Christopher

The buzz horse in Saturday’s Grade 1 Haskell Stakes is definitely Jack Christopher. The buzz trainer – as he usually is in high-profile 3-year-old races – is Bob Baffert who brings in 7/5 morning line favorite Taiba. So when the starting buzzer goes off in the 1 1/8-mile Haskell, who’s […]

Jack Christopher destroyed his Woody Stephens competition by 10 lengths last out. He is the 3/2 second choice to win the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes. That's the fourth leg of this week's Cross Country Pick 5. (Image: Coglianese Photos)

All-Stakes Cross Country Pick 5 Features the Haskell, UN, Caress

The Grade 1 Haskell Stakes, its Grade 1 turf undercard United Nations, and a salty Grade 3 filly turf sprint finale at Saratoga headline this week’s New York Racing Association Cross Country Pick 5. This week’s Cross Country Pick 5 features stakes races coming from Monmouth Park, Saratoga, and Canada’s […]

In Italian enjoys the spoils of her victory in Saturday's Grade 1 Diana Stakes. The filly provides an example of trainer Chad Brown's new emphasis of developing standout turf runners. (Image: Janet Garaguso Photo)

Chad Brown Talks Turf Dynasty, Where His Star Sophomores are Headed

One day after Chad Brown racked up the Diana Stakes superfecta, he discussed his barn’s new MO acquiring horses, where Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting is running next and what’s next for his other two standout sophomores: Zandon and Jack Christopher. You’ll see Early Voting next in the July 30 […]

Jack Christopher's Grade 1 Woody Stephens victory was one of the highlights of Belmont Park's 2022 Spring/Summer Meet. One of the most lucrative meets had a rise in average daily handle and a drop in overall handle from 2021. (Image: NYRA Photo)

Mixed Messages Define Belmont Park’s Spring/Summer Handle

First, the good news for Belmont Park and its just-concluded Spring/Summer Meet. The track enjoyed a 2% increase in average daily handle over 2021. The average daily handle came in at $13,437,509 for the 44-day meet that ended Sunday. According to the New York Racing Association, the average daily handle […]

Chad Brown won his seventh training title with a record 47 victories. (Image: NYRA Photo)

Chad Brown, Irad Ortiz Jr. Capture Belmont Park Training, Riding Titles

Chad Brown added to his record-extending seventh consecutive Belmont Park Spring/Summer training title when the conditioner racked up 47 victories. Brown’s 47 victories eclipsed David Jacobson’s 2013 mark of 44 set over a 56-day meet. Brown’s 47 came in 44 days. “My team should be very proud of themselves and […]

Jack Christopher puts in a workout before Saturday's Grade 1 Woody Stephens at Belmont Park. The one-time Kentucky Derby hopeful is the 1/2 favorite to remain undefeated. (Image: Coglianese Photos/Susie Raisher)

Jack Christopher Ready for More Undercard Magic in Woody Stephens

The Jack Christopher Comeback Tour makes its next stop at the Grade 1 Woody Stephens, setting down once again on a Triple Crown undercard race. The seven-furlong Woody Stephens will be one of the eight Grade 1s on Saturday’s Belmont Stakes undercard. It’s not to be confused with the Grade […]

Jack Christopher returned from eight months on the shelf to win the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard. The one-time Kentucky Derby prospect suffered an injury right before the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. (Image: Coady Photography)

Even with Comeback Win, Brown Thinks ‘What If?’ with Jack Christopher

There was Chad Brown with Jack Christopher, standing in the Churchill Downs winner’s circle on the first Saturday in May. Just the way the four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer drew it up with the standout colt. Well, not quite. Brown and Jack Christopher were in the winner’s circle, not for the […]

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 […]

The 51st Eclipse Awards winners will be announced Feb. 10. Sixteen of the 17 finalist categories were announced Saturday. (Image: NTRA)

Few Surprises Revealed as Eclipse Award Finalists Announced

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, and the Daily Racing Form announced the finalists for the 2021 Eclipse Awards on Saturday. The list of finalists did not include Horse of the Year candidates, for which Knicks Go is a virtual certainty. Instead, finalists in 16 of […]

Champagne Stakes winner and frown-row Kentucky Derby prospect Jack Christopher is still at least two weeks away from returning after shin surgery, according to one report. (Image: Susie Raisher/Coglianese Photos)

Top Prospect Jack Christopher Questionable for Kentucky Derby

Trainer Chad Brown told the Thoroughbred Daily News that his star 3-year-old, Jack Christopher, may not be ready for the Kentucky Derby. If Jack Christopher can’t answer the bell for the prep season, this would remove one of the current front-rank horses from the May 7 Derby. He’s currently the […]

Despite being on the shelf due to surgery for a stress fracture, Jack Christopher found himself the individual favorite in the first Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool for 2022. (Image: Coglianese Photos)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool Opens Without Baffert Colts

In case you’re curious, the first Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool opens this weekend with “All Other Colts and Geldings from the 2019 Foal Crop” as the even-money favorite. It also opens with the current Las Vegas futures favorite, Corniche, literally missing from action. Currently 6/1 at Caesars at William […]

Messier and Flavien Prat breezed to victory as the 6/5 favorite in last Sunday's Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar. He's currently second on Kentucky Derby futures boards at 20/1 despite being ineligible to run the 2022 Derby. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Two 2022 Derby Hopefuls Share Future Odds on Differing Paths

As one Kentucky Derby hopeful underwent surgery, another underwent surgery to his Derby futures odds after winning his stakes debut. Jack Christopher, who was the 9/5 morning-line favorite before being scratched from the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, had a screw placed in a left shin, according to Blood-Horse. After Dr. Larry […]

Breeders' Cup Juvenile favorite and Champagne Stakes winner Jack Christopher was a late Thursday scratch from Friday's $2 million race.( Image: Janet Garaguso/NYRA)

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Favorite Jack Christopher a Late Scratch

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile favorite Jack Christopher won’t run in Friday’s $2 million Juvenile, according to the Breeders’ Cup, which announced the scratch on Twitter late Thursday night. The 9/5 favorite for the 1 1/16-mile Juvenile was scratched due to a left shin issue, according to a tweet from Bradley Weisbord, […]

After his 102 Beyer Speed Figure-clocking victory in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes, Jack Christopher figures to take a lot of money in Friday's Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Can he navigate two turns to pay off bettors backing him at low odds? (Image: Joe Labozzetta/NYRA Photos)

Five Juvenile Races Make Breeders’ Cup Friday Let The Kids Play Day

Make no mistake, the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf may anchor Friday’s opening day of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. But the adventures of Charlie Appleby’s Modern Games and Albahr in that race might as well be the chorus when it comes to “Future Stars Friday,” as Breeders’ Cup […]

Gunite showed off his versatility winning the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga last month. He comes with 4/1 morning-line value for Saturday's Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park. (Image: Sarah Andrew)

Champagne Stakes Bubbles With Four Legitimate Juvenile Contenders

The Grade 1 Champagne Stakes predates the Kentucky Derby by eight years. In fact, the one mile juvenile test that sets the early bar for Derby prospects appeared only two years after the Civil War ended. Derby preps have to get their momentum somewhere, which is where the Champagne pours forth. Saturday’s test […]