Tag: Joel Rosario

Epicenter showed a new closer dimension winning the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Saturday. The victory puts the colt atop the 3-year-old class -- for now. (Image: Chelsea Durand/NYRA Photo)

Epicenter Answers the Question: Who’s The Best 3-Year-Old Today?

The shifting, quaking earth under the 3-year-old division slid once again Saturday, when 6/5 favorite Epicenter put away Zandon, Tawny Port and Early Voting, winning the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga by 1 ½ lengths. Put aside for the moment that Epicenter passed the $2 million mark in career […]

Jackie's Warrior and Joel Rosario made history look easy in Saturday's Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga. (Image: JG Photo/NYRA.com)

Jackie’s Warrior Rides Into Saratoga History Books, Wins Vanderbilt

Jackie’s Warrior came into Saturday’s Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap wanting to make progress toward his ultimate goal – the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. He ended up making history. Jackie’s Warrior won the Vanderbilt by two lengths Saturday, a victory that made him the first horse in Saratoga history to […]

Saratoga remains one of America's most iconic and picturesque sporting venues. It's 2022 season opens Thursday. (Image: Chelsea Durand)

Saratoga Brings Big Names, Big Money, Big Dreams to 2022 Season

The 2022 Saratoga season opens Thursday with full barns, the full attention of horseplayers around North America, and a full roster of A-list trainers, jockeys, and horses. It also opens with a full level of optimism that always follows the sport to the upstate New York hamlet. It’s the New […]

Barber Road, seen here working out before the Kentucky Derby, gets Eclipse Award-winning jockey Joel Rosario for Saturday's 154th Belmont Stakes. (Image: Coady Photography)

Champion Joel Rosario Takes Barber Road’s Reins for the Belmont Stakes

Eclipse Award-winning jockey Joel Rosario will pilot Barber Road in next Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, news his agent Ron Anderson confirmed over the weekend Anderson told the Daily Racing Form that Rosario, a two-time Belmont Stakes winner, will segue from Epicenter to Barber Road for the Belmont Stakes. Epicenter, who finished […]

As the 6/5 favorite, Epicenter looked to be the horse to beat in Saturday's Preakness Stakes. Instead a bad start and poor tactics resulted in his second runner-up finish in as many Triple Crown races. (Image: Maryland Jockey Club)

Epicenter’s Second Triple Crown Runner-Up Frustrates Asmussen

After Epicenter finished second in the Kentucky Derby, trainer Steve Asmussen was stunned. After Epicenter finished second in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, Asmussen was more than surprised. He was upset. Upset that his 6/5 favorite – who came into the 147th Preakness Stakes as the best all-around horse in the field […]

Epicenter did everything right except win Steve Asmussen his first Kentucky Derby. The 4.10/1 favorite adn Derby runner up is questionable for the Preakness Stakes. (Image: Churchill Downs/Coady Photography)

Derby Aftermath: Stunned Asmussen, Preakness Probables

Still trying to process how his Kentucky Derby futility streak hit 24 races, trainer Steve Asmussen was non-committal on whether Derby runner up Epicenter would run the May 21 Preakness Stakes. The two-time Preakness winner was very committal on his level of disbelief at what transpired 50 yards from his […]

Rich Strike (right) passes favorite Epicenter with 50 yards to go to win the 148th Kentucky Derby Saturday at Churchill Downs. At 80.80/1, Rich Strike pulled off the second-biggest upset in Derby history, trailing only Donegal's 91/1 shocker in 1913. (Image: Churchill Downs/Coady Photography)

Rich Strike Bowls Over Rivals in Stunning 80/1 Kentucky Derby Upset

Rich Strike’s trainer, Eric Reed, nearly lost his entire stable in a barn fire. He got Rich Strike – a $30,000 claimer with one career win in seven starts — into the 148th Kentucky Derby with five minutes to spare Friday. When he left Post 21 at Churchill Downs, Rich […]

Clairiere returned for the first time since her fourth in the Breeders' Cup Distaff in November with an easy allowance win at Fair Grounds. (Image: Hodges Photography)

Eclipse Finalist Clairiere Returns with a 6 1/2-length Flourish

Clairiere’s 4-year-old debut at Fair Grounds on Wednesday came in an allowance optional claimer. From a class standpoint, it wasn’t the typical race you’d see a multiple graded stakes winner run. But the chance to ride an Eclipse Award finalist brought Eclipse Award-winning jockey Joel Rosario to the Louisiana track. […]

Jockey Paco Lopez, here piloting In Due TIme to a February allowance win, was suspended for 14 race days for his careless ride in last Saturday's Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park. (Image: Coglianese Photos/Ryan Thompson)

Paco Lopez Suspended 14 Days for Careless Riding In Fountain of Youth

Jockey Paco Lopez was suspended for 14 race days by Gulfstream Park stewards Wednesday for careless riding in Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth. He was also placed on probation for the duration of Gulfstream’s Championship Meet. Lopez earned the suspension due to his trip aboard In Due Time, who […]

Joel Rosario and Knicks Go rode off with a combined three Eclipse Awards at Thursday night's Eclipse Awards ceremony at Santa Anita Park. Knicks Go won Horse of the Year and Champion Older Male Eclipses, while Rosario won his first Jockey of the Year Eclipse. (Image: Coglianese Photos/Ryan Thompson)

Knicks Go Rides Off With 2021 Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year

True to his running style, Knicks Go broke out to a big lead and proved uncatchable, capturing the Eclipse Award for 2021 Horse of the Year when the Eclipse Awards were announced Thursday night at Santa Anita Park. The now-6-year-old horse received 228 votes out a possible 235 first-place votes […]

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 […]

A familiar sight: Pursuers vainly chasing Knicks Go. The 5-year-old beat sophomores Medina Spirit, Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie to win the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic Saturday at Del Mar. (Image: AP Photo)

Breeders’ Cup Day 2: Land of Knicks Go, Rising Sun and Falling Favorites

Now that the Breeders’ Cup Classic performed its designated coronation, you can start engraving Knicks Go’s name on the Horse of the Year trophy now. Avoid the rush, which Knicks Go splendidly did at Del Mar Saturday evening. He broke out to his patented early lead and turned aside all […]

Imperador and jockey Joe Talamo hold off a surging Arklow to win Kentucky Downs' flagship race: the $1 million Calumet Turf Cup. That Saturday race headlined a record handle day and meet for Kentucky Downs. (Image: Coady Photography)

Kentucky Downs Wrap: Bettors, Rosario Make it a Record-Setting Meet

Whether it was riding or betting, records fell in bunches during Kentucky Downs’ recently completed six-day meet. The boutique, all-turf track located on the Kentucky-Tennessee border destroyed its previous handle record, both for a single day and for the overall meet. Kentucky Downs came in with a six-day, all-sources handle […]

Joel Rosario and Pixelate won Monday's Mint Million at Kentucky Downs. That was one of 13 victories for Rosario this week, breaking the previous meet record of 12. (Image: Coady Photography)

Rosario Makes 13 a Lucky Number, Sets Kentucky Downs Riding Record

Joel Rosario broke the Kentucky Downs meet victory record on Thursday, piloting two winners on the day’s card for his 12th and 13th victories of the meet. The 13 wins eclipsed the previous record of 12, set by Rafael Bejarano in 2004. Florent Geroux tied that mark in 2015 and […]

An in-foal Oleksandra had just enough to hold off favored Raging Bull in Sunday's Grade 3 Poker Stakes at Belmont Park. The 7-year-old mare retired after her eighth career victory. (Image: Joe Labozzetta/NYRA)

After a Pregnant Pause, In-Foal Oleksandra Wins Poker Stakes

Oleksandra provided the perfect blueprint for how to go out on top: win your final race as the lone mare in a nine-deep field of colts and horses as a 17/1 long shot. But the 7-year-old mare threw in an irresistible and endearing plot twist to her racing finale. Not […]

If Flavien Prat celebrates after the Belmont, he'll do it on a different horse than Preakness winner Rombauer. Prat takes the reins of Hot Charlie for the Belmont Stakes. He rode Hot Rod Charlie in the Kentucky Derby. (Image: Patrick Smith/Getty)

Belmont Musical Jockeys: Prat Trades Rombauer for Hot Rod Charlie

Trainer Doug O’Neill, who proved his nimbleness by quickly securing Flavien Prat’s jockey services for the Kentucky Derby, proved them once again for the Belmont Stakes. He said Prat will ride the Derby’s third-place runner in the June 5 Belmont Stakes. That, of course, means Michael McCarthy needs to find […]

After a year's hiatus due to the pandemic, Wesley Ward returned to his native habitat: winning Keeneland training titles. With 20 victories, the conditioner won his seventh Keeneland Spring Meet title. (Image: Coady Photography)

Keeneland’s Spring Meet Hops Into the Books With Strong Handle

Despite selling limited tickets for its 15-day Spring Meet, Keeneland’s just-concluded meet brought a 7.55% handle increase from its 2019 numbers. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic scrubbing Keeneland’s 2020 Spring Meet, 2019 represents the last comparable year. Headlined by Essential Quality’s Blue Grass Stakes victory, Wesley Ward’s seventh training title […]

Jockey Umberto Rispoli had reason to celebrate his 4 1/2-length Santa Anita Derby victory. But Rispoli won't ride the undefeated Candy Ride colt in the Kentucky Derby -- Joel Rosario will. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Derby Musical Jockeys: Rosario Replaces Rispoli on Rock Your World

In a case that’s flipping what-have-you-done-for-me-lately on its ear, jockey Joel Rosario will replace Umberto Rispoli aboard Rock Your World for next week’s Kentucky Derby. Rock Your World’s trainer, John Sadler, discussed the decision on the Thoroughbred Los Angeles radio show on Sunday morning. He took full responsibility for the […]

Joel Rosario and Kimari captured the Grade 1 Madison Stakes -- one of Rosario's four stakes wins and five overall. during Keeneland's opening weekend. (Image: Keeneland Photo)

Hot Jocks: Rosario and Saez Become Kings of Keeneland Riders

When horseplayers looking for another angle or trend fixate on Keeneland, they’ll discover Joel Rosario and Luis Saez are the go-to riders — at least in the early going. Over the first two days of Keeneland’s Spring Meet, Rosario (seven) and Saez (six) combined to win 13 races. The pair […]