A talented quartet of Charlie Appleby-trained Godolphin runners—Rebel's Romance, Desert Peace, Summer Romance, and Althiqa—have settled in comfortably in New York in preparation for starts during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.
Barely half an hour after Aidan O'Brien notched a fifth win in the first colts' classic of the French season, Jean-Claude Rouget reached the same landmark in the fillies' equivalent as Coeursamba sprang a major surprise to run down Mother Earth.
The two French Guineas fall two weeks later in the European calendar than the Newmarket originals on which they are modeled and how Aidan O'Brien used the extra 15 days available to his advantage, as St Mark's Basilica swept past his toiling rivals.
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Len Ragozin, who created The Ragozin Sheets, died peacefully the evening of May 13 at The Village at White River Junction in White River Junction, Vt. He was 92.
Porter on Pedigrees
Al and Salley Pike's Pike Racing sold the sale-topper at last year's auction
Flurry Racing Stables and David Flannigan's Burrow emerged as the winner in a field of blue-blooded maidens in the fifth race at Churchill Downs May 16.
The sale, canceled last year due to COVID-19, was topped by a Maurice filly
The red-hot 2-year-olds in training sale season rolls on with the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale May 17-18 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Md.
The New York State Gaming Commission has a full range of business for its monthly meeting May 17, including a likely decision whether trainer Linda Rice's license should be suspended or possibly revoked for alleged actions.
Gran Alegria, under a supremely confident ride by Christophe Lemaire, swept to a late-running, four-length victory in the Victoria Mile (G1) May 16 at Tokyo Racecourse.
Moving Day at the Masters is Saturday. At the Preakness Stakes (G1) it's Sunday morning.
Rombauer is a second-generation homebred for John and Diane Fradkin
When Rombauer soared home a 3 1/2-length victor of the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico May 15, it proved satisfying for jockey Flavien Prat, whose previous Triple Crown victory had come when Country House was placed first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby.
Michael McCarthy, trainer of Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Rombauer, came up under Todd Pletcher before going out on his own in 2014.
A class boost and increased distance did not faze Bach Stables' Bye Bye, who won by a neck in the $100,000 Soaring Softly Stakes (G3T) May 15 at Belmont Park.
Wide trips have led to some losses for Arklow in the past, but no amount of ground loss could slow the grade 1 winner's return in the $150,000 Louisville Stakes (G3T) in his 7-year-old bow May 15 at Churchill Downs.
On May 16, a dozen maidens line up for race 5 at Churchill Downs, a one-mile turf test that includes a $950,000 horse and two half brothers to grade 1 turf stars.
The son of Street Cry reached the milestone May 15 with his 2-year-old daughter Heresy, a Godolphin homebred. She won the David Coles Am Stakes (G3) at Morphettville.
Second in the COVID-19-postponed Dinner Party Stakes (G2T) at Pimlico last fall, Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable's Somelikeithotbrown returned in this year's regularly scheduled 1 1/16-mile, $250,000 turf event May 15 to set a course record.
Uncorking a rally from midpack, John and Diane Fradkin's homebred Rombauer closed past Midnight Bourbon and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Medina Spirit to upset the $1 million Preakness Stakes (G1) May 15 at Pimlico Race Course.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert issued the following statement to NBC Sports in advance of the May 15 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course and later to media outlets, via his attorney, Craig Robertson.
The Chosen Vron graduated to graded stakes winner when he defeated Juddmonte homebred Laurel River in the $98,000 Lazaro Barrera Stakes (G3) May 15 at Santa Anita Park.
The four 3-year-olds that immediately followed Medina Sprit across the finish line in the Kentucky Derby (G1)—Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie, Essential Quality, and O Besos—were all in action May 15 for workouts.
Twelve months ago, the thought of Savatoxl contesting a group 1 would have seemed unlikely at best, if not outright absurd. On May 15, the gelding took the Goodwood (G1) at Morphettville Racecourse.
Wearing a spiffy yellow tie and stylish black shades, nonagenarian Alex Campbell met his homebred Mean Mary in the winner's circle after the $148,500 Gallorette Stakes (G3T) at Pimlico Race Course.
Special Reserve took the six-furlong Maryland Sprint Stakes Match Series (G3) in 1:08.91. Earlier in the day Mighty Mischief delivered the fifth win in Pimlico's Chick Lang Stakes (G3) for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.
Palace Pier ran out an impressive winner of the Lockinge Stakes (G1) May 15 at Newbury Racecourse, collecting his seventh win from eight lifetime starts.
The King Cheek edged Hozier in the first race May 15 at Pimlico, the Sir Barton Stakes. Numerous stakes followed on the card.
As outspoken as ever at 85 years young, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas touched on both the elephant in the room at the 146th Preakness and the Sword of Damocles hanging over the entire Triple Crown series.
Three Diamonds Farm's Army Wife rallied from off the pace to win Pimlico's May 14 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) by 2 3/4 lengths at Pimlico Race Course. Joel Rosario was up for trainer Mike Maker.
Spanish Mission lands the Yorkshire Cup (G2) under William Buick, winning by 2 3/4 lengths from Santiago with Sir Ron Priestley a length further back in third.
Last Judgment is another name on the roll call of claim to famers for Mike Maker, but there was something different about him that brought out a chuckle in Maker after the 5-year-old Congrats gelding captured the $250,000 Pimlico Special (G3).
Douglas Scharbauer's Red Ghost, a homebred daughter of Ghostzapper, lost the lead in mid-stretch but surged up the rail in the final strides to get her nose down on the wire May 14 in the $150,000 Miss Preakness Stakes (G3) at Pimlico Race Course.
Racing commentary from Jay Hovdey
Two Fair Hill Training Center-based horses scored in undercard stakes on Black-Eyed Susan Day at Pimlico Race Course.
Racing May 14 in Belmont Park's eighth race, an $89,240 first-level allowance, Stage Raider, a half brother to 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, came through a narrow stretch opening and pulled clear for a hand-ridden three-length victory.
Rombauer is the first Triple Crown classic starter for both owner/breeders Diane and John Fradkin and trainer Mike McCarthy. The Twirling Candy colt earned a fees-paid berth in the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course.
Robert and Lawana Low's Spice Is Nice passed an important test May 14 when she posted her first graded stakes win, capturing the $150,000 Allaire DuPont Distaff Match Series Stakes (G3) for fillies and mares at Pimlico Race Course.
Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Medina Spirit has passed three pre-race tests prior to the May 15 Preakness Stakes (G1) required for his participation, according to a release issued midafternoon May 14 from The Stronach Group/1ST Racing.
Thousands of miles apart, Known Agenda and Rock Your World, two grade 1-winning 3-year-olds that were outrun in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs, recorded their first breezes since the May 1 classic.
Following the initial failed drug test by Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) winner Medina Spirit, four horseplayers have filed a class action lawsuit against the horse's owner, Zedan Racing Stables, and trainer, Bob Baffert.
Derab, a Sea The Stars half brother to the brilliant Enable, looks set to continue family honor after bolting up at Newmarket May 14 to make it third time lucky.
Palace Pier will bid to cement his status as the leading older miler this season and will face 11 rivals in a top-class renewal of the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes (G1) at Newbury Racecourse May 15.
The Belmont Child Care Association offered May 5 a first look at Faith's House, the new child care center at Saratoga Race Course, which is set to begin serving families and children of the backstretch community in summer 2021.
The 922-acre equestrian community owned by Pavla and Erik Nygaard is listed for $16.5 million by Sotheby's International Realty. The farm has a stallion barn that is home to Irish Surf and Thoreau.
The Victoria Mile (G1) May 16 at Tokyo Racecourse might as well be called the Deep Impact Mile as 10 of the 18 fillies and mare contenders were sired by that late kingpin of the Japanese breeding industry.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club announced May 14 agreements with the Guangzhou Municipal Government to bring a regular program of international-standard racing to the Chinese Mainland starting in 2025.
St. George Stable's Letruska made a sharp return to the work tab May 13, her first timed move since her gallant defeat of champion Monomoy Girl in the April 10 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at Oaklawn Park. The mare worked on a reduced dose of Lasix.
