Multiple grade 1 winner Raging Bull recorded his first winner as a sire July 3 when Jutland scored as the 9-5 favorite in a turf maiden special weight at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Trained by Kelsey Danner, Jutland was away awkwardly and trailed the field of eight through opening fractions of :23.42 and :49.64. Revved up past the half-mile…
Coral-Eclipse Stakes (G1) favorite Ombudsman shortened up to 10-11 with most firms July 3 after some notable omissions at the final declaration stage for Sandown Park’s July 5 group 1 highlight. With Almaqam and Anmaat the main absentees as the 11-strong entry was whittled down to six confirmed runners, Godolphin’s Ombudsman, trained by John and…
Harris Farms announced July 3 that John C. Harris, a stalwart in California breeding and racing, had died. He was 81. “Ubiquitous” doesn’t begin to describe the influence of Harris in California’s Thoroughbred breeding and racing industries. On the racing side, his green and white silks are some of the most frequently seen on California racetracks….
By J. Keeler Johnson (“Keelerman”) Twitter: @J_Keelerman Racing fans are in for a treat this week. Saratoga is hosting a four-day July 4th Racing Festival from Thursday through Sunday. No fewer than 10 stakes races are on the agenda, including the Belmont Derby (G1) and Belmont Oaks (G1). Let’s handicap both…
Grade 3-placed Flying Mohawk , a runner in this spring’s Kentucky Derby (G1), will be scratched from an intended start in the $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course after undergoing emergency colic surgery the morning of July 2. The news was announced on X by MLB all-star and World Series champion Jayson…
A lawsuit brought by the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association president and one other board member seeking the removal of seven other board members has ended in a settlement. Under that July 2 agreement that ends litigation brought in Bucks County, Pa., by board president Robert Hutt and board member John Julia, no board members will…
A defamation lawsuit brought by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has resulted in a $300,000 judgment entered against Justin Wunderler. The lawsuit, filed in 2023, arose in a California federal district court from statements defendants Wunderler and Daniel DiCorcia posted primarily on social media platforms X (formerly Twitter) and Spaces. The judgment was entered…
The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced it has moved the Grade 2, $300,000 Troy back one day from the Saturday, August 2 Whitney Day Card to Sunday, August 3. The Troy, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-olds and up, joins an August 3 card that includes the Grade 3, $175,000 Adirondack, a…
Trainer Graham Motion has captured the $250,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes (G3T) a record nine times since the race’s inception in 1997. With Delaware Park only a short 15-minute van ride away from the trainer’s home base at Fair Hill Training Center near Elkton, Md., the Dick Memorial has served as the ideal target…
Jockey Oisin Murphy has been fined £70,000 and banned from driving for 20 months after pleading guilty to driving over the limit for alcohol. In response to the guilty plea, the British Horseracing Authority said the rider’s behavior “fell a long way short of the standard we expect of all licensed individuals” and that new conditions would…
