The Grade II, $600,000 Blue Grass Stakes is this Saturday’s feature at Keeneland. The 1 1/8-mile event for three-year-olds drew a field of 13. Most prominent among them is #7 SWISS SKYDIVER, the multiple graded stakes winning filly. Post time for the Blue Grass Stakes, Race 9 on a 10-race program, is 5:30 p.m. ET….
Author: Robert M. Criscola
Dunbar Road should dominate Delaware Handicap field
Delaware Park’s centerpiece race, the Grade II, $400,000 Delaware Handicap, is set for Saturday. A field of eight has entered, but both #1 VEXATIOUS and #5 ALWAYS SHOPPING are expected to run in Saturday’s Ruffian Stakes at Belmont instead. That would leave just five others to face the imposing DUNBAR ROAD in this 1 1/8-mile…
Shared Sense seeks stakes glory in Indiana Derby
Wednesday’s Grade III, $300,000 Indiana Derby highlights a strong 12-race program at Indiana Grand. The 1 1/8-mile event for three-year-olds drew a well-matched field of 10. The Indiana Derby, typically run late on a Saturday night, goes at 7:45 p.m. ET this Wednesday as Race 11. Also on the line are 34 Kentucky Derby points,…
Vekoma gets tepid nod in wide-open Met Mile
The Grade I, $500,000 Met Mile highlights a star-studded card at Belmont Park on Independence Day. A Grade I-worthy field of eight will do battle in this one, led by last-out graded stakes winners VEKOMA, CODE OF HONOR, and MCKINZIE. Post time for the Met Mile, Race 9 of 11 on the day, is 5:47…
Piece of My Heart appeals in Delaware Oaks
The Grade III, $300,000 Delaware Oaks is the Fourth of July feature at Delaware Park. The 1 1/16th-mile heat drew a field of eight, led by the one-two finishers in Oaklawn’s Gardenia Stakes, PIECE OF MY HEART and COMICAL. Post time for the Delaware Oaks, Race 8 on a 10-race holiday program, is 4:45 p.m….
Tom’s d’Etat seeks fourth straight stakes score in Stephen Foster
The Grade II, $500,000 Stephen Foster Stakes highlights the closing Saturday card at Churchill Downs. A field of eight, including top-flight handicap horses TOM’S D’ETAT and BY MY STANDARDS, will contest this 1 1/8-mile race. Post time for the Stephen Foster, Race 10 on an 11-race program, is 5:47 p.m. ET. The winner will receive…
Uni looks best in Just A Game
The Grade I, $250,000 Just A Game Stakes anchors Saturday’s action at Belmont Park. The one-mile grass event for fillies and mares drew a solid field of seven. Post time for the Just A Game, Race 10 on an 11-race program that features three additional graded stakes, is 6:08 p.m. ET. #6 UNI (7-5, morning-line…
Lebda, Rowdy Yates tough to split in Ohio Derby
Thistledown’s annual centerpiece race, the Grade III, $500,000 Ohio Derby, takes place this Saturday. A field of 14 will crowd the gate for this 1 1/8-mile affair on the main course. Post time for the Ohio Derby, Race 8 of nine on the day, is 4:22 p.m. ET. #4 LEBDA (7-2) has shown improvement at…
Tiz the Law looks much the best in Belmont Stakes
The 152nd running of the Grade I, $1 million Belmont Stakes takes place at Belmont Park this Saturday. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the spectator-less race will be run as the first leg of the 2020 Triple Crown. Additionally, the “Test of the Champion” will be just 1 1/8-miles long, in stark contrast to the…
Graded turf events highlight Belmont Stakes undercard
In addition to the 152nd edition of the Grade I, $1 million Belmont Stakes, there are five stakes races at Belmont Park to consider. Let’s review a pair of them below. Belmont Race 4 (Post time: 1:42 p.m. Eastern) The Grade II, $150,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes One mile on turf #1 DECORATED INVADER (6-5, morning-line…