The Grade III, $100,000 Red Smith Stakes is the feature on Saturday’s 10-race program at Aqueduct. A field of 11 will be tested over 1 3/8-miles on the inner turf course. That includes the 2019 winner of the Red Smith, SADLER’S JOY. Post time for the 2020 renewal of the Red Smith, Saturday’s ninth at…
Tag: Manny Franco
Maximum Security seeks rare upset victory in Breeders’ Cup Classic
The Grade I, $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic will conclude Saturday’s lucrative championship card at Keeneland racecourse. Going as the 12th race on the program, the 1 1/4-mile affair drew a field of 10, led by the Bob Baffert-trained trio of IMPROBABLE, AUTHENTIC and MAXIMUM SECURITY. Post time for the 37th annual Breeders’ Cup Classic…
Empire Classic highlights state-bred Saturday program at Belmont
The $175,000 Empire Classic anchors Saturday’s Empire Showcase Day at Belmont Park. We’ll cover the main event of the day, along with an undercard race, below. Belmont Race 6 (Post time: 2:53 p.m. ET) The $175,000 Empire Distaff 1 1/16th-miles on dirt #2 RATAJKOWSKI (2-1, morning-line favorite) should defend her Empire Distaff title despite exiting…
Reagan’s Edge, Secret Keeper intrigue in Raven Run
The Grade II, $200,000 Raven Run Stakes is the Saturday feature at Lexington, Kentucky’s Keeneland racecourse. A field of 10 three-year-old fillies, many with Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint aspirations, will go seven furlongs on the main track in this one. Post time for the Raven Run, the featured ninth on a 10-race Saturday…
Tiz the Law the class of the Kentucky Derby, but scramble is on for second
The Grade I, $3 million Kentucky Derby will finally take place at Churchill Downs this Saturday following a four-month postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The delay did little to abate the anticipation for the 1 1/4-mile classic, though it definitely narrowed down the list of win candidates. #17 TIZ THE LAW was set as…
Gamine, Swiss Skydiver collide in Kentucky Oaks
The Grade I, $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks is Friday’s feature at Churchill Downs on the eve of the Kentucky Derby. The 1 1/8-mile event for three-year-old fillies drew a field of nine, though two horses figure to take the bulk of the betting action – #1 SWISS SKYDIVER (8-5) and #5 GAMINE (EVEN, morning-line favorite)….
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…
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…
Vekoma can capture Carter Handicap
The Grade I, $250,000 Carter Handicap puts sprinters in the spotlight this Saturday at Belmont Park. The seven-furlong affair, Race 9 on an 11-race program, lured 11 talented runners to the gate. Post time for the prestigious Carter Handicap is 5:36 p.m. ET. #11 VEKOMA (7-2) aced his comeback race in the seven-furlong Sir Shackleton…
Tiz the Law should prove too tough for Florida Derby field
The centerpiece race of Gulfstream Park’s championship meet, the Grade I, $750,000 Florida Derby, is set for Saturday. A field of 12 (plus one also-eligible) will contest this 1 1/8-mile heat worth 170 total Kentucky Derby points (paid 100-40-20-10). The Florida Derby, which goes as the 14th and final race on a card loaded with…