By Jarrod Horak We saw some impressive efforts in the stakes ranks at Saratoga for the week ending August 13. There were at least three performances worthy of blue-ribbon status, and I decided to go with Carl Spackler (IRE) as the star of the week. Chad Brown’s emerging stakes star made the grade in the […]
By Jarrod Horak We are well into the second half of the year and the 3-year-old male division title is still very much up for grabs. Forte, last year’s 2-year-old champ, captured his third graded race in 2023 in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday, July 29. A win in the […]
By Jarrod Horak Richard Mandella means business when he ships a horse to Monmouth Park for their marquee race. He previously won the Haskell in 2000 with Dixie Union. This year, his lightly raced California invader Geaux Rocket Ride stalked the pace and spurted away from Kentucky Derby hero Mage and Bob Baffert’s highly regarded […]
By Jarrod Horak Eight sophomore males take center stage in the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday, July 22. Bob Baffert has won the Haskell a record 9 times and he is represented this year by undefeated colt Arabian Knight, the 5-2 morning line favorite. Click here for Haskell […]
By Jarrod Horak Opening week at Saratoga featured unsettled weather and multiple upsets in the stakes races. There were seven stakes from July 13-16 and Whitebeam (GB) was the star of the week. Chad Brown’s filly nipped her highly regarded stablemate In Italian (GB) in the Grade 1 Diana. Click here for Saratoga Racing Picks, Tips, […]
By Jarrod Horak The 2023 Saratoga thoroughbred meet kicks off on Thursday, July 13 and I will be covering much of the action for the Digest this summer. Keep checking this spot for articles and videos. In this post, I will cover the riders to watch at the Spa. Click here for Saratoga Racing Picks, Tips, […]
By Jarrod Horak The 2023 Belmont Stakes was loaded with graded talent and Arcangelo parlayed a ground saving trip into a 7-1 upset over Forte and Tapit Trice in the final jewel of the Triple Crown at Belmont Park on Saturday, June 10. Jena Antonucci had this one primed to run a big race and […]
By Jarrod Horak The 2023 Triple Crown is in the rear-view mirror and we are speeding towards the big summer targets. The 3-year-old division is wide open at this stage and it is time to catch up with the sophomore leaders. Two Phil’s appeared to reach the top of the leaderboard after an impressive score […]
By Jarrod Horak Arcangelo took advantage of a ground saving trip to win the 2023 Belmont Stakes. Javier Castellano rode the winner for Jena Antonucci. It was the first Belmont win for rider and trainer, and Antonucci became the first female conditioner to capture the Belmont and first to win any of the Triple Crown […]
By Jarrod Horak The 2023 Preakness Stakes played out in real time just the way it looked on paper. National Treasure broke smoothly from the inside post, got to the front with relative ease, and held off Blazing Sevens in the lane to win by a head. Kentucky Derby winner Mage was third. The complexion […]
