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Already off to a good start, Raven’s Pass (Elusive Quality—Ascutney, by Lord At War) added a little gilding to his reputation: a first black-type winner from his first crop of 2-year-olds. At Goodwood on Sept. 4, his son Steeler, won the listed Peter Willett Stakes at seven furlongs for the team of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, trainer ...

Most people would think that winning the Hopeful Stakes with a horse that your friend told you to buy at auction because it wore a hip number that matched your football uniform number was dumb luck.  But Jack Wolf’s good fortune with the horse Shanghai Bobby doesn’t compare in the least with the human Shanghai Bobby’s. Robert Burton won a ...

Early Sunday morning, in lieu of the morning workouts, three turf writers introduced a maiden first-time golfer named Micah to words that they wouldn’t dare use in their columns.  The lesson in blue language took place at the Saratoga Spa Golf Course. Early morning on the Spa Gold Course is where you'll find turf writers now.Photo by Vic ...

Pensioned in 2010, Kingmambo (Mr. Prospector—Miesque, by Nureyev) ruled the Sept. 2 international racing scene, providing two stakes winners on the day, including his 93rd lifetime added-money winner. In Turkey, Kentucky-bred Master of Hounds won the International Topkapi Trophy (Tur-II) over the mile turf course at Veliefendi Race course in ...

An old racetrack goer who’s visited this track for 47 straight summers said the 2009 Woodward Stakes (gr. I) won by Rachel Alexandra was the best Saratoga horse race he’s seen.  Stonestreet’s Preakness Stakes-winning filly beat the boys in the “Year of the Girl.”The New York Racing Association beat the drum for the Woodward that summer−first, ...

European racing Sept. 1 found Juddmonte’s lynchpin stallion, 16-year-old Dansili (Danehill—Hasili, by Kahyasi) recording career stakes winners 70 and 71, when two of his 3-year-old daughters scored their first added-money wins. In France, Juddmonte’s sophomore filly Preferential registered at two-length victory Victorinna (by Gentlewave) and ...

The 2:30 p.m. post time for Friday’s first race seemed to make the crowd friskier, if not significantly different in size from prior summers.  But there was no waiting for things to unfold at a new pace.  A flow of energy cursed through the clubhouse and grandstand, unlike the last several days. The music began playing at Siro’s ...

Go Angellica sauntered through the stretch to win the Weatherbys Bloodstock Insurance Stonehenge Stakes at Salisbury Aug. 31. Bred by Rabbah Bloodstock in Ireland, the chestnut filly is owned by Ahmed Jaber and trained by David Simcock. Ridden by Eddie Ahern, Go Angellica took the mile event by a half-length. Califante (by Kyllachy) finished ...

Steeplechase racing makes every Thursday special.  But this Thursday there were two steeplechase races and at least two other occurrences to make the day extra special.   As part of the 11-race card, Saratoga hosted the grade II, $200,000 With Anticipation Stakes and the debut of Archwarrior.  Archwarrior, of course, was Alto ...

A huge weekend of racing lies ahead, and as I go through the weekend cards, I find myself most excited about watching the two-year-old races. I love seeing the future of the sport unfold. On Saturday, Executiveprivilege is the 4-to-5 morning line favorite in the Del Mar Debutante. She was the first two-year-old filly to catch ...