Belmont Derby

The first three across the wire in a blanket finish in the Saratoga Derby Invitational S. last month will reconvene along with some interesting new shooters in Saturday's GI Belmont Derby Invitational S. at Big Sandy, a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Turf. Narrowly victorious at the Spa was Klaravich Stables' Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}), given slight morning-line favoritism here at 5-2. Bought for 300,000 guineas at Tattersalls October in 2018, the gelding graduated on debut at even-money Feb. 12 at Tampa and repeated with...

After a devastating 2019 fire at Louis and Grace Merryman's Anchor and Hope Farm in Port Deposit, Maryland, the rebuilding process has come full circle with the arrival of Force the Pass, a Grade I-winning son of Speightstown, who will begin his first season at stud at the farm this year. Force the Pass also marks a new beginning for T. K. Kuegler's Wasabi Ventures Stallions as the first stallion to stand for the growing syndicate. Kuegler grew up listening to racing stories from his great grandfather, trainer P. J....

Moon Colony (Uncle Mo) and Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed), one-two across the line in the GII Penn Mile S. June 1, lock horns again in Friday's GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. at Saratoga. Moon Colony turns back to a mile after setting a pressured pace and tiring to ninth in the GI Belmont Derby Invitational S. going 1 1/4 miles July 6. "I think the cut back to a mile will be good for him," trainer Mark Casse said. "He's already well proven at a mile,...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY--Back when the New York Racing Association announced its bold new initiative for 3-year-old turf horses in the summer, a trio of big-money events dubbed the "Turf Trinity," many quipped that it would quickly be reconsidered as the "Chad Brown Trinity", due to the perennial leading trainer's particular dominance with grass horses. It only took one race in the series, however, to throw a wrench in that assumption, as longshot Henley's Joy (Kitten's Joy) upset the Belmont Derby at over 20-1 for Jeff Bloom's Bloom Racing Stable and...