Belmont Stakes

Bell Gable Stable's Nutella Fella (Runhappy), off since winning last year's GI Hopeful S., could return to action in the June 8 GI Woody Stephens S. The bay colt upset the Hopeful at 54-1, but suffered a hind ankle injury while training for the GI Champagne S. and underwent surgery. He has been working at Oak Ridge Training Center in Ocala and is currently back with trainer Gary Contessa's string in Saratoga. "He worked five-eighths in 1:01 in Ocala before I brought him up last week," Contessa said. "He'll probably...

Reserved tables in the Saratoga Race Course picnic paddock will be sold exclusively through a random drawing for Belmont Stakes Day on Saturday, June 8, the New York Racing Association, Inc. announced Thursday. As is the case during the 40-day summer meet, the vast majority of Saratoga's backyard picnic tables -- approximately 700 -- will be available on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the four-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Fans may enter the picnic paddock random drawing at BelmontStakes.com beginning Monday, Mar. 25. Approximately 100 picnic tables will be available...

Hall of Fame jockey and long-time Florida steward Walter Blum died early Thursday, Mar. 14 due to complications of lung disease, announced his son Walter Blum Jr. on social media. He was 89. The story was first reported by the Daily Racing Form (DRF). The Brooklyn, N.Y. native started his racing career young as a hotwalker before launching into riding in 1953 at 19, and leading the country in wins in both 1963 and 1964. While largely riding in New York and New Jersey, Blum did travel for high-profile rides....

Highlighted by the 156th edition of the GI Belmont S. on Saturday, June 8, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has revealed the stakes schedule for the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which will be held at Saratoga Race Course from Thursday, June 6 through Sunday, June 9. The 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will include 23 stakes races with purses totaling $10.1 million, the highest purse levels and number of stakes offered since the launch of the multi-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in 2014. NYRA has increased the...

The year 2023 was a pretty rough one for the sport of horse racing, and there was little to suggest that this year would be any different. The sport seems to be caught in a downward spiral as we move from one crisis to another and are left to wonder "what next?" So far this year, the answer to that question is that maybe things will be better in 2024 than we might have thought. There have been several recent positive developments for the sport, many of them having to...

The Coolmore team went to $1.6 million to secure the broodmare prospect Prank (Into Mischief--Callingmissbrown, by Pulpit) (hip 77) during Monday's first session of the Keeneland January sale. The 4-year-old bay, a half-sister to GI Belmont S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following a scintillating debut victory at Saratoga in 2022, but was injured and never raced again. She was consigned to the sale by Gainesway, which campaigned her in partnership with LNJ Foxwoods and StarLadies Racing.

The remaining days in 2023 dwindled to a few last week, a welcome development considering the year that it was. Yes, there was some good news. Arcangelo (Arrogate) winning the GI Belmont S. for trainer Jena Antonucci was as good a story as we've seen in some time. The saga of Cody's Wish (Curlin) continued to tug at our heartstrings. The sales continue to post huge numbers. Purses have soared in Kentucky and at Oaklawn, with maidens running for pots in excess of $100,000. But for every good story there...

As 2023 draws to a close, the TDN is asking industry members to name their favorite moment of the year. Send yours to [email protected] Watching my favorite horse Caravel win [the GI Jaipur S.] live on Belmont S. Day.

My favorite moment, Arcangelo winning the Belmont, plus the Travers. And his trainer Jena Antonucci's poise and professionalism during his career and how she carried herself through all the hoopla. The most poignant moment, for me, was seeing the empty stall of Maple Leaf Mel with the flowers from the trainer of the winner who showed such great class in declaring that Maple Leaf Mel was clearly the winner and offering his condolences to Melanie.

Last week's announcement that the 2024 GI Belmont S. will be migrating north to Saratoga Race Course for 2024 because of the $455-million extensive renovation of Belmont Park made official a move that the New York Racing Association (NYRA) has been openly discussing for months. But since the press release from the New York governor's office came out during a slow time of the year for racing news, it rekindled speculation about the ramifications of tinkering with the historical significance of the third jewel of the Triple Crown. The debate...

New York Governor Kathy Hochul made it official that the 2024 GI Belmont S. will be held for the first time at Saratoga Race Course and be run at 1 1/4 miles to allow for the uninterrupted construction of a new and re-imagined Belmont Park, the governor said in a release Wednesday. "As part of the exciting modernization of Belmont Park, Saratoga now adds to its storied history by hosting the third leg of the Triple Crown," Governor Hochul said. "It's a win for horse racing and for the Capital...

ARCADIA, CA - As Javier Castellano gets ready to ride three mounts on Breeders' Cup Saturday, the recently turned 46-year-old is amidst one of the best years of his career. And it almost never happened. A pair of Breeders' Cup wins at the 2019 Championships put an exclamation point on the Hall of Famer's eighth straight season with more than $20 million in earnings. But, the year 2020, like it was for so many, was more about overcoming adversity for the native of Venezuela. Castellano was the first jockey to...