Belmont

'TDN Rising Star' We the People (Constitution) put on a show for those that braved the rain at Belmont Saturday--and the fans watching at home--with a dominant and seemingly effortless victory in the GII Peter Pan S., the local prep for the GI Belmont S. June 11. Dispatched as the 5-2 second choice behind 2-1 favorite Set Sail (Malibu Moon), We the People broke alertly and hustled up to take immediate control. Clicking off opening splits of :23.46 and :47.24 on a clear lead, the bay was still well within...

With heavily favored champion Yibir totally missing the start, Saturday's GI Man o' War S. at Belmont was thrown into a state of flux, and longest shot on the board Highland Chief took advantage. Away well himself and with no real pace on, Highland Chief shared early front-running duties with Abaan (Will Take Charge) past the wire for the first time while kept well off the fence by pilot Trevor McCarthy. Content to sit second on the first bend and down the backside through splits of :25.35, :51.84 and 1:17.60,...

GII Wood Memorial S. runner-up Early Voting (Gun Runner) put in his final breeze ahead of the upcoming GI Preakness S. Friday morning at Belmont Park, going five panels in 1:00.63 in company with SW Miles D (Curlin). Under jockey Jose Ortiz, The Chad Brown pupil went three-eighths in :36.40 before completing the five furlong move in 1:00.63 and galloping out six furlongs in 1:13 flat over the fast main track. "He hit the times just as I wanted and he galloped out super," Brown said of Early Voting. "If...

It'll be hard to separate the eight-horse field lined up in Saturday's GIII Peter Pan S. at Belmont, the track's traditional prep for the June 11 GI Belmont S., as evidenced by four horses landing between 3-1 and 4-1 on the morning line. Given the narrowest of nods at 3-1 is WinStar Farm, CMNWLTH and Siena Farm's We the People (Constitution). Making a somewhat belated debut going a mile Feb. 12 at Oaklawn, the $230,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream buy kicked away to an impressive 5 3/4-length romp, and was similarly dominant...

Bella Sofia (Awesome Patriot), last year's dominant GI Longines Test S. victress, will make her 4-year-old debut as the 123-pound highweight and probable odds-on favorite in Saturday's five-horse GIII Vagrancy H. at Belmont. Opening her account with an eye-popping 11 1/4-length rout going six furlongs over this track last May, the $20,000 OBS June bargain buy was second in the Jersey Girl S. a month later before cruising to a 6 1/2-length allowance victory here July 11. Pressing the pace in the Test Aug. 7 at Saratoga, the dark bay...

Godolphin's Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), named last year's Eclipse champion turf male off of a fast-finishing score in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, will make his first Stateside start since that effort as the likely favorite in a six-horse renewal of the 1 3/8-mile GI Man O' War S. Saturday at Belmont. Showing just a single Group 3 win in his first nine starts in Great Britain, the chestnut gelding had his breakout performance with a victory in the G2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur S. last August at York...

French Group 1 winner Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}), who beat elders to capture the prestigious G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines last fall, will look to give trainer Chad Brown his fourth GIII Beaugay S. in the last five years and record fifth overall as a strong favorite in Saturday's renewal of the 1 1/16-mile turf test at Belmont. Victress of the G3 Prix de Reservoirs in her 2-year-old finale at Deauville in October of 2020, the chestnut finished off the board in her first three sophomore starts before a trio...

Legislation has now been introduced in both houses of the New York State Legislature that, if passed, would provide NYRA with the statutory authority to access $450 million in New York State-backed bonds to finance the construction of a new racing facility at Belmont Park. The project would include the construction of a new building to replace the current grandstand and clubhouse; the reconstruction of the main track and both turf courses; and the installation of a synthetic track to be used for winter racing. NYRA would pay all debt...

In Global Views, Godolphin Flying Start trainees provide insight into practices experienced and observations taken on their worldwide travels. First-year trainee Margaux Herinckx discusses the challenges of growing American turf racing. As many in the American Thoroughbred industry will be quick to tell you, the most coveted prize of all for owners, breeders and trainers alike remains the GI Kentucky Derby, run on a surface synonymous with the U.S. racing scene: dirt. Since its inception in 1875, winners of the Derby--think Seattle Slew, Secretariat, Unbridled and Sunday Silence to name...

The New York Racing Association will hold a series of jobs fairs to fill temporary employment positions in support of the 2022 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which will take place at Belmont Park from Thursday, June 9 to Saturday, June 11. To fill the approximately 700 temporary positions required to support the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival operation, NYRA will hold three job fairs at Belmont Park from May 12 to May 14 to hire betting clerks, white caps, cashiers, hospitality team members, ticket scanners, program sellers, ushers and supervisors. Betting...

4th-BEL, $90K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 2:41 p.m. Shadwell Stable went to $1.6 million to acquire SAHLABIYA (Medaglia d'Oro) at Keeneland September and she debuts in this spot for trainer Chad Brown. The bay is a half-sister to GSW Sergei Prokofiev (Scat Daddy), himself a $1.1-million KEESEP buy. Brown also unveils Bobby Flay homebred Contemporary Art (Dubawi {Ire}). She is out of GSW Cover Song (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who is a daughter of MG1SW Misty For Me (Ire) (Falileo {Ire}). That Coolmore blue hen is also the dam of European...

The recently concluded 15-day spring meet at Aqueduct Racetrack generated $115,750,073 in all-sources handle, a 35.5 percent increase over the 11-day spring meet held in 2021, according to The New York Racing Association, Inc. Wednesday. On-track handle for the 2022 Aqueduct spring meet, which includes wagering from New York State residents utilizing NYRA Bets, was $11,332,663. The 2021 Aqueduct spring meet, which was conducted without fans in attendance, saw on-track handle of $5,734,531. Average daily handle for the spring meet was $7,716,672 compared with $7,765,368 in 2021. The 2022 Aqueduct...