Mo Donegal

Belmont Spring/Summer Meet Increases from 2021

The New York Racing Association, Inc. released figures for the recently concluded Belmont Park spring/summer meet which generated $13,437,509 in average daily handle. With this year's 2% increase over 2021, average daily handle at the Belmont Park spring/summer meet has risen 23.1% since 2019. On-track handle for the 2022 spring/summer meet totaled $57,531,001, an increase of 16.6% over the 2021 figure of $49,343,664. All-sources handle for the 44-day spring/summer meet totaled $591,250,409, compared to $632,208,251 in 2021 when the meet was contested over 48 days. The June 11 Belmont Stakes...

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As Saratoga Meeting Looms, Trainers Pletcher and Brown Are Ready to Fight for the Title

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY--For the last dozen or so years, the competition for the training title at Saratoga Race Course has become the Todd and Chad Show. The next round of the now-annual summer showdown of heavyweights in upstate New York between Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown begins Thursday, the opening day of the 154th season of racing at Saratoga. Pletcher, 55, the all-time leader, will seek his 15th championship, named to honor the late great H. Allen Jerkens. Brown, 43, who just completed a record-smashing Belmont spring/summer season, is seeking...

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Mo Donegal Sidelined With Bone Bruising

Donegal Racing and Repole Stable's Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) exited his GI Belmont S. victory with bone bruising and will be out of training for 60 days, according to a press release distributed by his owners Saturday. Jerry Crawford, CEO of Donegal Racing, and Mike Repole said that they will share Mo Donegal's progress as he continues to be evaluated. The GII Remsen S. and GII Wood Memorial S. winner delivered a three-length victory in the final leg of the Triple Crown for trainer Todd Pletcher following a rallying fifth...

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Donegal Racing CEO Jerry Crawford Talks Belmont Score On Writers' Room

The winner's circle after Saturday's GI Belmont S. surely rivaled any in Triple Crown history in terms of population after Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) crossed the wire three lengths to the good. In addition to Mike Repole and his substantial crew of family and friends, the celebration contained the massive partnership of Donegal Racing, which brings all of its investors along for the ride with every horse it purchases. Tuesday, the CEO of Donegal, Jerry Crawford, sat down with Joe Bianca and Bill Finley of the TDN Writers' Room presented...

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Jerry Crawford Joins the TDN Writers' Room

Donegal Racing CEO Jerry Crawford joined the TDN Writers' Room to discuss the experience of sharing Mo Donegal's Belmont victory with the colt's enthusiastic ownership group.

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Following Triple Crown Finale, Saratoga Dates for Belmont Runners

GI Belmont S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) and GI Kentucky Derby Rich Strike (Keen Ice), sixth in Saturday's Belmont, will now be pointed towards the Aug. 27 GI Runhappy Travers S., connections confirmed Sunday morning. "I haven't really talked to the ownership group about it too much, but both of our Travers winners went through the Jim Dandy," Mo Donegal's trainer Todd Pletcher said Sunday. "So to me, if he has a prep between now and the Travers, that would make the most sense." The GII Jim Dandy will...

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Belmont Day Generates $98 Million In All-Sources Handle

Edited Press Release Saturday's Belmont S. Day card, highlighted by Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo)'s victory in the 154th running of the $1.5 million GI Belmont S. presented by NYRA Bets, generated all-sources handle of $98,766,906. On-track handle for the 13-race program, which included eight top-level races among nine total stakes, was $9,530,303. All-sources handle for the Belmont S. presented by NYRA Bets alone was $50,248,624. The three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which featured 17 stakes and 33 races in total from Thursday through Saturday, June 9-11, generated all-sources handle of...

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King Of Queens: Repole Gets a 1-2 Belmont Stakes Finish with Mo Donegal and Nest

ELMONT, NY - The kid from Queens got his GI Belmont Stakes. Carrying the royal blue-and-orange, New York Mets-inspired silks of Middle Village native Mike Repole, Donegal Racing and Repole Stable's Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) delivered an authoritative, three-length victory as the 5-2 favorite before an announced crowd of 46,103 in Saturday's GI Belmont Stakes. It was the fourth victory in the third leg of the Triple Crown for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The filly Nest (Curlin), also campaigned in partnership by the co-founder of Glaceau and trained...

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Prat in a New York State of Mind for Belmont Stakes Day

ELMONT, NY - There will be a capped crowd of 50,000 on hand for Saturday's blockbuster GI Belmont Stakes program. Nobody will have a better seat in the house all day than jockey Flavien Prat. The 29-year-old Frenchman will be aboard 2-1 morning-line favorite 'TDN Rising Star' We the People (Constitution) in the final leg of the Triple Crown. He will also pilot unbeaten sensation and fellow 'Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) in the prestigious GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H. Both will exit from post one. WinStar Farm, Bobby Flay,...

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T. D. Thornton's Belmont Predictions, Sponsored by Fasig-Tipton

This week's TDN Triple Crown feature examines the GI Belmont S. entrants listed in "likeliest winner" order. 1) Mo Donegal (c, Uncle Mo--Callingmissbrown, by Pulpit) O-Donegal Racing & Repole Stable. B-Ashview Farm & Colts Neck Stables (KY). T-Todd Pletcher. Sales History: $250,000 yrl '20 KEESEP. You could argue that Mo Donegal lost the GI Kentucky Derby at the post draw after getting stuck with the dreaded rail gate. But his fifth-place effort, beaten 5 3/4 lengths in a stretch finish that featured the 1-2-3 horses all running full-tilt to the...

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Belmont Stakes 154: Where Did They Come From?

1) WE THE PEOPLE, c, Constitution--Letchworth, by Tiznow Owner: WinStar Farm, Bobby Flay, CMNWLTH, Siena Farm Breeder: Henley Farms (KY) Trainer: Rodolphe Brisset Sales History: $110,000 Keeneland November weanling, $220,000 Keeneland September yearling, $230,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream 2-year-old Pedigree Notes: Trying to become the second Belmont winner in three years for WinStar's star fourth-crop sire (Tiz the Law in 2020), We the People is the second foal to race out of Letchworth, a $40,000 Keeneland January purchase by Henley Farms at Keeneland January in 2019. Letchworth is a daughter of Harmony...

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This Side Up: Passport to Victory

Heritage, as a substitute for internationally adequate prize money, is literally priceless to the nation that cradled the Thoroughbred. Nowhere is this more apparent than at Royal Ascot, where prestige and pageant will next week again draw not just global attention but also global participation. As a result, this most definitively English of occasions has in recent years become ever more cosmopolitan. It's a pretty precarious arrangement for British racing, in that the economic model harnessed to its cultural assets-namely, an export market for yearlings and horses-in-training-threatens ultimately to erode...

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