Blood-Horse

Many of the racing highlights for owner/breeder Carl Pollard have come at Churchill Downs, and he now has another, thanks to Mercante, who wore down favored Brilliant Berti to win the $273,500 Arlington Stakes (G3T) at the Louisville, Ky., track.

Closing from last under Florent Geroux, Fionn caught midstretch leader Totally Justified and scored by a half-length in the $272,500 Regret Stakes (G3T) May 31 at Churchill Downs.

Owner and trainer David Jacobson called Jose Ortiz's ride aboard Durante a "masterpiece" as the 6-year-old gelding upset the $275,000 Aristides Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs May 31 at odds of 33-1.

Heavy rain and severe kickback forced the abandonment of Eagle Farm's group 1 meeting May 31, with poor visibility leading to the postponement of the final four races, including the Queensland Derby (G1) and Kingsford-Smith Cup (G1).

While the racing world crosses its fingers and hopes there will be a rematch between Sovereignty and Journalism in the Belmont Stakes (G1), it would be quite a mistake to sleep on Baeza.

R. Larry Johnson died in February, but his legacy as an owner and breeder continues, with his homebred turf sprinter Future Is Now grabbing headlines.

Gulfstream Park announcer Pete Aiello will take over in the Santa Anita Park announcer's booth June 6-8 as regular announcer Frank Mirahmadi will be at Saratoga Race Course to call its five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

Bill Luster, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer for The Courier Journal and regular contributor to BloodHorse, died May 29. He was 80.

The enforcement arm for the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has announced suspensions of a pair of Ohio veterinarians in resolving cases that date back to the fall of 2023.

The New York Racing Association announced the sponsored stakes lineup for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at historic Saratoga Race Course which will take place June 4-8.

The New York Racing Association and the New York State Gaming Commission have placed Barn 85 at Saratoga Race Course under a 14-day precautionary quarantine until further notice due to a positive case of strangles in that barn.

America's Best Racing provides a numerical history of the Belmont Stakes (G1).

The first five finishers from the Satsuki Sho (Japanese Two Thousand Guineas, G1) return to contest the June 1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1).

Dr. Connie Brown, an equine veterinarian who also bred a number of winning Thoroughbreds, died May 15. She was 71.

The Road, presented by Gainesway and Darby Dan Farm

The Opening Day program of the five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival June 4 at Saratoga Race Course will feature six New York-bred stakes to celebrate the best of racing in the Empire State for New York Showcase Day.

Don Combs, who trained Dust Commander to win the 1970 Kentucky Derby, died May 25 at Sayre Christian Village in Lexington, a Sayre Christian Village executive confirmed to BloodHorse May 29. He was 86.

Grade 3 winner and dual grade 1-placed Pyrenees, a homebred for Bonnie Baskin and Adam Corndorf's Blue Heaven Farm, has been retired from racing.

Clayton Douglas couldn't be happier with Giga Kick ahead of the AU$1 million Kingsford Smith Cup (G1) May 31 at Eagle Farm. The group 1 winner produced a strong run in the Goodwood (G1) May 10 to finish third in his first outing since November.