Thoroughbred Daily News

Off his late heroics in the GI Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 2, Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) once again cracked the LONGINES World's Best Racehorse Rankings.

Owned by Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg and Brook Smith, last year's Eclipse Champion 3-year-old rolled from the back of the pack as is his style to take the Whitney by a length. The Chad Brown trainee is now rated 120 on the 2025 list.

Topping the chart at 127 is still a three-way tie between Field of Gold (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) and Ombudsman (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}).

Since last month's release, Field of Gold was fourth in the G1 Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood and Ombudsman finished as the runner-up in the G1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park. Forever Young has not raced since he was third in the G1 Dubai World Cup.

Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who bested Ombudsman in the Coral-Eclipse remains in the co-fourth position in the rankings with a rating of 126. Sharing that same mark is Hong Kong champions Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) and Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}).

As for the U.S.-based contingent, MGISW Sovereignty (Into Mischief) who is pointing to the GI DraftKings Travers Stakes remained at 125, and checking in again at 124 was MGISW White Abarrio (Race Day), who could ship west to run in the GI Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar.

The complete LONGINES World's Best Racehorse Rankings are available here.

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During this year's Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, Len and Jon Green's D.J. Stable will offer a curated reduction of its bloodstock portfolio consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, the auction house said in a press release on Thursday.

While their reduction represents a meaningful milestone, the Greens remain as committed as ever to the sport. D.J. Stable will continue to be active in racing and at future sales, with plans to invest in new opportunities and further grow their presence in the sport.

“This is a one-time offering–strategic and deliberate, not something we plan to do annually,” Len Green said. “From a business perspective, there's no better time to capitalize on opportunities in the breeding industry. The 'Big Beautiful Bill' is strategically crafted to offer compelling incentives for high net worth individuals to invest in broodmares, making it both a smart financial move and a savvy tax strategy.”

For more than four decades, D.J. Stable has earned more than 2,600 wins with more than 150 stakes victories; earned 14 leading owner titles across major racing jurisdictions; and raced Eclipse Award and Sovereign Award winners.

“D.J. Stable has been developing their broodmare operation for decades,” Taylor Made President and CEO Mark Taylor said. “This is a unique opportunity for buyers to access quality bloodstock and turnkey mares who can offer an immediate return on investment in 2026 and beyond.”

Details of the D.J. Stable consignment, including offerings, will be released in the coming weeks along with the November Breeding Stock Sale catalog.

“This reduction is a nice standard of quality,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “D.J. Stable has always approached the sport with professionalism and purpose, and this consignment is no exception. It's a unique opportunity for buyers to invest in proven bloodlines from a first-class operation. Keeneland is pleased to sell these horses for the Greens, and we look forward to them remaining active buyers at future Keeneland sales.”

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SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — Hindered at the start and helped at the end, when it counted the most, Quiet Street (Street Boss) launched her career Wednesday with a victory in the finale at Saratoga Race Course.

The chart shows that the Godolphin homebred trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott won the $100,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies by a neck over Lit Ship (Midshipman). She completed the 5 1/2 furlongs on the Mellon Turf Course in 1:03.72 and paid $15.60.

Getting to the wire first was an adventure. She was bumped leaving the gate by the 8-5 favorite Delightful Darling (Flameaway) and ended up last in the field of nine under Junior Alvarado. Rather than trying to rush the filly up into contention, Alvarado played a patient game. Coming off the turn he was able to move Quiet Street five or six lengths wide and commence what turned into a winning move.

“She was off a tad slow,” Mott said. “And then, naturally, when you're off a tad slow, the others have a chance to pancake you and she got pancaked a little bit. He let her settle into stride, and she found her way.”

On the front end, Delightful Darling was tiring after fractions of :22.34 and :45.96. Lit Ship pounced in the stretch and with plenty of momentum looked like she would snag the win. Moments later, though, she shied from the Irad Ortiz, Jr.'s left-handed crop and headed toward the outer rail and Alvarado guided Quiet Street into the gigantic opening. Ortiz managed to straighten out Lit Ship and got her back into the race, but she had surrendered too much ground.

Even when Quiet Street was last, several lengths behind the pace, Mott said he figured she might be able to get into contention.

“I wasn't ruling her out because I know she can run,” he said. “I didn't know if she was going to get up to win, but I didn't rule her out completely, that's for sure.”

Alvarado was following Lit Ship toward the front and managed to avoid any trouble when the filly moved to her right.

“He was headed out, but there was plenty of room,” Mott said. “We never got impeded. I guess he just had to angle in a little bit. I don't think it bothered us that much.”

Mott trained Quiet Street's dam, Serene (Tapit) early in her career and saddled her for her first race before she was moved to Eoin Harty. He said Serene was a “big, tall long filly”, a different physique than Quiet Street, her first foal.

Trainer Bill Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado do their post-race debrief | Sarah Andrew

“Very high strung, kind of a flighty type, light-made filly, but very athletic,” Mott said. “She's been very, very honest every one of her works. She's always worked good every time. She's done what we've asked her to do.”

Mott said that Quiet Street is not a sprinter type because she is longer and leaner and not overly muscular.

The next step, Mott said, is to see what range she might have.

“I have to try her. I have to stretch her out and try,” Mott said. “If she'll stretch out and be effective, that will be what I want. I'm not looking to make her into a sprinter. If she is, she is. I'd like to see her go on. We prefer the longer races.”

In addition to the win, Quiet Street got a bonus: an education that isn't typically available in morning breezes on the Oklahoma turf training track.

“Well, when you pass the whole field, you do get some experience out of it, sometimes maybe as much or more than going long if you're up on the front end,” Mott said. “She should have learned something from it. I guess the big question will be how far is she going to go?

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9th-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-13, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:03.72, fm, neck.
QUIET STREET (f, 2, Street Boss–Serene, by Tapit) overcame a rough start to win the Wednesday nightcap for the Sovereignty connections. A sneaky-live 6-1 from an 8-1 morning line, the homebred was pinched back from between horses at the break and was forced to travel from the rear, but was allowed to settle and was not ridden off her feet by Junior Alvarado. Last, but under a hold on the turn, Quiet Street swung into action seven or eight wide in upper stretch and she quickly zeroed in on favored Delightful Darling (Flameaway) and Lit Ship (Midshipman), who were at each other into the final furlong. The latter drifted out as Delightful Darling began to fade, and Quiet Street closed stoutly to hold off a re-rally from Lit Ship by a neck.

The winner's dam, an $800,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Godolphin, is out of Fascinating (Smart Strike), twice Grade I-placed at two. Fascinating's GSW & GISP dam Untouched Talent (Storm Cat) produced nine winners, including GI Arkansas Derby hero and multiple Classic-placed Bodemeister (Empire Maker) and MGSW Under the Stars (Pioneeerof the Nile). The first foal from her dam, Quiet Street has a yearling half-brother by Uncle Mo and a foal half-brother by Midshipman. Serene is due to Street Sense for her 2026 foal. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $55,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Godolphin LLC; B-Godolphin (KY); T-William I Mott.

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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is sending a strong contingent to Saratoga Race Course for Travers Day next Saturday. But he won't have a runner in the marquee event, the GI DraftKings Travers Stakes.

Baffert said Wednesday that he is keeping 'TDN Rising Star' Goal Oriented (Not This Time) in California. He had originally been planning on shipping the lightly raced colt East but nixed that idea after Goal Oriented worked at Del Mar on Friday.

He went seven furlongs in a 1:23.80 (1/2).

“He breezed nice, but not to my standards,” Baffert said by phone Wednesday afternoon from California. “I decided I wanted to wait. I thought it was a little too much coming back.”

Goal Oriented, unraced as a 2-year-old, has started four times this year. After winning his first two starts, he was fourth in the GI Preakness Stakes at Pimlico after being involved in a bumping incident in the stretch and followed that up with a third in the GI Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park in his last start July 19.

Both of those races were won by Journalism (Curlin).

“[The Travers] is a very tough race,” Baffert said. “A mile and a quarter can be tough on them.”

The next likely start for Goal Oriented will be the GI Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Sept. 20.

Goal Oriented is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan.

Hope Road wins the GIII Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar | Benoit

Although he will be sitting out the Travers, Baffert's presence will be felt next weekend. He is pointing Hope Road (Quality Road) to the GI Resorts World Casino Ballerina Stakes and could have as many as four runners in the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes.

Hope Road, owned by Cicero Farms, won four of five starts as a 3-year-old and is winless in three tries this year with a pair of seconds and a third.

Baffert said that Zedan Racing Stables's Barnes (Into Mischief), Madaket Road (Quality Road)–owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan–and Edward Childs's Midland Money (Shancelot), were potential shippers.

A fourth possible Jerkens starter could be Gaming (Game Winner), who is owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman.

Barnes would be making his first start since a fifth-place finish in the GI Santa Anita Derby in April. Madaket Road has one win in seven career starts, but has hit the board five other times, including a second in the GI Woody Stephens Stakes in his last start, which came at Saratoga in June.

Midland Money, the only one of the group that is on the grounds, is 2-for-2 in his career. He won an allowance here Aug. 3 by 3 1/4 lengths.

He worked four furlongs on Saratoga's main track on Monday in 48.83 (6/12)

“Right now, everything looks like a go,” Baffert said of the first three for the Jerkens. “I am debating what to do with Gaming. I go by the last works [this weekend]. I could change my mind and not bring any. You never know.”

One of these days, Gosger (Nyquist) is going to win a big race.

It won't be a week from Saturday when the Travers.

His trainer, Brendan Walsh, confirmed what was pretty much expected when he said Wednesday that the colt would not be running in the Midsummer Derby.

“We are going to skip it and give him a little more time,” Walsh said from by phone from Kentucky Wednesday morning. “The Travers is too soon for him.”

Gosger before the Haskell | Sarah Andrew

Gosger has run back-to-back courageous races only to come up just short. In the Preakness and Haskell, he was run down late by Journalism. In the former, Gosger and jockey Luis Saez looked home free as they built a five-length lead in deep stretch but got run down.

Last month, Gosger and Goal Oriented engaged in a stretch duel at Monmouth and Journalism got past them both in the Haskell.

For his career, Gosger–named for former major league baseball player Jim Gosger–has two wins and three seconds in five starts. He won the GIII Lexington Stakes in April after breaking his maiden at Gulfstream Park in February.

“He hasn't done anything wrong since he started,” Walsh said. “His last two races have been very good; he just got beat by a very, very good horse. We have taken it nice and easy all year and have picked his spots. I think, mainly, he is going to be a horse for next year.”

Walsh said there is no immediate target for Gosger, owned by Harvey Clarke Racing Stables. The Pennsylvania Derby could be an option.

Gosger has worked three times since the Haskell, all at Churchill Downs. In his most recent work, he went five furlongs in 1:00.60 (7/52) last Saturday.

“We will see how he does in his next two works and go from there,” Walsh said. “Right now, everything [except the Travers] is in the cards. This is an exceptionally good year [for 3-year-olds] and there were three or four or five good colts around and I think he is one of them. He will have his time … hopefully before too long.”

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey was still accepting congratulations as he stood outside his barn on the Oklahoma Training Track Wednesday morning.

Behind him, inside adjoining stalls at the barn, were his two heroes from last weekend's GI Arlington Million Stakes.

Fort Washington (War Front) won the 1 1/4-mile race on the Colonial Downs turf by a half-length over Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro) at odds of 5-1; stablemate Integration (Quality Road) was third as the 3-5 favorite.

Owned by Magic Cap Stables, Fort Washington won for the third time in five starts this year. The 6-year-old won a pair of GIII races–the Dinner Party Stakes at Pimlico May 17 and the Canadian Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park March 1.

“That horse had trained really well,” McGaughey said. “I thought he would have a big chance. His races had been really, really good.”

Fort Washington (outside0 of stablemate Integration working at the Spa Aug. 1 | Sarah Andrew

In his prior start, the GII Wise Dan Stakes at Churchill Downs June 28. He finished fourth, beaten only 1 3/4 lengths.

McGaughey was encouraged by Fort Washington's four-furlong turf work at Saratoga, which went in :49.97 (12/42) on Aug. 1.

“I wanted to work him before I made up my mind,” McGaughey said. “He worked well, and I decided to give him a chance.”

As far as what might be next for Fort Washington, McGaughey said he really does not know.

“I'm not evading the question,” he said. “I just have no idea.”

Integration, owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing LLC, has three seconds and a third in five starts this year. All five of his starts have been in Grade I races this year.

He will be leaving Saratoga on Friday, bound for Kentucky.

“He is going to get a little time,” McGaughey said. “He's been going a long time and think he needs a little break.”

He said the goal for the 5-year-old will be to get a race into him before running in the 2026 GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream, a race he lost by a neck to Spirit of St. Louis (Medaglia d'Oro) this year.

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John and Leona Velazquez were publicly recognized for their longstanding commitment to the backstretch community at Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct on Wednesday when they received the Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson Award from the New York Race Track Chaplaincy at the 18th annual fundraising brunch at the Saratoga National Golf Club, the non-profit said in a press release on Wednesday afternoon.

On hand to assist with the award presentation was Marylou's Whitney's daughter, Heather Mabee. The brunch set a new record for fundraising.

“Anyone who has spent much time around the racetrack knows that the people who care for the horses are really the unsung heroes of our sport,” Velazquez said. “Leona and I are proud to support the various backstretch programs organized by the New York Race Track Chaplaincy and we are extremely honored and grateful to be recognized in this way.”

As is the custom, the pair were presented with a framed racing scene created by equine artist Tom Chapman from the New York Race Track Chaplaincy. The Hall of Fame rider and his wife have been active in various backstretch organizations for decades.

Previous honorees have included Len Green, Tracy and Todd Pletcher, Andy Serling, Irad Ortiz Jr., Anne Campbell, Edgar Prado, Michael Dubb, Fay and David Donk, Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson, Letty and Kiaran McLaughlin, Lisa and Kenny Troutt, Debbie and Terry Finley and the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.

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The Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (PTHA) will present the 2025 Owners and Trainers Appreciation Day on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, at Parx Racing, the organization said via a Wednesday press release.

The event features 12 races with purses totaling over $650,000, with a first post of 12:40 p.m. ET. A total of 163 horses were entered on the card, including 153 in the body of the races. This will be the first day back for live racing after the annual Parx summer break.

That same day, horsemen will be treated to a PTHA luncheon on the third floor of the racetrack. A valid Pennsylvania owner's or trainer's license permits entry into the event.

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Tickets for Keeneland's 2025 Fall Meet, to be held Oct. 3-25, will go on sale Tuesday, Aug. 19 at 9 a.m. ET., according to a press release from the track on Wednesday.

Fans attending October racing will be among the first to experience the initial phase of Keeneland's new construction enhancements. Officials have said that ticketed dining for the newly-constructed Paddock Building will open to race-day guests at a later time.

“At Keeneland, we approach each project deliberately, always striving to create meaningful experiences for our fans and horsemen,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “We are excited to welcome guests for 17 incredible days of racing and to debut the thoughtful first phase of our facility enhancements.”

Click here for more information.

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Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country.

The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) “pending” and “resolved” cases portals.

Among this week's rulings, trainer Calixto Juarez has been banned a combined 36-months and fined a total $25,000 for an incident at Delaware Park June 4. The case was resolved without a hearing. The suspension began Aug. 8.

In the case resolution, Juarez was observed and recorded “giving an oral substance to the Covered Horse Seafarer at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Delaware, and that substance was found to be the Banned Substance Ethanol. The bottle of the Banned Substance was also located in his barn and seized on that same date.”

According to HIWU, ethanol is a depressant that comes under the licensed names “Grain Alcohol” and “Everclear.” The case resolution doesn't elaborate upon what specific bottle was seized from Juarez's barn.

According to Equibase, Juarez has been training since 2014, with 19 career victories to his name and just over $700,000 in prize money earned.

Resolved ADMC Violations
Date: 08/11/2025
Licensee: Hernan Parra, trainer
Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning Aug. 12, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a Class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Mischievous Han, who finished fifth at Gulfstream Park on 6/29/25.

Date: 08/11/2025
Licensee: Tito Feliz Moreno, trainer
Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision of HIWU.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Flunixin–a Class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Terpeye, who finished second at Belterra Park on 6/14/25.

Date: 08/07/2025
Licensee: Howard Brown Jr., trainer
Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a Class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Aegean Sea, who won at Parx Racing on 6/9/25.
Date: 08/07/2025

Licensee: Calixto Juarez, trainer
Penalty: Combined 36-month period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning Aug. 8, 2025; 60-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Horse, beginning on June 4, 2025; Combined fine of $25,000, admission.
Explainer: Medication violation for the possession of banned substance Ethanol, and for the attempted use of Ethanol on an event dated 6/4/25.

Pending ADMC Violations
08/13/2025, Oscar Manuel Gonzalez, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine–a Class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Wolverton Mountain on 7/18/25.

08/13/2025, Juan Polanco, trainer: Pending vet's list medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine–a Class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Michi on 7/13/25.

08/12/2025, Francisco Rivera, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Triamcinolone–a Class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Pizzicato, who finished second at Gulfstream Park on 7/12/25.

08/12/2025, Michael Siculietano, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Triamcinolone–a Class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Emirates Honor, who won at Monmouth Park on 7/11/25.

08/11/2025, Michael LeCesse, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Triamcinolone–a Class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Gimmedamoney, who finished fourth at Finger Lakes on 7/14/25.

08/11/2025, Raymond Paquette, trainer: Pending vets's list medication violation for the presence of Omeprazole (Gastrogard)–a Class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Riley's Redemption on 7/10/25.

08/11/2025, Clarence King, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a Class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Nezy's Girl on 7/6/25.

08/08/2025, Anna Meah, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Omeprazole (Gastrogard)–a Class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Trouble Ahead on 7/9/25.

08/07/2025, Agustin Gonzalez Jr., trainer: Pending medication violations for the presence of Lidocaine–a Class B controlled substance–in samples taken from C V Ronin Legacy, who finished second at Horseshoe Indianapolis on 6/19/25; from Skippinjustice, who finished second at Horseshoe Indianapolis on 6/24/25; and from Money War, who finished second in the William Garrett H. at Horseshoe Indianapolis on 7/4/25.

Violations of Crop Rule
Colonial Downs
Roland Clement – violation date August 8; $250 fine, no other details

Delaware Park
Jose Gregorio Torrealba – violation date August 7; $250 fine, one-day suspension
Jose Batista – violation date Aug. 7; $500 fine, two-day suspension

Los Alamitos
Francisco Orduna – violation date Aug. 9; $250 fine, one-day suspension

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Three new auction items, with all proceeds benefitting the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Permanently Disabled Jockeys' Fund, and Belmont Child Care Association, will become available for bidding beginning Aug. 14-20. Items include: a complete set of artist Greg Montgomery's signed Travers Stakes poster series from 1986 through 2025 in one-of-a-kind presentation packaging; the Museum's box seats at Saratoga Race Course for this year's Travers Stakes day; and Twice the Heart, a limited-edition casting designed by artist Jocelyn Russell based on the monument completed in 2023 depicting Secretariat in retirement at Claiborne Farm in Paris, KY.

To view and bid on these items, please click here.

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Leanna Packard has been appointed Head of Marketing and Partnerships at TBA and Aushorse to take effect Sept. 1, the company announced Wednesday. Originally from the United States, Leanna is a graduate of The Ohio State University and began her career in marketing at WinStar Farm in Kentucky before relocating to Australia. For the past eleven years, she has served as Marketing Manager and Racing Coordinator at Newgate. In her new role, Leanna will lead marketing across both TBA and Aushorse, manage sponsorships and partnerships, and drive stakeholder engagement initiatives to further elevate the visibility and influence of Australia's thoroughbred breeding and racing industry.

Also joining the TBA/Aushorse team: Meagan McGrath as Head of Advocacy & Communications, Gemma Cameron as Head of Finance & Administration and Madison Tims as Head of Education & Projects.

“These appointments mark an exciting new chapter for TBA and Aushorse,” said TBA and Aushorse CEO Andrew Hore-Lacy. “With the guidance of our Boards and the support of our members, we are well positioned to strengthen our industry and advance the interests of Australian breeders both nationally and internationally.”

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5. DEEP LEARNING, SAR, 8/8, 1 1/16m (turf) 'TDN RISING STAR' (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure-84
(f, 2, by Cairo Prince–Dovima, by Union Rags)
O-Klaravich Stables. B-Tony Dardis, Dell Ridge Farm, Ken Donworth and Desmond Ryan (Ky). T-Chad Brown. J-Flavien Prat.
Deep Learning's debut generated the highest Beyer so far this year among 2-year-old turf fillies, and stacks up well with some of Brown's past stars. Five of his six GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winners also launched their careers in Saratoga 1 1/16-mile turf maiden races–and her 84 Beyer tops them all (Brown's other winner, Rushing Fall, debuted in mid-September at Belmont with an 85). The next time we see her, Deep Learning will likely be solidly favored in stakes company. Oddly enough, her half-sister Sunset Beauty broke her maiden impressively at Ellis Park in a $30k claimer–only 28 minutes after Deep Learning's victory last Friday.

4. OPERATION SUNRISE, ELP, 8/9, 5 1/2 furlongs (turf)
Beyer Speed Figure- 86
(c, 3, by War Front–Shuruq, by Elusive Quality)
O/B-Godolphin (Ky). T-Bill Mott. J-Jaime Torres.
Godolphin's second-time starter was 9-2 in the program based on his lackluster run back in April, but 8-5 when betting was done. As the old saying goes, somebody knew something–and they were right. Winning by 7 3/4 lengths in a turf sprint is an accomplishment, and he's a half-brother to two graded-stakes turf females who had no problems carrying their speed around two turns.

3. GOLDEN TORNADO, SAR, 8/9, 6 furlongs 'TDN RISING STAR' (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 86
(c, 2, by McKinzie–Ruby Trust, by Smart Strike)
O-Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Gainesway Stable and Legendary Thoroughbreds. B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds (Ky). T-Danny Gargan. J-Joel Rosario.
His 3-year-old half-brother Verifire (Authentic) has started his career on a 3-for-3 tear for Resolute Racing and Brad Cox, and Golden Tornado looked good, too, to nail down this week's top spot. Sent away the 7-2 third choice, he stalked front-running 7-5 favorite Oscar's Hope and kicked clear in the final furlong. Last month Gargan also unveiled debut winner Iron Orchard, who looks like one of the better NY-bred 2-year-old fillies we've seen thus far.

2. CARMEL COAST, SAR, 8/10, 6 1/2 furlongs (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 86
(f, 2, by Omaha Beach-Carmel Beauty, by Arch)
O-Legion Racing, MHM Stables, Ed Stefanski and William Conlin. B-Hunter Valley Farm (Ky). T-Whit Beckman. J-Kendrick Carmouche.
Carmel Coast's 86 Beyer is the second-fastest thus far at Saratoga for a 2-year-old filly, behind only the unbeaten Mythical's 93 in the Tremont on Belmont weekend. She zipped strongly to the front at first asking to cruise by 5 1/2, and Pletcher-trained runner-up Lovely Christina finished 10 1/2 lengths ahead of the others–a sign of a strong race. Carmel Coast's dam is a full-sister to a Grade I stakes winner, but she was 0-for-7 on the track, her previous offspring couldn't run much, and she was sold last November for only $15k. However, this one can run.

1. WORTHY CHARGE, SAR, 8/10, 1 mile, (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 90
(c, 3, by Liam's Map-Queen Bee to You, by Old Topper)
O-St. Elias Stable. B-Christopher St Hilaire and Adam Vali (Ky). T-Chad Brown. J-Flavien Prat.
Worthy Charge touted himself in his July 4 debut by finishing a solid second with an 84 Beyer despite an awkward start, and here powerfully ran away from Godolphin's perpetually unlucky maiden Chillax. His California-bred dam finished her career with three straight 86 Beyer stakes wins, the last two against open company in the GIII Bayakoa and La Canada. At least in the speed figure department, Worthy Charge has already surpassed her.

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A single filly, No Time (Not This Time), was named the 7-2 morning-line favorite in a 13-horse field due to line up for the King's Plate Saturday at Woodbine.

North America's oldest continually contested race, the Canadian-bred 3-year-olds will go 1 1/4 miles on the main track as the first of three legs of the Canadian Triple Crown.

To be ridden again by John Velazquez, the daughter of Not This Time last won the Woodbine Oaks for owner Gary Barber and trainer Mark Casse–the jockey, owner and trainer who won the 2018 Plate with filly Wonder Gadot (Medaglia d'Oro). No Time is a half to MGISW Count Again (Awesome Again) and to GISW Ransom the Moon (Malibu Moon).

“She has a heck of a pedigree,” Casse noted. “She's by one of the best sires in the world and she's a half-sister to two Grade I winners. She has the pedigree to be any kind. I feel like she really has grown up and has gotten stronger and better as time goes on, which happens a lot of times when you have these great pedigrees.”

Casse also sends out Ashley's Archer (Karakontie {Jpn}) who is co-owned by Gary Barber and Archer Racing.

Trainer Kevin Attard, who won last year's Plate with Caitlinhergrtness (Omaha Beach), has three to line up with Dewolf (Silent Name {Jpn}), Faber (Improbable) and Mansetti (Collected) all set to represent the barn.

Mythical Man (Mucho Macho Man), Notorious Gangster (Classic Empire), Runaway Again (Hard Spun), Scorching (Mo Town), Sedbury's Ghost (Shaman Ghost), Tom's Magic (Justify), Watsonville Red (Hard Spun) and William T (Frosted) complete the field.

Post time for the King's Plate is scheduled for 5:34 pm ET Saturday.

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Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) players can now bet on live horse races across the province by accessing Woodbine Entertainment Group's (WEG) horse racing wagering product through OLG.ca and the OLG app.

“We are excited to offer access to this experience to our online players, providing another way for them to engage in the thrilling sport of horse racing,” said Dave Pridmore, OLG's Chief Gaming Officer. “This collaboration represents an important step in our mandate of supporting the sport and a vibrant, competitive and sustainable horse racing industry in Ontario.”

OLG is the first Canadian provincial lottery and gaming agency to provide access to a horse racing wagering product to its digital players. Through WEG's product–which is powered by HPIbet, Canada's leading online platform for betting on horse racing–players on OLG.ca and the OLG app can bet on live races around the world and at Ontario tracks, including The King's Plate, which is scheduled to take place at Woodbine Racetrack  Saturday, August 16.

WEG, in partnership with OLG, has developed a simple and user-friendly experience for horse racing fans. This new plug-and-play provides access via OLG.ca to WEG's horse racing product–and the same solution could potentially be used by other gaming operators in Ontario to offer racing to their own customers.

All horse racing bets placed on WEG's product through OLG.ca and the OLG app are made using pari-mutuel wagering–the only legal form of betting on horse racing in Canada. In this betting model, players bet into a shared pool and winners share the pot, making it a fair and exciting way to play that complies with Canadian laws.

“This launch brings the excitement of horse racing to even more people across the province in a convenient and modern way–enhancing the experience for bettors while driving new interest in our sport,” said Michael Copeland, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “It's another step forward for the growth of horse racing in Ontario, and we're grateful to OLG for their continued support and willingness to collaborate and innovate alongside us.”

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Ben Bernhard, Shannon Griffin, and Mandy Pope have been named to the Board of Directors of the Thoroughbred Charities of America. The three newly elected directors join current board members Carrie Brogden, Lesley Campion (vice president), Marette Farrell (secretary), Torie Gladwell, Marshall Gramm (treasurer), Ryan Mahan, Mike McMahon (president), Dan Metzger, Leah O'Meara, Liam O'Rourke, Morgan Richardson, Cathy Shircliff, Brook Smith, and Jesse Ullery. Gretchen Jackson, Ellen Moelis and Dan Rosenberg are directors emeriti.

Thoroughbred Charities of America was formed in 1990 by Allaire duPont and Herb and Ellen Moelis to raise and distribute funds to charities in the Thoroughbred industry that fund and facilitate the support of Thoroughbreds and the people who care for them. In 2024, TCA granted over $1 million to 86 charities working within Thoroughbred retraining, rehoming and retirement; backstretch and farm worker services, research and equine-assisted therapy.

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Godolphin, Juddmonte, and Klaravich Stables have been named finalists for the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association's National Owner of the Year award, the organization announced Tuesday. Godolphin is also a finalist for the TOBA's National Breeder of the Year Award. Sheikh Mohammed's operation is joined by fellow breeder finalists Judy Hicks and Town and Country Horse Farms.

The finalists for the Small Breeder of the Year are William Butler; Cuyathy; and Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby, and 4G Racing.

Finalists for the Cot Campbell Partnership of the Year are Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby, 4G Racing and Valley View Farm; MyRacehorse; and the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan.

“The finalists for the TOBA awards represent extraordinary achievements in our sport,” said TOBA president Dan Metzger. “We are honored to celebrate with them on what promises to be a memorable evening celebrating our 40th anniversary of the TOBA National Awards.”

The TOBA National Awards will consist of two days of presentations in Lexington The National Awards Dinner will be held Sept. 6 at Fasig-Tipton, and the National Awards Luncheon, which honors breeders from 19 states and Canada, will be held Sept. 5 at Godolphin.

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Arthur B. Hancock III, John Perrotta, and Josh Pons have been named finalists for the 19th annual Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, which celebrates excellence in Thoroughbred sports literature.

Two of the titles, Hancock's “Dark Horses: A Memoir of Redemption” and Pons's “Letters From Country Life: Adolphe Pons, Man o' War, and the Founding of Maryland's Oldest

Thoroughbred Farm” are biographies steeped in the family Thoroughbred history of each author.

Perrotta, a lifelong horseman who has been a racetrack and stable manager, jockey agent and radio executive, joins the group with “A Beggar's Ride,” a mystery/thriller tale that spans racetracks from California to Ireland, the author's current home.

“These finalists have much in common: men who have devoted their lives to Thoroughbred racing, but also have nurtured their creative sides,” said Book Award judge Kay Coyte. “They did so, not only through these books, but also through journalism, songwriting or screenwriting. Oh, the stories they can tell.”

Semifinalists included: “The History of the Kentucky Derby in 75 Objects,” by Kentucky Derby Museum and Jessica K. Whitehead; “Jockey Queen: Lillian Jenkinson Holder, Horse Racing's Fearless Lady,” by Roger Peach; and “What Horses Do After Racing: The Story of Good Carma,” by Jay Privman.

The winner's ceremony will be held in the loft above the stallion barn at the Ryan family's Castleton Lyons farm near Lexington on Nov. 6.

In addition to the $10,000 winner's check, the Book Award will present $1,000 to the other two finalists. Each will receive Tipperary crystal trophies.

The 2024 judging team included Coyte, an Eclipse Award-winning former Washington Post editor; Caton Bredar, an Eclipse-winning television on-air host and handicapper; Kim Wickens, winner of the 2023 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award for “Lexington,” and former Boston Globe columnist Diane White, a director of the Old Friends Thoroughbred retirement farm.

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A 2016 referendum that would have allowed the Meadowlands to open a casino was a colossal failure. The ballot question lost by about 1.5 million votes.

But nine years later, there is renewed hope that casino gaming could be on its way to two of the last tracks in the country that do not benefit from gaming revenue. Meadowlands owner Jeff Gural is confident that he will get a casino license sometime in 2026. Monmouth officials are also hopeful voters will approve a casino at the Jersey Shore track. If the Meadowlands gets a casino and Monmouth does not, Meadowlands would have to share the proceeds evenly, which would go towards purses at both tracks.

The game changer is that New York is about to award three casino licenses to down state properties. They can be in the five boroughs or Yonkers. Currently, there is a racino at Aqueduct and Yonkers, but they are limited to slot machines and electronic table games. The favorites to get a downstate license are Aqueduct, Yonkers and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, who has proposed building a casino near Citi Field in Queens.

If there is the status quo in New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area gets three new casinos, Gural predicts that residents of the Garden State will flock to the nearby New York casinos. Yonkers Raceway is 8.5 miles from the George Washington Bridge and the Jersey border. Will New Jersey politicians and voters allow for a scenario where millions of gambling dollars from New Jersey residents are spent in New York State?

“I'm fairly confident, especially if they put a casino at Yonkers, which would be the closest to Northern New Jersey, that people will say to themselves, 'why would I drive over the bridge, sit in traffic and pay $18 if I could go to the Meadowlands to gamble?'” Gural said. “I'm a big believer in common sense. People have told me that a casino at the Meadowlands would be the most successful casino in the country, and I don't doubt that. We have a beautiful facility. We have sports betting. A full casino, I think would pack them in.”

Legislative efforts are already underway to facilitate casino development at the two racetracks, including a proposed constitutional amendment (Bill SCR130) that would allow casino gaming at the Meadowlands Racetrack and Monmouth Park Racetrack. In a race between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli, there will be a new governor in New Jersey early next year. Neither has come out for or against New Jersey getting racetrack casinos.

“Once we know where the downstate licenses are going to be and who the governor is going to be, then we've got to try to get a referendum that would allow a casino only at the Meadowlands and not any place else,” Gural said.

Gural said with the way the 2106 referendum was written, it was never going to be approved by the voters.

“I learned from that experience what not to do,” he said.

Gural will campaign for a casino at the Meadowlands only. He doesn't fear the Atlantic City casino lobby, which has successfully kept casinos out of the New Jersey tracks for nearly 50 years.

“I think the opposition is going to come from New York,” he said. “Once New York opens, then people from New York aren't going to go to Atlantic City anymore. So why wouldn't they want to see money stay in New Jersey? It can only help them eventually. The states are broke. So their biggest fear is that the state raises the tax rate on them. They just raised the tax rate on online gambling. If I were the Atlantic City casinos, my biggest worry would be the state needing money would simply raise the tax rate in Atlantic City. So this would help them because they could say, well, we sat on the sidelines and allowed a casino at the Meadowlands, which is generating hundreds of millions of dollars. You should leave us alone. And my guess is that that would be a persuasive argument, too.”

Gural says that should he get a casino and Monmouth does not, the money from the casino earmarked for purses would be split evenly between the two tracks.

“I think this would solidify us as the premier harness track in the country,” he said. “We are already the number one harness track in North America, but we really struggle because we're competing with Yonkers. They get $50 million a year in purse subsidies. And the two Pennsylvania tracks (Pocono Downs and Harrah's Philadelphia) get $30 million each. We've been getting a $6-million subsidy from the state. You can see why we're at a major disadvantage.”

At Monmouth, Dennis Drazin, who heads the Darby Development team that manages Monmouth Park, isn't quite as optimistic as Gural.

“This is a tough one,” he said. “I've been trying to get a casino for 20 to 30 years and frankly have not been successful. The last time we went around and had the ballot question, it was overwhelmingly defeated, but I think it was set up to be a failure because the legislation made it easy to challenge. There was no specificity of where they'd be located, tax rate, who would benefit from it. It just didn't have the accompanying enabling legislation for people to intellectually evaluate it, and it was easy for the opposition to spend 30 minutes to get it defeated.

“Having said that, things have changed. Now they're going to award downstate casinos. It's going to be direct competition for New Jersey. I think the New Jersey legislators and Governor Murphy and whoever the next governor is, either Ciattarelli or Mikie Sherrill, understand that we need to protect the gaming dollars in New Jersey. So I share Jeff's hope this will get done, but I don't think it's any easy lift.”

While any new source of revenue would help Monmouth, Drazin said he will fight to see to it that both tracks gets a casino. He said that the legislation calls for full casinos at both the Meadowlands and Monmouth.

“[Casino owner] Morris Bailey is our gaming partner at Monmouth Park,” Drazin said. “If we were to get one, I think that there may be less of an impact on Atlantic City if we just get slots and not full table games. So that's one scenario that Monmouth Park would be willing to accept in order to get this done. We currently are not in favor of a casino at Meadowlands and not at Monmouth Park. We think the ballot question should be for both racetracks. Jeff is unlikely to get the support of Morris Bailey or Monmouth Park without our getting something out of this, and that won't help him.”

Nothing is imminent but the sense of optimism is something new. Both New Jersey tracks struggle to fill cards and run limited schedules. The Meadowlands runs only twice a week and Monmouth is open three days a week and offers only 50 days of racing. With casinos, that will no doubt change and purses should rise dramatically.

The first casino in New Jersey, Resorts International, now owned by Bailey, opened on May 26, 1978. It's been a tough grind for the Meadowlands and Monmouth ever since and Atlantic City and Garden State Park closed long ago. Could it be that the fight is about to end, with the racetracks being declared the winner? There is hope.

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Queen Azteca (Sharp Azteca), winner of the G3 UAE Oaks in February at Meydan Racecourse, arrived in Saratoga Aug. 8 and cleared quarantine to gallop over the Oklahoma training track Sunday morning. Trained by Niels Petersen, the bay was purchased privately by Team Valor International and is expected to make her North American debut in Saturday's GI Alabama Stakes.

Queen Azteca was accompanied to the training track by her exercise rider Carlos Toro Montecinos and a pony, calmly taking in her surroundings before jogging a half-mile and galloping once around the dirt oval.

“She settled in very good. She's a very good traveler. This was her first time out on track, and she loved it. She's as big as the pony, and the pony is big,” said Montecinos, with a laugh. “She has a nice temperament too. She's never seen a pony at home.”

Queen Azteca, who was based in Norway with Petersen, made her two most recent outings at Jagersro in Sweden, winning at 11 furlongs in June and finishing a 1 3/4-length second in 12-furlong Jockeyklubben Svenskt Derby on July 13.

“That's what she needs – long distance,” Montecinos said of the Alabama 10-furlong distance. “She flies really good at the end – she has a really good finish.”

Out of Princessa Helena (Palace Malice), the $22,000 KEESEP purchase will stay in the U.S. following the Alabama and will be trained by Rodolphe Brisset.

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Saratoga's 12th and final race on the Aug. 9 card, an allowance for New York-breds originally carded for 1 1/8 miles on the turf, was accidentally contested at 1 1/16 miles. The race was declared official, with the error first pointed out by DRF's Dave Grening.

The official Equibase chart made note of the error, stating: “Please note that the race was originally scheduled to be run at a mile and one-eighth on the Mellon Turf course. However, the gate was positioned for a mile and one-sixteenth start on the Mellon Turf course and therefore the split times and final time have been omitted pending video review and the points of call have been corrected to reflect a mile and one-sixteenth race.”

New York Racing Association (NYRA) officials will review the situation, with no official comments made by press time. R.T. Racing Stables and Hablan Los Caballos, LLC's Fidelightcayut (Leofric) won the race.

A similar issue occurred at Saratoga in 2018, when the fifth race on the Aug. 8 card that year was run at 1 1/8 miles instead of 1 1/16 miles. Read more about it here.

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