Saratoga Springs, N.Y.The summer meet at Saratoga is known for long shots and upsets in important races. That is exactly what happened on opening day Thursday when The Queens M G won the listed Schuylerville Stakes at 44-1, the longest shot on the board, triggering huge payouts in all the pari-mutuel wagers.The Queens M G was purchased for $3,500 as a yearling and won her debut race at Keeneland in April at 45-1 for trainer Israel Acevedo, beating a field of 11 by a head after a battle down the stretch. After the race the 2-year-old filly was bought privately by…

Buzz is already building for the 2024 Far Hills Race Meeting Oct. 19. A terrific card has been finalized anchored by the $250,000 American Grand National and featuring an exciting new race as Far Hills will honor Hall of Famer McDynamo  with a sweepstakes named in his honor. Far Hills, N.J., will host a seven-race, all-stakes card worth $700,000 for the Far Hills Race Meeting, the crown jewel of American steeplechasing. The day’s marquee event is, of course, the American Grand National at 2 5/8 miles on the Moorland Farm course. Far Hills also is introducing the McDynamo Maiden Sweepstakes, a…

Until a bunch of 2-year-old fillies turn the Schuylerville into a three-ring circus.The 156th Saratoga Race Course meet opened on Thursday with a 25-year-old Preakness-winning jockey guiding a grizzled 8-year-old chestnut to victory for trainer Rob Falcone Jr., who equaled his total number of victories for the previous two Saratoga meets combined before the 2024 meet was barely a few minutes old.When the meet was five hours old, in the 10th race, mayhem ensued in the Schuylerville for 2-year-old fillies, as the morning-line favorite, Complexion, had to be reloaded after banging herself around in the starting gate. Then two fillies…

The track didn’t like him back so much in the Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup last year, at least not from a results standpoint.But, facing a stakes-caliber field in the ninth race on opening day of the 2024 meet on Thursday, Warrior Johny won comfortably under jockey Joel Rosario despite being bumped around after the start.It was an allowance optional claiming race, but carried a $120,000 purse and included horses who had competed in races like the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Travers and Met Mile, not to mention Warrior Johny’s seventh-place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup last summer.Bauer…

Shadai Stallion Station, where Kitasan Black (pictured) stands in Japan, will be part of the Japanese tour during the ARC | Shadai Stallion Station The upcoming Asian Racing Conference at Sapporo on Aug. 28-30 will feature Japanese industry members’ views on the future of racing in Japan. The business programme will consist of nine sessions, and there will also be three dedicated sharing sessions. Opening speeches will be delivered by Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, ARF chairman and Masayoshi Yoshida, president and CEO of the Japan Racing Association (JRA). Officials from the JRA, National Association of Racing in Japan, Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc.,…

C Two Racing Stable and Mathis Stables’ The Queens M G (Thousand Words) provided her freshman sire (by Pioneerof the Nile) with a second juvenile stakes winner Thursday afternoon, returning $91 to her backers for a convincing 2 3/4-length victory in the Listed Schuylerville Stakes on opening day at Saratoga. The dark bay triggered a similarly hefty mutuel when graduating at first asking at Keeneland in April, but she flopped home last of seven as the 21-10 favorite behind Whatintheliteral (Lord Nelson) in the local June 6 Astoria S. after being acquired privately by these connections and the betting public…

Several up-and-coming 2-year-olds look to build off the perfect starts to their careers in the July 13 $175,000 Sanford Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course.  Of the eight juveniles entered in the six-furlong dirt race, five are undefeated. Two showed a desire to set the pace in their maiden victories.  If history means anything, then all eyes should be on Mo Plex , who will have Irad Ortiz Jr. in the irons. Ortiz has won three of the last six editions of the Sanford. The 31-year-old native of Puerto Rico also has led the Saratoga standings five times, including each of…