The New Zealand Thoroughbred breeding fraternity came together the evening of July 22 to celebrate a stellar season of elite-level achievements at the National Breeding Awards at Karapiro. 

Epsom Handicap (G1) hero Ellsberg will stand at Murrulla Stud in New South Wales this season after officially being retired at the peak of his racetrack powers.

The seven-day race meet at Timonium will offer two $100,000 stakes. Each races has a $75,000 guaranteed purse with an addition $25,000 for Maryland-bred or Maryland-sired runners.

Purse increases for the Wally’s Choice Stakes and Glitter Star Stakes, both to be run Saturday, Aug. 12, were announced today by the Canterbury Park racing office. Both stakes will now offer $65,000 purses, an increase of $15,000 each.

Life is full of choices and sometimes you have to take a leap of faith. Trainer Bob Baffert did just that when he first came to Del Mar back in the early 90s. It has proven to be the right move.

Despite being bumped leaving the gate, the 7-year-old son of Violence under the guidance of jockey Kent Desormeaux never wavered and prevailed by 2 1/4 lengths in the $125,000 mile-and-a-half contest over a fast track.

Elysian Field, under Sahin Civaci, unleashed a spirited stretch run to take all the spoils in the 68th running of the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks July 23 at Woodbine.

Jockey Jose Ortiz was back on the Saratoga backstretch July 23 following a July 21 spill that left him with a trip to a hospital and bruised ribs. He won’t ride at the Spa July 23, but plans to return July 26.

Trainer Linda Rice the only woman to ever win a training title at Saratoga Race Course, is the leader after nine days of racing. She is enjoying the early success but isn’t sure it will last all summer.

It has been a hectic couple of weeks for many of the horsemen and women on the backside at Del Mar. Leading up to the opening of the summer meet they had to pick up roots and move a hundred miles south.