Horse Racing News

It's hard to imagine a more idyllic setting than Saratoga Race Course, but Kentucky Derby winner Orb seems to have found one at Fair Hill Training Center near Elkton, Md.

Trainer Mike Puype celebrated his 47th birthday with a victory by favored Alberts Hope in the $150,000 Best Pal Stakes for 2-year-olds Aug. 4 at Del Mar.

Justin Phillip missed winning the 2012 Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga Race Course by a neck.

In a highly anticipated clash, Moonlight Cloud easily wore down elite sprinter Lethal Force and stormed to a Deauville course record August 4 in winning the Larc Prix Maurice de Gheest for a third time.

Overlooked at odds of 10-1, Lady of Fifty found redemption as she took the overland route under Corey Nakatani to capture the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes Aug. 3 at Del Mar.

Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider's Departing was the first horse nominated to the $750,000 West Virginia Derby and the first horse entered when entries were taken July 30.

GoldMark Farm's Cross Traffic sprung a wire-to-wire upset in the $750,000 Whitney Invitational at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 3, kicking away to a ¾-length victory at odds of 7-2 while 2012 winner Fort Larned finished fifth.

A federal judge in New Mexico Aug. 2 issued a restraining order that will keep two horse slaughterhouses from opening as planned the week of Aug. 4.

For the second year in a row, many of horse racing's top owners have pledged to race their juvenile starters without race-day medication.

Two-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Garrett Gomez has been cleared to ride again as soon as Aug. 7 after meeting with stewards at Del Mar, provided he tests at acceptable levels for drugs he has been taking.