Latest news with #KentuckyDerby
UPI
a day ago
- Sport
- UPI
2024 Derby winner returns to Churchill Downs in Saturday's Blame Stakes
1 of 3 | Pin Up Betty, shown winning the 2024 Regret Stakes, tackles Sunday's Mint Julep Stakes at Churchill Downs. Photo by Kurtis Coady, courtesy of Churchill Downs May 30 (UPI) -- Churchill Downs returns to the spotlight this weekend with names like 2024 Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan entered for six stakes races previewing the track's Stephen Foster Day three weeks down the calendar. Monmouth Park, Santa Anita and Woodbine also get in on the graded stakes action, which is slightly curtailed by postponement of some turf features at waterlogged Penn National and Delaware Park. The Grade III Penn Mile and the Penn Oaks, originally scheduled for Friday at Penn National, have been pushed back to June 20 because of the threat of heavy rain. The $200,000 Cape Henlopen at Delaware Park was pushed back to June 14. Globally, Sunday brings the Japanese Derby. And we've got some weekday results from Sandown in England. No delay here. Read on. Classic Saturday's $275,000 Grade III Blame Stakes at Churchill Downs is the lead-in to the $1 million Grade I Stephen Foster on June 28, a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Classic. It also is named for the horse who handed Zenyatta her only defeat, in the last of her 20 career starts, in the 2010 Breeders' Cup Classic over the same track. It can be expected to attract some good ones and this rendition has done that. The 2024 Kentucky Derby winner, Mystik Dan, is in the field. While he's struggled since the Run for the Roses, trainer Kenny McPeek looked to have him back on his feed in his last start at Oaklawn Park. He's not the favorite, though. That honor goes to Post Time, a major force among the top sprinters and milers last year and a winner at 1 1/16 miles -- by 13 1/4 lengths -- in his 2025 debut at Laurel Park, albeit against much less talented competition. The favorite role might have gone to Most Wanted, who finished second to Rattle N Roll in the Grade 2 Clark Stakes last November under the Twin Spires, and then finished second to Skippylongstocking in the Grade III Challenger at Tampa Bay Downs and second again in the Grade II Alysheba back at Churchill Downs, trailing only Fierceness. Banishing and Nysos, second and third behind Mindframe in the Grade I Churchill Downs Stakes a month ago, both return, as does Hall of Fame, third in the Alysheba. Distaff Where's My Ring, Free Like a Girl, Corningstone, Hoosier Philly and Wild Around Hillary, all in from some tough battles at Oaklawn Park, headline a field of nine for Saturday's $275,000 Grade III Shawnee Stakes at Churchill Downs. They meet, among others, Gin Gin, last-out winner of the Grade III Doubledogdare at Keeneland. Sprint A year ago, Skelly finished second in the rich Grade 3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia, then returned to Oaklawn Park to win his next two races, including the Lake Hamilton Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths. This season, freed from the rigors of international travel, he was even more dominant in Arkansas, winning the Lake Hamilton by 10 1/2 lengths. He returns as the favorite in Saturday's $275,000 Aristides Stakes at Churchill Downs -- a race in which he finished second in 2024, giving up the lead late. Turf Consistency may not be a common virtue among the nine entries set for Saturday's $275,000 Grade III Arlington Stakes at Churchill Downs, but the closest to it might be in the outside gate in the form of Brilliant Berti. The Cherie DeVaux trainee, a 4-year-old Noble Mission colt out of the Langfuhr mare Believe in Berti, has won six of his last nine starts, with two seconds added. Just about any of the others could win this with a peak effort. Saturday's $275,000 Audubon Stakes at Churchill Downs has a well-matched field of eight. You pick 'em. Turf Mile Uncatalyzed, a British-bred Kingman colt trained by Chad Brown, is a narrow morning-line favorite among seven set for Saturday's $100,000 Jersey Derby at Monmouth Park. He makes his third start off a win at Aqueduct. Also look for Candytown, Outrunner and Dream On. Filly & Mare Turf Lush Lips is a narrow favorite in a field of 10 3-year-old fillies for Saturday's $275,000 Grade III Regret Stakes at Churchill Downs. The British-bred daughter of Ten Sovereigns chased Nitrogen home in her last two starts, the Grade III Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs and the Grade II Edgewood at Churchill Downs. Nitrogen is not in this field. Pin Up Betty, winner of last year's Regret, returns for Sunday's $250,000 Grade III Old Forester Mint Julep at Churchill Downs. She comes from a second-place finish in the Grade II Longines Distaff Turf Mile on Kentucky Derby day and faces another tough crew. Turf Sprint Earhart and Toupie rank atop the morning line for Saturday's $150,000 (Canadian) Grade III Royal North Stakes on the Woodbine all-weather. Earhart, trained by Josie Carroll, represents the home team, while Graham Motion brings Toupie from the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland. Around the world, around the clock Japan The full field set for Sunday's Grade 1 Tokyo Yushun or Japanese Derby includes the first three finisher from the Grade 1 Satsuki Sho or Japanese 2,000 Guineas -- Museum Mile, Croix du Nord, Masquerade Ball, Giovanni and Satano Shining, as well as a few other progressive colts. Museum Mile was a bit of a long shot in the last race, but defeated favored Croix du Nord by a decisive 1 1/2 lengths, catching that rival in the stretch at the end of 2,000 meters. Combined with his second in the Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity last season, he will be better backed Sunday. The Satsuki Sho defeat was Croix de Nord's first after three wins and calls into question his ability to handle the Derby's 2,400 meters. England Coolmore announced this week that superstar stayer Kyprios has been retired with a recurrence of an injury, denying him a chance at a third straight Ascot Gold Cup at next month's Royal meeting. Sad though that thought is, Trawlerman, third in the 2024 Gold Cup, easily saw off three rivals in Thursday's Group 3 Henry II Stakes at Sandown. His riders have been touting Almaqam as a candidate for October's 1 1/2-mile Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Tromphe, despite a pedigree that would suggest that's a bit too far for him. Nonetheless, trainer Ed Walked kept him on the entries list and is becoming a convert, especially after the 4-year-old Lope de Vega colt won Thursday's Group 3 Brigadier Gerard at Sandown by 1 3/4 lengths over the favorite, Ombudsman, going 1 1/4 miles with enthusiasm. Also Thursday at Sandown, Godolphin's up-and-coming miler, Opera Ballo, got back on track with an easy win in the Heron Stakes. The Ghalyyath colt was a bit of a handful for jockey William Buick early in the Heron, but still had plenty left to win by 2 1/2 lengths.
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Today in Sports - Week Ahead, May 30
June 3 1932 — Lou Gehrig becomes the first major league player to hit four consecutive home runs in a game, giving the New York Yankees a 20-13 win over the Philadelphia A's. Gehrig's feat, however, is overshadowed by the resignation of John McGraw, manager of the New York Giants for 30 years. 1944 — Bounding Home, ridden by G.L. Smith, wins the Belmont Stakes by one-half length over Pensive, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. 1959 — European Cup Final, Stuttgart: Real Madrid beats Stade de Reims, 2-0; 4th consecutive title for Los Blancos. 1961 — Sherluck, ridden by Braulio Baeza, wins the Belmont Stakes. Carry Beck, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, finishes seventh. 1972 — French Open Women's Tennis: American icon Billie Jean King wins her only French singles title; beats Evonne Goolagong of Australia 6-3, 6-3. 1980 — NY Mets draft Darryl Strawberry, 18, #1 overall. 1984 — Patty Sheehan wins the LPGA championship by a record 10 strokes over Beth Daniel and Pat Bradley. 1991 — Thomas Hearns becomes a world champion for the sixth time, capturing the World Boxing Association's light-heavyweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Virgil Hill. 1992 — Chicago's Michael Jordan scores a record 35 points, including a record six 3-pointers, in the first half as the Bulls beat Portland 122-89 in the opening game of the NBA Finals. Jordan finishes with 39 points and Chicago is only two points shy of the largest victory margin in the finals. 1995 — Pedro Martinez of Montreal pitches nine perfect innings against San Diego before giving up a leadoff double to Bip Roberts in the 10th inning of the Expos' 1-0 win. 1999 — Four days after her first LPGA Tour victory, Kelli Kuehne ties the Women's U.S. Open record with an 8-under 64 in the first round to take a one-stroke lead over Juli Inkster. 2001 — Karrie Webb wins the U.S. Women's Open in a runaway for the second year in a row. Webb shoots a 1-under 69 for an eight-stroke victory, the largest margin at a Women's Open in 21 years. 2004 — Calgary ties an NHL record with its 10th road win of the playoffs with a 3-2 overtime victory over Tampa Bay in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals. The New Jersey Devils also won 10 road playoff games during their championship seasons of 1995 and 2000. 2006 — Jeff Burton has the biggest come-from-behind win ever in a Busch race, overcoming a 36th-place starting position in the Dover 200 for his second victory of the season. 2006 — Russia's Nikolai Valuev retains his WBA heavyweight title in Hanover, Germany, stopping Jamaican challenger Owen Beck with a right uppercut in the third round. 2011 — Roger Federer ends Novak Djokovic's perfect season and 43-match winning streak, beating him 7-6 (5), 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5) in the French Open semifinals. Federer advances to the title match against five-time champion Rafael Nadal. Nadal reaches his sixth final in seven years at Roland Garros by defeating Andy Murray 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 in the other semifinal. 2012 — Tiger Woods won his 73rd PGA tour victory with a two-stoke win over Andres Romero and Rory Sabbatini in the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Course. 2017 — UEFA Champions League Final, Cardiff: Cristiano Ronaldo scores twice as defending champions Real Madrid thrash Juventus, 4-1 for 12th title; Juventus loses 5th consecutive final. 2018 — Stephen Curry, Golden State, broke Ray Allen's NBA Finals record for the most 3-pointers with nine in the Warriors 122-103 Game 2 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. _____ June 4 1870 — Ed Brown becomes the first African-American jockey to win the Belmont Stakes, with Kingfisher. 1927 — The United States wins the first Ryder Cup golf tournament by beating Britain 9½-2½. 1932 — Faireno, ridden by Tommy Malley, wins the Belmont Stakes by 1½ lengths over Osculator. Burgoo King, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, doesn't race. 1966 — Ameroid, ridden by Bill Boland, wins the Belmont Stakes by 2½ lengths over Buffle. Kauai King, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, finishes fourth. 1974 — NFL grants franchise to Seattle Seahawks. 1984 — 1960 champion Arnold Palmer fails to qualify for the US Open Golf Championship for the first time in 32 years. 1987 — Danny Harris defeats Edwin Moses in the 400 hurdles at a meet in Madrid, ending the longest winning streak in track and field. Moses, had won 122 consecutive races dating to Aug. 26, 1977. 1988 — West Germany's Steffi Graf beats 17-year-old Natalia Zvereva of the Soviet Union in 32 minutes with a 6-0, 6-0 victory to win the French Open for the second straight year. 1990 — Penn State is voted into the Big Ten. The school becomes the 11th member of the league and first addition to the Midwest-based conference since Michigan State in 1949. 1994 — Haile Gebrselassie becomes the first Ethiopian to set a world track record with a time of 12:56.96 in the men's 5,000 meters at Hengelo, Netherlands. 1998 — Harut Karapetyan of the LA Galaxy scores three goals in five minutes for the fastest hat trick in MLS history in an 8-1 rout of the Dallas Burn. The seven-goal margin sets an MLS record. 2005 — Justine Henin-Hardenne beats a rattled and fumbling Mary Pierce 6-1, 6-1 to win the French Open, capping a comeback from a blood virus with her fourth Grand Slam title and her second at Roland Garros. 2005 — Eddie Castro sets a North American record for most wins by a jockey in one day at one track, winning nine races on the 13-race card at Miami's Calder Race Course. 2008 — The Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup for the fourth time in 11 seasons with a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 . 2009 — Randy Johnson earns his 300th win, becoming the 24th major league pitcher to reach the milestone by leading San Francisco to a 5-1 victory over the Washington Nationals in the first game of a doubleheader. 2011 — Li Na becomes the first Chinese — man or woman — to win a Grand Slam singles title. She beats Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 7-6 (0) in the French Open final for her fifth career title and first on clay. 2016 — Garbine Muguruza wins her first Grand Slam title by beating defending champion Serena Williams 7-5, 6-4 at the French Open, denying the American her record-equaling 22nd major trophy. 2019 — San Francisco Giant Manager Bruce Bochy wins his 1,000th game as the manager of the Giants with a 9-3 victory over the New York Mets. _____ June 5 1884 — James McLaughlin becomes the first jockey to win three straight Belmont Stakes when he rides Panique to victory. He won with George Kinney (1883) and Forester (1882). McLaughlin repeats his feat in 1886-88. McLaughlin's triple is matched by jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. in 1984. 1925 — Willie McFarlane beats Bobby Jones by one stroke in the second round of a playoff to capture the U.S. Open. Macfarlane shoots a 291 at Worcester (Mass.) Country Club. 1927 — Johnny Weissmuller sets 100-yard & 200-yard free-style swim record. 1937 — War Admiral, ridden by Charles Kurtsinger, wins the Triple Crown with a three-length victory over Sceneshifter in the Belmont Stakes. 1943 — Count Fleet, ridden by Johnny Longden, wins the Triple Crown by 25 lengths in the Belmont Stakes. Count Fleet goes at off at 1-20 odds in a race with no place or show betting. 1952 — Jersey Joe Walcott scores a 15-round unanimous decision over Ezzard Charles in Philadelphia to retain the world heavyweight title. 1961 — The newly formed American Basketball League adopts the 3-point field goal. 1977 — The Portland Trail Blazers hold off the Philadelphia 76ers 109-107 to win the NBA championship in six games. Portland becomes the first team in the 31-year history of the league to win four straight after losing the first two games. 1985 — Steve Cauthen wins the Epsom Derby aboard Slip Anchor and became the only American jockey to win both the English Derby and Kentucky Derby. Cauthen had ridden Affirmed to victory in the 1978 Kentucky Derby. 1993 — Julie Krone guides Colonial Affair to victory in the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first female jockey to win a Triple Crown race. 1994 — Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Sergi Bruguera produce the best day of tennis in Spanish history. Sanchez Vicario beats Mary Pierce 6-4, 6-4 in the French Open final and Bruguera retains his title by defeating another Spaniard, Alberto Berasategui, 6-3, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1. 1999 — Steffi Graf wins her sixth French Open title and her first Grand Slam championship in almost three years, beating top-ranked Martina Hingis 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. 1999 — Charismatic loses his bid to become the 12th Triple Crown winner when he fractures his left front cannon bone and sesamoid while finishing third to Lemon Drop Kid in the Belmont Stakes. 2004 — Smarty Jones loses his Triple Crown bid and his perfect record when Birdstone runs him down near the finish of a thrilling Belmont Stakes. Birdstone, a 36-1 long shot ridden by Edgar Prado, returns $74, $14 and $8.60. 2005 — Spanish teenager Rafael Nadal beats unseeded Mariano Puerta of Argentina in four sets to win the French Open men's singles title. The No. 4-seeded Nadal becomes the youngest men's Grand Slam champion since Pete Sampras won the U.S. Open at 19 in 1990. 2011 — Rafael Nadal wins his record-equaling sixth French Open title, beating Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-1 in the final. 2016 — Novak Djokovic becomes the first man in nearly a half-century to win four consecutive major championships and finally earned elusive French Open title to complete a career Grand Slam, beating Andy Murray 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. 2021 — Luis Saez rides Essential Quality to wins the 153rd Belmont Stakes.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Country Icon George Strait, 73, Fights Back Tears During Emotional Eulogy: 'I Miss Him So Much'
Country superstar , 73, spent his Memorial Day weekend remembering his good friend by delivering a poignant eulogy in his honor. Roy Cooper, nicknamed Super Looper, was a legendary, eight-time world champion rodeo cowboy who was tragically killed in a house fire at his Texas property on April 29. Cooper and Strait have been friends for decades. On Memorial Day, May 26, Cooper's family held a service at the Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, where Strait gave a eulogy for the man he called one of his "very best friends." In the video, Strait is visibly holding back tears as he speaks about his lifelong friendship with Cooper. "A few months ago, we couldn't possibly have imagined that this is where we were gonna be this Memorial Day. It's supposed to be honoring our military heroes and the sacrifices they've made. And we're still gonna do that today, and I'm 100 percent sure that Roy would want that," said Strait. But he continued, "We're also honoring our brother, friend, father, grandfather, loved one, Roy Cooper. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 "Roy was one of my very best friends. I can count those on one hand. He was my hero. We shared a lot of good and bad times together. He didn't hang out with me, I hung out with him. You know, all you people that consider Roy a brother knows that he would give you the shirt off his back and we would do the same for him…Roy was one of the ones that they made that saying about. They broke the mold when they made him. They sure did." Strait also shared a story about the time Cooper hit up legendary rocker Stevie Nicks at the Kentucky Derby, which he said Nicks absolutely remembered even years later. "We went to the Kentucky Derby together one we were at a party after the derby. I looked around and Roy's trying to left foot Stevie Nicks," Strait said, adding, "I swear, years later I ran into her somewhere and she said, 'Hey, where's that crazy cowboy friend of yours that tried to rope me in the derby that night?' He always made a big impression, old Roy," said Strait with a laugh, before getting choked up again and saying, "I miss him so much. He was a good man." Country Icon George Strait, 73, Fights Back Tears During Emotional Eulogy: 'I Miss Him So Much' first appeared on Parade on May 28, 2025
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Belmont Park will host the Breeders' Cup in 2027 after $455M renovation; Keeneland gets 2026
The Breeders' Cup World Championships are returning to New York in 2027 at the rebuilt Belmont Park, following a massive renovation project to revitalize one of the most important horse racing tracks in the country. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, along with officials from the Breeders' Cup and the New York Racing Association, announced Wednesday that the track on the edge of Queens and Nassau County on Long Island will stage the event in the fall two years from now. 'We wrote the Governor of New York a letter in 2023 that simply said, 'If you build it, we will come,'' Breeders' Cup Limited President and CEO Drew Fleming said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. 'And so we're very honored to keep our word and have a wonderful Breeders' Cup World Championships here in 2027 to showcase the new development and investment in Belmont Park to our fans from across the globe.' Keeneland in Lexington was revealed as the 2026 host. Belmont Park was last home to the Breeders' Cup in 2005, the fourth time in two decades after also being there in 1990,' 1995, and 2001. A goal of the $455 million teardown and reconstruction was to attract the major event. 'It was always part of the plan: We weren't going to redevelop Belmont Park without Breeders' Cup in mind, so it was always part of the initial goals,' NYRA President and CEO David O'Rourke told the AP by phone. 'Getting the championships back to New York is big from an economic point of view, and probably one of the most important (things), if not the most important; it gives our trainers and horsemen a chance to compete on their home tracks. I think it's great. It's been over 20 years.' Kentucky Derby 151 winning jockey faces suspension, $62K fine: Here's why Godolphin Racing reflects on historic weekend at Churchill Downs Bob Baffert reflects on 10-year anniversary of American Pharoah winning Kentucky Derby, Triple Crown Hochul, in a statement, said the redevelopment is bringing thousands of jobs and $1 billion in long-term economic activity to Long Island. 'Thanks to the investments we are making at Belmont Park, the long-held dream of bringing the prestigious Breeders' Cup back to New York will soon be a reality,' Hochul said. The Breeders' Cup has been at a Kentucky or California track every year since 2008. Del Mar, outside San Diego, has it this year as a back-to-back host and for the fourth time since 2017. Santa Anita outside Los Angeles, Keeneland and Churchill Downs in Louisville — home of the Kentucky Derby — have become the regular sites for the two-day festival featuring the best thoroughbreds in the world and tens of millions of dollars' worth of races. It's shifting back to the Eastern time zone for the next two years. 'California is and has always been a wonderful spot to have the Breeders' Cup with Santa Anita Park and Del Mar, but one of the missions of the Breeders' Cup is to grow the sport and one of the ways we do this is hosting world championships at various venues across the United States,' Fleming said, adding that he expects the event to generate $100 million for the New York economy. While NYRA has not yet announced a location for the 2026 Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown is set to return to its old home by 2027 at the latest, after a multiyear stint at historic Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York during renovations. Crystal Rogers case: Steve Lawson's stepchildren, former coworkers testify on day 2 of trial Paducah man claims he was stabbed over lawn-mowing argument No damages reported after Owensboro BBQ restaurant fire With the Belmont at Belmont Park shifting back to an annual occurrence, it is possible the track known for greats like Secretariat and Seattle Slew rumbling down the stretch to the finish line with fans roaring might get back in a regular rotation. 'The best part about working for the Breeders' Cup is that nothing is off the table,' Fleming said. 'New York City has some of the finest accommodations and restaurants, and entertainment in the world, so it'd be a natural fit that we would be at Belmont Park frequently.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox Sports
3 days ago
- Business
- Fox Sports
Belmont Park will host the Breeders' Cup in 2027 after $455M renovation. Keeneland gets 2026 event
Associated Press The Breeders' Cup world championships are returning to New York in 2027 at the rebuilt Belmont Park, following a massive renovation project to revitalize one of the most important horse racing tracks in the country. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, along with officials from the Breeders' Cup and the New York Racing Association, announced Wednesday that the track on the edge of Queens and Nassau County on Long Island will stage the event in the fall two years from now. 'We wrote the Governor of New York a letter in 2023 that simply said, 'If you build it, we will come,'' Breeders' Cup Limited President and CEO Drew Fleming said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. 'And so we're very honored to keep our word and have a wonderful Breeders' Cup world championships here in 2027 to showcase the new development and investment in Belmont Park to our fans from across the globe.' Keeneland in Lexington was revealed as the 2026 host. Belmont Park was last home to the Breeders' Cup in 2005, the fourth time in two decades after also being there in 1990, '95 and 2001. A goal of the $455 million teardown and reconstruction was to attract the major event. 'It was always part of the plan: We weren't going to redevelop Belmont Park without Breeders' Cup in mind, so it was always part of the initial goals,' NYRA President and CEO David O'Rourke told the AP by phone. 'Getting the championships back to New York is big from an economic point of view, and probably one of the most important (things), if not the most important, it gives our trainers and horsemen a chance to compete on their home tracks. I think it's great. It's been over 20 years.' Hochul in a statement said the redevelopment is bringing thousands of jobs and $1 billion in long-term economic activity to Long Island. 'Thanks to the investments we are making at Belmont Park, the long held dream of bringing the prestigious Breeders' Cup back to New York will soon be a reality,' Hochul said. The Breeders' Cup has been at a Kentucky or California track every year since 2008. Del Mar outside San Diego has it this year as a back-to-back host and for the fourth time since 2017. Santa Anita outside Los Angeles, Keeneland and Churchill Downs in Louisville — home of the Kentucky Derby — have become the regular sites for the two-day festival featuring the best thoroughbreds in the world and tens of millions of dollars' worth of races. It's shifting back to the Eastern time zone for the next two years. 'California is and has always been a wonderful spot to have the Breeders' Cup with Santa Anita Park and Del Mar, but one of the missions of the Breeders' Cup is to grow the sport and one of the ways we do this is hosting world championships at various venues across the United States,' Fleming said, adding that he expects the event to generate $100 million for the New York economy. While NYRA has not yet announced a location for the 2026 Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown is set to return to its old home by 2027 at the latest, after a multiyear stint at historic Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York during renovations. With the Belmont at Belmont Park shifting back to an annual occurrence, it is possible the track known for greats like Secretariat and Seattle Slew rumbling down the stretch to the finish line with fans roaring might get back in a regular rotation. 'The best part about working for the Breeders' Cup is that nothing is off the table,' Fleming said. 'New York City has some of the finest accommodations and restaurants and entertainment in the world, so it'd be a natural fit that we would be at Belmont Park frequently.' ___ AP horse racing: recommended
