David Grening

5 days ago | attheraces.com | David Grening

By David Grening, Daily Racing FormD. Wayne Lukas, a former high school basketball coach who became one of the most influential figures in the sport of Thoroughbred racing, has been hospitalized and is in poor health and will no longer be training horses, his family said in a statement released Sunday through Churchill Downs. Lukas, 89, was hospitalized due to a severe infection that has worsened his condition, the release said.

1 week ago | attheraces.com | David Grening

By David Grening, Daily Racing FormAfter being forced to miss more than two weeks’ worth of runners on this circuit due to his barn being quarantined, trainer Jeremiah Englehart is back in action at Aqueduct for the final eight cards of the Belmont at the Big A meet. Englehart had two runners entered on Thursday and on Friday has Cut the Cord in a second-level/optional $45,000 claiming event scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on the dirt.

2 weeks ago | attheraces.com | David Grening

By David Grening, Daily Racing FormFriday was a track-record setting day at Aqueduct. The 7-year-old gelding Baby Yoda, away from the races since last November, won a stakes-caliber allowance race by 4 1/4 lengths. He ran 6 1/2 furlongs over the main track in 1:13.86 which established a track record, eclipsing the mark set by Coronado’s Quest (1:14.35) when, as a 2-year-old in 1997, he won the Grade 2 Cowdin Stakes.

2 weeks ago | attheraces.com | David Grening

By David Grening, Daily Racing FormMaking official what had been widely known for a long time, the Belmont Stakes will be held in Saratoga in 2026 and run at 1 1/4 miles, the third straight year the third leg of the Triple Crown will be held at the upstate New York track. The Belmont, typically run at 1 1/2 miles at Belmont Park, has been run at Saratoga since 2024 due to the renovation of Belmont Park.

2 weeks ago | attheraces.com | David Grening

By David Grening, Daily Racing FormThe popular Baby Yoda, who went off form late last summer after an eye-catching victory in the Grade 2 True North at Saratoga a year ago, returns to the races Friday in a high-class allowance race that serves as the feature at Aqueduct. In the multi-conditioned race at 6 1/2 furlongs, Baby Yoda is eligible under the clause for horses who haven’t won $45,000 since Dec. 13, 2024. Baby Yoda hasn’t run since he finished fifth of seven in the Fall Highweight last Nov.