James Scully

2 days ago | twinspires.com | James Scully

Saturday’s 157th running of the Belmont S. (G1) will feature an exciting rematch between the top three in the Kentucky Derby (G1). After winning the Roses, Sovereignty skipped the Preakness (G1) for the Belmont five weeks later. Journalism, who finished 1 1/2 lengths back of Sovereignty in second at Churchill Downs, came back to win the Preakness dramatically, overcoming severe trouble in midstretch to prevail by a half-length in the final strides.

3 weeks ago | brisnet.com | James Scully

Journalism put his class and toughness on full display in Saturday's 150th running of the $2 million Preakness (G1), dramatically rallying to win by a half-length after being interfered with and severely bumped around in midstretch. The bay son of Curlin closed fast late to overhaul Gosger, and regular rider Umberto Rispoli was up on the even-money favorite at Pimlico. ā€œI still canā€™t realize what this horse did today,ā€ Rispoli said.

3 weeks ago | twinspires.com | James Scully

Sovereignty snapped a three-year run of double-digit odds Kentucky Derby (G1) winners, scoring as the 7.98-1 third choice among 19 runners, but he will skip Saturday’s 150th edition of the $2 million Preakness (G1). Three Kentucky Derby contestants will return, including runner-up Journalism, who has been installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite among nine runners in the middle leg of the Triple Crown.

4 weeks ago | brisnet.com | James Scully

Saturday’s stakes action at Aqueduct (Belmont at the Big A meet) featured a pair of main track events for older horses, the $200,000 Ruffian (G2) for fillies and mares and $169,750 John A. Nerud (G3) for sprinters. A neck second in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), Jody’s Pride hadn’t visited the winner’s circle since taking the Busher in her three-year-old opener, but the four-year-old filly got back on track in the Ruffian, surging to win the one-mile event by about a length.

1 month ago | twinspires.com | James Scully

Thirteen of the last 15 Kentucky Derby (G1) winners had registered a triple-digit Brisnet Speed rating. The exceptions were 80-1 Rich Strike in 2023 and 20-1 Animal Kingdom in 2012, with the latter making his dirt debut in the Kentucky Derby following a smashing win in the Spiral (G3) (now the Jeff Ruby Steaks) over a synthetic track.