Track Times Today - With Bernie Dickman - Racing, Breeding, Pari-Mutuels

It's Last to First for Haute Diva in Martha Washington Stakes

Monday, June 8, 2026

New sensation Diego Herrera wins 4 races . . .

HALLANDALE BEACH - JSM Equine’s Haute Diva minded her manners Saturday at Gulfstream Park, the often high-strung filly running up to her potential with an eye-catching last-to-first rally in the $100,000 Martha Washington Stakes.

Returning from a two-month freshening since her pre-race behavior compromised her efforts in the Gr. II Gulfstream Park Oaks and Gr. II Davona Dale during the Championship Meet, the Patrick Biancone-trained daughter of Constitution saved her energy for the 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-old fillies on Tapeta. Ridden for the first time by a visiting Keith Asmussen, Haute Diva ($7.80) made a sweeping move on the far turn, circled the field into the stretch and fought off a stretch challenge from Mia Familia to prevail by a half-length.

“She’s very talented,” Biancone said. “The owner was nice enough to get a nice long break with her and re-group everything. Keith came to work her in the morning, and she really liked him, so he came to ride her. She was perfect in the parade. She did everything right, so now we can start to look for something bigger for her on dirt.”

Haute Diva, who won the mile Cash Run on dirt at Gulfstream prior to her off-the-board finishes in the Gulfstream Park Oaks and Davona Dale, ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.23. Mia Familia finished 2 ½ lengths ahead of Bayou Brigid. Haute Diva had been training sharply at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, where she produced a ‘bullet’ half-mile breeze in 47 2/5 seconds.

“I’ve been lucky enough that Patrick has allowed me to get on her multiple times in the morning. He’s obviously thought a lot about this filly. I think his optimism bleeds over to me,” said Asmussen, who is engaged to Biancone’s daughter, Andie. “I had the world of confidence in her going into this race. She cane be fairly sensitive. The Instructions going into the race were: ‘just don’t let run her race before we get to the gate. Just keep her quiet.”

The Churchill Downs-based Asmussen also rode Biancone-trained Elegante Miz ($12) to a debut victory in Race 2, a five-furlong maiden special weight for 2-year-olds.

The Martha Washington was the first of three stakes on Saturday’s Gulfstream card

Saint George’s Rolando ($9.60) narrowly won the $100,000 Big Drama, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses carded as Race 10. The Fausto Gutierrez-trained 4-year-old son of Vekoma saved ground while following pacesetter Concrete Glory during fractions of 22.48 seconds for a quarter-mile and 45 seconds for a half-mile before being taken off the rail to go after and quickly pass the leader entering the stretch. Rolando fought off an inside challenge from Back Em Up nearing the finish to prevail by a nose.

Rolando ran seven furlongs in 1:22.85 under Diego Herrera, who rode four winners on the 11-race program. Back Em Up edged Pure Class by a neck for second.

Herrera came right back in Race 11 to guide Paterpop Racing’s Chicken Dance ($15.60) to victory in the $100,000 Not Surprising, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds on Tapeta.

Chicken Dance saved ground while rating off the pace set by Bolero Boy, the 6-5 favorite who set a comfortable pace under Miguel Vazquez with fractions of 24 seconds for a quarter-mile and 48.35 seconds for a half-mile. Herrera bided his time aboard Chicken Dance before finding a way off the rail leaving the turn into the stretch. The son of Neolithic kicked in powerfully through the stretch run to catch Bolero Boy in deep stretch to score by 1 ¼ lengths.

Chicken Dance ran 1 1/16-miles on the all-weather surface in 1:42.66 to follow up an optional claiming allowance victory under Herrera in his previous start. Bolero Boy finished two lengths clear of third-place finisher Khon Han.

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Fawkes Is Loaded From the Spa to Gulfstream

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Reef Runner set for Gr. I Jaipur . . .

HALLANDALE BEACH -Trainer David Fawkes will be otherwise occupied at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York Saturday, but the veteran trainer with a long list of stakes successes on his resume, both in South Florida and elsewhere, will be very well represented in the three stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Fawkes will be on hand at The Spa to saddle multiple graded stakes-winner Reef Runner for a start in the Gr. I Jaipur, a 5 ½-furlong turf stakes on the undercard of the Belmont Stakes. He won’t be present at Gulfstream to watch Pure Class step up in class for the $125,000 Big Drama Handicap; Nickel C face nine other 3-year-olds in search of his first stakes score in the $125,000 Not Surprising; nor Nyfive try to win her third race in a row in the $125,000 Martha Washington.

Reef Runner is regarded as one of the top contenders in the Jaipur, and Fawkes is confident his stablemates will be ready to offer the best performances of their respective careers at Gulfstream.

Robert Mooney and Jeffrey Siskin’s Pure Class is coming off a dazzling 3 ½-length front-running score in a seven-furlong $35,000 claiming races in his first start since being claimed for $35,000. The son of The Big Beast was bred and formerly owned by Reef Runner’s connections, Alex and Joanne Lieblong, and trained by Fawkes before being claimed away for $62,500 last fall. When he surfaced in a $35,000 claiming race, Fawkes was quick to drop a slip to claim him back for his current owners.

“I lost him for $62,500. He ran two or three times, and they dropped him in for $35,000 and I took him back. He got beat, but I ran him back three weeks later and he ran a 90 Beyer number. He ran huge. He ran a big number on the Thoro-Graf sheets,” Fawkes said. “We’re trying to see if we can get him there. The distance is right. He loves seven-eighths. That’s his distance. Edwin’s won four on him and he’s riding him again.”

Edwin Gonzalez, who was aboard for the victorious homecoming May 10 in a seven-furlong $35,000 claiming race, has the return call on Pure Class, who will carry 118 pounds, six fewer than co-highweights Concrete Glory and Chrome Ghost.

“We found a really good spot and he ran a really good race, obviously,” Fawkes said. “After that, he’s been doing so good, I thought, ‘well, if ever there’s a chance to win a little something with him, maybe this is the spot.’”

Purse Class has been priced at 10-1 on the morning line in the field of seven assembled for the Race 10 feature. Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained stakes veteran Concrete Glory has been tabbed ast 5-2 in the morning line with Fausto Gutierrez-trained Rolando rated second at 3-1.

A victory at Gulfstream Saturday would be especially satisfying for Fawkes, who trained Big Drama during a career (2008-2011) that included a victory in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs, followed by an Eclipse Award as North America’s champion sprinter.

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OBS Grad Forged Steel Romps in Gr. II Hollywood Gold Cup

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Two years in a row for trainer Saffie Joseph . . .

C2 Racing Stable and Mathis Stables' Forged Steel (Vekoma-Scorecard, by Tale of the Cat) gave trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. his second straight win in the $200,000, Gr. II Hollywood Gold Cup as he romped to a 9 ½-length victory in the 10-furlong race at Santa Anita Park to lead the slate of stakes-winning OBS graduates for the week.

Forged Steel edged away from fellow OBS grad Malarchuk and then poured it on in the stretch to win in a final time of 2:01.58. Joseph previously saddled OBS graduate Skippylongstocking to victory in the race a year ago.

“The horse ran a good race. It was my first time aboard him,” winning jockey Flavien Prat said. “He had a good run in his past races and he showed another good run here today.”

Forged Steel was purchased by C2 Racing Stable for $190,000 at the 2024 OBS March Sale from the de Meric Sales consignment after breezing in :10 flat.

At Churchill Downs, Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman’s Usha (Tiz the Law- Animal Appeal, by Leroidesanimaux) poked her head in front leaving the turn and turned back a late charge from Zeitlos to win the $220,000, Gr. III Winning Colors.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Usha was the winner of last winter’s $300,000, Gr. III La Brea at Santa Anita. She was purchased by her owners for $600,000 at the 2024 OBS April Sale from the On Point Training & Sales consignment after breezing in :9 4/5.

At Lone Star Park, Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman’s Desert Gate (Omaha Beach-Theogony, by Curlin) drew off to a 6 1/4-length victory in the $300,000 Texas Derby. Trained by Bob Baffert, Desert Gate notched his second straight stakes win to go along with his victory in last year’s Gr. III Best Pal Stakes. He was purchased by his owners for $260,000 at the 2025 OBS March Sale from the Navas Equine consignment after breezing in :9 4/5.

At Gulfstream Park, Amy Dunne, Caitlin Dunne, Brenda Miley, Jean Wilkinson, Hoffman Family Racing, Tranquility Lake Farm, Maury Harrington and Christopher Harrington’s Lennilu (Leinster – Lulu’s-Pom Pom, by Pomeroy), a multiple stakes-winner on turf, established herself as a multiple stakes-winner on dirt when she was elevated to the victory in the $100,000 Game Face.

The daughter of Leinster was placed first upon the disqualification of first-place finisher and fellow OBS graduate Love Like Lucy, following a stewards’ review of the stretch run. Trained by Patrick Biancone, the filly was purchased by Glencrest Farm for $23,000 from the Abbie Road Farm consignment at the 2024 OBS Winter Mixed Sale.

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Asmussen Earns Preakness Weekend Bonus

Thursday, May 21, 2026

It's his fifth time getting the award . . .

LAUREL, MD – For the fifth time overall and first since 2022, Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen earned the top prize of $50,000 in 1/ST Racing’s $100,000 trainer bonus offered to horsemen for their participation in stakes races over Preakness weekend, May 15 and 16, at Laurel Park.

Asmussen started horses in eight different stakes over the weekend including Chip Honcho, who finished third in the $2 million Preakness Stakes (G1). The Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown was being contested for the 151st time and first at Laurel due to the rebuilding of Pimlico Race Course.

Obliteration in Saturday’s $150,000 Chick Lang gave Asmussen his seventh career victory in the race and lone win over the two days. He also ran second with Faust in the Maryland Sprint (G3) and Benedetta in the $125,000 Skipat and fifth with Thebabeslayer in the $100,000 James W. Murphy.

On Friday Asmussen had Little Miss Curlin run third in the $150,000 Miss Preakness (G3), Duke of Duval finish fourth in the historic $250,000 Pimlico Special (G3) and Braken Poppa wind up seventh in the $300,000 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan (G2).

Asmussen finished with a total of 39 points, just two more than Maryland-based Graham Motion. North America’s all-time leader with 11,299 wins and counting, Asmussen previously earned the top bonus in 2017, the inaugural year, 2018, 2021 and 2022.

To be eligible for the bonus, trainers had to run a minimum of five horses in the 15 stakes, seven graded, worth $4.2 million in purses offered during Preakness weekend. Points were accumulated for finishing first (10), second (seven), third (five), fourth (three) and fifth through last (one).

The trainer with the most points earned $50,000, followed by $25,000 for second, $12,000 for third, $7,000 for fourth, $4,000 for fifth $2,000 for sixth. With four trainers qualified, bonus money for places and five and six reverted back to 1/ST.

This marked the 10th consecutive year the trainer bonus program has been offered. Brad Cox (2019), Mike Maker (2020), Motion (2023), Cherie DeVaux (2024) and Brendan Walsh (2025) have also earned the top prize.

Motion registered two stakes wins on the weekend – Warming in the $150,000 Gallorette (G3) and Turf Star in the Murphy on Saturday. He also had Cruise the Nile run third in the $250,000 Dinner Party (G3), Ribaltagaia finish seventh in the Gallorette and Proton end up fourth in the Murphy. On Friday, Brat Pack and Siouxse respectively were third and fourth in the $125,000 Hilltop.

Saffie Joseph Jr., whose main strings are at Gulfstream Park and its Palm Meadows training center in South Florida, was third with 29 points, one more than Laurel Park-based Brittany Russell. Joseph won the Black-Eyed Susan with My Miss Mo and Pimlico Special with Navajo Warrior and was second with Tessellate in the Miss Preakness on Friday, and had Harrow run fifth in the Dinner Party and Bull by the Horns run sixth in the Preakness.

Maryland’s leading overall trainer each of the past three years, Russell won the Miss Preakness with Peach Tie and Hilltop with Coach Mazzula Friday, also finishing third in the $100,000 The Very One with Lost and Found and fifth in the $125,000 Allaire du Pont Distaff with Complexity Jane. On Saturday she was sixth with Falcon Jet in the $100,000 Sir Barton and 10th with 9-2 favorite Taj Mahal in the Preakness.

Russell earned the top prize in bonus money totaling $50,000 offered for trainers having the most points in non-stakes races during Preakness weekend. Points were accumulated in similar fashion with $25,000 going to the leader, $10,000 to second, $7,500 to third, $4,000 to fourth, $2,500 to fifth and $1,000 to sixth.

Trainers needed to have a minimum of three starters to qualify for the bonus. Russell was first with 42 points, followed by Michael Stidham (34), Jamie Ness (19), John Salzman Jr. (17), Chad Summers (16) and Hugh McMahon (12).

Summers, owner Al Gold and jockey Paco Lopez each earned their first Triple Crown race victory with Napoleon Solo in the Preakness.

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Napoleon Solo Wins First Preakness Held at Laurel

Monday, May 18, 2026

Paco Lopez rides 7-1 winner . . .

LAUREL, MD -- Gold Square’s Napoleon Solo, a Gr. 1 winner at 2 who had come up short in his two races this year, went the distance in Saturday’s 151st Preakness Stakes on an historic day at Laurel Park.

For the first time, the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown was renewed at Laurel Park, not Pimlico Race Course, which is scheduled once again host the 1 3/16-mile Classic next year when on-going construction on a new facility is complete.

Napoleon Solo, who had shown signs of distance limitations while fading to fifth in the Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park and Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct at 1 1/8-miles, was given another chance to prove himself at a distance of ground by trainer Chad Summers, and the son of Liam’s Map came through with flying colors with a 1 ¼-length victory.

The gray colt delivered Summers and jockey Paco Lopez their first victories in a Triple Crown event while scoring as the fourth betting choice at 7-1.

An easy winner of his two starts last year, including a 6 ½-length victory in the one-turn mile Champagne (G1) at Aqueduct, Napoleon Solo prevailed in a full field of 14 3-year-olds, the largest to enter the starting gate since Shackleford also defeated 13 rivals in 2011.

Two weeks after Cherie DeVaux became the first woman trainer to win the Kentucky Derby (G1) with Golden Tempo, Laurel-based trainer Brittany Russell saddled the undefeated Taj Mahal, the 9-2 favorite, in a quest to become the first woman trainer to win the Preakness.

Taj Mahal broke alertly from his rail post position under jockey Sheldon Russell, the trainer’s husband, and sprinted to an early lead along the front-stretch before being joined on his outside by Napoleon Solo and Lopez heading into the first turn. Taj Mahal, who ran the first half mile in 46.66 seconds, continued to show the way along the backstretch with Napoleon Solo rating kindly for Lopez, well within striking distance in second.

Taj Mahal continued to lead the way on the far turn as Napoleon Solo turned up the pressure but was no match for the eventual winner after straightening into the homestretch, where the Summers trainee asserted his class to forge ahead and hold off a late-running Iron Honor, the 9-2 morning-line favorite who rallied from sixth. Taj Mahal, who had won three races at Laurel without defeat, faded to 10th.

Napoleon Solo ran 1 3/16 miles in 1:58.69. Iron Honor and jockey Flavien Prat finished 3 ¼ lengths clear of third-place finisher Chip Honcho, who raced evenly throughout. Ocelli, a seven-race maiden who finished third in the Kentucky Derby at 70-1, closed from 11th to finish fourth. No maiden has won the Preakness since 1888.

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