One of the most important races in the 3-year-old division is coming up at Monmouth Park, which will host the 58th running of the NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes on Saturday, July 19.
I left off last time with a lot of anticipation of things to come with Maverick, and boy have they unfolded so well since my last installment.
We’ll start with the Jennie Brannigan clinic we did. I had kind of made the decision to do that sort of last minute, as my original plan had been to do a mini-trial at Meadowlake that weekend. But when I saw this opportunity, I felt like it would be way more beneficial for the both of us in the long run.
With only four career starts, The Big Kahuna retired from racing in early 2022 with $77,870 in earnings. Foaled in March 2017, the flashy bay gelding arrived at New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program in April of that year, ready for his next chapter. New Vocations is a Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance accredited organization that is dedicated to rehabilitating, retraining, and rehoming off-the-track Thoroughbreds.
It’s no surprise that many people perceive the horse racing industry as one that’s very difficult to get into without the right contacts. While that may be true to a point, Giovanni Ricardo and his experiences show how a young person can pave his or her own path in Thoroughbred racing.
This week marks a traditional high point in anticipation on the North American horse racing calendar, as Saratoga Race Course begins its summer meet Thursday, July 10. The lead-in vibe is a bit different this year, as historic upstate New York track held brief meets in early June and then again just last weekend for the July 4 Racing Festival normally run at Belmont Park.
