The road to the 2026 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic makes an important stop at Belmont Park on Friday, Sept. 18 as older male dirt horses go 1 ¼ miles in the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes.
Which 2-year-old Thoroughbreds delivered the most impressive performances during the 2026 summer season at Del Mar?
Del Mar’s summer meet often yields serious contenders for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships and next year’s Triple Crown races. If the numerous flashy 2-year-old winners we witnessed over the past two months are any indications, that trend will continue.
Presque Isle Downs could not have scripted a much better start when it rolled out the inaugural Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes in 2007. The first edition of the race was won by Miss Macy Sue, who went on to run third in the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint later that year.
I’ve seen thousands and thousands of horse races in person over the years but only a few dozen will forever endure among my memories as truly unforgettable. The 1986 edition of the Pennsylvania Derby won by Broad Brush was one such race.
It’s been 40 years since I sat in the grandstand of what was then called Philadelphia Park in anticipation of seeing one of the top 3-year-olds in the nation do his thing at one of my local tracks. Broad Brush would far exceed my expectations on that soggy afternoon in Bensalem, Pa.
