Horse Racing News

Ruler On Ice won the Belmont Stakes.

Trappe Shot, a 4-year-old colt by Tapit , cut the corner quickly at Belmont Park and turned the True North Handicap into a laugher, winning by 8 1/2 lengths. The Florida-bred covered the six furlongs over the muddy Belmont strip in a snappy 1:08.86.

Back in New York, It's Tricky relished the rainy and muddy conditions at Belmont Park, upsetting the heavily favored Turbulent Descent by 3 3/4 lengths in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Acorn Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Birdrun, taking a page from the playbook Shackleford is likely to use on Saturday in the Belmont Stakes, led from start to finish going 1 1/2 miles at Belmont Park on Friday in the Grade 2, $150,000 Brooklyn Handicap for older horses.

Courageous Cat made a successful return to the races, overcoming slow early fractions and overpowering longshot pacesetter Yield Bogey with a furlong to run to take Friday's Grade 3, $100,000 Poker Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths at Belmont Park.

Like all horses when they are 3, Drosselmeyer only got one chance to run in the Belmont Stakes, and he made the most of it. But one year later, he still has the opportunity to run 1 1/2 miles at Belmont Park, and trainer Bill Mott has seized the moment.

Gio Ponti will oblige his loyal fans with his presence for a third consecutive year in Saturday's Grade 1, $400,000 Manhattan Handicap, a 1 1/4-mile inner turf heat which precedes the classic Belmont Stakes on a 13-race program.

Kentucky Derby favorite Animal Kingdom has been made the 2-1 favorite in a field of 12 for the Belmont Stakes.

On Thursday, more than a half-dozen jockeys from Belmont Park will ride into the hearts of families at the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island as part of the annual Jockey Day event.

Trainer Christophe Clement probably picked out Friday's Grade 3, $100,000 Poker Stakes at Belmont Poker as a way to ease his French-bred gelding Right One into North American graded stakes competition.