Turf Talk Newsletter – 12 June, 2026

Shoot The Rapids will be out to impress the Hollywoodbets Durban July Final Field panelists in the Gr 3 Winter Stakes at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Race Coast (Andrew Harrison)

The Gr3 Lucky Fish Winter Stakes over 2400m is a tough handicap for punters to work out the form. The race heads a nine-race programme at Hollywoodbets Greyville today where we have another turf/poly programme.

The Winter Stakes may well be a decider as far as a berth in the Gr1 Hollywoodbets July is concerned which makes for more than just added interest in the race. Enflame has done very little wrong in recent starts over ground for Candice and Tammy Dawson and should go close again and along with Tenpenny, is on the outside looking in.

Patrick Kruyer, long-time assistant to the legendary Terrance Millard, saddles Tenpenny who disappointed last run in the soft. But prior to that he had smart Cape form over ground.

Contracted rider for Greg and Gina Bortz, JP Van der Merwe, usually rides the Bortz-owned Native Ruler, who has good form in strong company, although he is yet to go this trip. However, Keagan de Melo has been declared as the gelding’s rider for the Hollywoodbets Durban July which would account for him riding Native Ruler in the Winter Stakes. Van der Merwe rides the Bortz-owned Tenpenny in the Winter Stakes and has his name penciled in as the rider of another Bortz-owned borderline horse for the July, Regulation.

Shoot The Rapids is another July hopeful looking to boost his form. Nathan Kotzen’s gelding stays well and was runner-up at his last two. Kotzen has booked Richard Fourie for the ride which is a big bonus. Holding Thumbs may just have needed his last run but this trip will suit Glen Kotzen’s runner better and he should put in another good shift.

Sean Tarry is a dab hand at keeping older horses on the boil and surprise package could be Future Pearl. The gelding has patchy form of late but he has dropped markedly in the ratings and on his day has the ability.

It is a highly competitive card with no stand-out bets so punters will need to do their homework.

In the card opener, Highveld visitor Tanareef found good market support on debut and although he was a well-beaten fourth it was in good time and from the best of the draw from a top stable he should be right there. Lenoxx was narrowly beaten last time out after being unlucky at his previous start but has improved with each outing and should now be at his peak. Just behind Lennox was Deonarie who made his debut at long odds. Drawn along-side each other there should be little in it. Kid From The South found some support on debut and was not far back in soft ground. Any market support must be taken seriously.

Sweet Green may be one of the better bets on the card. Justin Snaith’s filly was a beaten favourite at her last run after a smart debut. She has been rested but does look progressive. Pacific Mood has the widest draw but showed up well when racing green on debut. The experience should bring her on lengths. Queraristinyferari has only been firing on five cylinders and has been a beaten favourite at her last two. Her last run was on the poly and the switch back to turf could bring out the best.

In the opening leg of the PA, canny operator and former champion trainer Ricky Maingard’s runners are unbeaten since arriving in KZN and can continue that trend. The grey comes from steady Cape form and will be a big runner if taking to the poly track. Gary Rich is in a purple patch and Light The Fire was not far behind recent Gr2 winner Viking Leader in his penultima start and was second behind Maingard’s Pritti United last time out. Barry’s Boy was caught late when trying the poly for the first time and gets some relief from the saddle and will be a threat.

The opening leg of the Pick 6 is wide open but Wendy Whitehead holds a strong hand with three competitive runners. Best may be Definitely Yes who although having a wide draw he has shown up well in both starts from similiter gates at his last two on the poly. With a useful 4kg claimer aboard he looks to be the stable elect. Peter Muscutt saddles Little Boy Blue that enjoyed his poly debut and finished ahead of Definitely Yes but is now 5kg worse off in the handicap for a two-length beating. Nathan Kotzen’s runner Bangladesh won well first run back from a lengthy break. He does appear to have problems but fit and well, he looks progressive. Whitehead also saddles Gorgeous Guy who has dropped in the ratings and has the best of the draw. He has been consistent on the turf and the switch to poly could bring out the best.

In the fifth, Mohave Prince has won three of his last four starts and second on the other for Garth Puller. He got a five-pound penalty for his last win but Puller has booked Rachel Venniker with her 1.5kg allowance and he can follow up. Gimmefabulous has been up against much stronger at recent outings and takes on males again but looks capable in this field. Uzwano is 1.5kg better off with Mohave Prince taking in Venniker’s allowance but he has drawn wide that could make the difference. Officer In Command has been dropping slowly in the ratings but with a senior jockey aboard he should do better than his last two.

The sixth is a wide open handicap with only a few of the runners having tried the trip. Day Two shed his maiden over the distance and is lightly raced. He showed up well first run out of the maidens on the poly and the switch back to turf could suit. No Pressure was touched off last run and has shown up well in two starts since his maiden win. He should stay this trip well while likely outsider Intuitive Spirit stays the trip and has a light weight. He could be the surprise package.

There are many in with chances in the eighth but Cats Pajamas will be in line for some of the features in the next two months but he is a class act and the drop in trip and a big weight may not be enough to hold him back. Circumbendibus has come good since arriving in KZN and has been in cracking form of late. The trip suits and he gets 2.5kg relief from the saddle in apprentice Sifiso Bungane who knows the gelding well. King Of The Gauls has a difficult draw but is quick and cannot be written off.

In the last, Black Eagle comes with smart Cape form and Sean Veale knows him well. He was a beaten favourite on the poly last run and can go one better on the turf. Serengetti Sun is lightly raced and takes on males but will be a threat. She ran a smart race behind champion Asiye Phambili last time out and with a two-pound drop in the handicap she should at least be competitive in another tough race. Miss World made a winning debut for her new stable over course and distance and only got a three-pound raise in the ratings. She is ultra consistent and can go in again.

Holding Thumbs gave the subsequent Gr 3 New Turf Carriers Western Cape Stayers winner 11kg and a beating in the Listed WSB Club Prive Cape Summer Stayers over 2500m in December and he will also be out to impress the Hollywoodbets Durban July Final Field panelists when running in the Gr 3 Winter Stakes over 2400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday (Picture: Wayne Marks)

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS

TRAINERS’ TITLE HOTS UP IN HONG KONG
Mark Newnham will aim to maintain his trainers’ title challenge when he sends a squad of six runners to Sha Tin’s “Summer Series” fixture. The championship leaders have been finding it increasingly difficult to live with the momentum of Caspar Fownes’ bid for a fifth trainers’ championship. Fownes now sits four wins clear of Newnham’s tally of 58 with Danny Shum third on 57.

Newnham saddles two strong chances in Saturday’s Class 2 Peacock Handicap over 1600m, Max Que and Infinite Resolve. Max Que has enjoyed a remarkable season that has seen his rating rise by 32 points since his opening run of the campaign. “He started this season in Class 4 and has worked his way up to be a Class 2 winner. He’s probably going to find the handicap a bit tough now. But he is a good, consistent horse. I think he’s around about his mark now, but he needs to be ridden in a specific way,” said Newnham.

KOTZEN STILL HOLDING THUMBS FOR JULY BERTH
There are still a few horses on the cusp of earning a place in the July on 4 July and they have an outside chance to qualify in Saturday’s Grade 3 Lucky Fish Winter Stakes over 2400m at HWB Greyville. The runners most likely to benefit from a victory in this race are Shoot The Rapids, Holding Thumbs, Enflame and Tenpenny all of whom have not made the top 20 on the latest log.

Topping the list is Holding Thumbs, who may have needed his last run and is a solid stayer. Shoot The Rapids stays well and has finished runner-up in his last two. He has a win at this venue and is weighted to go close.

Enflame has only won at Turffontein but has won two features in a row easily and may pass his test at this track, even if returning from a break. Tenpenny has been one of the most progressive horses of the season, rising from a rating of 90 to 105 with four wins from 1600m to 2500m.

SUGGESTED R160 (10%) PICK 6 PERM (Leg 1 Race 4 @ 14:25):
Leg 1: 3, 6, 8, 11

Leg 2: 1, 4, 7, 11

Leg 3: 1, 2, 10, 11, 13

Leg 4: 2, 4, 5, 7

Leg 5: 3, 4, 6, 7, 8

Leg 6: 3

HAGGAS AND LLOYD TEAM UP AT YORK
William Haggas has another live chance at York on Saturday with Thunder Call in the Churchill Tyres Supporting Macmillan Sprint Handicap. Thunder Call made an excellent start to his three-year-old season with a dominant win in a 1200m maiden at Kempton last month. Interestingly, young Australian jockey Zac Lloyd has been pencilled in for the ride and made a good impression on his first rides in Britain at Doncaster last week, riding a double on Saturday. There is a chance that the handicapper has underestimated Thunder Call’s performance at Kempton, allotting him an opening mark of just 85. He lacks the experience of some, but has a progressive profile and is one to keep on the right side.

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS
KOONDAKAARA TO STRIKE AGAIN AT SELANGOR
Progressive galloper Koondakaara looks well placed to continue his winning run when he lines up in the 1400m Max Two Stakes at Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. The four-year-old secured his second Malaysian victory in the Baby Pery Cup (Class 3) three weeks ago, overcoming a strong field with the lightweight of 52.5kg. While he will carry 59kg this time around, he still compares favourably at the weights against his main rivals.

BELLEROPHON READY TO STAKE HIS CLAIM
A Pinnacle Stakes over 2400m heads up Sunday’s eight-race meeting at Turffontein on the Standside track and this event looks to be at the mercy of Bellerophon.

The three-year old son of Vercingetorix has already clocked three wins and two of them have been over ground. Trained by Fabian Habib, he has come on in leaps and bounds and will get even better as he continues to mature.

Bellerophon has shown a lot of courage. His last two wins have been by small margins and at no stage did he look like throwing in the towel when coming under pressure. He has been carrying weights of 55kg, 60kg and 59.5kg in his last three races and is carded to carry just 52kg in this event.

To make his chances even stronger, he will be ridden by Mickaëlle Michel, who is not only in outstanding form but will take a further 1.5kg off his back. So, with just 50.5kg to carry he could be the outstanding bet on the card.

• Betting correct at 17:00 on Thursday 11 June.

Black Egret Gives Hollywood Racing their 850th victory (Pauline Herman Photography)

Hollywood Racing have had two particularly significant wins this week. Wild Clary won in their colours at Newbury on Thursday and Black Egret gave them their 850th winner on the Fairview poly on Friday. Read about the details of the wins below.

International – Wild Clary wins for Hollywood Racing and Barnane Stud at Newbury over 6 furlongs (1200m) in the Tonight’s Super Boost Live At BetVictor Handicap. He was ridden to victory by Sean Levey and is trained by Richard Hannon. This is his 2nd career victory, but first in the silks of Hollywood Racing. Race Replay.

850 – Black Egret shows a good turn of foot and gives Hollywood Racing their 850th lifetime winner. He was ridden to victory by Kyle Strydom and fellow Hollywood Racing runner Stars In Heaven completed the exacta. The son of Rafeef is trained by Juan Nel and was bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein. Race Replay and Interview.

Mark Newnham sends a six-runner team to Sha Tin on Saturday as he attempts to keep pace in the Hong Kong trainers’ title race (HKJC)

Newnham saddles Max Que and Infinite Resolve in competitive Class 2 as championship battle intensifies

By Paul Ryding (HKJC)

Mark Newnham will aim to maintain his trainers’ title challenge when he sends a lean squad of six runners to Sha Tin’s ‘Summer Series’ fixture on Saturday (13 June).

The championship leaders have been finding it increasingly difficult to live with the momentum of Caspar Fownes’ (62 wins) bid for a fifth trainers’ championship. He now sits four wins clear of Newnham’s tally of 58, with Danny Shum in third on 57.

While that trio has broken clear of the pack – Francis Lui is fourth with 51 wins and David Hayes has 50 – Fownes’ relentless progress has seen him pick up winners at each of the last seven meetings, and he’s setting a pace even his closest rivals are struggling to match.

Newnham’s view on the title race last month was that he would “probably run out of bullets before the end of the season”, and that outlook appears to be well-founded; he has presented fewer runners than Fownes and Shum at each meeting in June, and will do so again on Saturday.

Nevertheless, the Australian handler saddles two strong chances in Saturday’s sporting highlight, the Class 2 Peacock Handicap (1600m).

Max Que (124lb), who will be ridden by Alexis Badel and jumps from barrier four, has enjoyed a remarkable season that has seen his rating (86) rise by 32 points since his opening run of the campaign.

“He’s had a great season,” Newnham said. “He started this season in Class 4. He’s worked his way up to be a Class 2 winner. He’s probably going to find the handicap a bit tough now. But he is a good, consistent horse. He’s been a really good horse for the stable all year. It’s just a matter of whether he’s still got one more good run in him.”

The third-year handler also prepares Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) runner-up Infinite Resolve (123lb) in the same race. He will be piloted by the in-form Jerry Chau from gate seven.

“I think the key to him is riding him for a turn of foot,” Newnham said. “His best performances in good grade have been when he’s been ridden that way. He’s placed in the Classic Mile and placed in Class 2 prior to that. So, he’s getting back to a rating where he should be competitive. I think he’s around about his mark now. But he needs to be ridden in a specific way.”

A tough period for two-time champion trainer Hayes has seen his title bid fade. Nevertheless, he’s excited to test an eye-catching two-year-old in the Sunbird Plate (1000m) for Griffins on Saturday.

Jedi Spurs (121lb) advertised his potential with two comprehensive barrier trial wins in May, and though he only arrived in Hayes’ yard in March, the Australian Racing Hall of Famer felt the time was right to send the gelding to the races.

“His trial was good,” Hayes said. “Young horses, you’re always guarded that he handles the occasion of Hong Kong – it’s very different than a trial. But he’s a very promising young horse. If it’s not this season, he’ll be very good next season.

“He’s had a quicker than normal preparation, because there’s only two more races that he could possibly run in. And we’re hoping to run in both.

“He has really good natural speed, and he had enough on the line, but I think he’s come on from the trial,” Hayes added.

Saturday’s (13 June) 11-race ‘Summer Series’ fixture at Sha Tin starts at 4pm with the Sunbird Plate for Griffins (1000m).

Bellerophon looks the most forward runner in the sixth race and can follow up on his last win (JC Photos)

A Pinnacle Stakes event over 2400m and a MR 96 Handicap over 1160m are the two highlights of the Turffontein Standside meeting on Sunday.

In the Pinnacle event Breeze Over is the best weighted runner and will be advantaged by his wide draw of seven out of eight. His problem is he is a front runner but misses the break virtually every race. He then has to come around them so a wide draw will be to his advantage. However, a problem he has in this race is Poet’s Warrior is a frontrunner and there will be competition for the lead. Poet’s Warrior was back to his best when winning three runs ago, although that was in a small field and last time out he was tailed off when fatigued. Bellerophon is officially 4,5kg under sufferance with the best weighted runner Breeze Over. However, in his last three staying races he has won two of them and finished a far from disgraced 8,25 length 8th in the Gr 2 SA Derby. He looks to be a progressive stayer and a bonus is that Mickaelle Michel, who is in high-flying form, gets a 1,5kg gender claim. On the downside he has a tricky draw of eight. Deception Pass is an interesting runner despite being 11kg under sufferance as he is by stamina influence Ideal World out of a Caesour mare and tries a staying trip for the first time. Taxhaven is well drawn and has the ability to pop up. With so many question marks in this race Bellerophon is taken to follow up on his last win.

In the MR 96 Handicap over 1160m Sosuru looks to be a promising sprinter who can rise above his 93 merit rating and he has the highest draw of all, which tends to be the favourable side on the Standside track. Captain Selvie is in fine form and has won his last three races with something in hand, so he can go close again. Xenophon was most disappointing last time at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, but that has turned out to be a strong race and he could bounce back here from a nice high draw. Those are the three that make most appeal.

In the first leg of the Pick 6 the winner could be Master’s Lady who has been knocking on the door for a long time and gets a good opportunity in this uninspiring event. Irish Wilma has finished 7,25 lengths behind Heath House in a three horse field and was 8,65 lengths behind Secretary Bird on debut, so could earn in this line up. Apparition is by Gimmethegreenlight and is a half-sister to a Vercingetorix filly who won on debut. Penny’s Choice could earn here under Mickaelle Michel. Elegant Edge has 4,25 lengths to make up on Master’s Lady but could earn here.

In the next race over 1000m Isaac Stephen was just 2,75 lengths behind Sosaru in his third start and Craig Zackey now takes the ride so he will be a big runner. Kwaito was beaten 10,60 lengths on debut but the winner, Haute Couture, went on to win the Gr 1 Gold Medallion, so he must have a chance in this line up. Berry Lancer can also earn here if able to repeat his last start.

In the fifth race over 1400m Be All You Can Be made a fine debut and looks set to despatch this field from a plum draw. Brave Waam put in a brave front-running effort last time and should have come on from the run, so if able to overcome his wide draw without using up too much energy he could go close in this line up. Jimmy Vega has a form chance of earning here.

In the eight race over 1400m Korcula has the form to go close. Gimmesumluv is usually thereabouts and in this line up must have a chance under Craig Zackey, although she does have to overcome a tricky draw. Beautiful One could also be a contender here from a fair draw.

In the first race Miss Dutton looks to have moderate form at first sight but on collateral formlines she comes out on top of those who have run. Elusive Dragon has beaten Hoc Est Vita before and those two should earn. Rafeef’s Quuen was well beaten on debut but it was against subsequent Gr 1 winner Haute Couture so she could earn. Caladrius only has 1,5 lengths to make up on Miss Dutton on their only meeting. Del’s World is by One World and is a half-sister to the 104-rated Don’t Cry For Me.

In the second over 1000m Snowblade can do well over the trip of his good debut having disappointed over 1600m on Thursday, although he might not run with this race coming just three days later. Mfulathela could go close in this line up. Bisou Bisou makes appeal being by Querari and a half-brother to Gr 1 winner Mighty High and to the Gr 2 winner Gobsmacked.

An aerial view of Aqueduct Racecourse

Farewell, Old Friend: Aqueduct Racetrack Will Pass Into History On June 28

“Aqueduct has been such an amazing blue-collar track and, really, the heart of New York racing,” Former jockey Richard Migliore said

By Brien Bouyea (The Paulick Report)

Richard Migliore made 2,238 trips to the winner’s circle at Aqueduct Racetrack during his 31-year career as a jockey, more than any rider in the track’s storied history.

“Aqueduct was the beginning of everything for me. I went there and knew right away what I wanted to do with the rest of my life,” said Migliore, a 10-time leading rider at the track. “I grew up eight miles away and will never forget going there with my father as a kid. All you’d hear on the train ride was people talking about the daily double at Aqueduct. I fell in love with the place. I fell in love with the sport there – and I’ve been in love with the game ever since.”

Sunday, June 28, will be a bittersweet day for Migliore and millions of fans who have been a part of New York racing history at the track affectionately known as the Big A. Aqueduct Racetrack, which opened its doors to the public on Sept. 27, 1894, will close its doors forever at the conclusion of the June 28 card. The track’s closure will consolidate The New York Racing Association, Inc.’s (NYRA) operations to the new Belmont Park, which will open on Sept. 18, and historic Saratoga Race Course.

Although its time will come to an end, the profound impact of Aqueduct cannot be understated. Its history includes immortals of the American Turf such as Man o’ War, Kelso, Secretariat, Cigar, James “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons, Allen Jerkens, Eddie Arcaro, Angel Cordero, Jr., and countless others. Iconic events, including the Breeders’ Cup and a papal mass, have been held at the Big A. The Belmont Stakes passed through, as did some Hollywood productions, including A Bronx Tale and the famous “Pie-O-My” episode of The Sopranos. It’s been a hell of a run that won’t soon be forgotten.

“I’ve always felt that Aqueduct has been a bit underrated, an underdog track if you know what I mean,” said Migliore who won 4,450 races in his career and is now a television commentator for NYRA’s America’s Day at the Races program. “The best and most knowledgeable fans in the sport that I’ve encountered are typically at Aqueduct. They know the game and they’re tough. They can get on you, but when they do, it’s not without reason. They absolutely understand the nuances of racing and are incredibly passionate about it. Aqueduct has been such an amazing blue-collar track and, really, the heart of New York racing.”

Aqueduct’s origins were humble, especially in comparison to other ancient New York metropolitan tracks such as Jerome Park and Morris Park, which were known for their opulence and high-society patrons. Three men with no previous association to racing – Francis Reilly, a deputy fire chief in Harlem; Thomas Reilly, an Albany lobbyist; and Robert Tucker, a Brooklyn businessman who ran a Sheepshead Bay hotel – were responsible for establishing Aqueduct under the name of the Queens County Jockey Club. They put up $50,000 to lease 23 acres from Nicholas Ryder on farmland that formerly belonged to the old Brooklyn Water Works. The property was home to a conduit that brought water to New York City from the Hempstead Plain on eastern Long Island. Naming the place Aqueduct seemed pretty logical.

The track’s first grandstand was a modest structure with seating for 2,000. Grandeur was not a consideration for the fledgling operation. When Aqueduct opened for racing, Ryder was still growing crops in the infield that he was farming. Originally a six-furlong track, Aqueduct was not initially recognized by The Jockey Club, which was also just recently established and would only sanction tracks that were one mile or more. Aqueduct was therefore designated an “outlaw track.”

Future Hall of Fame trainer James “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons, whose two Triple Crown winners, Gallant Fox and Omaha, both won races at Aqueduct, was among the crowd of about 700 fans and eight bookmakers present for the track’s opening-day card of six races. Sunny Jim, who was 20 years old at the time and just beginning his training career, recalled his initial impressions of Aqueduct years later, saying the track “ … looked like a shanty on stilts, and for a lawn, it had a sort of boardwalk affair.” Spectators standing on the lawn closest to the track positioned themselves on wooden boards so they would not sink into the deep mud.

Somehow, Aqueduct found a way to survive and incrementally grow during its modest early years. Phillip J. Dwyer, president of the Brooklyn Jockey Club, which operated the Gravesend track, led an ownership group that acquired Aqueduct in 1905. Thomas Reilly, who served as Aqueduct’s first president, died the prior year, and Dwyer succeeded him in that role. Dwyer and his partners proceeded to lease and subsequently purchase additional acreage, rebuild the grandstand, and expand the track to 1 ¼ miles. In 1911, after racing in New York was shut down because of antigambling legislation, Gravesend closed and some of its major races were transferred to Aqueduct when racing resumed in 1914. Dwyer remained Aqueduct’s president until his death in 1917. The race formerly known as the Brooklyn Derby was renamed the Dwyer Stakes in 1918.

Man o’ War won a pair of stakes at Aqueduct in 1919 – the Hudson and Tremont – and returned the following year to defeat John P. Grier in the Dwyer before a crowd of 25,000. It was the most difficult race of Man o’ War’s undefeated 3-year-old season of 10 starts. John P. Grier, who set a track record in the Aqueduct Handicap that year, pushed Man o’ War mercilessly through the nine furlongs of the Dwyer, but in the end Man o’ War prevailed by 1 1/2-lengths and stopped the watch in 1:49 1/5, a world record.

One of Aqueduct’s most famous races has been the Carter Handicap, first run in 1895. Originally for 3-year-olds at 1 ¼ miles, it was shortened in 1902 to seven furlongs, at which it has remained. In 1944, the first triple dead-heat in a stakes race occurred in the Carter when Bossuet, Brownie, and Wait a Bit hit the wire simultaneously.

Aqueduct was once again renovated in 1940 – the year pari-mutuel racing was approved in New York – under the leadership of John Cowdin. The track was shortened from 1 ¼ miles to one mile and the Dwyer era grandstand was demolished and rebuilt. Another renovation closed the track from 1956 to 1959. The grandstand was again torn down and an entirely new facility was built. While racing revenues were rising in other states, they were flat at the time in New York. Ashley T. Cole, who oversaw racing in the state at the time, pushed The Jockey Club to produce a solution to the stagnant situation. A committee comprised of Christopher Chenery, Harry Guggenheim, and John Hanes was formed to address the issue. The trio believed New York racing could be bolstered by a modern facility and a small reduction in the state’s take of the track’s revenue.

From this, the Greater New York Association [later renamed The New York Racing Association, Inc.] was formed, and a $47 million loan was obtained. The loan funds allowed the association to purchase the privately held stock of Aqueduct, Belmont, Jamaica, and Saratoga to begin operating those tracks in 1956. Jamaica was sacrificed as part of the restructuring and permanently closed in the summer of 1959 to make way for the upgraded Aqueduct.

On Sept. 14, 1959, after completion of the $34.5 million renovation, Aqueduct reopened to a crowd of 42,473. The new facility featured a four-tier grandstand designed by renowned track architects Arthur Froehlich and Associates of Beverly Hills, California. State-of-the-art for its day, the upgrades included 18 escalators and an elevator, 20,000 seats in the grandstand and another 14,000 in air-conditioned restaurants and lounges. The Associated Press called it “the world’s most modern and luxurious horse plant.” On the opening card, future Hall of Famer Hillsdale won the featured Aqueduct Handicap, defeating Bald Eagle; Bill Shoemaker won the daily double; and Eddie Arcaro won the first turf race. A couple of weeks later, in a battle of future Hall of Famers in the Woodward Stakes, Sword Dancer defeated Round Table. A month after that, Sword Dancer trounced Round Table by seven lengths in the Jockey Club Gold Cup to clinch Horse of the Year honors.

Hall of Famer Kelso, winner of five consecutive Horse of the Year honors [1960 through 1964], earned 20 of his 39 career victories, including four of his five straight wins in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, at Aqueduct. Other legends of the 1960s at Aqueduct included Hall of Famers Buckpasser and Dr. Fager. Buckpasser made a dozen trips to the winner’s circle at the Big A, while Dr. Fager won the Vosburgh, Roseben, and Suburban in 1968 en route to Horse of the Year honors and recognition as Champion Older Horse, Champion Sprinter, and Champion Grass Horse.

More than 48,000 fans paid tribute to “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons at Aqueduct on June 15, 1963, almost 70 years after his appearance there on the track’s opening day in 1894. He was presented a silver tray with the names of all 148 stakes winners he trained during his incomparable career. That same year, Aqueduct played host to the Belmont Stakes for the first of five consecutive editions of the race while Belmont Park was being reconstructed. Quadrangle thwarted Northern Dancer’s Triple Crown bid in 1964 while Amberoid denied Kauai King’s Triple Crown attempt two years later.

Secretariat had a mixed experience at Aqueduct. He finished fourth in his career debut on July 4, 1972, then broke his maiden in a six-length romp 11 days later. He went on to win the Bay Shore and Gotham the following year, then was upset in the Wood Memorial before becoming the first horse in a quarter-century to sweep the Triple Crown. A retirement party for Big Red with 30,000 fans in attendance was held at the Big A on Nov. 6, 1973, prior to the beginning of his stud career at Claiborne Farm.

The second edition of the Breeders’ Cup took place at Aqueduct in 1985. A one-day event at the time, a crowd of 42,568 saw Proud Truth win the Classic. Other highlights of the day included future Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas winning the first two of what would eventually be a remarkable 20 Breeders’ Cup victories for the trainer.

A decade later, Pope John Paul II held mass at Aqueduct. The New York Times noted both the peculiarity of the location and it’s winning traits, reporting, “Not far from the altar, on the edge of most worshipers’ fields of vision, were scoreboards with words and phrases – “odds,” “track conditions” – that betrayed the usual function of the track. But Aqueduct had its advantages as well for the estimated crowd of 75,000. Its oval infield served as a green, immaculately tended meadow that encircled the 300-foot-wide papal platform and flanked it with two man-made lakes. At the center of each was a fountain that sprayed water into the air.”

The year before the Pope’s visit, Cigar was at Aqueduct on Oct. 28, 1994, beginning a 16-race win streak with a seven-length allowance score. He dazzled again a month later, cruising by eight lengths in the NYRA Mile, which was renamed the Cigar Mile upon the retirement of the Bill Mott trainee.

The Wood Memorial has been Aqueduct’s signature spring race and traditionally a key prep for the Kentucky Derby. The race produced three Derby winners in a four-year span in Fusaichi Pegasus [2000], Monarchos [2001], and Funny Cide [2003]. Monarchos and Funny Cide both lost in the Wood before winning the Run for the Roses. First contested in 1925, the Wood has been won by 15 Hall of Fame horses, including 2026 inductee Gulch, who won the 1987 running.

New York City’s first casino opened adjacent to Aqueduct in 2011. A cut of the revenue from the Resorts World video-lottery terminal facility earmarked for NYRA has been integral in elevating purses and investing in facilities at NYRA properties.

Migliore will be among the thousands of fans expected to be in attendance for Aqueduct’s swan song. He will fondly reminisce while also looking forward to New York racing’s new downstate home at Belmont Park.

“I have no doubt the new Belmont is going to be nothing short of magnificent. I can’t wait for racing to begin there because the place is going to be like nothing we’ve ever had before,” Migliore said. “However, that change comes with the price of losing a big piece of our history, but times change. Aqueduct has always been New York City’s racetrack – that’s how I’ll remember it.”

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will say farewell to Aqueduct Racetrack with a memorable Closing Weekend celebration on Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28. For a full listing of onsite activities and to order tickets in advance, please visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/visit/farewell/.