Blood-Horse

By anyone's standards, Jose Ortiz had an outstanding week, posting a remarkable 16 wins from 40 mounts and earning his second leading rider title at Churchill Downs with 63 wins.

Racing 1 1/4 miles and catching a field with a fair amount of pace, the July 4 Suburban Stakes (G2) would appear to be a no-excuse spot for Locked.

Alice Haynes' stable star Cairo, who finished a career-best third at Royal Ascot in the Queen Anne Stakes (G1) June 17 at odds of 100-1, is set to spend the rest of the summer in the United States with some ambitious targets on his agenda.

As July 4 approaches, America's Best Racing has compiled a schedule of this week's racing on radio and television.

After finishing second best to a filly in his first start in a stakes, Blinging It Back will try again—this time strictly against the boys.

As much as the New York Racing Association is offering three graded turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies, the leader of that division could be one-and-done in the series.

Zulu Kingdom, whose only defeat in six career starts came in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T), looks like an odds-on favorite in the $200,000 Manila Stakes (G3T) for 3-year-olds July 4 at Saratoga Race Course.

Maiden Watch: Week of June 23-29

Fasig-Tipton announced July 1 that it will implement changes to the format of the under tack show at next year's Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. These changes include eliminating timed workouts and restricting whip use.

Last year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) winner Starlust has been retired from racing and will enter quarantine this week in preparation for traveling to Australia where he will take up stallion duties at Riverstone Lodge Stud in New South Wales.

Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races has announced a 10% purse increase starting in the upcoming condition book, made possible by the passage of West Virginia Senate Bill 75. Charles Town will also add three additional race days.

A total of nine wildcards have been added to the Tattersalls July Sale that runs July 8-10, and the cohort is headed by Criterium de Saint-Cloud (G1) runner-up Green Storm.

The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit announced July 1 that Dr. Mary Scollay, HIWU's chief of science, has retired from full-time duties, effective immediately. HIWU will now transition under the leadership of Dr. Michael Hardy.

The Lexington leg of the Real Rider Cup welcomed 30 horse and rider combinations, along with hundreds of spectators, to New Vocations at Mereworth Farm on June 28 for an evening of lively competition and entertainment.

The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund announced July 1 that president and fundraising director Nancy LaSala has retired and stepped down from its board.

Winchell Thoroughbreds and trainer Steve Asmussen will attempt to have the exacta again in the $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3) July 5 as Red Route One and Unload return to the 1 1/8-mile contest this year.

Following a victory against top competition in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs June 28, Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables' Mindframe is the new No. 1 in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Top Thoroughbred Poll.

Viewers watching any of the broadcasts the New York Racing Association produces for FOX are sure to be struck by Acacia Clement's expertise, self-assuredness, and vivacious personality. They would never imagine she was once a shy child.

Excuse the redundancy, but it's the test for the Test.

The List: An Update and Review of the Top 25 General Sires List Rankings