{Thursday, June 30, 2011} KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES By John Piesen

There is always racing fireworks on the July 4 weekend, and this year is no exception, especially on Saturday at Monmouth Park and Belmont Park.

The

{Monday, June 27, 2011} MONMOUTH PARK REPORT Feel That Fire took charge right from the break, leading all the way Sunday to win the $76,350 Blue Sparkler Stakes for fillies and mares at Monmouth Park. A 4-year-old homebred for the Red

{Sunday, June 26, 2011} Summer Soiree rolls in Boiling Springs SUMMER SOIREE (War Front) was all alone in the stretch of Saturday's $155,000 Boiling Springs S. (G3) at Monmouth Park, recording a convincing 8 1/2-length victory in her turf

{Thursday, June 23, 2011} HANDICAPPING INSIGHTS Now that the Triple Crown is in the books, it gives me some time to catch up on some of the other action in the racing world that took a backseat during the last five weeks of racing. Royal

{Monday, June 20, 2011} BELMONT SUNDAY REPORT SMOKIN' HERO WINS NOBLE NASHAU In his first 26 career starts, Smokin Hero had never raced beyond 6 1/2 furlongs and never won beyond six furlongs. Just minutes prior to his first start at a

{Sunday, June 19, 2011} Awesome Maria Much the Best in Ogden Phipps Awesome Maria remained perfect in four starts in 2011 and notched her first grade I win when she kicked away in the stretch to post a three-length victory in the $250,000

{Thursday, June 16, 2011} LOOK BACK ON THE BELMONT
A LOOK AHEAD TO THIS WEEKEND
John Piesen is ready for a summer of winning action at Belmont. As Ruler on

{Wednesday, June 15, 2011} SHACKLEFORD EYES WEST VIRGINIA DERBY It was widely publicized in the week leading up to the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) that trainer Dale Romans was unaware he was in line for a $50,000 bonus if Shackleford won the

{Sunday, June 12, 2011} BELMONT STAKES RECAP Ruler on Ice wasn't allowed to run in the Kentucky Derby because he lacked graded earnings. The 3-year-old gelding won't have to worry about those earnings anymore. Jose Valdivia Jr. followed

{Thursday, June 09, 2011} THE BIG TIME by John Piesen

The big-time jockeys win the big-time races on big-time Saturdays. This has been a handicapping truism since the good old days I was breaking in on the

{Monday, June 06, 2011} Dominguez sweeps New York Stallion Stakes on six-win day Ramon Dominguez joined Jorge Velasquez as one of two jockeys to win six races in a single day at Belmont Park, aided by a sweep of Sunday's New York Stallion

{Sunday, June 05, 2011} SATURDAY AT MONMOUTH Alexandra S. White’s Colony Club sat off the early pace before moving strongly through the lane to wear down pacesetter Ahvee’s Destiny in the $65,000 Fort Monmouth Stakes at Monmouth Park on

{Friday, June 03, 2011} PACE HOLDS THE KEY TO THE BELMONT So what’s the best way to win the Belmont? Whether a Triple Crown is on the line or not, pace strategy and tactics are usually a key element of the Test of the Champion. This is

{Wednesday, June 01, 2011} ON THE  OUTSIDE By John Piesen As a student of post position, permit me this moment to apologize for my selection in the Met Mile on Monday afternoon at Belmont Park.

The mis-selection was particularly untimely because