By admin 
July 20 (UPI) — Baby Vino upset some of this year’s major Triple Crown players in the Grade I Haskell, while last year’s Preakness winner, Journalism, got back to winning ways in California in weekend horse racing highlights.
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Also, trainer Chad Brown enjoyed another banner day on the East Coast turf.
Classic
A few Triple Crown also-rans had the chance to work their way back into the 3-year-old championship picture in Saturday’s $1 million Grade I Haskell at Monmouth Park.
Instead, it was the unheralded Baby Vino, fresh off his maiden win two starts back and making his first stakes start, who outfinished Preakness Stakes winner Napoleon Solo by 1/2 length after a spirited stretch battle.
It was another 3 1/2 lengths back to Iron Honor, the Preakness runner-up. The favorite, beaten Kentucky Derby favorite Further Ado, finished fifth and Ocelli, third in the Kentucky Derby, reported last and remains winless after 10 starts.
Baby Vino, by Vino Rosso, took five tries to break his maiden during the Oaklawn Park meeting. In his first start at Monmouth, he jetted off down the stretch to win the Pegasus Stakes by 10 3/4 lengths.
It would not be totally fair to cross him off the list for honors consideration, as Baby Vino’s victory carried a “Win and You’re In” ticket for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Halloween at Keeneland.
Trainer Lindsay Schultz wasn’t eager to discuss the Breeders’ Cup — or even the Grade I Travers at Saratoga on Aug. 29 for Baby Vino.
Among the older set:
Journalism showed he’s still clicking with a last-to-first victory in Saturday’s $300,000 Grade II San Diego at Del Mar. The 2025 Preakness winner started with a very awkward start. He closed the gap heading for the stretch turn, challenged through the lane and won by 3/4 length over Shea Brennan.
With Umberto Rispoli riding for trainer Mike McCarthy, Journalism ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.65. It was his first win of 2026, following thirds in both the Oaklawn Handicap and Met Mile.
Knightsbridge, the odds-on favorite, led from the start in Saturday’s $350,000 Grade III Monmouth Cup, kicked away in the stretch and won by 10 1/4 lengths. Money Game was second and Skippylongstocking third.
On Sunday at Woodbine, Highwaytothemoon, a Ransom the Moon gelding, staged a mild upset in the $200,000 (Canadian) Plate Trial, edging Imyourmedicineman by 1 length.
Distaff
Splendora had no trouble justifying her odds-on status in Saturday’s $500,000 Grade II Molly Pitcher at Monmouth Park. Leading from the git-go, the 5-year-old Audible mare extended the advantage through the stretch to win by 5 1/2 lengths from Lost Horizon, with Nerazurri third.
Splendora, with Flavien Prat riding for trainer Bob Baffert, completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.75. Winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare sprint, she has successfully conquered two-turn racing and now has seven wins from her last eight starts.
Odds-on favorite Luster easily handled six rivals in Sunday’s $500,000 (Canadian) Woodbine Oaks, kicking away down the stretch to win by 5 1/2 lengths over Dixie Law. With John Velazquez up for trainer Josie Carroll, the Knicks Go filly ran 1 1/8 miles on the all-weather track in 1:50.99.
Miss Authentic rallied from next-last of seven to capture Saturday’s $100,000 Maggie L. Walker Stakes at Colonial Downs by a neck over Waveless.
Sprint
Reigning Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion Book’em Danno won Friday’s $200,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes at Monmouth Park with his usual stretch-running effort, putting away Quint’s Brew by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:09.37.
Trainer Derek Ryan said a title defense in the Grade 1 Forego at the Spa is on the agenda as a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Banishing won Saturday’s $175,000 Jeff Hall Memorial at Ellis Park by 1 length over Dreaminblue.
Filly & mare sprint
Kilwin won Sunday’s $175,000 Twin Bridges Stakes at Ellis Park and Echo Sound took Saturday’s $100,000 Regret at Monmouth Park.
Filly & mare turf
What’s three times 1-2-3 with a total of 11? Why, that’s trainer Chad Brown’s record in Saratoga’s prestigious Diana Stakes. When Brown’s horses finished first, second and third in Saturday’s $500,000 Grade I renewal with KathynMarissa leading the parade, it was the third time the trainer had filled out the trifecta and his overall 11th win.
Kathynmarissa, a 5-year-old American Pharoah mare, won by 1 length. It was another 2 1/4 lengths to Portfolio Duration in third. Brown also sent out Dynamic Pricing, who finished fifth.
About his sweep of the placings, as usual, Brown deflected credit to his staff and assistants. But the Diana was far from the end of the Brown barn’s weekend achievements.
Grayosh, another from the Brown barn, won Saturday’s $300,000 Grade III Winstar Matchmaker at Monmouth Parkby win by 1 length over Long Ago.
Also, Somerset West won Saturday’s $200,000 Grade II San Clemente at Del Mar at odds of 35-1 and Vina Arana took Sunday’s $200,000 (Canadian) Grade II Nassau at Woodbine.
Turf
Yet another Brown trainee, Program Trading, came from off the pace to win Saturday’s $500,000 Grade II United Nations at Monmouth Park by 2 3/4 lengths. It was Brown’s record seventh U.N. victory and second straight.
Brown said it would be a tight turnaround, but Program Trading might go to the 1 1/2-miles, Grade I Christophe Clement Turf on Aug. 15 at the Spa, a Breeders’ Cup Turf “Win and You’re In.”
Turf sprint
The 2025 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner, Cy Fair, overcame yielding turf to win Saturday’s $225,000 Grade III Coronation Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga and trainer George Weaver said he wouldn’t be afraid to send her against males again in October’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Also, Learntodiscover won Sunday’s $225,000 Grade III Quick Call at Saratoga, G T Five Hundred upset Sunday’s $200,000 (Canadian) Grade II Connaught Cup at Woodbine and Souper Quest took Saturday’s off-the-turf $100,000 Wolf Hill Stakes at Monmouth Park.
Turf mile
Proletariat got the Del Mar summer stakes program off to a flying start with a 5 3/4-length victory in Friday’s $150,000 Caesar’s Sportsbook Oceanside Handicap for 3-year-olds.
And One More Time led throughout Friday’s $150,000 De La Rose Stakes at Saratoga, turned back challengers in deep stretch and won by 1 1/4 lengths as the favorite.
Around the world, around the clock
Ireland
Johanna Walsh, backed by the surging team of Joseph Patrick O’Brien and Dylan Browne McMonagle, did some surging of her own in Saturday’s Group 1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks.
The Sea the Stars filly got going from mid-pack while passing the 3-furlong marker and found none of the nine rivals able to go with her. At the end of the 1 1/2 miles, she was out front by 4 lengths, with Inis More second and Sparan Nua third.
The outcome was even more remarkable, as Johanna Walsh originally was the stable’s second string. O’Brien removed Epsom Oaks winner Thundering On on Saturday morning with an eye to the future. He also saddled Rebel Moon, who finished fourth.
The Aidan O’Brien team of Amelia Earhart, Beautify, Cameo, Composing and Sugar Island finished fifth and seventh through 10th, respectively.
The Coolmore forces took another hit in the Group 2 GAIN Railway Stakes for 2-year-olds as Celeron and Tribeca finished 1-2, and the O’Brien trainee and race favorite, Confucius, settled for third with a late rally.
Joseph Patrick O’Brien was back in the Curragh winner’s enclosure after Sunday’s Group 2 Curragh Cup, but not with the favorite Al Riffa. Instead, it was Trustyourinstinct outfinishing the Donnacha O’Brien-trained Happy Pharoah by 3/4 length at the end of the 1 3/4 miles, with Al Riffa third.
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This story was originally published July 20, 2026 at 7:25 AM.