It was part homecoming and part wake for the extended New England racing family, which turned out in force to write the final chapter in the history of Suffolk Downs as live racing reached the finish line at the 84-year-old landmark June 30. 

Ronald Kirk, John Bates, and Michael Riordan’s 9-year-old veteran Are You Kidding Me split horses and bested four rivals in the Dominion Day Stakes (G3) June 30 at Woodbine, earning the ninth graded stakes win of his career.

Terry Lovingier said he would have been happy if homebreds Phantom Boss and Cholula Lips finished in the top three of their races June 29 at Churchill Downs, but the California-breds made it a bumper weekend.

Peter Brant’s Fifty Five will venture out of New York state for the first time in over two years, bringing a four-race win streak with her to Parx Racing’s $200,000 Dr. James Penny Memorial Stakes (G3T) July 2.

Terry Lovingier said he would have been happy if homebreds Phantom Boss and Cholula Lips finished in the top three of their races June 29 at Churchill Downs, but the California-breds made it a bumper weekend.

Jockey landed the Women Jockeys’ World Cup at Bro Park

Japan’s Master Fencer has remained in New York following his stateside bid in Triple Crown races and will now take aim at the July 6 Belmont Derby Invitational (G1T), the first race in the New York Racing Association’s inaugural Turf Triple.

Trainer Chad Brown believes it may be time for a different challenge for the 5-year-old mare Uni.

California raider One Bad Boy caught a flier from the gate and never looked back June 29 at Woodbine, taking the $1 million Queen’s Plate with a game frontrunning effort.

Matalona Thoroughbreds’ homebred Stormy Embrace was favored to defend her title in the June 29 $250,000 Princess Rooney Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

My Mertie out-finished the odds-on favorite, Hotshot Anna, to win the Chicago Handicap (G3) June 29 over the Arlington International Racecourse all-weather course as locally trained runners prevailed against invaders from Kentucky and Indiana.

Klein Racing’s homebred Will Call, co-owned by Madaket Stables, died June 29 after crossing the finish line in Churchill Downs’ ninth race.

Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer says that he has been informed that any horses entered under his name at New York Racing Association (NYRA) tracks will be scratched and not allowed to run.

A return to graded company proved the proper course of action for Peter Brant’s Dunbar Road, who defeated five other sophomore fillies to earn her first stakes score in the $250,000 Mother Goose (G2) June 29 at Belmont Park. 

Freshman American Pharoah’s journey to becoming a successful stallion passed two significant milestones June 29 as he posted a first stakes performer in Ireland and then a breakthrough group winner in France within hours of each other.

Two years after winning the Queen’s Plate, Stronach Stables’ homebred Holy Helena returned to Woodbine June 29 to capture the US$149,706 Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T) over seven other fillies and mares in the 1 1/4-mile grass test.

Sovereign, sent off at 33-1, landed the biggest race in the Irish flat calendar June 29, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (G1), for miracle man Padraig Beggy, who won the Investec Derby (G1) in 2017 on 40-1 shot Wings of Eagles.

Last year’s runner-up Coronet attempts to go one better in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1) June 30, in which the John Gosden-trained mare and stablemate Lah Ti Dar feature among five British-trained runners in the seven-strong field.

Pin Oak Stable’s homebred Synchrony took home his sixth graded win June 29 in the US$136,606 King Edward Stakes (G2T) over one mile on the Woodbine turf.