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In the Olympic annals of Track and Field, for every Jesse Owens and Babe Didrikson there has been a Ben Johnson and Marion Jones. Every hero seemingly can be counterbalanced by an athlete who tested positive for a banned substance or who was suspected to have done so. Two weeks ago when I attended the Prefontaine Classic meet in Oregon, I found my lifelong enthusiasm for this purest of athletic competition somewhat muted by the presence in the 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes of Americans that were competing after having...

by Steve Sherack After switching hands for $2.35 million at last year's FTKNOV sale, jaw-dropping GII Lexus Raven Run S. heroine Taris (Flatter) immediately showed her class in her first start for her new connections with a courageous second following a scorching early pace in the GI La Brea S. at Santa Anita Dec. 26.  The Tabor, Smith and Magnier colorbearer--sidelined immediately thereafter with a non-displaced condylar fracture--is three weeks away from her first timed workout, reports trainer Simon Callaghan.  "We're really happy with her," Callaghan said. "She just got back galloping....

A new contender has emerged for the G1 Ascot Gold Cup in the shape of Ed Dunlop's A Trip To Paris (Ire) (Champs Elysees {GB}). Following some excellent runs this season, including when finishing second to Vent De Force (GB)(Hurricane Run {Ire}) in the G3 Henry II S. at Sandown, connections have decided to supplement the 4-year-old for next Thursdays showpiece. Commenting on his blog at www.eddunlop.com the Newmarket trainer said, "Following hours of deliberation, the decision has been made to supplement Trip To Paris for the Gold Cup on Thursday. This hasn't been an...

Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm's Lea (First Samurai) resurfaces for the first time since a track record-breaking win in February's GI Donn H. in today's GIII Hal's Hope S. at Gulfstream. A Grade III winner on the turf in 2012 for Al Stall, Jr. and twice Grade II-placed the following season, the homebred was transferred to Bill Mott for a 2014 campaign and kicked things off promisingly with a 3 1/4-length success in this race. The chestnut developed a fever in April, however, and failed to resurface for the rest of the...

Drakenstein homebred Inara (SAf) (Trippi) was let go at overlaid odds while facing her elders in the co-featured Paddock S., but got the job done in a blanket finish and earned a berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in the process.  A maiden winner at this track at second asking at this track last June, Inara, a half-sister to the dam of the good stayer Joshua Tree (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) was second at Durbanville Oct. 11 and a respectable fourth in the G2 Choice Carriers Championship here Nov. 8....

There is no stopping Teo Ah Khing's China Horse Club. Hot on the heels of a massive spending spree at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and Parranda (English Channel)'s three-length win in the GIII Marshua's River S. at Gulfstream Park last Saturday, the international venture secured a share in triple Group 1 winner Dissident (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}) according to ANZ Bloodstock News. Trained by Peter Moody, Dissident won the G1 Royal Randwick Guineas, G1 Memsie S. and G1 Makybe Diva S., before incurring a three-month suspension for bleeding when sixth in...

The Inglis Classic Yearling Sale Summer Book got off to a strong start in Sydney yesterday, with the average and median both rising by more than 30%. A total of 136 horses changed hands from 162 offered for a buyback rate of 16%, which was up slightly more than three points from the corresponding session last year. The average jumped 32.6% to A$45,169, while the median was up 35.7% to A$38,000. The gross was down A$496,000 to A$6,143,000, but with 63 fewer offered on the day.  “The team here at...

Last year's G1 Blue Diamond S. heroine Earthquake (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) prepared for a return in the Feb. 28 G1 Oakleigh Plate with an eye-catching trial victory at Cranbourne yesterday. Racing prominently early in the 800-meter heat, Earthquake took a clear lead on the inside rounding the bend and lengthened her advantage to 3 1/2 lengths on the wire under mild hang urging from Chad Schofield. She clocked the 800 meters in :45.79.  Earthquake also won last autumn's G3 Blue Diamond Prelude and G2 Reisling S. prior to finishing second...

A total of 12 Kentucky-based horsemen and horsewomen are 'catalogued' and set to go 'under the hammer' this coming Friday at the Race for Education's eighth Horsemen of All Ages Bachelor Auction, to be held at the Red Mile in Lexington. Among the 'lots' is the TDN's own International Editor Kelsey Riley, who is being sponsored and 'consigned' to the event by the TDN. Other consignors of the dozen bachelors, split evenly among the sexes, include Overbrook Farm, Four Star Sales, WinStar Farm, Casner Racing, Bowling Bloodstock & Vinery Sales,...

Double Diamond Farm's J S Bach (Tale of the Cat) is aiming for a start in Monday's GIII Southwest S. at Oaklwan Park, according to conditioner Todd Pletcher. The colt graduated by 8 1/2 lengths at Gulfstream Park Jan. 17. "He did look good in his last race, and he also ran well his first time, but 5 1/2 furlongs was just a little short for him going out for his first time," said Pletcher. "He definitely found his groove going two turns. He's trained well and we're looking forward to it."

The Meydan Group has announced that it will this year again team up with the Municipal Government of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in South West China, to stage the second running of the Chengdu Dubai International Cup race day. The race meeting, to be held Apr. 3 at Jinma racecourse, in China's Wenjiang District, will be organized under the Emirates Racing Authority's rules of racing--a signatory to the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. Race fields will consist of horses transported from the UAE to Chengdu and shipped back...

Sydney, Australia-based trainer Sam Kavanagh has been informed by Racing NSW that an inquiry will take place after caffeine and cobalt were found in a urine sample taken from the 4-year-old gelding Midsummer Sun (GB) (Monsun {Ger}) after his win in the Gosford Gold Cup Jan. 9. A report issued by Racing NSW stated the cobalt was found “at a mass concentration in excess of 200 micrograms per litre.”  The inquiry will be held once stewards have the result of analysis products taken from Kavanagh's Rosehill stables as well as further stable...