Archive

Let Em Shine set hot splits before fading to third over the Betfair Hollywood Park Cushion Track Dec. 15, but he certainly wasn’t stopping this time. Backed down to 9-5 favoritism with a Jan. 11 five-furlong bullet over the strip in :58 4/5 on display, the bay zipped to the lead and quickly opened up,...

Demonic’s reputation preceded him coming into this debut, and he was backed down to even-money off a strong local worktab, accentuated by a six-furlong bullet (1/21) in 1:12 flat over the strip Jan. 4. Allowed to lope along in mid-pack in the early going while kept out in the clear, the handsome newcomer ranged up...

Calistoga, produced by a winning full-sister to GI Kentucky Derby hero Giacomo (Holy Bull) and a half-sister to MGISW Tiago (Pleasant Tap), looked like the real deal in her Gulfstream Park unveiling here. The 9-2 chance wasn't quite the quickest of all to exit the gate, but nontheless found herself leading the way under her...

A $725,000 KEESEP yearling acquisition, Tapicat debuted as the favorite in a six-furlong test over the Belmont main track Oct. 28 and gave a solid accounting of herself, finishing third. The long-barreled chestnut found herself on a van bound for South Florida soon after and recorded a four-furlong bullet at Payson Park just 16 days...

Let’s Go Stable and Todd Pletcher rode El Padrino (Pulpit), GSW, $326,770, all the way to last year’s GI Kentucky Derby, and the tandem looks to have another nice one on their hands for this year’s Classics in the form of his younger half-brother Verrazano. The bay was working well at Palm Meadows for his...

Ore Pass, looking to become the seventh winner for his ill-fated freshman sire (by Cherokee Run), had been training promisingly at Fair Hill and went postward at 9-2. The dark bay colt cruised along on the front end through a :45.85 half while facing some mild pressure. He gave himself some breathing room entering the...

The wild popularity of Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire})–retired after earning the 2010 Horse of the Year title–ensured that her little sister Eblouissante would attract attention, and the nearly black filly had over 3,000 Facebook fans before trainer John Shirreffs finally deemed her ready to face the starter. She was 4-1 on the morning-line, and though...

Unlimited Budget was sent off at odds of 7-1, double her morning-line quote, largely owing to the presence of Brilliant Jewel (A.P. Indy), who earned a monster 92 Beyer Speed Figure for her debut runner-up effort behind Cue the Moon (Malibu Moon), who returned to just miss in the GIII Tempted S. last Sunday. Hustled...

Blonde Fog tuned up for this unveiling with a bullet four-furlong drill at Santa Anita Oct. 22 in :46 1/5 and was let go at 6-1, despite coming from the powerhouse Bob Baffert stable. The bay filly outsprinted the field to grab the early lead and was well in hand while setting fractions of :23.59...

Console was pegged at 20-1 for his belated debut over six furlongs of the Kentucky Downs turf course Sept. 10, but was made the 3-1 chalk and for good reason. The homebred was fastest away, put 10 lengths on his rivals in the stretch and the final margin of victory of 2 1/4 lengths told...

Z Big Apple was a $50,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $250,000 OBS April juvenile after zipping an eighth of a mile in :10 1/5 over the SafeTrack surface. His works whispered–more than they screamed–ready for this debut, and the athletic chestnut proved best here at 6-5. Ridden away from the gate by Rafael Bejarano, he...

IEAH Stables purchased this first-crop son of their GI Kentucky Derby-winning sire for $220,000 out of the 2011 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, and turned him over to Ciaran Dunne to be prepared for the winter's under-tack sales. The athletic bay colt breezed an eighth of a mile in :10 1/5 for this year's Fasig-Tipton Florida sale...