Al Gold

GI Preakness Stakes winner Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map) has been sold to ESPOIR USA, Inc. for an undisclosed amount, according to a report by the Daily Racing Form's David Grening. Previously owned by Al Golds's Gold Square LLC, the two-time Grade I winner will remain with trainer Chad Summers who told Grening, "Very appreciative of everything that Al did to get us to this point. It's going to feel awkward putting different blinkers and different silks on him, but Napoleon's still Napoleon and we're excited to make him champion 3-year-old...

LIGHTS OUT LENI (Speightstown) was well-backed by the betting public as the 6-5 favorite for her debut here. The filly meant business at the bell and proceeded to make every pole a winning one through the top of the lane. Making the most of her unveiling, the 3-year-old sailed home a no-doubt graduate for Al Gold. Directive (Gun Runner) was the runner-up. The winner's dam is responsible for 2-year-old colt Sultan of Swing (Justify) and a yearling filly by Yaupon. A half-sister to GI TVG Acorn Stake heroine Sweet Reason...

Gold Square LLC's Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map), who suffered his first career defeat when beaten nearly 12 lengths into fifth behind Commandment (Into Mischief) in the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes on Feb. 28, worked five-eighths of a mile in :59.65 (1/2) at Palm Meadows Thursday. "He worked well," said Gold Square's Al Gold between races at Gulfstream Park. "We're looking forward to his next race. We don't know yet where it's going to be." Last year's GI Champagne Stakes winner was off awkwardly in the Fountain of Youth,...

Unbeaten Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map), unraced since a powerhouse, front-running victory in the GI Champagne S. at the Big A Oct. 4, is gearing up for his sophomore debut. The Gold Square colorbearer has posted four workouts for Chad Summers at Palm Meadows this winter, including a four-furlong bullet in :48 (1/19) Thursday. "He's doing well," owner Al Gold said. "The plan is either the (GII Coolmore) Fountain of Youth (at Gulfstream) or the (GIII) Gotham (at Aqueduct) on Feb. 28 or the (GIII) Tampa Bay Derby Mar. 7." The...

5th-AQU, $85K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 2:10 p.m. ET. OTTINHO (Quality Road) is out of Quiet Giant (Giant's Causeway), who is famously known for producing one of the top sires of this age in Gun Runner (by Candy Ride {Arg}). The first-time starter and Three Chimneys homebred--sent to trainer Chad Brown--counts among his extended female family GISW Funtastic (More Than Ready) and MGSW Lull (War Front). A stablemate of Ottinho, Up Yonder (Curlin) heads to the post for owner Jeff Drown. The $500,000 Keeneland September grad is out of a winning...

Gold Square's Napoleon Solo (c, 2, Liam's Map--Atomic Blonde, by Scat Daddy), a very sharp debut winner of an auction-restricted maiden special weight sprinting at Saratoga Aug. 8, put on a dominating display in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Champagne S. going a one-turn mile at the Belmont at the Big A meeting. Sent to the front by Joel Rosario over a surface playing very kindly to speed, the 6-1 chance cleared from his outside draw and led through fractions of :22.53 and :44.24 with imposing 2-5 favorite It's...

When Iowa-bred Cyclone State (McKinzie) breaks out of the starting gate for Saturday's $1.5-million G3 Saudi Derby, part of the Saudi Cup undercard at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh, odds are that the loudest cheers will be emanating from halfway across the world at the Iowa State University (ISU) Equine Farm. That is where the colt, bred by Allen Poindexter, was born on April 29, 2022. It's an evening foaling that Nikki Ferwerda, a faculty member of the ISU Animal Science department and manager of the university's equine facilities, still...

RIYADH, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA -- Owner Al Gold knows that you can't win if you don't play, and the New Jersey native has not one, but two cracks at a nice payday on Saturday's Saudi Cup undercard at King Abdulaziz Racecourse here in Riyadh. Gold, who did not make the trip over to Saudi Arabia, but will be watching from the comfort of his winter home in Florida, campaigns Cyclone State (McKinzie) in partnership with George Messina and Michael Lee, as the $70,000 Keeneland September yearling looks to extend...

Just one week removed from a victory in the GI Franklin-Simpson Stakes by Howard Wolowitz (Munnings), Al Gold's Gold Square LLC was again front and center in top-level competition when Full Count Felicia (War Front) kept up a relentless gallop beneath Kazushi Kimura and proved not for catching in Saturday's GI E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine. Intent on securing the front, even given the presence of the fleet-footed defending champion Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}), the $85,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic breezer was already well clear rounding...

Gold Square's Air of Defiance (c, 2, Quality Road--Faypien, by Ghostzapper) ran to the money with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance for trainer Brad Cox at second asking at Keeneland Wednesday. Drawn wide in post 10, the 3-5 favorite was away in good order and forced the issue while three deep through an opening quarter in :22.62. Racing out in the five path, he hit front approaching the top of the stretch and took off impressively from there to score by six widening lengths over Nyquist Frequency (Nyquist). Air of...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. After working in company with his elder graded stakes-placed stablemate Slip Mahoney (Arrogate) in an Aug. 19 move for trainer Brad Cox over the Oklahoma training track, there was plenty of chatter behind Air of Defiance (c, 2, Quality Road--Faypien, by Ghostzapper) heading into his Saratoga debut. Despite proving no match for the jaw-dropping 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) across Union Ave. six days later,...

After traveling the GI Kentucky Derby trail through the first half of this year with MGISW Cyberknife (Gun Runner), Al Gold's Gold Square and Brad Cox took the first step down the long road to the 2023 Derby Saturday at Churchill Downs, winning the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. with Instant Coffee (Bolt d'Oro). Rallying to victory on debut going seven panels at Saratoga Sept. 3, the $200,000 KEESEP buy came from way out of it to be fourth behind next-out GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and likely champion Forte (Violence)...