Aqueduct

4th-BAQ, $85k, Msw, 3yo/up, 1mT, 2:43 p.m. ET The final few weeks of racing in the history of Aqueduct kick off Thursday following a 17-day break in the action for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. The afternoon's turf maiden features Juddmonte homebred AUTHORITATIVE (Kingman {GB}), a maternal grandson of GSW & MGISP Filimbi (Mizzen Mast), whose five winners from five to face the starter includes GIII West Virginia and Indiana Derby winner and GI Pennsylvania Derby third Dragoon Guard (Arrogate). Daughters of the GI Kentucky Oaks-winning third dam Flute (Seattle...

This week's rankings are topped by another filly coming out of 'TDN Rising Star' Mashallah's (Maxfield) scintillating debut victory at Keeneland. 5. NATIONAL CHARTER, CD, 5/23-6th, 1 mile (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-86 (c, 3, by Constitution--Totally Tucker, by Elusive Quality) O-BBN Racing. B-Woodford Thoroughbreds (Ky). T-Rusty Arnold. J-Luis Saez. Especially in hindsight, it was a positive that National Charter was a 5/2 favorite at Keeneland in his debut. The $200,000 yearling was only so-so in defeat that day, but apparently needed a race to get his bearings--he ran 10 lengths...

The New York Backstretch Employees Pension Trust has a bit of a "well-kept secret" shroud to it. Even longtime Thoroughbred owners who compete on the New York Racing Association (NYRA) circuit are sometimes unaware that a pension fund exists for the backstretch workers, and that 2% of the purses at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course are invested toward the retirements of the people who provide daily, hands-on care for horses. Despite the under-the-radar nature of the fund, those who oversee it are continually trying to make sure...

1st-BAQ, $85K, Msw, 2yo, (S), 5f, 1:10p.m. Life Is Good is represented by a pair of juveniles, including Repole Stable's BEACH LIFE. Bred by Thirty Year Farm, the New York-bred brought $350,000 at last year's Keeneland September Sale. The filly by Achalaya (Bellamy Road) is a half-sister to multiple Grade I-winning turf horse Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed). Trained by Todd Pletcher, the firster will be ridden by Johnny Velazquez. The WinStar stallion is also represented by Twice the Life, out of C'Est La Vie (Medaglia d'Oro). The Jeremiah Englehart-trained filly...

Last week's maiden races produced yet another budding Juddmonte star plus a potential Royal Ascot candidate. 5--MOVIE NIGHT, CD 2, 5-16, 6f Beyer Speed Figure- 84 (video) (f, 3, Speightstown--Savvy Star, by Medaglia d'Oro) O/B-WinStar Farm (Ky); T-Will Walden; J-Luan Machado. As she charged to the quarter pole with an eye-catching rally, her second start looked eerily similar to her runner-up debut at Keeneland--sloppy track and all. But she caught a much softer field last week and stormed away by eight lengths at 3-5 odds with a Beyer one point...

HIGHGROVE (Frosted--Bell Court, by Street Sense), who as an 'Insight' runner went off as the 2-1 second choice here, fired out of the blocks and proceeded to make every pole a winning one through the top of the lane. The filly clearly had more left in the tank and she went on to graduate by 2 1/2 lengths over fellow first-time starter Long Term Market (McKinzie). The 'Insighted' Run Wild (Gun Runner) finished fourth. The second to the races for her dam, the winner has a yearling half-brother by Loggins...

In horse racing, an exceptionally fast race will often involve not just a speedy winner, but others who run faster than usual trying to keep up. That phenomenon arises again in this week's list of fast females, featuring six horses from three races. 6--IRISH MAXIMA, BAQ, May 9, Ruffian Stakes-GII, 1m Beyer Speed Figure- 90 (video) (m, 5, Maximus Mischief--Palace Pier, by Out of Place) O-Irish Three Racing; B-Pillar Property Services (Ky); T-John Servis; J-Frankie Pennington. Once again, Irish Maxima proved that when she shakes loose to a clear early...

4th-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, 5f, post time: 6:27 p.m. ET CUT THROAT should have his fair share of admirers to get first-crop sire Cyberknife (Gun Runner) off to a flying start with his first runner. A half-brother to the stakes-placed Arman (Bolt d'Oro) and April Vintage (Vino Rosso), the February-foaled chestnut is out of an unraced half-sister to SW & MGSP Two Thirty Five (Stay Thirsty). The deeper female family includes Eclipse Award-winning juvenile filly Halfbridled (Unbridled). Cut Throat breezed an eighth of a mile in :10 flat at this...

Directive (Gun Runner), now with the experience of a start under her belt, made the most of her second start against an over-matched field of experienced maidens. Second going 6 1/2 furlongs on the local track Apr. 3, Thursday's 1-5 favorite had to contend with a muddy track but took advantage of her early speed to keep her face clean while largely left alone through fractions of :23.08 and :46.20. 18-1 longshot Moonlit (Daredevil), the other second-time starter in the field, did well to keep pace into the stretch but...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Sandtrap at Aqueduct. Lope De Vega Fillies Capture Aqueduct Affairs Named a TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard in her Salisbury debut for Ralph Beckett in September of 2024, Sandtrap (Lope De Vega) made her American bow a winning one at Aqueduct on April 18 (video). Trained by Chad Brown, the daughter of Zindaya (More Than Ready) races for Bridlewood Farm. Bred by...

1st-AQU, $80k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 1:10p.m. ET Hailing from a branch of the female line which yielded 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' MGISW Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), Okefenokee (Maxfield) will be unveiled in the Aqueduct opener for trainer Tom Morley. Sharing a name with an ecologically rich swampland that spans Georgia and Florida, as well as being a beloved stomping ground for a certain Adams family, the $375,000 Keeneland September purchase enters this debut with a healthy worktab over the training track at Belmont Park. In...

Michelle Cuozzo Borisenok has been elected as the new president of the New York Race Track Chaplaincy, the organization's chairman Terry Finley announced Thursday. Celebrating its 40th year of service to the New York backstretch community, the Chaplaincy was previously headed by Hall of Fame jockey Ramon Dominguez, who will remain as a board member. "It is hard to adequately convey the countless ways Ramon Dominguez helps our organization thrive and we are thrilled that he has agreed to stay involved as a member of our board of directors," Finley...