Bobby Flay

A pair of highly touted sophomores returned to make their 4-year-old debuts with mixed results Sunday. First Captain (Curlin), sent off the 4-5 favorite in a seven-furlong allowance at Gulfstream Sunday, looked to have left himself too much to do before making a furious late rally to win by a head in his first start since finishing third in the Curlin S. last summer. The 'TDN Rising Star' and $1.5-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling won last year's GIII Dwyer S. for West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm, Bobby Flay and Woodford Racing...

10th-Gulfstream, $56,000, Alw (C)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 2-27, 4yo/up, 7f, 1:22.19, ft, head. FIRST CAPTAIN (c, 4, Curlin--America {GSW & MGISP, $580,532}, by A.P. Indy) faced a small but competitive field for his 4-year-old debut, including GSWs Trophy Chaser (Twirling Candy) and Dennis' Moment (Tiznow)--the latter also a 'TDN Rising Star'--as well as black-type winners Real Talk (Gemologist) and Hello Hot Rod (Mosler). A 'TDN Rising Star' himself, First Captain was slowest of all out of the stalls, yet kept in touch with the tightly packed field from the back. Nearly...

A pair of highly regarded sophomores of 2021 are on the comeback trail for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey. Courtlandt Farm's homebred Greatest Honour (Tapit--Tiffany's Honour, by  Street Cry {Ire}) was a serious early contender for the GI Kentucky Derby following flashy wins in Gulfstream's GIII Holy Bull S. and GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. last winter. After finishing a flat third as the 4-5 favorite in the GI Curlin Florida Derby Mar. 27, however, McGaughey decided to hit the reset button on the bay. "I wasn't really pleased...

With the 2022 breeding season right around the corner, we will feature a series of breeders' mating plans over the coming weeks. Today we have owner/breeder, chef, and restaurateur Bobby Flay. SUPER ESPRESSO (m, 15, Medaglia d'Oro--Amizette, by Forty Niner), to be bred to Not This Time One of the hottest, proven sires of the new generation. Can infuse natural speed into this regally bred family of Courtly Dee. TIZAHIT (m, 15, Tiznow--Never a No Hitter, by Kris S.), to be bred to Curlin The mare has already produced a...

11th-GP, $60K, Msw, 3yo, 1mT, 5:14 p.m. ET Juddmonte, Winchell Thoroughbreds and Bridlewood Farm's PRINCIPE D'ORO (Medaglia d'Oro), a $650,000 KEESEP yearling and half-brother to 'TDN Rising Star' and GIII Allaire DuPont Distaff Match Series S. heroine Spice Is Nice (Curlin), draws the fence in this grassy debut run for Todd Pletcher. The 7-2 morning-line favorite was bred by B. Flay Thoroughbreds. Pletcher also campaigned the dark bay's dam, the Bobby Flay colorbearer and 'TDN Rising Star' Dame Dorothy (Bernardini) to a win in the 2015 GI Humana Distaff S....

White Hot (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), dam of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), will be bred to superstar stallion Into Mischief in 2022, owner Bobby Flay reported Thursday. "I wanted to take all the guesswork out of it," explained owner Bobby Flay on selecting the Spendthrift stallion. Pizza Bianca is currently at Christophe Clement's Payson Park base in preparation for her 3-year-old season. White Hot was originally a 1,250,000 gns yearling at Tattersalls October in 2014. She never made it to the races, but...

Still riding high from a scintillating victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf with fast-finishing Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), celebrity chef, restaurateur and owner/breeder Bobby Flay joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland Tuesday afternoon. Calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Flay appreciated the significance of winning on racing's biggest stage with a homebred, teased a potential Royal Ascot trip with Pizza Bianca and discussed how he would approach racing's marketing challenges and more. Flay made a huge splash at...

Riding high from a scintillating victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf with his homebred Pizza Bianca, celebrity chef, restaurateur and owner/breeder Bobby Flay joined the TDN Writers' Room.

In the 1997 Breeders' Cup not far away at old Hollywood Park, trainer Christophe Clement made a favorable impression with his first-ever starter at the championships, sending out Allen Paulson's Flag Down (Deputy Minister) to a sound third-place effort behind Chief Bearhart (Chief's Crown) in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. Thirty-nine starters had represented the stable in the 22 years since, each walked back to the barn a defeated animal. You couldn't have faulted the Frenchman if he'd begun to feel a bit like the late Bobby Frankel, who saddled...

The fleet-footed filly Caravel (Mizzen Mast) rides a hot streak into her first try for Graham Motion and first at the highest level in the GI Highlander S. at Woodbine. Bred and raced by her previous trainer Elizabeth Merryman, the gray captured The Very One S. at Pimlico May 14 and followed suit with a win in Monmouth's Goldwood S. June 25. Bobby Flay bought into the filly after that score and she carried his silks to victory in Saratoga's GIII Caress S. July 24. While Merryman remains part-owner, Caravel...

   Lynn Hancock breezed through the Fasig-Tipton sales grounds early Tuesday morning last week, heading for Barn 1 wearing a baseball cap and a smile. After a long stretch of days running a successful consignment at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearlings Sale, Stone Farm's Director of Racing and Sales had enjoyed a night of celebration when her consignment sold the highest-priced yearling of the auction's first session. "I didn't want to get out of bed this morning, but the horses needed fed," she said with a grin, nodding toward the...

By Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis The 100th anniversary of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearlings Sale, delayed a year due to the global pandemic, kicked off with a lively session of trade at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion Monday evening. "It was a very solid opening session of the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. "It was certainly a very healthy market. It was very similar and reminiscent of the 2019 marketplace. Overall, we are off to a very good start." A colt by Uncle Mo brought...