Brendan Walsh

Each of the three graded stakes contested on FallStars Friday at Keeneland earned the winners a fees-paid berth into their respective races at the Breeders' Cup meeeting Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, and the horses' connections indicated that it's all systems go for Del Mar in four weeks' time. 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Tommy Jo (Into Mischief) crossed the line second in the GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes, but was elevated to the victory by the stewards, who ruled that she was interfered with by Percy's Bar (Upstart) seriously...

The 35th running of the GII Jessamine Stakes--a 'Win and You're In' race for the GI John Deere Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar--was the graded coming out party for Imaginationthelady (Not This Time--Romanticism, by War Front) who punched her ticket to the seaside oval at the end of the month and the filly also led a Not This Time Trifecta for her sire at Keeneland on Friday. A $300,000 Keeneland September buy, the juvenile broke her maiden by 1 1/2 lengths at first asking over the Kentucky...

BENSALEM, PA -- Heading into a mouthwatering renewal of Saturday's $1-million GI Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing, Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro), Scottish Lassie (McKinzie) and La Cara (Street Sense) had combined to win no fewer than five Grade I contests over the course of the last 11 months. But when all was said and done, it was the far less-exposed and extremely well-backed Clicquot (Quality Road), who took over in the final furlong and went on to a narrow victory over Dry Powder (Gun Runner) and Ourdaydreaminggirl (Instagrand) as the...

The cars scooting along on the nearby Pennsylvania Turnpike may have little from a speed standpoint on Saturday's GI Pennsylvania Derby in Northeast Philly, as the pace looks to be very much on and that could help those with stalking or closing ability in the final age-restricted Grade I of the season around two turns. But make no mistake: speed has been king--by and large--in the $1-million contest over the past dozen years or so. The Bob Baffert-trained Bayern (Offlee Wild)--next-out winner of a much-discussed GI Breeders' Cup Classic--future champion...

5th-Churchill Downs, $122,025, Msw, 9-13, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10.55, ft, 3/4 length. BARACCA (f, 2, Oscar Performance--Shop Again {SW, $122,274}, by Wild Again) belied odds of 8-1 to score a good-looking victory while making her career debut sprinting over the main track at Churchill Downs Saturday afternoon. Away smartly from a wide gate, the $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase was content to force the pace from the outside through an opening quarter in :22.52. With 3-2 favorite Frolicking (Not This Time) warming up to the task three deep approaching the...

4th-BAQ, $85K, Msw, 2yo, 6fT, 2:37 p.m. ET. A $500,000 grad from the Fasig-Tipton October Yearling sale, FOURTH DIMENSION (Not This Time) makes his first start for Wathnan and trainer Bill Mott. Initially going for $200,000 during Keeneland January, the dark bay is out of Aureum (Medaglia d'Oro), who was a 220,000gns purchase at the 2021 Tattersalls July sale by Blandford Bloodstock. Aureum--who also produced current filly 3-year-old in-training Loveontheleftbank (Invincible Spirit {Ire})--is herself a half-sister to MGISP Nemoralia (More Than Ready), the dam of GII Lake Placid Stakes heroine...

5th-Kentucky Downs, $180,800, Msw, 9-4, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:34.74, fm, 1 1/2 lengths. IMAGINATIONTHELADY (f, 2, Not This Time--Romanticism, by War Front) was the most well-regarded first-time starter in the field, going off as the 3-1 second choice behind 2-1 favorite and second-time starter Market Chill (Not This Time). Forwardly placed from her outside gate under Flavien Prat, she pressed the tempo wide of Paris Twilight (City of Light) past the half-mile pole in :46.44. Once given her head with less than a quarter to run, Imaginationthelady spurted clear with...

9th-ELP, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1mT, 4:42 p.m. ET. TRUST ACCOUNT (Into Mischief) is set to be unveiled after going for $1.5-million to the Heider Family during Keeneland September. Sent to trainer Brendan Walsh, the filly is out of GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf champ Shared Account (Pleasantly Perfect), who also produced GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Sharing (Speightstown). This dam counts as half-sisters Canadian GSW Colonial Flag (Pleasant Tap) and GSW Sparkle Blue (Hard Spun). Also headed to the gate for the first time is...

Velocity is defined as the speed of an object going in a given direction, and the aptly named Velocity (Nyquist) proved to be moving fastest as she snuck up the fence to post a monster 35-1 upset in the GI Del Mar Oaks. A photo finish specialist with two victories by a combined margin of barely half a head, the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners colorbearer came into the race with a nose victory July 20 over this course against optional claiming company. She'd tried graded company for the first time two...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is sending a strong contingent to Saratoga Race Course for Travers Day next Saturday. But he won't have a runner in the marquee event, the GI DraftKings Travers Stakes. Baffert said Wednesday that he is keeping 'TDN Rising Star' Goal Oriented (Not This Time) in California. He had originally been planning on shipping the lightly raced colt East but nixed that idea after Goal Oriented worked at Del Mar on Friday. He went seven furlongs in a 1:23.80 (1/2). "He...

Once she got to the lead in the lane, they couldn't reel her back in, and Destino d'Oro (Bolt d'Oro) sailed home much the best in the GIII Pucker Up Stakes at Ellis Park. The Brad Cox runner started her career as a juvenile at Kentucky Downs in late August last season, and went back to front in a maiden special to win by 2 1/4 lengths. Deep in the field behind her were two next-out winners and GSW Will Then (War of Will). She tried a similar tactic Oct....

Z Z'S (f, 2, McKinzie--Zarmant, by Tapizar), off at 5-2 in her debut run sprinting over the Ellis Park turf, sped out to the front and never gave them a chance. After blazing through early fractions in :21.04 and :43.92 from the inside, she aired by five lengths as favored Second City Saint (Raging Bull {Fr}) nosed out Triskelion (Leinster). The final time for the 5 1/2 furlongs was 1:01.87. Z Z's unraced dam is a daughter of MGISW Tout Charmant (Slewvescent) and has a yearling colt by Corniche, who...