Caravaggio

Since 1955, Japanese breeders have received unwavering support from the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association (JBBA). To outside eyes, the evolution of Japanese racing as a global force tends to go hand-in-hand with the Yoshida family's cultivation of Sunday Silence and latterly his son Deep Impact under their Shadai umbrella. Yet that would be doing a disservice to the number of other operations who have put in the effort and investment over the decades to improve the breed. Chief among them is the JBBA, whose primary stallion base is situated in...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. Counterbalance (f, 2, Caravaggio--Out of Balance, by Kitten's Joy) came flashing home to finish fourth in a race that held together quite well over opening weekend at Del Mar. Overlooked at 37-1 in her debut going five furlongs on dirt for trainer Michael McCarthy, the Amerman Racing homebred broke alertly from her inside draw, but was quickly outfooted. She was heading the wrong direction while under a...

Trainer Mark Casse sent three undefeated juveniles into the Victoria Stakes at Woodbine, and Casson (Caravaggio) emerged as the last man standing of that group to keep his perfect record intact by a clear margin. A four-length winner on unveiling May 11 against local maidens, the gray was a 7-2 chance against his stablemates Jupiter (Upstart) and the flashy Rude Procedure (Authentic). The former went off as the 6-5 favorite and the latter was 2-1. In no rush initially, Casson had a head on Valley of Kings (Classic Empire) while...

1st-Belmont The Big A, $85,000, Msw, 6-12, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:08.34, fm, 3 lengths. NONNA'S LOVE (f, 2, Caravaggio--Nonna Bella, by Stay Thirsty) was the lone previously raced member of the seven-strong field that loaded the stalls for the first race back down at the Belmont at the Big A meeting Thursday afternoon and made the most of her experience advantage, leading past every pole to get the program off on a high note for the favorite backers. Drawn two, the 5-4 chalk--making her first start on the grass after...

Multiple Group 1 winner Porta Fortuna will miss a start at Royal Ascot later this month after picking up a "small injury", according to trainer Donnacha O'Brien who announced the news on Instagram. Connections had been mulling a start in either the G2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes or the G1 Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot. A runner for Barry Fowler, Medallion Racing, Steve Weston and Reeves Thoroughbreds, the 4-year-old will be away from the races until later this year. "Unfortunately Porta Fortuna has picked up a small injury and will...

2nd-Keeneland, $72,737, Msw, 4-24, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:04.73, fm, 1 1/4 lengths. TOUGH CRITIC (c, 2, Caravaggio--Thatchit {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}), one of a handful of first-time starters in the field, took his time into stride and had only one rival beat as a pair of runners dueled for the lead into the far turn. Still well beaten at the half-mile pole as 4-5 favorite Longshoreman (Twirling Candy) began to open up a sizable advantage up front, the 6-1 shot picked up the bridle with a wide, sweeping move...

2nd-Keeneland, $90k, MSW, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, post time: 1:32 p.m. Repole Stable's homebred Nonna's Love (Caravaggio) makes her first trip to the post for trainer Todd Pletcher. Out of Nonna Bella (Stay Thirsty), the gray filly is a half-sister to 2023 Eclipse champion juvenile and multiple Grade I winner Fierceness (City of Light) and to graded winner Mentee (City of Light). Wesley Ward saddles morning-line favorite Gracie's Delight (American Pharoah) on behalf of For the People Racing Stable. TJCIS PPs

Heavily favored Scipio sailed home a much-the-best winner of the Baffle Stakes at Santa Anita. The dark bay colt, twice graded-placed while still a maiden, earned his first career victory going one mile over the Santa Anita turf last time out and was the 4-5 favorite to make it two in a row while making his first start down the hill Sunday. He raced near the back of a compact field and was buried behind a wall of horses approaching the stretch. Tipped to the center of course at the...

9th-Tampa Bay Downs, $32,000, Msw, 1-17, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:36.74, fm, 4 1/4 lengths. BRILLANTE (FR) (f, 3, Persian King {Ire}--Baga {Fr}, by No Nay Never) made her American debut Friday after a pair of starts as a 2-year-old in her native France. Privately purchased and imported to the Chad Brown barn late last year, the 7-5 favorite spotted the field a step at the break and raced near the back of the field behind Mona L (Caravaggio) who set an opening half tempo of :48.33. Staying wide throughout, Brillante...

It's not that Medallion Racing, a branch of Taylor Made, didn't get off to a good start. It was anything but. A racing partnership whose goal is to gets its partners to experience racing at the highest levels around the world, Taylor Made was delivering on that promise. Out of 250 plus starts, Medallion, at one point had raced five Grade I winners, won 28 graded stakes and had 72 top-three finishes in graded stakes. But what it didn't have was a superstar, the type that could win multiple Grade...

GIII Vosburgh Stakes winner Mufasa (Chi) (Practical Joke) was expected to arrive back at Keeneland Sunday, and has two races on Championship weekend under consideration, trainer Ignacio Correas IV confirmed. The 4 1/4-length victory in the "Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup Challenge race was the first North American graded score for the Chilean star since arriving in the U.S. While Mufasa has a fees-paid berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, Correas has said that the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile is also under consideration. Grade...

Proving herself the complete racing machine on Saturday, Medallion Racing, Steve Weston, Barry Fowler and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio--Too Precious {Ire}, by Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) added Leopardstown's G1 Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes to her already enviable top-level tally with the minimum of fuss. Coming of age this summer with wins in the G1 Coronation Stakes and G1 Falmouth Stakes, the pride and joy of Donnacha O'Brien's stable who had also captured last year's G1 Cheveley Park Stakes was a touch free and fresh in the...