Churchill

The speedy A Thread of Blue got to his preferred spot, loose on the lead, and kept on going to pull a 13-1 upset under Luis Saez in the inaugural $1-million Saratoga Derby Sunday at the Spa. Graduating at third asking in a Belmont off-the-turfer last October, the $430,000 OBS March buy was third in the Awad S. on grass Nov. 4 at Aqueduct before reeling off three consecutive victories over the Gulfstream green, including scores in the GIII Palm Beach S. and Dania Beach S. Nailed late when second...

3rd-Ellis, $50,036, Msw, 8-4, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:05.12, ft. JUGGERNAUT (c, 2, Goldencents--Hashtag Stormy, by Stormy Atlantic) had been working at Santa Anita through mid-July, but prepped for this with a :49 flat move at Churchill July 27. Ignored at 25-1 for a typically patient barn, he was looking to become the second Keith Desormeaux-trained and James Graham-ridden 2-year-old graduate on the card after second timer Automate (New Year's Day) pulled off his own 20-1 upset in the opener. Scrubbed on from a wide draw to make the lead, the...

Mr. Money has proven more or less unbeatable since a breakout romp in the GIII Pat Day Mile on GI Kentucky Derby Day May 4, and the progressive colt strung together his fourth consecutive win Saturday while becoming a millionaire. Breaking well from a high draw, the heavy favorite locked on to Plus Que Parfait early and traveled under stout restraint through opening splits of :24.42 and :49.10. He poked a head in front turning for home, and was clearly going much better than his rivals as he hit the...

Saturday's prestigious GI Whitney S. at Saratoga has drawn top-class runners from around the world for what is sure to be a memorable renewal. MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' McKinzie (Street Sense) ships in from the West Coast for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. Winner of the GI Pennsylvania Derby and GI Malibu S. last term, the bay came up just a half-length short of the late Breeders' Cup winner Battle of Midway (Smart Strike) in the GII San Pasqual S. Feb. 2 and was just a nose shy of...

Saturday's GIII Troy S. at Saratoga is short on numbers, but long on quality, with two Grade I winners and a pair of multiple graded winners from the Christophe Clement barn among the field of six turf sprinters. The Troy discussion starts with the versatile World of Trouble (Kantharos), who just as easily could have ended up in last Saturday's GI A. G. Vanderbilt S., but lands here instead as he looks to score for the fifth time in six turf tries. Victorious in the Quick Call S. over this...

Fans at Monmouth Park for Saturday's GI TVG.com Haskell Invitational will be treated to a look at a multiple Grade I winner on the undercard, as Bloom Racing Stable, Madaket Stables and Allen Racing's Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) towers over seven rivals in the GIII Molly Pitcher S. Never out of the trifecta in 15 outings, the dark bay captured the GI Santa Anita Oaks before running third in last spring's GI Kentucky Oaks. Romping in the GII Mother Goose S., she rebounded from a dull third in the GI...