Classic Empire

Sedburys Ghost came flying late to take the Plate Trial Stakes and throw his name into the mix for next month's King's Plate, a race won by his sire in 2015. The 7-1 shot settled in midpack around the first turn as Scorching prompted the pace set by longshot Unbridled Weather and favored Notorious Gangster trailed the field. The pack began bunching up as the half went up in :47.22 and second choice Scorching took charge into the far turn, but Sedburys Ghost was inching ominously through traffic with Notorious...

Having beat older horses in an allowance at Churchill downs in course record time Apr. 30, Classic Q stepped up to contest the 1 1/8-mile GIII Regret Stakes but faded from the lead as the favorite when last seen May 31. Dropped back to the flat mile Thursday, the 8-5 favorite put in a stellar effort to earn her first black type win in the Wild Applause on the opening day of the July 4th Racing Festival at Saratoga. Sent to the lead just as she was in the Regret...

Percy's Bar (Upstart) set the mark high when she ran home a winner in the Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs on Sunday. Posting a debut score by four lengths this past spring at Keeneland, the filly came into this race with a strong series of morning works under rider Luan Machado. Made a 3-1 shot with some tough company to contend with here, she watched the race unfold after the break behind a :21.29 opening quarter. Making an eye-catching sweep through the turn, she sailed by her rivals and rolled...

With training on the main track remaining limited to joggers Saturday morning at Santa Anita due to the rainstorms during the week, the synthetic training track saw 76 horses record timed workouts over the course. Most notable on the list was SW & GSP Miss Lizzy (Classic Empire), who worked five panels in 1:00.80 (11/32), and who was one of nine workers for trainer Doug O'Neill. The filly was most recently seen running fourth in the GIII Las Cienegas Stakes Jan. 19 and who had claimed her first stakes victory...

Three Chimneys Farm homebred Pretty Ana (Quality Road), a half-sister to Horse of the Year and leading young sire Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}), dug down gamely in the stretch to record a career high in Saturday's GIII Comely Stakes at the Big A. Sent off as the third-choice in the field of five, the rail-drawn 7-2 chance led them into the clubhouse turn and exchanged blows with longshot Dorothy's Dreams (Always Dreaming) through fractions of :24.41 and :49.32. With that rival backing out of it on the turn for...

Angel of Empire (Classic Empire--Armony's Angel, by To Honor and Serve), who took home the GI Arkansas Derby, has been retired and will join the roster at Taylor Made Stallions for the upcoming breeding season, according to a press release from the farm on Wednesday. The 4-year-old, who last raced in 2023 when he finished third in the GII Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga, will stand for $7,500 LFSN. Breeders will have an opportunity to earn a lifetime breeding right to the millionaire earner of more than $1.4 million. "We're...

Unraced since filling the trifecta in the Bourbonette Oaks in March, Alpine Princess (Classic Empire) made a triumphant return to the track Sunday night with a romp in the Remington Park Oaks. The daughter of Classic Empire seemed on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks late last year with back to back wins including a two-length score in the Untapable Stakes at Fair Grounds to end her juvenile campaign. Fourth on a sloppy track to start 2024 in the GII Rachel Alexandra Stakes, Alpine Princess switched to the Tapeta for...

Originally charged with administering Clenbuterol to his horse and facing a possible two-year suspension, trainer Jeffrey Englehart was cleared Friday by the Horse Racing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU). The positive was found in an unraced, unnamed horse out of the mare Fast Heart that Englehart purchased for $14,000 at the OBS auction on June 15. He argued that he did not give the horse the drug and that it was had to have been given to the horse prior to his purchase at OBS. Englehart and his attorney requested...

Frankie's Empire (Classic Empire) either missed, or ignored, the memo that the longest shot on the board usually doesn't dominate, and strode home a much the best winner in the Swale S. to earn his career-first black type win. A frequent face on the mid-atlantic seaboard, he'd broken his maiden and hit the board in the Sapling S. at Monmouth Park before being shipped to Delaware, where he picked up a second career win against optional claimers. Sixth in the Rocky Run S. last October when contesting over a muddy...

5th-Aqueduct, $80,000, Msw, 1-28, 3yo, 1m, 1:40.42, sy, 8 1/4 lengths. CAPITAL IDEA (c, 3, Classic Empire--Rever de Vous {SP}, by Distorted Humor), a close-up third in his debut over this track and trip Dec. 31, went off the 2-1 second choice to take a step forward while getting Lasix for this soggy return. Settled in a stalking third by Trevor McCarthy as favored J D Factor (The Factor) led through :24.16 and :48.95 opening splits, the bay mounted his challenge three wide approaching the quarter pole, took over in...

Champion 2-year-old male Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) was purchased by the Korea Racing Authority and arrived Dec. 18 to continue his stud career for the 2024 breeding season, as first reported by The Paulick Report and confirmed by Ashford Stud. The 9-year-old stood at the farm in Versailles, Kentucky, where he was shuttled to Chile on multiple occasions. As of 2023, his oldest foals are 4-year-olds, and his progeny have won 113 races with earnings of more than $13.5 million. Angel of Empire is his most successful offspring, who...

Alpine Princess (Classic Empire) did not disappoint her backers as she lived up to favoritism and won Saturday's Untapable S. in New Orleans. The bay broke her maiden at second asking by a head at Saratoga Sept. 3, but was well-beaten in the GI Darley Alcibiades S. at Keeneland Oct. 6. Returning to her winning ways against allowance company after her race was taken off the grass at Churchill Downs Nov. 26, the filly went off at 8-5 here. The Brad Cox trainee was in-tight along the rail before the...