Classic Empire

Morello obliged as the 7-5 favorite in Sunday's Jimmy Winkfield S. to become the third black-type winner from his sire (by Pioneerof the Nile)'s first crop. A $250,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic juvenile off a good-looking :10 1/5 breeze, the chestnut opened his account with a clear-cut victory going a furlong shorter here Nov. 27 and was flattered when the runner-up came back to win well himself while improving by 17 Beyer points. With an upbeat interim worktab on display, Morello broke alertly from the outermost five post before being allowed to...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols 4th-AQU, $80k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 2:18 p.m. Trainer Jimmy Jerkens sends out firster CAPONE (Classic Empire) for the partnership of Gainesway, LNJ Foxwoods and NK Racing. The dark bay sold for $400,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale following an adventurous work in :10 2/5, accomplished despite the saddle slipping under rider Susan Montanye. TJCIS PPs  

So finally we come to a group of stallions that has at least offered some initial indication of their competence actually to produce a runner. Not that the market tends to enjoy this process! Its nervousness about sires at this stage of their career makes it easy to see why so much investment is instead concentrated in that period of grace when they haven't yet been exposed in such heartless fashion. Yes, the one or two that are prompt to seize their chance are instantly on their way: their second...

Classy Edition took her record to a perfect three-for-three and earned the second stakes victory of her career in the Key Cents S. at Aqueduct Sunday. The bay filly was outfooted in the early strides and raced near the back of the pack before rushing up three wide to be mid-pack down the backstretch. She ranged up five wide at the top of the lane, took charge with a furlong to run and strolled clear to the wire. "It went pretty smoothly," said winning trainer Todd Pletcher. "It looked like...

7th-Churchill Downs, $116,256, Msw, 11-19, 2yo, 7f, 1:22.99, ft, 5 1/2 lengths. ROCKET DAWG (c, 2, Classic Empire--Rever de Vous {SP}, by Distorted Humor), the most expensive first-crop yearling of 66 sold by his freshman sire when bringing $375,000 at last year's FTKSEL sale, tuned up for this with a five-furlong spin in 1:01 1/5 (5/15) at Churchill Nov. 13. Off at odds of 9-2, Rocket Dawg raced in an outside seventh through an opening quarter in :22.76 after exiting from post nine. He began to roll beneath Florent Geroux...

Lawana and Robert Low's $550,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic purchase Classy Edition (Classic Empire) proved worth the money Sunday as she overcame a rough start to dominate a group of New York-bred fillies and garner the 'TDN Rising Star' distinction. Purchased by agent Jacob West off a swift :10 1/5 breeze at Timonium in May, the bay was 3-5 while bidding to become newly minted Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher's eighth juvenile debut winner of the Saratoga stand and third 'Rising Star'. Pletcher sent out smashing turf winner Annapolis (War Front) on...

First Empire, fittingly trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, became the first stakes winner for freshman sire Classic Empire with a win in Saturday's Soaring Free S. at Woodbine. He dueled and tired to fifth in his debut over the all-weather July 4, then dueled free when switched to grass to graduate here Aug. 1. Backed as the second choice in this one, First Empire forced the issue from an outside second, began to shake clear rounding the far turn and gamely kept finding after switching to his left...

6th-SAR, $100k, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 3:55 p.m. ET A pair of promising-looking juvenile fillies will make their respective debuts while breaking next door to each other in this Thursday turf dash. EMPRESS TIGRESS (Classic Empire) made a big splash at OBS April when breezing a quarter-mile in an eye-popping :20 2/5, one of only two horses at the entire sale to hit that mark, and landed with Augustin Stable after the hammer dropped for $410,000. Trained by Jonathan Thomas, she's out of a half-sister to GSW/MGISP turfer Stays...

1st-Belmont, $90,000, Msw, 6-25, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:05.75, ft, head. INTERSTATEDAYDREAM (f, 2, Classic Empire--Babcock, by Uncle Mo) was backed down to 3-5 favoritism for this unveiling off a speedy string of works at Keeneland and Churchill Downs. The bay kept a close eye on the leaders from a two-wide third through a :22.95 first quarter. Wearing down the pacesetters in the lane, she was confronted by Miss Interpret (Street Sense) on her outside and the pair battled to the line with Interstatedaydream getting up by a head. She...

3rd-Churchill Downs, $101,886, Msw, 6-20, 2yo, 5f, :58.17, ft, 1 length. OTTOMAN EMPIRE (c, 2, Classic Empire--Seven Stars, by Indygo Shiner) belied 13-1 odds to become the third winner--all under the Twin Spires--for champion juvenile and freshman sire Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile), who himself was a first-up graduate here in 2016. Away in midpack between rivals, the bay started to get going heading for home but still had his work cut out for him as James Graham tried to guide him out in the clear. Ottoman Empire leveled off...

3rd-Indiana Grand, $31,000, Msw, 5-12, 3yo/up, 1m 70y, 1:43.45, ft, 4 1/2 lengths. HARVARD (c, 3, Pioneerof the Nile--Sambuca Classica, by Cat Thief) finished second behind a good-looking debut from American Prince (Liam's Map) at Gulfstream Feb. 28 and was stretching out to two turns off a distant runner-up effort behind Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy)'s 'TDN Rising Star' half-brother Stage Raider (Pioneerof the Nile) in a sloppy seven-furlong maiden at Keeneland Apr. 10. Stage Raider, incidentally, is the morning-line 2-5 favorite for a one-mile Belmont allowance Friday afternoon....

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 11th-KEE, $79K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 6:38 p.m. ET A pair of Pioneerof the Nile brothers to high-profile champions look to go one better off of runner-up debuts to close out the Keeneland card Saturday. John Gunther homebred Stage Raider (Pioneerof the Nile) is half to none other than Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy) as well as the ill-fated GSW The Lieutenant (Street Sense). A $950,000 Keeneland September RNA, the Chad Brown trainee was beaten 8 1/2 lengths by super impressive 'TDN Rising Star' Prevalence...