Collected

The horse giveth, the horse taketh away. How typical that Mopotism (Uncle Mo), one of those rare commercial diamonds that oblige with a champion at the first attempt, succumbed to her animal frailty in the very week that Journalism (Curlin) excavated new depths of the toughness she had given him. At least the cruelty of her premature loss has been matched by a proportionately outsized legacy. For while we can't yet be certain that even a prowess measured as persuasively as that of Journalism will be competently replicated, surely his...

Some nice fillies have won the GII San Clemente Handicap over the years, including Flawlessly, Hollywood Wildcat, and Jewel Princess in the 1990s, but few have won it as easily as Thought Process (f, 3, Collected--Creative Thinking, by Creative Cause) Saturday at Del Mar. Pounded into 2-5 favoritism and away in good order, Thought Process was third and tucked away at the fence early, but appeared to get aggressive beneath Hector Berrios when a rank Amorita (Liam's Map) rolled up outside her around the first turn, and she tugged her...

In a stakes-record performance beneath the Twin Spires, Romeo (Honor A. P.) inspired more than a few romantic notions of what could be as he gamely claimed the hardware in the Bashford Manor Stakes on closing day at Churchill Downs. In his career debut at Laurel May 3, Romeo showed a glimmer of what he can do when galloping home an easy winner by over 10 lengths as the 4-5 favorite. He claimed third in the June 5 Tremont Stakes at the Spa--where Florida-bred Mythical (St Patrick's Day) put up...

4th-Churchill Downs, $117,750, Msw, 6-1, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:04.32, ft, 2 1/4 lengths. COMPORT (c, 2, Collected--Bartlett Narrows, by Flatter) debuted as a 6-1 shot here, and got the jump on heavy favorite Cannoneer (Into Mischief). The chalk suddenly accelerated to seize the lead before the end of the backstretch, but Comport was not going to intimated. The pair battled into the lane, but the 2-year-old got the better of his rival and surged ahead to graduate by 2 1/4 lengths. 'Insight' runners like Password (Uncle Mo) came from the...

In a race many thought was for second-place, it was Raging Sea (Curlin--Stormy Welcome, by Storm Cat) who stepped up to play the spoiler in her 2025 bow and claim the GI La Troienne Stakes as the 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) faded to last in the lane. Content to watch the action unfold in fifth as her stablemate Randomized (Nyquist) went loose on the lead by way of traffic behind her, Raging Sea was spared a lot of the inside drama when Dorth Vader (Girvin)...

4th-Turfway, $78,125, Msw, 3-6, 3yo, f, 6f (AWT), 1:12.25, ft, 4 3/4 lengths. FAMILY (f, 3, Sharp Azteca--Heidi Maria {MSW, $220,764}, by Rockport Harbor) was let go on this unveiling at a chilly 27-1 but ran like the favorite en route to her graduation. Employing her early foot to get out and lead, she was challenged by Maclean's Lullaby (Maclean's Music) entering the bend after splits of :23.01 and :46.45, but managed to repel that rival coming into the lane. Giving the field the slip, she strode out to a...

Jockeys either misjudging the location of an alternate finish line or failing to ride all-out under a traditional wire placement have been in the news on four occasions since October. But after apparently failing to realize that a one-mile stakes on Saturday ended at the sixteenth pole under Oaklawn Park's short-stretch configuration for races at that distance, the 22-year veteran Rafael Bejarano got penalized for essentially the opposite infraction. Timing his ride on a closer like there was still half a furlong to go, Bejarano kept whipping and driving his...

A filly born at Darby Dan Farm near Lexington, Kentucky is the first reported foal for champion 2-year-old colt Forte (Violence). Gravy (Collected--Flawless Diamond, by Saint Ballado), a $160,000 2024 Keeneland November purchase by Darby Dan client Gary Holland for Kamden Favorites, had a dark bay filly Jan. 8 at 6:00 p.m. ET. "She is a flashy filly with plenty of leg, we are thrilled with the result, especially as this is the mare's first foal," said Darby Dan Farm Manager Charlie McKinlay. Forte, named a 'TDN Rising Star' and...

If this seems a strangely specific category, that's because it is. There are two dozen sires standing in Kentucky at $10,000, a fee that attempts to preserve their dignity against a candid slide into the bargain basement. Though you're only a cent away from offering your stallion at four figures, you want him to look accessible without being low-rent. Only a couple are newcomers, all of which were dealt with separately in opening this series. Otherwise this is chiefly the bracket of youngish stallions whose rookie vogue is spent, anxious...

"Boy Trapped in Refrigerator Eats Own Foot." Well, that got your attention, didn't it? Devotees of a certain spoof disaster movie may recall the spinning front-page story--but few will be aware that it may yet, in a roundabout way, lead to genuine headlines at the Breeders' Cup. Bret Jones of Airdrie Stud was at a dinner a few years ago when someone passing behind his seat overheard him saying how much he enjoyed Airplane! "I was in that movie," said Billy Koch. On the face of it, it seemed unlikely....

Trainer Philip D'Amato sent out a quintet Saturday morning at Santa Anita Park, with three confirmed as pre-entries for the Breeders' Cup after their works, on a busy morning for World Championship hopefuls across the country. From his three confirmed, GSW Iron Man Cal (Collected) worked four furlongs in :49 flat, and will be pre-entered for the Juvenile Turf. GSW Thought Process (Collected) also went four panels in :49.80 and will target the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Argentinian Group 1-winner Che Evasora (Arg) (Greenspring) worked six furlongs in 1:15.80, and owns...

Airdrie Stud's 2025 stallion roster will be headlined by four young stallions all being offered for a fee of $25,000, according to a press release from Airdrie Friday. The quartet includes breakout freshman sire Complexity. Currently ranked fourth in earnings according to TDN's Sire List, Complexity has three stakes winners--including two graded winners--and five stakes horses from his first crop of 2-year-olds. The 8-year-old stallion joins GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic), as well as Girvin (Tale of Ekati) and Upstart (Flatter), who all come in at the price...