Constitution

As noted last week, trainers can only amplify--not magnify--a horse's genetic legacy. D. Wayne Lukas was able to draw our attention to assets we might gladly replicate, but not even he could actually alter the genes available. In suggesting that he met his brief even more usefully with future broodmares than with sire prospects, this attorney admittedly left a star witness in the street in Serena's Song (Rahy)--whose 18-for-38 record, inside 30 months, advertised the toughness underpinning her class even more lavishly than Terlingua and others. But the point duly...

After collecting a breakthrough victory in the inaugural Delaware Derby June 14, 'TDN Rising Star' Admiral Dennis (Constitution) will be pointed to the GIII West Virigina Derby at Mountaineer Aug. 3. The Albaugh Family Stables colorbearer sat much closer to the pace than usual in second and drew off in the stretch to score by an impressive 3 1/4 lengths, good for a career-high 95 Beyer Speed Figure. He was previously a frustrating and late-running sixth after losing contact with the field in the GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Feb....

6th-MTH, $47k, Msw, 3yo/up, 1-1/16mT, 3:25p.m. ET INVESTMENT MANDATE (Constitution) goes to post here for the team of Klaravich Stables and trainer Chad Brown. A $525,000 KEESEP yearling, the gelding is a son of multiple Grade I-placed Faithfully (Smart Strike), herself out of a half-sister to multiple Grade I-winner Good Reward (Storm Cat). The elite black type runs heavily in the family as the third dam responsible for the line is champion 3-year-old filly MGISW Heavenly Prize (Seeking the Gold). In addition to the above mentioned horses, through daughters and...

1st-LRC, $45K, Msw, 2yo, 5f, 4:00 p.m. ET. Debuting for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, ST PETERSBURG (Constitution) was a $700,000 purchase during the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. Owned by SF, Starlight, Madaket, Stonestreet, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan, the colt is one of five foals out GIII Schuylerville Stakes heroine Catherinethegreat (Uncaptured), who was acquired by WinStar for $175,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale. The first-time starter hails from an extended female family which includes SW Katinka (Kantharos). TJCIS...

While it is neither the habit nor the place of this column to cite scripture, words that some of you may have heard last Sunday should resonate with everyone in this game: "Endurance produces character, and character produces hope." Certainly we wouldn't have much of a business if the reverses we endure could not be parlayed into those attributes. We often refer to the Turf as "character-forming," which always feels rather ambivalent. After all, we might easily find ourselves turning into quite unpleasant characters! But a persevering nature tends to...

'TDN Rising Star' Admiral Dennis (Constitution), a last-out rallying fourth in the GI Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 8, sat much closer to the pace than usual and drew off in the stretch to salute at odds of 2-1 in Saturday's inaugural running of the Delaware Derby. He tracked favored Kentucky Outlaw (Outwork) from second, traveled nicely on the far turn to reach even terms and took care of business from there to win as much the best by 3 1/4 lengths. Admiral Dennis, an optional claiming winner at...

Pin Up Betty captured her second graded stakes win under the Twin Spires with a late-running victory in the GIII Old Forester Mint Julep Stakes Sunday. The 5-1 shot was unhurried from the start and settled slightly off mid-pack while racing three wide on the first turn. Charlene's Dream was unchallenged on the front end, taking the field through fractions of :23.75, :47.45 and 1:11.35 and turned for home two lengths in front, but Pin Up Betty made rapid progress on the bend and closed powerfully down the center of...

4th-Churchill Downs, $117,750, Msw, 5-31, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:22.93, ft, 4 1/4 lengths. KAPOOR (f, 3, Uncle Mo--Kareena {SW, $148,000}, by Medaglia d'Oro) had strung together back-to-back third-place efforts in her first two jumps--Feb. 9 at Gulfstream Park and again Apr. 7 at Keeneland--and the betting public couldn't take their eyes off her here, crowning the Godolphin homebred the 6-5 favorite for her third attempt to graduate. Jostled around when leaving the blocks, she recovered quickly to dictate the tempo on an uncontested lead through :22.46 and a half in...

6th-CD, $127k, Aoc, 3yo/up, f, 1 1/8mT, 8:30p.m. ET Sold for a price befitting royalty on the back of a 3-year-old season where she was Group 1-placed in Germany, SPANISH EYES (GER) (Zarak {Fr}) will debut here under the lights at Churchill Downs for her new connections. Purchased at ARQDEC last year for €1.3-million by David Redvers Bloodstock for the partnership of Qatar Racing and Michaela Faust, the filly is out of Sortilege (Ire) (Tiger Hill {Ire}), herself a multiple highweight mare in Germany and Italy as well as being...

There come some lofty expectations when you win a six-furlong race by eight lengths and garner a 106 Beyer figure to start your year, but Whatchatalkinabout (Dialed In) proved they were warranted when he fought off simultaneous challenges to win the GIII John A. Nerud Stakes. A stakes winner as a juvenile, he was gone over a year from that New York Breeders' Futurity and resurfaced last October to run second against optional claimers at this venue. He was denied by a neck Nov. 30 at that condition, but broke...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL- For the third straight year, Saudi businessman Amr Zedan made the highest bid at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, going to an OBS record $3 million to acquire a colt by Gun Runner during a vibrant final session of the auction Thursday. The sale-topping colt brought the number of horses to sell for seven figures during the three-day auction to seven, up from four a year ago, and a record for the March sale. "I thought...

Last year ended on a high note for Top o' the Lane Farm and has continued into 2025. Vixen (Vekoma) was second by a neck in the GI Natalma Stakes last September, then followed it up by a solid run in the Breeders' Cup after having to break from the parking lot and has continued on in 2025 after a short break to capture the Sweetest Chant Stakes and GIII Herecomesthebride Stakes. Keeneland November was a major success with three foals going through the ring to great connections through Highgate...