Curtain Call

2nd-Churchill Downs, $124,813, Alw (NW1X)/Opt. Clm ($100,000), 10-26, 2yo, 1m, 1:36.70, ft, 9 lengths. SOLDIER N DIPLOMAT (c, 2, Army Mule--Diplomatic Miss, by Violence) debuted at Saratoga July 26 and held off a late charge to break his maiden by a neck. His grit impressed his connections so much that they opted for a try at the GI Hopeful Stakes in his next jump Sept. 1, and he faded to fourth behind a trio of 'TDN Rising Stars, presented by Hagyard'--namely MGISW Ted Noffey (Into Mischief), Buetane (Tiz the Law),...

Cherie DeVaux unleashed a classy gentleman on Churchill Downs Friday afternoon, and Englishman (Maxfield) strolled in to clock a blistering time as well as securing 'Rising Star' honors. Away from the blocks quickly, and out to control the tempo, he was tracked closely for most of the race by Tagermeen (Into Mischief), who has now run in three straight races against eventual 'TDN Rising Stars'--namely Curtain Call (Tiz the Law) and Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) in his prior two jumps. The latter won the GI Spendthrift Farm Hopeful Stakes while...

The GI Spendthrift Farm Hopeful Stakes is carded as the anchor for Monday's Labor Day festivities, which marks the last set of races for the season upstate. A scan through the past winners of the top-level affair over the past 25 years include a strong list of future sires. How about for starters Sky Mesa (2002), First Samurai (2005), Shanghai Bobby (2012) and Competitive Edge (2014)? More recently Practical Joke (2016), Mind Control (2018), Basin (2019), Jackie's Warrior (2020), Gunite (2021) and Forte (2022) got their picture taken before heading...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--After the last two starts, there may be those who gave up on White Abarrio (Race Day). Saffie Joseph Jr., the trainer of the 6-year-old gray horse, isn't one of them. White Abarrio reappears at Saratoga on Sunday in the $1 million GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, a 1 1/4-mile test that has attracted some of the best older horses in the country. GI Whitney Stakes winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone is here, so is fellow 'Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution), winner of all three of his...

5). CURTAIN CALL, SAR, 7/12, 6 furlongs (VIDEO) R1 Beyer Speed Figure- 82 (c, 2, by Tiz the Law--Deep Trouble, by Into Mischief). O-West Point Thoroughbreds. B-Nancy Stone (Fla). T-Mark Casse. J-Jose Ortiz. Tim Wilkin related in TDN how Casse sent West Point's Terry Finley a simple text message to sum up his opinion about Curtain Call. Actually, it was a photo--of a Porsche. And Curtain Call lived up to the private hype in Saturday's Saratoga opener, blowing away even-money Tagermeen to the tune of 8 1/2 lengths. Curtain Call...

Spa Prospector (Authentic) didn't fare well in her first career start. She was seventh, beaten nine lengths in a race at Churchill. Saturday's second race at Saratoga didn't figure to be any easier as it was filled with a collection of well-bred first-time-starters from some of the game's top stables. But trainer Tom Amoss went into the race with a lot of confidence in his filly. He was proven right and she skipped over the Saratoga slop to win the six-furlong race by 3 1/2 lengths under Jose Ortiz. "Why...

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Sometimes, you just know. When Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse breezed 2-year-old Curtain Call (Tiz the Law) at his training center in Ocala, Fla., he shipped owner Terry Finley a simple, yet powerful text message. It was a photo of a Porsche. Fast car. Translation, in case you needed it: Curtain Call, Casse believed, was going to be a swift one. His confidence was rewarded in Saturday's first race at Saratoga when Curtain Call dominated a six-furlong $100,000 maiden special weight and earned a 'TDN Rising...

Rain or shine, the show must go on, and Curtain Call (Tiz the Law) gave the people what they came to see at Saratoga, kicking home powerfully at second asking to claim 'TDN Rising Star' honors. The son of Tiz the Law was unveiled June 12 at Churchill Downs to run a well-beaten second behind fellow 'Rising Star' Obliteration (Violence). That runner returned to action July 5 at this venue to put on a Tour de Force in the GIII Sanford Stakes, winning by 10 1/2 lengths and earning a...