Del Mar

Paul Sharp thought he had a good group of 2-year-olds at his farm over the winter and those trainees are proving the Ocala horseman right with a string of five maiden winners in the last five days, plus two graded stakes placings at Del Mar and Saratoga. "It always gives us a lot of gratification when these horses go on to win," Sharp said Wednesday, shortly after Ava's Grace (Laoban)'s third-place finish in the GII Adirondack S. at Saratoga. "They can win first or second time out and usually the...

Weston became his sire (by War Front)'s first winner at Santa Anita in June, and the Spendthrift freshman's first stakes and graded stakes winner Saturday, while also providing young trainer Ryan Hanson with his first graded trophy. The bay defied 21-1 odds to run away with a 4 1/2-furlong heat June 21 over the much pricier Ambivalent (Constitution), and was backed as the best local hope to defeat heavily favored Wesley Ward trainee Roderick (Into Mischief). Bouncing out abruptly, Weston was shuffled back in the early scramble for position but...

Cannon Thoroughbreds homebred Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute), winner of last year's GIII Cecil B. DeMille S. during this track's Bing Crosby meeting last December, returns to the seaside oval as the likely favorite in Sunday's GII LaJolla H. The race is the middle leg of Del Mar's 3-year-old turf series which concludes with the GII Del Mar Derby over nine furlongs Sept. 6. Disappointing when no better than fourth as the 13-10 favorite in the Eddie Logan S. at Santa Anita Dec. 29, the bay colt was a pacesetting...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. Moonlight d'Oro (f, 2, Medaglia d'Oro-Venetian Sonata, by Bernardini) stamped herself as a 2-year-old to watch after rolling home through traffic to finish a strong second as the 3-5 favorite in her five-furlong unveiling at Del Mar Aug. 2 (video). Trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, the $620,000 Keeneland September yearling was outsprinted early and ridden in eighth heading into the far turn. On the move with...

My Girl Red, who became the first winner from her freshman sire (by Afleet Alex)'s small first crop when she aired by 4 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita June 14, ran to short odds in Friday evening's GII Sorrento S. to become his first stakes and graded stakes winner as well. Campaigned by the same connections who raced the 2014 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile S. winner and 2015 GII Jim Dandy S. winner, the bay out-footed her five rivals in the early scramble for position to take a narrow advantage...

Runaway Belmont debut winner Roderick (Into Mischief), scratched out of Friday's deep GII Saratoga Special S., has been tabbed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite in Saturday's GII Best Pal S. at Del Mar. Roderick crushed a trio of rivals on debut for trainer Wesley Ward on Long Island June 21, including runner-up Zippy Baby (Cairo Prince), who returned to graduate next out at Saratoga. Purchased by Breeze Easy for $550,000 as a KEESEP yearling, Roderick is a full-brother to GIII Southwest S. winner One Liner and hails from the same...

Fox Hill Farms' speedy Jolie Olimpica (Brz) (Drosselmeyer), a close runner-up to division leader Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) last out, will go postward as the horse to beat in Saturday's eight-horse GII Yellow Ribbon S. at Del Mar. Undefeated in three starts in her native land, capping her Brazilian career with a dominant win over males in the G1 Jockey Club Brasileiro at Gavea last June, the chestnut got off to an auspicious start Stateside when annexing the GIII Las Cienegas S. going 5 1/2 furlongs Jan. 11 at...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency PRICEY INTO MISCHIEFS HEADLINE SPA BABY RACE 5th-SAR, $72K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 2:26p.m. Todd Pletcher unveils Shadwell Stable's $425,000 KEENOV buy MUTASAABEQ (Into Mischief) in this test. Out of a half-ssister to MGSW Cool Cowboy (Kodiak Kowboy), he enters off a best-of-50 half-mile in :46 2/5 at the Spa Aug. 1. Bob LaPenta and Peter Brant teamed up to acquire Bottle Rocket Man (Into Mischief) for $350,000 at KEESEP and he debuts here. His dam is a half-sister to MGSW & MGISP sire Munnings (Speightstown)...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. Vittorio (c, 2, Ghostzapper-Roberta Turner, by Smart Strike), a $750,000 OBS Spring purchase by Kaleem Shah, has every right to build off a better-than-it-looked debut fifth going five furlongs at Del Mar Aug. 1 (video). Off to a tardy beginning after breaking inward at the start, the 4-1 chance, equipped with blinkers, was slow into stride and trailed the field in ninth through an opening quarter in :23.28....

When signing for a $340,000 Uncle Mo filly at this year's OBS March Sale, Dennis O'Neill, noted bloodstock advisor and brother of trainer Doug O'Neill, told the TDN's Steve Sherack that he "kept telling [owner] Paul [Reddam] that she was my female Nyquist." The April foal, now named Get On the Bus, looks a live chance on debut as she breaks from the rail in Friday's GII Sorrento S. at Del Mar. The April foal, produced by a winning half-sister to G1 Dubai World Cup hero African Story (GB) (Pivotal...

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club has added a 10-race make-up date to its calendar Aug. 31. First post on the added day will be 2 p.m. The oceanside track had been forced to cancel a weekend of racing in July when several jockeys tested positive for coronavirus. The 2020 summer meet will now have 27 live race dates. It had been scheduled to have 28 days.

Lightly raced Fighting Mad (New Year's Day) zipped away early and held sway late to take Sunday evening's GI Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar and stamp her ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. Looking to add to another productive weekend for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert that included Saturday scores in the GI Whitney S. and Shared Belief S., the Gary and Mary West homebred was backed down to 9-5 favoritism from a 4-1 morning line quote and wasted little time seizing command. Under a tight...