Doug O'Neill

Absolutely Zero ran to public's confidence, defeating the boys in Saturday's $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Futurity S. at Santa Anita. The Reddam homebred raced under pressure from the get-go and held a narrow advantage as four of them lined up approaching the top of the stretch. She clearly had something left as they straightened for home and dug down gamely in the stretch to defeat stablemate Tahoma, the first winner for Triple Crown winner Justify, by a measured length. First-time starter Pure Fire, a $315,000 OBSMAR breezer, ran well to finish third....

OCEANPORT, NJ--It was an unseasonably cool and windy June day at the Jersey Shore for Monmouth Park's GIII Salvator Mile S. and the match up on display for Saturday's marquee race was just as unusual as the weather. It is not often the Salvator Mile attracts a pair of Grade I winners, but that is exactly what the Monmouth Park fans were treated to Saturday with Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) meeting Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) for the first time. And what a treat it was! GI Pennsylvania Derby hero Hot...

Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), a strong second when last seen in the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 26, will begin his road to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in Saturday's GIII Salvator Mile S. on Monmouth Park's inaugural GI TVG.com Haskell S. preview day. He'll face six rivals with Hall of Famer Mike Smith booked to ride. The half-brother to champion Mitole (Eskendereya) returns to the Jersey Shore for the first time since being disqualified from first and placed seventh for interference in a roughly run edition of last year's...

Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), runner-up in this year's G1 Dubai World Cup, will return to the starting gate on Saturday in the GIII Salvator Mile S. The winner of last year's GI Pennsylvania Derby and GII Louisiana Derby has put in five works over the past month in preparation for his next start. "He came back from Dubai in great shape and we intentionally gave him a little extended time between then and now," said the 4-year-old colt's trainer Doug O'Neill. "He's training with great energy and good stamina. I'm...

Jack Sisterson, who has trained privately for Calumet Farm since 2018, is going public. Calumet will remain as a client and will keep a number of horses with Sisterson, but significantly fewer than he has typically had. Sisterson said he is making the move in the hopes that expanding and taking on other owners will lead to more opportunities. "This is something we have been discussing for a few months," he said. "I give all the credit to Calumet. If it weren't for them I wouldn't be where I am...

West Coast Stables' Tahoma (c, 2, Justify--Madera Dancer, by Rahy) became the first winner for his Triple Crown-winning sire with a two-length victory at Santa Anita Sunday. The chestnut colt, sent off the 4-5 favorite, tracked the pacesetters four wide through an opening quarter in :22.21. Still four wide, he rolled up to take a narrow advantage at the top of the lane, completed the half-mile in :47.01 and drew away inside the final sixteenth for a facile victory. Salta (Carpe Diem) was second and Eagles Landing (Competitive Edge) was...

BALTIMORE, MD--Every year, a new batch of sophomores converges upon Pimlico Race Course. And while the names of the contenders is ever changing, the people behind them are remain fairly consistent. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas casts a very long shadow in the second jewel in the Triple Crown, having won it on six prior occasions. From his first Preakness victory with Codex in 1980, Lukas has gone on to add wins with Tank's Prospect (1985), Tabasco Cat (1994), Timber Country (1995), Charismatic (1999) and Oxbow (2013). One...

After the connections of GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) opted to skip the GI Preakness S. and instead prepare for the GI Belmont S., the structure of the Triple Crown races has been a subject of debate leading up to the second leg of the historic series. Should the timing between the races be adjusted? We asked a few veteran trainers here.     Mark Casse: I think it has to stay the same. I think it's nonsense to talk any different. This is history, this is...

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter (Not This Time) remained on target for Saturday's GI Preakness S. after a 1 1/2-mile gallop at Churchill Downs Sunday morning. "He seems to be pretty sharp," Scott Blasi, who oversees trainer Steve Asmussen's Churchill division, said of the GI Kentucky Derby runner-up and likely Preakness favorite. "I love how he's doing. He galloped today like that was nothing; walked off the track with good energy. We'll put a little work in him and go. Not much to do from here on out.... [but] win." Epicenter had...

8th-Keeneland, $100,000, Msw, 4-24, 3yo, 7f, 1:27.05, ft, 11 1/4 lengths. B DAWK (c, 3, Gormley--Mott N Hester, by Super Saver) closed to get up for third debuting at five furlongs on the Del Mar turf Nov. 14 and improved a spot switching to dirt at Santa Anita on New Year's Eve. Bombing at 1-2 when sixth switching to Tapeta at Golden Gate, he ran a distant third behind impressive High Connection (Connect) back on the Arcadia main track Mar. 26 and was dispatched at 44-5 shipping in for this...

For the second consecutive year, Stoneware & Co. will offer a signed, numbered and limited number of Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby 148 bottles to benefit the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF). This year's signed collector's edition will commemorate the 10th anniversary of I'll Have Another winning the Run for the Roses, and will be signed by two-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer, Doug O'Neill and two-time Kentucky Derby winning jockey, Mario Gutierrez. "It is an exciting time of year with the Kentucky Derby approaching," said Pat Stickney, TRF's Executive Director. "With so...

Reddam Racing's Slow Down Andy (Nyquist), unable to make a dent in the GII Risen Star S. last out, will look to bounce back as the favorite in Sunday's GIII Sunland Derby at Sunland Prak. Graduating impressively by 4 3/4 lengths against fellow California-breds on debut Oct. 9 at Santa Anita, the homebred finished a hard-fought second in the state-bred Golden State Juvenile S. on the Breeders' Cup undercard Nov. 5 at Del Mar before stepping into open company for the first time and upsetting next-out 15-length GIII Robert B....