In an exhibition of pure sprinting prowess, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum's Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) brought all his power to bear on his rivals on Friday to register back-to-back successes in Goodwood's G2 King George Qatar S. Despite the contrasting ground conditions to the easy turf he encountered 12 months ago and the obvious questions posed by defeat in the June 19 G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, the bay attracted heavy support as the 8-11 favourite and was in front before he had raced two...
The 17th edition of the Claiming Crown, held Saturday at Gulfstream Park, generated total handle of $10,118,000--up 0.57% from 2014 despite rainy conditions which caused four races to be taken off the turf. Gulfstream was hosting the event for the fourth year. "We're extremely pleased with the success of Saturday's Claiming Crown," said P.J. Campo, General Manager of Gulfstream Park and Vice President of Racing for The Stronach Group. "We had big fields and tremendous participation from horsemen throughout North America. We're confident the numbers would have been even more...
TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack provides analysis for Saturday's pair of GI Kentucky Derby preps--the GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds and GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park. Results (Weekend of Feb. 28) - Commandment (Into Mischief) ($6.80 winner of GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth) and Class President (Uncle Mo) ($19.00 winner of GII Rebel) made it a profitable weekend at the windows for this column, both delivering wins in dramatic fashion. Hammond (Charlatan), meanwhile, was a disappointing sixth at 8-1 in the GIII Gotham. GII TwinSpires.com...
No three-figure maidens this week, but the meeting at Colonial Downs featured prominently in this week's top 5. 5. LOVE'M OR LIAM, GP, 3/13-5th, 1 1/16 miles (Tapeta) (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-81 (c, 4, by Liam's Map--Fly Me to Dubai, by Into Mischief) O-Cheyenne Stable. B-Catherine Hudson, Kildare Stud and Aaron Mulholland (Ky). T-Bill Mott. J-Junior Alvarado. He finally broke his maiden in his seventh start and first on Tapeta (off the turf), but in his defense he hasn't seen easy spots against Grande (later second in Wood Memorial), Life...
NEW KENT, VA--From one CD to another. In his second start of the year, Pin Oak Stud's Incredibolt (Bolt d'Oro) stamped his ticket for a return trip to Churchill Downs with a visually-impressive finish in Saturday's Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs. Under the tutelage of Riley Mott, the 6-1 choice is already proven under the Twin Spires when he finished out his juvenile campaign with a win in the GIII Street Sense Stakes in late October. And while his return to the track earlier this season didn't go quite as...
Shadwell Stable's Ezum (Essential Quality), a speed-and-fade ninth at longshot odds on seven-furlong debut at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 7, was pounded into even-money favoritism stretching out to a mile Saturday at Colonial Downs and treated his rivals to a 19 1/2-length beating. Soon in front for Flavien Prat, the $485,000 Keeneland November weanling angled down towards the inside and made the running one off the fence while doing it through comfortable fractions up front. Prat held his mount together into the final three furlongs and when he edged ever...
CROSSINGTHECHANNEL (c, 3, Omaha Beach--In the Navy Now {SW, $253,020}, by Midshipman) proved himself a tough customer last year as a juvenile, finishing second Nov. 8 at Laurel Park behind eventual Turfway Prevue Stakes winner Hometown Bound (Mitole). He resurfaced Dec. 13 at Aqueduct and ran a strong second behind next-out GIII Gotham Stakes hero Iron Honor (Nyquist), earning a 91 Beyer to wrap his 2025 before returning Jan. 4 at that venue for a sophomore bow. Successfully breaking his maiden there by a neck, Crossingthechannel was hammered at the...
The two new names on the GI Kentucky Derby trail each exemplify one of the principal alternatives to what nowadays feels like the ideal route, namely to exploit the imbalances of the commercial market with a breed-to-race program. Nobody having ever operated one of those on a scale as lavish as the one that produced Sovereignty (Into Mischief), the choice between these other models is strictly practical. If you can run to $2.4 million for a Saratoga yearling, as did Speedway Stable for the Into Mischief colt we now know...
The Puma (Essential Quality) returned to his base at Gulfstream Park early Sunday morning after his win a day earlier in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby, and his connections reported that he came out of the race in good order. Though no firm plans have been made regarding his future schedule, Gustavo Delgado Jr., who is the assistant trainer to and son of trainer Gustavo Delgado Sr., said the GI April 4 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland is one option the team is definitely considering. "We're still undecided," the younger...
After hitting the board behind the likes of 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Chief Wallabee (Constitution) on debut and most recently, Renegade (Gun Runner) in the Sam F. Davis Stakes Feb. 7, The Puma (Essential Quality) finally got his day Saturday and earned Derby points to boot with a gutsy win in the GIII ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby. Given just a 7-1 shot here despite that third over course and distance in the Sam F. Davis, the son from the first crop of Essential Quality broke towards the outside...