Evita

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features the return of Wootton Centurion. 12.17 Chantilly, Cond, 3yo, c/g, 8fT WOOTTON CENTURION (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is the first of two TDN Rising Stars, Presented by Hagyard to spring back into action on a fascinating card, with Victoria Head eyeing a potential Classic tilt for...

Now that the obvious TDN Rising Stars, Presented by Hagyard have been dealt with, it is time to turn to the "darker" ones among last year's crop. Not that there is such thing as a truly dark horse anymore thanks to detailed data and the vastly greater scope of media coverage of the better maidens and novices. We're not there yet, for some reason, but there will be a time when we will know almost instantly whether we've seen a genuine good horse or not through meaningful stride and time...

Erik Johnson, who won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, retired in 2025, but he has remained busy.  Johnson, an avid racing fan, now spends much of his time managing his Thoroughbred interests, which includes an expanding broodmare band. In January, he purchased Timber Town Stables, which was owned by Wayne and Cathy Sweezey. That has become the home to most of his mares. Here is a look at his mating plans for 2026 and comments from the former All-Star defenseman, who played 17 seasons in the...