Flavien Prat

Play With Fire (Oscar Performance) was produced widest into the Pimlico stretch and steamed down the center of the rain-affected turf course to take out Friday's Hilltop Stakes. Off as the 7-2 second choice in a field scratched down to eight when Complexity Jane (Complexity) dumped jockey Sheldon Russell in the preliminaries, the $85,000 OBS March graduate was content to drop out to the back of the field and was shuffled all the way to last as favored Me Governor (The Factor) took them along at a leisurely clip. Following...

1st-Pimlico, $54,810, Alw (NW1X), Opt. Clm ($50,000-$62,500), 5-16, 3yo, 6f, 1:10.65, ft, 6 1/2 lengths. VERIFIRE (c, 3, Authentic--Ruby Trust {SP, $145,212}, by Smart Strike), named a 'TDN Rising Star' when thrashing Colonial maidens by 6 1/4 lengths on career debut going this distance on the Virginia Derby undercard Mar. 15, easily repeated the dose when pulling clear through the final furlong to take the Black-Eyed Susan Day opener at Pimlico by 6 1/2 lengths. Off at a nickel on the dollar, the $260,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $1-million OBS...

1st-PIM, $54K, OC62K/N1X, 3yo, 6f, 11:30 p.m. ET. In what amounted to a smart debut at Colonial Downs Mar. 15, VERIFIRE (Authentic) was confirmed as a 'TDN Rising Star' after the colt won by 6 1/4 lengths and posted a 92 Beyer. Initially a $260,000 Keeneland September purchase, John Stewart went to a $1-million to acquire the chestnut during the 2024 OBS March Sale. Verifire is out of SP Ruby Trust (Smart Strike), whose own dam is GSW Queen Ofthe Castle (Tale of the Cat). Resolute's second out starter is...

Having been committed to the race just 24 hours earlier and in the absence of GI Kentucky Derby hero Sovereignty (Into Mischief), Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Robert LaPenta, Elayne Stables 5 LLC, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's Derby runner-up Journalism (Curlin) was made the 8-5 favorite on Dan Illman's morning line for Saturday's 150th running of the $2-million GI Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. He was assigned post position two during Monday's draw at the Guiness Open Gate Brewery. The...

Plans are taking shape for a new global jockeys' league, which would see 12 world-renowned riders compete against each other multiple times a year, across prestigious racecourses located in each of the major racing jurisdictions. It is hoped that the project will get off the ground in 2026, provided commercial partners to help fund the competition can be found in the interim. Co-founded by former Godolphin chief executive John Ferguson and Lachlan Fitt, who served as chief financial officer of Entain Australia from 2018 until earlier this year, the idea...

Citizen Bull (Into Mischief), last year's Eclipse champion juvenile, completed his major preparations for Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby with a bullet five-furlong work in :58.40 (1/15) Monday at Churchill Downs. Churchill Downs clockers caught Citizen Bull in fractions of :11.60, :23, :45.80, :58.40 and out six furlongs in 1:12.40 and seven-eighths in 1:27.20. "He worked really good out there," said jockey Martin Garcia, who was aboard for the work. "But he was just messin' around. He did it easy." Garcia also revealed that trainer Bob Baffert, who has radio contact...

Keeneland concluded its 2025 Spring Meet on Friday following 15 days of racing that produced total wagering of $192 million. The Spring Meet was slated to begin Friday, Apr. 4, but severe storms and flooding rainfall forced Keeneland officials to take the unprecedented step of rescheduling the opening two days, resulting in the GI Central Bank Ashland and the GI Toyota Blue Grass moving to Monday, Apr. 7 and Tuesday, Apr. 8, respectively. "The success of this Spring Meet is a salute to the power of teamwork, and we are...

5th-Keeneland, $123,056, Alw, 4-25, (NW2$X), 4yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:38.58, yl, neck. SWEET REBECCA (f, 4, American Pharoah--Sweet N Discreet {SW & GSP, $366,447}, by Discreet Cat), a latest fifth to the commonly owned Pounce (Lookin At Lucky) in the GIII Lake George Stakes at Saratoga last July, led home a 1-2 finish for her Coolmore-based stallion in a salty allowance on closing day of the spring stand at Keeneland. Off at a penny shy of 4-1, the $250,000 Keeneland September yearling was given a positive ride by Flavien Prat and...

Dew Sweepers LLC's Tough Critic (Caravaggio), who came from well off the pace to graduate at first asking in a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint at Keeneland Apr. 24, is a late addition to tonight's Keeneland April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale, the sales department said via a Friday press release. Paramount Sales, agent, will consign the Apr. 29 foal as hip 89 to the auction, which kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET. Trained by George Weaver, the dark bay colt attracted the services of top rider Flavien Prat for...

2nd-Keeneland, $72,737, Msw, 4-24, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:04.73, fm, 1 1/4 lengths. TOUGH CRITIC (c, 2, Caravaggio--Thatchit {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}), one of a handful of first-time starters in the field, took his time into stride and had only one rival beat as a pair of runners dueled for the lead into the far turn. Still well beaten at the half-mile pole as 4-5 favorite Longshoreman (Twirling Candy) began to open up a sizable advantage up front, the 6-1 shot picked up the bridle with a wide, sweeping move...

Despite a frustrating conclusion to 'TDN Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense)'s 4-year-old season last year, trainer Brad Cox never lost any confidence in the Godolphin homebred. "Look, we've always thought he was a Grade I talent," Cox said in these pages earlier this week. You can certainly see why now. Pounded late into 7-5 favoritism, First Mission sat the trip of the race beneath Flavien Prat in Saturday's $1.25-million GII Oaklawn Handicap and powered clear to a two-length victory over the in-form Banishing (Ghostzapper). The final time of 1:49.09...

This week, we debut a new feature: who were the five fastest maidens to race in North America last week, as measured by the Beyer Speed figures? We count them down. 5. TROUBLESHOOTING, KEE 4/10 - 5 1/2f (turf) Beyer Speed Figure: 86 (c, 3, Not This Time--Into Trouble, by Into Mischief) O/B-Donamire Farm; T-Greg Foley; J-Edgar Morales. Video Replay. After three losses as a 2-year-old, Foley did a little "troubleshooting" and switched this colt to grass--with immediate results. Morales positioned him in the rail pocket behind the Bill Mott-trained 5-2...