Florida Derby

Pete Williams made the decision to keep Distorted d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) in training another year when she finished a close-up fourth in the Tom Benson Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds Mar. 22, only to completely change his mind just a week later when the 4-year-old filly's half-brother Tappan Street (Into Mischief) won the GI Florida Derby. Instead, Williams chose to send Distorted d'Oro to visit Tappan Street's sire Into Mischief and he has now made the difficult decision to offer the mare at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale Monday in Lexington....

'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Fierceness (City of Light--Nonna Bella, by Stay Thirsty), the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male of 2023 and a four-time Grade I winner, will begin his stud career at Coolmore's Kentucky base at Ashford Stud following his final start in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1. An imperious 11 1/4-length debut winner at Saratoga in August 2023, earning no-brainer 'Rising Star' in a similar fashion to owner Mike Repole's fellow champion and late Ashford stallion Uncle Mo, Fierceness romped by 6...

Sovereignty (Into Mischief) is on top. He got there by winning two of the most important races on the calendar for 3-year-olds. With his wins in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes, he leads the way because this is a sport where they're always asking, "What have you done for me lately?" But that doesn't necessarily mean that he's the best 3-year-old to have run this year. The last time Sovereignty lost was in the Mar. 29 GI Curlin Florida Derby. He didn't have any excuses. He just...

Albaugh Family Stables and Castleton Lyons's Cyclone Mischief (Into Mischief--Areyoucominghere, by Bernardini), third to 'TDN Rising Star' and champion Forte (Violence) in the GI Curlin Florida Derby and GII Fountain of Youth Stakes in 2022, will enter stud at Haras Don Florentino in Argentina for the 2025 breeding season, Turf Diario reported on Friday. Bred in Kentucky by Castleton Lyons and Kilboy Estate, Cyclone Mischief cost $450,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale and won two of his first four starts for trainer Dale Romans, including a 5 3/4-length allowance...

In racing, the advent of spring doesn't just mean delightful weather and foals capering through fields. It also means a multiplication of the number of graded events across the nation. The month of March boasted more graded races in the U.S. than January and February combined. With GI Kentucky Derby and Oaks preps in full swing, top older campaigners returning from winter breaks, and 2-year-old racing just around the corner, it's an exciting time in the sport. We took a look at trends and notable items from the country's graded...

We're on the cusp of the one-month mark to the GI Kentucky Derby and this Saturday marks the most important weekend of nine-furlong preps on the Triple Crown calendar, with significant stakes at Santa Anita, Keeneland, and Aqueduct. Next week the Top 12 expands to the Top 20 as the actual field begins to take shape. 1) CITIZEN BULL (c, Into Mischief-No Joke, by Distorted Humor) O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital...

A powerful thunderstorm and threat of continuing downpours through the afternoon caused the cancellation of racing at Gulfstream Park prior to the sixth of 12 scheduled races Sunday. The card was the closing day program of Gulfstream's Championship meet. A mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool, which was slated for Sunday's program, will be rescheduled. There is a carryover of $288,488.31 from Saturday's Florida Derby Day card. Live racing resumes Thursday at Gulfstream with the opening of the spring-summer Royal Palm Meet, which runs through Aug. 31....

Tappan Street (Into Mischief), making just his third lifetime start and first since a runner-up effort in the Feb. 1 GIII Holy Bull Stakes, punched his ticket to the GI Kentucky Derby with a stylish victory over favored Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in the GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park Saturday. "He really ran like we thought he would," said Elliott Walden of WinStar Farm, which owns the colt in partnership with CHC, Inc. and Cold Press Racing. "We've given him the time after the Holy Bull because we thought...

Gulfstream Park's GI Curlin Florida Derby tips off one hour ahead of Oaklawn's GI Arkansas Derby on Saturday and, with 100 points on the 'Road to the Kentucky Derby' on offer in each spot, both races offer what amounts to a 'win and you're in' spot in the gate on the first Saturday in May. Between them, the two tracks host eight of the day's 10 graded stakes. Godolphin homebred Sovereignty (Into Mischief), one of two runners in the Florida Derby along with Madaket Road (Quality Road) facing a jockey...

Unraced since finishing second in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic, 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) is nearing his 4-year-old debut, which will most likely come in the May 4 GIII Westchester S. at Aqueduct. His comeback was put on temporary hold because he was turned out for 60 days after undergoing an elective surgical procedure on a hind ankle. He had his first published workout this year when breezing three furlongs in :36.23 Mar. 13 at Palm Beach Downs. "He's come back very well," trainer Todd Pletcher...

Godolphin homebred and GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief) is being pointed to the GI Curlin Florida Derby for his next start March 29. "I think we're leaning very heavily toward the Florida Derby," said Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott Friday. "We're 95 percent sure that's where we're going." Sovereignty earned 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for his Fountain of Youth victory by a neck over 'TDN Rising Star' River Thames (Maclean's Music), and is tied with 2024 2-year-old male champion Citizen Bull (Into Mischief)...

The Florida Derby Charity Golf Tournament will tee off at noon Monday, March 24 at Plantation Preserve Golf Course & Club in Plantation, FL, one of the state's top-rated public golf courses, and will benefit the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), per a release Friday. The day will include raffles, food and beverages, gift bags, sponsored golf holes and awards. Sponsorship packages are available. Interested players can register by clicking here.