Friday Insights

Friday's Racing Insights: Well-Bred Daughter Of Curlin Set For Her First Start At Los Alamitos

5th-LRC, $50K, Msw, 3yo/up, f&m, 6 1/2f, 6:03 p.m. ET. RABEEBA (Curlin) gets unveiled for owner Michael Lund Petersen and trainer Bob Baffert. A $750,000 Keeneland September grad, the 3-year-old filly has a younger full-brother in-training named Stone Aged who Juddmonte purchased for $450,000 during the 2026 OBS Spring Sale. The siblings' dam is Arthur Hancock mare MSP Chatham (Maria's Mon). Out of her 10 foals to race, she has eight winners, including current sire Air Force Blue (by War Front). Rabeeba's extended female family includes MSW Shea D Summer...

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Friday's Racing Insights: Flightline Colt Set To Buzz The Twin Spires Towers Over Churchill Strip

5th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 5f, 2:45 p.m. ET. As TDN's Bill Finley reported earlier this week, Horse of the Year Flightline (by Tapit) has his first foal ready to hit the track at Churchill Downs on Friday. GREENWELL was a $500,000 buy for Greg Tramontin during the 2025 Keeneland September Sale. Sent to trainer Mark Casse, the Flightline colt is out of MGSW Cambodia (War Front), who is a half-sister to the dam of GSW Danse Macabre (Army Mule). Also set for a start is another Keeneland grad in Grand...

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Friday Insights: Quality Over Quantity In MSW At Santa Anita

1st-SA, $65K, Msw, 3-5yo, 6f, 4:00 p.m. ET. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has an uncoupled entry with 3-year-old Sir Davis (Justify) and 4-year-old Pecos River (McKinzie). The former was a $450,000 Keeneland September grad, while the latter went for $750,000 at the 2024 OBS March sale. Out of MSW Lovely Syn (Freud), Sir Davis is a half-brother to MSW Love in the Air, who was purchased by Japan's Dr. Masatake Iida for $425,000 during the 2023 Keeneland November sale while in foal to Life Is Good. As for...

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Friday Insights: 'TDN Rising Star' Touch Of Fire Turns And Burns Over Haggin At Keeneland

3rd-KEE, $120K, ALW/N1X, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 2:04 p.m. ET. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', and Triple Crown nominee TOUCH OF FIRE (Constitution) comes to Keeneland to contest an allowance race over the Haggin Turf Course. The Juddmonte homebred cleared by seven lengths on debut at Fair Grounds in early January, which earned the colt a commendation from this publication for his effort. After finishing as the runner-up in the Black Gold Stakes in New Orleans in late February, the Brad Cox trainee is tabbed as the 9-5 morning line...

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Friday's Racing Insights: Pricey Filly By Ghostzapper Unveiled On Opening Day At Keeneland

4th-KEE, $110K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 2:36 p.m. ET. PHANTOM BLUE (Ghostzapper), a Resolute Racing purchase for $1.2-million during the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, was sent to trainer Brendan Walsh. Out of the winning Seeking the Blue (Arch), the filly is a half-sister to MGSP Janis Joplin (California Chrome), MSP Vino Rouge (Vino Rosso) and as of Mar. 27 she has a new half-brother by Not This Time. Phantom Blue's third dam is MGSW Atlantic Ocean (Stormy Atlantic). On the same Speightstown-Medaglia d'Oro cross that yielded current sires...

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Friday Insights: 'Amigos' Send Vekoma Filly Out For First Start In Arcadia

5th-SA, $70K, Msw, 3yo, f, 5 1/2f, 6:07 p.m. ET. The 'Three Amigos' of Pegram, Watson and Weitman send out for the first time WEEKEND PRINCESS (Vekoma), who will sport the trio's red and yellow colors. The Bob Baffert trainee was initially a $235,000 Keeneland November buy, then the filly went through the same ring the following September for $625,000. Dam Alemia (Congrats) is a half-sister to GSW Stays in Vegas (City Zip) and SW Miss Technicality (Gio Ponti). Weekend Princess's extended female family includes GISW Persistently (Smoke Glacken) and...

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Friday Insights: Constitution Filly Makes First Start For C R K In New Orleans

5th-FG, $54K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 3:45 p.m. ET. SHE'S OUR TEN (Constitution) will carry the colors for Lee Searing and C R K when she is unveiled under trainer Peter Eurton at Fair Grounds on Friday. The dark bay initially went to Hidden Brook for $215,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale before being purchased by C R K for $675,000 during OBS April last year. Out of MSP Quality Heat (Quality Road), the filly's lone siblings are an older half-brother by Nyquist and a younger half-sister by Not...

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Friday Insights: Son Of War Front And New Money Honey Unveiled At Gulfstream

5th-GP, $84K, Msw, 3yo, 1mT, 2:20 p.m. ET. Over the course of her bright racing career for e Five, New Money Honey (Medaglia d'Oro) collected four higher level trophies--two of which were of the Grade I variety. The second to the races for her celebrated dam, WRATHCHILD (War Front) will carry the same colors as New Money Honey and his older half-brother Nemo (Into Mischief). The first-time starter trained by Brendan Walsh enjoys an extended female family which includes sire Any Given Saturday (by Distorted Humor) and GSW Bohemian Lady...

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Friday's Racing Insights: Salty Maiden Race Seasons Opening Day Of New Holiday Meet At Oaklawn

7th-OP, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 4:22 p.m. ET. Set for her unveiling is SANGARETTE (Charlatan), a 2-year-old who was purchased for $500,000 by Tom Durant during the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale last year and sent to trainer Ray Ashford. The filly's dam, GISP Sweet Shirley Mae (Broken Vow), produced SW Mae Never No (Ire) (No Nay Never). Sangarette's extended female family includes GSW Chaos Theory (Curlin). Also making the starting gate on opening day of the Oaklawn meet is Don Alberto homebred Eagle Dance (Audible). Trained by Brad Cox,...

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Friday Insight: Debuting Charlatan Filly Given The Sign To 'Swing It' At Gulfstream

6th-GP, $70K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 3:30 p.m. ET. A $630,000 buy at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling sale, LITTLE GEORGIE (Charlatan) makes her first start for trainer Saffie Joseph. Sporting the same distinctive chestnut color as her sire, the filly is out of MSW Swingit (Victory Gallop), the dam of 10 foals, eight to race and seven winners. Chief among her produce are MGISP Neolithic (Harlan's Holiday) and MGSW Travel Column (Frosted). The latter--initially an $850,000 yearling purchase by OXO Equine--went to Spendthirft Farm for $2-million at the...

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Friday's Racing Insights: She Feels Pretty's Younger Half-Sister A Go For DeVaux On A Spa Day

8th-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 4:28 p.m. ET. From the same Cherie DeVaux shedrow as her older half-sister MGISW She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}), SHE FEELS STUNNING (American Pharoah) is unveiled for Lael who owns both fillies. The first-time starter was acquired by the stables for $650,000 during Keeneland September. Dam Summer Sweet (More Than Ready) is herself out of French stakes winner Summer Solstice (Ire) (Caerleon), who is also responsible for SW Adirondack Summer (Thunder Gulch), SW Summer Breezing (Langfuhr) and GISP Summer Solo (Arch)--the dam of...

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Friday Insights: Pricey Into Mischief Colt Valiant Set For First Start At Ellis

6th-ELP, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 3:12 p.m. ET. Robert Clay's Grandview Equine went to a cool $1-million to acquire VALIANT (Into Mischief) at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. Partnering with LNJ Foxwoods and Hubert Vester, the ownership group sent the colt to trainer Brad Cox. The debuting bay is the first foal out of unraced Validest (Medaglia d'Oro)--a Vester purchase for $350,000 from the 2021 Keeneland November Sale while she was in foal to Authentic. Validest is a half-sister to GII American Turf Stakes hero Global View (Galileo {Ire})...

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