Horse Racing

Sporting an afterburner that would make any jet jock high-five over the need for speed, Verifire (Authentic--Ruby Trust, by Smart Strike) went Mach 1 with his hair on fire en route to a successful unveiling at Colonial Downs. The score gave trainer Brad Cox his second 'TDN Rising Star' on Saturday afternoon. Initially sold for $260,000 during Keeneland September, Verifire was taken home by John Stewart of Resolute Racing for a cool $1 million at last year's OBS March Sale. Sent to Cox, the chestnut drilled at Payson Park in...

Making the journey from his Payson base in South Florida, Lion of Justice (Into Mischief--Ever So Clever, by Medaglia d'Oro) did not mind the new digs one iota as he graduated on debut over the blazing main strip at Colonial Downs on Saturday. Owned by St. Elias Stable, Talla Racing, West Point and C J Stable, the colt represented the pride well and took home a 'TDN Rising Star' for his effort. Bred by Clearsky Farms, the $1.1 million Keeneland September purchase was slammed at the windows to the tune...

5th-GP, $94K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 3:00 p.m. ET. A $525,000 Keeneland September grad, DRY POWDER (Gun Runner) is set to be unveiled for Gold Square and trainer Chad Summers. The filly's dam Tell All (Broken Vow) was purchased in 2021 for $240,000 from the Pin Oak Stud consignment by Corser Thoroughbreds while the first-time starter was in-utero. Dry Powder's second dam, SW Whisper to Me (Thunder Gulch), produced MGSW Overheard (Macho Uno). Also making the barrier for her debut is Midnight Myth (More Than Ready), who went for $550,000...

Nearly seven months ago to the day, it was announced by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin to the crowd on hand at Colonial Downs for the running of the Arlington Million that for the first time in 2025, the Virginia Derby and Virginia Oaks--heretofore grass races held during the traditional summer meeting in New Kent--would be switched to the spring and to the main track to position themselves as prep races for the main events in May. That day arrives Saturday, as a field of nine sophomore males heads to the...

A total of 122 horses of all ages have been catalogued for the Fasig-Tipton Digital March Sale, which opened for bidding Mar. 13 and will close Tuesday, Mar. 18 at 2 p.m. ET. The catalogue offers horses of racing age, breeding stock - including mares with foals at foot, two-year-olds in training, yearlings, and a no-guarantee season to Nyquist, who was represented by his eighth Grade I winner when Cavalieri remained perfect in five starts in the Mar. 8 Beholder Mile. "We have great quality in this March sale, including...

Officials at the New York Racing Association (NYRA) have released a 64-strong stakes schedule for the 2025 summer meeting at Saratoga Race Course. The 40-day stand will kick off on Thursday, July 10 and will continue through Labor Day, Sept. 1. Over $20 million in prize money is to be offered across the added-money events, anchored by three seven-figure fixtures, the $1.25-million GI DraftKings Travers Stakes on Aug. 23; the $1-million GI Whitney Stakes on Aug. 2; and the $1-million GI Jockey Club Gold Cup on Aug. 31. The meet's...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses: Saturday, March 15, 2025 3rd-NKY, ¥10,600,000 ($72k), Maiden, 3yo, 1200m KNOCK SHRINE (JPN) (c, 3, Omaha Beach--Knock, by Tapit) is out of a daughter of Grade III winner Fencelineneighbor (Wild Rush) who was hammered down to...

Last year ended on a high note for Top o' the Lane Farm and has continued into 2025. Vixen (Vekoma) was second by a neck in the GI Natalma Stakes last September, then followed it up by a solid run in the Breeders' Cup after having to break from the parking lot and has continued on in 2025 after a short break to capture the Sweetest Chant Stakes and GIII Herecomesthebride Stakes. Keeneland November was a major success with three foals going through the ring to great connections through Highgate...

The rate of fatal injury in equine athletes for 2024 was 1.11 per 1000 starts, the lowest rate since the creation of the Equine Injury Database (EID) back in 2009, according to the initial data analysis from the 16th year of reporting to the EID. Based on the 2024 data, 99.89% of all flat racing stats at racetracks participating in the EID were completed without a fatality. Analysis of the EID, released Wednesday by The Jockey Club, was provided by Dr. Euan Bennett of the University of Glasgow and Professor...

9th-Gulfstream, $77,000, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 3-9, 3yo, 1m, 1:36.59, ft, 7 1/2 lengths. PRAETOR (c, 3, Into Mischief--Curlin's Approval {MGSW, $654,725}, by Curlin) ran a well-beaten third on debut in the mud at the Spa last August, but he was able to graduate by a neck over the highly-regarded GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth hero Sovereignty (Into Mischief) at the Big A Sept. 27. Given time after a minor injury, the bay returned to work at Chad Brown's Payson base in late January. Slammed at the windows for his...

After running too good to lose when going down to a narrow defeat at the hands of John Hancock (Constitution) in the Sam F. Davis Stakes when last seen, Flying Dutchmen Breeding & Racing's Owen Almighty (Speightstown) was kicked straight into the lead from his rail draw in Saturday's GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, controlled the pace through even sectional times and ran away from his half-dozen rivals in the final furlong to earn 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. But it may be a different...

Eclipse Award-winning juvenile colt Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) and the well-related Baeza (McKinzie) were each out for breezes Saturday morning as they prep for their respective next starts in the GI Santa Anita Derby on Apr. 5. With former jockey Juan Ochoa in the irons, Citizen Bull went six furlongs in 1:12.60 for trainer Bob Baffert. The $675,000 Keeneland September yearling won three of his four outings in 2024, locking up his championship with a front-running, 3 3/4-length defeat of stablemate Gaming (Game Winner) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile...