Horse Racing
Canadian champion 2-year-old colt Truth of It All (Proud Truth) died peacefully from natural causes at age 34 on Wednesday, July 24 at Hurstland Farm in Midway, Kentucky, according to a press release from the farm. By Darby Dan stallion Proud Truth, Truth of It All was born at Hurstland to MGSW Cup of Honey (Raise a Cup) Feb. 26, 1990. Trained by Sheldon Wolfe, Truth of It All won the 1993 edition of the GIII Grey Stakes en route to taking home the Sovereign Award for the top juvenile...
Vladimir Cespedes, an owner, exercise rider and stable employee based at Parx Racing was found in possession of an electrical device and illegal human narcotics on Monday, July 23, during an integrity sweep of the barn area which was led by Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission (PSHRC) investigators who were in coordination with the racetrack and the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (PTHA), according to a stewards' ruling (24172PP) posted on the Commission's portal. That same day, Cespedes was summarily suspended by the stewards for a potential violation of 7 PA...
Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes highlights debuting 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. To follow are the horses entered for Thursday at Saratoga: Thursday, July 25, 2024 Saratoga 1, $90k, 2yo, f, (S),...
Freshman sire Caracaro collected the first 'TDN Rising Star' trophy for his case when Casalu (f, 2, Caracaro--Key d'Oro, by Medaglia d'Oro) sailed home a debut winner on Sunday afternoon at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. Spotlighted in the Sunday edition of TDN's Summer Breezes and Racing Insights, the Three Amigos-owned juvenile who went off at sixty cents on the dollar here was looking to make good on a bullet workout she posted at Santa Anita July 8 when she went four furlongs in :46.40 (1/54). The heavy favorite blazed...
Saving her best kick for the final stretch, first time starter Virgin Colada (More Than Ready--Episcopal, by Carpe Diem) mounted a strong charge down the lane to graduate and earn a 'TDN Rising Star' for her efforts at Saratoga on Sunday afternoon. Sporting the silks of John Stewart's Resolute Racing, the filly debuted as a 9-2 shot here. The 2-year-old, who saved every bit of ground while at the rear of the field until the top of the lane, launched her bid down the center of the course and sailed...
In a race that changed dramatically when expected speed Venti Valentine (Firing Line) stumbled to her knees not once but twice out of the gate, it was Raging Sea (Curlin) who took advantage and pulled away late to win the GII Shuvee Stakes at Saratoga Sunday. A talented juvenile who hit the board in both the GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes and the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Raging Sea struggled to regain form as a 3-year-old, contesting mostly optional claimers at Keeneland and Saratoga before ending her season a winner...
With two wins in as many starts, Iscreamuscream (Twirling Candy) did not melt under pressure and remained undefeated in the GII San Clemente Stakes at Del Mar on opening day. Perfect in a pair of turf sprints going six furlongs over the Santa Anita grass Oct. 14 and June 13, Iscreamuscream was the 6-5 chalk in her stakes debut Saturday. Making her first start around two turns here, she was sent to the front and raced under pressure through fractions of :22.76 and :47.49. With four of them lined up...
'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) continued her assault on the sophomore fillies division with a spectacular 4 1/2-length victory over Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}) in Saturday's GI Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga. But it was not all smooth sailing for the GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Acorn Stakes heroine. Off as the 1-4 favorite while facing four rivals here, she hopped at the start and subsequently hit the gate and immediately trailed the quartet. She rushed up beneath Brian Hernandez, Jr., however, and was quickly in a...
Getaway Car (c, 2, Curlin--Surrender Now, by Morning Line), named by Katie Ryan (Tom Ryan's wife) after a Taylor Swift-song, topped the charts on debut and earned a 'TDN Rising Star' at Del Mar on Saturday. Spotlighted in the Saturday edition of TDN's Racing Insights, the $700,000 Keeneland September grad sported several solid works over the past month in Arcadia for trainer Bob Baffert. The 6-5 shot here did not disappoint his supporters as he established a healthy lead up the backstretch. Giving chase around the far turn was Todd...
Six weeks removed from his biggest win in his career win in the GI Belmont Stakes, Dornoch (Godo Magic) did what many thought he surely wouldn't be able to repeat. But it seems nobody told him, nor the colt's connections for that matter. During Wednesday's draw for the GI NYRABets Haskell Stakes, trainer Danny Gargan made it pretty clear that he was not really enthused with his Classic-winning colt drawing Post 1. The trainer probably had a flashback to this season's Kentucky Derby, where Dornoch drew the dreaded rail and...
Returning to the races off a year layoff, Tapit Trice marked his return in style, rolling home a 5 1/4-length winner over Highland Falls in the GIII Monmouth Stakes. A beat slow out of post 8, Tapit Trice was fanned four wide heading into the first turn as Counterspy (Gun Runner) went to the front, carving out an opening quarter in :24.14. A three-wide third following a :49.15 half, the grey held a slight advantage over favored Highland Falls, who was pinned along the inside and in need of racing...
4th-DMR, $75K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5f, 6:36 p.m. ET. CASALU (Caracaro) was taken home for $775,000 by the Three Amigos--Pegram, Watson and Weitman--at this year's OBS April Sale. Sent to Bob Baffert, the filly posted a four-furlong bullet drill of :46.40 (1/54) at Santa Anita July 8. Out of Key d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), the juvenile has a 4-year-old half-sister in SP Twirled (Twirling Candy) and a yearling half-brother by Vekoma. Casalu's second dam is herself a full-sister to sire Yankee Gentleman (Storm Cat). TJCIS PPS 7th-ELP, $71K, Msw, 2yo, f,...