Horse Racing

Monday's rescheduled Affirmed Stakes was run at a breakneck clip, and that suited the class-dropping SECURED FREEDOM (c, 3, Practical Joke--Securely, by Uncle Mo), who made a long run from three furlongs out and overcame some late greenness to win for the first time in stakes company. Settled in fifth position as Mo Koko (Mo Town) and 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Decisive Win (Nyquist) match-raced into the clubhouse turn, Secured Freedom was content to bide his time from midfield and improved past a rival to be fourth approaching...

Naohiro Sakakuchi's Demian (c, 2, Flightline--Mira Alta, by Curlin) was produced by the visiting Damian Lane with a bit less than a furlong to race and quickened up nicely to become the first winner from the much-anticipated initial crop of his freshman sire (by Tapit) in Saturday's sixth race for unraced 2-year-olds going 1400 meters on the turf at Tokyo Racecourse. Favored at odds-on in ante-post wagering, the $1.7-million Keeneland September acquisition was ultimately away as the 19-10 second pick, but jumped only fairly and raced near the back of...

A fairly quirky notion, perhaps, but let's just give it a little rein. Because it was in California that Collected reached his peak on the racetrack, including when beaten only by the Horse of the Year in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic; and it is also in California that he has been making his name in his second career. Is it conceivable, then, that his stock may be inheriting some aptitude peculiarly adapted to the demands of the West Coast theater? Regardless, his cumulative resonance among Californian breeders certainly gives...

6th-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, f, 5f, 3:19 p.m. ET HOUSE BOAT PARTY (Flightline) is set to become the third starter in two days from the highly anticipated first crop of her sire (by Tapit) and should have her fair share of backers. A homebred for Flying Dutchmen, the Apr. 5 foal is out of Lake Garda (American Pharoah), purchased by Boardshorts for $600,000 in foal to Uncle Mo at Keeneland November in 2022. The mare is an unraced daughter of GSP Refugee (Unaccounted For), whose 11 winners include 'TDN Rising...

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 Sunday running at Tokyo Racecourse: Sunday, June 14, 2026 4th-TOK, ¥14,880,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400m KENSHIRO WORLD (c, 2, Violence--Colby Cakes, by Scat Daddy) was knocked down to Machmer Hall for $130,000 at the 2025 Keeneland January Sale and was re-offered at Fasig-Tipton...

PICKITUPTHATSGOOD (Girvin--Heart of Midway, by Stevie Wonderboy) was unveiled as the 4-5 choice here and settled midpack up the backstretch. With good energy around the far turn, the favorite began turn up the heat to the outside as the field entered the lane. The filly fired on all cylinders, seized the lead inside the final furlong and won by four lengths over the 'Insighted' Janie Not Jeanie (Mandaloun). The winner's dam is responsible for 3-year-old filly in-training On Ramp (Beau Liam) and a yearling filly by Complexity. A half-sister to...

It isn't always easy for a small breeder to mix it with the bigger operations, pinning their hopes on mating more inexpensive mares with less-regarded stallions who might be flying under the radar at four- and lower five-figure service fees. The Lexington-based Winchester Farm, owned and operated by Dr. Naoya and Marie Yoshida, have made their mark applying those principles, and the pair were on hand over the past weekend at Saratoga. No, they didn't necessarily have a stake or other vested interest in the final leg of the Triple...

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...

Stonestreet Stables' Lady Jancis (Speightstown) took plenty of heat dueling inside on a strong pace on Keeneland turf-sprint debut Oct. 11 and stuck on well to be fourth beaten just under two lengths. Returning in the Wednesday finale at Churchill Downs as the 3-5 chalk and looking to become the fifth next-out winner from that first run, the beautifully bred dark bay gave those who swallowed the skinny price very little to worry about, cruising on the engine throughout en route to a much-the-best victory. Winner of the 2016 G3...

By the early 2000s, the commercial Thoroughbred breeding industry still resembled a relatively broad ecosystem. Elite stallions mattered enormously, but a wide range of sires maintained meaningful market share, regional programs remained viable, and biological limits naturally constrained how dominant any one stallion could become. That landscape has changed dramatically. A review of sire progeny earnings distributions from 2001 through 2025 reveals one of the clearest long-term structural shifts in modern Thoroughbred breeding: an increasingly small number of stallions now account for a growing share of the sport's economic output....

Flying Dutchmen Breeding & Racing's Banana Frost (Authentic) capped a promising worktab with a half-mile drill in :47 4/5 from the gate on May 31 and was sent off as the 7-4 second favorite to open her account at first asking Wedensday at Churchill Downs for a barn that is in 'flying' form. Off like a shot from the inside stall, the homebred quickly opened up on her rivals, covering the first couple of furlongs in :22.41. Making the running in the two path, Banana Frost was clear into the...

M's Racing's American-conceived and Japanese-foaled Finger (Jpn) (Gun Runner) moved one step closer to a sweep of the Japan Dirt Triple Crown with a front-running victory in Wednesday's ¥170 million ($1,059,270) Listed Tokyo Derby at Ohi Racecourse. The bay colt entered Wednesday's 2000-meter contest having never finished worse than second in his seven previous career appearances. That included a runner-up effort behind Rock Ptarmigan (Jpn) (Siskin) in the Listed Keihin Hai over 1700 meters Mar. 25 before turning the tables on that rival in the first leg of the Dirt...