Horse Racing

If bloodstock agent Mike Pender feels the urge to pinch himself from time to time, it would be hard to hold that against him. Having trained the likes of Grade I winners Jeranimo and Ultimate Eagle for his late client B. J. Wright in a career that lasted 15 years, Pender is now very much focused on the bloodstock side of the game, and his two current success stories--the three-time graded-stakes winning turf sprinter Queen Maxima (Bucchero) and Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Intrepido (Maximus Mischief)--are doing...

6th-GP, $84K, Msw, 4yo/up, f&m, 1m, 2:49 p.m. ET. In early June last summer, SPIRIT OF HOPE (Street Sense) worked toward her first start for trainer Bill Mott at Saratoga. The filly was tabbed as a 'main track only' entrant for a maiden special weight, but was unable to draw into the race. Given some more time through the fall, the Godolphin homebred is ready for her unveiling here. Out of highly productive mare Dance Card (Tapit), the first-time starter's half-siblings include Horse of the Year & current sire Cody's...

I've never understood this business of Dry January--the one month when those of us who take a glass of cheer are most grateful for a little respite from the dark and cold. Okay, maybe not a problem in California, but those of you battling all that snow and ice will surely see the merit of Dry February instead. It's shorter, for a start; and ends with the days lengthening and spring tangibly in the air. It's perfectly natural, however, for stallions to have a dry January. Certainly nobody will be...

A total of 367 of the world's top 3-year-old Thoroughbreds became eligible to compete in the 2026 Triple Crown series during the early nomination phase, which closed Monday, Jan. 26, Churchill Downs said in a press release on Tuesday. This year's early nominees span the globe and include several horses that have already made an impact on the 'Road to the Kentucky Derby', led by graded stakes winners 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Further Ado (Gun Runner), 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Golden Tempo (Curlin), 'TDN Rising Star,...

Ocala Breeders' Sales Company has catalogued 816 horses for its 2026 March Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training, which will be held over three days March 10-12, the auction company said via a Tuesday press release. Sessions will begin at 11 a.m. ET each day. Hips 1-272 will sell Mar. 10 with Hips 273-544 going Mar. 11 and 545-816 selling Mar. 12. The under-tack show will run from Mar. 4-7 starting at 8 a.m. ET each day. Hips 1-204 are slated for Mar. 4 followed by Hips 205-408 Mar. 5, Hips...

Turfway Park Racing & Gaming will move its Wednesday and Thursday live racing cards to afternoon programs with a 1 p.m. ET first post in response to forecasted single-digit wind chills expected during the evening hours, the track said in a press release on Tuesday. Officials will continue to monitor the latest forecasts, with Friday and Saturday's cards currently scheduled for their regular 5:55 p.m. first post. Wednesday will mark the first day of live racing at Turfway Park since a winter storm and freezing temperatures forced the cancellation of...

Last week's news that juvenile champ and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) was off the GI Kentucky Derby trail because of bone bruising resulted in a No. 1 vacancy. I went right down to deadline trying to figure out which of the top three listed below should be the new kingpin. I felt I could have made a cogent case for any of them being No. 1. However, I also feel that from No. 4 on down right now it's a kaleidoscopic free-for-all to round...

'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard CORNUCOPIAN (c, 4, Into Mischief--Magical World, by Distorted Humor) hit a traffic jam nearing the quarter pole of a 6 1/2-furlong Santa Anita allowance on Saturday, but it proved but a minor inconvenience, as he got his feet back under him, quickly took a gap at the rail inside of a rival and was off and gone in his first start in nearly 10 months. The 1-2 chalk returning off an allowance defeat going a mile at Aqueduct last spring, the $1.1 million Keeneland...

Trainer Bob Baffert came into Saturday's hot-looking maiden at Santa Anita with a trio of high-profile chances on paper, but that number was reduced to a single runner with the program scratches of the rail-drawn Duntov, a $575,000 son of Maxfield, and Crude Velocity (Beau Liam), himself a $250,000 breeze-up purchase. But the one that remained, Speedway Stables' POTENTE (c, 3, Into Mischief--Sweet Sting, by Awesome Again), shouldered the load, outgaming the more experienced Captain Shreve (Runhappy) by a length. Away very smartly from an outside draw, the $2.4-million Fasig-Tipton...

A $1.15 million Keeneland September graduate, Disruptor (Gun Runner) was a money-burning third on career debut at Gulfstream last January, but put it all together to become a 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard with a 9 1/4-length graduation at that venue Mar. 1. He was last seen finishing a low-odds fifth in the GI Curlin Florida Derby at the back end of last March and was the 4-5 jolly to handle this return to action. Bumped soundly from his outside at the break, Disruptor worked his way into a...

Looking to take his career record to a perfect three wins from as many visits to the races, Chris Fountoukis's SOLITUDE DUDE (c, 3, Yaupon--After the Party, by Into Mischief) made every yard to record his second career stakes success in Saturday's Swale Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Off to a smart beginning from the outside gate in a compact field of six, the $300,000 OBS June breezer came across his rivals but was purposely kept in about the three path, going the first couple of furlongs in a hasslefree :23.30,...

Klaravich Stables' CURRENT YIELD (f, 3, Nyquist--Denali Tizadream, by Colonel John) overcame a tricky inside trip, belying her inexperience to graduate impressively at first asking as the 2-1 favorite Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs. Away fairly from the inside gate in a full field of sophomore fillies, the $400,000 Keeneland September purchase mustered for speed and argued the pace from a tight spot down on the fence entering the turn. Ridden along as they lined up five abreast to take a crack at her on the swing for home, Current...