Horse Racing
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) voted 10-0 Friday to deny stays of penalties while trainer Bob Baffert and owner Amr Zedan appeal their equine drug positive rulings related to Medina Spirit's disqualification from the 2021 GI Kentucky Derby. One of Baffert's attorneys, W. Craig Robertson III, told TDN after the vote that the decision was "very disappointing." He added that "I have never seen the KHRC not grant a stay in the past. We will take the matter back up with the Franklin Circuit Court on Mar. 17." Robertson...
Two for three in one-turn tests on the main track, MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm's Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah) tries a distance of ground as the narrow 8-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday's GII San Felipe S. at Santa Anita. A $300,000 graduate of the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling Showcase, the chestnut wired a field of Del Mar maidens on debut going 5 1/2 furlongs Aug. 21, but failed to transfer that form to the grass when third--albeit with some trouble--in the Oct. 1 Speakeasy S. at this venue. A pacesetting second...
Four of the previous five winners of the GI Beholder Mile were either already in possession of an Eclipse Award or would go on to become a champion later in their career. The Ken McPeek-conditioned 2020 champion 3-year-old filly Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) made light work of last year's renewal and the barn will look to defend their title this weekend with Walking L Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm's Envoutante (Uncle Mo). Same as she did during her 3-year-old season in 2020, the dark bay was kept busy with seven starts...
Space Traveller (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), who ran well enough in his last two over nine-furlong trips that likely stretch him, cuts back to the mile and rates a long look in Saturday's GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. at Santa Anita. Trained in Europe by Richard Fahey, the 6-year-old was a five-time winner from 19 starts, including the G3 Jersey S. over a straight seven furlongs at Royal Ascot in 2019 and a narrow victory in that year's G2 Solonaway S. going a mile around the relatively flat and...
Placed no fewer than four times at the top level, C R K Stable LLC's Express Train (Union Rags) looks to get over the hump in Saturday's GI Santa Anita H., the last of six graded events on a blockbuster program at the Great Race Place. Runner-up to Charlatan (Speightstown) in the 2020 GI Malibu S., the $500,000 Keeneland September acquisition filled the same spot behind Idol (Curlin) in this event 12 months ago. Third to recent G1 Saudi Cup second Country Grammer (Tonalist) in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup...
If variety is the spice of life, Saturday's GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park is certain to set your taste buds on fire, as a legitimate case can be made for as many as seven of the 11 horses left in the final local lead-up for the GI Curlin Florida Derby in four weeks' time. With the mid-week scratching of GII Remsen S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), Fountain of Youth favoritism could fall to Simplification, one of three in the race by boom sire Not This...
3rd-Gulfstream, $55,000, Alw (C)/Opt. Clm ($62,500), 3-3, 4yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 1:16.10, ft, 5 1/4 lengths. KIMARI (m, 5, Munnings--Cozze Up Lady {GSW, $407,169}, by Cozzene), tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' off a dominant debut back in 2019, was a close second in that year's G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot and won two other stakes. Second in the G1 Commonwealth Cup when returning to the royal meeting in 2020, she captured a sloppy renewal of Oaklawn's Spring Fever S. in February of 2020. Following suit with a win...
Trainer Rob Atras reports that GI CCA Oaks upsetter Maracuja (Honor Code) is training nicely at Oaklawn Park, but will miss an intended engagement in next Saturday's GII Azeri S. and will likely be trained up to an appearance against the likes of Eclipse Award winner Letruska (Super Saver) in the GI Apple Blossom H. Apr. 23. "She's doing really well but we had setbacks with how the weather has gone and we're not anticipating making the Azeri," Atras told the New York Racing Association notes team. "We've played it...
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 Saturday running at Hanshin Racecourse. Sunday's action at Nakyama features the sophomore debut of last year's champion 2-year-old male Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the G2 Yayoi Sho over the metric mile and a quarter. Last year's G1 Asahi Hai Futurity...
HOT SPRINGS, Ark.--The National HBPA's National Conference at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort kicked off Wednesday morning with a panel on the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act entitled "HISA: Where are we now?" It was a question largely answered with more questions, as has been the case with much of the dialogue about HISA since the legislation was passed and signed into law by former President Donald Trump in late 2020 as part of the massive COVID relief bill. The legislation requires the law to go into effect July 1. "I...
Jean Gros (More Than Ready) became the 214th worldwide black-type winner--and first in Japan--for his legendary sire with a spectacular performance in Sunday's $333,992 Listed Marguerite S. at Hanshin Racecourse. The 6-5 favorite was away alertly, but was checked hard off heels prior to the entry to the turn, perhaps having caused his own problems. The full-brother to Tom's Ready, MGSW & GISP, $1,036,267, soon recovered from that bit of trouble and traveled strongly on the turn before easing off heels and into the four path on the swing for...
by Alan Carasso The jury was very much out on California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) going into Sunday's HK$12-million Hong Kong Classic Cup as to whether the speedy 4-year-old would be suited by an 1800-metre trip after just failing to see out the Hong Kong Classic Mile a month ago, albeit from a miserable draw. It took less than 107 seconds to deliver the verdict, as the joint-highest galloper in the field took command at once from a middle barrier and proved not for catching. Away without incident from gate...