Horse Racing

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 7th-Keeneland, $81K, Alw (N2L), 3yo, 6f, post time: 4:24 p.m. ET THERIDEOFALIFETIME (Candy Ride {Arg}) sandwiched a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy graduation over this strip last July between runner-up efforts to top juvenile Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music), finishing 2 1/2 lengths behind that one on Churchill debut in June and three lengths adrift in the GII Saratoga Special S. in August. Stretched out to the one-turn mile for the GIII Iroquois S. on the Derby undercard Sept. 5, the homebred was sent to the front and...

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 Hanshin, Niigata and Nakayama Racecourses, the last of which stages the first colts' Classic of 2021, the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) over the metric 10 furlongs: Sunday, April 18, 2021 1st-NII, ¥9,680,000 ($89k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m ALIENOR (JPN)...

In a surprising development, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that fans may return to the state's racetracks starting Apr. 22. Attendance will be capped at 20% capacity. A few hours after Cuomo's announcement, NYRA officials were still considering their options and would not commit to allowing fans to attend as soon as Apr. 22. "The New York Racing Association, Inc. looks forward to welcoming fans back to Belmont Park this spring and to Saratoga Race Course this summer," NYRA President and CEO Dave O'Rourke. "We thank Governor Cuomo...

Fern Circle Stable & Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury (Curlin) took advantage of a fast early pace in Saturday's GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. over a sloppy Keeneland main track and closed off fastest of all to cause an 18-1 upset, earning 20 points towards a potential appearance in the GI Kentucky Derby in three weeks' time. A maiden winner at first asking over a distance of ground at Churchill Sept. 3, King Fury could not overcome a wide trip when eighth of nine behind Essential Quality (Tapit) in the GI...

Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), front-running winner of the GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby in his most recent trip to the races, prepped for the May 1 GI Kentucky Derby with a five-furlong breeze Saturday morning over the Santa Anita main track. The half-brother to champion Mitole (Eskendereya) stopped the clock in 1:01.20 to the satisfaction of trainer Doug O'Neill. "'Charlie' had company with a horse named Hammering Lemon (Square Eddie) [clocked in 1:01.60] who broke off in front of him," the two-time Derby-winning trainer commented. "They both finished up good, but...

Like the King (Palace Malice), who earned a berth in the field for the Kentucky Derby by virtue of his last-out victory in the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks over the Turfway synthetic track Mar. 27, drilled six furlongs over a firm Keeneland turf course in 1:16 Saturday morning under the watchful eye of trainer Wesley Ward. With Drayden Van Dyke in the irons, Like the King started off his work well behind MSW & GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf third Outadore (Outwork) and GIII Futurity S. runner-up After Five (The...

Japanese Classics season gets underway Sunday at Hanshin Racecourse with the running of the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) for which the popular Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) figures to go favoured in her first start of the year. A registered white out of the cult hero Buchiko (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), the homebred filly enters the Oka Sho with an unblemished record from four racetrack appearances, including a 1 3/4-length defeat of Kukuna (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) in the G3 Artemis S. last October before just getting the better of...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 6th-Keeneland, $83K, AOC, 4/up, f/m, 8.5f, post time: 3:51 p.m. ET Robert and Lawana Low's current crop of 4-year-olds includes leading U.S. turf horse Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) and 'TDN Rising Star' SPICE IS NICE (Curlin), who dips down into allowance company for her seasonal debut. An impressive 12-length maiden winner at first asking last January, she was runner-up in the GII Davona Dale S., but only fifth to Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. An easy Belmont allowance winner last July,...

Two North Carolina senators filed a bill Apr. 6 that would create a racing commission to promote and regulate a built-from-scratch Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry in a state where pari-mutuel wagering is currently not legal. Despite that seemingly large hurdle, Senators Paul Lowe (D-Forsyth) and Jim Perry (R-Lenoir) for the most part sidestepped the controversial issue of horse betting in Senate Bill 629, which is titled "The North Carolina Derby Act." The only gambling-related reference within the bill comes under the definition for the proposed "North Carolina Racing Office,"...

2nd-Keeneland, $55,240, Msw, 4-8, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :52.04, ft, 1 length. SHESGOTATTITUDE (f, 2, Tiznow--Mackenzie Capri, by Eskendereya) was allowed to drift up to 21-5--better than twice her morning line--in the face of the heavily backed Wesley Ward 3-5 firster Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}) and ran to some eye-popping morning trials to provide trainer John Ennis with his second debut winner of the meet. Exiting a bullet three-furlong blowout in :34 flat (1/32) over this main track Mar. 30, the bay filly hit the ground running and...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners (and, in today's case, by a US-based shuttle stallion) 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 Niigata and Hanshin Racecourse. The second of those venues hosts the first of this year's fillies' Classics, the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas), featuring champion Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune): Sunday, April...

It was a stunning couple of days of trade at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, held this past Tuesday and Wednesday at the auction house's Riverside complex at Warwick Farm in Sydney. The event averaged A$371,236, a 5% increase on the last comparable sale in 2019 (last year's sale was held virtually) and was the highest since 2008. The median price of A$280,000 represented a healthy 7.9% bump over 2019 and seven out of eight horses to go under the hammer changed hands. Turnover for the sale was A$132 million,...