Horse Racing

Morplay Racing and Qatar Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Shisospicy (Mitole) faced a couple of niggling questions entering Saturday's GII Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs. Already accomplished over sharper turf sprint trips, how would she handle the extended 6 1/2-furlong distance of the $2-million contest, one, and two, what sort of lingering hangover might there be from an overseas trip to face the boys in the G1 Commonwealth Cup, when she dropped away tamely to finish in the latter third of that 21-strong field? Well, it took fewer than 75...

The betting public had Saturday's GI Del Mar Debutante down to a battle of Bob Baffert-trained 'TDN Rising Stars' Explora (Blame) and Himika (Curlin), but Jill Baffert's Bottle of Rouge (Vino Rosso)--easily the least-fancied of a trio from that barn--proved best on the afternoon, causing a 9-1 upset. Veering in at the break, the $60,000 Keeneland November weanling and $100,000 Keeneland September yearling took up a mid-field berth in the early stages as 3-5 Explora rolled up at the fence to take up the running, while Himika sat a good...

Overlooked at the windows to the tune of 22-1, Plensa (Caravaggio) fired a big shot in the Exacta Systems Gun Runner Stakes and landed in the winner's circle at Kentucky Downs on Saturday. After finishing as the runner-up in two tries last fall to break his maiden, the dark bay finally graduated on his fourth attempt June 15 under the Twin Spires. The colt was last seen running third against optional claimers over the Spa turf July 18. Plensa was in the mix early before dropping towards the rear of...

Making his second start off an apparently audacious $100,000 claim, Flying P Stable's Ole Crazy Bone (Ghostzapper) raced prominently throughout Saturday's running of the $2.5-million GII KTDF Kentucky Turf Cup Invitational Stakes at Kentucky Downs and came away in the final eighth of a mile to punch his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 1. Haltered out of a runner-up effort over the Churchill turf course on June 26, the 5-year-old was last seen in the Turf Cup Preview race at Ellis Park Aug....

Maxfield's first stakes winner as a freshman sire comes in as Max Ciao takes the I'm Smokin Stakes at Del Mar on Friday. Unveiled as a third-place finisher at Santa Anita May 25, the colt was fourth, beaten seven lengths, July 19 by Friday's 3-2 second choice Thirsty Rebel. Max Ciao found himself in the winners circle in career start number three, a six-length victor back here at Del Mar Aug. 8. In his first stakes try, the son of Maxfield broke alertly, stalking just over a length off the...

6th-DMR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 7:11 p.m. ET. A pair of pricey colts under the care of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert make their first starts as the seaside oval closes out its summer meet on Sunday. BOYD (Violence) is a Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May auction buy for Zedan Racing, who made the chestnut the second topper at the sale when they went to $1.05-million to acquire him. Initially, this future Baffert trainee was an $82,000 Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed sale grad then went for $280,000 during Keeneland September. A...

The Japanese Road to the Kentucky Derby does not officially begin until the end of November with the running of the Cattleya Stakes at Tokyo, but Sanshisuimei Co. Ltd.'s debuting Magna Victor (c, 2, Maxfield--Eyeinthesky, by Sky Mesa) became one of the earliest to join the party when storming clear to take his 1400-meter debut by the better part of 10 lengths Saturday afternoon at Hanshin. With Yuga Kawada in the irons, Magna Victor was not the quickest away, but he quickly recovered and by the time the field had...

A cool $15.6 million in prize money is up for grabs Saturday afternoon at Kentucky Downs, as a 12-race program features no fewer than five graded events each worth at least $2 million at distances from 6 1/2 to 12 furlongs. The GII Kentucky Turf Cup wraps up the main events on the afternoon, and a field of 11 will head to the post for a circuit of the undulating turf course, with a berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf on the line. Fort Washington (War Front) is arguably...

As I begin my tenure as chair of The Jockey Club, I look to the future with optimism and gratitude for the work already done by so many in our sport. Together, we have elevated safety, strengthened aftercare, and built partnerships that once seemed unlikely. Now, we have the opportunity to take the next step: ending horse slaughter, so that the pipeline that undermines public trust and jeopardizes our horses is finally closed. Long before this conversation reached industry headlines, The Jockey Club was working with animal-welfare experts to raise...

4th-DMR, $100k, 2yo, 5 1/2f, post time: 6:05 p.m. ET Having unveiled the likes of 'TDN Rising Star' Buetane, a $1.15-million graduate of this year's OBS April Sale, earlier during the summer at Del Mar, trainer Bob Baffert sends out a promising daughter of Tiz the Law in the form of SOUNDS LUCKY on the penultimate day of the meet. The Apr. 22 foal is a maternal granddaughter of Caminadora (More Than Ready), a Grade III winner long on the grass, and first sold for $100,000 at the 2023 Keeneland...

Wagering increased compared to a year ago in August despite a reduction in the number of race days during the month, according to information released by Equibase on Friday. Total wagering of $1,204,428,838 on races during the month represented a 3.13% increase over the same period from 2024, while available purses of over $153 million were higher by 7.24%. The figure of over $145 million for paid purses in August was also up by 6.33%. As for the total number of race days, they decreased from 416 to 400 (-3.85%)...

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer 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 juveniles from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes, sponsored by OBS Sales, highlights debuting and stakes-entered 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, including links to their under-tack previews. Here are the horses entered for Saturday at Del Mar.  Saturday, September 6, 2025 Del...