Icon Project

Those of us most despondent to see the winner of the first leg sitting out the second can console ourselves, precisely on grounds of tradition, that an abbreviated GI Belmont Stakes would never have allowed a "proper" Triple Crown anyway. Even so, with Curlin obviously deploying a rather more important son at Saratoga this weekend, we can be indulged in neglecting his contribution to one of the more intriguing winners of a relatively quiet week. Original Sin is a slower burn than Golden Tempo, but appears to be thriving with...

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 weekend running at Kyoto and Niigata Racecourses: Saturday, May 23, 2026 6th-KYO, ¥15,620,000 ($98k), Allowance, 3yo, 1400m MON SOUHAIT (c, 3, McKinzie--Fashion World {GB}, by Dubawi {Ire}) was unplaced in two juvenile appearances and again on 3-year-old debut in January, but put it...

5--POWERED BY FAMILY, FG 4, 1-10, 1m 70 yards (video) Beyer Speed Figure--84 (f, 3, Quality Road--Icon Project, by Empire Maker) O/B-St Elias Stable & West Point Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux; J-Jose Ortiz Fast starts are not her thing, but the way she rolled from last to first and made up 14 lengths to win going away in her second appearance, Powered By Family stamped herself as a filly to watch. Her dam Icon Project has been mostly forgotten but here's a reminder: she ended her racing career in 2009...

3rd-Churchill Downs, $91,300, Msw, 6-1, 2yo, 5f, :58.46, ft, 1/2 length. DUKE OF SUGGINS (c, 2, Tom's d'Etat--Graceful Fancy, by Liam's Map), let go at 26-1 to for debut, was hustled into contention but soon settled in fourth as 2-1 choice Pupil (Tacitus) and Gold Pearl (Om) showed the way through a :22.36 quarter. With still plenty to do in early stretch, Duke of Suggins found his best stride late, forging to the lead en route to a 1/2-length score over closing Sleepingonfreedom (Independence Hall) with Mo' Em Down (Caracaro)...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-MTH, $47.5K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, post time: 1:15 p.m. ET St Elias Stables and West Point Thoroughbreds homebred Graceful Fancy (Liam's Map) is out of the super-talented Icon Project (Empire Maker), who earned a gaudy 114 Beyer Speed Figure for a 13 1/2-length romp in the 2009 GI Personal Ensign S. at Saratoga. Already the dam of Grade II winner Fashion Business (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Icon Project was a 1.45-million gns RNA in foal to Dubawi (Ire) at the 2015 Tattersalls December Mare...