Immersive

Each of our six fastest females last week raced on Saturday - five at Churchill Downs and one at Santa Anita.   6 - PROCTOR STREET, CD, 5/30, GIII Mint Julep Stakes, 1 1-16 miles (turf) (video) Beyer Speed Figure- 93 (2nd) (m, 5, by Street Sense--Proctor's Ledge, by Ghostzapper) O/B-Patricia Moseley (Ky). T-Brendan Walsh. J-Tyler Gaffalione. She is still looking for that all-important graded win and it might not take much longer. Her familiar stretch charge came up just short of catching Sweet Treasure in the Mint Julep, and...

With June around the corner, the graded stakes calendar heats back up as Churchill Downs hosts its Stephen Foster Preview on Saturday. The local prep for the June 28 running of the GI Stephen Foster Stakes, the GIII Blame Stakes is one of six higher-level races on the card and could be deemed as wide-open. Wathnan Racing's Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) has the class edge though. The 2025 winner of the G1 Dubai World Cup returned to Meydan back in late March, but was unable to duplicate the feat....

The constellation of stars in Johnny Burke's barn at Keeneland has shifted now that champions Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and Immersive (Nyquist), as well as 2025 GI Kentucky Oaks victress Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro), have shipped south to Payson Park, but the shedrow is just as busy as ever. For Burke, the departure of an elite trio simply makes room for the next wave of talent. Burke, who trained publicly out of The Thoroughbred Center for 15 years, has headed up Godolphin's pre-training and rehabilitation program at Keeneland since 2006. The...

Godolphin homebred Immersive (f, 3, Nyquist--Gap Year, by Bernardini), the unbeaten Eclipse champion 2-year-old filly of 2024, got back on track with her first visit to the winner's circle as a 3-year-old. It's not that she was ever far from it: two months after her GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies win, Godolphin announced she would be given some time off due to bone bruising. Immersive returned to the races in June at Churchill, finishing a neck behind MSW & GISP Take Charge Milady (Take Charge Indy) in the Monomoy Girl...

Scottish Lassie (McKinzie), winless in three attempts since breaking her maiden in style by nine lengths in last fall's GI Frizette S., got back on track in a big way with a daylight decision in Saturday's GI Coaching Club American Oaks Invitational at Saratoga. The 2-1 shot vied for early command and took over control from champion Immersive (Nyquist) on the clubhouse turn and made her way to the rail in the scratched-down field of four. And it was pretty much over from there. Scottish Lassie showed the way through...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Arguably the best older horse in training, Mindframe (Constitution), went back to work Friday morning. The 4-year-old colt had his first work since winning the loaded GI Stephen Foster Stakes last month for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Mindframe worked an easy four furlongs in :52.46 (76/78) on the main track with regular exercise rider Carlos Quevedo on board. "He does whatever you ask him to do," Pletcher said outside his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track. "He is cool that way. He goes easy...

Saturday's card at Monmouth Park features a 14-race card which is highlighted by six stakes--five of them graded--including the Oceanport oval's sophomore showpiece, the GI NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes. This year's renewal of the race has drawn this season's GI Preakness winner Journalism (Curlin), who is campaigned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm and Don Alberto Stable. A mighty good horse before he ever embarked on the Triple Crown, the $825,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase won four of five starts heading to the Run for the Roses, including the GI...

SARATOGA SPRINGS - The first six days of Saratoga have been hot. As in really hot. Blast furnace type hot. Trainers have felt it. Jockeys. Patrons. New York Racing Association executives. Parking attendants. Everybody. And, of course, the horses. But the stars of the show have been watched very carefully by those entrusted to take care of them. Some horses, like people, can't stand the heat. "Some horses can be extreme sweaters," trainer Gary Contessa said on yet another steamy Saratoga morning on Thursday outside his barn at the Oklahoma...

SARATOGA SPRING, NY - Since racing began here in the 1860s, Saratoga has been a career launching pad for 2-year-old maidens. It should not be a surprise that the tradition continued last summer. Dozens and dozens of young horses destined for greatness picked up their first victories at the Spa. A very short list of those standouts includes: The filly Ruthless, winner of the inaugural running of the GI Belmont Stakes Aristides, who won the first GI Kentucky Derby Maskette Zev Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox Tom Fool Sword Dancer...

Take Charge Milady (f, 3, Take Charge Indy--Price too High, by Scat Daddy) defeated returning champion Immersive (Nyquist) by a neck in a thrilling renewal of Saturday's Monomoy Girl S. at Churchill Downs. The latter, sidelined due to bone bruising and off as the 2-5 favorite in a scratched-down field of four, was making her first start since capping a four-for-four season in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar. Take Charge Milady, winner of the Martha Washington S., second in the GI Ashland S. and 12th in...

Godolphin's undefeated champion 2-year-old filly Immersive (Nyquist), off since winning last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, tuned up for her seasonal debut in next Saturday's Monomoy Girl Overnight Stakes with a four-furlong work in :49.20 (23/53) at Churchill Downs Sunday. The filly returned to the work tab at Churchill Downs in early May after being sidelined with bone bruising. Leading into the Monomoy Girl, she has posted six published workouts, including her latest move Sunday morning. "We're looking forward to getting her started again," trainer Brad Cox said. "She's...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After last year's Breeders' Cup, it wouldn't have come as much of a surprise to see an unbeaten, Godolphin homebred trained by Brad Cox bringing a perfect record into the GI Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. But with last year's champion 2-year-old filly Immersive (Nyquist) unraced since capping her brilliant four-for-four season in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies--she's recently returned to training--it will instead be her unbeaten stablemate Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) that will be in the spotlight for those same connections on the first Friday...