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Gary Barber, Cheyenne Stable and Wachtel Stable's Rhetorical (Not This Time) was trying nine furlongs for the first time in his career in Saturday's GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic at Churchill Downs, but the distance proved no hindrance whatsoever, as the New York-bred wrested command not long after the break over a course that had been playing kind to front-running types over the weekend and proved not for catching. The 5-year-old gelding is the second consecutive winner of the Turf Classic bred in New York, joining Spirit of St...

The winner of the GIII Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, Silent Tactic (Tacitus) has scratched from the GI Kentucky Derby after battling a bruised foot according to his trainer Mark Casse on Wednesday morning. The defection allowed Great White (Volatile) into the big race where he will carry the number 21. DRF was the first to report the story. Silent Tactic, a colt owned by John Oxley, was dealing with a sore foot before the GI Arkansas Derby. He came to Churchill Downs after serving as the runner-up to Renegade...

Juddmonte's Touch of Fire (Constitution) tracked an easy pace on Fair Grounds debut Jan. 8 and kicked into high gear in the lane, putting some seven lengths on his rivals to earn 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard status. Accordingly sent off the 2-5 favorite for the Feb. 28 Black Gold Stakes in New Orleans, the homebred had things his own way on the lead, but could not quite see it out and settled for second to the promising Black Hornet (Essential Quality). Back into allowance company here as the...

East Jabip (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) belied debut odds of just over 9-1 to take a field of Gulfstream maidens gate to wire on one-mile debut Feb. 26 and was the 18-5 second choice stepping up to face winners for the first time in a first-level allowance at Keeneland on Thursday. Away alertly from gate four, the €36,000 Goffs Orby purchase prompted a strong early pace before easing into the box seat for the run down the back straight. Continuing to ride the rails into the turn, East Jabip came off...

Two years ago and on the heels of a victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile, Master of the Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) returned to American shores for his seasonal debut in the GI Maker's Mark Mile and ran out a ready 2 1/4-length winner. Eclipse Award-winning 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) will jump a warm favorite in an attempt to repeat the dose Friday afternoon at Keeneland, with William Buick--the only rider the 5-year-old has known in his career--in for the steer. It...

Spendthrift Farm had a bitter pill to swallow over the winter when it was announced that their Eclipse Award-winning 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) would be forced to miss the 2026 Classics with bone bruising. It must be nice to have an understudy the caliber of Further Ado (Gun Runner), a fellow 'Rising Star' when graduating by no fewer than 20 lengths at bucolic Keeneland Race Course last October and now a fellow Grade I winner after toying with six other sophomores in Saturday's $1.25-million...

Injured in a spill Thursday at Gulfstream, Irad Ortiz Jr., will not ride through Sunday, reports his agent Steve Rushing. Mike Welsch of the Daily Racing Form was the first to report that Ortiz would be out through the remainder of the weekend. "He's just really body sore," Rushing told the TDN via text. "He's going to take a few days off and will, hopefully, return next week." Ortiz was scheduled to ride in seven races Saturday at Colonial Downs, including in four stakes races. Five of his seven mounts...

Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator), who acted up badly on the plane that was meant to transport him to California for Saturday's GI Santa Anita Handicap and was subsequently scratched, is possible for one of two races over the coming weeks. "I always look at it as everything happens for a reason. No regrets," said trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., who saddles three horses in Saturday's Barbados Gold Cup in his native country. "He'll probably run at Oaklawn in the Essex, or he'll run at Gulfstream in the Ghostzapper. I'm going to...

It was a good battle on the tote and it carried over to the racetrack, as Wathnan Racing's Commandment (Into Mischief), sent away the 12-5 favorite, and 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Chief Wallabee (Constitution)--the 29-10 second choice--locked horns in the final furlong of Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, with the slightly more experienced Commandment taking advantage of a superior trip to prevail narrowly. The victory was good for 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. A two-time Fasig-Tipton buyback and sold...

Repole Stable's Zany (American Pharoah) picked up where she left off in 2025, taking a somewhat oddly run renewal of the $125,000 Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs while making her seasonal return to action Saturday afternoon. Racing between fillies in the second flight of runners as her stablemate Kadabra (Good Magic) went through the opening stages in a tepid :24.89, the $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad was set alight at about midway by Irad Ortiz, Jr. and took the overland route into the far turn around Life of Joy (Gun...

Ricardo Santana, Jr. rode the 800th winner of his career at Oaklawn Park on Thursday, when he guided Will Take It (Tapit) to a hard-fought victory in the $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes. He is the fourth rider in the history of the track to achieve the milestone. Others to cross that threshold are Pat Day (1,264 wins), Larry Snyder and Calvin Borel. The 33-year-old credits trainer Ron Moquett and his fellow jockeys Terry Thompson and Borel with steering him towards the Arkansas track in 2011. "Got lucky, you know?" Santana,...

Looking to take his career record to a perfect three wins from as many visits to the races, Chris Fountoukis's SOLITUDE DUDE (c, 3, Yaupon--After the Party, by Into Mischief) made every yard to record his second career stakes success in Saturday's Swale Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Off to a smart beginning from the outside gate in a compact field of six, the $300,000 OBS June breezer came across his rivals but was purposely kept in about the three path, going the first couple of furlongs in a hasslefree :23.30,...