In an exhibition of pure sprinting prowess, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum's Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) brought all his power to bear on his rivals on Friday to register back-to-back successes in Goodwood's G2 King George Qatar S. Despite the contrasting ground conditions to the easy turf he encountered 12 months ago and the obvious questions posed by defeat in the June 19 G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, the bay attracted heavy support as the 8-11 favourite and was in front before he had raced two...
The 17th edition of the Claiming Crown, held Saturday at Gulfstream Park, generated total handle of $10,118,000--up 0.57% from 2014 despite rainy conditions which caused four races to be taken off the turf. Gulfstream was hosting the event for the fourth year. "We're extremely pleased with the success of Saturday's Claiming Crown," said P.J. Campo, General Manager of Gulfstream Park and Vice President of Racing for The Stronach Group. "We had big fields and tremendous participation from horsemen throughout North America. We're confident the numbers would have been even more...
High Value Developmental Races on the Flat will continue this season, with 76 races programmed to strengthen the British racing and breeding industry. The novice and maiden races are run with enhanced prize-money to support domestic breeding and encourage the purchase and racing of young talent in Britain. The programme of high value races is possible thanks to the support of British Stallion Studs (European Breeders' Fund), Darley, Juddmonte and Tattersalls, who combine with the BHA Development Fund to provide financial support for the initiative. The first High Value Developmental...
Facing down a heavy favorite, Disruptor (Gun Runner) was extremely game down the lane in the GIII Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday. Named a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', at second asking a little over a year ago when he graduated by 9 1/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park, Disruptor tried deeper waters in the GI Curlin Florida Derby and finished a well-beaten fifth. The chestnut took a break for the rest of the year and returned to training in early December at Todd Pletcher's...
By any measure, Steve and Denise Smith's Mesingw Farm, which celebrated just its fifth anniversary in December, had a banner year in 2025. From the sales ring, where the operation sold its first seven-figure yearling, to the racetrack where it had a graded-stakes placed juvenile at Saratoga in August and a Breeders' Cup starter in November, Mesingw was hitting on all cylinders. The momentum has carried into the new year with the Mesingw-bred Explora (Blame) a leading choice for the GI Kentucky Oaks following her win in the GIII Honeybee...
Juddmonte newcomer Lead Artist has had his first mares scanned in foal, including the Listed winner Classical Times (Lawman), a half-sister to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Newspaperofrecord (Lope De Vega). The unraced Whispering Dawn, a Mehmas mare from the family of the Group 1-winning sire Zoffany, is also among the mares confirmed in foal to the son of Dubawi, along with Tiptoe (Lightning Spear), a half-sister to multiple black-type performers, including the G2 Al Maktoum Classic winner Military Law (Dubawi). Lead Artist, who counted the G1...
Juddmonte Farms homebred Riposte (GB) (Dansili {GB}) hopes to return to the sharp form she displayed last term and score her first win of the season in Saturday’s GIII Modesty H. at Arlington Park. Finishing off 2014 with victories in Belmont’s GII Sheepshead Bay S. May 2 and GII New York S. June 5, the Bill Mott pupil kicked off this season with a runner-up effort in Gulfstream’s The Very One S. Feb. 21. Fifth in that venue’s GIII Orchid S. Mar. 28, the bay was fourth in this year’s...