Keeneland

A busy Thursday for GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks hopefuls was lead by a trio of Mark Casse trainees, and the presumed 'Run for the Roses' favorite Renegade (Into Mischief) put in his final drill in Florida before shipping to Louisville. John Oxley's Silent Tactic (Tacitus), with jockey Cristian Torres aboard, worked a half-mile in :48 on a picture-perfect Thursday morning for Casse at Churchill Downs. On the tab as a single at 7:15 a.m. ET, Silent Tactic clicked off fractions of :12, :24, :48 and galloped out...

1st-AQU, $86k, Alw/Opt. Clm., 4yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:10 p.m. ET MATILDA (GER) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) belied odds of 25-1 to defeat the boys in last year's G2 German 2000 Guineas at Cologne in May for owner/breeder Volker Kaufling and was purchased privately thereafter by Peter Brant. Subsequently turned over to Francis-Henri Graffard, the bay filly was as short as 6-1 facing older females in the G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville in August, but finished well down the field in 10th behind the very talented Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot...

3rd-GP, $68k, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:54 p.m. ET Godolphin homebred Delightfully (Tapit), a full-sister to two-time champion and promising young sire Essential Quality, kicks off her career for Brad Cox. She is the 8-5 morning-line favorite. Cox will also saddle second-time starter Nahla (Authentic), a half-sister to GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. winner Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator). The Shadwell Stable colorbearer and $550,000 KEESEP yearling finished second on debut going two turns at Tampa Feb. 28. TJCIS PPs 6th-KEE, $110k, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 3:40 p.m. ET The rail-drawn Mashallah...

Controversial and never afraid to speak his mind, owner Mike Repole has been called a disruptor, which means that he is intent on challenging the status quo when it comes to how horse racing is run. And his primary target has been The Jockey Club. When the TDN interviewed Jockey Club Chairman Everett Dobson on last week's podcast, Repole asked for equal time. It was a reasonable request, so Repole joined the team on this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. He was the Gainesway Guest of the...

Radar Lock (Dialed In), a 3-year-old colt who was second to Final Story (Candy Ride {Arg}) in a maiden special weight race at Keeneland April 19--has been supplemented to the April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale, which will begin Friday at 6:30 p.m. on closing day of the Spring Meet. Kenneally Racing, agent, consigns Radar Lock, who has made two starts and earned an 80 Beyer speed figure in his recent effort, as a racing or stallion prospect. Final Story was named the fastest maiden of the week in...

This is a story about young friends: some who have become a little less young, but who have kept themselves from growing too old, too soon, by supporting and mentoring the next generation. Poignantly, however, it starts with a man who was himself cruelly denied his share in that gratifying, repeating cycle among horses and horsemen. Because it was his lamented friend Alex Scott who, hearing that Luke Lillingston was off to New York, made an introduction that proved critical to his career. "This was, what, 38 years ago now,"...

The GII Baird Doubledogdare Stakes and GIII Santa Maria Stakes were the highlights of last week among the distaff set, at least from a Beyer Speed Figure perspective.   6. OVERSUBSCRIBED (GB), AQU, 4/17, Plenty of Grace Stakes, 1 mile (turf) (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure - 91 (2nd) (m, 5, by Too Darn Hot (GB)-Zurigha (Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire)) O-Klaravich Stables. B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited (GB). T-Chad Brown. J-Manny Franco. She probably isn't one of the premier Brown turf females, but she has been spotted judiciously enough to be twice...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. The team behind Moira (Ghostzapper) is back with another very promising filly. Belle (f, 3, Uncle Mo--Lunar Evening, by Malibu Moon) was a too-good-to-lose second--beaten just a head by 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' La Rascasse (Authentic)--first time out for trainer Kevin Attard in a live maiden special weight going seven furlongs at Keeneland Apr. 11. Overlooked at 12-1 in a deep field of 12, Belle...

Queen Azteca (Sharp Azteca), victress of last year's G3 UAE Oaks and recent Keeneland allowance winner, is one of five horses supplemented to Keeneland's April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale which will be held Friday beginning at 6:30 p.m. Also supplemented to the auction are: 2-year-old filly Peak Perspective (Mineshaft), who was third on her debut at Keeneland Apr. 15; Getaholdayourself (Collected); Lack of Riesling (Jimmy Creed), second on debut at Keeneland Apr. 15; and Rose Ruler (American Pharoah), a three-length maiden special weight winner in his first start...

He was still somewhat Gray Abarrio when first coming on the scene, but has by now been around long enough to develop the dazzling coat appropriate to his naming. So long, in fact, that there has even been time for White Abarrio (Race Day) to brighten up his pedigree, as well. Its fundamentals remain familiar: his freakish status in the resume of his own sire, who was exported to South Korea around the time White Abarrio was sold for $7,500 as a yearling; and, conversely, the early marker he laid...

Five runaway winners top this week's rankings: their average margin of victory was 8 1/2 lengths. 5) HELEN'S REVENGE, AQU, 4/18-9th, 6f VIDEO Beyer Speed Figure-81 (f, 4, Solomini--Sign Off, by Distorted Humor) O-Les Blake. B-McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds & Spruce Lane Farm (NY). T-Linda Rice. J-Jose Lezcano. Already this year she had dominated in two starter races, for which she qualified by virtue of her December 2024 maiden win for $35,000 claiming and her 0-for-3 record in allowances and stakes. And now she delivers a career-best effort in dominating...

Spring Classic preparations kicked off bright and early Saturday morning at Keeneland with GI Toyota Blue Grass runner-up Ottinho (Quality Road) working in company for trainer Chad Brown despite being ruled out of the Kentucky Derby. Ottinho had been in consideration for the Derby but DRF's David Grening reported Saturday afternoon on X that Brown believed it was 'unlikely' the colt would go on to the spring marquee. The GI Preakness Stakes at Laurel May 16 or the GIII Peter Pan Stakes remain as targets later on. With his defection,...