Kentucky Derby
Nowadays, after Audible (Into Mischief) has retired and is ready to begin stud duties at WinStar Farm, WinStar General Manager David Hanley can say with confidence that the 2018 GI Florida Derby winner was a "tremendous horse." It just took everyone a while to figure that out. It seems that Audible didn't actually present as an overnight sensation. After being purchased for $500,000 at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Olds in Training, the New York-bred wasn't exactly blowing away his owners or trainer Todd Pletcher. "He was always a very...
Tired of all the bad news? So were we. So, in our new series, we focus on the positive, asking people from non-horse racing families two questions: how they get hooked, and how they'll hook someone else on horse racing this year. KIARAN MCLAUGHLIN, TRAINER What was the experience that made you fall in love with horse racing? I was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, in the horse capital of the world. At that time, everyone knew someone who had something to do with the Thoroughbred industry. For me,...
Gold Street earned 10 points towards the GI Kentucky Derby Friday with a front-running score in Oaklawn's Smarty Jones S. Let go at 10-1 in this first try beyond six furlongs, the $150,000 KEESEP buy went straight to the lead under Martin Garcia and loped along through splits of :24.08 and :48.96 with Lynn's Map (Liam's Map) glued to his outside hip. That rival called it quits on the backstretch and 'TDN Rising Stars' Three Technique and Shoplifted ranged up to challenge entering the turn. However, Gold Street still had...
Maximum Security (New Year's Day)'s sophomore season had plenty of ups and downs, but, in the end, he proved he truly was the best of his generation. Dangled for a $16,000 tag when winning his debut in December of 2018, the homebred kicked off 2019 with a pair of dominant starter optional claiming scores at Gulfstream Jan. 24 and Feb. 20, respectively. The bay jumped right to the top of the class ladder after that and showed that he belonged there with a 3 1/2-length victory in the GI Xpressbet.com...
Four colts from the Steve Asmussen barn, three of which have big chances, give the Hall of Fame trainer a strong hand in Friday's Smarty Jones S., the opening-day feature at Oaklawn Park. The two-turn, one-mile test is the first of a four-race GI Kentucky Derby prep series at the Hot Springs oval and promises 10 Derby qualifying points to the winner. Given a slight nod on the morning line at 5-2 is Ed and Susie Orr's Silver Prospector (Declaration of War). Failing to make an impact in three turf...
Saffie Joseph Jr. lived what many might call an idyllic life in his native Barbados. Since relocating his family and bourgeoning racing stable to Southern Florida in 2011, however, the third-generation horseman has seen his own American dream given wings as he begins to realize his childhood ambitions. After arriving in the U.S. with only two horses, the 33-year-old's operation has expanded to a team 65-strong, including Grade I winner Math Wizard (Algorithms), GI Kentucky Derby hopeful Chance It (Currency Swap) and undefeated Tonalist's Shape (Tonalist). And while Joseph points...
Enforceable (Tapit) earned 10 points towards a start in the GI Kentucky Derby with a late-rallying victory in the GIII Lecomte S. at Fair Grounds Saturday. It was the second straight win in this event for trainer Mark Casse, who captured last year's renewal with eventual GI Preakness S. victor War of Will (War Front). Bet down to 6-1 from a 15-1 morning-line quote, Enforceable was away well from post 10, but was in no hurry, settling near the back of the pack as longshots Bango (Congrats) and ShaShashakemeup (Shackleford)...
A large and competitive field is set for the first step on the Fair Grounds Road to the Kentucky Derby, Saturday's GIII Lecomte S. 'TDN Rising Star' Mr. Monomoy (Palace Malice) graduated at second asking sprinting at Churchill Downs Nov. 16 and missed by just a head last time in the slop over this oval Dec. 21. His champion half-sister Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) took her first step towards the GI Kentucky Oaks at this venue when winning the GII Rachel Alexandra S. in 2018. A debut winner at Churchill in...
Champion I'll Have Another (Flower Alley--Arch's Gal Edith, by Arch)'s first two North American foals have arrived. The first was dropped Jan. 14 at Rancho San Miguel. The 2020 filly is out of the winning mare Year of Light by Event of the Year. She was bred by Jacqueline Bousquet and Dr. Jeaneen Metzler. She was followed shortly on Jan. 15 by a filly born at Ballena Vista Farm, out of the Tribal Rule broodmare Jennifer's Joy bred by Harold and Pamela Tillema and Richard Tillema. Jennifer's Joy is from the...
The older filly and mare division could be sensational this year. Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lure) is coming off a stellar 4-year-old campaign and will be seen next battling the world's best horses in the Feb. 29 Saudi Cup. Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) is set to return to the races after a layoff of more than a year and will try to duplicate her 2018 form, when she was an Eclipse Award winner and the winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. And now you can add Jolie Olimpica (Brz) (Drosselmeyer) to...
Parx-based sophomore Monday Morning Qb (Imagining) is under consideration for Aqueduct's nine-furlong GIII Withers S. Feb. 1, which carries with it GI Kentucky Derby qualifying points. Second behind Saturday's impressive Gulfstream allowance winner Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic) in a Bensalem maiden special weight Oct. 12, the Butch Reid trainee earned an 85 Beyer Speed Figure when graduating back at that venue Nov. 16. He handled his first foray into stakes company with aplomb, taking Laurel's Heft S. over seven panels. "He was kind of tired, it was a big step...
Global Thoroughbred and Top Racing LLC's Caracaro (Uncle Mo) flashed signs of talent when a front-running, but green, second going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Dec. 8. He put it all together Saturday, however, stalking and pouncing his way to a six-length tally that earned him the day's second 'TDN Rising Star' nod. Bet down late and off as the 2-1 chalk, the $95,000 KEENOV weanling broke well and was reined in to press a longshot from out in the clear through a :23.70 opening split. He kept after that rival...