Kristofferson

Back in the States and resurfacing on the worktab for the first time since his G1 Dubai World Cup heroics, Winchell Thoroughbreds's Magnitude (Not This Time) breezed at Churchill Downs Saturday morning. Out to work an easy half-mile, the Steve Asmussen trainee was clocked in :51.20, the 86th fastest move of 96 at the distance. It was his first published workout in North America since returning from Meydan. Also working four furlongs, among others from the barn, was MSW Braken Poppa (Aurelius Maximus), who is undefeated in 2026 from four...

by Christina Bossinakis & Patrycja Szpyra Cherokee Nation (Not This Time) took six starts to break his maiden, but he'd been facing quality rivals in the lead up to his graduation party last Friday. Now, his connections report that elite contests are in the colt's future with their eyes specifically turned toward the GI Santa Anita Derby. "When the kids go to school, they have fancy Friday and [last] Friday was a fancy Friday for us," said co-owner Tom Ryan. "We're typically looking at Saturday afternoon, but we were very...

A quartet of Breeders' Cup winners all recorded workouts Sunday at Santa Anita. GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint winner Splendora (Audible) and GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Nysos (Nyquist) both worked for trainer Bob Baffert. Splendora drilled four furlongs in :49.00 (47/87) in her third work back since the Breeders' Cup. The 5-year-old is a candidate for the GII D. Wayne Lukas Stakes for fillies and mares going seven furlongs Feb. 7. Nysos, working for the first time since winning the Dec. 28 GII Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes, went...

Four of the six 2-year-old runners in Saturday's GI American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita had graded stakes experience, but it was one of the two maiden winners making his stakes debut who came home with the victory and secured a 'Win and You're In' spot for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar in four weeks time. Intrepido (c, 2, Maximus Mischief--Overly Indulgent, by Pleasantly Perfect), named a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' in his Aug. 23 Del Mar win, rated and showed fight in between horses...

by TDN Editorial Staff Buckle up, race fans, it's going to be a wild ride on Saturday, as no fewer than 16 graded stakes from New York to Lexington, from Los Angeles to Toronto are scheduled, with horse racing's championship weekend now officially less than four weeks down the road. Without further ado, let's jump into the always-productive card at Aqueduct. Champagne, Frizette Share Spotlight at Belmont at the Big A A quartet of graded stakes, headed by the 'Win and You're In' GI Champagne S. and GI Frizette S.,...

6th-Del Mar, $82,000, Msw, 8-31, 2yo, 6f, 1:08.83, ft, 3/4 length. KRISTOFFERSON (c, 2, Nyquist--Impasse, by Quality Road), installed the even-money choice for this debut, came out gunning and assumed a narrow advantage as Falcon Jet (Justify) and Mr A P (American Pharoah) pressed the issue to his outside. Three wide turning for home, Mr A P began his retreat, however, Mr A P wouldn't relent and inched in front for a brief moment. Undeterred, the Bob Baffert trained-colt dug in to overtake his game foe and was 3/4 of...