Laurelin

Fourth most recently in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes at Keeneland Oct. 11, Fionn (Twirling Candy) turned on the tables on that race's runner up, Laurelin (Ire) (Zarak {Fr}) to win Saturday's GIII Jockey Club Oaks at Aqueduct. It's been a year of incredible form for the Brad Cox trainee as the 3-year-old filly has won five of seven starts including her first Grade I success in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational at Saratoga in July. In fact, that fourth in the QEII as the favorite marked...

Undefeated no more. Lush Lips (GB) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) inherited a late lead and held off a closing charge from the previously-undefeated Laurelin (Ire) (Zarak {Fr}) to claim her first Grade I win in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes at Keeneland Saturday. It was redemption in a way for a filly who took a chance in California last out, shipping from Churchill Downs to wind up just a half-length back of Velocity (Nyquist) in the GI Del Mar Oaks Aug. 16. Finally in a race without the...

Newstead Stables LLC's Laurelin (Ire) (Zarak {Fr}) looks to take her career mark to a perfect six wins from as many starts when she faces a maximum of eight fellow sophomore fillies in Saturday's GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland, the year's most prestigious race for the division. Graham Motion sent out Film Maker (Dynaformer) to take the 2003 QE II and Laurelin figures a strong chance to double that tally. An €160,000 purchase out of the 2023 Goffs Orby Sale, the chestnut has built on a two-for-two...

Luke Lillingston will not want 2025 to end. The magical year for Mount Coote Stud has consisted of 42 individual winners, including headline acts like Santorini Star and Laurelin, who is one of the poster girls for the Goffs Orby Sale.  And rightly so. Under the care of Graham Motion, the Orby graduate has won all five of her starts in America and is understood to be on course for the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes at Keeneland next month. "You never want to toot the horn too...

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of El Cordobes at Saratoga. El Cordobes Breaks Through At The Spa Godolphin's El Cordobes (Frankel) broke through at the highest level in the August 9 GI Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga for Charlie Appleby (video). He is a winner of the G2 Princess of Wales's Stakes in England. Bred by Bjorn Nielsen, he was originally picked up for 2 million gns out of the...

Filling out her RSVP card in advance and well-handled throughout, the budding turf star Laurelin (Zarak (Fr)--Bari (Ire), by Cape Cross {Ire}) kept her perfect record intact by sweeping down the Spa lane to earn a trip to the winner's circle in the GII Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational on Saturday. Spotlighted by TDN Europe's Heather Anderson in her series Making Waves after the Graham Motion trainee broke her maiden at first asking during the Belmont At The Big A meet last October, the bay continued her winning ways in the...

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse needed a very good reason to miss next weekend's prestigious $1-million Listed King's Plate at Woodbine. Actually, he has two of them. Casse will miss Canada's oldest thoroughbred horse race--one has won three times--because he's staying in Saratoga to try and win the $600,000 GI Alabama Stakes for the first time. He will be well represented by La Cara (Street Sense) and Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) in Saratoga's premier race for 3-year-old fillies. The King's Plate at Woodbine and Alabama are both...

by Stefanie Grimm & Alan Carasso For the first time in it's 24-year history, Virginia's Colonial Downs will play host to a Kentucky Derby winner as 2024 winner Mystik Dan (Goldencents) will make his turf debut in Saturday's 1 1/4-mile GI Arlington Million. Trainer Kenny McPeek has had his eye on the turf for his Derby winner for quite some time, telling the TDN this week that the idea had been on his mind for at least a year. "It was kind of an audible at the line of scrimmage,"...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Sigh No More in the Boiling Springs Stakes at Monmouth. Boiling Springs Stakes To Sigh No More Heider Family Stables' Sigh No More ran out a 1 1/2-length winner of Monmouth Park's Boiling Springs Stakes at the end of last month (video). Conditioned by Brendan Walsh, the daughter of Starspangledbanner was making her second US start. Bred by Barronstown Stud out of the...