Lavender Disaster

Having beat older horses in an allowance at Churchill downs in course record time Apr. 30, Classic Q stepped up to contest the 1 1/8-mile GIII Regret Stakes but faded from the lead as the favorite when last seen May 31. Dropped back to the flat mile Thursday, the 8-5 favorite put in a stellar effort to earn her first black type win in the Wild Applause on the opening day of the July 4th Racing Festival at Saratoga. Sent to the lead just as she was in the Regret...

Continuing an important weekend as next month's Breeders' Cup World Championships rapidly approach, Keeneland's GI Juddmonte Spinster Stakes headlines Sunday's graded stakes action spanning from coast to coast. A 'Win and You're In' for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, the Spinster has six contenders signed on, including last season's champion older mare Idiomatic (Curlin), who draws the rail under regular pilot Florent Geroux. The winner of a trio of Grade I stakes in 2023--capped off by the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita--the Juddmonte homebred has proven consistent at...

1st-Belmont The Big A, $90,000, Msw, 9-15, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:44.11, fm, 3/4 length. LAVENDER DISASTER (f, 2, Into Mischief--Cafe Americano {GSW, $178,800}, by Medaglia d'Oro) debuted going long Sunday and had to take back a bit after an unsettled start saw her hit the side of the gate. Situated mid pack in fourth through fractions of :24.62 and :50.15, she came through along the rail into the far turn before angling out with a quarter remaining to take aim at pacesetter Snipsnippitysnip (Girvin). Once in the clear past...