maiden

A day after the closest finish in the history of the the legendary 500-mile road race not far away, there was horse power of a different variety on display at Horseshoe Indianapolis when Shadwell Stable's well related Nahla (Authentic) graduated in convincing style to enhance her future residual value. They didn't need a photo finish to call the winner of this one. The bay filly ran very well against much tougher in her first two appearances, finishing second over an extended mile at Tampa on debut Feb. 28 before rounding...

Lighter (Constitution), sent off the 6-5 choice for this unveiling over a muddy track, wasn't particularly hurried off the blocks as Exodus (Not This Time) sprinted to the front while leading Playonwords (Thousand Words) through a quick opening quarter in :21.64. Starting to launch his rally leaving the far turn and heading to the quarter pole, Lighter swung out to the three path turning for home, took over from the fading pacesetter and drew off to score by an eye-catching 7 1/2 length margin over longshot Jr. Bartholomew (Danish Dynaformer)....

Salloom (Authentic), withdrawn after misbehaving and flipping in the stalls on Festive Friday in December, proved worth the wait, drubbing his foes by 6 3/4 lengths in a 1600m main track maiden at Meydan on Friday and was named a 'TDN Rising Star', presented by Hagyard. The final time was 1:37.79. Godolphin's well-regarded National History (Maxfield) could only manage second, however he was 4 1/4 lengths in front of Sary Shayan (Constitution) in third. Part of the early pace discussion, the eventual winner took command with over 1200 metres to...

Right to Party (Constitution), third beaten 9 lengths going six furlongs in his debut Dec. 13, went two better Saturday to break his maiden second time out. Relegated to the back after a bumpy beginning, the 5-2 second choice trailed the field up the long backstretch run in his first stretch out to the mile distance. Saving ground around the far turn and picking up momentum and positions, Right to Party hit the top of the lane and tipped out to close past late leader Dr. Sinatra (Speightstown), rallying to...

Sent off as the 29-10 third choice in a field of five debuting over the one-turn mile at Gulfstream Park on Saturday afternoon, Class President (Uncle Mo) saved his best for the final furlong and kicked home a decisive winner, heading up a WinStar and Uncle Mo 1-2 finish. Off without incident from the two hole, the bay colt secured the perfect spot at the fence from third as second choice Prize Pick (Tiz the Law) cut out the running while flanked by the debuting Easterly (Uncle Mo)--also representing WinStar,...

4th-Keeneland, $100,719, Msw, 10-17, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.83, fm, 2 3/4 lengths. BEACH HEIST (f, 2, Omaha Beach--Pearl Heist, by Graydar) ran this group of maiden fillies off their feet in her debut race Friday for Will Walden. The 6-1 shot, drawn wide in this 10-horse field, was pushed from the gate for speed and was able to forge an advantage heading into the far turn. Opening up a sizeable gap back to Cardiff Reef (Omaha Beach) at the quarter pole, Beach Heist looked to put this race away...

5th-Kentucky Downs, $180,800, Msw, 9-4, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:34.74, fm, 1 1/2 lengths. IMAGINATIONTHELADY (f, 2, Not This Time--Romanticism, by War Front) was the most well-regarded first-time starter in the field, going off as the 3-1 second choice behind 2-1 favorite and second-time starter Market Chill (Not This Time). Forwardly placed from her outside gate under Flavien Prat, she pressed the tempo wide of Paris Twilight (City of Light) past the half-mile pole in :46.44. Once given her head with less than a quarter to run, Imaginationthelady spurted clear with...

1st-Kentucky Downs, $179,600, Msw, 9-4, 2yo, 7fT, 1:21.43, fm, 3 lengths. REPENTLESS (c, 2, Violence--Song Sung True, by Unbridled's Song) went off as the one of the longest shots on the board at 25-1 Thursday in his debut effort for Kelsey Danner. Positioned mid pack while able to angle down to the rail, he tracked fourth behind race favorite Jet Off (Twirling Candy) who did just that through fractions of :22.08 and :44.88. Hugging the fence around the turn, he caught a dream opening at the top of the long...

2nd-Kentucky Downs, $176,800, Msw, 8-28, 2yo, f, 6 1/2fT, 1:15.10, fm, 3/4 length. SHOULD'VE (f, 2, Not This Time--More'n Likely, by Blame)  drew in off the also-eligible list and shot to the front from the widest gate to show the way ahead of Chrysalism (Liam's Map). Opening at will around the far turn, she had a host of challengers coming down the stretch who ate into the advantage through the final sixteenth with Petronella (Not This Time) charging at her late but coming up three-quarters of a length short to...

6th-Saratoga, $90,000, (S), Msw, 8-20, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f (off turf), 1:04.58, sy, 3 lengths. CELTIC DAWN (f, 2, Honest Mischief--Tapa Liath, by Paddy O'Prado) was meant for the grass here but wound up rained off onto a sloppy main track for her debut facing fellow New York-breds. Caught inside from her rail gate, the 6-1 shot had to work to get position and was shuffled back while in tight at the half-mile pole. Fanned out from fourth to bid wide into the stretch, she had plenty of late run...

First-time starter Setting Sun (Caravaggio), who was pulled up during the running of the ninth race at Saratoga Wednesday, has been euthanized according to a press release from NYRA Thursday. The note reads: "During the running of Race 9 on Wednesday, August 6 at Saratoga Race Course, the Miguel Clement-trained Setting Sun was pulled up by jockey Flavien Prat in the stretch run with an injury to the left front. The filly was immediately attended to by on-track veterinarians, who transported Setting Sun to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital for...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - There was no head scratching at the end of Friday's fourth race at Saratoga. At least not from the winners. The $100,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies went to the aptly named Scratch It (Tapit), who was virtually ignored at the windows. She was allowed to go off at 12-1 odds in the 1 1/8-mile race on the Inner Turf. She was the second longest price on the board in the field of eight. At the end, Scratch It had gone gate-to-wire and won by...