Meaning

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - A star is born at the Spa. West Point Thoroughbreds's Counting Stars (Honor A. P.), third behind 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Always a Runner (Gun Runner) in the GI Kentucky Oaks, turned the tables on the previously undefeated 4-5 favorite with a spectacular performance in Friday's GI DraftKings Acorn S. at Saratoga. With Irad Ortiz, Jr. taking over the controls from Francisco Arrieta, the 9-2 chance raced under a snug hold on the inside in third as the longest shot on the board Maximum...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - And it's only Belmont Stakes eve. Highlighted by a fantastic renewal of the GI DraftKings Acorn S. featuring four out of the top five finishers from the GI Kentucky Oaks, a stacked 14-race program awaits on day three of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Friday. Three Chimneys Farm and Douglas Scharbauer's 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Always a Runner (Gun Runner) made it a perfect three-for-three with a powerful, come-from-behind victory beneath the lights on the first Friday in May at Churchill Downs....

'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Golden Tempo (Curlin) was not the only marquee name on the worktab over the last 48 hours, as horses prepping for next week's Belmont Stakes Racing Festival--as well as some household names not heading to upstate New York--turned in breezes at racetracks from coast-to-coast, from Saratoga, Laurel and Fair Hill to Santa Anita. To follow are works in alphabetical order at the various venues with parenthetical mention of intended targets or races to which the horses have been nominated. Saratoga (Oklahoma unless othewise indicated)...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Welcome to primetime, ladies. A fantastic renewal of the GI Kentucky Oaks is on tap, and, for the first time, will be held beneath the lights with an 8:40 p.m. ET post time at Churchill Downs Friday evening. Trainer Brad Cox will be shooting for a fourth Kentucky Oaks trophy with the very promising GII Gulfstream Park Oaks heroine and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Prom Queen (Quality Road). The legendary and much-missed duo of Woody Stephens and D. Wayne Lukas share the record for most...

For Leah and Aidan O'Meara, the path to producing the first Kentucky Oaks starter bred by Stonehaven Steadings has been a six-year masterclass in persistence and prowess in the face of high-stakes decisions. By trusting their instincts and taking one leap of faith after the next, the O'Mearas have seen a long-term vision come to life in Meaning (Gun Runner), a filly with such undeniable class that she was a Book 1 standout for her buyers Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bridlewood Farm. Now, that same professionalism has carried her from...

A trio of California-based Kentucky Derby 152 hopefuls were on the track in Kentucky Wednesday morning after arriving from the West Coast Tuesday. Norman Stables and Saints and Sinners' GI Santa Anita Derby winner So Happy (Runhappy) jogged a mile under Gustavo Alvarado during the 7:15-7:30 training window for Derby and Kentucky Oaks runners. Also at the same time, Reddam Racing's Pavlovian (Pavel) jogged a mile under Tony Romero and Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures' Intrepido (Maximus Mischief) jogged two miles under Alejandro Galindo. Trainer Michael McCarthy sent out...

The prep season for the GI Kentucky Oaks came to a conclusion last week and the field looks more or less set. It should be a quality, competitive race with no clear standout. The big story last week was the win in the GI Ashland Stakes by Percy's Bar (Upstart). It was a powerful, eye-opening performance, one that was good that she has moved up in this poll from the 10th spot to the top spot. So, here goes, your latest and last Top 10 for the Kentucky Oaks: 1)...

Five years ago, Stonehaven Steadings enjoyed one of its biggest days in the sales ring when a colt by Quality Road, co-bred by the Reddoch family's operation, topped the 2021 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring sale on a bid of $1.5 million. The youngster went on to become champion Corniche. Leah and Aidan O'Meara, daughter and son-in-law of the farm's founders Jeff and Chiquita Reddoch, will be back in Ocala next week and dreaming of a similar result when they send a filly by Curlin (hip 800) through the ring...

As we acknowledged a week ago, the contributions made by these horses to what we can turn into a narrative are wholly random. But it has meanwhile felt almost as though Gun Runner wanted to prove otherwise, after watching Into Mischief's feisty response to the spectacle of Not This Time stealing an early march in the general sires' table. Gun Runner's role in that exchange was to retreat sulkily to the wings, lamenting the injury to his top Classic prospect Paladin. Well, he's obviously too good for that. On the...

So Happy (Runhappy) was in fine fettle the morning after winning Saturday's GI Santa Anita Derby. Saturday's Santa Anita Derby program drew an on-track crowd of 37,562, the highest for Santa Anita Derby Day since 2018. "He ate good and looked great this morning," trainer Mark Glatt said. "He seems to be in good spirits." The Santa Anita Derby was So Happy's second time racing around two turns. Previously, in the GII San Felipe going 1 1/16, So Happy was up close to sharp pace and yielded late to finish...

Meaning (f, 3, Gun Runner--Figure of Speech, by Into Mischief), a Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners colorbearer, proved her win over Eclipse champion 2-year-old filly Super Corredora (Gun Runner) in the Las Virgenes Stakes Feb. 8 was no fluke and asserted herself as California's division leader with a resounding victory in the GII Santa Anita Oaks Saturday. The Santa Anita Oaks awards 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points toward the May 1 GI Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. The complexion of Saturday's race changed shortly out of the gate when GIII Santa...

Last year's Eclipse champion juvenile filly, Super Corredora (Gun Runner), will miss the GII Santa Anita Oaks Apr. 4 after getting sick earlier this week, trainer John Sadler reported Friday. The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine has had a rough start to her 2026 campaign with two non-factor efforts in the Feb. 8 Las Virgenes Stakes and last out Mar. 8 in the GIII Santa Ysabel Stakes, where she missed the break and trailed far off her customary position. Super Corredora reportedly ran a fever earlier this week that...