Mitole

Coffee, pens, chapstick, maybe an occasional hat. Consignors often hand out little tokens to give the memories of potential buyers a nudge into recalling their barn and their horses. But chances are you've seen someone emerging from Barn 9 on the Keeneland sales grounds in the last day or two with ice cream, which likely sounds mighty good after a day going from barn to barn inspecting horses in the full sun of an early September in Central Kentucky. Jennifer and Zach Phillips of Zen Equine, who may have their...

Even with a lack of it for this running of the GII Honorable Miss Stakes in Saratoga, the Sunshine State was well-represented as Halina's Forte (Mitole) outbattled fellow Florida-bred R Disaster (Awesome Slew) to earn her first graded stakes win. Given the cold shoulder by the betting public, she went off at 24-1 long odds for this sloppy (sealed) running of the contest, and was content to watch R Disaster set the pace as she saved all the ground on the rail in fifth. Still in midpack behind an opening...

Feel free to make plans, working with Thoroughbreds--just don't be deceived that it'll ever be you who decides how far they work out. With a young son to raise, Becky Maker had quit the rootless life of a trainer and taken a role on the pre-training team at WinStar. "Just to stay in one place, have a salary and be safe," she remembers wryly. "Within six months I had a horse rear up and flip over in the shedrow. Severe fracture of the femur. So after 20 years galloping on...

6th-Santa Anita, $61,000, Msw, 5-10, 3, 4,/5yo, 6 1/2f, 1:14.98, ft, 1 1/4 lengths. SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN (r, 3, Mitole--Midnight Magic, by Midnight Lute), a $250,000 yearling turned $750,000 2-year-old, faced older rivals Saturday on debut for Bob Baffert including well-met stablemate Sierra Silver (Game Winner) who was last third behind 'TDN Rising Star' and GI Preakness Stakes entrant Goal Oriented (Not This TIme). Showing speed from an outside draw, the 7-2 second choice led from the first jump, rationing his speed ahead of his stablemate through fractions of :22.08 and...

Morplay Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Shisospicy remained unbeaten in three starts in turf sprints, streaking away through the final sixteenth of a mile to post a decisive and impressive victory in Saturday's GIII Mamzelle Stakes at Churchill Downs, her first success at the graded level. An all-the-way winner of the Limestone Stakes at Keeneland on Apr. 11, Shisospicy was one of the first to break the line, but Dreamaway (Flameaway), who ran on nicely to round out the exacta over ground that was still retaining some moisture after those heavy...

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Sunday running at Tokyo Racecourses, where 3-year-old turf milers are front and center in the G1 NHK Mile Cup: Sunday, May 11, 2025 5th-TOK, ¥15,200,000 ($105k), Allowance, 3yo, 2100m MERCURY DIME (JPN) (f, 3, Medaglia d'Oro--Lucky Dime, by Creative Cause) overcame a...

Umberto Rispoli, the second-leading rider at the Hollywood Meet at Santa Anita, is off all his Saturday mounts due to his connecting flight from Kentucky being canceled, 1S/T Racing announced Saturday afternoon. Rispoli flew in to Churchill Downs overnight to partner with likely Kentucky Derby favorite GISW Journalism (Curlin) in his final pre-Derby work, but those plans were scrubbed when the work was postponed to Sunday due to the rain. The jockey was named on six rides for the Saturday card, including on 'TDN Rising Star' Eagles Flight (Curlin), the...

Trainer Jose D'Angelo reports that 'TDN Rising Star' Shisospicy (Mitole) has emerged from her victory in the Listed Limestone Stakes in good form and could have a date with the GIII Coronation Cup in July at Saratoga. After her half-length victory Saturday in the turf sprint at Keeneland, D'Angelo has provided a positive prognosis for his latest turf star, and says while his filly does have victories on the main track, the lawn is her future. With that, her campaign could include a trip to Saratoga as the conditioner has...

Proving to be an up-and-coming heavyweight in this male sprint division, Booth won his GIII Count Fleet Sprint Stakes bout at Oaklawn Park on Saturday afternoon with a powerful punch in the late rounds to score a Tyson-like knockout. Named a 'TDN Rising Star' after debuting a winner at Keeneland late in his juvenile year, Booth's highlights the following season included clearing a pair of optional claimers at Oaklawn that February and Churchill Downs in December. Coming into 2025, the colt appeared ready for stakes competition, but Booth finished a...

Named a 'TDN Rising Star' when decimating a field of main-track maidens at Gulfstream by 16 1/4 lengths last October, Shisospicy (Mitole) faded to third after setting hot fractions in the Fern Creek Stakes at Churchill in November. She just failed to last in the Jan. 4 Mockingbird Stakes at Oaklawn, but most recently wired a Gulfstream allowance in her first go on the grass Feb. 5. Carrying an imposing worktab for this return to stakes competition, the Morplay colorbearer was kicked straight into a clear advantage by Irad Ortiz,...

The road to the 151st GI Kentucky Derby concludes with Saturday's GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland. Qualifying points are awarded to the first five finishers on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale, but won't be enough to have an impact on the first Saturday in May. With a field of nine entered and at least a pair of scratches anticipated, favoritism should come down to either 'TDN Rising Star' Bullard (Gun Runner) or Praetor (Into Mischief). Scratched out of the GII Rebel S. due to a fever, the impressive last-to-first GIII Bob...

   Chip Montgomery sits down with TDN to discuss his 2025 mating plans for Haymarket Farm. The 2025 mating season will be a milestone for Haymarket Farm, as, for the first time, all of our mares will be based in central Kentucky, rather than on our farm in Simpsonville. It was such a competitive disadvantage being located outside of the core nucleus of the terrific vets, farriers, et al, that serve our farms and in this day, we need all the economic help we can get! You ask what we're...