Not This Time

Nothing like claiming your second lifetime win in a graded stakes at Saratoga, especially so when your last time on the board was a year ago at the venue. A pricey $600,000 OBS March juvenile purchase in 2024, Italian Soiree (Uncle Mo) came with big expectations and her connections refused to throw in the towel despite their filly not hitting the board in the last five starts at the black-type level. Her 2025 attempts included a Feb. 8 seasonal bow in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs where she...

Cy Fair (f, 2, Not This Time--Remarqued, by Arch) was an eye-catching debut winner sprinting over the lawn at Saratoga on Thursday's opening-day card, good for 'TDN Rising Star' honors. Drawn in post eight with John Velazquez at the controls, the 5-1 chance chased on the outside in a joint second through an opening quarter in :21.51. She challenged for command on the far turn, took over with a quarter of a mile to go and blasted off from there to win by 3 1/4 lengths while stopping the timer...

Like so many others, Acacia Clement's favorite meet is Saratoga. As part of the Saratoga broadcast team and the wife of trainer Miguel Clement, she has to work long hours and juggle a hectic schedule. Preparation is something she takes seriously. But Saratoga also means great racing in a beautiful and historic location, a lively nightlife and so much more. There's a lot to like about this place. Appearing on the TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland as the Gainesway Guest of the Week, Clement said what she loves...

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced juveniles from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes, sponsored by OBS Sales, highlights debuting and stakes-entered 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, including links to their under-tack previews. Here are the horses entered for opening day of the traditional summer meet at Saratoga....

6th-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 7-5, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:35.94, fm, 1 length. EMBRACE TIME (f, 2, Not This Time--Dontmesswithjoanne {SW, $180,638}, by Pioneerof the Nile), a firster from the Brad Cox barn, stood professionally in the gate for her debut. Kept under a tight hold early by Flavien Prat, she raced midpack on the outside as 7-2 Gorrono Ranch (War of Will) set the early pace. With Prat reserving Embrace Time while well off the :23.95 and :48.24 fractions, he finally gave the filly her cue on the turn. Fifth into...

Forced to miss the Triple Crown series after exiting his sensational GII Fasig-Tipton Risen Star S. victory with an ankle chip, Magnitude (Not This Time) makes his highly anticipated return in Saturday evening's $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows. He is the 9-5 morning-line favorite. The Winchell Thoroughbreds colorbearer was a 9 3/4-length, front-running winner of the Risen Star at odds of 43-1 Feb. 15, good for a 108 Beyer Speed Figure. His final time of 1:48.85 was the fastest Risen Star in seven runnings (including one year with split...

Aptly named and performing to expectations, Dazzle d'Oro (Bolt d'Oro--Sunnysammi, by First Defence) ran his rivals off their feet in this scorching Churchill Downs unveiling, and earned 'TDN Rising Star' honors in the process. Bet down to 9-5 favoritism on the back of a series of good works both at this venue and at Keeneland, the Tom Amoss-trainee broke from the gates like a rocket and wasted no time speeding to the lead through an opening quarter in :21.33 and a half in :44.47 as he cruised through the turn....

Dreams came true in the GIII Penn Mile Stakes Friday evening when Dream On (c, 3, Not This Time-Mamma Kimbo, by Discreet Cat)--winner of Aqueduct's Woodhaven Stakes in April--split horses in late stretch after trailing throughout to capture the first graded victory of his career. Cairo Caper (Cairo Prince), a stakes winner at two who finished seventh in the Woodhaven, got up for second while Out On Bail (Tiz the Law), who has never been off the board in eight career starts, held third after pressuring the frontrunning 3-5 favorite...

11th-Churchill Downs, $122,025, Msw, 6-27, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:16.02, ft, 1 1/2 lengths. TAYLOR'S VERSION (c, 3, Into Mischief--Taylor S {SW & GSP, $121,519}, by Medaglia d'Oro) endured a wide trip from a high draw on his belated racetrack debut May 18 and retreated through the stretch to finish about a dozen lengths behind repeat winner Camp Hale (Mo Town) in eighth. Off right at his 8-1 morning line for this second go, the Albaugh homebred scratched down into the one hole and left there running, covering the opening quarter...

1st-Belmont The Big A, $82,450, Msw, 6-15, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:49.19, sy, 10 1/2 lengths. STARS AND STRIPES (c, 3, Not This Time--Pearl River, by Quality Road) debuted in third at long odds during the Belmont At The Big A meet May 17. Trying two turns as the 85 cents on the dollar choice here, the colt was second and continued to flank a longshot leader for much of the backstretch. Pressing the pace at the top of the stretch, Stars and Stripes took off for home and quickly opened...

8th-Churchill Downs, $123,202, Alw, 6-13, (NW1X), 3yo/up, 1 1/2m (off turf), 2:31.72, sy, 14 1/2 lengths. EMERGENCE (c, 3, Uncle Mo--Belle Watling, by Pulpit) closed from well back in his Feb. 1 debut to graduate at first asking over Gulfstream's synthetic track by 3 1/4 lengths. Moved over to the grass two back Mar. 1 at that venue for the Listed Colonel Liam Stakes at a mile, he failed to produce that same kick and finished a flat eighth behind winner Mi Bago (Vekoma), who would just miss hitting the...

Winner of the GIII Cecil B. DeMille Stakes on the grass at Del Mar to close out 2024 after beginning the year a winner at Kentucky Downs, the well-traveled and versatile Clock Tower earned himself a shot on the Road to the Kentucky Derby but ultimately came home fourth against Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) in the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes. Back on the grass and back to Kentucky, Clock Tower tested the early pace in the GIII Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland last month but tired home to finish eighth...