OBS March

Looking to record his first victory under the Twinspires in a year, Verifire (Authentic--Ruby Trust, by Smart Strike) got the job done with a tidy 3/4-length score in Louisville in Wednesday afternoon. The chestnut was named a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' following an eye-catching 6 1/4-length victory going six panels at Colonial in March of 2025 before winning his next two starts impressively, including the seven-furlong Maxfield Stakes at Churchill Downs later in June. Taking money in the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes in Saratoga at the...

Smidgeon (f, 2, Jack Christopher), overlooked at 7-1 in her five-furlong unveiling at Churchill Downs Saturday, shot out to the front beneath Keith Asmussen and kicked for home as the one to catch. She let it out a notch in the stretch and kept on finding down the lane to graduate by 1 3/4 lengths. Energy Flows (Constitution) was a narrow second over favored House Boat Party (Flightline). Smidgeon, a $20,000 Keeneland November weanling, $60,000 Keeneland September yearling and $300,000 OBS March breezer, is the second winner for her freshman...

A pair of OBS March graduates lined up side by side in the gate at Santa Anita Friday but it was the longer shot of the two, 8-1 third choice Kennyten (Drain the Clock), who earned his diploma en route to becoming his freshman sire's (by Maclean's Music) second winner and first 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'. Bred in Kentucky by Nicholas Lotz and just a $20,000 Keeneland September yearling, Kennyten impressed in Florida earlier this year, selling to Holly and David Wilson for $140,000 after breezing his furlong...

6th-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, f, 5f, 3:19 p.m. ET HOUSE BOAT PARTY (Flightline) is set to become the third starter in two days from the highly anticipated first crop of her sire (by Tapit) and should have her fair share of backers. A homebred for Flying Dutchmen, the Apr. 5 foal is out of Lake Garda (American Pharoah), purchased by Boardshorts for $600,000 in foal to Uncle Mo at Keeneland November in 2022. The mare is an unraced daughter of GSP Refugee (Unaccounted For), whose 11 winners include 'TDN Rising...

4th-BAQ, $85k, Msw, 3yo/up, 1mT, 2:43 p.m. ET The final few weeks of racing in the history of Aqueduct kick off Thursday following a 17-day break in the action for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. The afternoon's turf maiden features Juddmonte homebred AUTHORITATIVE (Kingman {GB}), a maternal grandson of GSW & MGISP Filimbi (Mizzen Mast), whose five winners from five to face the starter includes GIII West Virginia and Indiana Derby winner and GI Pennsylvania Derby third Dragoon Guard (Arrogate). Daughters of the GI Kentucky Oaks-winning third dam Flute (Seattle...

1st-SAR, 115K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 12:35 p.m. Trainer Todd Pletcher debuts a pair of 2-year-old fillies in the Thursday opener at Saratoga. Rail-drawn PERPETUAL (Drain the Clock) impressed at OBS March earlier this year, working a quarter-mile in :20.1 before selling to Lee Ackerley Racing & Gainesway for $500,000. Her unraced Street Boss first dam has already produced two winners from as many to race and Pletcher will leg up Hall of Famer John Velazquez for this unveiling. In the middle of the gate, stablemate Dinner Party (Not...

8th-CD, $127k, AOC ($125k), 3yo, 6f, 4:22 p.m. A pair of big-figure 'TDN Rising Stars' presented by Hagyard from the back end of the meet at Oaklawn Park square off here with an eye on bigger and better down the road. Novogratz Racing Stables' MUNNINGS CHALLENGE (Munnings) showed sharp early speed on Mar. 1 debut before settling for second, but took them all the way last time Apr. 11, defeating Doublecents (Goldencents) by five resounding lengths, good for a 94 Beyer Speed Figure. He is a son of Novogratz's outstanding...

Picked up as an OBS March grad just two months ago for $150,000, He Is No Lie (Early Voting) lit up a maiden special weight race at Santa Anita Friday, wiring the field by a widening margin under wraps to become his juvenile sire's (by Gun Runner) second winner and first 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'. His wide draw proved of little consequence as this 2-5 favorite, facing six Californa-bred rivals, was pressed on to clear the inside traffic. Responding in kind to that ask, He Is No Lie...

LAUREL, MD -- Two weeks ago, Saffie Joseph Jr. found himself in an eerily similar situation when one of his horses was forced to scratch from a Grade I event right before the big dance. The latest casualty was My Miss Mo (Uncle Mo) who was scratched on Apr. 29, only two days before the running of the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. No doubt, the 11th-hour defection had to sting a bit, however, the filly came right back to validate her connections' unwavering faith in her, winning...

4th-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, 5f, post time: 6:27 p.m. ET CUT THROAT should have his fair share of admirers to get first-crop sire Cyberknife (Gun Runner) off to a flying start with his first runner. A half-brother to the stakes-placed Arman (Bolt d'Oro) and April Vintage (Vino Rosso), the February-foaled chestnut is out of an unraced half-sister to SW & MGSP Two Thirty Five (Stay Thirsty). The deeper female family includes Eclipse Award-winning juvenile filly Halfbridled (Unbridled). Cut Throat breezed an eighth of a mile in :10 flat at this...

Flanagan Racing's Sea Strike (c, 3, Midshipman--Meetmeonline, by Line of David) finally figured things out in the final furlong of a six-furlong Aqueduct maiden and despite a less-than-ideal passage, rolled home to become the newest 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard. A $140,000 Keeneland September yearling, the Mar. 26 foal was fractionally green, but very fast in breezing a quarter-mile in a bullet :20 2/5 for last year's OBS March Sale and was hammered down for $650,000 to Nick Sallusto and John Kimmel, agents for Flanagan, who also advised on...

JR Ranch's Mashallah (f, 3, Maxfield--All in With Aces, by Quiet American)--a $1.25-million OBS March breezer--made up for lost time in this belated career debut, leading every step of the way en route to a 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard-worthy 3 3/4-length victory. Having trained well at Palm Meadows in February and March, Mashallah had done even better since her arrival into the Brendan Walsh barn at Keeneland and had recorded a pair of slick half-mile moves--:48 flat (5/87) on Apr. 11 and :47 flat (2/58) on Apr. 17....