On Time Girl

'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Explora (Blame) returned to her winning ways on Sunday with a confident victory in the Leslie's Lady Stakes at Churchill Downs. Off here at even-money, Explora found herself in a familiar position at the head of affairs, but had persistent company in Brooklyn Blonde (Gun Runner) through an opening quarter in :22.72 and a half-mile in :45.07. Turning that one away heading for home, Explora dug deep to fend off an oncoming rush from On Time Girl, but kept her at bay by a...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' On Time Girl (Not This Time) cut back in distance beautifully for a second graded stakes success in Friday's GII Eight Belles S. at Churchill Downs. Drawn widest of all in post nine, the 9-5 favorite raced in striking distance in sixth through a half-mile in :45.48. She began to catch the eye while winding up four wide on the far turn and powered home down the center to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Luv Your Neighbor (Constitution). A sharp...

Calumet Farm homebred She Be Smooth (Lexitonian) raced well out of the range of the cameraman for the opening 5 1/2 furlongs of Saturday's GII Davona Dale Stakes, but she entered the picture in an instant and finished full of run to become the first graded winner for her sire (by Speightstown) while picking up 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. Allowed to jump at juicy odds of 28-5 off an impressive debut over the Davona Dale course and distance Jan. 23 that came at the expense...

She wasn't late. Everyone else was simply early. The Albaugh Family's homebred 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' On Time Girl (Not This Time) made a final-furlong move to the front and pulled away to easily capture Saturday's GIII Forward Gal Stakes, earning herself 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. Making her 3-year-old debut, the Brad Cox trainee went three-for-four last year and was just a length away from an undefeated juvenile season when second as the favorite in the Myrtlewood Stakes at Keeneland Oct. 24. She...

Nearly (Not This Time), an impressive winner of two straight by a combined 14 1/4 lengths, will make his two-turn debut in Saturday's GIII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream Park. The Centennial Farms colorbearer earned a field-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure defeating three rivals in an optional claimer going seven furlongs at Gulfstream most recently Jan. 2. Produced by a winning Mineshaft mare, Nearly worked a bullet four furlongs in :48.59 (1/25) at Palm Beach Downs Jan. 24. He is the 9-5 morning-line favorite in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull,...

Taylor Made's Not This Time, who currently leads all North American-based sires by black-type winners for 2025, further padded that number when Albaugh Family Stables homebred On Time Girl (f, 2, Not This Time--Girl Daddy, by Uncle Mo) captured Churchill's Fern Creek Stakes for juvenile fillies Saturday afternoon, bringing her sire's stakes winner count to 26 for the year. The bay 2-year-old, a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', left the gate sharpest of all, almost immediately putting a length on the field, but Keeneland maiden winner Solemn Vow (Constitution)...

She may've been in another zip code early, but A Fine Chardonnay (Maclean's Music) was moving fastest late to inhale her rivals en route to victory in the Dean Dorton Myrtlewood Stakes at Keeneland. Debuted beneath the Twin Spires Sept. 11, she came off the pace and closed smartly to win by two lengths as a massive 45-1 longshot. She went off here at a much lower 2-1 on the back of some strong works at Churchill since that unveiling. A Fine Chardonnay jumped evenly with the field, but soon...

Irad Ortiz, Jr., a five-time Eclipse-champion jockey and this country's leading rider by races won in each of the last eight seasons, will relocate from New York to Kentucky for the fall season. He will join a riding colony that also includes his brother Jose Ortiz, who is also represented by agent Steve Rushing. "My agent and I have talked about this for a little while now," Ortiz Jr. said. "There's a lot of business in Kentucky and the racing is really strong." The veteran reinsman had four rides on...

On Time Girl (f, 2, Not This Time) became the 12th 'TDN Rising Star' for her leading young Taylor Made sire--his eighth this year--at Churchill Downs Thursday evening. Off as the 2-1 second choice following a 2 1/2-length debut victory for Brad Cox at Ellis Park Aug. 3, the Albaugh Family homebred raced in between rivals in the early stages and made a flashy move into second heading into the far turn. She turned up the heat on the leader at the top of the stretch and leveled off with...

4th-CD, 127k, Alw, N2L, 2yo, f, 6f, 6:30 p.m. ET    'TDN Rising Star' Tennessee Belle (Yaupon), a runaway winner at second asking for owner Boyd Racing and trainer John Ortiz at Saratoga Aug. 16, takes on winners for the first time on Churchill's opening day program. The daughter of MGISW Belle Gallantey (After Market) was previously a debut second behind subsequent GI Spinaway S. heroine and fellow 'Rising Star' Tommy Jo (Into Mischief) at the Spa July 26. The $75,000 Keeneland November weanling turned $160,000 Fasig-Tipton February yearling RNA'd...