Paynter

It's a tough game, selling nominations; and, except for those sparkly new stallions, getting tougher all the time. So we should have every sympathy with the farms trying to drum up custom. True, WinStar doesn't hold back in introducing Paynter on his homepage as "one of the most popular and courageous runners in racing history." But if that's a pretty heady claim, even for a horse whose recovery from desperate illness so captured the hearts of the racing public, then the son of Awesome Again has certainly moved the conversation...

4th-Gulfstream, $38,000, Msw, 4-12, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:11.78, ft. SARATOGA AFFAIR (f, 3, Paynter--Mallory Street {SP, $111,837}, by Street Sense) cost three times as much as the next-priciest Paynter juvenile last term when she brought $450,000 at OBSAPR off a strong :10 flat breeze. She was given a 7-2 chance off an upbeat-looking worktab at Palm Meadows, and was spotting most of her well-bred foes a race or two worth of experience. Off towards the back of the pack, the bay was scrubbed on to sit midpack among a strung-out...

Ring Leader maintained her perfect record with a score over favored 'TDN Rising Star' Specially in the Listed Dixie Belle S. at Oaklawn Saturday evening. Second choice on the board, the bay, who broke her maiden at first asking at Canterbury Park in June and returned Jan. 24 to romp by 5 1/4 lengths in the mud locally, tracked from third behind an opening split of :22.48. She challenged three deep on the far turn and went on with it, turning into the home straight with all of the momentum....

 When Michelle Crawford came across the 25-year-old blue hen Tizso (Cee's Tizzy), a full-sister to Hall of Famer Tiznow, in the Keeneland January catalogue, she immediately knew she had to have her. The longtime Standardbred owner/breeder, who operates Crawford Farms in Durhamville, N.Y. with her husband Al, wanted to ensure that the mare received the retirement she deserved. "I started going through the catalogue and she was number 90, so I didn't get very far before I said that is it, she is the one I'm getting," Crawford said from...