Quality Road
Greenwich Village (Quality Road) with Juan Hernandez aboard timed things just right to get his head down at the wire in a tight finish in Sunday's Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita. Sent off the 8-5 choice after a first-time turf score in the 6 1/2 furlong Baffle Stakes at this venue on Jan. 25, the bay exited post 2 in good order and soon set up camp in a ground-saving fourth as Medici (Into Mischief) led Brigante (More Than Ready) and Army Man (Battalion Runner) through an opening quarter in...
There's still time for this flashy maiden winner to earn her way to the big dance. One of three upcoming GI Kentucky Oaks preps--the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks Mar. 28, GII Fair Grounds Oaks Mar. 21 or GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland Apr. 3--could be in play for Prom Queen (Quality Road), an eight-length winner at second asking for trainer Brad Cox at Gulfstream Park Feb. 12. "Just a little early to say which one makes the most sense right now," Cox said. "I sure like her. Longer...
Looking to be named the belle of the maiden ball after a Gulfstream dance, Prom Queen (Quality Road--Miss Bling Bling, by Tapit) garnered the right number of votes to wear a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', crown on Thursday afternoon. A runner-up on debut as the well-regarded favorite going a mile in Hallandale Jan. 23, the 3-year-old was ready to try out her two turn moves as the 80 cents on the dollar favorite here. In the mix from the bell, Prom Queen was fighting for position from third...
It looked like a competitive field on paper, but Talk to Me Jimmy (Modernist) took the race to them right from the bell, and ran his rivals off their feet to secure 20 Kentucky Derby points in the Wither Stakes. Last seen breaking his maiden in a similar fashion Nov. 9 going gate-to-wire against state-bred maidens at this venue, he was unveiled Sept. 26 and ran an even third during the Belmont Big A meet. Out to set the pace after early contact from competition coming off the blocks, the...
Greenwich Village (c, 3, Quality Road--Houtzen {Aus}, by I Am Invincible {Aus}) not only got his blinkers off and switched surfaces, but also completely changed tactics Sunday in Santa Anita's Baffle Stakes, eschewing his pace-setting and pace-pressing past while opting instead to drop back to last down the hillside turf course. While he caboosed the field, 25-1 Track Tiger (Sharp Azteca) and 5-2 Later Than Planned (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) battled up front through :22.41 and :44.25 fractions. The first half-dozen runners stayed tightly packed as Greenwich Village continued to...
The betting public couldn't take their eyes off him before the race, and Code Review (Uncle Mo) never stopped going in the lane after posting brisk early fractions, striding home to become his late sire's newest 'TDN Rising Star. presented by Hagyard' at Gulfstream Park. Code Review left the gates as the 3-5 favorite and stepped forward to contest the pace through an opening quarter in :21.80, and a half in :44.90. On a narrow advantage at the head of affairs with challengers mounting bids on both sides, he responded...
HALLANDALE, FL--Kicking off the graded stakes action on Pegasus Day, Gary Barber, Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Speed Shopper (Quality Road) closed stoutly from off the pace to earn her first graded stakes win in the inaugural running of the GIII Christophe Clement Stakes at Gulfstream. Arya Stark (Arg) (CosmicTiger {Arg}) popped out to the front straight out of the gate as Speed Shopper settled right behind Weighted Average (English Channel) through an opening quarter mile in :24.76. Remaining largely unchanged up front following a :50.20 half and three...
On Thursday in Palm Beach, Bob Duncan was honored with a Special Eclipse Award for Career Excellence acknowledging his contribution to the sport of horse racing through his work at the starting gate. I loudly applaud the NTRA, DRF and National Turf Writers & Broadcasters for recognizing Bob's unique talent and gift to racing with this award. I applaud Bob himself for his approach to his craft and the shining example he has set in handling horses with respect as partners in winning races. Bob and his craft are known...
Bob Duncan, whose career spans better than 50 years at the tracks of the New York Racing Association (NYRA), will be honored with a Special Eclipse Award for Career Excellence during the Resolute Racing Eclipse Award ceremonies at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida, on Thursday, Jan. 22. The award recognizes Duncan's horsemanship and his work to foster the human-equine relationship at the starting gate. Duncan, who grew up in Elmont, NY, began working at the NYRA tracks in 1967-1968 and returned from a stint in the U.S. Army in...
And so we reach the apex of the fee pyramid we've scaled in stages all the way up from the basement. In reality, this final ascent is too extensive to be coherent: we're clearly not comparing like with like, between stallions available at $60,000 and la crème de la crème at $250,000. But since we can hardly reveal to an unsuspecting world that Into Mischief is a pretty good stallion, let's establish our parameters straightaway. Our purpose today is to seek the residual value that lurks even at this rarefied...
BLESS THE BROKEN (f, 4, Laoban--The Nightingale, by Tapit) missed the board once last year in a campaign that included a gutsy third-place finished in th GI Kentucky Oaks, and finishing fourth in the GI Acorn Stakes June 6 at Saratoga in what turned out to be the last race of her season. Sold for $950,000 to Qatar Racing and Mountmellick Farm during the Fasig-Tipton November sale last year, she was moved from the barn of Will Walden to Brad Cox, and made her return to the races here with...
Sent off the 3-2 second choice in this second career start at Aqueduct, Ottinho (Quality Road), a half-brother to Horse of the Year and leading sire Gun Runner, broke sharply and cut out early splits of :24.02 and :49.79. Pressured by longshot Grey Bull (Essential Quality) through most of the early going, the homebred colt dispensed of the rival turning home, while his more fancied stablemate Hadrian's Wall (Curlin) mounted his challenge on the outside. Battling with the $1.3 million Keeneland September yearling purchase late, Ottinho lost the lead for...