Repole

The Repole Stable connections have heard it for nearly as long as their star has been racing, that 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) can be blazing hot when he gets his own way and ice cold when he doesn't. Their Eclipse-winning 2-year-old has spent much of his career in a win-loss pattern that left owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher scratching their heads. But perhaps Saturday, Fierceness finally laid those demons to rest in exactly the spot he'll need to have them buried come November as he...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--The beat goes on for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. It only seems like every 2-year-old he enters in $100,000 maiden special weight races at Saratoga Race Course wins. Pletcher was once again front and center in a baby race, this time in Friday's second race, a seven-furlong event for juvenile fillies. And, like he has been so many times before during the Saratoga summer, he found himself in the winner's circle when it was over. On this day, the hero was Steer Clear (Street Sense), who...

5th-SAR, 100K, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 7f, 2:13 p.m. Shadwell's now 3-year-old METFARDEH (Into Mischief) makes her debut two years after the operation picked her up as a yearling at Keeneland September for a Book One-topping $2,300,000. Bred by International Equities Holding, the filly is out of GIII Monmouth Oaks winner Delightful Joy who retired to IEH for $700,000 at KEEJAN in 2017. Herself a half to SW/MGISP Quickick (McKinzie), she's produced three winners from three to race led by GII Summertime Oaks winner Window Shopping (American Pharoah). TJCIS PPS 6th-SAR,...

7th-SAR, 100K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 3:54 p.m. The most expensive member of Yaupon's heralded first crop, STRADALE was a $1,300,000 OBS April grad for Kaleem Shah's KSI after matching the sale's fastest furlong breeze time of :9 4/5 (see Summer Breezes) from the consignment of de Meric Sales, who purchased him initially as a yearling for $285,000 at FTKJUL. He is the first foal out of Twitterpated (Stormy Atlantic), a mare who is a full-sister to GI Matriarch Stakes winner Stormy Lucy. Steve Asmussen trains this firster who comes in...

6th-FG, $52K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 4:15 p.m. Starting the New Year off in Louisiana, WHO'S TICKET (Quality Road) is a daughter of champion 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi, a mare who has changed hands for sums of $6m, $3.2m and most recently in 2021 when Three Chimneys Farm went to $1.15m for her. Who's Ticket, herself a $450,000 weanling, is a half to SW Courvoisier (Tapit). Take Charge Brandi has seen her branch of the family tree grow more fruitful recently with the success of her half-brother, freshman sire...

In Thursday's TDN, we talked to four top judges of equine talent who had a divergence of opinion on who this year's leading first-crop sire would be. Who comes out on top in this edition? EDDIE ROSEN Top Pick: Vino Rosso (Curlin--Mythical Bride, by Street Cry {Ire}). Spendthrift Farm, 2023 fee: $15,000. Full disclosure, as a member of Team Repole that selected and raced Vino Rosso, I am obviously biased. However, I sincerely believe he will be the leading freshman sire. While he, as a Curlin, was slow-maturing and peaked...

No less than five undefeated 2-year-olds--including two graded winners--line up for Saratoga's Labor Day finale in the GI Hopeful S. Hard to separate, at least on paper, are Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Gainesway's Wit (Practical Joke) and LRE Racing and JEH Racing's High Oak (Gormley). The former earned TDN Rising Star billing when kicking off his career with a six-length score at Belmont June 5. Equally impressive in his return in the July 17 GIII Sanford S., the Todd Pletcher trainee cruised home an easy eight-length winner in...

Trainer Todd Pletcher indicated Overtook (Curlin) will make his next start in the May 8 GIII Peter Pan S. at Belmont Park. Since finishing second behind Risk Taking in the GIII Withers S. Feb. 6 at Aqueduct, the son of Grade I winner Got Lucky (A.P. Indy) has registered two easy half-mile works at Pletcher's Palm Beach Downs base, including the latest a a four-furlong move in :50.75 Mar. 6. The Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, Michael Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith runner is expected to return...