Santa Anita

Stark Contrast (Caravaggio), an impressive 2 1/4-length winner of the GI American Turf S. with a career-high 99 Beyer Speed Figure on Kentucky Derby day, is being aimed at the GI Belmont Derby at Saratoga July 4. The Amerman Racing homebred has worked three times at trainer Michael McCarthy's Santa Anita base since, including a four-furlong breeze in :50.20 (27/31) June 11. C R K Stable's 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Remember Mamba (Kitten's Joy), winner of the GIII UK HealthCare Transylvania S. at Keeneland and runner-up in the...

Antonio Fresu, Phil D'Amato and Reddam Racing were the leading jockey, trainer and owner, respectively, at the just-concluded Santa Anita Hollywood meeting at the Arcadia oval. A native of Sardinia, the 34-year-old Fresu booted home 33 winners from 183 rides (18%), narrowly besting Armando Ayuso on 31 wins. Fresu, who shifted his tack to Santa Anita in December 2023, missed the first five weeks of 2026 with a left foot injury suffered on opening day of the season Dec. 28. "The year didn't start like we wanted to, so this...

Norman Stables and Saints or Sinners' So Happy (Runhappy) was named the top horse during the 2025-2026 winter/spring season at Santa Anita, which concluded Monday, June 15. Conditioned by Mark Glatt, the bay colt followed a debut victory at Del Mar last November with a two-length success in the seven-furlong GII San Vicente Stakes at the Great Race Place in early January. Third in the GII San Felipe Stakes in his first start around two turns, So Happy caused a 7-1 upset in the GI Santa Anita Derby, cementing a...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Cortina d'Amprezzo at Santa Anita. Nothing But Luck Cortina d'Amprezzo (Lucky Vega) got the job done for trainer Phil D'Amato at Santa Anita on June 11 (video). The three-year-old filly races for Hopeless Stables, Little Red Feather Racing, Medallion Racing, McNulty Thoroughbreds, Veranda Stables, and Omar Aldabbagh. Bred by Mountarmstrong Stud, she changed hands for €26,000 as a Goffs Autumn yearling when picked...

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...

Plutarch (Into Mischief) worked for the first time Friday since winning the GIII Robert B. Lewis for 3-year-olds Feb. 7. He was timed going four furlongs 49.6 seconds at 'The Great Race Place.' Trained by Bob Baffert, the colt out of champion Stellar Wind (Curlin) exited the Lewis with 'body soreness' that limited him to only light training prior to Friday's work. Plutarch won the Lewis by 3/4 length. It was his first stakes victory. As a 2-year-old, Plutarch most notably finished third in the GI American Pharoah at Santa...

Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo) will be back to defend his title in Saturday's GIII Salvator Mile S., one of four stakes races on Monmouth Park's 10-race Haskell Preview Day card. After bringing $1.3 million from advisor Pedro Lanz on behalf of the Saudi-based KAS Stables at last year's Keeneland November sale, the 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' was a game winner of the GII Cigar Mile H. Dec. 6 in his first start for his new connections. A respectable fourth in the G1 Saudi Cup Feb. 14, the Brad...

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...

CSLR Racing Partners' Crude Velocity (Beau Liam) will look to stretch out for his next start in the 1 1/8-mile GI Haskell Stakes July 18 at Monmouth Park following his runner-up effort behind the impressive Englishman (Maxfield) in the seven-furlong GI Woody Stephens Stakes Saturday at Saratoga. "I'm going to run him in the Haskell," trainer Bob Baffert confirmed. "We're going to stretch. I was going to run him in the Matt Winn today [Sunday at Churchill Downs], but I thought maybe, I was hoping that Englishman wouldn't show up...

The 2-year-old colt by Flightline out of Breeders' Cup winner Bar of Gold who sold for $2.1 million to top last month's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale has been named Inshallah, trainer John Sadler reported Saturday. Inshallah is an Arabic term that translates to "God willing" or "if God wills." Inshallah is owned by KAS Stables, which is part of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and sons KAS Racing. He was bred in New York by Chester and Mary Broman, who campaigned the dam, 2017 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Bar...

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Tribalism in Arcadia. No Nay Never Colt Finds His People BR Thoroughbreds' Tribalism (No Nay Never) graduated going a mile at Santa Anita on May 30 (video). The Michael McCarthy trainee was bred by Phoenix Thoroughbreds Limited. Second on debut at Keeneland, Tribalism was a $280,000 buy-back out of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The third foal and first winner for the multiple stakes-placed...

3rd-CD, 120K, Msw, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:43 p.m. After bringing just $125,000 as a yearling at Keeneland September in 2024, PRESIDE (Tiz the Law) impressed the partnership of Spendthrift Farm, St. Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds enough at the 2025 OBS April Sale to inspire a $1.5-million bid after working in :10 flat. Out of a stakes-placed half-sister to Canadian champion female sprinter River Maid (Where's the Ring), the 9-2 morning-line shot debuts for trainer Steve Asmussen and enters off a solid gate drill May 31 (four furlongs in :47...