Saratoga

Just four days after his son Mounsieur Coco took the Proud Man S. over the Gulfstream all-weather, Boppy O (Bolt d'Oro) became the first graded-stakes winner for his freshman sire (by Medaglia d'Oro) and led home a top-three sweep for first-crop stallions when causing a 23-1 upset in Wednesday's GIII With Anticipation S. at Saratoga. Ridden for some speed by Dylan Davis while making his first venture on the grass and over a distance of ground, the $190,000 Keeneland September yearling--a half-brother to last year's GII Best Pal S. hero...

Business is booming at Taylor Made, not just because of the company's continued status as the largest sales consignor in the country, but also on the stallion side with the continued ascent of their young star sire Not This Time. Tuesday, Taylor Made CEO joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland as the Green Group Guest of the Week to talk about Not This Time's newest Grade I winner in Runhappy Travers S. romper Epicenter, his team's approach to yearling sales and more. "You can never predict that a...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Though their names are similar and they have trainer Mark Casse in common, Wonder Gadot (Medaglia d'Oro) and Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) are not related, except, possibly, in ability. Wonder Gadot, a two-time champion and 2018 Horse of the Year in Canada, is named for the Israeli actress, Gal Gadot, who gained international attention in the 2017 film "Wonder Woman." Wonder Wheel, the unbeaten filly who will run in the GI Spinaway S. Sunday, is named for the very famous 102-year-old, 150-foot Ferris wheel at Coney...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week. California Track: Del Mar Date: 08/26/2022 Licensee: James Marsden, owner Penalty: Suspended...

The final week of the Saratoga meet kicks off Wednesday with a 10-race card highlighted by the GIII With Anticipation S. for juvenile turf colts. With the majority of the 10-horse field coming off maiden wins, horseplayers have a variety of ways to go in the betting. Freshman sire City of Light could get his first black-type winner with Battle of Normandy in this event. The $500,000 FTSAUG buy captured his course-and-distance debut Aug. 6 by 2 1/4 lengths after a wide trip. His dam Adorable Miss (Kitten's Joy) was...

When The Great Maybe (Upstart) left the blocks at Saratoga and strolled in eight lengths ahead of a lively-met field of fillies, she carried not only the silks of Lael Stables--whose name invokes great nostalgia and respect in the halls of the Thoroughbred community--but also the dreams of a small breeding operation an hour north of Lexington, run by Monica Egger. Now, that farm in Piner, Kentucky, has a 'TDN Rising Star' to add to their list of accomplishments. "I have really enjoyed my short foray into Thoroughbreds and have...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - It is very much an understatement to say that during the first week of August 2019, West Point Thoroughbreds and their partners really got it right when purchasing two yearling colts. Maybe even struck gold. Time will tell. On Monday, Aug. 5, 2019 at Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga Sale, West Point, headed by president and CEO Terry Finley, and a group of investors went to $1 million for Hip 80, a son of Tapit out of Feathered (Indian Charlie). He was the session topper. Named Flightline, the lightly...

Edited Press Release With closing weekends on the horizon for this summer's Saratoga and Del Mar meets, XBTV.com has already successfully captured, cataloged and uploaded nearly 2,000 morning video workouts for racing's marquee meets. The XBTV workouts are available without cost to those with a 1/ST account. "An analysis of a published workout based only on final time can lead to a faulty conclusion," said Jeff Siegel, Xpressbet.com handicapper and one of the country's most respected analysts.  "How the breeze was accomplished, and which work mate it was accomplished with,...

Lael Stables' THE GREAT MAYBE (Upstart), let go at 8-1 in a live-looking field of juvenile fillies Sunday at Saratoga, made that price look like a gift when winning a far-turn pace duel and bursting clear in the stretch for a first-out romp and 'TDN Rising Star' honors. Bought by De Meric Sales for $55,000 at Fasig-Tipton October, the dark bay blossomed into a $425,000 OBS March 2-year-old after breezing a furlong in :10 flat--her sire's most expensive progeny to sell thus far in 2022--and showed an above-average but not...

1st-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 8-28, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:44.36, fm, 5 3/4 lengths. XIGERA (f, 2, Nyquist--Argent Affair {SW, $154,895}, by Black Tie Affair {Ire}) had to settle for second after getting run down late by 'TDN Rising Star' Pink Hue (Mendelssohn) when debuted over this same surface and distance Aug. 7 but returned at even-money Sunday for another chance. After flashing speed inside of Forever Dixie (Quality Road) early, she settled back off the pace into a stalking position up the backstretch. Put to a run into the far...

Todd Pletcher was in a chipper mood one morning in his office near Saratoga's Oklahoma training track when I asked him about the Green sisters. "Which one?" Pletcher replied, wryly. "The one right outside the door." "Oh, the brown-noser," Pletcher said with a laugh. "Do you want to listen in, Sophie?" "No," said the mocking English voice from the other side of the glass door. "I will never say anything nice about you again!" Meet Sophie Green, the elder of the Green sisters, the younger being Amelia. The two sisters...

Saturday's 13-race Runhappy Travers Day card, highlighted by Epicenter (Not This Time)'s victory in the 153rd running of the $1.25 million GI Runhappy Travers, generated record setting all-sources wagering handle of $55,559,315 and had the highest paid attendance since 2015 at 49,672. The 2022 figure eclipses the prior Runhappy Travers Day record of $52,129,346 in wagering from all-sources, which was established in 2019. On-track handle was $10,373,124, or 10.3 percent higher than 2021, when on-track handle was $9,406,526.