Spiced Up

She was the lightest raced in the field, and had started her 2026 campaign last month, but Marjoram (Quality Road) showed her heart to steal the GIII Senorita Stakes in the shadow of the wire in the Santa Anita nightcap. Unveiled at Churchill Downs Nov. 22 on a sloppy main track, she made her move from sixth coming off the bend and had just enough left late to win by three-quarters of a length over a persistent challenger. She went onto the sidelines before being moved west to this venue,...

Juddmonte Farms' Laurel River (Into Mischief--Calm Water, by Empire Maker), a spectacular and record-setting winner of the 2024 G1 Dubai World Cup, has been retired from racing and will begin covering mares at Big Red Farm on the island of Hokkaido in Japan from this season, according to a news item on the nursery's website. A stud fee will be announced in two weeks' time. Trained across his first seven starts by Bob Baffert, the homebred won his maiden in his 3-year-old debut, covering 6 1/2 furlongs in a strong...

8th-Churchill Downs, $117,975, Msw, 11-22, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:19.17, sy, 3/4 length. MARJORAM (f, 2, Quality Road--Cardamon, by Pioneerof the Nile), a Juddmonte homebred and full-sibling to this summer's GIII Mahony Stakes winner Spiced Up, debuted Saturday at 3-1 under Louisville's twin spires. The bay juvenile was a joint and distant last through the :22.68 first quarter, rushed up to fourth going into the far turn, continued to advance as the clock stopped in :46.25 for the half, and swung wide to take command down the lane. Frontrunner Kayla's...

Juddmonte's Spiced Up took advantage of a quick early pace to close from well off of it and take Sunday's Saratoga feature, the GIII Mahony Stakes. Given a 9-2 chance with Junior Alvarado in the saddle, the sophomore was settled back early as Ortley Avenue (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) and Gabaldon (Gone Astray) exchanged blows up front, carving out a crisp opening quarter in :21.15. Still several lengths to make up through a half in :43.71, the bay seemingly had a lot left to do straightening for home. Rallying with...

5. SOUPER WILLIWAW, 6/20, MTH, 1 1/16 miles (turf), VIDEO Beyer Speed Figure- 83 (tie) (f, 3, by Hard Spun-Souper Striking, by Brilliant Speed) O-Live Oak Plantation. B-Live Oak Stud. T-Michael Trombetta. J-Paco Lopez. Charlotte Weber may have another nice filly: Souper Williwaw set the pace with Lopez sitting against her, then sprinted away through Monmouth's stretch. Souper Striking won Pimlico's Hilltop Stakes a decade ago, but in 22 starts her best Beyer was 83, which this filly has matched in outing number four. Special thanks to Weber for expanding...