Starlight Racing

Fulleffort (Liam's Map), winner of the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks, will scratch from Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby field because of a left-hind ankle chip, according to Daily Racing Form on Thursday morning. The defection will allow maiden Ocelli (Connect), third in the GII Wood Memorial last time out, to move into the lineup. "Back about a month ago, we were 30 (on the Derby leaderboard)," trainer Whit Beckman said of Ocelli, who galloped Thursday morning. "The way things have gone the past couple of years, you think you might have...

Two days after 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Mashallah provided Maxfield's trainer Brendan Walsh with his first winner by the Darley stallion sprinting on the dirt at Keeneland, INTEGRITY (f, 3, Maxfield--Truthful, by Bodemeister) repeated the dose in a one-mile maiden on the turf to open the Gulfstream program Saturday afternoon. Distanced on dirt debut at Ellis Park last July when she was sent off just shy of 7-2, the $325,000 Keeneland September yearling re-emerged here with Lasix and blinkers for the first time and was kicked straight into...

Taj Mahal (Nyquist) led them every step of the way while making his two-turn debut to romp in the $150,000 Federico Tesio S. at Laurel Park, a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the GI Preakness Stakes. The 6-5 favorite cleared the field of 10 from his outside draw and it was pretty much over from there. He was well clear through fractions of :23.93 and :47.80. The advantage shrunk to about a length on the far turn, but he had another gear. The $525,000 Keeneland September yearling opened up...

Fulleffort (Liam's Map), a rallying second in both of the local preps, punched his ticket to the Kentucky Derby with a powerful win in Saturday's GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park. Favored at 9-5, the Leonatus S. and John Battaglia Memorial S. runner-up raced in ninth through fractions of :23.18 and :47.16. The gray began to wind up beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. on the far turn, came rolling up four wide approaching the quarter pole and kept on motoring down the stretch, finishing up in a field-best :12.99 to...

6th-DMR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 7:11 p.m. ET. A pair of pricey colts under the care of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert make their first starts as the seaside oval closes out its summer meet on Sunday. BOYD (Violence) is a Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May auction buy for Zedan Racing, who made the chestnut the second topper at the sale when they went to $1.05-million to acquire him. Initially, this future Baffert trainee was an $82,000 Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed sale grad then went for $280,000 during Keeneland September. A...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--The sting of missing the GI Kentucky Derby has faded. Ditto for the GI Preakness Stakes. Rodriguez (Authentic) is well rested, healthy and a ready to roll 'TDN Rising Star.' The colt, trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, will make his Triple Crown debut in Saturday's GI $2 million Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan, Rodriguez turned heads earlier...

LAFAYETTE S., $380,000, Keeneland, 4-7, 3yo, 7f, 1:23.92, ft. 1--COLLOQUIAL, 118, c, 3, by Vekoma                 1st Dam: Terminology, by Bernardini                 2nd Dam: Her Own Terms, by Storm Cat                 3rd Dam: Gal in a Ruckus, by Bold Ruckus ($240,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Harrell Ventures, LLC and Starlight Racing; B-Michael & J.B. Orem (KY); T-George Weaver; J-Manuel Franco. $248,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $310,000. 2--Smoken Wicked, 118, c, 3, Bobby's Wicked One--Street Smoke, by Street Boss. ($38,000 Ylg '23 BSLY&M). O-Valene Farms LLC; B-Tom Curtis &...

Goal Oriented (Not This Time), carrying powerhouse connections and a speedy work tab into his debut, made even-money look like a gift when he glided home a 3 1/4-length debut winner for trainer Bob Baffert and the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan Sunday evening at Santa Anita. The dark bay colt, a $425,000 Keeneland September yearling acquisition, trailed the field and was climbing up the backstretch, but once he got his...

Rodriguez (Authentic) was hustled to the front from his rail draw by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, and cruised to a 3 1/2-length victory over Grande (Curlin) in Saturday's 100th running of the GII Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct. It was another 1 3/4 lengths back to Passion Rules (Friesan Fire) in third. The Bob Baffert-trained 'TDN Rising Star' earned 100 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby for the victory. Rodriguez led through fractions of :23.31 and :47.44, began to shake clear from favored 'Rising Star' Captain...

In his debut and in his lone start prior to showing up last week in a maiden special weight race at Aqueduct, Colloquial (Vekoma) showed that he was a horse with potential. Though he lost, by a nose, the winner was Mentee (City of Light), a full-brother to Eclipse Award winner Fierceness (City of Light). And the final time of :56.97 established a new track record at Aqueduct, eclipsing the mark set 61 years earlier. But few could have expected what Colloquial, who is trained by George Weaver, would do...

Looking to make a statement after a more-than-solid start to his career at the Big A last summer when he ran a game second to GSW Mentee (City of Light), Colloquial (Vekoma-- Terminology, by Bernardini) graduated over the same strip on Friday afternoon and earned himself a 'TDN Rising Star' in the process. TDN's Racing Editor Steve Sherack highlighted the initial effort by Colloquial in his 'Second Chances' series in December. In the seventh race at Aqueduct June 15, Mentee looked in firm control at the quarter pole, but the...

7th-Santa Anita, $64,196, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($50,000), 1-4, 4yo/up, 1m, 1:36.15, ft, 4 1/2 lengths. MIRAHMADI (c, 4, Into Mischief--More Chocolate {GSW & MGISP, $373,892}, by Malibu Moon), a runner-up in the GI Del Mar Futurity as a juvenile, took the maiden mic at 'The Great Race Place' Oct. 12. Though track announcer Frank Mirahmadi's eponymous equine athlete was well-beaten in the GIII Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar Nov. 23, the colt was backed as the 2-1 second choice here behind 'TDN Rising Star' and Insight runner Eagles Flight...