TDN Rising Star

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Hanshin and Hakodate Racecourses: Saturday, June 20, 2026 5th-Hanshin, ¥14,880,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400mT LUZ SOLAR (JPN) (c, 2, Karakontie {Jpn}--Light of My Eyes {Ire}, by Frankel {GB}) is set to become just the second Japanese runner for his Gainesway-based...

Justify had the favourite for Thursday's Listed Chesham Stakes Aix La Chapelle withdrawn at the start, but remarkably still filled the first two places with his sons Nola Soul and On Just Terms. Bred by John Gunther, the Fozzy Stack-trained TDN Rising Star Nola Soul was always prominent under Seamie Heffernan and stayed on to gain the advantage approaching the furlong pole en route to a half-length verdict over the Joseph O'Brien-trained newcomer On Just Terms. Aperoll (Ghaiyyath) was a head back in third. "From day one, he had the...

The 2-year-olds are just getting started, but this week's highlight is the fastest juvenile we've seen so far this year.   5) LEGAL HEIR, SA, 6/14-7th, 6 furlongs (turf) (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure- 83 (c, 3, by Nyquist-How My Heart Works, by Not For Love) O-Charles Henderson. B-Bowman & Higgins Stable (Md). T-Vann Belvoir. J-Kazushi Kimura. Henderson bought Legal Heir in December for $120,000 in a digital sale after the $550,000 2-year-old purchase had missed his entire juvenile campaign then failed to win in four starts at 3. But he...

'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Chasten (Into Mischief) won her third race of the 2026 season when she ran off to a powerful 6 1/4-length score in Delaware's Obeah Stakes on Saturday. Chasten, who earned TDN Rising stardom when winning her sole start at two in a seven-furlong test at Churchill Downs, was two-for-two kicking off her 4-year-old campaign with an allowance score at the Fair Grounds in January before adding another notch to her belt with a track-record setting victory in Colonial's one-mile Sandy Bottom Stakes on Mar....

The 'TDN Rising Stars, presented by Hagyard' were neck-and-neck late, but East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro) had just enough to produce a final jump and narrowly catch ultra-game Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo) in the final strides to win the GIII Salvator Mile. Winless since June 2025 when he took home the GIII Matt Winn Stakes beneath the Twin Spires, the Godolphin homebred went onto the shelf after his fifth-place finish last August in the GIII West Virginia Derby. He returned Mar. 28 at Oaklawn Park in the GIII Oaklawn Mile, and...

La Rascasse (f, 3, Authentic--Hallawallah, by Candy Ride {Arg}), a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' debut winner by a head going seven furlongs at Keeneland Apr. 11, backed up that performance with a smart victory in Saturday's $175,000 Monomoy Girl S. at Churchill Downs. The 9-5 second-choice was always traveling like the winner beneath Axel Concepcion in second in this two-turn debut, took over while in hand on the far turn and had 2 1/4 lengths over Point of Reference (Upstart) at the wire. "Axel (Concepcion) gave her a...

Reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty (Into Mischief), G1 Dubai World Cup hero Magnitude (Not This Time), GI Pegasus World Cup victor White Abarrio (Race Day), and GI Pennsylvania Stakes winner Baeza (McKinzie) headline 17 nominations to what is shaping up to be a blockbuster summer event Saturday, June 27 in the GI Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs. One of seven stakes races set for that card, nominations for the 'Win and You're In' contest for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic also include the likes of Nysos (Nyquist), last...

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...

All the buzz was on the highly-anticipated debut of the Flightline colt Greenwell, but it was Balloteer (Early Voting) who sped to the lead and never looked back to earn 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' honors at Churchill. Catching a flier out of the gate, the juvenile sped out to control the tempo through :22.43 and four panels in :45.06 coming off the bend, and entered the stretch with a clear advantage over even-money favorite Greenwell. Racing greenly on his left lead through the lane, Balloteer managed to keep...

Having shaped with real promise at The Curragh last month, Al Shira'aa Racing's Folsom Blues (Blue Point) showed more of his raw material to become a TDN Rising Star, Presented by Hagyard at Gowran on Friday. Sent off the heavily-supported 4-9 favourite for the seven-furlong maiden won by the fellow Joseph O'Brien-trained subsequent Moyglare Stud Stakes heroine Intricately in 2016, Al Shira'aa Racing's homebred made all for a power-packed 7 1/2-length success. "He's a lovely horse who shows plenty at home and the key was to get him to relax...

Medallion Racing, Swinbank Stables, Joey Platts and Mark Stanton's Cy Fair (Not This Time) will miss an intended engagement in the June 16 G1 King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot. The King Charles is a 'Win and You're In' to the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, which will be held at Keeneland this fall. A Medallion Racing statement read on X Monday: "We have made the decision to skip Royal Ascot with Cy Fair. George [Weaver] felt like she wasn't acting her usual self the past few days. Out...

Spendthrift Farm's Further Ado (Gun Runner), last seen finishing a disappointing 11th as the favorite in the GI Kentucky Derby, got some consolation under the Twin Spires with an authoritative victory in the GIII Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs Sunday. Sent off the 3-5 favorite, Further Ado broke sharply and tracked pacesetting Pavlovian (Pavel) through a moderate quarter in :23.69 and a quickened half in :46.69. Further Ado coasted easily to the lead midway on the far turn and turned for home two lengths in front through three-quarters in...