TDN Rising Star
Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today's Observations features the return of a 'TDN Rising Star'. 2.07 Saint-Cloud, Cond, €34,000, 2yo, 7 1/2fT GOOD TOO (FR) (Ectot {GB}) earned 'TDN Rising Star' status on his winning debut at Deauville last month and Jean-Claude Rouget has opted to go steady for now with Al Shaqab's half-brother...
Ger Lyons and Colin Keane are the men of the moment in Ireland at present and the combination were in clover again on Monday as TDN Rising Star Straight Answer (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) recorded an impressive success in Fairyhouse's Listed Ballyhane Blenheim S. Handling soft ground with aplomb on his debut over this six-furlong trip at The Curragh Aug. 21, Juddmonte's homebred led at every step on this good-to-firm going en route to a 5 1/2-length success from Glengarra (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}) as the 2-1 favourite. "He's a work in progress,"...
L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds' Stellar Tap (Tapit) wowed spectators with a TDN Rising Star-worthy performance at Saratoga Aug. 7 and will try to prove that it wasn't a fluke in Saturday's GIII Iroquois S. at Churchill Downs. Out of a half-sister to GISW Nereid (Rock Hard Ten), the $250,000 KEESEP graduate showed early speed for trainer Steve Asmussen navigating seven furlongs in his debut and turned on all boosters late, drawing away to score by 5 1/4 lengths over Keepcalmcarryon (Union Rags), who won at that venue...
Godolphin's annus mirabilis shows no sign of halting, with Wednesday's "Breeders' Day" card at Sandown playing host to one of the operation's more promising juveniles seen out so far. Debuting over a mile on soft ground in the Time Test EBF Novice S., the Charlie Appleby-trained colt Goldspur (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) streaked to a 6 1/2-length success to become the 16th TDN Rising Star by his sire sensation. Out of the G2 Lancashire Oaks and G3 Prix Minerve winner Pomology (Arch), the bay raced in second throughout the early stages...
Bidding on behalf of owner Joe Allen, Alan Quartucci was extended to $1.4 million for an American Pharoah half-sister to Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Stars' Echo Town (Speightstown) and recent Spinaway S. heroine Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) to lead the early returns during Monday's opening session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in Lexington. Hip 43 is a daughter of GSW Letgomyecho (Menifee), whose eight winners from 10 to the races also includes Grade III-winning sophomore J Boys Echo (Mineshaft), GSP Unbridled Outlaw (Unbridled's Song) and SP Dragic (Broken Vow)....
Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today's Observations features the return of a recent 'TDN Rising Star' 14.50 Chantilly, Cond, €34,000, 2yo, 7fT Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani's once-raced OSMOSE (FR) (Zoffany {Ire}) attained 'TDN Rising Star' status with an impressive takedown of a Deauville debutantes' heat last month and steps up to seven...
14.00 Sandown, Nov, £10,000, 2yo, f, 8fT George Strawbridge's homebred 2-year-old filly NATASHA (GB) (Frankel {GB}) stepped up from an Aug. 2 debut second tackling one mile at Kempton to earn 'TDN Rising Star' status with a five-length Aug. 20 win back over that course and distance in her only other start. The John and Thady Gosden trainee faces five rivals in this turf introduction, headed by Woodford Thoroughbreds' 400,000gns Tattersalls December foal River of Stars (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), who is a Ralph Beckett-trained half-sister to stakes-winning G2...
Doncaster's St Leger festival had begun in the wrong way for Shadwell as the 2-year-old Jadhlaan (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) had suffered a fatal injury in the opening race, injuring Jim Crowley in the process, but there was some consolation half an hour later as the homebred Israr (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) earned TDN Rising Star status on debut. Sent off at 8-1 for the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden S. over a mile, the John and Thady Gosden-trained son of the operation's G1 Epsom Oaks and G1 King George VI...
'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit), away since turning in one of the best debut performances of all time, a 13 1/4-length romp at Santa Anita Apr. 24 that earned him a 105 Beyer Speed Figure, showed that effort was far from a fluke Sunday as he demolished winners at Del Mar to remain unbeaten and completely untested. Reportedly given ample time so as not to react from his freakish first outing before then coming up with a foot abscess, the $1-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad had generated more buzz with his...
Ignored at 16-1 debuting around two turns on turf Sunday, Schroeder Farms LLC's Cairo Memories (Cairo Prince) overcame some immaturity to dominate her Del Mar rivals and earn 'TDN Rising Star'-dom. There wasn't much on the grey's worktab to catch the eye, and she was unveiled here by the typically patient Bob Hess, Jr. outfitted with blinkers and a shadow roll. Walking out of the gate, Cairo Memories tugged her way up between horses past the stands for the first time and was in midpack and off the inside by...
No less than five undefeated 2-year-olds--including two graded winners--line up for Saratoga's Labor Day finale in the GI Hopeful S. Hard to separate, at least on paper, are Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Gainesway's Wit (Practical Joke) and LRE Racing and JEH Racing's High Oak (Gormley). The former earned TDN Rising Star billing when kicking off his career with a six-length score at Belmont June 5. Equally impressive in his return in the July 17 GIII Sanford S., the Todd Pletcher trainee cruised home an easy eight-length winner in...
Corniche (c, 2, Quality Road--Wasted Tears, by Najran), the $1.5-million OBS April topper earlier this spring, lived up to his lofty reputation with a 'TDN Rising Star' debut performance for Bob Baffert at Del Mar Saturday evening. The 1-2 favorite caught a flyer beneath Hall of Famer Mike Smith and cleared the field from his wide draw in post 10. He led them comfortably through early fractions of :21.72 and :45.13, kicked for home in complete control and cruised under the wire after a shake of the reins to a...