TDN Rising Star

Caddo River (Hard Spun), a promising runner-up in a live-looking maiden race last out, went to the front and widened throughout for a dominant, 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy graduation Sunday at Churchill. Second on debut Sept. 5 at Saratoga, he filled the same slot after dueling on a scorching pace Oct. 11 at Belmont and was pounded down to 3-10 to break through stretching out to a mile here. Away in good order, the homebred made the lead on his own power and dictated terms through sharp splits of :22.38 and...

Cheyenne Stables LLC's Harper's in Charge (Malibu Moon) ran to advanced billing to post an extremely easy debut victory worthy of the 'TDN Rising Star' distinction. Pounded all the way down to 7-5 off an 8-1 morning line, the $220,000 KEESEP yearling zipped out of the gate and was immediately a length in front. She cruised along through splits of 22.83 and :46.84, and continued into the lane in complete command as Manny Franco peeked back for competition. Nobody could run with the leader, and she hit another gear for...

Godolphin homebred Essential Quality (Tapit) rallied from off a hot pace to go three-for-three in Friday's GI TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, giving Brad Cox back-to-back winners on Future Stars Friday. Stablemate Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) streaked to her own third win from as many tries one race earlier in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Overcoming trouble to take his Churchill sprint unveiling Sept. 5 and a clear-cut winner of the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity over track and trip Oct. 3,...

Friday evening's Get Your Ladbrokes Daily Odds Boost Maiden Fillies' S. at Newcastle looked on paper a potential Classic pointer and the mile contest may have produced at least one exciting prospect for 2021 as Sea Empress (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) earned TDN Rising Star status in the famed Sunderland Holding silks. Slowly away and keen initially before settling under cover towards the rear, the William Haggas-trained chestnut from the immediate family of Buratino (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) made a smooth forward move under Cieren Fallon to take...

Juddmonte Farms homebred Mandaloun (Into Mischief) took the lion's share of the pari-mutuel activity at 11-10 and the bay managed to overcome an eventful trip to graduate at first asking in the Saturday finale from Keeneland, good for the 'TDN Rising Star' designation. Away in good order from the middle of the gate, Mandaloun raced in and among rivals down the backstretch, never looking entirely comfortable in transit and lost several spots into the turn. Under a ride fully 3 1/2 furlongs from home, the colt was taken hold of...

7th-Laurel, $50,442, Alw (NW1X), Opt. Clm ($62,500), 10-23, 2yo, 6f, 1:08.75, ft, 4 lengths. JAXON TRAVELER (c, 2, Munnings--Listen Boy {SP}, by After Market) was off at 2-5 to remain unblemished in his brief career and made light work of a first-level allowance Friday at Laurel, winning as he pleased by four lengths. Having graduated by 10 lengths at first asking Sept. 25, the $80,000 KEESEP yearling turned $140,000 OBS Spring breezer flew the gates and was soon in front, skipping along easily through an opening quarter in :22.19 (60-foot...

When Kiaran McLaughlin announced his retirement earlier this spring, Shadwell Stable's Vice President and General Manager Rick Nichols already had a trainer's name in the back of his mind who could potentially fill the void. "Actually, it was kind of a no-brainer," Nichols said. "Through Kiaran, I got to know Todd [Pletcher] quite well and always had tremendous respect for him. I would have always liked for him to train for us, but since Todd and Kiaran were such good friends, it was a line that I didn't want to...

Coolmore's Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who hit the board going one mile in his Oct. 3 debut at Newmarket last time, was sharply into stride and led from the outset of Friday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C&G) Maiden at Leopardstown. Holding sway throughout the one-mile test, the even-money favourite was shaken up when threatened in early straight and powered clear under continued urging inside the final furlong to prevail by an impressive four lengths from O'Reilly (Fr) (Frankel {GB}), adding 'TDN Rising Star' status into the bargain. "I fancied...

'TDN Rising Star' Nadal (Blame--Ascending Angel, by Pulpit), whose four wins from as many trips to the races included the faster of two divisions of the GI Arkansas Derby, will enter stud in 2021 at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan, the organization confirmed in a release Wednesday upon the 3-year-old's arrival in the country. Bred in Kentucky by Sierra Farm, Nadal was purchased by Randy Bradshaw, agent, for $65,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September sale and was successfully resold for $700,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale after breezing an...

WinStar Farm and China Horse Club's 'TDN Rising Star' Nashville (Speightstown), who took his record to two-for-two with a towering allowance success at Keeneland Oct. 10, could make his next start in the Nov. 7 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint over the same track and distance, WinStar General Manager David Hanley said Monday. "It's a bit too early for a final decision, but I would say the nothing has been ruled out at this point," Hanley said. "I haven't discussed it with [WinStar President/CEO and Racing Manager] Elliott [Walden] or [trainer]...

None of us, after 2020, will ever again take even our simplest indulgences for granted. How much more culpable, then, was any complacency the industry may have permitted itself, over the years, in the patronage of the greatest investor in its history? His absence from the September Sale, a year after once again heading the buyers' table at $16 million, sharpened a sense of the incalculable collective debt owed to Sheikh Mohammed. His team did resurface, to much relief locally, for Book 1 of the October Sale at Tattersalls last...

5th-Keeneland, $71,000, Alw, 10-10, (NW2L), 3yo/up, 6f, 1:09.10, ft, 9 3/4 lengths. NASHVILLE (c, 3, Speightstown--Veronique, by Mizzen Mast), a $460,000 KEESEP yearling purchase, ran away with his career bow in the slop with a dazzling, front-running 'TDN Rising Star' performance at Saratoga Sept. 2, good for a 91 Beyer Speed Figure. He displayed a string of sharp works in the interim, including a pair of bullets, working four furlongs over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track in :48 (1/32) two back Sept. 27. Hammered down to 1-2 favoritism in this first...