TDN Rising Star
Newbury's bet365 EBF Novice S. at Saturday looked the type of race to throw up something special beforehand and the feast of fancy pedigrees duly delivered as Lady Bamford's newcomer Guru (GB) (Kingman {GB}) denied Juddmonte's Maximal (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) in a photo. Settled off the pace as Adam Kirby found a lead throughout the early stages of this seven-furlong contest, the 8-1 shot had to surrender first run to the eventual runner-up inside the final two furlongs but picked up in style to reel in that rival in the...
John C. Oxley homebred Beautiful Memories (Hard Spun) headlines a field of eight juvenile fillies set for Thursday's co-featured GIII Schuylerville S. at the Spa. Trained by Mark Casse, the chestnut aired by 10 lengths for 'TDN Rising Star' honors on debut at Churchill Downs May 28. She's registered a pair of bullet workouts in Louisville since, including a five-furlong spin in :59 1/5 (1/34) July 4. Beautiful Memories' third dam is champion older mare Beautiful Pleasure, who carried Oxley's gold-and-blue silks to six top-level victories, led by a win...
A field of nine sophomores, including the field's lone graded winner Modernist (Uncle Mo), will line up for Thursday's GIII Peter Pan S. on Saratoga's opening day program. Traditionally run as a prep downstate for the GI Belmont S., the Peter Pan was moved to Saratoga as a potential prep for this summer's GI Runhappy Travers S. The Peter Pan carries 85 qualifying points (50-20-10-5) toward the GI Kentucky Derby. Modernist, a 12-1 upset winner of the split-division GII Risen Star S. Feb. 15, followed a third-place finish in the...
Keeneland's GI Madison S. was a battle between 'TDN Rising Stars' Guarana (Ghostzapper) and Mia Mischief (Into Mischief) from start to finish, but in the end it was Guarana who won the gutsy brawl. Favored at 1-2, Guarana went straight to the front and was hounded by Mia Mischief, who was let go at a surprising at 8-1, through early splits of :22.95 and :45.92. Mia Mischief drew even with Guarana at the top of the stretch and briefly headed her younger rival, but Guarana battled back in the final...
It may have taken time to see him in action, but Qatar Racing and Watership Down Stud's 3.5million gns 2018 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 Sale topper Darain (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) made the wait worthwhile with a command performance to earn TDN Rising Star status on his debut on Wednesday's evening card at Newbury. Sent off the 2-1 favourite for division two of the 10-furlong Oakley Coachbuilders Super Sport Novice S., the bay was allowed to bowl along on the front end by Oisin Murphy and ambled along with...
Shirl's Speight (Speightstown)'s dam Perfect Shirl (Perfect Soul {Ire}) may have rallied from far back when she upended the 2011 GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf at 27-1, but Shirl's Speight showed off impressive speed from the first jump Saturday at Woodbine to garner the 'TDN Rising Star' distinction. Sporting a mostly unassuming worktab over the local Tapeta, the Chuck Fipke homebred quickly assumed command and doled out splits of :23.02 and :45.38 while traveling well within himself. Rafael Hernandez still hadn't moved a muscle on the 3-1 shot as they...
Saturday's G3 Princess Elizabeth S. at Epsom turned into an extremely tactical affair, with William Buick on the money dictating on Godolphin's TDN Rising Star Summer Romance (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) to make all. Always comfortable setting a moderate pace shadowed by the G1 1000 Guineas runner-up Cloak of Spirits (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), the one-time exciting Listed Empress S. winner who had threatened to disappear into the wilderness was always holding that rival in the sprint up the straight. Hitting the line with 3/4 of a length to spare, the...
It is not often that Bellewstown witnesses a performance with Classic potential, but on Thursday the tricky Co. Meath circuit played host to an exciting 2-year-old filly as John Oxley's Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}) earned TDN Rising Star status in the Irish EBF Median Sires Fillies Maiden over just short of a mile. Always travelling with ease tracking the leading pair against the rail, the 525,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase who is a relative of the G1 Coronation S. winner Qemah (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) was left in...
The Curragh played host to another TDN Rising Star on Sunday as Ballydoyle's newcomer Hudson River (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) made all to take the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden with the promise of much to come. Showing dash from the break to gain the lead and rail advantage under Seamie Heffernan, the first foal out of the dual G1 Nunthorpe S. heroine Mecca's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) who was the 3-1 joint-favourite was always doing enough in front and at the line had a comfortable 1 1/2-length margin to...
Vancouver (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) was represented by his first North American winner at Thistledown Tuesday afternoon. Nicky Two Shoes, off at odds of 5-2 to debut a winner, chased early in third, hit the gas with a rail run on the far turn, took over as they hit the quarter pole, and after enjoying a clear lead from there, held on by a half-length over the unlucky favorite Latin Spice (Buffum), who was bumped hard by a rival and nearly went down in the stretch. The winner's dam had a...
Unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Gamine (Into Mischief) will look to take her record to a perfect three-for-three while making her stakes debut in the GI Longines Acorn S. at Belmont Park Saturday. The highly regarded $1.8-million Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old sale topper debuted with the easiest of victories as the 1-9 favorite sprinting at Santa Anita Mar. 7, then gamely held off the hard-knocking subsequent GII Santa Oaks runner-up Speech (Mr Speaker) by a neck in front-running fashion in her two-turn debut in an optional claimer at Oaklawn May 2. The...
The streaking Mischevious Alex (Into Mischief) will look for his fourth straight score, third at the graded level, versus four fellow sophomores in Saturday's GI Woody Stephens S. at Belmont Park. A jaw-dropping seven-length winner of Gulfstream's GIII Swale S. at this same seven-furlong distance, the speedy bay outslugged 10 rivals for a sharp decision in the GIII Gotham S. going a one-turn mile last time at the Big A Mar. 7. "I'd love to be running in the Belmont," trainer John Servis said. "But I wanted to run him...