TDN Rising Star
In the Feb. 29 GII Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream, two unbeaten fillies squared off while taking the majority of the public support, with the second choice narrow edging the favorite. Saturday, Tonalist's Shape (Tonalist) and Spice Is Nice (Curlin) will do battle again, alongside 10 other 3-year-old fillies, in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks at the Hallandale oval. Rallying to a 19-1 upset on debut for Sabana Farms and Juan Avila here last September, Tonalist's Shape was privately purchased and transferred to Saffie Joseph, for whom she captured a...
'TDN Rising Star' Gouverneur Morris (Constitution) was confirmed to start next in the Mar. 28 GI Curlin Florida Derby after breezing five-eighths in 1:01.65 (3/12) Saturday at Palm Beach Downs. "He worked as well as he ever has this morning," trainer Todd Pletcher said in an email forwarded by owner Barry Irwin of Team Valor. "I think we should take what's in front of us [the Florida Derby], assuming they keep running at Gulfstream." Citing revenue losses from casino closings and the lack of on-track handle in the wake of...
"Only fools, liars and charlatans predict earthquakes." So said the man who instead gave us a means of measuring tremors once they have actually happened, Charles Richter. But how about when an earthquake announces a Charlatan? Because on the equivalent of the Richter scale, for those who try to quantify a horse's talent against the clock, a 105 debut Beyer for 'TDN Rising Star' Charlatan (Speightstown) at Santa Anita last month represented a convulsion that brought every other member of his crop crumbling to the ground. Some even whispered the...
Sent out at 70 cents on the dollars to follow up on a 6 1/2-length success over track and distance Feb. 15, Ain't No Elmers (Goldencents) decimated a field of first-level allowance company by nine lengths Wednesday to become the newest 'TDN Rising Star' at the Fair Grounds. Content to drop back off a fast early quarter mile after taking them wire-to-wire first time out, Ain't No Elmers was trapped out four wide, but traveled into it nicely with cover as they approached the top of the lane. Switched out...
Bob Baffert sends out so many impressive 3-year-olds this time of year, it seems like some become forgotten as soon as the next one does something special. After the dazzling performances of Baffert trainees Authentic (Into Mischief) and Charlatan (Speightstown) in recent weeks, that forgotten horse may be the barn's unbeaten Nadal (Blame). Saturday, the $700,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream buy will look to match his talented stablemates as a likely favorite while making his two-turn debut in the $1-million GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn. Debuting as a 6-5 favorite Jan. 19...
Spendthrift Farm's multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Coal Front (Stay Thirsty--Miner's Secret, by Mineshaft) had his first mare confirmed in foal. The Wildcat Heir mare Defying Gravity scanned in foal Mar. 10 for breeder Ken Doyen at Sparks View Farm in Paris, KY. She hails from the immediate family of multiple graded stakes winner and sire Too Much Bling. Bought for $575,000 as an OBS April 2-year-old in 2016, Coal Front was named a 'TDN Rising Star' a year later at Keeneland and went on to win five stakes over his...
It was an eventful weekend for candidates for the GI Kentucky Oaks. The highly regarded Lake Avenue (Tapit) was a major disappointment, finishing fourth in the Busher Invitational at Aqueduct. She falls out of the Top 10. Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo) rolled to an easy victory in her 3-year-old debut in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. and Bob Baffert unleashed a potential monster in Gamine (Into Mischief). The $1.8-million purchase at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Old Sale romped in her debut Saturday at Santa Anita. The weekend ahead will be...
Super talented 'TDN Rising Star' Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo) kicked off her potential trip to the GI Kentucky Oaks with a truly dominant romp in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. at Santa Anita Sunday. The 1-5 favorite, freshened since a runner-up effort in the GI Starlet S. last December, was away awkwardly and forced to bide her time toward the back of the field early. She eventually settled into a more comfortable rhythm while saving ground and creeping up down the backside, and appeared absolutely loaded while traveling in third...
The highly regarded Gamine (f, 3, Into Mischief-Peggy Jane, by Kafwain) lived up to the hype in her much-anticipated unveiling for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert at Santa Anita Saturday, easily good enough for 'TDN Rising Star' honors. Gamine breezed four furlongs in :46 2/5 (3/43) at Santa Anita Mar. 2 (XBTV Video), and was pounded into 1-9 favoritism for this debut run. She broke like a shot over her three overmatched rivals, led through fractions of :22.42 and :46.17, cornered for home in complete command, and was never seriously...
5th-Gulfstream, $44,000, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($35,000), 3-1, 4yo/up, 6f, 1:09.25, ft. HIDDEN SCROLL (c, 4, Hard Spun--Sheba Queen, by Empire Maker), named a 'TDN Rising Star' after a 14-length debut romp in the slop last January that earned him a gaudy 104 Beyer Speed Figure, finally put it all together again Sunday to stamp himself as one to watch in 2020. The Juddmonte homebred set a much-too-fast pace before fading to fourth at 6-5 behind Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) in the GII Xpressbet Fountain of Youth S. 12...
Robert and Lawana Low's $1.05-million 'TDN Rising Star' Spice Is Nice (Curlin), an impressive 12-length victress on debut, will take her first big step toward the GI Kentucky Oaks as a probable favorite in Saturday's one-mile GII Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream. A daughter of GISW Dame Dorothy (Bernardini), the chestnut was bet strongly to be 11-10 at the off debuting over track and trip Jan. 12 and did not disappoint, squeezing through a narrow rail opening on the turn and rocketing away to a powerful graduation. She has drilled...
For only having raced four times thus far, Albaugh Family Stables' Dennis' Moment (Tiznow) has already had a roller coaster's worth of twists and turns in his career. Two brilliant victories paired with two disastrous starts in his 2-year-old season have established dichotomous perceptions of the imposing bay colt. Saturday at Gulfstream Park, he will get a chance to solidify himself as a top contender for the GI Kentucky Derby when making his highly-anticipated 3-year-old debut as a likely heavy favorite in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. Unveiled...