TDN Rising Star

Champion Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who has a pair of GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf wins on his impressive resume, will return to U.S. soil to contest the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Aqueduct Racetrack next Saturday. A $14-million earner for Godolphin, the homebred enters off a victory in Germany's G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin Stakes at Hoppegarten, an effort that followed a respectable third for the second consecutive year in Europe's top 12-furlong race of the summer, the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at...

For C R K Stable, owned by Lee and Susan Searing of Claremont, Calif., the celebration actually started the day before the GI Pennsylvania Derby won by Baeza (McKinzie). The Searings own Baeza, who is trained by John Shirreffs, in partnership with Grandview Equine. His victory came just 27 1/2 hours after the stable unveiled a horse who could potentially be better than Baeza. Yes, 'TDN Rising Star' Englishman (Maxfield) was that impressive. The son of a first crop sire, he annihilated a field of maidens at Churchill Downs winning...

[tdn-newsletter-embed]BENSALEM, PA -- Having finished third in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes and runner-up in the GII Jim Dandy Stakes with Baeza (McKinzie), C R K Stable's Lee Searing admitted to at least a modicum of remorse about not making another trip East for last month's GI DraftKings Travers Stakes. "We flew him three times," he explained. "I would have loved to have run in the Travers against Sovereignty one more time. We'll get him again." A $1.2-million Keeneland September graduate campaigned in partnership with Grandview Equine...

She didn't have the greatest of beginnings, but 'TDN Rising Star' Ragtime (Union Rags) was flying late to nail the top flight and take home the hardware in the GIII Dogwood Stakes. Racing without blinkers here, Ragtime broke a touch awkwardly and it left her with a lot to do as she found herself at the back of the field as a result. 'TDN Rising Star' Delightful Claire (Vekoma) stepped out to dictate the pace through an opening quarter in :22.84 and a half in :45.55, and was well clear...

Saturday's flurry of TDN Rising Stars continued when Carlos and Yann Lerner trainee Evita (Persian King) made every yard of the running in Chantilly's Prix de Toutevoie to become the first Rising Star for her sire. Persian King, himself a Rising Star, joined the ranks at this venue in 2018. "For a long time we thought that this is a quality filly," revealed Yann Lerner. "Looking at the first race it seemed that making up ground was difficult, so I told Christophe [Soumillon] not to hesitate because she is very...

Newmarket's opening mile novice on Saturday had 2026 Oaks written all over it and it will be no surprise if Godolphin's Romantic Symphony (Dubawi) is one of the main players heading to the Epsom Classic in June. While the newcomer's 3/4-of-a-length winning margin was not flashy, everything about her pedigree suggests this is very much the beginning. "She has a nice stout pedigree to her. We came up here knowing that the trip would suit her and there is no doubt about it that the experience, and stepping up in...

Yeguada Centurion's homebred Wootton Centurion (Wootton Bassett) made a mockery of his 6-1 odds and attained TDN Rising Star status with a stunning pillar-to-post victory in Saturday's Prix de Villebon at Chantilly. He becomes his sire's 16th Rising Star and joins a list which includes this year's G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero Camille Pissarro. "He has always been a very straightforward colt since he arrived in training and was one of the first ones I put in serious work," said trainer Victoria Head. "He showed us that he needed...

Disco Time (Not This Time) remained perfect via a tour de force performance in the St. Louis Derby at Fairmount. Last seen Jan. 18 when winning the GII Lecomte Stakes at the Fair Grounds, his prior two victories came at Churchill Downs when he broke his maiden last November and then beat optional claiming company 29 days later Nov. 30 from the front end. The even-money favorite here, Disco Time left the blocks on top and never gave the field a chance. Never in any danger after an opening quarter...

Stonestreet's Hot Dixie Chick (Dixie Union--Above Perfection, by In Excess {Ire}) has succumbed to colic complications, the Central Kentucky nursery posted on X Friday. The 18-year-old mare, winner of the GI Spinaway Stakes and GIII Schuylerville Stakes in 2009, was a half-sister to 2017 GI Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming, as well as to additional GSW Positive Spirit. "We are sad to share the passing of Hot Dixie Chick, who was humanely euthanized due to complications from colic. She was 18 years old," Stonestreet officials said on X. Among the...

The cars scooting along on the nearby Pennsylvania Turnpike may have little from a speed standpoint on Saturday's GI Pennsylvania Derby in Northeast Philly, as the pace looks to be very much on and that could help those with stalking or closing ability in the final age-restricted Grade I of the season around two turns. But make no mistake: speed has been king--by and large--in the $1-million contest over the past dozen years or so. The Bob Baffert-trained Bayern (Offlee Wild)--next-out winner of a much-discussed GI Breeders' Cup Classic--future champion...

Cherie DeVaux unleashed a classy gentleman on Churchill Downs Friday afternoon, and Englishman (Maxfield) strolled in to clock a blistering time as well as securing 'Rising Star' honors. Away from the blocks quickly, and out to control the tempo, he was tracked closely for most of the race by Tagermeen (Into Mischief), who has now run in three straight races against eventual 'TDN Rising Stars'--namely Curtain Call (Tiz the Law) and Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) in his prior two jumps. The latter won the GI Spendthrift Farm Hopeful Stakes while...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. Given "a new lease on life" after undergoing kidney transplant surgery last June, Ken Ramsey was looking for a way to say thank you to Dr. Sandip Kapur. "This is the premier doctor in New York and he's got all kinds of accolades, but he's never had a horse named after him," the longtime owner/breeder said of Dr. Kapur, Chief of Transplant Surgery and Director of the...