TDN Rising Star

With multiple Grade I winner and second choice Mindframe (Constitution) wiped out at the break, it was Centennial Farms' longshot Antiquarian (Preservationist) holding favored Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) at bay late to win the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga Sunday, earning an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in November. Just a day after Fierceness (City of Light) overcame an adventurous beginning of his own making to win the GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar, stablemate Mindframe was less lucky at Saratoga, catching the worst of...

Spendthrift homebred Tommy Jo (Into Mischief), who announced herself as a 'TDN Rising Star' in a 3 3/4-length maiden win going six furlongs at the Spa July 26, backed up that effort and then some in Saturday's GI Spinaway Stakes, booking herself a ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The daughter of Bob Baffert-trainer MGISP Mother Mother (Pioneerof the Nile) picked up Kendrick Carmouche Saturday at even-money and never looked as though she was anything but the winner. Wearing the Spendthrift orange and purple, the favorite broke in...

'TDN Rising Star' Gulfport (Uncle Mo--Fame and Fortune, by Unbridled's Song) will join the Pleasant Acres Stallions roster ahead of the 2026 breeding season, the farm announced. The 5-year-old earned his 'Rising Star' with a debut win at Churchill Downs as a 2-year-old and followed that up with a next-out victory in the Bashford Manor Stakes. He then ran second in the both the GII Saratoga Special Stakes and the GI Hopeful Stakes before capping his juvenile campaign with a third in the GI Champagne Stakes at Belmont. Raced only...

Starting Saturday's graded stakes action off in style, Praying (Vekoma), the longest shot on the board at 21-1, sprung the upset over 'TDN Rising Star' Delightful Claire (Thousand Words) in the GIII Prioress Stakes at Saratoga. Stakes-placed as a juvenile in the Myrtlewood at Keeneland as  a juvenile, this $410,000 OBS April grad came off a four-month layoff to grab another stakes placing in the Southern Hospitality Overnight Stakes at Oaklawn in March. The promise of that start went unfulfilled however when Praying broke through the gate in her most...

7th-SAR, $100k, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 2:55p.m. ET Heading out from the barn of Cherie DeVaux, PAIGE TURNER (Army Mule) debuts here against a full field of maidens in this main track baby dash. A $350,000 OBSMAR pick up this year, the filly is a half-sister to GISW Speed Boat Beach (Bayern). To the outside is Celebrity Quest (Nyquist), a $525,000 KEESEP graduate who is out of a half-sister to GISW Power Broker (Pulpit). Another of the dam's half-siblings is the mother of MGISW Seize the Grey (Arrogate). This is...

Just how deep is Sunday's running of the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in a little more than two months' time? Well, six of the eight remaining horses--GII Charles Town Classic winner Banishing (Ghostzapper) will be scratched--have recorded at least one Beyer Speed Figure of 104 or higher this year and three of the entrants are already Grade I winners this term. It is the very definition of a hot race. The field is led by...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - All summer long, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has fielded questions, seemingly daily, about the two marquee older horses that live in his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track. The goal, Pletcher said, was to keep Fierceness (City of Light) and Mindframe (Constitution) as far apart from each other as possible. On the racetrack that is. Mission accomplished. That weekend is here, and the two 4-year-olds are spending it on opposite ends of the country. Fierceness is in California to run in the GI, $1...

2nd-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-29, 2yo, f, 7f, 1:23.93, ft, 1 1/4 lengths. STEER CLEAR (f, 2, Street Sense--Simply Sunny, by Unbridled's Song) ran a game second 2 1/4 lengths behind 'TDN Rising Star' Ornellaia (Girvin) going a furlong shorter on debut Aug. 2. Working with the additional distance Friday, the popular 9-5 favorite was ridden for the lead and opened up a gap on this field from the very first jumps. Immaculate Moon (McKINzie), fourth in that same Aug. 2 race, drew her back in and kept her honest through...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY -- It has been a bittersweet summer for trainer Miguel Clement. He has seen his horses perform at a high level during the 40-day Saratoga meet. Going into the final four days of the summer season, the 34-year-old Clement is in fourth place in the training standings with 16 wins in 70 starts. It has also been a summer of heartache Clement and his family. Christophe Clement, the patriarch and backbone of the stable, passed away in May at the age of 59. "The expectations and standards...

Capital Partner (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Dr. Agne (Into Mischief), a pair of 'TDN Rising Stars off debut maiden wins at the Spa, headline the GIII With Anticipation Stakes for 2-year-olds on the inner turf at Saratoga Thursday. The $175,000 event is run over 1 1/16 miles and features a field of eight. Klaravich Stables Inc.'s Capital Partner, favored at 5-2 on the morning line, did not have the smoothest of trips on debut Aug. 2 at this distance. He was fractious in the gate, bumped more than once, rank,...

Looking to remain perfect while making her stakes debut, 'TDN Rising Star' Time to Dream (Not This Time) made short work of her rivals as she ran off to an easy victory in Saratoga's P.G. Johnson Stakes Wednesday afternoon. A headstrong Vernon Valley (Vekoma) went to the front from her outside draw while Time to Dream, breaking from post 1, settled at the back early through moderate early fractions of :24.03 and :49.21. Given the signal by Irad Ortiz Jr. exiting the far turn, the 3-5 choice was drawn to...

8th-KD, $250K, Alw, (R), 2yo, f, 6fT, 5:23 p.m. ET. Patricias Hope and Carolyn Wilson's Sassy C W (Yaupon) looks for her fourth consecutive victory while trying the grass for the first time. Earning the TDN Rising Star tag when galloping off to an impressive 5 1/4-length victory at Churchill Apr. 30, the $350,000 OBS March grad made it two straight with a three-length score in Saratoga's Astoria Stakes in June. Favored when holding on to win by a neck in the 5 1/2-furlong Prairie Gold Lassie Stakes July 4,...