TDN Rising Star

There was a brief window of time about 15 months ago when 'TDN Rising Stars' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) and Fierceness (City of Light) were well established sophomores on the Triple Crown trail, and they were joined by an intriguing new shooter, Deterministic (Liam's Map), who suddenly had "wiseguy" appeal for the 2024 GI Kentucky Derby based on just two well-spaced lifetime starts. Deterministic, too, had been named a 'Rising Star' as a juvenile off an Aug. 12, 2023, debut dirt sprint victory at Saratoga for trainer Christophe Clement. But...

Set for his unveiling after cracking the top five prices during the OBS Spring Sale this year, Buetane (Tiz the Law--Taboo, by Forestry) burned brightest on debut at Del Mar on Sunday and earned himself a 'TDN Rising Star' for the effort. Slammed at the windows and made the heavy favorite at 30 cents on the dollar here, the 2-year-old followed the lead of pacesetter Cactus Charlie (Independence Hall) and stablemate Falcon Jet (Justify) up the backstretch. Buetane moved up before the far turn to engage the frontrunner and around...

7th-Saratoga, $110,000, Alw, 8-3, (NW1$X), 3yo/up, 6f, 1:09.83, ft, 3 1/4 lengths. MIDLAND MONEY (c, 3, Shancelot--Magnolias in Bloom, by Flatter) was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following his six-length debut victory at Santa Anita last June, but had not been seen since. The 6-5 favorite went out quickly to the early lead and took the field through an opening quarter in :22.08 and a half in :44.91. He turned for home two lengths in front and was geared down while sailing home 3 1/4 lengths in front of Aggelos...

Last year's champion 3-year-old colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), winless in two attempts since capturing the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, came storming home from last of nine to book a return trip to Del Mar in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Whitney S. at Saratoga. Highland Falls (Curlin), winner of last summer's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. at the Spa, was a length back in second. 'Rising Star' Disarm (Gun Runner), runner-up in the 2023 GI Travers S., was up for third. The 6-5...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Many of the smiles and chuckles following Ted Noffey's victory in the first race at Saratoga Race Course Saturday had very little to do with his solid 1 1/2-length victory. They were about his name, which was the result of a very simple but humorous mistake, as his, err, namesake Ned Toffey explained. Toffey, for 21 years the general manager of Spendthrift Farm, which owns Ted Noffey, was chosen as Kentucky's Farm Manager of the Year in 2024, an honor that started the story. "One of...

Ready to roll in his second career race, Blackout Time (Not This Time--Beauty Parlor, by Elusive Quality) did not disappoint his backers as he ran up the score at Ellis Park on Saturday afternoon and earned himself a shiny new 'TDN Rising Star' for his coat. In his debut at Churchill Downs June 29, the colt was a runner-up to Dazzle d'Oro (Bolt d'Oro) who garnered himself a 'Rising Star' for that effort. Sadly, Dazzle d'Oro had to be humanely euthanized after sustaining a catastrophic injury during training at Saratoga...

Memo Racing & Amo Racing USA had to stretch to $1,100,000 to secure Ornellaia (Girvin) during a sloppy edition of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale earlier this year. The filly took a step towards justifying that price tag when she came flying home late at Saratoga to become New York's fourth 'TDN Rising Star' on the day and the second for trainer Chad Brown. Having worked :10.1 in Maryland before breezes were cut short for the rest of the sale due to the poor weather conditions, Ornellaia...

Second-time starter Delightful Claire (Thousand Words), third in her Churchill Downs debut as the favorite in early June, returned in emphatic fashion Saturday to become the first 'TDN Rising Star' for her young sire at Saratoga. Beaten just a length in that six-furlong affair behind Princess Proud (Into Mischief) who was a next-out winner facing allowance runners at Ellis by 3 1/4 lengths in July, the 3-1 favorite added an additional furlong to go the one-turn seven-eighths Saturday. One of the first from the blocks, Delightful Claire found herself sandwiched...

'TDN Rising Star' Ewing (c, 2, Knicks Go--Sassy Ali Joy, by Indian Charlie), a daylight debut winner at the Spa July 5, rushed up to the front from his rail draw after a slow start and never looked back in Saturday's GII Saratoga Special S. The 8-5 second-choice sped through an opening quarter in :22.26 and was challenged by the unbeaten favorite and fellow 'Rising Star' Obliteration (Violence) on the far turn. Ewing had another gear, however, and floated out his rival at the top of the stretch. He opened...

He nearly ran out of time but Klaravich Stable runner Capital Partner (GB) (Kingman {GB}) put in a furious rally down the middle of the Saratoga turf course Saturday to become a new 'TDN Rising Star'. The debuting colt, purchased for 360,000gns out of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 last season, left himself with plenty of work to do early after getting squeezed back in a tight spot on the run into the first turn. Racing at the back of the second flight under Flavien Prat, the 9-5...

It's been a little bit more than seven weeks since Christophe Clement passed away after battling a rare form of cancer. But that hasn't slowed the stable down one bit as his son, Miguel, has taken over and has been a frequent visitor to the winner's circle. On Friday, he won his eighth race of the Saratoga meet when sending out Intricate Spirit (Complexity) to a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy win in the day's sixth race, a 2-year-old maiden special weight on the grass. Intricate Spirit is a half-brother to Spirit...

Despite drifting out to the center of the Saratoga turf course, Intricate Spirit (Complexity) was clearly the class of this field as he aired by open lengths to become a new 'TDN Rising Star' Friday in New York. A $185,000 Keeneland September buy for the late Christophe Clement, the 4-1 shot had shown plenty of morning ability for Christophe's son Miguel indicated by a best-of-42 bullet on the Oklahoma track when going four furlongs in :49 flat July 19 and repeating the time over the same distance July 26 (4/55)....