TDN Rising Star

SARATOGA SPRINGS - The best thing trainer George Weaver did at the 2025 OBS Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in-training was give a filly named Cy Fair (Not This Time) a second glance. On Thursday, opening day of the 40-day race meet at Saratoga, Weaver was sure glad he did. Cy Fair stamped herself as a keeper as she rolled to a 3 1/4-length win in a $100,000 Maiden race for 2-year-old fillies at 5 1/2 furlongs on the Mellon turf and earned a 'TDN Rising Star' in the process. Ridden...

Cy Fair (f, 2, Not This Time--Remarqued, by Arch) was an eye-catching debut winner sprinting over the lawn at Saratoga on Thursday's opening-day card, good for 'TDN Rising Star' honors. Drawn in post eight with John Velazquez at the controls, the 5-1 chance chased on the outside in a joint second through an opening quarter in :21.51. She challenged for command on the far turn, took over with a quarter of a mile to go and blasted off from there to win by 3 1/4 lengths while stopping the timer...

6th-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 1mT, 4:02 p.m. ET. DR. AGNE (Into Mischief), the third foal to race out of champion turf female Lady Eli (Divine Park), is set for his first start under trainer Cherie DeVaux who TDN contributor Tim Wilkin reminded us Thursday is all too familiar with the celebrated dam while an assistant for Chad Brown. A half-sister to MGSW Bizzy Caroline (Afleet Alex), Lady Eli was a $4.2-million buy for John Sikura/Hill 'n' Dale during the 2018 Keeneland November Sale. Himself a $185,000 purchase during Keeneland September...

The Godolphin-Appleby-Buick triumvirate was in celebratory mood for a third time on the opening day of Newmarket's July Festival after TDN Rising Star Opera Ballo (Ghaiyyath) doubled his stakes tally with a decisive success in the Listed Edmondson Hall Solicitors Sir Henry Cecil Stakes. "It's easy to say after the event, but I'd have been disappointed if he'd got beat," Appleby said. "He's a very exciting horse we thought a lot of in the spring and even in the winter to be fair. He shows signs of his father as...

SARATOGA SPRING, NY - Since racing began here in the 1860s, Saratoga has been a career launching pad for 2-year-old maidens. It should not be a surprise that the tradition continued last summer. Dozens and dozens of young horses destined for greatness picked up their first victories at the Spa. A very short list of those standouts includes: The filly Ruthless, winner of the inaugural running of the GI Belmont Stakes Aristides, who won the first GI Kentucky Derby Maskette Zev Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox Tom Fool Sword Dancer...

John Stewart of Resolute Racing plans to offer 25% ownership rights in 'TDN Rising Star' Verifire (Authentic) on the platform Inglis Digital USA, according to a tweet on Wednesday. The Resolute head asked in his post, "Have you ever dreamed of having a horse run in your silks in a Grade I at Saratoga?" Stewart went on to say that the winning bidder would be able to have their colors carried by the colt in his next race, which could be the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes at Saratoga...

In winning the $300,000 GIII Indiana Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis Saturday, James Bakke and Gerald Isbister's Tip Top Thomas (c, 3, Volatile--Attempt to Name, by Consolidator) may have gotten a little redemption. Last summer and fall, the sky looked like the limit for Tip Top Thomas, who was named a 'TDN Rising Star' in a hard-fought head debut in an August maiden special weight at Saratoga, then came back for a runner-up finish to another 'Rising Star', Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie), in the GI Champagne Stakes. Fourth in his maiden win...

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced juveniles from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes, sponsored by OBS, highlights debuting and stakes-entered 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, including links to their under-tack previews. Here are the horses entered for Saturday at Saratoga and Ellis Park. Saturday, July 5, 2025...

He has a name as American as apple pie. How fitting then that Constitution has had a big week (and month) leading up to the Independence Day holiday. The WinStar Farm stallion's 'TDN Rising Star' Mindframe won his second Grade I of the year--one of just five horses to do so--in Saturday's GI Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs over a star-studded field while notching a 105 Beyer Speed Figure. Less than 24 hours later, Constitution's Pin Up Betty added the Anchorage Overnight Stakes in Louisville after also winning the...

Having been nothing less than spectacular in two prior starts, 'TDN Rising Star' Verifire (Authentic) took his step up to stakes company with aplomb, taking Sunday's closing day Maxfield Stakes at Churchill Downs. A $1-million OBS March purchase for Resolute Racing after selling for $260,000 at Keeneland the previous September, the son of Authentic debuted with a TDN Rising Star-earning 6 1/4-length victory at Colonial Mar. 15. Pounded down to 1-20 favoritism in his return, he rolled home a 6 1/2-length winner over next out winner Saxton (Mosler) in a...

Percy's Bar (Upstart) set the mark high when she ran home a winner in the Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs on Sunday. Posting a debut score by four lengths this past spring at Keeneland, the filly came into this race with a strong series of morning works under rider Luan Machado. Made a 3-1 shot with some tough company to contend with here, she watched the race unfold after the break behind a :21.29 opening quarter. Making an eye-catching sweep through the turn, she sailed by her rivals and rolled...

Aptly named and performing to expectations, Dazzle d'Oro (Bolt d'Oro--Sunnysammi, by First Defence) ran his rivals off their feet in this scorching Churchill Downs unveiling, and earned 'TDN Rising Star' honors in the process. Bet down to 9-5 favoritism on the back of a series of good works both at this venue and at Keeneland, the Tom Amoss-trainee broke from the gates like a rocket and wasted no time speeding to the lead through an opening quarter in :21.33 and a half in :44.47 as he cruised through the turn....