TDN Rising Star

In most situations, discussion is always best, but some days you just don't feel like hearing second opinions. Arbiter (Charlatan) didn't let anyone get a word in edge wise, and coasted home to a sublime victory in the Woodstock Stakes at Woodbine. Coming into the race with a maiden score on the turf and a win against optional claimers over the synthetic at Churchill Downs Nov. 30--where he set a new course record--and Turfway Park Dec. 17, respectively, he'd last been seen kicking off his 2026 campaign Mar. 21 in...

Renegade (Into Mischief), a spectacular, come-from-behind winner for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher in the GI Arkansas Derby, was tabbed as the 4-1 morning-line favorite despite drawing the rail in a field of 20 set for next Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Irad Ortiz, Jr. rides. Renegade, a $975,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, is campaigned in partnership by Repole Stable and breeders Robert and Lawana Low. Pletcher has won the Kentucky Derby twice with Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming (2017). The last horse to win the...

Flanagan Racing's Sea Strike (c, 3, Midshipman--Meetmeonline, by Line of David) finally figured things out in the final furlong of a six-furlong Aqueduct maiden and despite a less-than-ideal passage, rolled home to become the newest 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard. A $140,000 Keeneland September yearling, the Mar. 26 foal was fractionally green, but very fast in breezing a quarter-mile in a bullet :20 2/5 for last year's OBS March Sale and was hammered down for $650,000 to Nick Sallusto and John Kimmel, agents for Flanagan, who also advised on...

1st-AQU, $80k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 1:10p.m. ET Hailing from a branch of the female line which yielded 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' MGISW Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), Okefenokee (Maxfield) will be unveiled in the Aqueduct opener for trainer Tom Morley. Sharing a name with an ecologically rich swampland that spans Georgia and Florida, as well as being a beloved stomping ground for a certain Adams family, the $375,000 Keeneland September purchase enters this debut with a healthy worktab over the training track at Belmont Park. In...

Sandown's "Wild Card" Fillies' Novice Stakes has such a glowing history when it comes to the Oaks that it even guarantees automatic entry to the Epsom Classic and that is where Felicitas (Teofilo) is heading after becoming a TDN Rising Star, Presented by Hagyard. Despite having beaten an interesting yardstick in Allaire (Study Of Man) on debut at Lingfield in December, TBT Racing's 150,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase drifted to 11-1 for the 10-furlong contest but showed those odds all wrong once Kieran Shoemark committed passing the two pole....

Tricky in the preliminaries but as professional as it gets in the race itself, Shadwell's key three-year-old Raaheeb (Sea The Stars) stamped his class on Friday's G3 Sandown Classic Trial. Smartly away unlike Ballydoyle's 4-6 market-leader Action (Frankel), Baaeed's full-brother who earned TDN Rising Star status on his Ascot debut in September travelled strongly off the early pace under Rossa Ryan and when committed approaching two out had first run on his peers. Staying on powerfully to the line, the 5-1 second favourite who like his other full-sibling Hukum hails...

JR Ranch's Mashallah (f, 3, Maxfield--All in With Aces, by Quiet American)--a $1.25-million OBS March breezer--made up for lost time in this belated career debut, leading every step of the way en route to a 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard-worthy 3 3/4-length victory. Having trained well at Palm Meadows in February and March, Mashallah had done even better since her arrival into the Brendan Walsh barn at Keeneland and had recorded a pair of slick half-mile moves--:48 flat (5/87) on Apr. 11 and :47 flat (2/58) on Apr. 17....

All the rage for Sunday's six-furlong maiden at The Curragh, Ballydoyle's Great Barrier Reef (No Nay Never) proved the buzz was spot-on with a command performance to become the first two-year-old of the 2026 crop to become a TDN Rising Star, Presented by Hagyard. Always travelling easily tracking the pace under Ryan Moore, the 4-9 favourite loomed on the front end approaching the furlong pole and opened up for a six-length success from the 100-1 outsider Ischgl (Inns Of Court). He is the second colt to sport the title for Coolmore, with...

It truly is spring in Kentucky when the penultimate preps for the marquee event in May start rolling out, and so was the story Saturday morning as Albus (Yaupon) and Right to Party (Constitution) led the work tab for GI Kentucky Derby hopefuls at Churchill Downs. The top two from last month's GII Wood Memorial Stakes both went out Saturday morning with winner Albus spotted first for trainer Riey Mott. He breezed four panels in :49 flat (35/65) for his first move over the track since arriving at the venue...

4th-GP, $68k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 2:25p.m. ET Drawn on the rail and the 9-5 morning line choice for his unveiling, No Compromise (Into Mischief) goes to post for trainer George Weaver and the partnership of Spendthrift Farm and Bregman Family Racing. Hailing from the female line which yielded Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Leigh Court (Grand Slam), this $800,000 KEESEP procurement in 2024 has been posting noteworthy works in the morning--three of his last five moves were quick enough to top the tabs at Palm Beach Downs. His dam Beckles Road...

Surviving a lengthy objection, And One More Time (Omaha Beach) returned to winning ways with a gate to wire victory in the Plenty of Grace Stakes. Making only two starts last season, the optional claiming contest in mid-September at Woodbine was her first start since she won that venue's GI Natalma Stakes almost a year prior in 2024. Her second, and final jump, as a 3-year-old was a runner-up effort in the Dec. 13 Tropical Park Oaks to 2026 GII Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational victress Destino...

Minutes after the sensational debut of I'm The One at Newbury, Sea The Stars was pinged back into the spotlight as his son Maltese Cross provided him with a quickfire double of TDN Rising Stars, Presented by Hagyard. While his narrow win lacked the visual panache of that provided by the filly who preceded him, George Waud's Newmarket maiden winner who represents the same Camelot cross was winning a competitive renewal of this Darley EBF Novice Stakes which boasts such a rich history. "I thought this was a strong race...