TDN Rising Star

A first-time starter for Steve Asmussen, Carbone (Mitole) put in a professional debut effort to earn a 'TDN Rising Star' tag Sunday under the Twinspires. Facing a mixed field of runners, including a pair of rivals exiting a key race from Keeneland in October, the William and Corinne Heiligbrodt homebred caught a flyer from his outside gate and quickly got the jump on his rivals, opening up a length on Goldbrick (Goldencents). Paced through fractions of :22.13 and :45.77, Carbone turned back Goldbrick around the far turn and drew off...

In the Aqueduct Sunday opener, Leslie's Rose (Into Mischief) took to the track in what amounted to a professional debut as she won impressively against a field of five others. The sharp start to her career garnered her 'TDN Rising Star' honors for the effort. Overlooked a touch at the windows as the 9-2 third choice, the Keeneland September grad exited the gate swiftly to set the pace up the backstretch. Despite a brief challenge around the far turn by chasers Value Area (More Than Ready) and heavy favorite Shoplifting...

Nysos (Nyquist), a jaw-dropping 10 1/2-length debut winner at Santa Anita Oct. 21 and a no-brainer 'TDN Rising Star,' takes on four rivals in Sunday's GIII Bob Hope S. at Del Mar. Purchased by Baoma Corp for $550,000 at the OBS April Sale, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert takes the blinkers off for this seven-furlong test. He is the 4-5 morning-line favorite. Baffert will also saddle Wine Me Up (Vino Rosso), who followed a second-place finish in the GI American Pharoah S. Oct. 7 with a well-beaten eighth in...

Emirates Park's Ejaabiyah (GB) (Frankel {GB}--Estijaab {Aus}, by Snitzel {Aus}) was denied a debut run with the abandonment of Yarmouth's Oct. 24 meeting, but made up for lost time and attained 'TDN Rising Star' status with a highly impressive display in Wednesday's Unibet/British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies' Novice S. at Kempton. She becomes the 37th Rising Star for Frankel, whose list includes this term's G1 Fillies' Mile heroine Ylang Ylang (GB) and G2 Golden Fleece S. victor Diego Velazquez (Ire). The 6-1 chance raced along the rail in fourth through...

Breaking out of the pack to kick off Monday's opening session of  Book 4 at the Keeneland November sale in Lexington, Act Now (Street Sense) (Hip 2184), dam of recent runaway winner at Del Mar and TDN Rising Star Coach Prime (Quality Road), brought $610,000 from Mark McStay's Avenue Bloodstock. The 8-year-old mare was consigned by Nardelli Sales, acting agent to dissolve a partnership with Bill Werner. "We thought she could make that much, because Coach Prime was a such a lovely horse," said Kim Nardelli. "We did know all...

While there may have been a few unanswered questions heading into Sunday's seventh race at Churchill Downs, there seemed to be none afterward. Installed the second betting choice behind the 7-5 choice, GISP Be You (Curlin), Nash (Medaglia d'Oro) completely dismantled his competition with seemingly little effort, cruising home an eye-catching 10 1/4-length winner while stamping himself a TDN Rising Star in the process. Sent screaming to the front in the blink of an eye, the 9-5 chance cut out an opening quarter in :23.83 and a half in :47.93....

Trainer Bob Baffert went 0-for-9 in Breeders' Cup races, and four months ago he received his dis-invitation to the 150th GI Kentucky Derby in the form of an extension of his original two-year suspension from properties owned by the gaming company Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI). But neither the Breeders' Cup blanking nor the Derby banishment should be taken as indications that the Hall-of-Fame conditioner is running low on horsepower, particularly in the 2-year-old division. A pair of Baffert juveniles on the first two days of the Del Mar meeting this...

Making his first start on the main track after finishing a sneaky-good third when trying the turf on his Santa Anita debut Oct. 7. Zedan Racing Stables' Coach Prime (c, 2, Quality Road--Act Now, by Street Sense) was let off the leash with a furlong and a half to go Friday at Del Mar and powered away from his rivals to become the afternoon's second 'TDN Rising Star'. The joint third-priciest offering at last year's Keeneland September sale when hammering to bloodstock agent Donato Lanni for $1.7 million, was roughed...

3rd-Del Mar, $63,500, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($80,000), 11-10, 2yo, f, 5fT, :57.39, fm, neck. JULIAS DREAM (f, 2, Flameaway--Cinnamon Girl, by Meadowlake) earned the title 'TDN Rising Star' at first asking Aug. 6 by the seaside oval when she won pillar to post by 5 1/2 lengths for her top five first-crop sire while sprinting over the turf. Switching to the main track in the GI Del Mar Debutante, she was a well-beaten eighth to fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Tamara (Bolt d'Oro). Back on the grass as the 3-5 choice...

Brookdale Racing and Mark Edwards's Thorpedo Anna (f, 2, Fast Anna--Sataves, by Uncle Mo) proved that her wide-margin debut success in a sales price-restricted Keeneland maiden Oct. 26 was no fluke, backing up that performance with an even bigger one Friday at Churchill en route to 'TDN Rising Star' honors. Tightening from even money to jump at exactly 2-5, the $40,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling switched off beautifully and settled in a three-wide third behind fractions of :23.22 and :46.74. Slipped a bit of rein at the three-eighths, Thorpedo Anna loomed...

Pin Oak Stud LLC's Parchment Party (Constitution), who overcame a bit of traffic and a tight spot inside at a crucial stage when belying debut odds of 16-1 over this track and distance Sept. 15, doubled up with an equally eye-catching performance in a Thursday allowance at Churchill Downs, becoming a new 'TDN Rising Star' in the process. He is the eighth 'Rising Star' for his WinStar-based stallion. Drawn widest in a field of 10 and only lightly regarded in the wagering at just north of 11-2, the $450,000 Keeneland...

Juddmonte homebred MULLION (c, 3, Into Mischief-Brooch, by Empire Maker) made a triumphant return to the races Sunday to graduate in 'Rising Star' style at Churchill Downs. The full-brother to fellow 'Rising Star' and Juddmonte stallion Mandaloun raced just once as a juvenile but was denied the win by the slimmest of margins at Ellis Park last August. Un-raced since that start, Mullion got back on track for trainer Brad Cox with a tour de force over a over-matched Churchill field. Squeezed just slightly at the break, the son of...