thoroughbreds

Saratoga Maidens, Presented By Keeneland, Curtain Call Gets Just That After Breaking Maiden By 8 1/2 Lengths

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Sometimes, you just know. When Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse breezed 2-year-old Curtain Call (Tiz the Law) at his training center in Ocala, Fla., he shipped owner Terry Finley a simple, yet powerful text message. It was a photo of a Porsche. Fast car. Translation, in case you needed it: Curtain Call, Casse believed, was going to be a swift one. His confidence was rewarded in Saturday's first race at Saratoga when Curtain Call dominated a six-furlong $100,000 maiden special weight and earned a 'TDN Rising...

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Sunday's Racing Insights: Not This Time's Schwarzenegger Pumped For First Toga Party

6th-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 4:02 p.m. ET. SCHWARZENEGGER (Not This Time) is unveiled for the ownership group of David Fennelly, Brook Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Resolution Road. Initially a $410,000 purchase during Keeneland November in 2023, the colt went for $950,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale the following year and was sent to trainer Wesley Ward. The first-time starter is out Soothsaying (Lemon Drop Kid), who was a Gainesway buy for $350,000 at the 2024 Keeneland November Sale while a filly by Nyquist was in-utero....

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Freshman Sire By My Standards Values First Winner At Colonial

Sugaree earned a sweet victory for her freshman sire By My Standards (by Goldencents) as she came home a winner at second asking over the Colonial main track on Saturday. A runner-up facing auction-restricted maidens at Churchill Downs June 29, the filly was well-supported as the 70 cents on the dollar favorite here. The juvenile chased the pace from midpack up the backstretch and had some work to do around the far turn. As the leader began to tire down the lane, Sugaree came with a run to the outside...

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Saturday Racing Insights: Pricey Son Of Into Mischief Makes The Races At The Spa On Busy Saturday

1st-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 12:35 p.m. ET. With the third highest return at the 2025 OBS Spring Sale, TAGERMEEN (Into Mischief) was taken home for $1.4-million by Mahmud Mouni after the colt fired a :9 4/5 during the under-tack show. Sent to Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, the debuting bay is out of Silk Route (Empire Maker), who Mouni acquired for a mere $10,000 at the 2024 Keeneland November Sale. Tagermeen's extended female family includes GIII Lecomte Stakes hero Call Me Midnight (Midnight Lute) and French Group 1...

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Fasig-Tipton New York Bred Yearlings Sale Catalogues 304 Entries

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 304 entries for the New York Bred Yearlings Sale, to be held Sunday and Monday, Aug. 10 and 11, in the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, New York, the company said via a release on Friday morning. The Sunday session will begin at 7 p.m. ET., and the Monday session will begin at noon. "The New York Bred Yearlings sale annually offers the highest concentration of quality New York-breds of any Thoroughbred auction," said Fasig-Tipton President Browning.  "It's the 'go-to' source for those looking to...

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Verifire wins the Maxfield
Resolute Offers Quarter Stake In 'TDN Rising Star' Verifire During Inglis USA Digital Flash Sale Starting July 14

Resolute Racing owner John Stewart is making good on his promise that he posted on X this past Wednesday to offer a quarter stake in promising 'TDN Rising Star' Verifire (Authentic) when the flash sale goes live on the Inglis Digital USA platform Monday, July 14 at 2 p.m. ET. and will close Friday, July 18 at 2 p.m. ET., according to a press release from the sales company on Friday morning. "For me, it makes a lot of sense to offer this opportunity to a potential partner," said John...

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Dr. Agne at the Spa
Friday's Racing Insights: The Doctor Is In, Champion Lady Eli's Colt Unveiled At The Spa

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...

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Investigators Return From Euro Exchange Fully Charged

A group of U.S.-based racing investigators recently returned from a two-week intensive exchange program where they swapped ideas and soaked up perspectives from their counterparts at organizations like France Gallop and the British Horseracing Authority. Members of the Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI) who work at tracks and for regulators across the U.S. were given the chance to see how integrity is measured in Europe and what practices work best in France and England. "The second annual trip was a great success, which we could not have done without our...

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Dr. Agne makes his first start at the Spa on Friday for trainer Cherie DeVaux
Saratoga Notebook, Presented By NYRA Bets: DeVaux Has Special Bond With 2-Year-Old Colt Dr. Agne

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - From her office at Barn 83 on the Oklahoma Training Track, all trainer Cherie DeVaux has to do to get a glimpse of the horse is look out the window. And she sees him, across the way, standing in his stall. "He has this big, white face looking at you," DeVaux said, and she smiles. Gets her every time. 'He' is a 2-year-old colt who goes by the name of Dr. Agne (Into Mischief). He has never run but will on Friday when he starts his...

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Keenan Named NYRA SVP, Chief Experience Officer

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has appointed Katie Keenan as the new Senior Vice President and Chief Experience Officer (CXO), the track said in a Wednesday release. Keenan is a global live event and venue operations executive with two decades of sports industry experience. Prior to joining NYRA, she was Vice President for Live Events & Operations at the National Football League (NFL), where she led the planning and delivery of the NFL's marquee events including the Super Bowl, NFL Draft, and NFL International Series Games. As CXO,...

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NYTHA Establishes D. Wayne Lukas Award For Assistant Trainers

The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) has established the D. Wayne Lukas Award, to be given annually to a New York-based assistant trainer who demonstrates the qualities that the late Hall of Fame trainer himself exemplified-- dedication, a strong work ethic, and a high commitment to excellence--the organization said in a press release on Wednesday. Owners and trainers will be invited to nominate an assistant trainer for the $10,000 award, which will be presented each year on Sept. 2, D. Wayne Lukas's birthday. "'The Coach' mentored countless young people,...

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Magnitude romps in Iowa Derby
Not This Time's Magnitude Registers Iowa Derby Romp

Magnitude did not disappoint the hopefuls as he took the Iowa Derby stylishly at Prairie Meadows on Saturday evening. Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack's story this week on the colt's return to the races post-surgery reported that trainer Steve Asmussen was "dreaming big" about the Winchell-owned runner's prospects. The reason had something to do with the stellar result from the GII Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds in mid-February when the 3-year-old won by 9 3/4 lengths with a 108 Beyer to boot. Prior to that, Magnitude had broken...

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