Todd Pletcher

Forte (Violence), the soon-to-be-named champion 2-year-old male of 2022, will kick off his 3-year-old campaign in the GII Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream, reports trainer Todd Pletcher. The Mar. 4 race will be his first since he won the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. "I like the timing of the Fountain of Youth for his first race back," Pletcher said in a text message. Pletcher has won the Fountain of Youth three times. He said that after the Fountain of Youth he will look to run Forte in either the...

When it comes to "sire-making races," the Gl Metropolitan H. is usually the first that's thrown into the conversation. Quality Road, the 2010 winner, is the most notable recent example, and before him it was Ghostzapper in 2005, but that's about it for the past 20 years despite the race's vaunted reputation. The Gl Florida Derby is a better recent gauge for making stallions: Nyquist (won in 2016), Constitution (2014), Dialed In (2011), Quality Road (2009), Scat Daddy (2007), Empire Maker (2003), and Harlan's Holiday (2002) are a stronger group...

Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stable's Mind Control (Stay Thirsty), who has competed in 27 stakes since his debut in 2018, closed out his career in style Saturday, scoring his 11th black-type victory and third at the highest level in Aqueduct's GI Cigar Mile. With GI Pennsylvania Derby runner-up Zandon (Upstart) bet down to 3-5, Mind Control was dispatched as the 3-1 second choice, a gift to his faithful fans in his career finale. Away quickest of all, the bay was outrun by 58-1 shot Outlier (Not This Time) and...

Just like her full-sister, champion Malathaat (Curlin), Julia Shining (Curlin) not only won her debut at Keeneland Oct. 16, but did so in 'TDN Rising Star'-fashion. And she followed in her GI Breeders' Cup Distaff-winning sister's hoofprints once again Saturday, capturing the GII Demoiselle S. in the slop at Aqueduct. Favored just like her sister, albeit at 1-2 instead of 2-5, Julia Shining was even farther back than Malathaat was in her Demoiselle, racing in second last as 37-1 shot Tribal Queen (Bolt d'Oro) clocked opening splits of :24.61 and...

Enjoy your day at the Big A. Led by the GI Cigar Mile H. and three other graded events, Aqueduct's loaded 10-race card will be in the spotlight in South Ozone Park Saturday. Zandon (Upstart), winner of the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. and third-place finisher in the GI Kentucky Derby this spring, cuts back to a one-turn mile for Chad Brown in the feature. The dark bay, favored at even-money on the Cigar Mile's morning-line, also finished third in the GI Runhappy Travers S. and second in the GI...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 12th-CD, $120k, Msw, 3yo/up, 7 1/2f, 6:24p.m. ET Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, and Woodford Racing LLC partner-up on this $500,000 KEESEP procurement in PATOU ROAD (Quality Road), who will be getting a late start to the races for his powerhouse connections. In the barn of Pletcher, who has had a notably great year with the ownership group, the colt is out of Patou (Ghostzapper), herself a half-sister to GSW Moulin de Mougin (Curlin)--the dam of GSP Spicer (Quality Road); GISP Vionnet (Street Sense)--dam of...

Bat Flip (Good Magic) was sent off at odds of 23-5 to build upon a wire-to-wire maiden victory going two turns over the Aqueduct turf course Oct. 23, but showed a bit of a new dimension when forced to stalk the pace in Saturday's Central Park S. at the Big A. The $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad proved equal to the task in becoming a fifth stakes winner and first on the grass for his freshman sire (by Curlin). Looking intent on making the running yet again from his low draw,...

5th-AQU, $85k, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:46p.m. ET Purchased for an eye-catching $825,000 from KEESEP by Mike Ryan for CHP Racing, MODERN LOVE (Curlin) will look to justify that price here against a well-connected field of maidens. The half-sister to GISW Competitionofideas (Speightstown) hails from a winning family line--the second and third dams claim 17 winners immediately beneath them, combined, and six with black-type. Her Chad Brown-trained stablemate Ana's Gun (Gun Runner) will also carry a flashy pedigree in her maiden voyage; being the half sister to GI Breeders'...

All of the Friday Breeders' Cup winners came back in fine form, according to their respective trainers Saturday, topped by GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Forte (Violence). "He's happy and proud of himself this morning," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "I thought he was more professional yesterday than he was when he won the [GI Claiborne] Breeders' Futurity here." Pletcher said Forte would get a little break--"not sure where"--and then look at a two-prep program from Pletcher's winter base at Palm Beach Downs in Florida leading up to the 2023 GI...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Breeders' Cup Distaff, which has produced so many memorable moments over the years, delivered yet another race for the ages as Shadwell Stable's Malathaat (Curlin) got the bob over Blue Stripe (Arg) (Equal Stripes {Arg}) and Clairiere (Curlin) in a blanket three-horse finish. The 5-2 second choice behind her favored stablemate Nest (Curlin), Malathaat was unhurried from her inside post and settled well back as Society (Gun Runner) set the pace and Blue Stripe stalked the early leader down the backstretch. Nest began moving forward while...

LEXINGTON, KY - Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola bought 43 yearlings for more than $16 million to top the sheets for the first of two straight years at the 2021 Keeneland September sale. 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence), a $110,000 purchase out of that auction, made good on the duo's significant investment in the industry by capping his 2-year-old season with a championship-worthy performance for trainer Todd Pletcher in Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Repole Stable, Viola's St. Elias Stable and Pletcher previously teamed up to capture the 2019 GI...

LEXINGTON, KY - Led by unbeaten sensation Flightline (Tapit), the 39th Breeders' Cup World Championships--consisting of 14 races with purses and awards totaling more than $31 million-- return to Keeneland for a third time with a two-day run beginning Friday. Sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70s--does it get any better than that?--are expected for the 'Future Stars Friday' program. Cave Rock (Arrogate) will put his unbeaten mark on the line for Bob Baffert in the Juvenile while Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke) headlines a wide-open renewal of the Juvenile Fillies....