Todd Pletcher

Recent Remsens Have Left Their Mark On Classics

It has been well-documented that you have to go all the way back to Thunder Gulch in 1994 to find the last winner of the GII Remsen Stakes to go on to double up in the GI Kentucky Derby. But the nine-furlong contest, which offers the winner 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, has seen its profile elevated by the results of the last handful of runnings. In 2021, Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) dropped his nose down on the line ahead of Zandon (Upstart) and the duo...

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Mindframe and Johannes: The Two New Faces at Claiborne Farm

It's been a long time coming for Jacob West. Watching 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard' Mindframe make it to the famed stallion barn at Claiborne Farm and settle into the stall once home to the likes of Bold Ruler, Secretariat, Easy Goer and Unbridled marks a full-circle moment years in the making. One year after West joined Claiborne as their Stallion Seasons and Bloodstock Manager, the farm announced this summer that Mindframe would soon be headed to Claiborne. Weeks later, West was at Churchill Downs celebrating as the son...

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Belmont Stakes-Winning Filly Rags to Riches Passes Away

Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy--Better Than Honour, by Deputy Minister), only the third filly in history to win the GI Belmont Stakes, died due to infirmities of old age, Coolmore announced Monday. Owned by Coolmore's Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Rags to Riches etched her name into the annals of American racing history when she outbattled Curlin in a dramatic stretch duel to take the final leg of the Triple Crown in 2007, becoming the first filly in 102 years to win the race. Rags to Riches, purchased for $1.9...

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Locked: Gainesway's New Son of Gun Runner

With three sons joining Kentucky's stallion ranks in 2026, Gun Runner is set to have nine progeny at stud in the Bluegrass next season. Two members of the group, Cyberknife and Early Voting, will see their first juveniles debuting in the coming year, offering an early glimpse into Gun Runner's development as a sire of sires. At Gainesway Farm, Locked will launch his career as the operation's first son of Gun Runner. A 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard,' Locked won the GI Breeders' Futurity at two and later added...

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McMahon Of Saratoga Adds Showcase To 2026 Stallion Roster

McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds has added 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Showcase (by Uncle Mo) to its stallion roster and the current 3-year-old will stand his first season at stud in 2026 for a fee of $5,000, the breeder said in a Friday release. A $300,000 Keeneland September yearling, Showcase quickly fulfilled his early promise as a juvenile for owner Harrell Ventures and trainer Todd Pletcher when the colt broke his maiden on debut during the Belmont At The Big A meet and earned a 'Rising Star' for the...

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$5-Million Courting Graduates at Aqueduct

2nd-Aqueduct, $79,050, Msw, 11-9, 2yo, 1m, 1:36.03, ft, 2 1/2 lengths. COURTING (c, 2, Curlin--Cavorting {MGISW, $2,063,000}, by Bernardini), who topped the 2024 Keeneland September sale when selling for $5 million, closed to be fourth after a slow start in his debut over this track and trip Sept. 27. The 1-9 favorite in this second outing, he was away alertly and was under a snug hold while setting a moderate early tempo. He shrugged off a challenge from longshot Stream It (Tapit) in upper stretch and sailed down the lane...

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American Pharoah Filly Zany Debuts A Winner At Gulfstream

7th-Gulfstream, $40,000, Msw, 11-2, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:16.98, ft, 6 1/2 lengths. ZANY (f, 2, American Pharoah--Mo' Green {GSW, $279,420}, by Uncle Mo), sent off at 2-1 in this unveiling, battled on the front end through a quarter in :22.58, but had asserted control as the half went up in :45.72. She sailed clear down the lane to win by 6 1/2 lengths. Favored Clean Winner (Charlatan) was second. Zany was a $350,000 FTSAUG yearling. Graded stakes winner Mo' Green has a yearling filly by Twirling Candy who sold...

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Post-Breeders' Cup Notes: Journalism's Future TBD, Stable Stars Head Off for Retirement

The World Championships concluded Saturday with sterling efforts and drama abound, and the connections of the newly crowned took Sunday morning to provide updates on their charges as they look ahead. Trainer Michael McCarthy reported that all six of his Breeders' Cup horses came out of their races in good order, and plans for MGISW Journalism (Curlin)--whether to continue racing or retirement--will be finalized in the coming week. The colt finished fourth in the Classic under new rider Jose Ortiz. "This is more or less what we've seen from him...

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Week In Review: Did the Rabbit Cost Fierceness the Classic, and Other Observations on the Breeders' Cup

Yes, it's purely hypothetical, but imagine a GI Breeders' Cup Classic without the rabbit, Contrary Thinking (Into Mischief). That's a race Fierceness (City of Light) probably would have won. Yes, he got free in the stretch and had every chance to run down Forever Young (Jpn) (Reel Steel {Jpn}) and Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) but he couldn't get the job done, finishing third, losing by 1 1/2 lengths. But too much had gone wrong for him at that point, and he could not recover. Unlike what happened in the GI...

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BC Friday Debrief: Ted Noffey 'More Convincing' Than Winning Margin Suggests

'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) parceled up a championship freshman campaign with a stalk-and-pounce victory in Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar, a win that is better than it might appear on paper in the eyes of his trainer Todd Pletcher. "I thought he ran terrific," said Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, striking at the Breeders' Cup for the 16th time. "The race unfolded kind of just as we had anticipated it would with [TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard] Brant (Gun...

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Ted Noffey
Ted Noffey Completes Undefeated Season in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile

DEL MAR, Calif. - Hopefully they don't make a typo on his Eclipse trophy. Spendthrift Farm's Ted Noffey (Into Mischief), a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard,' completed his championship season a perfect four-for-four with a one-length decision in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar. Longshot Mr. A. P. (American Pharoah) rallied to grab second from 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Brant (Gun Runner). Ted Noffey is the 16th Breeders' Cup winner for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher and his fifth in the Juvenile. "What I...

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Super Corredora
Superstar: Gun Runner's Super Corredora an Upset Winner in Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies

DEL MAR, Calif. - Super Corredora (Gun Runner) cleared her eight rivals beneath an aggressive Hector Berrios heading into the clubhouse turn, and never looked back in Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar. Favored 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Explora (Blame) was second. Fellow 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Percy's Bar (Upstart) was third. Super Corredora becomes the fourth Breeders' Cup winner for trainer John Sadler and first for Berrios. "She's a filly we had really high hopes for," Sadler said. "We're in our own...

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