Triple Crown Trail

Golden Tempo (Curlin), the winner of the GI Kentucky Derby, put in his first workout at Keeneland on Friday, May 15 since capturing the big race for trainer Cherie DeVaux, according to a post on X by Gabby Gaudet. In company with 4-year-old stablemate So Sandy (Omaha Beach), the 3-year-old drilled four furlongs in :48.60 (10/74). The splits for the half mile move were :25.2, :36.2 and :48.3. Golden Tempo galloped out five-eighths in 1:01.1. Owned by Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable, the colt could be pointing to a...

The biggest news about the GI Kentucky Derby trail last week had nothing to do with the current crop of contenders, because with all of the points-awarding, nine-furlong preps having been run four weeks before America's most historic and important horse race, the lead-up to the Triple Crown season essentially goes into "sleep mode" for the middle part of April. But that could change for 2027. According to news first reported Apr. 7 by Mary Rampellini of Daily Racing Form (DRF), Oaklawn Park management is considering a schedule tweak that...

Unbeaten in five career starts, Juddmonte homebred Disco Time (Not This Time) will put his perfect record on the line in the $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park Jan. 24. "At the moment, he's got a lot of unknown about him," Juddmonte USA General Manager Garrett O'Rourke said. "He's coming off two impressive performances, he's unbeaten and he's by the hottest stallion out there. Those are all the positives. I suppose the negatives are, well, what has he beaten yet? He's out of a sprinter, does he want...

Multiple graded stakes winner Newgrange (Violence) has retired from racing and will stand at Sequel New York in 2026, the farm announced Friday via press release. A graded stakes winner in 2022, 2023, and 2024, the eye-catching horse won back-to-back GII San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita Park. He retires sound with five graded races to his tally--including wins in the GII San Antonio and the GIII Southwest and Sham Stakes--and just north of $1-million in earnings. He was purchased for $125,000 as a yearling at the Keeneland September sale...

The 4-5 favorite on the morning line Journalism (Curlin) was out on the Monmouth Park racing strip first thing Wednesday morning as the colt makes his final preparations for Saturday's 58th running of the GI NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes, the track said via a Wednesday press release. The Michael McCarthy-trainee arrived on Tuesday evening after an uneventful transcontinental flight from his Southern California base, jogged one mile around the oval under regular exercise rider Marc Witkowski. "I've been galloping horses my whole life. I've been on Grade I winners. He...

Breezing Saturday morning over the Belmont Park training track, 'TDN Rising Star' GISP River Thames (Maclean's Music) put in another half-mile move in advance of his anticipated start in the GI Preakness Stakes May 17 at Pimlico. In company with MSP Trust Fund (Practical Joke), the New York-bred went a half-mile in :48.25 (9/37) with exercise rider Fernando Rivera in the irons. He began the work to the outside and just off of his workmate and ended it along the rail and at least a length in front. Trainer Todd...

8th-Santa Anita, $63,700, Alw (C)/Opt. Clm ($80,000), 10-6, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:35.14, ft, 4 lengths. PRACTICAL MOVE (c, 3, Practical Joke--Ack Naughty {MSP, $310,450}, by Afleet Alex) has never been off the board in his career and after almost six months away since winning the GI Santa Anita Derby by the slimmest of noses over Mandarin Hero (Jpn) (Shanghai Bobby), he returned to the races here like he never left. Enthusiastically hammered down to 2-5 favoritism at the windows and on Lasix for the first time in his career, he left...

2nd-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 7-14, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:49.71, gd, 6 3/4 lengths. DREAMLIKE (c, 3, Gun Runner--Time to Tap, by Tapit) began his career Feb. 11 in Hallendale, where he finished second in a mile maiden contest and in a 1 1/16-mile Mar. 11 main track race before shipping north Apr. 8 to Aqueduct to try his hand in the GII Wood Memorial S. Third in that Derby-qualifier with a blanket finish separating him from winner GSW Lord Miles (Curlin) and runner-up GSW Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}), he was...

Off to the Races, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance's (TAA) online benefit auction, closes Friday, Feb. 3 at 10:00 p.m. EST. Beginning last week, the public can bid on 17 VIP experience packages for major 2023 and 2024 race days, that each offer a unique itinerary of horse racing-related bucket list activities. "The Off to the Races auction is such an exciting way to support retired racehorses," said TAA President, Jeffrey Bloom. "The TAA staff and our supporters have already done a tremendous job making this year's auction bigger and better than last...

Practical Move (Practical Joke), upset winner of the GII Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 17, returned to the worktab for the first time since at Santa Anita Saturday morning, drilling a half-mile in a strong :47.80 (7/60). Trainer Tim Yakteen told the Santa Anita press office that the bay colt--bred by Chad Brown and Head of Plains Partners--'moved well' in the work. "Well give him a few more works and see where we're at, but we're looking at sometime in late February or early March," said Yakteen. "We have a few...

Defending juvenile champion Essential Quality (Tapit) is expected to make his next start in the Apr. 3 GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland, according to trainer Brad Cox Tuesday. The Godolphin homebred, who is slated to post his final major work this Saturday, most recently won the GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn Feb. 27. "The Blue Grass is what we have zeroed in on," confirmed Cox. "He's done extremely well [since the Southwest]. We breezed him last Saturday [Mar. 13], and we clocked him at a half in :48.20,...