Turf Sprint

3rd-CD, 120K, Msw, 2yo, 5fT, 5:58 p.m. Trainer Mark Casse and Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Jose Ortiz team up on PLAY IT AGAIN (Speightstown) from the rail in this five-furlong turf sprint. A $725,000 Keeneland September grad, the Kindred Stables-bred, from his sire's last crop, is the first to the track for an unraced daughter of American Pharoah. That mare is a daughter of GI Ogden Phipps Handicap winner Seattle Smooth, making her a half to GSW She Be Smooth (Lexitonian) and GSP Seattle Slang (Tapit). Casse and Ortiz have previously...

New Jersey-bred Book'em Danno (Bucchero) and Breeders' Cup winner Shisospicy (Mitole) won top Male and Female Sprinter at the Eclipse Awards. A winner in four of his five starts in 2025, Book'em Danno finished his year with three straight wins all at Saratoga in the GIII True North Stakes, the GII Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes and the GI Forego Stakes for trainer Derek Ryan and owner Atlantic Six Racing. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Shisospicy went undefeated on American shores after February for trainer Jose D'Angelo, winning the GIII...

A trio of world-class races at South Africa's Kenilworth Racecourse will anchor a qualifying day for the 2026 Breeders' Cup World Championships via the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In. Held Jan. 10, the G1 Cape Flying Championship, a 1,000-meter (5/8 mile) weight for age race, will serve as an automatic qualifier for the GI Prevagen Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. The race joins the G1 King's Plate, a one-mile race for 3-year-olds and up which provides a free berth to the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, and the...

When 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) went wire-to-wire to take out the 2023 GI Pacific Classic, it made trainer Bob Baffert the winningest trainer in the relatively short history of the event with seven winners, surpassing the late Bobby Frankel. The Hall of Fame conditioner will have every chance to extend that record when he sends out fellow 'Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist) in a compelling renewal of the 10-furlong feature Saturday afternoon, with an all-expenses-paid trip to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic over the same course and distance...

Not even 24 hours since their big win in the GI Kentucky Oaks, Think Big kept the momentum rolling for Godolphin Saturday with a late rallying-score in the GII Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes at Churchill. Undefeated on the turf since changing surfaces for trainer Michael Stidham late last year, the Twirling Candy gelding put in a career-best effort at Keeneland last out Apr. 8 to take the GII Shakertown Stakes, defeating several rivals who were lined up to challenge him once more Saturday. Kept comfortably off the speed as...

It's been nearly 30 years since trainer Bob Baffert won his first GI Del Mar Debutante Stakes with Batroyale back in 1995. The Hall of Fame conditioner looks to have a stranglehold on this year's renewal of the seven-furlong contest, as he sends out a pair of big-money fillies, each campaigned by previous Debutante scorers. Front and center is 'TDN Rising Star' Nooni (Win Win Win), the $1.8-million topper from this year's OBS March Sale, who looks to become the second winner of the event in the last four years...

In what could prove to be a useful trial run, Motorious (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) came flying over the Del Mar turf late to win the 'Win And You're In' GII Green Flash Handicap Saturday. Last year's winner, who parlayed this race into a fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita, broke as the 2-1 favorite despite not having found the winner's circle since taking this same race one year ago. Brought back as a 6-year-old to be seventh in the GII Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes...

In a mad scramble for the wire in Saturday's $1-million GII Ainsworth Turf Sprint S. at Kentucky Downs, 23-1 Calumet homebred Gear Jockey (6, h, Twirling Candy--Switching Gears, by Tapit) got a desperate head down in front of 3-2 choice One Timer (Trappe Shot) and 11-1 Bad Beat Brian (Jack Milton). It was a repeat of his success in this same race two years ago when it was a Grade III, albeit by a far slimmer margin. Final time for the six furlongs was 1:10.59. The Turf Sprint is a...

Quatar Racing, Marc Detampel and Madaket Stable's Caravel (Mizzen Mast), winner of last year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, will skip an expected trip to Royal Ascot for the June 20 G1 King's Stand S. and will instead aim for the June 10 GI Jaipur S. at Belmont Park, trainer Brad Cox confirmed Tuesday. The news was first reported by the Daily Racing Form's Dave Grening. "We just feel it's the right decision with getting her back to the Breeders' Cup," Cox said. Purchased for $500,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton...

1st-Belmont, $90,000, Msw, 5-11, 2yo, f, 5fT, :57.61, fm, 2 3/4 lengths. CYNANE (f, 2, Omaha Beach--Burning Arch, by Arch) became her freshman sire's (by War Front) first winner Thursday with a front-running 2 3/4-length win. Pushed hard from the outside gate by GI Kentucky Derby winning jockey Javier Castellano, the dark bay filly, one of the longer shots on the board at 9-2, took command from outside of a pair of rivals. Sam's Treasure (Munnings) tried to stick with her early but Cynane proved up to the challenge, brushing...

A sprint specialist, Twilight Gleaming made her seasonal debut Saturday with a clear win in Keeneland's 5 ½ furlong Giant's Causeway S. The GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint winner from 2021, the Stonestreet-owned 'TDN Rising Star' won two of her four starts last year culminating in a fourth-place effort behind GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Caravel (Mizzen Mast) in the GIII Franklin S. at Keeneland Oct. 16. Not seen since, Twilight Gleaning returned to the races with aplomb Saturday as the 5-2 favorite. Sitting pretty outside of Miner's Queen...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 7th-GP, $84K, Msw, 3yo, f, 5fT, 3:07 p.m. A $560,000 2-year-old purchase by China Horse Club out of the 2022 Keeneland Horses of Racing Age Sale, TACTICAL JOKE (Practical Joke) debuts Friday for trainer Wesley Ward. Already a half-sister to a trio of stakes  horses in MSP Afleet Accompli (Afleet Alex), GSP Desert Dynamo (Desert Party), and GSP Ambusher (Stephen Got Even), the filly is out of a half-sister to the dam of GI Central Bank Ashland S. winner Sailor's Valentine (Mizzen Mast)--who brought $1.25m...