Venetian Harbor

Early Voting's Balloteer Goes Gate to Wire for 'Rising Star' Honors at Churchill

All the buzz was on the highly-anticipated debut of the Flightline colt Greenwell, but it was Balloteer (Early Voting) who sped to the lead and never looked back to earn 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' honors at Churchill. Catching a flier out of the gate, the juvenile sped out to control the tempo through :22.43 and four panels in :45.06 coming off the bend, and entered the stretch with a clear advantage over even-money favorite Greenwell. Racing greenly on his left lead through the lane, Balloteer managed to keep...

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Paradise Earns Oaks Points In The Busher

The beautifully-bred Paradise (Gun Runner) made easy work of a short field in Saturday's Busher Stakes to claim her first points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. A $700,000 Saratoga yearling purchase for a partnership which is now NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods, the daughter of MGSW/MGISP Venetian Harbor (Munnings) just broke her maiden at Gulfstream going this same one-mile distance Jan. 4 before shipping into New York to face just four rivals for 37.5 Oaks points. Third in the opening furlong but clearly wanting to do more under...

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Gun Runner's Paradise Gets It Done at Second Asking in Florida

PARADISE (f, 3, Gun Runner--Venetian Harbor {MGSW & MGISP, $699,400}, by Munnings) was unveiled Nov. 13 beneath the Twin Spires and since that maiden special, several runners have emerged from that race to either win or hit the board again--most notably She's So Coal (Coal Front), who graduated by 12 lengths against state-breds at Oaklawn Park. Made the 4-5 favorite here when making a seasonal bow with first-time Lasix, the chestnut stepped out to set the pace from along the rail going up the backstretch through an opening quarter in...

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Keeneland Supplements Four Horses To 2026 January Sale

Keeneland has supplemented four additional horses to the 2026 January Horses of All Ages Sale to be held Monday, Jan. 12 and Tuesday, Jan. 13. Broken Oath, a 9-year-old winning daughter of Broken Vow in foal to Kantharos. A half-sister to Grade II winner Venetian Harbor, she is consigned by Ashview Farm, agent. Broken Oath is out of the winning stakes-placed Sounds of the City, by Street Cry (Ire). 2025 filly by Flameaway consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent. The first foal out of the Liam's Map mare Approachable,...

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Thursday's Racing Insights Led by Gun Runner's Paradise

1st-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 4:25p.m. LNJ Foxwoods and NK Racing's Paradise (Gun Runner) gets her start for trainer Brad Cox and Irad Ortiz Jr. who combine to win at a 26% clip at Churchill Downs over the past year. The first foal out of MGSW and MGISP Venetian Harbor (Munnings), the filly brought $700,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. Tracy Farmer's Tap This Way (Tapit) also makes her career debut, getting the services of Florent Geroux for her unveiling. Trained by Mark Casse, the homebred is out of...

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Venetian Harbor Leads Munnings 1-2 in Lexus Raven Run

Venetian Harbor (Munnings) was hustled to the front by Manny Franco and made all the running, holding off Finite (Munnings) by a neck to lead home a one-two finish for her in-form, young sire in the GII Lexus Raven Run S. at Keeneland Saturday. The bay, favored at 8-5 while seeking her first win since a blowout victory in the GII Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita back in February, led the field of eight through early fractions of :23.06 and :46.17, and was traveling nicely as they hit the...

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Saying 'Grace' In the Raven Run

A competitive group of 10 sophomore fillies line up in Saturday's GII Lexus Raven Run S. at Keeneland. Among the expected favorites for the seven-furlong test is Whitham Thoroughbreds' Four Graces (Majesticperfection). Trained by Ian Wilkes, the homebred has won four of five starts at the Raven Run distance, including Churchill's GIII Dogwood S. in June followed by the GIII Beaumont S. over the local Beard Course July 10. Given some time off following that effort, she speed-loving filly weakened late to be second behind Sconsin (Include) in the Sept....

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Gamine Turns Back for Test

You'd be hard-pressed to find a performance by a 3-year-old filly in the past decade as jaw-dropping as what Michael Lund Peterson's Gamine (Into Mischief) produced in the GI Longines Acorn S. June 20 at Belmont. Considered the current top dog of a loaded sophomore filly division in advance of the Sept. 4 GI Kentucky Oaks off that effort, the 'TDN Rising Star'< will turn back to a sprint as a prohibitive favorite in Saturday's GI Longines Test S. at Saratoga. Having lofty expectations attached to her ever since she...

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The TDN Oaks Top 10 For July 16

It was a busy Saturday at Keeneland for the nation's top 3-year-old fillies, as a field of five contested the GI Ashland S. and Swiss Skydiver (Daredveil) ventured outside her division as her connections boldly took on males in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. At the end of the day, the deck was shuffled some, but not much. Speech (Mr. Speaker), already a highly regarded Oaks contender, won the Ashland and Swiss Skydiver was terrific in a second-place finish against the boys. With the Oaks less than eight weeks...

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Speech Loud and Clear in Ashland

Speech (Mr Speaker) became her young sire's first Grade I winner and earned enough points to land her a spot in the Sept. 4 GI Kentucky Oaks with a decisive score in the GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland Saturday afternoon. Speedy GII Las Virgenes S. romper Venetian Harbor (Munnings) shot out to the early lead, loping through an opening quarter in :24.04 with Speech stalking from second off the fence. Envoutante (Uncle Mo) slipped up the fence inside of Speech as the half went up in :47.14, but...

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Venetian Harbor to Catch in Ashland

The speedy Venetian Harbor (Munnings) will look to run five rivals off their feet in Saturday's GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland. A runaway heroine of Santa Anita's GII Las Virgenes S. Feb. 8, she set a fast pace and only found the streaking GII Toyota Blue Grass S.- bound Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) too tough as the 4-5 favorite in the GIII Fantasy S. going this same distance at Oaklawn last time May 1. Venetian Harbor fired a five-furlong warning shot in :58 3/5 (1/29) for trainer Richie Baltas...

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The TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10 for June 25

Since the last TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10, Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) won the GII Santa Anita Oaks and Gamine (Into Mischief) dominated in the GI Acorn S. Two very good fillies, they have moved to the head of the class and no one else comes close. A Swiss Skydiver-Gamine showdown in the GI Kentucky Oaks would make it one of the best races of the year. With more than two months left before the Oaks, most in the group will have at least one more prep. The GI Ashland July...

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