Thoroughbred Daily News

5. LET'S BE FRANK, SA, 3/20-3rd, 1 mile (turf) (Video)
Beyer Speed Figure – 83 (2nd)
(c, 3, by Liam's Map–Proudly (Kor), by Alternation)
O/B-Nice Guys Stables (Ky). T-Michael McCarthy. J-Hector Berrios.
It won't tell you much that his dam Proudly earned 3.6 million South Korean won, which currently translates into $2,422. More telling is that Proudly has a recognizable full sister: Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress. The unraced Darley-bred dam of both females, Havisham, was four when she was unloaded for $5,000 and in 2016 had just dropped her first foal at age five when Korea bought her for $12,000. But when that first foal became an Oaks winner, ROI kicked in: Havisham was resold in 2021 for $1.1 million, and Proudly sold the same year for $230,000. Now Let's Be Frank: after his third in the GII Pilgrim last October as a maiden, his crack at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf didn't end well, but Friday's runner-up finish at even money was an encouraging first 2026 run especially considering his sluggish break.

4. GROWTH EQUITY, AQU, 3/20-1st, 1 mile (Video)
Beyer Speed Figure – 83
(c, 3, by Nyquist –My Dear Venezuela, by Wildcat Heir)
O-Klaravich Stables. B-Stone Farm (Ky). T-Chad Brown. J-Manny Franco.
It's hard to get giddy about a 1-to-10 favorite whipping three overmatched rivals, but Growth Equity delivered what was expected–a 4+ length victory with a second straight 83 Beyer. You can get excited about Nyquist, who is popping up in the same conversations as Into Mischief, Gun Runner and Not This Time, and three of dam My Dear Venezuela's sisters have produced stakes-winners.

3. CALL ME CORY, SA, 3/20-3rd, 1 mile (turf) (Video)
Beyer Speed Figure – 86
(c, 4, by Uncle Mo–Fashion Week, by Speightstown)
O-Warren Drakos. B-Wimberley Bloodstock (Ky). T-Ryan Hanson. J-Adrian Escobedo.
On the stretchout in his third start, Call Me Cory ran them off their feet, sprinting away to a five-length backstretch lead then comfortably holding off a somewhat unlucky Let's Be Frank (above). Pedigree-wise, dam Fashion Week was an ordinary major-track level racehorse, but is out of Brian Meehan-trained group winner Theysken's Theory, a half-sister to Merv Griffin's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Stevie Wonderboy.

2. STOMPIN GRAPES, GP, 3/20-5th, 1 1-16 miles (Video)
Beyer Speed Figure – 87 (2nd)
(g, 5, by Vino Rosso –Quality Pearl, by Elusive Quality)
O/B-Paula Taube (Ky). T-Ian Wilkes. J-Edgard Zayas.
We don't see many 5-year-old geldings in his column, but he's run only five times and with no Beyers lower than 73. This was his first dirt try around two turns, and he held his own against highly-regarded Make My Day (below). Plus, you gotta love the name for a son of Vino Rosso (“red wine”).

1. MAKE MY DAY, GP, 3/20-5th, 1 1-16 miles (Video)
Beyer Speed Figure – 89
(c, 3, by Gun Runner –Magical Feeling, by Empire Maker)
O-Spendthrift Farm and Repole Stable. B-Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds (Ky). T-Todd Pletcher. J-Luis Saez.
Slightly more than 24 hours before he won the GII Louisiana Derby, Emerging Market's Tampa maiden win was flattered by this list-topping performance. Make My Day had finished a distant third after being mistreated at the break in that race, but went right to the front Friday at Gulfstream and kept a safe cushion over Stompin Grapes (above). The $1.1 million KEE September yearling has a pedigree dripping with graded blood: in addition to his sire and Grade II-winning dam, his half-brother Imagination just took the Ridayh Dirt Sprint for his third Grade II score; and Into Mischief mare Occult, his now-retired half-sister, has a Grade III victory to her credit.

The post The Week’s Fastest Maidens for Mar. 16 – 21 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

According to the initial data analysis from the 17th year of reporting to the Equine Injury Database (EID), the rate of fatal injury in 2025 was 1.07 per 1,000 starts, the lowest rate since the EID began in 2009. This is the sixth consecutive year that the rate of fatal injury has been below 1.5. The rate of fatal injury decreased 3.6% from 2024 and has decreased 47% since the first statistics were published from the EID in 2009.

Analysis of the EID was provided by Dr. Euan Bennet (University of Glasgow) and by Professor Tim Parkin (University of Bristol), who has consulted on the EID since its inception.

“The Thoroughbred industry should be very proud of the work done to improve the safety of its athletes and to know that the initiatives supported by The Jockey Club and so many other organizations are proving to be effective,” Parkin said. “A nearly 50% drop in the rate of fatality since 2009 is impressive, and it's especially encouraging to see 8 furlong and shorter races at historic lows.”

Based on the 2025 data, 99.89% of flat racing starts at the racetracks participating in the EID were completed without a fatality.

For a statistical summary from 2009 through 2025, click here.

Since March 2012, racetracks have been able to voluntarily publish their statistics from the EID on The Jockey Club website. The racetracks that publish their EID statistics reported racing fatalities per 1,000 starts of 0.95 as compared to 1.14 for those that do not publish. In addition, racetracks in the U.S. not covered under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) had a rate of 1.21 per 1,000 starts. The 2025 racing-related fatality rate at racetracks subject to HISA rules was 1.04 per 1,000 starts, which aligns with the HISA data. HISA reports race-related fatalities after regulatory review.

The EID statistics are based on injuries that resulted in fatalities within 72 hours from the date of the race. The statistics are for official Thoroughbred races only and exclude steeplechase races. Summary statistics for the EID are subject to change due to a number of considerations, including reporting timeliness. All data entered into the EID goes through a multilevel quality control process to ensure the data is completely and accurately reported.

To view racetracks participating in the EID, click here.

Throughout 2025, approximately 99% of all Thoroughbred starts were included in the EID.

The post 2025 Equine Injury Metrics Show Lowest Rate of Fatal Injury Since 2009 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

A federal judge on Monday ended a nearly two-year-old lawsuit by dismissing seven of the eight counts in litigation initiated by two Iowa horsemen who alleged unconstitutionality of the Horseracing and Safety Integrity Act (HISA) and the way the HISA Authority collects assessment fees.

The eighth count, which pertained to an order from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding the fees, will simply be remanded back to that agency for a reworded explanation because, the judge wrote, “there is a 'strong possibility' that the FTC Order is guilty of nothing more than using imprecise language.”

The lawsuit was originally filed July 29, 2024, in United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa (Central Division) by Thoroughbred owner Joseph A. Kelly and owner/trainer Douglas L. Anderson against the HISA Authority, the FTC, and executives of both organizations.

Both sides in the case had asked for a summary judgment from the court instead of going through a full trial.

Much has changed in the litigation landscape involving HISA since that suit originally got filed, and U.S. District Judge Steven H. Locher, a 2022 judicial nominee by President Joseph Biden, focused on a number of those shifts in his 16-page ruling on Mar. 23.

“Plaintiffs argue that the Act violates the public and private non-delegation doctrines because Congress gave too much power to the private entity and/or insufficient guidance for how to exercise that power,” the judge wrote. “These arguments fail under recent (and not-so-recent) Supreme Court and Eighth Circuit precedent because the Act gives sufficient oversight authority to the FTC and provides an 'intelligible principle' for the FTC to follow in exercising that authority.

“Plaintiffs also argue, in the alternative, that a recent rule promulgated by the FTC violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) because the FTC Order adopting the rule gave too much deference to the private entity. In one narrow respect, the Court agrees. The Court will not, however, set aside the rule altogether, but rather will remand without [vacating the rule] to give the FTC the chance to clarify what it meant,” the judge wrote.

Locher explained how “Plaintiffs' arguments revolve around a rule proposed by the Authority, and approved by the FTC, for the assessment of fees to covered persons like Plaintiffs. The original version of the rule [required] covered racetracks like Iowa-based Prairie Meadows to provide the Authority with a proposal for how to make assessments among 'covered persons.'”

The judge continued: “The FTC approved the Assessment Methodology Rule, while also stating that it 'planned to issue guidance on the subject' soon. Based on input from Prairie Meadows, and in accordance with the original rule, the Authority decided to allocate Iowa's portion of the Authority's funding '50-50 between the track and horsemen' for 2023. Plaintiffs note that the word 'horsemen' is undefined.

“The Authority agreed to the same 50-50 split for 2024,” the judge continued. “In early 2024, the Authority began invoicing two entities for fifty percent of the assessment each: Prairie Meadows and the Iowa Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA).”

The plaintiffs, the judge explained, asserted “that the invoices to the Iowa HBPA were improper because it is not itself a covered person under the Act, nor does it have funds” to pay the assessment.

“In any event, the Authority and the Iowa HBPA tried without success to negotiate an arrangement for the Iowa HBPA and/or its members to pay the allocated portion of the assessment,” the judge wrote.

“One of the open issues was whether Prairie Meadows would institute a per-start fee on horseracing participants. After negotiations failed, Plaintiffs filed this action in July 2024 because they feared the Authority would order Prairie Meadows to institute a per-start fee on themselves and other industry participants,” the judge wrote.

Then, Locher wrote, “In response to Plaintiffs' lawsuit, the Authority proposed, and the FTC published, a Notice of a proposed amendment to the original rule.”

The judge continued: “The proposed new rule [would] assess fees to covered persons according to the following formula: Racetrack, 50%; Owners, 43.50%; Trainers, 5.00%; and Jockeys, 1.50%.”

As Locher explained, “The FTC Notice summarized an ongoing debate regarding whether the allocation of fees should be based on how often industry participants reasonably would be expected to enter horse races or how much money the participants would be expected to earn from these races.”

The FTC then approved its modified assessment methodology rule on Dec. 23, 2024.

“At the time Plaintiffs filed this case, the Eighth Circuit had never addressed the facial constitutionality of the Act,” Locher wrote. “Things are different now. In September 2024, the Eighth Circuit held that neither the rulemaking structure nor the enforcement provisions of the Act violate the private or public nondelegation doctrines. The Eighth Circuit reached this holding because, among other things, the Act makes the Authority subordinate to the FTC for purposes of both rulemaking and enforcement and provides an 'intelligible principle' for the FTC to follow in exercising its discretion.

“The Sixth Circuit reached the same conclusion at around the same time,” Locher continued. “The Fifth Circuit likewise concluded that the rulemaking structure of the Act did not violate the non-delegation doctrine, although it split from the Sixth and Eighth Circuits by declaring the Act's enforcement provisions unconstitutional.

“The Supreme Court later granted petitions for writs of certiorari from the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Circuit cases, vacated the judgments, and remanded for further consideration in light of [a new precedent case established in 2025],” the judge wrote.

Locher summed up his decision with respect to the assessment fees by writing that, “it appears that there is a relatively limited universe of ways for the FTC and Authority to allocate fees, with the record showing that the FTC, the Authority, and industry participants focused on proposals allocating fees based either on projected starts, projected purses paid, or some combination of the two.

“In other words, it has been obvious from Day One that an 'equitable' allocation should be tethered either to how often the covered persons participate in horseracing or how much they earn while doing so,” the judge wrote.

“The bottom line is that this is not a situation where Congress has given the FTC and Authority boundless discretion to do whatever they want with respect to assessing and allocating fees,” Locher wrote.

“Instead, Congress 'imposed ascertainable and meaningful guideposts' for them to follow [and that] the provisions of the Act governing the equitable allocation of fees are not unconstitutional under the public or private non-delegation doctrines,” Locher wrote.

The post ‘Things are different now’: Judge Dismisses Most of Horsemen-VS.-HISA Suit Over Fee Assessments appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The Arizona Department of Gaming has issued a license to  63-year-old jockey Patrick Valenzuela. He last rode professionally in 2016.

Valenzuela has long struggled with substance abuse problems, as a result of which, the jockey has seen his license repeatedly suspended during a career that started in 1978.

In 2018, Valenzuela pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic abuse charges after slapping his girlfriend at a Carlsbad, California, restaurant. He was arrested again in 2019 on spousal abuse charges, according to a 2025 California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) hearing document.

After repeatedly violating his restraining order stemming from those abuse charges, Valenzuela served a brief jail sentence in 2024.

According to the Paulick Report, Valenzuela's license is conditioned on on-going drug testing, though the specifics around those conditions remain unclear.

Jessica Roza, the Arizona Department of Gaming's assistant director of government and community affairs, did not provide answers before publication deadline about what kind of analysis was done to ensure Valenzuela was fit for licensure, and what specific conditions are attached to his license.

Racing steward Jason Hart did not respond to multiple text messages and calls.

Valenzuela has been working as an exercise rider at Turf Paradise. He has also been licensed to work as an exercise rider in California, where his three attempts since 2016 to get licensed as a jockey by the CHRB were unsuccessful.

The CHRB denied his 2016 attempt because he “committed acts of moral turpitude or acts that exposed others to danger,” and “failed to demonstrate rehabilitation,” according to hearing documents. That 2016 decision detailed 15 separate rule violations and/or criminal convictions.

Valenzuela applied again in 2018 and was subsequently rebuffed by the CHRB due in large part to his 2018 arrest on domestic abuse charges and for a separate arrest for possessing drug paraphernalia.

Last year, the CHRB again denied Valenzuela's latest license application.

Hearing officer Patrick Kane noted in his hearing report Valenzuela's “willingness to improve and accept responsibility for his past transgressions, and this Officer encourages Appellant to continue down this path of rehabilitation in order reapply for a jockey's license in 2026.”

However, “Because of Appellant's substantial history of rule violations and criminal charges, and because Appellant's latest criminal charge recently occurred resulting in jail time, Appellant cannot meet Section 1489.2's rehabilitation criteria at this time,” wrote Kane.

Valenzuela has ridden 4,372 winners throughout his career. In 1989, he rode Sunday Silence to victories in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness Stakes.

In a Facebook post Valenzuela wrote, “I want to say thank you for all the support all the warm wishes, my brother JR, my sister-in-law, Jodie, and everybody in Phoenix, who have welcomed me as family. Thank you to the stewards and the Phoenix racing board. But most of all, thank you God without you nothing of this would be possible. I got my Jockey license.”

The post Jockey Patrick Valenzuela Licensed in Arizona appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

This coming weekend's nine-furlong stakes at Oaklawn and Gulfstream have the potential to usher in a major shake-up within the rankings, with seven of the Top 12 listed below entered in either the GI Arkansas Derby or the GI Curlin Florida Derby.

1) PALADIN (c, Gun Runner–Secret Sigh, by Tapit) O-Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Peter M. Brant, Brook T. Smith, and Summer Wind Equine, LLC; B-Summer Wind Equine LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. Sales history: $1,900,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 3-3-0-0, $848,250. Last start: WON Feb. 14 GII Risen Star Stakes.

The three-for-three Paladin, a $1.9-million FTSAUG son of Gun Runner, maintains his lofty placement atop the sophomore totem pole. But company's coming.

This Chad Brown trainee is awaiting the Apr. 4 GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes as his final prep for the GI Kentucky Derby.

The last eight times Brown has had at least one starter in the Blue Grass, the results have included three wins, three close seconds, and a third.

Yet the Blue Grass itself has been a poor prognosticator for Derby success over the last three decades. No Blue Grass victor has scored in the Derby since Strike the Gold in 1991, and no participant coming out of the Blue Grass has won the Derby since Street Sense parlayed a second-place finish at Keeneland into a blanket of roses at Churchill in 2007.

Favored at 1.13-1 first time out, Paladin broke his maiden via disqualification in an Aqueduct one-turn mile Oct. 17 (87 Beyer Speed Figure), finishing a head behind the horse who fouled him, the No. 5-ranked Renegade (Into Mischief).

In the Dec. 6 GII Remsen Stakes, Paladin was favored at 1.88-1. He broke running from post two and settled third along the inside behind dueling 53-1 and 29-1 long shots. Scrubbed on for run by Flavien Prat 2 1/2 furlongs out, Paladin swept into contention five wide off the turn and finished with purpose, opening up by two lengths under the wire (85 Beyer).

Paladin's churn-and-grind kick was again on display in the Feb. 14 GII Risen Star Stakes, in which he was favored at 7-10 odds. The difference, though, was that unlike in the Remsen, Paladin was more assertive and did not require the same level of far-turn rousing to get into gear, carrying along jockey Tyler Gaffalione (subbing for Prat, who was riding in Saudi Arabia), at a comfortable clip before being set down for the drive. He won by a half-length with a 93 Beyer.

In the strength-of-competition category, the horses who finished 2-3-4 behind Paladin in the Risen Star didn't exactly flatter his company line when they all started in this past weekend's GII Louisiana Derby. They ran fifth, third and fourth, respectively.

2) COMMANDMENT (c, Into Mischief–Sippican Harbor, by Orb) O-Wathnan Racing; B-Lee Pokoik (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. Sales history: $485,000 RNA Wlg '23 FTKNOV; $475,000 RNA Ylg '24 FTSAUG; $500,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-3-0-0, $403,539. Last start: WON Feb. 28 GII Fountain of Youth Stakes.

This three-for-four son of Into Mischief has an edge in consistency, having repeatedly shown he can settle into a comfortable rhythm while either covered up at the fence or surrounded by horses before knifing through to finish powerfully in his stretch runs.

Commandment has drawn post four for the nine-entrant Florida Derby. He exits a 101-Beyer victory in the 1 1/16-miles GII Fountain of Youth Stakes that was conducted over Gulfstream's short-stretch configuration (finish line at the sixteenth pole).

Although it was tough to see on the race replay, jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. asked Commandment to gallop out with good energy to the second finish line in that Feb. 28 stakes, which will be the wire used Saturday for the nine-furlong Florida Derby.

Prior to winning the Fountain of Youth, Commandment took down the Jan. 3. one-turn-mile Mucho Macho Man Stakes under confident handling, and also tallied in a seven-furlong MSW at Churchill Downs, opening up late by 5 1/2 lengths. His only defeat was in his career debut, when he rallied from 11th to get fourth going six furlongs at Keeneland.

Numbers-wise, Commandment is well within the range for being able to deliver a speed figure good enough to win the Florida Derby. Starting with 2025 and tracking back to 2019, the last seven winning Beyers for that stakes have been 94, 110, 95, 96, 94, 96 and 101.

3) EMERGING MARKET (c, Candy Ride {Arg}–Wild Empress, by Empire Maker) ”TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard.' O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Stoneriggs Farm (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. Sales history: $185,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $618,880. Last start: WON Mar. 21 GII Louisiana Derby.

Until last Saturday, the Derby trail this year had pretty much unfolded without a “Wow!” race from a new shooter who we didn't already know about when these rankings were first published in January.

Then along came the big New Orleans breakout by this Chad Brown-trained Candy Ride (Arg) colt.

Emerging Market won a length-of-stretch slugfest in the Louisiana Derby, earning that victory in a manner that suggests he's gained more seasoning from two lifetime starts than many of his peers have accumulated in months of racing.

Off at 3.2-1 odds, Emerging Market debuted in a Tampa Bay Downs route over one mile 40 yards Feb. 7. Under Flavien Prat, he conceded the lead, saved ground, and settled willingly. Incrementally targeting horses with an inside run before sluicing five wide into the lane, Emerging Market bumped soundly and repeatedly with the favored leader for most of the stretch run before stubbornly prevailing by three-quarters of a length, leaving the rest of the fragmented field 13 1/2 lengths behind.

Emerging Market's winning time was .97 seconds off the track record, equating to a 97 Beyer. He galloped out long and strong after the wire.

Drawing the outermost nine post for the Louisiana Derby made the first race against winners a little tougher for this 2-1 favorite. But Emerging Market once again responded willingly to Prat's patient cues. After stalking from fifth for the first half of the race, he advanced in hand through the far turn, unleashed a four-wide bid that briefly catapulted him to the lead at the quarter pole, then for a full furlong was the main aggressor in a shoulder-to-shoulder tilt with the much more experienced Pavlovian (Pavel), who clawed back the lead while making his 10th lifetime start and coming off a win in the Sunland Derby.

Emerging Market drove relentlessly, finally wresting control from Pavlovian inside the sixteenth pole to win by a head. The top two were assigned co-Beyers of 90.

Brown is known for a patient approach to handling young horses, so no one would have been surprised after the Louisiana Derby if he said Emerging Market might bypass the Derby.

That would be similar to what Brown did in 2022 and 2017 with both Early Voting and Cloud Computing, who each ran well enough to hit the board in the GII Wood Memorial Stakes in their third career races, but then skipped the Derby and instead were freshened to win the GI Preakness Stakes.

Yet Brown told TDN on Sunday that Emerging Market is “very much under consideration” for the Derby.

If he does start in Louisville, Emerging Market will attempt to become just the second horse to win the Derby after prepping with only two lifetime starts. Leonatus was the only horse ever to do so, winning the 1883 edition of the Derby (over 12 furlongs and on just one week's rest!) in his third lifetime race.

Six other two-start horses since 1937 have attempted that feat, with none faring better than fifth in the Derby.

Emerging Market winning the Louisiana Derby | Hodges Photography

4) NEARLY (c, Not This Time–Ib Prospecting, by Mineshaft) O-Centennial Farms; B-Wind Hill Farm (FL); T-Todd A. Pletcher. Sales history: $350,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-3-0-0, $249,900. Last start: WON Jan. 31 GIII Holy Bull Stakes.

Nearly clearly relishes Gulfstream's main track, which meshes well with his speed-oriented style. He's won three straight there by a combined 20 lengths, and is riding an upward arc of Beyer figures (49-82-97-98) coming off a win in the GIII Holy Bull Stakes.

In that Jan. 31 stakes, this $350,0000 KEESEP colt from Todd Pletcher's stable forced an overheated pace, drilled the favorite into defeat, yet still had plenty left to repulse an off-the-turn late challenger before opening up to win by 5 3/4 lengths. It's worth noting that such a sizable open-length margin can be difficult to achieve over Gulfstream's short-stretch configuration for 1 1/16-miles races.

Nearly will start in Saturday's nine-furlong Florida Derby from post six while coming off a two-month layoff. There is speed drawn to his inside, and although Nearly is at his best when forcing the issue on the front end, he's not the type of colt who requires being on the lead, which will allow John Velazquez (aboard for all three of the colt's victories) to be flexible about early-race placement.

Nearly's company line out of the Holy Bull doesn't give us much of a clue either way about the quality of that field because only two of the six horses have raced back.

Bravaro (Upstart), who made the run at Nearly at the top of the lane and finished second in the Holy Bull, was subsequently fourth, beaten 11 lengths by Commandment in the Fountain of Youth Stakes.

Incredibolt (Bolt d'Oro), who ran last in the Holy Bull without an evident excuse, came back to win the one-turn, nine-furlong Virginia Derby in his next start with an 88 Beyer.

5) RENEGADE (c, Into Mischief–Spice Is Nice, by Curlin) O-Robert & Lawana L. Low, and Repole Stable; B-Robert & Lawana Low (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. Sales history: $975,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-1-2-1, $199,000. Last start: WON Feb. 7 Sam F. Davis Stakes.

This $975,000 KEESEP son of Into Mischief is the 3-2 morning-line favorite for Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby.

Renegade was last in action Feb. 7, breaking his maiden in lifetime start number four in the Listed Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

Rated off the pace in next-to-last position in that field of nine, Renegade looped the group five wide on the far turn and rolled to the lead without encountering serious resistance, opening up to win by 3 3/4 lengths while drifting out under left-handed stick work from Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Originally assigned a 92 Beyer, Renegade's winning figure for the Davis has since been revised one tick upward to 93.

The only Triple Crown-caliber horse in Renegade's wake that day was third-place finisher The Puma (Essential Quality), who in his next start finished with a flourish to win the Mar. 7 GIII Tampa Bay Derby. Three other also-rans out of the Davis were subsequently third, sixth and ninth in the Virginia Derby.

Despite starting his season still a maiden, this Todd Pletcher trainee had built up a fair amount of company-line credibility based on who he raced against at age two in New York.

Renegade was third behind a 17 3/4-length winner, the 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard' It's Our Time (Not This Time), in his Saratoga debut. He then finished a head better than Paladin, the current No. 1 on this list, in a one-turn-mile MSW at Aqueduct, but was disqualified from the victory because of stretch interference.

Renegade then was second, beaten two lengths by Paladin, in the Remsen Stakes, a race for which Renegade wasn't ideally prepped because he had missed some November training due to a quarter crack.

6) CHIEF WALLABEE (c, Constitution–A La Lucie, by Medaglia d'Oro) 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard'. O/B-Mike Ball & Katherine Ball (KY); T-William I. Mott. Lifetime Record: GSP, 2-2-0-0, $117,600. Last start: 2nd Feb. 28 GII Fountain of Youth Stakes.

This homebred son of Constitution from Bill Mott's stable has drawn post two for Saturday's Florida Derby.

He's coming into the race after breaking his maiden sprinting seven furlongs at Gulfstream Jan. 10, then finishing a strong second in the 1 1/16-miles Feb. 28 Fountain of Youth Stakes, beaten a only neck despite giving up more ground than the No. 2-ranked, inside-trip winner, Commandment.

Should Chief Wallabee run well enough to merit a trip to Louisville, he'll be just the 30th horse since 1900 to try the Kentucky Derby off exactly three lifetime starts.

Only four previous three-start horses have won the Derby, but three of them did it within the past two decades, underscoring the evolving “less is more” mindset for preparing young horses for Triple Crown competition.

Those winners were Regret in 1915, Big Brown in 2008, Justify in 2018 and Mage in 2023.

Of the remaining 25, only one finished better than seventh in the Derby: Curlin who was third in 2007 (but subsequently won the GI Preakness Stakes and ran second in the GI Belmont Stakes).

Chief Wallabee has been assigned Beyer figures of 89 and 100 for his first two starts.

For comparison, here's a look at the Beyer patterns for the first three starts of those aforementioned modern-day Derby winners, with their Kentucky Derby-winning Beyers in parenthesis.

Big Brown: 90, 106, 106 (109).

Justify: 104, 101, 107 (103).

Mage: 89, 88, 94 (105).

Also worth noting is that Big Brown's third start was a win in the Florida Derby, and Mage's third start was a runner-up try, beaten only one length, also in the Florida Derby.

Chief Wallabee | Ryan Thompson

7) IRON HONOR (c, Nyquist–Orenica, by Blame). O-St. Elias Stable, William H. Lawrence and Glassman Racing; B-Mike Freeny and Pat Freeny; T-Chad C. Brown. Sales history: $230,000 Ylg '24 KEEJAN; $475,000 Ylg KEESEP. Lifetime Record GSW, 2-2-0-0, $211,750. Last start: WON Feb. 28 GIII Gotham Stakes.

The 2-for-2 Iron Honor ($230,000 KEEJAN; $475,000 KEESEP) is on target for the Apr. 4 GII Wood Memorial Stakes. Should he run big at Aqueduct, this Chad Brown trainee would be facing the same only-three-starts-before-the-Derby hurdle detailed in Chief Wallabee's writeup above.

From a development standpoint, this son of 2016 Derby champ Nyquist ($230,000 KEEJAN; $475,000 KEESEP) might be even more against the grain of convention considering he's a relatively late May 1 foal.

Brown had said back in January that Iron Honor “mentally needed time to come around” prior to his December debut. Now that the colt has paired a maiden victory sprinting six furlongs (95 Beyer) with a pressure-and-pounce score in the one-turn-mile GIII Gotham Stakes (90 Beyer), he's shaping up as the horse to beat in the nine-furlong Wood.

If Iron Honor does manage to roll home in the Wood in emphatic fashion, he will be a very dangerous contender by his actual third birthdate rolls around the day before the Derby.

8) LITMUS TEST (c, Nyquist–Study Hard, by Malibu Moon). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Bashor, Dianne, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherine; B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $875,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-2-0-2, $440,188. Last start: 3rd Mar. 1 GII Rebel Stakes.

After Litmus Test ran a subpar third contesting the pace from the one hole in the GII Rebel Stakes, trainer Bob Baffert said the colt would be more comfortable rating from farther back.

This $875,000 FTSAUG son of Nyquist drew the outermost nine post for Saturday's Arkansas Derby, which should allow new jockey Francisco Arrieta (taking over from Flavien Prat, who rides Commandment in the Florida Derby) to drop back and save ground while picking a launch point for one sustained run.

With five lifetime races at age two, including three at two turns and two in Grade I stakes, Litmus Test has a broader foundational base than many of his Top 12 counterparts.

Litmus Test was third, then fourth, behind the now-sidelined juvenile champ, Ted Noffey, in both the GI Breeders' Futurity Stakes and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

The best version of this large-framed colt was his 1 1/4-length, re-rallying score over five rivals in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 13.

Although a close finish in the Arkansas Derby would add to the 34 qualifying points Litmus Test has already accrued, he really needs to win a race at age three to fit the profile of a top-tier Kentucky Derby threat.

In the past decade and a half, only Rich Strike (2022) and Super Saver (2010) crossed the finish wire first in the Derby after not winning a sophomore race prior to the first Saturday in May.

9) THE PUMA (c, Essential Quality–Eve of War, by Declaration of War). O-OGMA Investments LLC, JR Ranch and High Step Racing LLC; B-Hidden Brook Farm & Brian Kahn (KY); T-Gustavo Delgado. Sales history: $95,000 RNA Ylg '24 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-1-1-1, $244,280. Last start: WON Mar. 7 GIII Tampa Bay Derby.

Races over the main track at Tampa Bay Downs, with its sandy surface and steeply banked turns, can be difficult to interpret. This year's GIII Tampa Bay Derby came with the additional twist of being run right after a significant burst of pre-race rain, and even though the track was listed as “fast” on the Equibase chart, it was more akin to a “wet-fast” designation.

The downpour might have contributed to the way the track played during and after that race. The first seven dirt races on the card were won by horses either wiring the field (three) or sitting just off the speed (four). The Tampa Derby itself was won in deep-closing fashion by The Puma, and the final dirt race on the card was won by a stalker from mid-pack.

Regardless of whether his style was augmented by a changing surface, the three-quarter length win by this son of Essential Quality ($95,000 RNA KEESEP; $150,000 OBSAPR), stamped him as a late-on-the-scene Kentucky Derby candidate.

Under Javier Castellano, this Gustavo Delgado trainee gave up four paths of real estate on the first turn, angled out to lane eight on the backstretch, then swept five deep on the far bend to commence a prolonged, 3 1/2-furlong bid.

The top three finishers in the Tampa Bay Derby were separated by less than a length, and The Puma was unfazed by light bumping late in the lane when that trio ran together through the final furlong in close quarters.

The Puma had previously been keeping excellent company in two lifetime starts this past winter.

In his Jan. 10 Gulfstream debut, he was second, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, when favored over the now No. 6-ranked Chief Wallabee.

And as a maiden in against stakes company in Tampa's Feb. 7 Sam F. Davis Stakes, he was third, six lengths behind the current No. 5 on this list, Renegade.

The Puma will be racing back in just three weeks off his Tampa Derby score when he starts from post eight in Saturday's Florida Derby.

The Puma | SV Photography

10) FURTHER ADO (c, Gun Runner–Sky Dreamer, by Sky Mesa). 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'. O-Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-John C. Oxley (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. Sales history: $275,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; $550,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-2-1-1, $390,703. Last start: 2nd Mar. 7 GIII Tampa Bay Derby.

Back at the start of the season, I wasn't impressed enough with Further Ado's 82-Beyer win in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes to give him a berth within the Top 12.

But considering the circumstances of the Tampa Bay Derby (see the analysis of The Puma above), I have to credit this son of Gun Runner ($275,000 KEESEP; $550,000 OBSAPR) with running a much-better-than-it-looks second when making his first start off a 3 1/2-month layoff.

Further Ado absorbed a minor bump at the break but then put himself into a forward position, angling four paths off the fence through the first turn before settling into a sweet stalking spot in third down the backstretch behind dueling long shots.

He edged closer on the far turn and got first run at those pacemakers, then immediately was accosted by The Puma and favored 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Canaletto (Into Mischief).

This Brad Cox trainee initially looked overmatched by that double-team challenge, but he repeatedly fought back when headed, and ended up being the only horse who had raced within the first flight to stick around in the top three at the finish.

His 87 Beyer is still 11 points off the 98 he earned with an eye-opening 20-length win in a Keeneland MSW route nearly six months ago. But the forward progress in his form from the Tampa race will end up being more important than any numerical rating.

Further Ado could start in the Apr. 4 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes.

11) SILENT TACTIC (c, Tacitus–Magical Sign, by Gun Runner). O-John C. Oxley; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. Sales history: $60,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT; $500,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-2-3-0, $774,422. Last start: 2nd Mar. 1 GII Rebel Stakes.

Never worse than second in five races, all at 1 1/16 miles, Silent Tactic is steady and capable if not flashy.

He's aiming to be the only horse this season to compete in all four of Oaklawn's Kentucky Derby qualifying races after having drawn post two for the Arkansas Derby.

With a 12-1 win in the GIII Southwest Stakes and three second-place tries in other stakes at both Woodbine and in Hot Springs, this Mark Casse-trained son of Tacitus ($60,000 FTKOCT; $500,000 OBSAPR) consistently gains ground in the late stages of his races.

In the Mar. 1 Rebel, Silent Tactic weaved through far-turn traffic from the back of the pack, but was blocked behind a wall of front-runners. He belatedly swept four wide and did manage to attain the lead several times in the final furlong before 8-1 winner Class President (Uncle Mo) fought back to win by a nose.

Both colts were credited with 91 Beyers. Silent Tactic's Beyer progression now stands at 74-71-81-88-91 (first two races on Tapeta).

Starting with 2025 and going back to 2019, these are the winning Beyers for the Arkansas Derby, listed in reverse chronological order and including two divisions in 2020: 99, 98, 94, 92, 92, (98 and 96), 101.

12) REAGAN'S HONOR (c, 3, Honor A. P.–Rutile, by Medaglia d'Oro). O-West Point Thoroughbreds, David Ingordo & Gabriel Duignan; B-David Ingordo & Jerome S Moss (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux. Sales history: $140,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $72,300. Last start: WON Feb. 19 Fair Grounds ALW.

Reagan's Honor, a medium-framed colt who leap-frogged into the Top 12 with a 6 3/4-length, 96-Beyer, first-level allowance wiring over older horses Feb. 19 at Fair Grounds, is on his way to Keeneland for his one-and-only qualifying points crack to earn a berth in the Derby.

Campaigned by trainer Cherie DeVaux, this speed-centric son of Honor A.P. took down that 1 1/16-miles allowance (which has since yielded one next-out winner from three starters) with a clocking of 1:42.02, just one-hundredth of a second off the track record set by Olympiad in the GIII Mineshaft Stakes exactly four years earlier.

Reagan's Honor ($140,000 KEESEP) is prepping for the Blue Grass Stakes over nine furlongs.

He's out of a Medaglia d'Oro mare who is a half-sister to Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo, the late-striding gray who upset the field in the 2005 edition at 50-1 odds.

The post TDN Derby Top 12: Get Tied On For A Big Weekend of Preps appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

“Road to the Cup” is a new series launched by Breeders' Cup to allow fans to follow horses around the globe preparing for the 2026 Breeders' Cup championship weekend at Keeneland in late October. The series previews and recaps the races that make up the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In. Its first installment previews the Mar. 28 Dubai World Cup Carnival. The G1 Dubai World Cup, G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, and G1 Dubai Sheema Classic to be run this Saturday at Meydan all offer automatic berths to Breeders' Cup races.

The post Road to the Cup Follows Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

After a nation-wide vote among his peers, Julien Leparoux is the winner of the 2026 George Woolf Award, Santa Anita Park announced via press release.

The George Woolf Award honors riders whose careers and personal character earn esteem for the individual and for the sport. It has been presented annually by Santa Anita since 1950. As each year's winner is selected by a vote of fellow jockeys, it is one of the most cherished honors given to a rider.

Entering Friday, Leparoux has won 3,066 races and tallied purse earnings of more than $206-million. His biggest successes have come at the Breeders' Cup, where he's won seven World Championship races, including three in 2009 when he claimed the Filly & Mare Sprint aboard Informed Decision; the Juvenile Fillies with She Be Wild; and the Dirt Mile with Furthest Land. He was also the regular pilot of the late, great Tepin–the Breeders' Cup Mile victress in 2015 and runner-up in 2016.

In 2009, Leparoux also carried another historic moment when he won the Big Cap with Einstein for trainer Helen Pitts, thus far the only time a female trainer has won the Santa Anita Handicap.

“This is a proud moment,” said Leparoux, who has been riding in the U.S. since 2005. “This award is so unique and special. To be recognized by my fellow jockeys is really special.”

“It was my dream as a child to be jockey. To be able to live your dream for 20 years, and to know that you are respected by your colleagues, it means everything.”

Leparoux, the 2006 Eclipse champion apprentice jockey and 2009 Eclipse champion jockey (one of four to win as an apprentice and a journeyman), will be honored with the Woolf Award in a winner's circle ceremony at Santa Anita in April. He currently rides full-time at Turfway Park in Kentucky.

The post Julien Leparoux Wins 2026 George Woolf Memorial Award appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

After 25 years at the helm of Turfway Park, and 13 years as general manager, Chip Bach will retire from his duties with the Florence, Kentucky track effective Apr. 1, the venue announced Monday morning.

Bach began his career at Turfway in 1999 as director of operations and human resources. In 2012, he was promoted to general manager of Turfway and later added oversight of Newport Racing & Gaming when it opened in 2020 during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. As general manager, Bach helped oversee the track's transition into a revitalized racing destination under Churchill Downs Incorporated while strengthening the track's relationships with horsemen, jockeys, and regulators.

“Being asked to become general manager of Turfway Park in 2012 was one of the most meaningful moments of my career,” Bach said. “To be trusted to lead a place with such a rich racing history meant a great deal to me.”

“Chip has been an integral part of the success at both Turfway Park and Newport Racing & Gaming,” said Matt Shehadi, vice president and general manager for Turfway Park Racing & Gaming and Newport Racing & Gaming. “His ability to lead across racing and gaming operations, while building strong relationships with horsemen, team members and guests, has made a lasting impact on both properties.”

Turfway Park will honor Bach on closing night Saturday with a fan appreciation celebration featuring live entertainment, giveaways and discounted food and beverages.

The post Chip Bach to Retire After 25-Year Career Leading Turfway Park appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

All breakdowns are horrible, something that no one ever wants to see and something that remains a troubling issue the racing industry continues to face. So it was a horrible scene on March 14 at the Fair Grounds when the 5-year-old gelding Guaguarero (Mo Town) fractured his right front ankle in a $12,500 maiden claimer and began to lose his action about 20 yards before the wire. Somehow, well in front of the field at the time, he managed to stagger across the wire still in front and was declared the winner. But he was euthanized after the race.

But what makes the story of Guaguarero different from the rest is that this was one breakdown that maybe didn't need to happen.

It was Guaguarero's first start since a Jan. 23, 2025 $35,000 maiden claimer at Santa Anita. The horse, owned by Greg Avery, obviously had problems, and trainer Steve Sherman had his hands full. After a stay on the vet's list, Sherman believed that he had Guaguarero fit and sound enough for a race. He pointed him for a Jan. 15 $20,000 maiden claimer at Santa Anita.

But, after a post-entry exam, Guaguarero was ordered scratched from the race by a regulatory veterinarian. According to Jeff Blea, the equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), the horse was unsound in his right front leg. It was the same right front leg that he fractured in the Fair Grounds race.

The vet's decision came as a surprise to Sherman.

“We did everything right,” Sherman said. “We turned him out. I did more checks with this horse than you can imagine. He passed every time until it came to that race. Sometimes people just don't like a particular horse.”

Since Guaguarero was put on the vet's list in California for the second time, he would have to remain there for a minimum of 45 days before he could be allowed to race again. To have his horse sit on the sidelines and hope that the vets would eventually clear the gelding again to race was one option that Sherman had. He and Avery decided to take another route. They transferred Guaguarero to trainer Grant Forster and sent him to the Fair Grounds.

“I wasn't going to argue any more,” Sherman said, “I wasn't going to fight, I just said that the horse needed to run elsewhere.”

Sherman and Avery surmised that it would be easier to get Guaguarero back into the starting gate in Louisiana than it would have been had they decided to stick things out in California. The reason? Louisiana is a state that does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA).

In California, when a horse is placed on the CHRB's vet list it also goes on the HISA vet list. On the day of the fatal race at the Fair Grounds, Guaguarero was still on the HISA vet list. That meant that he would not have been permitted to run at any track that is overseen by HISA.

Taking HISA out of the equation, according to Blea, tracks often deny the entry of a horse if it remains on the vet's list in another state.

But while HISA states offer reciprocity for vets' lists from state to state, non-HISA states don't honor those lists. The vets' list is controlled by the Louisiana Racing Commission, and a Louisiana commission vet is in charge of examining the horses to go on or off that list.

“(Louisiana) should have reciprocated and not allowed the horse to run until it came off the California vet's list,” Blea said. “You would hope there would be some reciprocation between the states to protect the horses. Obviously, this wasn't the case.”

Forster said that he never would have run Guaguarero had he not been convinced that the horse was sound and fit enough to run. The gelding did have four workouts at the Fair Grounds prior to the March 14 race, including a five-furlong work a week before the race that was recorded in 1:01.20.

“We never had any issues with him,” Forster said. “I never had an unsound day with him. He was working every Saturday. He was working really well and had a really good gate work with Mitchell Murrill the Saturday before the race. I never had any hesitation when it came to running the horse.”

Forster said that the Guaguarero was examined by a Louisiana Racing Commission veterinarian at the Fair Grounds before being allowed to race and was cleared.

“They obviously had the information on him and that's why we had to work for the vet here,” he said.

“It wasn't like the horse was going bad,” Sherman said. “They worked him out of the gate, They worked him for the vet. As far as I could tell, everything was fine with the horse. Unfortunately, things happen when horses run. I know this thing doesn't look great, but the horse was not in poor condition, and I stand by that.”

That a Louisiana Racing Commission vet had apparently examined the horse and given Forster the go-ahead to race him, still didn't mean that he was off either the California or HISA vet's list. HISA and the CHRB do not recognize the actions taken by tracks in non-HISA jurisdictions.

When asked to comment about the Guaguarero breakdown and what led to it, the reaction from HISA was firm and unapologetic.

“(Louisiana) does not operate within HISA's jurisdiction and does not honor HISA's veterinary list,” said a HISA spokesperson. “Racetracks operating under HISA's national, uniform rules have seen the benefits in a measurably lower fatality rate than non-HISA tracks. It is very discouraging that the entry was accepted and resulted in a fatality, an entirely preventable, tragic situation.”

It was a “tragic situation.” That's one point that is inarguable. There is more than one side to this story. There is HISA's side and there are the contentions made by Sherman and Forster attesting to the horse's soundness. Both have solid reputations.

But the fact remains that Guaguarero died on the racetrack. That's what really matters. He was owed more.

The post Did the System Fail a Horse Named Guaguarero? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

It can be hazardous to one's betting bankroll to drink the hype-flavored Kool-Aid that flows freely when an undefeated sophomore with limited experience wins a nine-furlong prep for the GI Kentucky Derby in eye-catching fashion.

Yet despite the well-documented risks against backing horses who have made only two lifetime starts prior to the first Saturday in May, Emerging Market just might be the type of real-deal, rapidly rising phenom to convince me to saunter over to the punch bowl and try a sip.

In the case of this ”TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' colt by Candy Ride (Arg), it's not just a matter of “how fast.” Although Emerging Market's two lifetime Beyer Speed Figures of 97 followed by a dip to 90 rank him in the upper tier of current Derby contenders, he rates a bit higher on the subjective “how he did it” scale.

In just a two-start racing career spanning six weeks, this Chad Brown trainee has gone from a debut maiden to winning the 1 3/16 miles GII Louisiana Derby. Racing effectively from both inside and outside posts, he has stalked, targeted and reeled in pacemakers while both covered up at the fence and from a few paths wide.

Most visually appealing have been Emerging Market's slugfest stretch runs, in which he has careened into the lane with serious, late-race momentum and been emboldened by shoulder-to-shoulder roughhousing with opponents, twice wresting command in the shadow of the wire by narrow margins.

With a victory in the season's first weekend of 100-points-to-the-winner qualifiers, the Klaravich Stables colorbearer has earned a berth in the Louisville starting gate if his connections–who are known for being conservative about not pushing young horses–want to buck convention and start a colt with only two lifetime starts in the Derby.

That angle that has produced only one winner in the 151-year history of the race, and has only been attempted six times since 1937.

On Sunday afternoon, Brown confirmed to TDN via text message that the Derby for Emerging Market is “very much under consideration.”

Emerging Market, a $185,000 KEESEP buy, descends from a female family in which the first two dams never hit the board in 11 combined races. But his dam, Wild Empress (Empire Maker), is a half-sister to the Eclipse Award-winning She Be Wild, winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2009.

Emerging Market debuted in a Tampa Bay Downs maiden special weight route over one mile 40 yards on the undercard of the Feb. 7 Sam F. Davis Stakes.

He broke alertly from post two at 3.2-1 odds under Flavien Prat, conceded the lead while saving ground into the turn, and responded to Prat's attempt to settle him at the back of the first flight.

Emerging Market then pulsed through at the inside, picking off horses through the far turn before darting off with a next-gear burst of acceleration at the quarter pole.

Spinning out to the five path, Emerging Market shifted in, bumping solidly with the favored leader several times through upper stretch. The two peeled off from the pack by 13 ½ lengths, taking turns alternating noses in front, before Emerging Market stubbornly prevailed by three-quarters of a length in 1:39.11 (.97 seconds off the track record) and galloped out with gusto.

Emerging Market drew the outermost nine post for this past Saturday's Louisiana Derby. Off at 2-1 favoritism, he broke with the leaders, and was again responsive to Prat's early-race attempt to pick ideal placement, which turned out to be a mid-pack stalking spot, fifth in the two path through the first turn.

Four lanes off the rail down the backstretch, Emerging Market advanced in hand, then encountered a minor momentum stall when he brushed with an inside rival and briefly got in tight on the heels of the horse in front of him. Effortlessly, Emerging Market recalibrated his cadence, and Prat nudged him outside.

Advancing in hand three furlongs out, Emerging Market glided to the front with a four-wide bid that briefly put him over the top at the quarter pole. But the 21-1 leader Pavlovian (Pavel)–a much more seasoned stakes winner making his tenth lifetime start–dug back in and re-seized the lead from the second-time starter.

The two sparred between the three-sixteenths and sixteenth poles before Emerging Market edged away with purpose to win by a head in 1:55.18.

“In his first race he showed a lot of professionalism,” Prat said. “I was a little worried about the nine hole, but we worked out a good trip. He fought hard. It was a good run, very professional. Honestly, when I turned for home I thought I would win easily, but Pavlovian gave us a good challenge.”

Emerging Market graduating at Tampa on Feb. 7 | SV Photography

The Kentucky Derby media guide has number-of-starts data dating back only to 1937 (the early decades of the Derby preceded the advent of past performances). But the media guide does contain a footnote explaining that, “Daily Racing Form's Jay Privman, with the help of Keeneland Library's Becky Ryder, determined through research that 1883 Derby winner Leonatus is the lone Kentucky Derby winner with just two lifetime starts.”

If (like me), Leonatus registers to you only as one of those names from a bygone era that you occasionally glance at on a souvenir Derby julep glass, take a nice little diversion over to his page on the American Classic Pedigrees site maintained by Avalyn Hunter.

There you'll learn that Leonatus was a well-proportioned, powerfully built bay who stood no more than 15.2 hands.

As a two-year-old, Leonatus raced only once, finishing second.

At age three, he won the Blue Ribbon Stakes in Lexington the week before the Kentucky Derby, then was sent off at 2-1 odds in the Derby itself, which at that time was contested over 12 furlongs.

The Churchill surface was reported as “stiff and slow” because of persistent pre-race rain. The start had to be taken twice because the field at first broke disjointedly. Leonatus pressed the pace and took over late to win by three lengths in 2:43.

If you think Leonatus overcame his lack of experience to win the Derby only to fade into obscurity, think again: He continued on a torrid win streak that netted him 10 stakes wins in a period of just seven weeks in the early part of 1883.

“Less than a week after the Kentucky Derby, Leonatus won the Tobacco Stakes. Then, three days later, he won the Woodburn Stakes,” a writeup by the Kentucky Historical Society explains. “Another win came at the Hindoo Stakes–later known as the Latonia Derby–and where he was ridden by legendary African American jockey Isaac Murphy. These wins were followed in close succession by victories at the Ripple Stakes, Himyar Stakes, Dearborn Stakes, Green Stakes, and Illinois Derby.”

Following his win in the Illinois Derby, notes the American Classic Pedigrees page, Leonatus was held via lien at Chicago as collateral to cover a $1,305 debt for “whisky, cigars, and borrowed money” that a co-owner had racked up. A $3,000 bond was required to get the Derby winner released the next day.

Other limited-start Derby entrants haven't fared as well.

Only one horse since 1937 has started in a Derby off just one lifetime start. Bert G. finished 14th in 1945.

The two-start Derby entrants since 1937 included Perfect Bahram (ninth in 1946), Senecas Coin (15th in 1949), Disposal (18th in 1992) and China Visit (sixth in 2000).

After a gap of more than two decades with no one trying the Derby off a base of just two lifetime starts, it's now happened twice within the past four years.

T O Password (JPN), who had raced twice in Japan, ran fifth in the 2024 Derby at 48-1 odds.

In 2022, 'Rising Star' Taiba was so well-regarded off two triple-digit Beyer wins (one in the GI Santa Anita Derby) that he was hammered in the Derby wagering to the 5-1 second choice. He finished twelfth.

The post Derby ‘Very much under consideration’ for Emerging Market appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

An increase in minimum purse payouts for all finishing positions was approved by The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (MTHA) in coordination with The Maryland Jockey Club (TMJC) on Mar. 19, it was announced on Sunday.

The MTHA Board of Directors approved the measure after a recommendation from the MTHA Purse Committee, which includes representatives from the TMJC.

The changes took effect starting with races on Mar. 21 at Laurel Park and will remain in place through the summer meet, which ends on June 28. The structure will then be reviewed to decide if it should continue.

Under the new payment schedule:

• Fourth place will receive 5% of the purse or $1,000, whichever is greater.
• Fifth place will earn 3% of the purse or $1,000, whichever is greater.
• Sixth place will get 2% of the purse or $1,000, whichever is higher.
• Seventh place through last place will receive at least $1,000.

According to current projections, the revised structure is expected to allocate about $1 million annually from the Purse Dedication Account toward increased payouts.

Off-Turf Races Receive Purse Boost

In an effort to grow field size and boost wagering, the MTHA, in collaboration with TMJC, has approved a specific purse adjustment for turf races moved to the main track.

The measure, approved by the MTHA Board of Directors on Mar. 19 following a recommendation from the MTHA Purse Committee–which includes representatives from TMJC–will take effect with the start of the Laurel Park spring meet on Friday, Apr. 10.

Under the program, races taken off the turf that have seven or more betting interests will receive a 20% purse increase. The initiative will remain in effect through June 28, 2026, and will be reevaluated for continuation before the Laurel fall meet begins in September.

Under the new framework, qualifying races that switch from turf to dirt but still have a large enough field will receive significant purse increases. For example:

• A $47,000 maiden special weight would rise to $56,400.
• A $24,000 lifetime claiming race would rise to $8,800.

Data consistently shows that races with seven or more betting interests generate substantially higher wagering activity compared to those with smaller fields.

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Shortly after Journalism (Curlin) worked five furlongs in company at Santa Anita Sunday, trainer Michael McCarthy said he is looking at three potential races to kick off the colt's 4-year-old campaign. Last season's GI Preakness winner could return in either the GII Oaklawn Handicap or GIII Ben Ali at Keeneland, both on Apr. 18, or wait for the GII Alysheba at Churchill Downs on May 1.

“All three of those races are in play,” McCarthy said.

Both the Oaklawn Handicap and Ben Ali are 1 1/8 miles. The Alysheba is 1 1/16 miles.

Journalism's work Sunday was his fifth since Feb. 22 and first with company. He was timed in 1:01.8.

“Nice solid work,” McCarthy said. “I wanted him to go ahead and eyeball a horse. I thought it was very professional and he finished up full of run. It seems like his air is coming to him now. We like what we're seeing.”

Journalism enters 2026 as one of the leading older horses in the country. Last year, the colt by Curlin won the GI Preakness Stakes, GI Santa Anitia Derby, GI Haskell, GII San Felipe and was second in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. He closed out the campaign with a fourth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Intrepido (Maximus Mischief) worked six furlongs with jockey Hector Berrios aboard Sunday in preparation for the Apr. 4 GI Santa Anita Derby.

Intrepido, trained by Jeff Mullins, was officially clocked completing the work in 1:14.4. Mullins said he timed the work in a shade under 1:14.

“He had a little company behind him at the start,” Mullins said. “We were just looking to get him through another work and come back sound.”

In his only start this year, the colt finished second by three-quarters of a length to the since sidelined Plutarch (Into Mischief) in the GIII Robert B. Lewis on Feb. 7. Last year, Intrepido won the GI American Pharoah at Santa Anita before finishing fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile after a slow start.

Intrepido was among several notables on the work tab Sunday. Big City Lights (Mr. Big), a candidate to run in next Sunday's GIII San Carlos going seven furlongs, worked six furlongs on the training track 1:13.4. Trained by Richard Mandella, Big City Lights has been off since Nov. 30 when finishing off the board in the Stormy Liberal on turf at Del Mar.

Trainer Bob Baffert's workers included Imagination (Into Mischief) and Usha (Tiz the Law). Imagination drilled four furlongs in :49.20. It was his second work since winning the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint on Feb. 14 in Saudi Arabia. Usha, winner of the GI La Brea on opening day, worked five furlongs in 1:00.4.

Me and Molly McGee (Vekoma), runner up in the GII D. Wayne Lukas in February, posted a three-furlong move in :36.60 for trainer Peter Eurton.

Vodka Vodka (Stay Thirsty), trained by Aggie Ordonez, returned to the work tab after finishing second in the GI Santa Anita Handicap Mar. 7. A 5-year-old California-bred gelding, Vodka Vodka drilled four furlongs in 49.0 seconds.

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The 2026 start of turf racing at Aqueduct Racetrack will be moved back two weeks due to the impact of heavy snowfall in January and February paired with continued cold overnight temperatures in March, according to The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) release Sunday.

Turf racing was initially slated to begin on Friday, Apr. 3, but the launch of the 2026 grass campaign on the NYRA circuit will move to Thursday, Apr. 16.

The Listed $150,000 Plenty of Grace Stakes, which was slated to be the first turf stakes of the season on Apr. 4, will move to Friday, Apr. 17. Nominations for the Plenty of Grace will remain open until Saturday, Apr. 4.

Despite the start of the 2026 NYRA turf season being pushed back, turf racing is still scheduled to commence earlier than in both 2024 and 2025.

The current Aqueduct winter meet will conclude on Sunday, Mar. 29 with the 2026 spring meet set to open Thursday, Apr. 2 and continue through Sunday, Apr. 26 with live racing conducted Thursday-Sunday. The spring meet will offer 15 live race days in total.

The Big A spring meet is highlighted by the 101st running of the GII Wood Memorial on Apr. 4.

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Champion Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) returned to the work tab Sunday morning at Oaklawn with a bullet half-mile work over a fast track for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.

Nitrogen, under two-time Oaklawn riding champion Cristian Torres, was clocked in :46.40, fastest of 56 published works at the distance. Nitrogen was breezing for the first time since finishing third in Mar. 7 GII Azeri Stakes.

Last year's champion 3-year-old filly remains on target for the Apr. 11 Apple Blossom Handicap.

“Nitrogen looked like the old Nitrogen,” said assistant trainer Caden Arthur, who oversees Casse's Oaklawn division. “She galloped great down the lane. She looked like she was barely moving, but her time didn't really say that.”

Clockers caught Nitrogen in :23.80 for her opening quarter-mile and galloping out five furlongs in :59.20 and six furlongs in 1:12.60. Torres was aboard Nitrogen for the first time.

“Nice horse,” Torres said. “Makes it easier for me.”

Torres has also been the regular rider at the meeting for stablemate Nerazurri (Protonico), who also breezed a half-mile Sunday morning in advance of a scheduled start in the Apple Blossom. Nerazurri, under exercise rider Autumn Lavertu, went in :48.40. Nerazurri galloped out five furlongs in 1:01..

“Nerazurri went nice and easy out there,” Arthur said.

In addition to a pair of victories in the Oaklawn Sports Overnight Stakes Jan. 1 and Trivista Overnight Stakes Feb. 27, Nerazurri finished second to Nitrogen in the GIII Bayakoa Stakes Feb. 7.

Nitrogen and Nerazurri both breezed by themselves during the special 10-minute workers-only session following the surface renovation break. Arthur said Nitrogen and Nerazurri will have their final works for the Apple Blossom on Apr. 1.

“More than likely, they'll go solo, five-eighths,” Arthur said. “We'll put a good time into them right there.”

The Apple Blossom is a “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, a race which Nitrogen finished second in last year.

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Fee, a half-sister to undefeated 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Englishman (Maxfield), has been supplemented to Fasig-Tipton's March Digital Sale, the online platform said in a press release early on Saturday morning.

Bidding for the sale opened Thursday and will close Tuesday, Mar. 24.

Fee (Hip 191), a six-year-old daughter of six-time leading sire Into Mischief, is consigned by Wasabi Ventures Sales LLC, agent.

An earner of $153,764 on the racetrack, she is offered in foal to Mindframe, Constitution's multiple Grade I winning son, on a Feb. 26 cover.

Englishman remains unbeaten following a 7 1/2 -length allowance victory at Fair Grounds Thursday, stopping the clock in 1:08.76 under a hand ride.

The 3-year-old has earned Beyer Speed Figures of 97 and 95 in his first two career starts. According to his connections, Englishman will point to the GII Pat Day Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

“Fee is an exciting addition to the sale off of Englishman's monster performance Thursday,” said Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales Leif Aaron. “Do not miss the many high-profile entries that we've received in the last week and are catalogued near the end of the sale. The last ten hips are loaded with six-figure horses coming off impressive wins, as well as broodmare prospects from live families with potential major updates on the horizon.”

Other prominent entries catalogued later in the sale include:

• Tiz a Ten I See (Hip 185): Three-year-old daughter of Tiz the Law has won her two most recent starts, including a 6-length win last out;
• Sutura (Hip 187): Three year-old daughter of Vekoma has been second in her first two starts and is primed to break her maiden in Kentucky in her next start;
• Feasible (Hip 188): Four-year-old daughter of Practical Joke was a winner at Oaklawn in her most recent start;
• Sea Art (Hip 189): Broodmare prospect is a half-sister to Wayne's Law (Tiz the Law), second in Sam F. Davis Stakes and pointing for GI Curlin Florida Derby for their next start.

To view the catalogue, or to register to bid, prospective buyers should click here.

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Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman's Weekend Princess (Vekoma), a $235,000 Keeneland November weanling turned $625,000 Keeneland September yearling, argued a good pace inside of firming favorite Confidentiality (Complexity) and found more in the final furlong and a half to graduate by a space en route to being named a 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard.

The even-money choice, drawn widest of a field reduced to six by a couple of scratches, pinged the stalls and led them through the opening exchanges, but Florent Geroux was urging Weekend Princess along, and the two eventually paired off through a quarter-mile in a sharp :22.06.

By virtue of being stuck down to the inside of Confidentiality for the run around the turn, Weekend Princess was arguably doing it much the tougher of the two, but she nevertheless struck to the front with three-eighths of a mile to run.

Confidentiality had no real response and when Weekend Princess was popped the question in earnest in upper stretch, she strode confidently clear to score impressively. The final time for the 5 1/2 furlongs was 1:04.22.

It was the second maiden allowance winner on the program for Vekoma, adding to the victory of Rethink in race one going six furlongs on the grass.

Dam Alemia, a half-sister to 2016 GIII Senorita Stakes victress Stays In Vegas (City Zip) and listed winner Miss Technicality (Gio Ponti), was offered with this filly in utero at the 2022 Keeneland November Sale, but was ultimately led out unsold on a bid of $170,000. That looked a wise decision when Weekend Princess went through the ring herself the following November and the results were even more spectacular at KEESEP.

The pedigree is live in the third dam, as Just Reward is the dam of GI Personal Ensign Stakes winner Persistently (Smoke Glacken), whose daughter W Heart Bond (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) beat the boys in the 2025 G1 Champions Stakes and was third, beaten a length, in last month's G1 February Stakes. Just Reward is herself a half-sister to GISW Good Reward and GSW Pure Prize.

Weekend Princess is the eighth 'TDN Rising Star' for her Spendthrift-based stallion.

5th-Santa Anita, $70,500, Msw, 3-20, 3yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:04.22, ft, 6 1/4 lengths.
WEEKEND PRINCESS, f, 3, by Vekoma
1st Dam: Alemia, by Congrats
2nd Dam: Double Jackpot, by Broken Vow
3rd Dam: Just Reward, by Deputy Minister
Sales history: $235,000 Wlg '23 KEENOV; $625,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Michael E Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman; B-John McCormack (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

#5 WEEKEND PRINCESS ($4.80) absolutely soared home with @flothejock aboard. The daughter of Vekoma (@spendthriftfarm) is trained by Bob Baffert. pic.twitter.com/PKwMUFWr70

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) March 20, 2026

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Horses that were either unsold or breezed and scratched from the recently concluded OBS March Two-Year-Olds In-Training Sale Mar. 10 to Mar. 12 will be featured in a 'Second Chance' digital auction via the OBSOnline platform, the company announced Friday.

Entries will be available for viewing online beginning Mar. 25 at 12:00p.m. ET. Horses offered will feature the same hip numbers they were initially assigned for the March Sale. They will be available for inspection at the location noted on their page. Medical information, including radiographs and video scopes, is available in the repository and can be accessed by buyers' veterinarians. Each horse will also have a walking video.

“It is definitely something new,” said Tod Wojciechowski, director of sales for the Ocala Breeders Sales Company. “The idea behind the Second Chance sale online is to provide an additional instance for consignors to sell their March horses as well as giving buyers another opportunity to reconsider horses they may have passed on or just overlooked.”

Bidding will open Mar. 27 at noon and close Mar. 31 at noon. To create an account or register to bid for the OBSOnline March Sale, please go here.

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Last year's Eclipse champion juvenile filly, Super Corredora (Gun Runner), will miss the GII Santa Anita Oaks Apr. 4 after getting sick earlier this week, trainer John Sadler reported Friday.

The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine has had a rough start to her 2026 campaign with two non-factor efforts in the Feb. 8 Las Virgenes Stakes and last out Mar. 8 in the GIII Santa Ysabel Stakes, where she missed the break and trailed far off her customary position.

Super Corredora reportedly ran a fever earlier this week that knocked her out of contention for the Kentucky Oaks qualifying race as there are no reported works on her tab since Mar. 1 ahead of the Santa Ysabel.

“She had a fever and we have to wait for her to get over that,” Sadler said. “The [Santa Anita] Oaks is out.”

The winner of the aforementioned Las Virgenes, Meaning (Gun Runner), remains on track to contest the Santa Anita Oaks and was spotted on track Friday in a five-furlong breeze. The Michael McCarthy-trainee was clocked in 1:00.20.

“Nice work. We're on track for the Oaks,” McCarthy said.

With temperatures soaring into the high 90s Friday, Santa Anita Park has put in place heat protocols in advance of the eight-race program. Buckets of ice and hoses will be available for use throughout the property while riders will be legged up in the saddling enclosure before going straight to the track from there. Following each race, all horses will go back to the barn area down the racetrack rather than through the paddock.

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Golden Tempo (Curlin), third in the GII Fasig-Tipton Risen Star S. Feb. 14, will race with first-time blinkers in Saturday's GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds.

The Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable homebred and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' was an eye-catching, come-from-behind winner of his first two career starts, including the GIII Lecomte S. Jan. 17. He rallied from seventh to complete the trifecta in the Risen Star, finishing six lengths behind Paladin (Gun Runner).

“He made a really nice run in the Risen Star and just gave himself a lot to do,” trainer Cherie DeVaux said. “We're putting blinkers on him not to change his running style, but hopefully to get him in a better position so he doesn't have to make up so much ground. He's got a really nice turn of foot, but I really just want to get him focused.”

Chip Honcho (Connect), winner of the local Gun Runner S. Dec. 20, was a fantastic second, beaten just a half-length, after setting a strong pace in the Risen Star. The 3-1 morning-line favorite figures to be on the engine once again beneath Luis Saez. Steve Asmussen has won the Louisiana Derby five times, including last year with longshot Tiztastic.

“He went fast to get to the front, but I had him on the lead where I wanted,” Saez said following the Risen Star. “He just got a little tired late. I feel like he's going to be a really nice horse.”

'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Emerging Market (Candy Ride {Arg}), a smart debut winner for Chad Brown with a field-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure going two turns at Tampa Feb. 7, is drawn widest of all in post nine. Runner-up that day Powershift (Constitution) returned with a disappointing sixth-place finish in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby.

The 1 3/16-mile Louisiana Derby serves as a Championship Series event on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, awarding 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points to the top five finishers.

The stacked 14-race program on Louisiana Derby Day also includes: a highly anticipated rematch between unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' and GII Fasig-Tipton Rachel Alexandra S. winner Bella Ballerina (Street Sense) and Luv Your Neighbor (Constitution) in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fair Grounds Oaks, good for 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks; the GII New Orleans Classic S., headed by Louisiana-bred sensation Touchuponastar (Star Guitar); and the GII Muniz Memorial Classic S.

Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf runner-up Stark Contrast (Caravaggio) will make his synthetic debut in Saturday's GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park, good for 100-50-25-15-10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

The Michael McCarthy-trained Amerman homebred–the same connections behind 2024 Jeff Ruby winner Endlessly–kicked off his sophomore campaign with a win in the Eddie Logan S. going a mile over the Santa Anita lawn Jan. 8.

“He's a good work horse and trains with a lot of energy,” McCarthy said. “He seems to be going the right way. It's a good time to take a swing at a big pot.”

Stark Contrast figures to vie for favoritism with the stretch-running Fulleffort (Liam's Map), who finished a rallying second in both the Leonatus S. Jan. 17 and John Battaglia Memorial S. Feb. 21.

Turfway's 13-race card also features: the Kentucky Oaks qualifier Bourbonette Oaks (50-25-15-10-5) and the GIII TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic.

Saturday's graded stakes action also includes the GIII Essex H. at Oaklawn, led by GI Pegasus World Cup upsetter Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator); and the GIII San Luis Rey S. at Santa Anita.

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Repole Stable and Spendthrift Farm's Make My Day (Gun Runner), a distant third to 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard and GII Louisiana Derby hopeful Emerging Market (Candy Ride {Arg}) trying a distance of ground on Tampa debut Feb. 7, took control of a Friday afternoon maiden at Gulfstream Park right from the start and proved not for catching.

Off as the 5-2 third betting choice, the $1.1-million Keeneland September acquisition broke a bit inward from the rail draw, but nevertheless made an easy lead entering the first turn. Laying down sound fractions of :23.14 and :47.05, the bay colt–carrying the Repole colors this time around–began to sneak away from his rivals with about three furlongs to race and appeared ready to win by as many as Luis Saez pleased.

Second favorite Stompin Grapes (Vino Rosso) tried to make a race of it in the final furlong, but, despite a bit of drifting as the wire neared, Make My Day was home safely in front. It was a gap of 10 lengths to the newly blinkered and market leader The Pulse (Curlin) in third.

Make My Day is a half-brother to an additional six winners, including Magical (Tapit), SW, $164,550; Exulting (Tapit), MSW, $687,370; Imagination (Into Mischief), MGSW & MGISP-USA, GSW-KSA, $2,143,700; and Occult (Into Mischief), GSW & MGISP, $721,006. The deeper female family includes Grade I winners Well Chosen (Deputy Minister) and Golden Ticket (Speightstown). Magical Feeling did not produce foals in 2024 or 2025 and was most recently covered by National Treasure, also bred by Peter Blum.

5th-Gulfstream, $68,000, Msw, 3-20, 3yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:42.57, sy, 1 1/2 lengths.
MAKE MY DAY (c, 3, Gun Runner–Magical Feeling {GSW & GISP, $554,532}, by Empire Maker) 1/2 to Magical (Tapit), SW, $164,550; Exulting (Tapit), MSW, $687,370; Imagination (Into Mischief), MGSW & MGISP-USA, GSW-KSA, $2,143,700; and to Occult (Into Mischief), GSW & MGISP, $721,006. Sales history: $1,100,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $44,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Spendthrift Farm LLC & Repole Stable; B-Peter E Blum Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher.

@RepoleStable & @SpendthriftFarm get a maiden winner with #1 MAKE MY DAY ($7.00), who held off Stompin Grapes in the 5th race at @GulfstreamPark. @luissaezpty rode the three-year-old Gun Runner (@Three_Chimneys) colt for @PletcherRacing. pic.twitter.com/V8i4TjQil9

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) March 20, 2026

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