Thoroughbred Daily News

A pair of 'TDN Rising Stars, presented by Hagyard', are part of this week's fastest maidens hit parade.

5) LA RASCASSE, KEE, 4/11-8th, 7f VIDEO
Beyer Speed Figure- 84
(f, 3, by Authentic-Hallawallah, by Candy Ride (Arg))
O-Resolute Racing. B-Bill Klisit (Ky). T-Will Walden. J-Axel Concepcion.

Champion Maryfield (Elusive Quality), who won the 2007 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, was disappointing as a producer, but her top earner Hallawallah (Candy Ride {Arg}) has a chance to burnish the family resume. Hallawallah earned $188,789 with no black type and Beyer s of 86 and 84. But her first foal La Rascasse, a $750,000 Keeneland September yearling, graduated with an 84 figure and a 'Rising Star' distinction at first asking by outgaming another promising first-timer in Belle (Uncle Mo).

4) PRINT, AQU, 4/12-1st, 1m VIDEO
Beyer Speed Figure- 85
(c, 3, by Munnings-Promotional, by Artie Schiller)
O/B-Marc Keller (Ky). T-Robert Ribaudo. J-Ricardo Santana Jr.

In his fifth start, Print faced a weak five horse field at Aqueduct, but handled them the right way from the rail when he scored by in five lengths. The colt started his career with two races on grass and that remains an option going forward. His dam Promotional (Artie Schiller) is a half-sister to dual Grade I turf winner and GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf runner-up Marketing Mix (Medaglia d'Oro). We know that Munnings's progeny have had success on dirt and turf.

3) BRIGHTLINE BULLET, AQU, 4/9-1st, 6 1/2f VIDEO
Beyer Speed Figure- 86
(g, 4, by Liam's Map-Sense of War, by Street Sense)
O-West Point Thoroughbreds, Donarra Thoroughbreds and New Phoenix Stable. B-Veloce (Ky). T-Miguel Clement. J-Jaime Rodriguez.

Brightline Bullet was always talented, first for the late Christophe Clement as an early 3-year-old and later for son Miguel. But he suffered a setback in late February 2025 that delayed his debut until August and then was sidelined again until an Aqueduct sprint last week. Gelding him and some patience along the way paid off in the form of a 5 3/4-length victory when he posted a Beyer figure that hints at more to come if he can stay healthy.

Magical Factor | Coady Media

2) MAGICAL FACTOR, KEE, 4/11-5th, 1 1/16m (turf) VIDEO
Beyer Speed Figure- 89
(g, 3, by The Factor-Think Magic, by Malibu Moon)
O/B-Chiefswood Stables Limited (Ont-C). T-Rachel Halden. J-Kazushi Kimura.

With young and lightly raced horses, improvement can occur suddenly and sometimes unexpectedly. Such was the case with Chiefswood homebred Magical Factor, who seemed to display a preference for grass in his second start. He then jumped 23 Beyer points forward in his third race to win going away at Keeneland with Woodbine on the horizon.

1) MUNNINGS CHALLENGE, OP, 4/11-9th, 6f VIDEO
Beyer Speed Figure- 94
(c, 3, by Munnings-Amy's Challenge, by Artie Schiller)
O/B-Novogratz Racing Stables (Ky). T-Brad Cox. J-Jose Ortiz.

Munnings Challenge rolled to a five-length big Beyer score and a 'Rising Star' at Oaklawn in his second start to give Joe Novogratz's star mare Amy's Challenge her first winner. Minnesota owner/breeder Novogratz–a member of Canterbury Park's Hall of Fame–spent only $20,000 at Fasig-Tipton October to buy Amy's Challenge as a yearling in 2016. She won five stakes and was graded placed on four occasions–including a neck defeat in 2019 GI Madison Stakes at Keeneland. Her first foal by Tapit died as a weanling, but Amy's Challenge has a 2-year-old colt named Tapit's Challenge (Tapit) and a yearling colt by Uncle Mo.

The post Five Fastest Maidens For The Week: Apr. 6-12 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Several horses clustered near the bottom of the “Road to the GI Kentucky Derby” are eligible for the race based on points, but their connections have not committed to the Derby. So this list differs slightly from the official qualifying rankings with respect to a few horses who are currently outside the top 20 points leaders and looking to get in.

1) 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: GISW, 5-4-0-0, $1,017,339. Last start: WON Mar. 28 GI Curlin Florida Derby.

Pros: Commandment is all about reliability and sturdiness, delivering no-nonsense wins despite routinely having to adapt his running style to overcome less-than-ideal tactical circumstances.

This Brad Cox-trained son of Into Mischief ($485,000 RNA FTKNOV; $475,000 RNA FTSAUG; $500,000 KEESEP) has won four straight.

His prep path to Louisville includes a victory by a nose in the three-way GI Florida Derby photo, a race that was deeper in talent than any other stakes on the 2025-26 qualifying schedule.

Cons: It's difficult to knock a colt who has just paired Beyer Speed Figures of 101 and 100. The last 10 winning Beyers for the Derby have all been between 100 and 105, so Commandment is already across that threshold.

But horses coming off last-race, triple-digit Beyers aren't the ones prevailing in the Derby of late.

In each of the last five years, the horses who crossed the finish wire first in the Derby all attained their respective 100-to-105 Beyers by leapfrogging their last-race numbers by double-digit points: Sovereignty 104 (+12), Mystik Dan 100 (+11), Mage 105 (+11), Rich Strike 101 (+17) and Medina Spirit 102 (+12).

2) RENEGADE (c, Into Mischief–Spice Is Nice, by Curlin). O-Robert Low, Lawana L. Low, and Repole Stable; B-Robert & Lawana Low (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. Sales history: $975,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISW, 5-2-2-1, $1,031,500. Last start: WON Mar. 28 GI Arkansas Derby.

Pros: Continuing that Beyer Speed Figure discussion, Renegade does fit the pattern of a “jump-up” type of colt ready to break the 100+ barrier. His lifetime Beyer pattern stands at 57-87-82-93-98.

This $975,000 KEESEP son of Into Mischief from Todd Pletcher's barn rates highly based on the visually arresting quality of his far-turn moves.

Additionally, Renegade has put up final fractions in the late stages of his races (closing sixteenth in :5.97 in the Sam F. Davis Stakes and final furlong in :11.84 in the GI Arkansas Derby) that exceed the stretch-run clockings of every other sophomore contender this season.

Cons: In the Davis and Arkansas Derby, Renegade gave up ground on the far turn yet won decisively. But it's an open question as to how much of his dominance was attributable to the competition being below what he'll face in Louisville.

I would have liked to have seen at least one strong race from Renegade breaking from an inside post or by closing up the rail.

3) 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: GISW, $1,146,328. Last start: WON Apr. 4 GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes.

Pros: With a 20-length, two-turn maiden blowout in his third lifetime start and an 11-length dismantling of the GI Blue Grass Stakes, the light-on-his-feet Further Ado has stamped himself as a colt who can deliver thorough clock-cleanings of his competition.

This Brad Cox trainee by Gun Runner ($275,000 KEESEP; $550,000 OBSAPR) appears to be peaking at the right time. His 92-Beyer second in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby was notable considering he wasn't fully cranked coming off a 3 1/2-month layoff, yet he was the only contender to force the issue up front then stick around at the finish.

In the Blue Grass, Further Ado stalked in third, gradually built momentum with an in-hand run through the far turn, then kicked away at the quarter pole, running up the score with a 106-Beyer blowout.

Cons: Despite a 3-1-1 record from six lifetime starts, with the last three in Grade I, II and III stakes, Further Ado has only once finished ahead of another horse who has won a graded stakes.

Further Ado | Coady Media

4) 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 & GISP, 4-1-2-1, $442,280. Last start: 2nd Mar. 28 GI Florida Derby.

Pros: Since Jan. 10, The Puma has beaten Further Ado by three-quarters of a length, lost by a nose to Commandment, finished third behind Renegade, and has once beaten and been beaten by 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Chief Wallabee (Constitution).

This Gustavo Delgado trainee most recently ran a sharp second in the Florida Derby.

The Puma's sustained rally enabled him to get first run at the favorite, then, after putting that rival away, he had to dig down deep to try and fend off serious late bids from both Commandment and Chief Wallabee. He was ahead of Commandment one jump before the wire and one jump after it in a tight photo-finish.

Cons: The Puma ($95,000 RNA KEESEP; $150,000 OBSAPR) toured the track four wide in both those stakes, and giving up that much ground can be too costly to overcome in the Kentucky Derby, especially coming off a taxing final prep.

The Puma's sire, Essential Quality, is a prime example. The undefeated juvenile champ was consistently kept outside in his races, and went off favored in the 2021 Derby off a demanding win in the Blue Grass. He got parked wide on both turns, then had no spark for the stretch, finishing a best-of-the-rest fourth.

5) POTENTE (c, Into Mischief–Sweet Sting, by Awesome Again). O-Speedway Stables LLC; B-Pam & Martin Wygod (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $2,400,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG. Lifetime Rrecord: GSW & GISP, 3-2-1-0, $262,000. Last start: 2nd Apr. 4 GI Santa Anita Derby.

Pros: How about 20-1 on a $2.4 million FTSAUG colt by Into Mischief who is just now starting to look dialed in for Bob Baffert, a seven-time (one DQ) Derby winning trainer?

Potente doesn't need to go directly to the front like in his maiden sprint win or his second in the GI Santa Anita Derby. Applying reasonable pressure while maintaining first-flight positioning would make Potente very dangerous turning for home. His lifetime Beyer arc of 79-89-95 suggests a triple-digit top is within his grasp.

Cons: The entire SoCal contingent of Derby aspirants looked much stronger last fall heading into the Breeders' Cup than they do now. The four maidens Potente beat in his Jan. 31 debut have since gone a collective 0-for-6.

6) 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.

Pros: You have to buy into the not-yet-fully-formed “phenom” vision of Emerging Market to make a cogent case for him winning the Derby in just his third lifetime start.

But the charismatic aplomb of this $185,000 KEESEP colt's first two victories does make that convention-defying paradigm seem reach-out-and-grab-it possible.

This Chad Brown-trained son of Candy Ride (Arg)'s dive-bomb stretch attacks in his maiden win and the 1 3/16-mile GII Louisiana Derby have been punctuated by sustained intensity. Emerging Market has twice gone shoulder-to-shoulder with rivals before drilling them into defeat in the shadow of the wire.

Cons: The angle of exactly two starts before the Derby has produced only one winner in the 151-year history of the race (Leonatus in 1883). It's such a rare occurrence that that prep path has only been attempted six times since 1937.

7) DANON BOURBON (c, Maxfield–Wild Ridge, by Tapit). O-Danox Co Ltd; B-Blue Heaven Farm (KY); T-Manabu Ikezoe. Sales history: $450,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $222,733. Last start: WON Mar. 28 Fukuryu Stakes (allowance).

Pros: We've seen both front-running and prowl-and-pounce tactics from this undefeated $450,000 KEESEP colt by Maxfield from trainer Manabu Ikezoe's stable. This muscular prospect has racked up three wins over 1800 meters (8.95 furlongs) and 1900 meters (9.44 furlongs) at Kyoto and Nakayama.

Danon Bourbon's decisive 3 1/2-length score as the 11-10 fave in the muddy Mar. 28 $227,900 Fukuryu Stakes win established a record clocking for the history of that race, which is run under allowance conditions.

Cons: Even as the sport becomes more globalized, it's still difficult to get a true read on how Japanese imports (especially those with only three lifetime starts) stack up against American competition.

Danon Bourbon has started only twice at age three. In the past nine years, horses with only two sophomore starts prior to the Kentucky Derby have been a collective 1-for-54, with Sovereignty in 2025 the lone winning exception.

Danon Bourbon | Horsephotos/Tomoya Moriuchi

8) CHIEF WALLABEE (c, Constitution–A La Lucie, by Medaglia d'Oro). 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard'. O/B-Mike & Katherine Ball (KY); T-William I. Mott. Lifetime Record: GSP, 3-1-1-1, $216,600. Last start: 3rd Mar. 28 GI Florida Derby.

Pros: This homebred son of Constitution from Bill Mott's stable is currently 21st on the qualifying points list. He got a useful learning experience while not fully throttled in the Florida Derby. A bet on him in the Kentucky Derby is a wager that Chief Wallabee will show a more focused response when cued to quicken.

This colt raced covered up behind the top two in the Florida Derby, but got locked and boxed at the rail. Junior Alvarado swung four wide for the drive, but after he had to yank Chief Wallabee off heels in upper stretch, he never quite regained his momentum (although Chief Wallabee did re-engage when Commandment roared alongside a sixteenth out).

Chief Wallabee ended up third, beaten just a half-length, and he pursued Commandment with zeal in the gallop-out. His lifetime Beyers are 89-100-99.

Cons: Since 1900, 29 horses have tried the Derby off exactly three lifetime starts. Only four three-start horses have won: Regret (1915), Big Brown (2008), Justify (2018) and Mage (2023).

Of the remaining 25, only one finished better than seventh in the Derby: Curlin, third in 2007.

9) PAVLOVIAN (c, Pavel–Mandy's Grace, by Bellamy Road). O/B-Reddam Racing, LLC (CA); T-Doug F. O'Neill. Lifetime Record: GSP, 10-2-4-1, $613,450.

Pros: Part of the glowing writeup I gave No. 6-ranked Emerging Market is predicated on believing that Pavlovian was a much more formidable foe than his 21-1 odds indicated in the Louisiana Derby.

This homebred for Reddam Racing (a winner of the Derby twice with trainer Doug O'Neill), has already raced 10 times. He spent seven of his first eight races competing at the California-bred level, with six of those starts in sprints.

But since O'Neill put blinkers back on, this gray gutted out a win by a nose on a tight bob when running down the pacemaker in the 1 1/16-mile Sunland Derby (87 Beyer), and he set a brisk pace then clawed back the lead from Emerging Market before being outlasted by a head over 1 3/16 miles at Fair Grounds (90 Beyer).

Cons: A big part of Pavlovian's appeal is that he has a shot at establishing the tempo in what appears to be a pace-deficient Derby.

But if he ends up getting a tough gate draw or gets sucked into an intemperate duel before the race is half over, his generous 52-1 odds from Pool 6 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) won't seem like much of an overlay.

10) WONDER DEAN (JPN), (c, Dee Majesty {Jpn}–Wonder Siang Praw {Jpn}, by Wonder Acute {Jpn}). O/B-Yoshinari Yamamoto; T-Daisuke Takayanagi. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-2-2-0, $770,541.

Pros: Wonder Dean, a Japanese homebred by Group 1-winning turfer Dee Majesty (Jpn), is a smaller-framed colt with a distinctive white nose who has settled in early at Churchill, having arrived stateside shortly after his 2 1/2-length win in the Mar. 28 G2 UAE Derby.

He built momentum from a half-mile out to reel in lone pacemaker over the 1900-meter Meydan distance.

Cons: Since 2000, 15 winners of the UAE Derby have gone on to compete in the Kentucky Derby. Other than the third-place try by Forever Young (whose jockey Ryusei Sakai will jump aboard Wonder Dean for the Derby), none of the UAE Derby winners have managed better than sixth.

11) INCREDIBOLT (c, Bolt d'Oro–Sapphire Spitfire, by Awesome Again). O-Pin Oak Stud LLC; B-Deann Baer & Greg Baer DVM (KY); T-Riley Mott. Sales history: $75,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-3-0-0, $498,681. Last start: WON Mar. 14 Virginia Derby.

Pros: Incredibolt ($75,000 KEESEP) is a wild card with some upside, although I'd want a better price than the 22-1 odds at which he closed in Pool 6 of the KDFW to take a flyer on him.

At his best, this lean, powerful son of Bolt d'Oro from Riley Mott's outfit is adept at closing from behind while wide, like when he won the GIII Street Sense Stakes (82 Beyer), or by firing up the fence after stalking, as in his four-length takedown of the one-turn, nine-furlong Virginia Derby (88 Beyer).

Cons: On his worst days, like in the GIII Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream when he ran sixth and last, beaten 25 1/4 lengths, Incredibolt is capable of running poorly without any obvious excuse.

Incredibolt | Coady Media

12) FULLEFFORT (c, 3, Liam's Map–Callmethesqueeze, by Awesome Again). O-St. Elias Stable & Starlight Racing; B-Athens Woods LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. Sales history: $425,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: GSW, 7-3-2-1, $694,115. Last start: WON Mar. 21 GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks.

Pros: Fulleffort, a 3-for-7 gray son of Liam's map, is described by trainer Brad Cox as “a bigger, stronger version of himself than he was last summer” coming out of his 94-Beyer rallying win over Tapeta in the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks.

This $425,000 FTSAUG colt will be making his first start on dirt in the Derby. At age two he won maiden and allowance turf races at Kentucky Downs and Keeneland.

Fulleffort is a half-sibling to Power Squeeze, the victress of the 2024 Alabama Stakes over 10 furlongs on dirt.

Cons: Even though Animal Kingdom (2011) and Rich Strike (2022) proved that Turfway's premier stakes can be a springboard to a blanket of roses, the remaining participants out of the Ruby (or its differently named predecessors) have been a collective 0-for-25 in the Derby since that stakes was first run over a synthetic surface in 2006.

13) GOLDEN TEMPO (c, Curlin–Carrumba, by Bernardini). 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'. O/B-Phipps Stable & St. Elias Stables, LLC (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-2-0-2, $333,000. Last start: 3rd Mar. 21 GII Louisiana Derby.

Pros: Golden Tempo, a Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stables homebred son of Curlin out of a Bernardini mare, won the GIII Lecomte Stakes in last-to-first fashion.

He was closing the gap when third, but still six lengths behind, the now-sidelined but formerly No. 1-ranked Paladin (Gun Runner) in the GII Risen Star Stakes.

Trainer Cherie DeVaux tried blinkers for the first time in the Louisiana Derby, in which Golden Tempo got pinched at the break but came surging home to get third, beaten a length by Emerging Market. His Beyers are now 78-81-84-88.

Cons: Six weeks between a final prep and the Derby has a low strike rate. Not counting the pandemic year's 2020 Derby in September, in the past 70 years, the only horse to cross the finish wire first in the Derby off any gap longer than 35 days was Animal Kingdom, who won 42 days out in 2011. Needles in 1956 was the last six-week-layoff winner before that.

14) 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 & GISP, 6-2-4-0, $1,051,922. Last start: 2nd Mar. 28 GI Arkansas Derby.

Pros: Between 2011 and 2020, the first horse across the line in every Kentucky Derby had won its previous start. For the last five years, no Derby winner has won his final prep.

Perhaps that trend bodes well for Silent Tactic ($60,000 FTKOCT; $500,000 OBSAPR), who has never been worse than second in six tries, all in races at 1 1/16 miles or longer.

This Mark Casse-trained son of Tacitus won the GIII Southwest Stakes by 3 1/4 lengths at 12-1 odds (88 Beyer), having no trouble bulling his way from last in a 12-horse field.

Cons: Since his Southwest win two months ago (from which six other horses have now raced back, with none hitting the board), Silent Tactic has plateaued, earning 91 Beyers when second in both the GII Rebel Stakes and the Arkansas Derby.

15) SO HAPPY (c, Runhappy–So Cunning, by Blame). O-Norman Stables LLC and Saints or Sinners; B-Leverett S. Miller (KY); T-Mark Glatt. Sales history: $12,000 Wlg '23 KEENOV; $20,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT; $150,000 2yo '25 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: GISW, 4-3-0-1, $480,000. Last start: WON Apr. 4 GI Santa Anita Derby.

Pros: A winner in three of his four races and only beaten 2 1/4 lengths in his lone defeat, the Mark Glatt-trained So Happy has tactical speed and a 100-Beyer win over nine furlongs.

Beyond his 7-1 upset in the Santa Anita Derby, So Happy ($12,000 KEENOV; $20,000 FTKOCT; $150,000 OBSMAR) also hit the winner's circle in his 6 1/2-fulrong maiden debut at 38-1 odds and in the seven-furlong GII San Vicente Stakes.

Cons: Although the Blame and Seeking the Gold influences on the female side lend stoutness to his pedigree, this son of 2015 champion sprinter Runhappy could find it challenging to make an impact over 10 furlongs.

So Happy | Benoit photo

16) ALBUS (c, Yaupon–Adream, by Bernardini). O-Pin Oak Stud LLC; B-Susan Casner (KY); T-Riley Mott. Sales history: $320,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-2-0-1, $436,288. Last start: WON Apr. 4 GII Wood Memorial Stakes.

Pros: Congrats if you locked in Albus (Yaupon) at 173-1 odds in Pool 6 of the KDFW, which closed 38 minutes prior to this $320,000 KEESEP colt's 11-1 upset in the GII Wood Memorial Stakes.

That's a sweet ticket to be holding on a could-be-anything prospect who, like So Happy above, has a sprinter-over-stayer pedigree. This May 15 foal just now seems to be figuring things out for trainer Riley Mott.

Cons: The Wood Memorial was slow by any metric. The nine-furlong clocking of 1:51.71 was 0.74 seconds shy of what 3-year-old fillies ran in the GIII Gazelle Stakes 40 minutes earlier. Albus's 83 Beyer is the co-lowest winning Beyer in any nine-furlong Derby prep in at least the last three years

17) RIGHT TO PARTY (c, Constitution–Havin' a Party, by Emcee). O-Chester Broman, Sr.; B-Tony Holmes & Timothy C. Thornton (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. Sales history: $325,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSP, 4-1-1-2, $230,200. Last start: 2nd Apr. 4 GII Wood Memorial Stakes.

Pros: Never off the board in four lifetime starts, Right to Party, a $325,000 KEESEP colt by Constitution from Kenny McPeek's barn, saved ground and rolled home from next-to-last to snag second by a nose in the Wood Memorial.

Cons: The Wood's fourth-quarter split of :26.37 and its final furlong of :13.30, into which Right to Party made his late-race move, were the slowest and second-slowest such fractions among the 10 points-awarding stakes at 1 1/8 miles in 2025-26.

18) SIX SPEED (c, Not This Time–Browse, by Medaglia d'Oro). O-Brunetti Dugan Stables, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Steve Adkisson, Swinbank Stables; B-KatieRich Farms (KY); T-Bhupat Seemar. Sales history: $50,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; 220,000gns 2yo '25 TATBRE. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-3-1-1, $402,183. Last start: 2nd Mar. 28 G2 UAE Derby.

Pros: Six Speed ($50,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; 220,000gns 2yo '25 TATBRE), a Not This Time-sired colt who wintered in Dubai, was purchased privately by his current ownership group back in January.

He won the G3 UAE 2000 Guineas by five lengths in a field of 16, then led for as long as he could as the breakaway pacemaker in the UAE Derby before getting reeled in by Wonder Dean, staying on for second in an 11-horse field.

Cons: As trainer Bhupat Seemar pointed out after this colt's runner-up Meydan race, “He doesn't help himself. He's got so much speed, but he needs to learn to relax.”

19) INTREPIDO (r, Maximus Mischief–Overly Indulgent, by Pleasantly Perfect). 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'. O-Dutch Girl Holdings LLC and Irving Ventures LLC; B-Sierra Fria Farm LLC (KY); T-Jeff Mullins. Sales history: $30,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; $385,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GISW, 6-2-1-0, $342,800. Last start: 4th Apr. 4 GI Santa Anita Derby.

Pros: This ridgling by Maximus Mischief ($30,000 KEESEP; $385,000 OBSAPR) is ranked 23rd on the qualifying list as of this writing, but his connections have indicated they would like to take a shot at the Derby if defections occur.

Intrepido, who routinely runs Beyers in the 80s, is trying to regain the form that put him in the winner's circle for the GI American Pharoah Stakes last October. He was most recently fourth, beaten 10 lengths, in the Santa Anita Derby.

Cons: Intrepido would go into the Derby having not won a race in seven months. Rich Strike (2022) and Super Saver (2010) are the last two horses who crossed the finish wire first in the Derby after not winning a sophomore race prior to the first Saturday in May.

20) BRAVARO (c, Upstart–Opera Star, by Tamarkuz). O-Albert Ciuffetelli, Stephanie S Brennan, Shining Stables LLC, BAG Racing Stables & Paul Braverman; B-Stepanie Baltzan (NY); T-Saffie A Joseph Jr. Sales history: $57,000 RNA Ylg '24 SARAUG; $95,000 RNA 2yo '25 EASMAY. Lifetime record; GSP, 5-2-1-0, $272,700. Last start: 4th Apr. 4 GII Wood Memorial Stakes.

Pros: Bravaro, at No. 26 on the Derby qualifying list, is another who is outside looking in, points-wise. He started his career with two victories against New York-breds, and his best effort in an open-company stakes was a second-place try in the GIII Holy Bull Stakes back in January.

Cons: With blinkers added, this Saffie Joseph, Jr. trainee he was fourth, beaten 2 1/2 lengths, behind three double-digit longshots in the Wood. He exits the slowest nine-furlong prep this season and hasn't hit the winner's circle in six months.

The post TDN Derby Top 20: Pros and Cons Of Every Contender appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The Ocala Breeders Sales Company's Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, featuring a catalogue of over 1,200 horses, opens its four-day run Tuesday in Central Florida with bidding beginning at 10:30 a.m.

“I think it is the 2-year-old sale of the world,” OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski said of the Spring sale. “That's what it is looked at as. The amount of international traffic, the amount of domestic traffic, has just been tremendous and continues to branch out.”

Carrying on from last fall's record-setting yearling auctions, the juvenile sales season opened on a high note of its own with the OBS March sale a month ago. That auction produced a record-tying seven million-dollar 2-year-olds, as well as its highest-ever gross and increases in both average and median.

Asked if he expected to see those positive trends continue this coming week, Wojciechowski said, “We are optimistic. We feel good about the horses that are on the grounds and we hope that the momentum that we had in March will carry forward.”

The Spring sale has lofty standards of its own to live up to in 2026. The auction with the catalogue that perennially has “something for everyone” has set new record averages during its last three renewals. A year ago, 637 horses sold through the ring for a gross of $88,761,500. The average was $139,343–up 7.1% from the record figure set in 2024–and the median was $65,000.

“The reason the sale continues to get better and better is because the quality of horses that the consignors bring just step up year after year,” Wojciechowski said. “I could see us taking another step in that direction this year. Here we sit with four horses on the Derby trail–three of them out of the April sale. The quality of the horses that continue to come out of the 2-year-old sales here just continues to get better.”

The trio of April graduates heading to Louisville for the first Saturday in May include GIII Tampa Bay Derby winner and GI Curlin Florida Derby runner-up The Puma (Essential Quality), who was purchased for $150,000 out of the 2025 Spring sale; GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner Futher Ado (Gun Runner), acquired for $550,000; and GIII Southwest Stakes winner and GI Arkansas Derby runner-up Silent Tactic (Tacitus), purchased for $500,000 last year.

OBS hosted a six-session under-tack preview of the Spring sale last week and, despite dodging some raindrops, the show was a success, according to Wojciechowski.

“All in all, we got extremely lucky,” he said. “It could have been worse. Places that were only a couple of hours away got five and six inches of rain and we had some light drizzle most of the time. There were short periods of time where it rained a little harder. But we truthfully got lucky with the weather and we are happy that we were able to dodge that weather bullet.”

Through the six sessions, six juveniles shared the furlong bullet time of :9 3/5, while five had the fastest quarter-mile time of :20 2/5.

“The grandstand was full for the under-tack show and the barn area is full now,” Wojciechowski said. “It's been very active. We have been getting plenty of phone calls from people planning to arrive soon. We are looking forward to a good sale.”

The Spring sale will be held Tuesday through Friday with sessions beginning each day at 10:30 a.m.

The post ‘The 2-Year-Old Sale of the Year’: OBS Spring Sale Starts Tuesday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The Supreme Court for the State of New York (New York County) on Thursday entered a summary judgment related to a lawsuit originally filed in 2022 that involves disputes dating to 2017 between performance-figure provider Thoro-Graph, Inc., and the New York Racing Association (NYRA).

On Apr. 9, 2026, the judge in the case, Lyle Frank, wrote that, “plaintiff Thoro-Graph, Inc., is entitled to summary judgment on liability for their first cause of action as against defendant NYRA, with damages and an award of reasonable attorneys' fees to be determined at trial or other such resolution of this matter.”

Thoro-Graph had sued both NYRA and its advance deposit wagering (ADW) platform, NYRA Bets, over the alleged non-payment of at least $333,000 that Thoro-Graph believed was its rightful cut for incentivizing horseplayers to become NYRA Bets customers via a free, membership-based portal called Thoro-Graph Player Services (TGPS).

Thoro-Graph claimed in its complaint that its portal grew NYRA's betting handle by $100 million over a roughly five-year span, “solely through the joint venture resulting in $3 million in revenue” for NYRA.
When the alignment between the two entities was first announced in 2017, the deal was billed as giving Thoro-Graph an exclusive ADW partner, while NYRA Bets got a valuable pipeline of new customers.

Horseplayers would benefit too, a TGPS executive explained at the time, because they would get access to “concierge-level support,” volume-based wagering rebates, on-track visitation amenities, and discounts on Thoro-Graph handicapping products.

But according to the lawsuit, “Defendant NYRA failed to perform its part of the bargain [by not paying] Plaintiff its full 50% share of its Net Revenue,” Thoro-Graph stated in its Dec. 19, 2022, filing.

The judge on Thursday also entered orders on other aspects of the case, including 1) Granting a dismissal of the legal action related to NYRA Bets; 2) Denying NYRA's motion to dismiss the entire complaint; 3)

Dismissing a counterclaim made by NYRA that alleged breach of contract.

The order summed up the lawsuit:

“In 2017, Plaintiff and Defendants entered into a marketing affiliate agreement [that was] followed by a successor marketing affiliate agreement, with the purpose of both agreements being to direct Plaintiff's customers to place bets on races run by NYRA.

“New York residents among Plaintiff's customers would have their wagers run directly through NYRA, and wagers by out-of-state residents would be processed through NYRA Bets. Both agreements contained a confidentiality clause regarding the terms of said agreements, as well as a merger clause.

“Under other relevant provisions, Plaintiff was to receive half of all Net Revenue, a term that was defined as the gross revenue generated from Qualifying Wagers minus the sum of host track fees and other specified fees.

“This action largely arises from a dispute between the parties over the characterization of monies consisting of a 6.5% fee that NYRA Bets pays to NYRA in exchange for permission for the out-of-state NYRA Bets customers to place bets on races run by NYRA. Plaintiff argues that the Disputed Funds are Net Revenue and thus they are entitled to half, and Defendants argue that these monies are in fact host fees and therefore not Net Revenue.

“In June of 2022, Jerry Brown, Plaintiff's president, issued a letter demand for half of the Disputed Funds. This request was denied, and Plaintiff continued to pursue an attempt to collect on the Disputed Funds. At one point, NYRA raised the idea of termination of the parties' joint venture in response.

“In December of 2022, NYRA followed through with this and issued a notice of termination for convenience, and the termination became effective in June of 2023. By the terms of the Agreements, any provision that contemplates performance continues in full force after termination, which would include payment and confidentiality obligations,” the order stated.

In arriving at the decision, the judge underscored that the disputed contractual definitions of revenue “are not ambiguous.” The ruling further noted that, “Because here the Disputed Funds is a percentage of the wagers placed on NYRA bets, it is therefore part of the 'total amount of money wagered on a single race.'”

The order continued: “When a qualifying player outside New York State places a qualifying wager on a NYRA race, NYRA Bets then pays a percentage of that wager to NYRA. Therefore, the Disputed Funds are part of the total amount of money wagered on a NYRA race (Handle), are not Host Fees or Takeout as defined in the 2022 Agreement, and should be included in the formula determining Net Revenue.”

Jerry Brown issued a statement via email, which read, “First of all, I'm not surprised at the decision. The contract we had was clear on its face, which is why the judge was able to decide for us on Summary Judgement, without a trial, in just a week after oral arguments. But aside from my role at Thoro-Graph, I'm also a New York taxpayer, and as such I'm outraged by NYRA's behavior.

“I offered Dave O'Rourke the chance to settle for less than NYRA owed us back in August of 2022, and instead of accepting, he threatened to terminate the joint venture, which wasn't just profitable for Thoro-Graph, but was making NYRA and the New York horsemen combined over a million dollars a year. And later that year, after I told them they were leaving me no choice but to pursue my legal options, they did end that joint venture, and I was forced to sue them. So instead of just paying what the contract clearly called for, it will now cost NYRA and New York taxpayers much more in Thoro-Graph's damages, legal fees and interest, plus the revenue they lost by ending the deal–while over the same time period they have been heavily subsidized by those same New York taxpayers, and have borrowed several hundred million dollars from the state.”

A spokesman for NYRA said, “NYRA is disappointed with the court's decision and is currently evaluating next steps, which may include an appeal.”

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Edited Press Release 

The 2025 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar provided an economic boost to the San Diego region estimated at $125-million in total industry output, it was announced by Breeders' Cup Monday.

Citing an independent study conducted by Sport Management Research Institute, the organization said that the report found the World Championships supported 1,023 jobs across the region, generating $51.8-million in labor income, and $80.2-million in value added (equivalent to GDP). In addition, $11-million in federal taxes and $7.6-million in state and local taxes were generated. Applicable visitor spending totaled $38.7-million across hotels, dining, retail, transportation, and entertainment. Nearly $5-million was invested in facility enhancements and event infrastructure at Del Mar.

The two-day festival of racing held on Oct. 31-Nov. 1 produced a record global wagering of $210-million. It was the fourth time the Seaside Oval had hosted the Breeders' Cup.

“Breeders' Cup is proud to deliver not only world-class racing, but also meaningful economic impact for our host communities,” said Drew Fleming, president and CEO of Breeders' Cup Limited. “The results from Del Mar in 2025 demonstrate the strength of our global festival, from record wagering to significant job creation and visitor spending. We're especially encouraged by the strong tourism indicators, which show how the World Championships continue to elevate host destinations and drive long-term economic benefits well beyond Breeders' Cup week.”

Out-of-town visitors played a major role in driving economic activity, accounting for 61% of 43,705 unique attendees, with 82.5% citing the Breeders' Cup as the primary purpose of their trip to the area. Visitor spending included $11.5-million spent on entertainment, recreation, and attractions apart from the World Championships. The average visiting party stayed 2.5 nights and spent approximately $5,455 for their trip.

Compared to the 2017 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar and adjusted for inflation, the 2025 edition demonstrated strong growth including a 38.9% increase in employment impact and a 12.3% increase in total economic output.

Beyond immediate economic impact, the report emphasized the event's lasting value as 66.5% of attendees indicated they plan to return to the San Diego area within the next year and 69.7% reported a more favorable impression of the region after attending.

“The Breeders' Cup delivered a significant boost to San Diego's economy–supporting local jobs, generating millions in visitor spending, and bringing global attention to our region,” said San Diego mayor, Todd Gloria. “This is exactly the kind of major event that drives opportunity for our small businesses and workers while reinforcing San Diego's reputation as a world-class destination.”

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A methamphetamine pipe found at the entrance to the Los Alamitos test-barn last December raises questions as to whether federal and state oversight of these supposedly tightly controlled enclosures, where blood and urine samples are drawn before being sent off for testing, is sufficient to ensure they're operated in the cleanest, most transparent way possible. On December 7, a meth pipe was discovered on the threshold of the track's test-barn, triggering an investigation by the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB).

According to CHRB spokesperson Mike Marten, no complaint was ultimately filed in the matter “because CHRB investigators were not able to link the pipe to any individual.”

Marten added, “a thorough investigation was completed (including taking fingerprints from the pipe and interviewing employees and potential witnesses), but unfortunately that investigation did not yield any evidence resulting in any articulable facts that amounted to reasonable suspicion.”

Complicating the investigation was exactly where the meth pipe was found.

Because the instrument was discovered at the entrance of the test-barn as opposed to well inside the barn area, Marten explained, “it possibly came from immediately outside, where numerous licensees (not test-barn personnel) pass by.”

The CHRB didn't drug test any of the test-barn personnel as part of the investigation (more on this in a bit).

Furthermore, five days after the meth pipe was discovered, trainer Edward Freeman ran Emma G (Listing) at Los Alamitos. The then 2-year-old filly won a maiden claiming race for Cal-breds on her racecourse bow, winning cosily.

Emma G subsequently tested positive for methamphetamine. The case is currently being adjudicated by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU).

This timeline of events peels the curtain back on just how tightly the nation's test-barns are controlled, at the heart of which is this question: Is every possible step taken to ensure test samples aren't inadvertently contaminated?

“Absolutely not,” said trainer Ron Moquett, who sits on the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act's (HISA) horsemen's advisory group.

At the same time, Moquett sees the issue at something of a pivot point. He said he believes test-barns overall are better managed under federal oversight, compared to the status quo that existed before. But he sees several ways overall standards could be improved.

“We definitely need standards and they need to be raised across the board,” he said.

HIWU, however, takes issue that test-barn standards pose a systemic nationwide problem.

“Nearly three years after the launch of the ADMC Program, HIWU's data (e.g., positivity rate, case outcomes) does not support suggestions that there are systemic deficiencies in test-barn conditions, cleanliness, or protocols that are the cause of positive tests,” wrote HIWU director of communications and outreach, Alexa Ravit.

Though the hiring and licensing of test-barn personnel is often done at the individual track or state level, all sample collection personnel nationwide, wrote Ravit, are federally trained to adhere to the following set of procedures:

• “At the start of each horse's test session and prior to removing the lid from the collection container or sample bottles, sample collection personnel will wash their hands with soap and water or isopropyl alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Personnel collecting urine must wear a new pair of disposable exam gloves. This is repeated for each horse that undergoes sample collection.”
• “While it is required for sample collection personnel to wash or sanitize their hands before collecting blood, sample collection guidelines do not mandate the use of gloves for veterinarians collecting blood due to feedback received that gloves can inhibit the ability to collect blood safely and effectively. This is in line with practices predating the [anti-doping and medication control] ADMC program. Blood collection is performed directly into sealed tubes, thus avoiding sample contact with collection personnel, other horses, or the test-barn environment.”
• “Test-barn personnel will assign a clean and disinfected water bucket to each horse that arrives in the test-barn, and horsemen are responsible for ensuring their horse only drinks from its assigned water bucket. Test-barn personnel are required to wash, disinfect, rinse, and securely store water buckets between uses.”

What official recourse is there for horsemen and women who have concerns these protocols aren't being followed?

They could discuss the situation with the sample collection personnel or the test-barn supervisor, said Ravit. They could initiate a HIWU supplementary report, “to record details or comments specific to the Sample Collection Session,” she added. Or they can contact HIWU directly through support@hiwu.org or (816) 800-8152.

On top of this, HIWU audits test-barns “to ensure that proper sample collection procedures are being followed, including in relation to the cleanliness of the test-barn and the required hygiene policies,” wrote Ravit.

Which begs the questions, have industry stakeholders contacted HIWU directly to share concerns over test-barn practices? If so, what concerns have been raised? Similarly, have HIWU's audits identified any problems?

According to Ravit, information shared over the agency's support lines is confidential, as are the “reported findings” and “potential subsequent corrective actions” from HIWU's audits of the nation's test-barns.

(Note: unlike many other federal agencies, the HISA Authority and HIWU are not privy to Freedom of Information Act requirements).

“During every visit, reviewing best practices for test-barn cleanliness is an area of focus,” Ravid wrote, explaining how HIWU's “Operations team” visited 30 racetracks last year.

“All feedback is taken seriously, and HIWU has made changes to improve processes or address specific concerns in relation to the test-barn (and all aspects of the ADMC Program) when necessary,” Ravit added.

The prevalence of substance abuse among workers populating the nation's backstretches-as exemplified by the meth pipe found at the Los Alamitos test-barn-adds another layer of complexity.

According to the HIWU website, there are 30 pending methamphetamine-related cases, all stayed while regulators await Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approval of new rules (that were first submitted in November of 2023).

Currently, a methamphetamine positive comes with a possible two-year suspension and a $25,000 fine. The proposed rules before the FTC would see a maximum 60-day suspension and $5,000 fine for cases involving human substances of abuse.

According to Moquett, the methamphetamine detection limit has, at the urging of the horsemen's advisory committee, also been raised three times since the ADMC program went into effect, to account for the risk of cross-contamination from humans.

When it comes to test-barn employees, HIWU requires them to follow a “Sample Collection Personnel Code of Ethics,” which bars these personnel from “using or possessing Banned Substances or illegal controlled substances when conducting testing on behalf of HIWU,” wrote Ravit.

HIWU, however, doesn't have the authority to drug test these personnel to ensure compliance with the code of ethics.

“The discretion to conduct drug testing of Sample Collection Personnel is specific to the individual entities employing these staff, e.g., state racing commissions or racetracks,” wrote Ravit.

When it comes to the CHRB, the agency can only drug test licensees including test-barn personnel when reasonable suspicion exists.

“This means that investigators must have specific, objective, and articulable facts that the subject of the drug test is under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” wrote Marten, responding to questions about whether any Los Alamitos test-barn employees had been drug tested to determine if they might have possessed the meth pipe.

“Usually, these facts are observations such as slurred speech, the smell of alcohol, or erratic behavior,” he added. “Put another way, investigators could only drug test a test-barn employee if they could articulate specific facts on which they based a belief that the meth pipe belonged to a specific employee who was under the influence of methamphetamine.”

As Moquett sees it, three key changes would improve the way test-barns are managed.

One would be uniform surveillance cameras placed at every test-barn, the recordings archived for a sufficient enough time.

“Every place where blood is drawn, every state-run test-barn, that should all be under surveillance and recorded, every bit of it while that horse is there until it gives its urine or blood,” said Moquett. “And that should all be accessible.”

The second would be heightened consequences for personnel who fail to meet a clearer set of test-barn protocols.

The third is new system for horsemen to be able to test their horses during the window after they've been entered for a race but before they run.

“That would get rid of the contamination problem,” he said, pointing to newer affordable blood testing technologies available on the marketplace.

Eric Hamelback, CEO of the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, wrote in an email that he recognizes HISA's efforts to establish uniform sample collection protocols.

“However, serious concerns remain regarding both the adequacy and consistent enforcement of current test-barn standards,” Hamelback wrote. “The ongoing risk of environmental transfer and contamination is real and must be more directly addressed.”

The HBPA's ideas to improve test-barn standards, Hamelback wrote, include the following:

• “Hygiene Protocols: Stronger, more uniform requirements, including but not limited to, a reconsideration of glove use for all sample collection and additional protective measures to prevent cross-contamination.”
• “Test-barn Cleanliness: Clearly defined, verifiable cleaning and disinfection standards for all surfaces and equipment.”
• “Oversight: Increased 'boots on the ground' monitoring to ensure protocols are consistently followed in practice, not just regurgitating an outlined in policy. More proactive, real-time oversight is necessary.”

The TDN shared these ideas with HIWU, who said that “many of these suggestions are already practiced or are mostly aligned with existing or proposed protocols.”

Ravit added, however, “HIWU will take this feedback and consider how to provide further visibility and education into our test-barn protocols so that all Covered Persons have confidence in the security and integrity of the sample collection process in test-barns nationwide.”

The post Meth Pipe Found at Los Al Test-Barn Raises Oversight Questions appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Always in the bridal party, but never the bride, it was finally her time in the Sunday feature at Keeneland.

Having been the runner-up against elite company last year, In Our Time (Not This Time) put it all together in the lane and kicked home smartly to secure her career-first graded black-type in the GII Giant's Causeway Stakes.

Traditionally found at the head of affairs, the Not This Time mare hit the board seven times from eight starts last year with her seasonal highlight reel including a runner-up effort two back Nov. 30 at Del Mar in the GI Matriarch Stakes. Ahead of her that day was Segesta (Ghostzapper), who won the GI Jenny Wiley Stakes last Saturday in a dead heat over this very course. In Our Time was last seen Jan. 24 when kicking off her 5-year-old campaign in the GII Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational where she faded to ninth.

Given 5-1 odds for this second campaign jump, she was out sprinted to the lead by Shining Star (Chi) (Sahara Spirit) and Saratoga Special (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), and that pair clicked off an opening quarter in :21.62 as they swung into the bend. In Our Time was content to track them in third from the fence, and had improved enough to throw her hat in the ring at the three sixteenths. Taking command as those pacesetters threw out white flags, she quickly built up an open advantage on the field. Comfortably in front as they tried in vain to reel her in, In Our Time came home 1 3/4 lengths best. Creed's Gold (Jimmy Creed) got up for second as Movin' On Up (Accelerate) motored in from the back to claim third.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. bookended the trifecta with the winner and third-place finisher, who was a massive 22-1 longshot.

“Absolutely [worth the wait to get his first stakes win at Keeneland],” said owner John Stewart of Resolute Racing. “It's a dream come true for us, to win here. We think Keeneland is the best place to race horses in the world, and Lord knows we spend enough money here [at the sales], so I'm really glad we got it done today.”

“[In Our Time] jumps really well, she's real precocious, but when [jockey] Flavien [Prat] tucked her back in going into the far turn and dropped down into that three position, I knew he was setting her up to be perfect. That's what she likes to do, and when they came around the turn, she just took off and did what she does. I think it was a perfect ride by one of the greatest jockeys in the world and we've got a really talented horse.”

Stewart continued, “We're excited with the Breeders' Cup being here this year. We'll look forward to seeing her there as long as she stays healthy.”

IN OUR TIME ($12.88) and Flavien Prat railed up the rail to win the $400,000 Giant's Causeway Stakes (G2) at @keenelandracing. The daughter of Not This Time (@TMStallions) is trained by @SaffieJosephJr. pic.twitter.com/cvYYa4KYsB

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) April 12, 2026

Pedigree Notes:

In Our Time is one of six winners for Laura's Pleasure, and the second to claim graded black-type behind her half-brother Important Mission (More Than Ready). A Quality Road half-sister named Lady Laura was a winner in her racing career, but did her best work as a broodmare as her daughter Miss Call (Silver State) is stakes-placed in 2026. After In Our Time, the dam has produced placed Red Lite District (City of Light) as well as a juvenile filly named Golden Pleasure (Golden Pal). Her most recent is a yearling colt by Oscar Performance and the mare is due back to Not This Time for 2026.

Laura's Pleasure is herself a half-sibling to GSW Withgreatpleasure (Hold That Tiger) and SW Sea of Pleasure (Sea of Secrets).

Sunday, Keeneland
GIANT'S CAUSEWAY S. PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SELECT-GII, $393,475, Keeneland, 4-12, 3yo/up, f/m, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.17, fm.
1–IN OUR TIME, 122, m, 5, by Not This Time
           1st Dam: Laura's Pleasure, by Cactus Ridge
           2nd Dam: Doubleyourpleasure, by Double Negative
           3rd Dam: Joey's Pleasure, by Bold Josh
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($325,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $9,000 RNA 3yo '24 KEEJAN). O-Resolute Racing and Miller Racing LLC; B-Brian Kahn (KY); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.; J-Flavien Prat. $229,400. Lifetime Record: GISP, 17-5-6-2, $926,492. *1/2 to Important Mission (More Than Ready), SW & GSP-UAE, $189,070. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Creed's Gold, 122, m, 5, Jimmy Creed–Foxyfromfairbanks, by Fairbanks. ($25,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Kristin Meldahl; B-Linda Griggs (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $74,000.
3–Movin' On Up, 122, m, 5, Accelerate–Stifle Yourself, by Cairo Prince. O-Kenneth L. Ramsey; B-Estate Of Harvey A. Clarke (KY); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. $37,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 1HF, NO. Odds: 5.44, 28.15, 22.30.
Also Ran: Time to Dazzle, Egyptian Mau (Saf), Pondering, Love Cervere, Saturday Flirt, Shining Star (Chi), Saratoga Special (Ire), Charlene's Dream. Scratched: Big Trouble, Gratefully, Me Governor, Tempting Eve, Twirling Queen.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post It’s Finally Her Time: In Our Time Resolutely Claims Giant’s Causeway appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The biggest news about the GI Kentucky Derby trail last week had nothing to do with the current crop of contenders, because with all of the points-awarding, nine-furlong preps having been run four weeks before America's most historic and important horse race, the lead-up to the Triple Crown season essentially goes into “sleep mode” for the middle part of April.

But that could change for 2027.

According to news first reported Apr. 7 by Mary Rampellini of Daily Racing Form (DRF), Oaklawn Park management is considering a schedule tweak that would restore the GI Arkansas Derby to its previously successful prime-time spot three weeks before the Kentucky Derby instead of five weeks out, where the race has been parked-and largely idling-since 2022.

Oaklawn's fourth-generation owner and president, Louis Cella, told DRF the track is gathering opinions from various stakeholders about the potential change, which would be accompanied by a broader schedule shift.

The proposal would mean an earlier (Nov. 27) opening for the 2026-27 season, with 65 dates broken up into a “holiday” meet and a “classic” meet separated by a one-week break in January.

All of the dates would be run Fridays through Sundays, with Thursdays being dropped from the current classic-meet portion of the schedule.

Here's my unsolicited input: With reference to the Arkansas Derby itself, this move is a no-brainer. Go for it.

It is rare opportunity these days for an American racetrack to be able to carve out a meaningful, only-game-in-town spot on the national calendar for its signature race, let alone one that automatically brings its own compelling sense of drama and excitement in the form of being the absolute last chance for Kentucky Derby aspirants to compete for 100 total qualifying points in a Grade I, nine-furlong stakes.

Compared to pro and college team sports, which over the past few decades have creatively expanded their wild-card and play-in formats to capitalize on the immediacy of win-or-go-home implications as championships grow nearer, the lead-up to the Derby has been slipping in the opposite direction.

Instead of maximizing the relevancy of making the final cut as the  main event nears, for the past five years, three major preps at the exact same distance and with similar conditions-the GI Santa Anita Derby, the GI Blue Grass Stakes and the GII Wood Memorial Stakes-have all been competing for the same shrinking pool of Kentucky Derby-caliber horses while going off within about an hour of each other on the first Saturday of April.

Oaklawn abandoned its three-weeks-out time slot for the Arkansas Derby in 2022, in part as a response to the perception that trainers wanted more time between final preps and the Kentucky Derby, but also as part of a broader schedule overhaul tied to an expanded racing season and increased purses.

But that schedule switch meant the Arkansas Derby had to go head-to-head on the same date as the GI Florida Derby, and to a lesser extent that five-weeks-out placement also conflicted with the G1 Dubai World Cup program, which siphons a number of top trainers and jockeys overseas.

Moving the date of the Arkansas Derby also created upstream disruptions earlier in the year, because Oaklawn had to readjust the timing of the preceding preps in its sophomore stakes series. Most notably, the GII Rebel Stakes got uprooted from mid-March and transplanted to late February.

This was another costly giveaway, because it created a dead spot on the third Saturday in March where Oaklawn had previously enjoyed a big-day monopoly on the national calendar.

That mid-March void lasted for three years, until Churchill Downs, Inc., recognized and capitalized on it in 2025 by creating an entirely new nine-furlong Kentucky Derby prep, the Virginia Derby, and establishing a festival-style, three-day mini-meet at Colonial Downs.

The Rebel was conducted on the final Saturday of February between 2022 and 2024. Last year the program got shifted by one day to a Sunday because of adverse winter weather in Hot Springs. This year it was carded on a Sunday, Mar. 1, presumably to avoid a direct conflict with Gulfstream's GII Fountain of Youth Stakes on Saturday, Feb. 28.

Regardless of the reasoning for moving the day of the week, the Rebel for years was consistently Oaklawn's second-biggest day of the season, and it deserves more prominent placement on a showcase Saturday.

“We might kind of have the [Arkansas] Derby go back to three weeks instead of five weeks and then really create our Rebel as a 'derby' and our Arkansas Derby as a 'derby,' because you just don't see horses running in both anymore,” Cella told DRF.

“And a lot of horses, [their connections] want to run in one or the other, but the date doesn't work,” Cella said. “And so we're thinking right now-and we'll know later in the summer-but we really are thinking about having the Rebel maybe a little earlier or at the same time, but having the [Arkansas] Derby now three weeks before. So if one of these horses runs in Florida, or runs somewhere else, the last chance will be Oaklawn to get into the [Kentucky] Derby.”

Yes, the GIII Lexington Stakes at Keeneland Race Course is already positioned on the calendar three weeks out from the Derby. But with only 20 total points to the winner, and at a 1 1/16-miles distance that is a cutback compared to the 100-points qualifiers at nine furlongs or longer that precede it on the Derby points schedule, that stakes functions not so much as a true prep that trainers aim for months in advance but as a last-gasp afterthought.

You might argue that the current “less is more” template for training still-developing sophomores makes scheduling an important stakes three weeks out from the Derby a risky venture for Oaklawn.

I would argue the opposite, that there will be a “build it and they will come” gravitational pull in re-establishing the Arkansas Derby three weeks ahead of the first leg of the Triple Crown.

If Oaklawn puts 100-50-25-15-10 points on the line for the top five finishers in its premier race on Apr. 10, 2027, more than a few reputable trainers will build spring campaigns that dovetail with that date.

And the annually contagious outbreak of Derby fever, which tends to peak in mid-April, should help ensure a full starting gate.

It is said that nature abhors a vacuum. So too, does the Kentucky Derby qualifying system.

The post Week in Review: Re-Establishing the Arkansas Derby Three Weeks before the Kentucky Derby is a No-Brainer appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

GI Arkansas Derby runner-up Silent Tactic (Tacitus) worked Sunday morning at Oaklawn Park and was joined by a fleet of Kentucky Oaks hopefuls as well with preparations continuing on the march to May.

The Mark Casse trainee worked an easy half-mile over a fast track Sunday morning with regular rider Cristian Torres in the irons. Clocking an opening quarter-mile in :24.80, he covered the four furlongs in :49.40 (26/58) before galloping out five panels in 1:02.80 and six in 1:17.60. It was his final local breeze before shipping out to Churchill Downs.

“Today, he just had a little easier work,” said assistant trainer Caden Arthur, who oversees Casse's Oaklawn division. “Next work will be a little more serious going into the Derby and that will be about nine, 10 days out. Silent's not so much the best work horse. He likes to show up in the afternoons. We like to see that.”

Arthur said shipping plans were fluid for Silent Tactic, but that the colt could leave Wednesday with Counting Stars (Honor A.P.) and Search Party (Gun Runner), Casse's scheduled Oaks starters.

Those aforementioned stablemates were also out Sunday morning to record half-mile works. The latter breezed just after the track opened under exercise rider Autumn Lavertu, clocking the distance in :48.60 (12/58) before galloping out in 1:01.80 and six furlongs in 1:16.40. Counting Stars went out immediately after the renovation break with Francisco Arrieta aboard, rolling through her paces in :48.20 (8/58) and galloped out in 1:01 flat and 1:15.20.

“The girls, I thought, looked real good,” said Arthur. “Looks like they're ready to go.”

Both fillies are scheduled to ship Wednesday and will have their final works in advance of the May 1 Oaks around Apr. 22.

Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen has shipped his GI Arkansas Derby third Taptastic (Tapit) to Churchill Downs, but has not made any future plans yet.

A one-mile maiden winner who wheeled back in 20 days for the Derby qualifier, the grey would be making only his third start no matter where he goes. As such, his conditioner plans to take his time deciding a future course with an eye on later in the year.

“Came out of the race good,” Asmussen said. “Shipped him to Kentucky and undecided on what will be next for him. Obviously, we're very pleased with the two races he's put in. There's a lot of year left, so we'll take our time.”

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Third in the GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes on Keeneland's opening weekend, Talkin (Good Magic) will skip the GI Kentucky Derby and be pointed toward the GI Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park by trainer Danny Gargan.

Eleven lengths behind 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Further Ado (Gun Runner) as that one dominated the Blue Grass, Talkin would be the trainer's chief hope for a second win in the Triple Crown series behind Dornoch, also a son of Good Magic, who claimed the GI Belmont Stakes in 2024. Gargan said that even if his colt wound up with enough points to make the Derby field, the plan would be to wait for the Middle Jewel at 1 3/16-miles.

“The Preakness is the kind of race that fits him,” he said by phone from South Florida, where he was preparing to pack up his winter stable to head north. “I told everybody that even if we ran second in the Blue Grass, we'd probably wait on the Preakness.”

“He's not a real big horse. He's average-sized, not a big strong, strapping colt and I don't want to do too much. He's sound, he's really good. I don't want to overwhelm him, and the Derby can be too overwhelming. Twenty horses, and you can get pushed around there and run nowhere or run a mediocre 10th or eighth. I've done that.”

Gargan continued, “I want to win another Triple Crown race. [Talkin] fits the smaller field. I think he'll like that track. It's a shorter distance. He really doesn't want to go a mile and a quarter, probably. Hopefully that's the race he can jump up and run big…I'd love to win the Preakness.”

Talkin will reportedly remain at Keeneland to train before shipping to laurel Park. The trainer expects that Joel Rosario will ride back, but has Kendrick Carmouche as a back up should something happen.

“I'm going to run three or four horses that week,” Gargan said of Laurel. “I have a filly [Grade I-placed] Snowyte that I'm going to run in the fillies and mares route race [Allaire Dupont Distaff]. Golden Tornado, who was probably my best 2-year-old last year, might make his 3-year-old debut in the Sir Barton.”

While trainer Ben Colebrook ruled out a start in the Preakness for GIII Stonestreet Lexington winner Trendsetter (Modernist), he is neither nominated to the Triple Crown nor will he be supplemented for the race, runner-up The Hell We Did (Authentic) remains a possibility for Maryland's Middle Jewel.

Conditioner Todd Fincher has said the Preakness was on his mind heading into the 1 1/16-mile Lexington and the race remains a possibility after Saturday's result. It was The Hell We Did's first time going two turns with all his prior tries at six furlongs. Fincher expects his charge to be much better the second time he goes two bends.

“I had envisioned a great race and a win, and then go to the Preakness, but that is a long way away,” he admitted. “We have options. We'll talk with the owners and decide. I think the next time he goes two turns, he'll be a lot better.”

“He'd only run six furlongs. We were hoping there would be three or four go to the front [in the Lexington], and we could just chill back there. The pace wasn't super-fast, and he naturally has speed. He put himself in the race–probably not fit enough for that. Very happy with him. He should only improve from here on out.”

With five weeks between the Lexington and the Preakness, the race has become a reliable source of contenders, including 2024 Lexington winner turned Preakness runner-up Gosger (Nyquist) and 2021 Preakness victory Rombauer (Twirling Candy), who'd finished third in the prep. Owendale (2019) and Senior Investment (2017) both ran third in Maryland after winning the Keeneland stakes.

The post Preakness Possibles Shape Up after Saturday Graded Action appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Good prognoses and day-after thoughts abound Sunday morning as connections reported in on their stars after a Saturday of exciting racing that included a dead-heat victory in the GI Jenny Wiley Stakes as well as a stylish win in the GIII Stonestreet Lexington Stakes.

Concerning the aforementioned two victresses of the Jenny Wiley, a rare feat at any level, the Brendan Walsh camp reported that Expensive Queen (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) emerged from the effort in good form as did the Chad Brown barn for Segesta (Ghostzapper).

“She's good this morning,” said Paul Madden, assistant to Walsh, of Expensive Queen. “I thought we got it.”

Brown's assistant Baldo Hernandez claimed similarly, stating, “[I thought she got it.] Then I watched the replay twice.”

According to Hernandez, Segesta would likely head to New York for the GI Just A Game Stakes at Saratoga June 6.

With Segesta's win in the Jenny Wiley, Brown enjoyed a sweep of the elite contests this past weekend with Zulu Kingdom (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) taking home the hardware for the GI Maker's Mark Mile. The conditioner is second all-time for Keeneland stakes victories with 53.

Finishing three-quarters of a length behind the inseparable photo was Medoro (Honor Code), who has received a positive update from trainer Peter Eurton as well. She will reportedly target the GIII Old Forester Mint Julep Stakes at Churchill Downs May 30 for her next start.

“I think that may have been the best race she has run,” Eurton said Sunday morning. “She got to them in the stretch, but they obviously had something left.”

Trainer Ben Colebrook entered Saturday with three chances to be in the Keeneland winner's enclosure, and admitted that his premonition of visiting it at least once came true in a somewhat surprising way when Trendsetter (Modernist) stepped up to win the GIII Stonestreet Lexington Stakes.

“I thought I'd win the second [race with Beale Street Boy, who ran second beaten a nose],” Colebrook said with a laugh. “It was [Trendsetter's] first time going two turns on the dirt. I thought he could get a piece of it.”

His 32-1 longshot last Saturday emerged from his win in good form. Despite collecting Kentucky Derby points with his 2 1/4-length score in his graded debut, Colebrook says that future plans are still in the works for Trendsetter even as he ruled out the first two races of the Triple Crown.

“No Kentucky Derby. No Preakness. We didn't even nominate him,” Colebrook said. “There are plenty of other races out there.”

Even if his Lexington winner is ruled out for the first Saturday in May, Colebrook will still be present at Churchill Downs as he has GISW Percy's Bar (Upstart) set for the GI Kentucky Oaks May 1 and Street Beast (Street Sense) pointing toward the GI American Turf May 2.

The post Keeneland Updates: Connections Check In for Saturday’s Stars appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

After being delayed due to punishing winter weather in January and February, and with continued overnight cold extending into March, turf racing will return Thursday, Apr. 16 at the Big A, NYRA announced Sunday afternoon.

The eight-race card has four turf contests slated to go at Aqueduct and will still commence earlier than both 2024 and 2025 despite the two-week delay. A six-furlong maiden sprint on the outer turf for fillies and mares will inaugurate grass racing in Race 4 and sophomore fillies will run a mile maiden special in Race 5. There is also an overflow field in Race 7 for a turf allowance condition restricted to New York-breds and another overflow field of New-York bred maidens will serve as the nightcap.

Turf stakes action kicks off Friday, Apr. 17 with the Plenty of Grace Stakes, a mile turf route for older fillies and mares slated for Race 7 on that card. It will be one of four turf events contested that afternoon.

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Miller Racing's Claret Beret (Not This Time) hit the front at the top of the Oaklawn Park stretch and refused to be pulled back by a charging Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) to win the GI Apple Blossom Stakes, a 'Win and You're In' for this year's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland.

The now 5-year-old mare has shown a remarkable uptick in form since being claimed by Saffie Joseph Jr. just about one year. Since winning her first start for him at Gulfstream, a $70,000 handicap race by 19 3/4 lengths, she's competed in seven straight stakes races. Campaigned in Florida through the winter, she shipped to Oaklawn off a five-length win in the GIII Royal Delta Stakes Feb. 14. The Apple Blossom marked her second attempt at Grade I-company as she previously ran a well-beaten sixth in last year's GI Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga Aug. 23.

Caught wide into the first turn from gate nine, Saturday's 8-1 shot was able to settle three paths off the rail in third as longshot Blue Fire (Aurelius Maximus) cleared down from the far outside to put up the fractions. Last year's Eclipse-winning 3-year-old filly Nitrogen stayed covered up in that leader's wake from fourth as the field stayed tightly bunched up the backstretch.

Swung out to make a move on the leaders as the half went in :46.87, Claret Beret hustled three-wide in a bid that was tracked immediately by Jose Ortiz aboard the 4-5 race favorite. But the daughter of Not This Time had gotten the first jump and got clear, leaving Nitrogen to try and chase her home in vain. The front two opened up a gap back to Majestic Oops (Majestic Harbor) in third but Claret Beret was never in any danger of being caught as she rolled home to her first Grade I win.

The Apple Blossom was also the first Grade I win for jockey Micah Husbands who began his riding career in Canada before earning his first win in the United States in 2024.

“I was loaded by the three-eighths (pole),” said Husbands. “I was just trying to be as patient (as possible) and not move too early. I was just loaded the whole way. When I asked her down the lane, she just finished it off. This has always been my dream, to ride in these kind of races and I'm just thankful to be living in the dream.”

Pedigree Note:
Taylor Made's Not This Time continues his rise to the top, earning his 13th Grade I winner. First dam Bessie M, a stakes-winning daughter of Medallist who banked over $218,000 in her racing career, has three winners from four to race including another stakes-placed daughter in Benedict Canyon (Midnight Lute).

She last went through the ring at the 2015 Keeneland November Sale, selling for $42,000 to Old Friends Stable. Claret Beret is her last reported foal.

CLARET BERET ($19.60) turned them all away in the $1,250,000 Apple Blossom (G1) at @OaklawnRacing. The 5YO mare by Not This Time (@TMStallions) scores a #WAYI to the @BreedersCup Distaff for trainer @SaffieJosephJr. Micah Husbands had the call.

Nice pick by @ashley_mailloux! pic.twitter.com/VI12kblblg

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) April 11, 2026

Saturday, Oaklawn
APPLE BLOSSOM H.-GI, $1,250,000, Oaklawn, 4-11, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:42.21, ft.
1–CLARET BERET, 120, m, 5, by Not This Time
              1st Dam: Bessie M (SW, $218,282), by Medallist
              2nd Dam: Catalita, by Mountain Cat
              3rd Dam: Carmelita, by Mogambo
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($85,000 Ylg '22 KEEJAN; $375,000 Ylg
'22 KEESEP). O-Miller Racing LLC; B-Mitch Haynes (KY);
T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.; J-Micah J. Husbands. $675,000.
Lifetime Record: 19-7-1-3, $1,115,834. *1/2 to Benedict
Canyon (Midnight Lute), SP, $174,145. Werk Nick Rating:
B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Nitrogen, 122, f, 4, by Medaglia d'Oro
              1st Dam: Tiffany Case (SP), by Uncle Mo
              2nd Dam: Biblical Point, by Point Given
              3rd Dam: Bibical Sense, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
O/B-D. J. Stable, LLC (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $225,000.
3–Majestic Oops, 121, m, 6, by Majestic Harbor
              1st Dam: Miss Oops, by Olmodavor
              2nd Dam: Blue Begonia, by Seeking the Gold
              3rd Dam: Icy Time, by Icecapade
O-Medallion Racing, Evan Trommer, Sheila Regan, Agave
Racing Stable and Sublime Racing; B-William Dory, Sandy
Dory, Gary Kropp & Janet Kropp (CA); T-Dan Ward.
$112,500.
Margins: 4HF, 3 3/4, 1. Odds: 8.80, 0.80, 7.00.
Also Ran: Regaled, Om N Joy, Nerazurri, Blue Fire, Five G, Dazzling Move.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Claret Beret Punches Her Breeders’ Cup Ticket, Defeats Nitrogen In Apple Blossom appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Resolute Racing's La Rascasse (f, 3, Authentic–Hallawallah, by Candy Ride {Arg}) lost the lead inside the final furlong to fellow first-time starter Belle (Uncle Mo), but the 6-1 chance dug down determinedly hard against the inside rail and had her head in front at the conclusion of a hot-looking maiden special weight Saturday afternoon at Keeneland. The effort was good for 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard honors.

One of the first into stride from her high draw, the $750,000 Keeneland September yearling was content to chase from a three-wide berth in third and cruised up to the top two under a long hold from Axel Concepcion at the quarter pole.

Perhaps handled too confidently into the stretch, La Rascasse was confronted not long after by 12-1 Belle, who was off a beat slowly and was under a very busy ride from Kazushi Kimura to take closer order turning for home, and the two matched motors into the final eighth of a mile.

The latter was able to sustain her wide rally and was clearly in front with a sixteenth of a mile to race, but La Rascasse would not lie down at the fence and battled on bravely to prevail narrowly. It was a substantial gap of 7 3/4 lengths back to the well-backed second-time starter Al Ghadeer (Gun Runner) in third, with favored Right Timing (Not This Time) a troubled fourth another three lengths in arrears.

La Rascasse is the first winner and first runner for Hallawallah, a $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic breezer who bankrolled nearly $190,000 for Al Rashid Stables. The mare is a daughter of Maryfield, who annexed the 2007 GI Ballerina Stakes, then took the inaugural and very sloppy running of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint–then ineligible for grading–earning the first Eclipse Award given out in that particular category. A $1.25-million Fasig-Tipton November purchase, Maryfield has produced five winners, including the Irish Group 2-placed Radio Silence (War Front).

Hallawallah is also represented by the juvenile colt Mambo Man, a son of Into Mischief's 'TDN Rising Star' and Kentucky Derby-winning son Mandaloun, and a yearling colt by McKinzie. She is due to Into Mischief's Newgate for 2026.

8th-Keeneland, $109,547, Msw, 4-11, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:23.47, ft, head.
LA RASCASSE, f, 3, by Authentic
1st Dam: Hallawallah, by Candy Ride (Arg)
2nd Dam: Maryfield, by Elusive Quality
3rd Dam: Sly Maid, by Desert Wine
Sales history: $750,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $62,233. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Resolute Racing; B-Bill Klislt (KY); T-William Walden.

A BRAVE DEBUT FROM LA RASCASSE ($14.10)!

The @resracingky filly was stalwart in the stretch of the 8th at @keenelandracing. The 3YO filly by @spendthriftfarm's Authentic is in the barn of @wwaldenracing. What a ride from @a_concepcion16.

Next: https://t.co/crebR4OEDC pic.twitter.com/3oGsvEOFUe

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) April 11, 2026

The post Authentic Filly La Rascasse ‘Resolute’ In ‘Rising Star’ Bow appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The final day of the under-tack preview show ahead of next week's Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training finished up with a trio of :9 3/5 marks, including one set by the very first horse to work.

The filly (hip 1221), by Airdrie Stud's Girvin, was a $165,000 Keeneland September grad last year for CMT Rentals and is out of a Curlin half-sister to GSW Celestial City (Uncle Mo). Consigned by Top Line Sales, she counts GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Cy Fair (Not This Time) as an extended family member.

“She's done very well for us over the winter. From yearling to now, she's just blossomed into a gorgeous, beautiful stretchy filly,” said Torie Gladwell of Top Line Sales. “She's not just a little speed ball type. People are really going to like her when they see her on the end of the shank. Mentally, she's a little bit of a Girvin. She loves her job. She goes out there and she will give it up every time you ask her.”

Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds sent out a colt (hip 1056) from much-anticipated first crop of Flightline to equal the mark later in the session. Out of Suncoast Stakes winner and GII Fasig-Tipton Gulfstreak Park Oaks runner up Lucrezia, the colt brought $575,000 as a weanling at Keeneland November in 2024 for Classic Equine.

“It's been, not like pressure but we've had high expectations for this colt since we bought him. He's just been amazing his whole life,” Randy Hartley said. “You know it can happen and you know what they are, but they have to come here and perform like we think they are. He's an amazing horse.”

Hartley was hugely complimentary of the stallion whose first crop hits the track this year.

“Flightline to me is like Secretariat that I've seen in the last 15-20 years” he said. “We wanted one so bad. We paid a lot of money for him but if he would have been a yearling he would have probably cost double what he did as a weanling. Sometimes I feel you get a little bit of a discount as a weanling because they're smaller and that's why we went for him. We love Into Mischief mares and he looks like an Into Mischief. I told Dean this morning, he was like 'What do you think?' I'm like I expect at least a “10 but I wouldn't be surprised if he went :9 4/5. And he just did it. He's relaxing like 'whatever.' He's a big colt and you wouldn't necessarily think a big colt like him would have that kind of speed. Looking at him, he's big and strong but he looks a lot like Into Mischief too. He's got that Into Mischief hip and body and if you watch his video, he just has so much power when he pushes off. And he's just a cool horse to be around. He stood up there, there were like 12 ahead of us up there and you're waiting and he was just standing there like nothing.”

Finishing out the action was a filly (hip 937) by yet another Breeders' Cup champion in Authentic from consignor Navas Equine. Now named English Woman, the filly is a half to 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Englishman (Maxfield) and out of a winning daughter SW/MGISP All Due Respect. That Speightstown first dam, In It for the Gold, is a perfect four-for-four on runners to winners.

Three more juveniles, two consigned by Hoppel LLC, shared the fastest quarter-mile of the day in :20 2/5 including an Early Voting filly (hip 1037), a filly by Drain the Clock (hip 1070) and a colt by Golden Pal (hip 1181).

The OBS Spring sale will be held next Tuesday through Friday. Bidding commences each day at 10:30 a.m.

The post Final Day Of OBS Previews Concludes With Trio Of :9 3/5 Times appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

A well-backed 2-1 on career debut, Robert Masterson and Jack Hamilton's Pinto (Nyquist)–trained by Norm Casse–found the wire a head better than the Mark Casse-conditioned Rockin Robin (Spun to Run) to keep it all in the family Saturday afternoon at Keeneland.

Drawn widest in a field scratched down to seven, the $190,000 Keeneland January and $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase led early, but the 1-2 chalk was intent on making the running and took command prior to the end of the backstretch.

With Pinto off the bridle to pick up approaching the stretch, it looked like graduation day would need to wait for another time, but the gray filly re-engaged from between horses and boxed on bravely to be home narrowly best. Fellow first-time starter Mon Reve (Mitole), a half-sister to GSW & GISP Bracket Buster (Vekoma), was off slowly, bid three abreast inside the final furlong and finished a promising third.

Pinto is one of three winners from four to the races and the last-listed foal out of an unplaced half-sister to Real Cozzy (Cozzene), winner of the 2001 GII Fair Grounds Oaks, runner-up in the GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Mother Goose Stakes and third in the GI Acorn Stakes. The filly's third dam Really Blue (Believe It) produced GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness Stakes hero Real Quiet (Quiet American).

4th-Keeneland, $105,340, Msw, 4-11, 3yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 1:19.19, ft, head.
PINTO (f, 3, Nyquist–Mining for Mercury, by The Factor) Sales history: $190,000 Ylg '24 KEEJAN; $400,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $67,348. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Robert E Masterson & Jack Hamilton; B-Peter A Berglar Racing Interests LLC (KY); T-Norm W Casse.

(9) Pinto wins by a nose at the wire in a Casse family exacta at Keeneland for trainer @normcasse! (8) Rockin Robin trained by @markecasse was second and (7) Mon Reve takes third. pic.twitter.com/P6BHEMtwvA

— Keeneland Racing (@keenelandracing) April 11, 2026

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Jockey Ryusei Sakai, who rode Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) to a narrow third-place effort in the 2024 GI Kentucky Derby and has since piloted him to four top-level victories, has picked up the ride on G2 UAE Derby winner Wonder Dean (Jpn) (Dee Majesty {Jpn}) for this year's Run to the Roses on May 2, NetKeiba reported Saturday.

Sakai, who turns 29 on May 31, will also renew his partnership with Forever Young owner Susumu Fujita's Shin Emperor (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic, the race which traditionally immediately precedes the Derby. The €2.3-million Arqana August topper from 2022, trained by Yoshito Yahagi, was ridden by Sakai to a front-running victory on foreign soil in the 2025 G2 Neom Turf Cup before doubling up with Forever Young in the G1 Saudi Cup a short time later. Three times placed at Group 1 level, Shin Emperor was a latest fourth in defense of his Neom Turf Cup title on Feb. 14.

American-bred T O Elvis (Volatile) was confirmed earlier this week for the GI Churchill Downs Stakes and Sakai has picked up the ride for trainer Daisuke Takayanagi, who will also saddle Wonder Dean in the main event. The jockey has two wins from two rides aboard the talented 4-year-old colt, each in allowance company over the metric six furlongs last August and September. When T O Elvis won the G3 Capella Stakes in his most recent start Dec, 14, he carried Katsuma Sameshima to a towering five-length success.

T O Elvis will take the flight to the U.S. alongside Danon Bourbon (Maxfield), who in the Derby will retain the services of Atsuya Nishimura. The 26-year-old, a winner of 13 races on the JRA circuit, was in the irons for a Feb. 15 allowance over 1900 meters and for the Fukuryu Stakes (allowance) going nine panels Mar. 28.

The post Sakai To Ride Wonder Dean In Derby, Secures Two Other Mounts appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

OGMA Investments LLC, JR Ranch and High Step Racing LLC's The Puma (Essential Quality) tuned up for a scheduled start in the May 2 GI Kentucky Derby Saturday morning at Gulfstream Park during a maintenance-style half-mile breeze.

“It was getting him back into his routine two weeks after a race. It was pretty easy. Maybe the exercise rider got a little too comfortable, but next week is when he'll have his important work,” trainer Gustavo Delgado's son and assistant Gustavo Delgado Jr. said. “We're planning to do that Friday or Saturday.”

The Puma was timed in :52.32 (67/70) for his first workout since being on the losing end of a photo for the GI Curlin Florida Derby March 28 at Gulfstream Park.

He is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs next weekend.

“My guess would be Saturday or Sunday, the next day after the breeze. The plan is to breeze at Churchill the following week,” Delgado Jr. said. “That was the main thing we did with Mage. It's the same pattern Both horses have similarities in terms of running style and what they need–what we've found that they like,” he added.

Despite the heart-breaking Florida Derby loss, the Delgados are confident The Puma will move forward off his gutsy performance in only his fourth start.

“We had a real nice prep for the Kentucky Derby. A race like the Florida Derby encourages you that you have a live horse going into the Kentucky Derby,” Delgado Jr. said. “It's been proven the Florida Derby has always been one of the prominent races going into the Kentucky Derby. You have to think that you have a horse going to the Derby with a live shot. That's the only thing that matters.”

In Kentucky, Godolphin homebred Bella Ballerina (Street Sense), the half-sister to 2023 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), continued her preparations for her own expected run in the Oaks by working five furlongs in 1:01.80 (13/96) in company Saturday morning over a fast track at Keeneland.

“It was a great work and she was very comfortable behind horses,” trainer Brendan Walsh said of the move in which Bella Ballerina rated behind workmates Diamond Eyed Jack and Get Them Roses. “She will have one more work here next week and then her final work at Churchill Downs.”

Tyler Gaffalione has been the regular pilot for Bella Ballerina  including Saturday's work.

“Today was very similar to last week sitting behind horses,” Gaffalione said. “She followed all my cues this morning. She is a lot like her sister and both are very classy.”

The post Saturday Derby/Oaks Notes: The Puma, Bella Ballerina Breeze appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Last year's Eclipse-winning 3-year-old male Sovereignty (Into Mischief) led the Kentucky-bred merits for 2025 along with his owner/breeder, Godolphin who were honored as KTOB Breeder of the Year. The full list of awards is:

• Broodmare of the Year: Crowned (Bernardini) (Owner: Godolphin)
• Horse of the Year, 3-Year-Old Male: Sovereignty (Godolphin)
• 2-Year-Old Male: Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) (Aaron & Marie Jones LLC)
• 2-Year-Old Filly: Super Corredora (Gun Runner) (Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC)
• 3-Year-Old Female: Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) (D. J. Stable)
• Older Dirt Male: Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) (Debby Oxley)
• Older Dirt Female: Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) (Judy Hicks)
• Male Turf Horse: Deterministic (Liam's Map) (Hinkle Farms)
• Female Turf Horse: She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}) (Payson Stud, Inc.)
• Male Sprinter: Nysos (Nyquist) (Susie Atkins)
• Female Sprinter: Shisospicy (Mitole) (Bill & Corinne Heiligbrodt)
• Racing Abroad: Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) (Gary & Mary West Stables Inc.)
• Steeplechase Horse: Swore (Broken Vow) (Stone Farm LLC)

Additionally, three merit awards will be presented to individuals for their contributions to the Kentucky Thoroughbred Industry.

• P.A.B. Widener Trophy for KTOB Breeder of the Year: Godolphin
• Hardboot Breeders' Award pays tribute to distinctive but unsung breeders that help make up the backbone of our industry: Judy Hicks
• Charles W. Engelhard Award acknowledges a member of the media for outstanding coverage of the Thoroughbred industry: America's Day At The Races
• William T. Young Humanitarian Award distinguishes a person or organization in the thoroughbred industry “who recognizes and promotes the human endeavor:” B. Wayne Hughes

Also to receive awards were the top Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) money earners in 2025 in five separate categories.

2025 Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) Leaders:

• KTDF Sire of the Year: Not This Time (Taylor Made Farm)
• KTDF Earner of the Year: Troubleshooting (Donamire Farm)
• KTDF Owner of the Year: Godolphin
• KTDF Trainer of the Year: Brad Cox
• KTDF Breeder of the Year: Godolphin

The post Sovereignty, Godolphin Honored In 2025 Kentucky-Bred Awards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

In the GI Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland on Friday, Zulu Kingdom (Ire) (r, 4, Ten Sovereigns {Ire}–Zindziswa, by Smart Strike) went gate to wire to hand trainer Chad Brown the 3,000th win of his career.

The speedy turf star won on debut for trainer Andre Fabre at Saint-Cloud as a juvenile that June. A private purchase by Hubert Guy in France, the bay was unveiled under the care of Chad Brown and delivered a win less than three months later in the Aug. 29 running of the GIII With Anticipation Stakes at the Spa.

Zulu Kingdom won by a neck in the GII Pilgrim Stakes over yielding turf during the Belmont At The Big A meet at the end of September. In the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar, jockey Flavien Prat lost his crop at the start of the race and his mount finished in seventh place.

Turned out for the remainder of his 2-year-old campaign and into 2025, Zulu Kingdom returned to the races and proceeded to rattle off three wins in a row for owners Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, William Strauss and Michael J. Caruso.

The ridgling once again won by a whisker in the Columbia Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs Mar. 8 and then stepped up to take the GI American Turf Stakes on the Derby undercard. Zulu Kingdom was stellar going a mile on the grass in the GIII Manila Stakes upstate July 4, but he was disqualified and placed fourth in the Hall of Fame Stakes at course and distance Aug. 1.

Zulu Kingdom drives home | Coady Media

Brown sent the colt back to work at his Payson Park base in late January after over five months off.

Facing older company for the first time in his career, Zulu Kingdom went off as a 5-1 shot here. His primary adversary was the heavily bet reigning Champion Turf Male Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). The six scratches were of huge significance since one could argue that Zulu Kingdom would be the lone speed.

At the bell, Zulu Kingdom took the car keys and began to establish himself as the frontrunner. The Brown trainee continued to make every pole a winning one through the far turn. At several points in the race, Notable Speech's efforts to find some running room were thwarted as he attempted to navigate between rivals towards the end of the backstretch.

Zulu Kingdom entered the lane unopposed, while Notable Speech was behind a wall of horses with no place to go. Looking for the wire, Zulu Kingdom declared victory over One Stripe (Saf) (One World {Saf}) and Rhetorical (Not This Time). The favorite finished fourth.

Chad Brown won the Maker's Mark Mile on two prior occasions with Raging Bull (Fr) (by Dark Angel {Ire}) in 2021 and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Carl Spackler (Ire) (by Lope de Vega {Ire}) in 2025. Named Outstanding Trainer five times, Brown had his first winner with Dual Jewels (Jules) at Churchill Downs Nov. 23, 2007.

“When I saw the scratches this morning, it sure changed the dynamic of the race,” said jockey Flavien Prat. “He's [Zulu Kingdom] very naturally fast, so [making the lead going into the first turn] was one of the options for sure. He was very brave. Honestly, I felt very comfortable on the lead. He gave me a good run when we turned for home. Obviously he hadn't run for a while, so I knew he was going to be tired late, so I kept him busy and his talent showed.”

Trainer Chad Brown | Sarah Andrew

“Life doesn't get better than this,” said Zulu Kingdom's co-owner Williams Strauss. “I thought [Hot Rod] Charlie going to the [2021 GI Kentucky] Derby [for Strauss and his brother Jeffrey] was great but this–having my brother here with me, and the partners I have are just great. That guy [jockey] Flavien [Prat], I just love him, he's great. And [trainer] Chad [Brown]–Chad's amazing. He's a genius.

“I appreciate my partners, especially Sol Kumin [of Madaket Stables] for letting me in on this horse,” he added. “It's just great, and hopefully we move forward from here. That's a scary thought, if we can move forward from here. If I ever leave Southern California, I'm moving to Keeneland–well, not Keeneland–to Lexington, Kentucky. This is great, and I always enjoy [being interviewed] in the [winner's] circle.”

Pedigree Notes:
Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (by No Nay Never) has two other Grade I winners to his credit in Lush Lips (GB) who was spotlighted by Katie Petrunyak in the TDN, and also Balantina.

The winner's dam, a daughter of prolific broodmare sire Smart Strike, is responsible for 3-year-old gelding Zulu Chant (Ire) (Magna Grecia {Ire}), which is her last registered foal on record.

Dam Zindziswa is herself out of French multiple group stakes winner Zinziberine (Zieten) and her full-sister is French Group 3 stakes heroine Zanzibari.

Friday, Keeneland Race Course
MAKER'S MARK MILE S.-GI, $506,263, Keeneland, 4-10, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:34.90, fm.
1–ZULU KINGDOM (IRE), 123, r, 4, by Ten Sovereigns (Ire)
1st Dam: Zindziswa, by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Zinziberine, by Zieten
3rd Dam: Amenixa (Fr), by Linamix (Fr)
O-Madaket Stables, LLC, Michael Dubb, William Strauss & Michael J Caruso; B-Ecurie Peregrine SAS (IRE); T-Chad C Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $302,250. Lifetime Record: 9-7-0-0, $1,236,637. *1/2 to Zulu Warrior (Fr) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), SW-Fr, $156,476. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–One Stripe (SAf), 123, h, 5, One World (SAf)–Silver Stripe (SAf), by Silvano (Ger). O-Hollywood Racing & Rikesh and Sewgoolam; B-Drakenstein Stud (SAF); T-H Graham Motion. $97,500.
3–Rhetorical, 123, g, 5, Not This Time–Sheet Humor, by Distorted Humor. ($320,000 Ylg '22 SARAUG). O-Gary Barber, Cheyenne Stable LLC & Wachtel Stable; B-Mallory & Karen Mort (NY); T-William Walden. $48,750.
Margins: 3/4, HF, HF. Odds: 5.04, 9.63, 2.53.
Also Ran: Notable Speech (GB), Brilliant Berti, Aomori City (Fr), Tiz Dashing. Scratched: Bear River, Deterministic, Pitkin, Tenacious Leader, Troubleshooting, Wolfie's Dynaghost. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

Congrats to Trainer Chad Brown on career win 3,000! He did it with #6 ZULU KINGDOM ($12.08) who goes gate-to-wire to win the $650,000 Maker's Mark Mile (G1) at @keenelandracing. Flavien Prat was aboard the 4yo who is now 7 for 9 lifetime. pic.twitter.com/aU4jUq9nOb

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) April 10, 2026

The post Zulu Kingdom Gives Brown 3000th Career Win In Maker’s Mark Mile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.