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The public's attention was on Sovereignty after he ran down Journalism to capture the June 7 Belmont Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. But Aron Wellman—president and founder of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, one of Journalism's owners—had eyes on his horse.

Belmont Notebook: Godolphin can never be accused of not stopping to smell the roses, and now the white carnations; and starter Scott Jordan makes some Triple Crown history.

Louisiana stallion and grade 1 winner No Parole sired his first winner June 7 when the filly High Class Trip broke her maiden in a state-bred maiden special weight contest at Evangeline Downs.

Cash Call delivered on the hype June 7, outfinishing stablemate Howin to the wire to give trainer Bob Baffert a 1-2 finish in the $100,000 Summertime Oaks (G3) at Santa Anita Park.

In a stretch run reminiscent of the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1), Sovereignty charged past Journalism to win the Belmont Stakes (G1), with Baeza rounding out the trifecta June 7 at Saratoga Race Course.

Back at seven furlongs, the Into Mischief colt became a grade 1 winner after winning a key allowance race on the Kentucky Derby (G1) undercard.

A. P. Kid, a ridgling 3-year-old son of Honor A. P., was making just his third career start in the $300,000 Pennine Ridge, which he won by 6 1/4 lengths for Donegal Racing.

About one year after securing a grade 1 victory at Saratoga Race Course, Book'em Danno returned to the scene June 7 and used an intrepid stretch run to secure victory in the $400,000 True North Stakes (G3).

Airdrie Stud's first-crop sire Beau Liam, who already has winners in Puerto Rico and Russia, was represented by his first North American winner when the 2-year-old filly Border Czar won a maiden special weight race June 7 at Woodbine.

Kathy Walsh, the former trainer who died last month at age 85, will be honored with a celebration of life June 8 from 1 to 4 p.m. in the 100-1 room at Santa Anita. In addition, the fifth race is named in Walsh's honor.

Under a front-running ride from Frankie Dettori, Raging Torrent defeated older division heavyweights Fierceness and White Abarrio with a thrilling score in the $1 million Metropolitan Handicap (G1) June 7 at Saratoga Race Course.

It was known a day ago as the Wonder Again Stakes (G2T). Then Mother Nature butted in and reduced it to the "Wonder Why Stakes."

Sovereignty (Into Mischief) is on top. He got there by winning two of the most important races on the calendar for 3-year-olds. With his wins in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes, he leads the way because this is a sport where they're always asking, “What have you done for me lately?”

But that doesn't necessarily mean that he's the best 3-year-old to have run this year.

The last time Sovereignty lost was in the Mar. 29 GI Curlin Florida Derby. He didn't have any excuses. He just wasn't as good as the winner, Tappan Street (Into Mischief). Prepping for the Kentucky Derby, Tappan Street suffered a condylar fracture to his right front leg in an Apr. 26 workout. His Triple Crown dream ended that day.

But what if?

If Sovereignty could win two legs of the Triple Crown but could not beat Tappan Street in the Florida Derby, does that not mean Tappan Street is the better horse? Things are never quite that simple in racing and it could be that Sovereignty matured and improved following the Florida Derby defeat? But it is a legitimate question.

Trainer Brad Cox has every right to complain about his bad luck, but that's not him. He's got too much else to worry about and understands there's nothing to be gained by looking back.

“I think that Tappan Street  is a very good horse and he showed he can compete at the Grade I level,” said Cox, who trains Tappan Street for the partnership of WinStar Farm, CHC, Inc., and Cold Press Racing. “He obviously beat a very good horse in the Florida Derby in Sovereignty.  It's different for me because I'm part of the Godolphin [the owners of Sovereignty] team, so I am happy for those guys. And Bill Mott is a class act. I don't really think about it. I'm trying to move forward with it. Hopefully, we can get our horse back at some point and maybe we could have a rematch with him. We obviously would have to be able to come back and show the good form where it makes sense to face him again.”

Cox wasn't the least bit surprised that the top two performers in the Triple Crown series, Sovereignty and GI Preakness and GI Santa Anita Derby winner Journalism (Curlin), came out of the Florida Derby and the Santa Anita Derby.

“We were zeroed in on the Triple Crown preps with several horses and I really felt like the Florida Derby and the Santa Anita Derby were by far the best two preps,” he said.  “Some speed figures didn't make the Florida Derby quite as fast as they did with some other races. I thought the top two horses in the Florida Derby were serious and obviously top two horses in the Santa Anita Derby were serious. It's kind of showing up now a couple months removed.”

Cox said that Tappan Street's surgery went well and he looks forward to having him back on track at some point, maybe even later this year. He is currently rehabbing at WinStar Farm.

“I think his recovery will be typical of what you see with these kinds of injuries,” Cox said. “Sixty days off and then probably some light exercise. The surgery went very, very well and we've had several horses in the past who have had surgery like this that came back to compete at a higher level than before they were hurt. I'm pretty optimistic about him being able to come back and be a bigger, stronger horse.”

Cox envisions a scenario where Tappan Street runs before the end of the year, but he won't be pushing him and will look to find a fairly easy spot for him to make his return.

“I wouldn't rule it out,” Cox said when asked if Tappan Street will run again this year. “To say there's a Grade I this year that would make sense, I'd say probably not. I don't think we could get enough foundation underneath him to be ready for something like that. We will just have to see.”

Sovereignty is the leading candidate for the 3-year-old champion and by the time voters cast their ballots, the Florida Derby will be a distant memory. There are no such awards for the horse that beat the horse that beats everyone else.

No Excuses for Good Cheer

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the Belmont-at-Saratoga meet was that Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) finished up the track in the GI Acorn S. It was her first loss after winning her first seven starts. She was fifth.

“She came out of the race fine,” Cox said. “I can't use the racetrack as a big excuse when she had performed well on a wet track before. You could tell at the half-mile pole that something wasn't right. Luis [Saez] started really pushing her along and she wasn't responding. She didn't quit, but she didn't pick off horses like she normally does when she is asked to. We'll keep her here in Saratoga for the near future. I'm not sure where she will land. We'll look around for spots and see what makes the most sense.”

The post If Sovereignty Is Good, What Does that Say about Tappan Street? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

3rd-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 6-8, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:04.65, ft, 3 1/4 lengths.
DIBLASI (g, 2, Win Win Win–One More Minute, by Istan) was introduced to the races with a runner-up finish at 4 1/2 furlongs on Apr. 13 at Keeneland. Aided by the slow starting rivals to his inside, this gelding broke well and worked his way down to the rail, sitting off an early quarter clicked in :22.28. While Diblasi bided his time, four rivals lined up at the top of the stretch, and with a seam opening down on the inside, jockey Junior Alvarado pushed the button and led this 9-5 favorite to the wire under confident handling. Pacesetting stablemate Gracie's Delight (American Pharoah) held on for second. One More Minute's half-sister My Indian (Indian Charlie) produced SW Chief Istan (Istan). A 2024 full-sister and 2025 half-sister by Highly Motivated are the most recent foals of One More MInute. Sales history: $100,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $67,060. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Resolution Road Stables; B-Brereton C. Jones (FL); T-Wesley A. Ward.

 

 

The post Win Win Win’s Diblasi Skims Rail And Scores To Graduate At The Spa appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Godolphin's undefeated champion 2-year-old filly Immersive (Nyquist), off since winning last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, tuned up for her seasonal debut in next Saturday's Monomoy Girl Overnight Stakes with a four-furlong work in :49.20 (23/53) at Churchill Downs Sunday. The filly returned to the work tab at Churchill Downs in early May after being sidelined with bone bruising. Leading into the Monomoy Girl, she has posted six published workouts, including her latest move Sunday morning.

“We're looking forward to getting her started again,” trainer Brad Cox said. “She's doing well since coming back to the string at Churchill and looks just as good as she did as a 2-year-old.”

Under Cox's exercise rider Joel Osorio, Immersive began her Sunday move with an opening quarter-mile in :25.40 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.80.

In addition to her Breeders' Cup win, Immersive won last year's GI Spinaway Stakes and GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes.

The 1 1/16-mile Monomoy Girl will be the fifth of 11 races at Churchill Downs Saturday. Jockey Manny Franco, who has been aboard for all four of her starts, has the call on Immersive and will break from post position two in the field of six.

The post Immersive Readies for 2025 Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

1st-Saratoga, $90,000, (C), Msw, 6-8, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:05.25, ft, 4 lengths.
ANGEL GIFT (f, 2, Connect–Georgie's Angel {GSW, $129,564}, by Bellamy Road), installed the 3-2 choice for this unveiling, settled off the fleet-footed favorite Gorrono Ranch (War of Will) and Nacho Problem (Waiting), who carved out an opening quarter mile in :22.44. With the top two still exchanging blows straightening for home, Angel Gift still had several lengths to make up but was picking up steam down the center of the track. Turning on the gas late, he blew by the pacesetter and drew clear to score by an eye-catching four lengths over the fast-closing Miss Magical (Good Magic). The winner is a half to MGISW Cave Rock (Arrogate), $748,000. GSW Georgie's Angel, who sold for $75,000 while carrying subsequent $1.05 million OBSMAR purchase Assurbanipal (Arrogate) at Keeneland November in 2020, is also responsible for an unraced 3-year-old filly by Improbable and a yearling filly by Flightline. She was most recently bred to Good Magic. Sales history: $300,000 Ylg '24 SARAUG. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $49,500. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Repole Stable; B-Kathleen Burke Schweizer & Daniel J. Burke (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

 

The post Connect’s Angel Gift Rolls in Career Debut at Saratoga appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — The party was just getting started in the cramped winner's circle at Saratoga Race Course. It almost seemed like half of the 46,243 that came out to Saratoga to watch the GI Belmont Stakes were in there. Well, let's not get carried away.

But it was jammed, and everyone was singing the praises of Sovereignty (Into Mischief), the Most Valuable Player in the second annual Belmont Stakes Festival at Saratoga.

Even those who were vanquished by Sovereignty had to give a congratulatory nod to the Godolphin-owned, Bill Mott-trained and Junior Alvarado-ridden champions.

While Sovereignty was getting his flowers, connections of the second-place finisher, Journalism (Curlin), the 2-1 favorite, had to swallow another tough loss. The three-length defeat came on the heels of a 1 1/2-length defeat in the GI Kentucky Derby.

“I think you can call it a rivalry,” Aron Wellman, the President and Founder of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, who head the ownership group of Journalism, said outside the winner's circle. “But the scoreboard reads, 2-0.”

Michael McCarthy, Journalism's thoughtful trainer, paused after speaking to a handful of writers and listened to a throng of fans who were shouting mostly good things.

“We will get him home,” McCarthy he said to them, “feed him some carrots and maybe come back here in August (for the Grade I Travers).”

Journalism had earned favoritism after his heroic and brave win in the GI Preakness Stakes three weeks ago in Baltimore. While Journalism was playing pinball through the stretch at Pimlico and completing an improbable victory, Sovereignty was resting in Mott's barn at the Oklahoma Training Track.

Waiting for the Belmont, Waiting for Journalism.

The debate would start as soon as the Belmont was finished. Did Sovereignty have an advantage because he was fresher? Journalism was the only horse to compete in all three legs of this year's Triple Crown.

McCarthy and Wellman were not going to use that as an excuse.

“I am very pleased with my horse's effort,” McCarthy said. “I could not be prouder of him. You would have to think that a horse of (Sovereignty's) caliber gets five weeks between races … I just thought our horse ran very well.”

It appeared as though Journalism might just even the score when he and jockey Umberto Rispoli disposed of leaders Rodriguez (Authentic) and Crudo (Justify) and roared into the lead heading into the stretch of the 1 1/4-mile race.

But Sovereignty was gaining momentum, and he was closing. Fast.

“It was reminiscent of the Kentucky Derby,” McCarthy said. “We opened up at the top of the lane and I saw those (Godolphin) royal blue silks and I knew it would be the two of them all over again.”

Rispoli, back outside the jockey's room, shook his head when asked about the race. He was disappointed in the result, of course, but not in his horse.

Journalism, he said, gave him everything he had. He refused to say the colt was tired, the rigors of the three hard efforts in five Triple Crown races finally getting to him.

“I had the two targets,” he said. “When there was a quarter of a mile to go, it was time to go. He responded. He fought. He just got beat. I never felt a lack of energy from him.”

If there was any nit-picking to be had for the trip, maybe it was Journalism having a bit of a stumble coming out of the gate. No one was saying it cost him.

For the second time in five weeks, Journalism just got beat by the better–and fresher–horse.

McCarthy, Wellman and Rispoli hope there is another chapter in the rivalry and hope it comes sooner than later.

“We are probably going to face each other probably until the end of the season,” Rispoli said. “It will be a good battle; it will be good for the sport.”

“Listen,” Wellman said, “This horse has danced every dance and has shown up every single time. Everyone hopes these two horses can face off again the second half of the season.”

McCarthy, before disappearing into the crowd, talked of seeing Sovereignty again. Maybe in the Travers, hopefully at the end of the year in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic on his home court at Del Mar.

“Let's hope everybody stays happy and healthy and we will see him in November in our backyard,” he said. “I can't say enough good things about that horse. I can't say enough good things about my horse.”

The post Journalism’s Camp Not Throwing In the Towel appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The 12-race Belmont Stakes Day card, highlighted by Sovereignty's (Into Mischief) victory in the GI Belmont Stakes, generated all-sources handle of $101,861,883 with a paid attendance of 46,243, NYRA announced in a press release Saturday evening.

Originally a 14-race card, heavy rain in the Saratoga Springs region Friday and Saturday forced all races off the turf and canceled both the GI Jaipur [Race 9], a “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint; and the GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan [Race 12].

That pair of Grade I's will instead be run Sunday, June 8 to close out the 2025 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

On-track handle for the Belmont Stakes Day card was $10,440,740 while all-sources handle for the Belmont Stakes alone was $55,456,793.

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival concludes Sunday with a 13-race card beginning at 12:10 p.m. headlined by the Manhattan and Jaipur.

The post Belmont Stakes Day At Saratoga Crosses $100 Million In Handle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – There's absolutely no doubt who the ruler of the 3-year-old division is now.

Just like he did in the GI Kentucky Derby, Godolphin homebred Sovereignty (Into Mischief) collared Journalism (Curlin) in the stretch, and powered on by to capture the 157th running of the GI Belmont Stakes with authority.

It was the same first three finishers across the line on the first Saturday in May with the blue-blooded Baeza (McKinzie) up for third once again.

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival was held at Saratoga Race Course for the second straight year while construction of the new Belmont Park continues downstate.

“It was pretty much like the Derby,” winning rider Junior Alvarado said. “He was very exceptional today. I couldn't believe how much horse I had the whole way around today.”

Off as the 5-2 second-choice after his much-discussed bypassing of the GI Preakness Stakes–won in dramatic fashion by Journalism–Sovereignty was away in good order from his inside draw and found himself sitting much closer to the front than usual, racing in a joint second as 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic) clicked off an opening quarter in :23.42.

Sovereignty cruised along beautifully in an inside fourth with Journalism, favored in all three legs of Triple Crown and off at 2-1 this time, racing to his outside as the half-mile went up in :47.60.

Journalism made the first move on the top two of Rodriguez and Crudo (Justify) and rolled up three deep beneath Umberto Rispoli approaching the quarter pole.

Rispoli tried to win the race right there and Journalism kicked for home as the one to catch.

Sovereignty was steered out by Alvarado, beginning to make a flashy move of his own at this point, and the rematch that everyone was waiting to see between the Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness winner–the roar of the 46,243 in attendance on a steamy day at the Spa said at all–was set.

The drama, however, was short lived.

Sovereignty lengthened that massive stride of his down the center of the course and was well on his way to another brilliant performance. The winning margin was three lengths, with another 3 1/2 lengths back to the aforementioned third-place finisher.

The final time over a track that began the day as a sea of slop following heavy morning and early afternoon rain, but ended up harrowed and good, was 2:00.69.

Due to the configuration of Saratoga's main track, the Belmont Stakes was once again contested at 1 1/4 miles rather than the traditional distance of 1 1/2 miles.

“This is home,” winning Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said. “It's the race we were pointing for after the Derby and fortunately it worked out very well. I'm sure we would have taken some criticism had he gotten beat today and he hadn't run in the Preakness, but it worked out. The horse was good. Junior rode him well. He had a lot of confidence in him and when he cut him loose the horse responded and got the job done.”

Mott continued, “I feel we beat a good field of horses. Journalism is a really good horse. I've watched him here this last week and I've looked at him–he's in good form, he looks great, his hair is good and his weight is good. I think he was ready to run today and he ran a good race, you know. Sovereignty was good enough to run him down and get the job done.”

The Belmont was Sovereignty's fourth race this season.

A jaw-dropping, last-to-first maiden winner in the GIII Street Sense S. at third asking last fall, he was an impossible winner in his belated sophomore return (due to a fever) in the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 1 over a Gulfstream Park surface very well-known for not playing kindly to his come-from-behind running style.

Sovereignty lost little in defeat there four weeks later, completing the exacta in the GI Curlin Florida Derby prior to his heroics in Louisville.

His 2-year-old form also included a debut fourth in the always-loaded Travers day maiden at Saratoga, which was highlighted in these same pages in our 'Second Chances' series.

Pedigree Notes:

Have a day, Into Mischief and Spendthrift Farm. With three Grade I races contested at the Spa Saturday, Into Mischief sired the winners of two, while his son, Maximus Mischief, who stands alongside the six-time leading stallion, sired the winner of the other. Does it get better than that?

Into Mischief tallied his 25th career Grade I winner in Saratoga's GI Woody Stephens Stakes Saturday afternoon with 'TDN Rising Star' Patch Adams, then barely took a deep breath before adding his first Belmont winner with Sovereignty, who also gave him his third Kentucky Derby win in six years just five weeks ago. Into Mischief, who started the hard way and is now seeing his better books come to fruition, has 85 graded winners and 175 black-type winners.

The Spendthrift stalwart may be the undisputed king of sires these days, but it's also hard to beat the late Bernardini as a broodmare sire. Currently ranked third by earnings among U.S.-based broodmare sires of 2025, Bernardini has 113 stakes winners out of his daughters, including last year's 2-year-old filly champion Immersive (Nyquist)–who, like Sovereignty, races as a Godolphin homebred–and three graded winners by Into Mischief. Bernardini, the champion 3-year-old colt of 2006 and winner of that year's GI Preakness Stakes, also was a homebred for the operation and stood his entire career at Darley.

John Ferguson purchased Crowned, the dam of Sovereignty, for $1.2 million on behalf of Godolphin at the 2014 Keeneland September yearling sale. Unraced, the mare produced four foals with a year off between each: the winning mare Jane Grey (Into Mischief), who has 2024 and 2025 Medaglia d'Oro fillies; the placed 5-year-old mare Misintention (into Mischief); Sovereignty; and a yearling colt by Nyquist. Crowned passed away in 2024. –Jill Williams

 

It's Sovereignty!!

The Kentucky Derby winner takes the Belmont Stakes! pic.twitter.com/IvvQ3Lhl2F

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 7, 2025

Saturday, Saratoga
BELMONT S. PRESENTED BY NYRA BETS-GI, $2,000,000, Saratoga, 6-7, 3yo, 1 1/4m, 2:00.69, gd.
1–SOVEREIGNTY, 126, c, 3, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Crowned, by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Mushka, by Empire Maker
                3rd Dam: Sluice, by Seeking the Gold
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Junior Alvarado. $1,200,000. Lifetime Record: 7-4-2-0, $4,872,800. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Journalism, 126, c, 3, Curlin–Mopotism, by Uncle Mo. ($825,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Robert V. LaPenta, Elayne Stables Five, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. $360,000.
3–Baeza, 126, c, 3, McKinzie–Puca, by Big Brown. ($1,200,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). 'TDN Rising Star'. O-C R K Stable LLC and Grandview Equine; B-Grandview Equine (KY); T-John Shirreffs. $200,000.
Margins: 3, 3HF, 1 3/4. Odds: 2.50, 2.05, 3.50.
Also Ran: Rodriguez, Hill Road, Heart of Honor (GB), Uncaged, Crudo.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Sovereignty Rules Again in Belmont Stakes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

'TDN Rising Star' Patch Adams (Into Mischief) took his record at one-turn trips to three wins from four tries with a clear-cut victory in Saturday's GI Woody Stephens Stakes at a drying-out and freshly harrowed Saratoga Race Course.

Hard-ridden from gate four by Luis Saez, the bay colt took up a prominent early spot as GII Pat Day Mile upsetter Macho Music (Maclean's Music) cut out the fractions in advance of Madaket Road (Quality Road) down the backstretch. Under constant urging as longshot T Kraft (Connect) went through underneath him in third, Patch Adams was off the bridle to pick up as Macho Music and Madaket Road continued to lock horns on the pointy end.

Back into the bit passing the quarter pole, Patch Adams loomed up three off the inside under a full head of steam in upper stretch, took command with about a furlong to travel and came away late to take it by 2 1/4 convincing lengths as the lukewarm 17-5 favorite. Fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Big Truzz (Justify), in a bit of traffic at the half-mile marker, came on late to take third ahead of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Eclipse Award winner Citizen Bull (Into Mischief).

A debut third as odds-on at Keeneland last October, Patch Adams was accorded 'Rising Star' honors when decimating a field of Churchill maidens by better than 10 lengths, earning a 98 Beyer that was 10 points higher than that achieved by First Resort (Uncle Mo) in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes later in the program, albeit over a sprint trip. That effort suggested that the sky was the limit, but after fourth-place efforts as the favorite in the GIII Southwest Stakes and GIII Tampa Bay Derby going long, he was cut back to a 6 1/2-furlong allowance on the Derby undercard May 3 and he responded with a handy 2 1/4-length defeat of Big Truzz.

“We tried to mess it up by trying to run him long a couple of times, but you always try for that and you have to realize where your success lays,” said WinStar President, CEO and Racing Manager Elliott Walden. “He showed that he's a seven-furlong horse the day he broke his maiden and has been telling us what he wants to do.”

While trainer Brad Cox was less willing to commit, Walden indicated a return to Saratoga for the GI H. Allen Jerkens Stakes in August was probable for Patch Adams.

Pedigree Notes:

Patch Adams is the 25th top-level winner for his sire and his fifth out of a mare by WinStar's legendary and much-missed Distorted Humor, including 'Rising Star' and current WinStar stallion Life Is Good, Jerkens-winning sire Practical Joke, the aforementioned Citizen Bull and this year's GI Curlin Florida Derby hero Tappan Street. Goldencents is out of a mare by Banker's Gold, like Distorted Humor a son of Forty Niner.

WinStar purchased Patch Adams's stakes-winning third dam for $150,000 in foal to Awesome Again at Keeneland November in 2001 and bred eight winners from her, including G1 Dubai World Cup hero Well Armed (Tiznow); Grade III winner Witty (Distorted Humor)–the dam of GSW Bombard (War Front)–and the dam of GI La Troienne Stakes heroine Played Hard (Into Mischief).

Well Armed's full-sister Life Well Lived was represented as recently as Friday by GIII Belmont Gold Cup winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Parchment Party (Constitution), and she is also the dam of GISW and Japanese-based sire American Patriot (War Front) and MGSP Muqtaser, a full-brother to Well Humored. Once sold to Bobby Flay for $1.25 million at Keeneland November in 2017, Life Well Lived was purchased by Machmer Hall for $360,000 the same day Parchment Party was named a 'Rising Star' at KEENOV in 2023 and delivered a full-brother to that Pin Oak-owned runner last season.

The last listed produce from Well Humored is Patch Adams's 2-year-old full-brother Wall Street, who breezed a half-mile at Churchill Downs in :50 flat on June 6.

 

PATCH ADAMS gets his first stakes win in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens pres. by @MoheganSun with Luis Saez aboard for trainer @bradcoxracing. pic.twitter.com/YsKqEbMRdZ

— Belmont Stakes (@BelmontStakes) June 7, 2025

Saturday, Saratoga
WOODY STEPHENS S. PRESENTED BY MOHEGAN SUN-GI, $500,000, Saratoga, 6-7, 3yo, 7f, 1:21.36, my.
1–PATCH ADAMS, 118, c, 3, by Into Mischief
            1st Dam: Well Humored (SW), by Distorted Humor
            2nd Dam: Life Well Lived, by Tiznow
            3rd Dam: Well Dressed, by Notebook
'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES
WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. O-CHC, Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC;
B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Luis Saez. $275,000.
Lifetime Record: 6-3-0-1, $497,585. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
*Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Madaket Road, 118, c, 3, Quality Road–Frolic's Dream,
by Smoke Glacken. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($650,000 Ylg '23
FTSAUG). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables
LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson,
Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan;
B-SF Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $100,000.
3–Big Truzz, 118, c, 3, Justify–Saralin, by Curlin. 1ST BLACK
TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE.
($300,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). 'TDN Rising Star' O-Flying Dutchmen;
B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt & Kaleen Shah Inc. (KY); T-Brian
Lynch. $60,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 3 1/4, NK. Odds: 3.40, 11.10, 7.90.
Also Ran: Citizen Bull, T Kraft, Gate to Wire, Chancer McPatrick-(DH), Macho Music-(DH), Neoequos, Gunmetal. Scratched: Colloquial.
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