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Trainer Michael McCarthy reported May 10 that the Juddmonte homebred Marjoram was doing well the morning after winning her stakes debut in Saturday's Senorita Stakes (G3T) for 3-year-old fillies.

Aga Khan Studs' Rayif appears bound for Royal Ascot after victory in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas, G1) at Longchamp May 10.

Chip Honcho completed his major training for the 151st Preakness Stakes (G1) May 16 with a half-mile work in :50.20 at Churchill Downs May 10.

Trainer Chad Brown said the Belmont Stakes (G1) or the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park are both logical choices for Growth Equity's next start.

Rodeo Drive, sticking to the formula of 1-mile races, got up in the final strides to win the May 10 NHK Mile Cup (G1T) at Tokyo Racecourse while some prominent distance experimenters faltered.

Chip Honcho (Connect) had his final major tune-up for the May 16 GI Preakness Stakes when he worked four furlongs in :50.20 (39/47) at Churchill Downs Sunday. Exercise rider Luiyi Ortiz was aboard for the work, which was one of trainer Steve Asmussen's typical easy half-mile moves the week of a race. Chip Honcho's big work came May 2, when he worked five furlongs in 1:00.00 (1/14).

“I think we're in a very good place with him right now,” said Asmussen, who won the Preakness in 2007 with Curlin and with Rachel Alexandra two years later. “We want to get him up there in the same shape he's leaving here in and hope for a good draw for him.

“I'm anxious because I think we have a very good opportunity going in,” Asmussen added. “For him, I really want to avoid an outside draw.”

Chip Honcho had post two when he won a Churchill Downs maiden race and the rail when he took the Gun Runner Stakes last December at Fair Grounds in his first start around two turns.

In the Jan. 17 GIII Lecomte Stakes, Chip Honcho had the outermost post 10, broke a step slowly and was five wide on the first turn. He wound up fourth behind future Kentucky Derby hero Golden Tempo (Curlin).

His best and fastest race came when Chip Honcho was second in the Feb. 14 GII Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, when he broke well from post five, set the pace and only gave way late to come in second by a half-length to the well-regarded and subsequently sidelined Paladin (Gun Runner), while easily finishing in front of Golden Tempo. Chip Honcho's hoped-for progression hit the brakes with a well-beaten fifth in the Mar. 21 GII Louisiana Derby, leading connections to skip the Kentucky Derby in favor of the Preakness.

Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Jose Ortiz, who rode Chip Honcho in his maiden victory, has the Preakness mount.

The post Chip Honcho Tunes Up for Preakness appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Chip Honcho (Connect) had his final major tune-up for the May 16 GI Preakness Stakes when he worked four furlongs in :50.20 (39/47) at Churchill Downs Sunday. Exercise rider Luiyi Ortiz was aboard for the work, which was one of trainer Steve Asmussen's typical easy half-mile moves the week of a race. Chip Honcho's big work came May 2, when he worked five furlongs in 1:00.00 (1/14).

“I think we're in a very good place with him right now,” said Asmussen, who won the Preakness in 2007 with Curlin and with Rachel Alexandra two years later. “We want to get him up there in the same shape he's leaving here in and hope for a good draw for him.

“I'm anxious because I think we have a very good opportunity going in,” Asmussen added. “For him, I really want to avoid an outside draw.”

Chip Honcho had post two when he won a Churchill Downs maiden race and the rail when he took the Gun Runner Stakes last December at Fair Grounds in his first start around two turns.

In the Jan. 17 GIII Lecomte Stakes, Chip Honcho had the outermost post 10, broke a step slowly and was five wide on the first turn. He wound up fourth behind future Kentucky Derby hero Golden Tempo (Curlin).

His best and fastest race came when Chip Honcho was second in the Feb. 14 GII Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, when he broke well from post five, set the pace and only gave way late to come in second by a half-length to the well-regarded and subsequently sidelined Paladin (Gun Runner), while easily finishing in front of Golden Tempo. Chip Honcho's hoped-for progression hit the brakes with a well-beaten fifth in the Mar. 21 GII Louisiana Derby, leading connections to skip the Kentucky Derby in favor of the Preakness.

Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Jose Ortiz, who rode Chip Honcho in his maiden victory, has the Preakness mount.

The post Chip Honcho Tunes Up for Preakness appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Reef Runner (The Big Beast), winner of the G2 1351 Turf Sprint in February at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh and fourth in the Mar. 28 G1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan, is expected to make his stateside return in the June 6 GI Jaipur Stakes at Saratoga. The 5-year-old gelding had his first work since returning from the Middle East Saturday, going four furlongs in :46.90 (1/19) over the Tapeta at Gulfstream.

“He looks fantastic,” said trainer David Fawkes. “I nominated him for the Jaipur. We're coming. He traveled unbelievable from Dubai. He got off the plane like I vanned him from Ocala to Miami. I gave him 3 1/2 weeks with Nick Esler in Ocala, who took great care of him for me. Nick called me and said, 'Dave, you need to bring him back to work. He's a wild man.'”

Fawkes will be hoping for sunshine and firm ground in June at Saratoga, which is something Reef Runner failed to find in his lone previous outing at the Spa when a troubled eighth in the Mahony Stakes over good ground in August 2024.

“We were at John Kimmel's yard, and it rained so hard his entire courtyard was flooded. I knew we were screwed,” Fawkes said. “This time, he should be very strong, as long as the weather is good. He doesn't like it soft.”

The post Reef Runner to Make Stateside Return in Jaipur appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Reef Runner (The Big Beast), winner of the G2 1351 Turf Sprint in February at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh and fourth in the Mar. 28 G1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan, is expected to make his stateside return in the June 6 GI Jaipur Stakes at Saratoga. The 5-year-old gelding had his first work since returning from the Middle East Saturday, going four furlongs in :46.90 (1/19) over the Tapeta at Gulfstream.

“He looks fantastic,” said trainer David Fawkes. “I nominated him for the Jaipur. We're coming. He traveled unbelievable from Dubai. He got off the plane like I vanned him from Ocala to Miami. I gave him 3 1/2 weeks with Nick Esler in Ocala, who took great care of him for me. Nick called me and said, 'Dave, you need to bring him back to work. He's a wild man.'”

Fawkes will be hoping for sunshine and firm ground in June at Saratoga, which is something Reef Runner failed to find in his lone previous outing at the Spa when a troubled eighth in the Mahony Stakes over good ground in August 2024.

“We were at John Kimmel's yard, and it rained so hard his entire courtyard was flooded. I knew we were screwed,” Fawkes said. “This time, he should be very strong, as long as the weather is good. He doesn't like it soft.”

The post Reef Runner to Make Stateside Return in Jaipur appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Stablemates Iron Honor (Nyquist) and Ottinho (Quality Road) worked four furlongs in :48.00 (10/184) in company over the Belmont Park dirt training track Saturday. The former is expected to line up in the May 16 GI Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park and the latter remains possible for the June 6 GI Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

Iron Honor, owned by St. Elias Stable, William Lawrence, and Glassman Racing, won the Feb. 28 GIII Gotham Stakes and was most recently a troubled seventh in the Apr. 4 GII Wood Memorial.

“That work went well,” trainer Chad Brown said. “Iron Honor came out of it very well. I'd say that we are in good shape to head over and try the Preakness. We will give him another shot going two turns.”

Iron Honor will have an equipment change when he makes just his fourth career start in the Preakness. Brown will take the blinkers off the colt, who will be ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat. Iron Honor was equipped with blinkers when he broke his maiden in his first career start last Dec. 13 at Aqueduct and also had them on for his one-length score in the Gotham.

“We're trying to get the horse to relax and maybe not be too aggressive early,” Brown said. “I'm hoping there is some early pace in the race where he can sit back just a little bit and track horses.”

Three Chimneys Farm's homebred Ottinho was second behind Further Ado (Gun Runner) in the nine-furlong GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes last out Apr. 4.

“I want to keep him as a Belmont possibility,” Brown said. “I was pleased with that last effort. He had a minor issue with his foot that we discovered at Churchill, and we rectified that with a bar shoe. He seems to be very sound and moving forward again.”

The post Iron Honor on Track for Preakness, Ottinho Targets Belmont appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Klaravich Stable's Growth Equity (Nyquist) exited his two-length victory in the GIII Peter Pan Stakes Saturday in fine shape and the June 6 GI Belmont Stakes remains a possible next target for the bay colt.

“He looks good so far,” trainer Chad Brown said of Growth Equity's status Sunday morning. “That was a nice step forward. I was glad to see him handle two turns. I thought that he ran well. I think the runner-up is a nice horse. So, that was a nice, positive move forward. No immediate plans yet, but I was very pleased with the race.”

Growth Equity was second in his first two career starts, both at sprint distances. He graduated by 4 1/4 lengths when stretched out to Aqueduct's one-turn mile Mar. 20. In the Peter Pan, he scored a stalking victory over Withers Stakes winner Talk to Me Jimmy (Modernist), with GIII Stonestreet Lexington Stakes winner Trendsetter (Modernist) in third.

The Peter Pan is the traditional New York prep for the GI Belmont Stakes, to be held over 10 furlongs at Saratoga Race Course this year. The New York Racing Association has waived entry and starting fees to the Belmont Stakes for the first three finishers of the Peter Pan.

“I'm going to see how the horse comes out of this race when we put him back under tack and out on the track,” said Brown. “We'll keep an eye on [the Belmont Stakes]. We'll keep it as a possibility, for sure, but it is not the only possibility.”

The post Growth Equity Fine After Peter Pan Win, Belmont Possible appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Marjoram is now a grade 3 winner sprinting on grass, just like her older brother Spiced Up, after catching favored Light Won Up in the Senorita Stakes (G3T) May 9 at Santa Anita Park.

As much as the $194,000 Peter Pan Stakes (G3) is New York's steppingstone race to the Belmont Stakes (G1), the victorious Growth Equity may not be taking that big step.

Horse Racing Women’s Association expands its "Day at the Races" series to Canada at Century Mile.

Late-running Zabeel Champion uses almost every yard of the 3-mile Calvin Houghland Iroquois Stakes (NSA-1) to catch Swore in the closing strides.

Fillies outperform their male counterparts by running 1-2 in the May 9 Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Celtic Dispute wore down favored Skara Brae for a neck victory.

Ercel Ellis Jr., a trainer, writer, clocker, and longtime horse racing radio broadcaster, died May 7 in Lexington at the age of 94.

A filly by the same sire, bred on the same cross, and consigned by the same vendor as classic hopeful Zanthos reached the seven-figure mark midway through the Arqana Breeze Up Sale May 9 in Deauville, France. 

Media notes ahead of the May 16 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Laurel Park.

After winning the 2024 Belmont Stakes (G1) with Dornoch, trainer Danny Gargan seeks a second win in the Triple Crown with Talkin in the $2 million Preakness Stakes (G1) May 16 at Laurel Park.