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In defeating three tough runners from the Bob Baffert barn in the Santa Monica Stakes (G2), Kopion reminded her trainer, Richard Mandella, of her sire, Omaha Beach, also a Mandella trainee.

Chad Brown and Flavien Prat showed the Tampa Bay Downs crowd exactly why they were voted winners in their respective 2024 Eclipse Award categories, sweeping both graded stakes races on the Feb. 1 card with Running Bee and Saffron Moon.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas is finalizing February plans for his Kentucky Derby (G1) hopefuls and those include a geographical swap for two candidates and the stakes debut for a popular third. 

Rallying from fourth in a field of six 3-year-olds, Gate to Wire did not exactly live up to his name in the $155,000 Swale Stakes Feb. 1 at Gulfstream Park, but he was in front when it mattered most in the seven-furlong race: the finish.

Trainer Bob Baffert confirmed all was well with Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) the morning after his 3 3/4-length win in Saturday's GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes. Baffert indicated a decision has not been made whether last year's 2-year-old champion will make one or two more starts before this year's GI Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs.

Citizen Bull, who earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure for his front-running win in the one-mile Lewis under Martin Garcia, which was his first start since winning the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 1. With the win, Citizen Bull earned 20 additional qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby to give him 60 in all.

On Sunday, he said “we'll just wait and see” whether Citizen Bull makes another start, potentially the GII San Felipe at Santa Anita on Mar. 1, prior to the final round of Kentucky Derby preps in early April, which includes the GI Santa Anita Derby on Apr. 5.

“I need to talk it over with his racing manager [SF Racing's Tom Ryan] and we'll make a plan,” Baffert said.

Citizen Bull is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables and partners.

In addition to Citizen Bull, Baffert has another Kentucky Derby prospect in Into Michief's Barnes, who won the GII San Vicente going seven furlongs Jan. 4 at Santa Anita. Barnes will make his next start in either the GII Rebel Stakes Feb. 22 at Oaklawn Park or the San Felipe a week later, Baffert said. Both races are contested at 1 1/16 miles. It would be the first time going two turns for Barnes, owned by Zedan Racing.

The post Citizen Bull Doing Well After Lewis, San Felipe or Rebel for Barnes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Coming off of a strong 2024 renewal which saw a record three seven-figure mares go through the ring, the 2025 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale kicks off in a consolidated single session at Newtown Paddocks Monday morning with bidding set to begin at 10 a.m.

414 catalogued hips are on offer including exciting late supplemental adds such as 14-year-old broodmare Athenian Beauty (Corinthian), the dam of this year's GIII Southwest Stakes winner Speed King (Volatile), who sells in foal to Caracaro from the Taylor Made Sales Consignment.

“That's a great thing about this time of year,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “There's always opportunities that emerge. Speed King ran very impressively [in the Southwest] so we were very pleased that the owner, Mr. Bowman, decided to supplement the mare to the sale. She should be a very interesting and attractive offer.”

The Winter Mixed Sale is the last chance for horses to change hands at auction before the breeding season begins and shortens into a jam-packed one-day session this year.

“Last year honestly was a bit of an anomaly with the Lothenbach dispersal,” Browning continued. “This year is a little bit more representative of a catalogue for February. There are some very attractive mares in foal. There are some very nice fillies and mares coming off the track. And the feeling is that we probably have a little higher percentage of short yearlings this year than we've had in the catalogue in year's past, so it's a diverse group. There's really a horse here in the catalogue for every buyer.”

Browning noted the timing of the sale, with additional racing updates coming in daily, presents opportunities for both breeders and those looking to race.

“Whether you're trying to add something to the very top end of your program or you're trying to find something to take to the races, there's a lot of options in this sale,” said Browning. “Clearly a timely update or new activity in the family helps. We're heading into Derby and Oaks season and hope springs eternal with those types of connections. We're seeing more of an emphasis on quality and expect to see that trend continue on.”

Even without the Lothenbach disperal from last year, Browning expects numbers to be similar to what was seen in recent sales.

“I think we'll see [that] the market is very similar to what we've experienced in the last two or three years,” said Browning. “For the top 20% of the horses, the market is going to be really good. There will be very strong competition for what is perceived to be of higher quality. We live in a market that there is certainly some fragmentation and that's going to continue. That's just the reality of the marketplace today.”

Baldwin Bloodstock's Amy Bunt, who brings a consignment of 10 to the Winter Mixed Sale this year, agreed with Browning's assessment of both the market and the opportunity present.

“I love this sale,” said Bunt. “I hope the market's going to be good because it is the last chance to buy [short yearlings] for the pin-hookers. I think people really like to shop this sale. I've had some pretty good success selling here because it's the last opportunity for people to buy babies.”

Cats Inthe Timber | Jim McCue

Bunt brings eight short yearlings to market Monday including several by young sires such as Drain the Clock, Mystic Guide and Epicenter. Her two young mares include racing or broodmare prospect Matters (Kitten's Joy) (hip 40), a 4-year-old out of GISW Byrama (GB) who is also the dam of GI Florida Derby winner Known Agenda. Matters's half-brother sold for $650,000 to John Stewart's Resolute Racing as a yearling at Keeneland in 2023. Bunt also sells the 5-year-old stakes winner Cats Inthe Timber (Honor Code) (hip 238), out a half-sister to GISW True Timber (Mineshaft).

“It's a very physical sale,” Bunt continued. “Everybody is able to look at everything. I would definitely put the emphasis on the physical here. Not that people are more forgiving of pedigree, but it's more of a physical sale. I don't have anything here that I wouldn't put on someone's short list.”

Last year, boosted in part by the aforementioned dispersal of horses from the late Robert Lothenbach, the Winter Mixed Sale saw 372 horses change hands for $21,687,000 with an average of $58,298 and a median of $17,000. As previously mentioned, three mares topped the seven-figure mark led by Coolmore's $2,000,000 purchase of Zetta Z (Bernardini), the dam of undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist).

The post Off Strong 2024 Edition, Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale Keeps Momentum Rolling Into Breeding Season appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Whitham Thoroughbreds' Burnham Square (Liam's Map), winner of Saturday's GIII Holy Bull Stakes, exited the Triple Crown prep 'bright and alert' and could return in Gulfstream's GII Fountain of Youth Stakes in four weeks.

According to trainer Ian Wilkes Sunday, Burnham Square “came out fine and jogged good this morning” at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. The gelding earned 20 GI Kentucky Derby qualifying points for his 1 3/4-length triumph.

Second in Gulfstream's series of dirt races for 3-year-olds on the road to the $1-million GI Florida Derby Mar. 29 after the one-mile Mucho Macho Man Stakes Jan. 3, the Holy Bull is followed on the stakes schedule by the GII Fountain of Youth Mar. 1, also run at 1 1/16 miles.

“The logical spot probably is the Fountain of Youth,” Wilkes said for Burnham Square, bred and owned by Janis Whitham with her son and racing manager, Clay. “I'll talk to Clay and Mrs. Whitham and make sure. It's four weeks away. We'll see how he does and how he bounces out of this. He looked bright and alert this morning, but he ran hard. Let's see how he comes back and trains.”

He added, “He overcame a lot of adversity in the race, so that was good,” Wilkes said. “He just keeps getting better, and that's what you want. You've got to get better because the water gets deeper. You've got to keep improving. To where he might maximize out at, I don't know yet. But the further they go the better he gets. The distance is what he likes.”

Burnham Square is 2-0 lifetime at Gulfstream, having graduated with a nine-length maiden special weight score going 1 1/16 miles Dec. 28. Both wins have also come since the addition of blinkers and jockey Edgard Zayas.

“He wouldn't run in the race. He'd run away from horses. He wouldn't run into the dirt. Jocks were riding him at the half-mile pole and he was going nowhere. He just needed blinkers. Then he'd run home, get beat a half-length for all of it and then be four lengths in front after the wire.”

Burnham Square ran second by a half-length at odds of 30-1 while running for a $150,000 claiming tag in debut last fall at Keeneland sprinting six furlongs. He stretched out to 1 1/16 miles and stepped up to maiden special weight company for his next start, beaten less than a length while running third.

“He's a plain ol' horse. We just let him come along,” Wilkes said. “When we worked him, he worked good. But did we like him off the bat? No. We didn't know what we had. We just let him come along and he started working good. I ran him for [$150,000] first time out. He ran awfully good and surprised us, and just got better and better from there.”

The post Burnham Square Heads to Fountain of Youth appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

St. Elias Stable's Captain Cook (Practical Joke), winner of Saturday's Withers Stakes at the Big A, is expected to make his next start in the GII Wood Memorial Apr. 5, according to trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. Sunday. The Wood awards the top-five finishers 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby points, respectively.

“He's got a big step forward next time when we run him back in the Wood, but he's got plenty of time and we love that–so does he,” Dutrow, Jr. said. “He'll be running back over a track he's won two races over, and it seems like he's all lined up to run big again, as long as he stays the way he is now.”

Captain Cook was sixth in his career debut in a six-furlong maiden at Churchill Downs for conditioner Norm Casse before selling to St. Elias for $410,000 at the Keeneland Horses of Racing Age Sale in November.

In his most recent start prior to the Withers, the bay ran off to an impressive 9 1/4-length score in a sloppy seven-furlong maiden at the Big A on Dec. 28.

“I don't care about Beyers,” Dutrow, Jr. said of the colt's latest race. “He's a very relaxed horse, and we're very lucky to have him. He's a pleasant surprise. He was running against better horses and when he broke his maiden with us, he liked the track well enough, but we don't really know if he beat anything that day. Facing these guys [Saturday], there were horses that had the credentials to run big. Our horse just ran a big race, man.”

He added, “We're lucky that he is the way he is in a race,” Dutrow, Jr. added of the colt's relaxed nature. “He doesn't have a lot of size to him, and he's going to need to conserve everything he's got, but man, he does that. When Manny [Franco] hopped off of that horse, he said, 'Rick, I'm starting to dream.'”

Also possible for the Wood, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Judy Hicks and Campeche Stables' McAfee (Cloud Computing) continues to work his way back from a small infection that forced him to scratch from the Jan. 4 Jerome at the Big A. The half-brother to 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna made a successful debut on Nov. 1 to annex a six-furlong restricted maiden at Churchill Downs before a head defeat to finish second in a one-mile starter allowance on Nov. 24 at the Louisville oval.

McAfee had his first work in almost one month when covering a half-mile in :52 seconds flat over the Belmont dirt training track Saturday.

“Oh, we're excited about that guy,” Dutrow, Jr. said. “He's doing great. After Emily [Ellingwood, who frequently exercised MGISW White Abarrio during his tenure with Dutrow, Jr.] would breeze White Abarrio for us in California, I could see her molars because she was smiling so much–that's what happened [Saturday] when she breezed McAfee. She just loved the feeling the horse gave her.”

While Dutrow, Jr. did not commit to a firm plan in the coming weeks for McAfee, but did say the colt could also be on his way to the nine-furlong Kentucky Derby prep.

“We have a hopeful plan that if he stays the way he is, it could set him up for the Wood and we could have two horses–two live horses–for that race,” Dutrow, Jr. said. “That's never happened to me before, and I like to dream, too.”

The post Dutrow Eyes Wood with Captain Cook, McAfee appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Stonestreet homebred Eclatant (Into Mischief) remained perfect in three starts going one turn with a late-running victory in the GIII Fasig-Tipton Forward Gal Stakes to close out the Saturday program in Hallandale Beach.

The 4-1 chance was beaten for speed and settled in about midpack early on as longshot and 'TDN Rising Star' Rojo Rita (Volatile) came across from her high draw and was pressed along by Stunner (Girvin) through enervating early fractions. Three deep, but with cover on the back of The Queens M G (Thousand Words) into and around the turn, Eclatant was pulled off that one's heels approaching the final furlong and raced on her incorrect lead, but found the line first. Rojo Rita crossed the line sixth, but was disqualified and placed last for causing interference with several inner rivals hooking up with the course proper.

Eclatant was a smart debut winner at Churchill going 5 1/2 furlongs June 21, and the strength of that performance was amplified when runner-up La Cara (Bernardini) went on to graduate by eight lengths at Saratoga next time out ahead of a victory in the GIII Pocahontas Stakes. A Keeneland allowance winner from just off the speed Oct. 4, the homebred bay was part of the early pace in the GII Golden Rod Stakes Nov. 30, but faded to finish a distant third at just under 5-2.

It was a second Forward Gal win for Stonestreet, who took the 2013 renewal with 'TDN Rising Star' Kauai Katie.

Pedigree Notes:

Black Ridge Stables gave $250,000 for the winning Downside Scenario at 2018 Keeneland January Sale and the Into Mischief foal she was carrying at the time became 'TDN Rising Star' Mutasaabeq, a $425,000 KEENOV weanling purchase by Shadwell who hit the board in the GI Hopeful Stakes before running out an impressive winner of the GII Bourbon Stakes going long on the grass as a 2-year-old. Mutasaabeq added the Mucho Macho Man Stakes in early 2021, and his exploits ensured that Downside Scenario was hammered down to Stonestreet for $1.15 million carrying the filly that would become Eclatant.

Downside Scenario is one of five winners from his dam, who also dropped Cool Cowboy (Kodiak Kowboy), a three-time stakes winner in the U.S. before annexing a pair of group sprints in Dubai; the stakes-placed Appeal to the Win (Successful Appeal); and Catching Diamonds (Into Mischief), the dam of 2023 GI Breeders' Cup Classic and recent GI Pegasus World Cup hero White Abarrio (Race Day).

Downside Scenario is also the dam of the 2-year-old colt Quality Side (Quality Road) and a yearling filly by Curlin foaled last Apr. 29. The mare was given the year off for 2025.

Into Mischief is now the sire of 169 stakes winners worldwide and 81 graded winners.

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
FASIG-TIPTON FORWARD GAL S.-GIII, $155,000, Gulfstream, 2-1, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:23.61, ft.
1–ECLATANT, 120, f, 3, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Downside Scenario, by Scat Daddy
                2nd Dam: Grand Breeze, by Grand Slam
                3rd Dam: Breeze Lass, by It's Freezing
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred
Holdings LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Luis Saez. $87,420. Lifetime
Record: 4-3-0-1, $260,560. *Full to Mutasaabeq, GSW & GISP,
$259,670. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus.* Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Stunner, 120, f, 3, Girvin–Spun Beauty, by Hard Spun.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($190,000 Ylg '23 FTKOCT). O-LNJ
Foxwoods and Church Street Stable; B-Brereton C. Jones (FL);
T-Brad H. Cox. $33,200.
3–The Queens M G, 123, f, 3, Thousand Words–Show Queen,
by Grindstone. ($3,500 Ylg '23 FTKOCT). O-C2 Racing Stable
LLC and Mathis Stable LLC; B-T.F. VanMeter,Samuel
Hernandez, Jesus Torres, Justin Vinalay (KY); T-Saffie A. Joseph,
Jr. $14,100.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1, 2 3/4. Odds: 4.00, 3.50, 5.30.
Also Ran: Unchained Elaine, Frida, My Denysse, Costa Amalfitana, Justinqueso, Volatiled, Beyond Belief, Rojo Rita.

Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

ECLATANT ($10.00) consumed the frontrunners down the lane in the $165,000 Forward Gal Stakes (G3) at @GulfstreamPark. The Into Mischief (@spendthriftfarm) filly gave trainer @bradcoxracing his 2500th victory and 20 Oaks Points. @luissaezpty was up for owners @StonestreetFarm. pic.twitter.com/BaenqANVHD

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) February 1, 2025

The post Eclatant Keys Brad Cox Exacta in Fasig-Tipton Forward Gal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Vixen rebounded from a sixth-place finish in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) with a commanding victory in the $150,000 Sweetest Chant Stakes Feb. 1 at Gulfstream Park.

Grade 1 winner Didia, who missed a start and the chance to become a repeat winner in the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes (G2T) at Gulfstream Park, has been officially retired and will be bred to Nyquist.

The two-day Tattersalls February Sale wrapped up Jan. 31, producing healthy increases in total sales, average, median, and clearance rate.

As impressive as Kopion was in her La Brea Stakes (G1) score a month ago, it'll be no walk in the park for the Omaha Beach filly in her 4-year-old debut in the Feb. 1 $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park.

Miss Macy Sue is the dam of prominent sires Liam's Map and Not This Time.

A pair of mares with connections to contenders on this year's Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1) trails stand to be one of the starring attractions at the upcoming Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale Feb. 3.

Trainer Juan Arriagada, who currently ranks second in wins at the Tampa Bay Downs meeting, will be suspended for 15 days for a controlled medication violation.

Known for its summer turf racing, Colonial Downs will shift its racing focus to dirt over three days from March 13-15 as part of its expanded, 44-day 2025 racing schedule.

Grade 2 stakes winner Gigante sold to Clark Brewster and L and N Racing for $610,000 in a one-horse flash sale on Fasig-Tipton Digital.

7th-Gulfstream, $73,260, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 2-1, 3yo, 1m, 1:36.34, ft, 6 1/2 lengths.

RIVER THAMES (c, 3, Maclean's Music–Proportionality, by Discreet Cat), tabbed as a 'TDN Rising Star' with a 94 Beyer Speed Figure on debut going six furlongs at Gulfstream Jan. 11, stayed perfect in style, stretching to a mile here.

The rail-drawn, 3-5 favorite forced the issue from an inside second through an opening quarter in :23.89. He appeared to bobble slightly, but recovered quickly to challenge for command entering the far turn. The New York-bred enjoyed a narrow advantage at the top of the stretch and leveled off beautifully from there to score by 6 1/2 lengths. Souper Times (Not This Time) was second.

River Thames's dam, herself a debut winner at two at Laurel Park, is a half-sister to four winners, including Miss Interpret (Street Sense), who won a rained-off renewal of the P.G. Johnson Stakes at Saratoga in 2021. Third dam Seeking the Silver produced MGISW Paulassilverlining (Ghostzapper), dam of SW and recent UAE GSP 'TDN Rising Star' Artorius (Arrogate); GISW sire Dads Caps (Discreet Cat); and SP Liza Too (Olmodavor), the dam of the stakes-winning Long Weekend (Majesticperfection). Proportionality was bred to both Liam's Map and WinStar's Nashville for her 2025 foal.

Sales history: $200,000 Ylg '23 SARAUG.

Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $85,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

O-CHC, Inc. & WinStar Farm LLC; B-CTR Stables, LLC (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

 

“RIVER THAMES ($3.40) has a gear the others don't have” – @AnnouncerPete@PletcherRacing trains the Maclean's Music colt for owners @WinStarFarm. @ljlmvel was in the saddle of the undefeated three-year-old.

Late Pick 5 starts now: https://t.co/zleTqs7rGG pic.twitter.com/4qTL8xZx2w

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) February 1, 2025

The post ‘Rising Star’ River Thames Stays Perfect at Gulfstream appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Straight No Chaser (Speightster) and a pair of important 3-year-old colts were the star turns on the Santa Anita worktab Saturday morning.

Last seen sewing up championship honors when taking out the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint over Bentornato (Valiant Minister) at Del Mar Nov. 2, Straight No Chaser turned in his second consecutive bullet work, going five furlongs in :59.20 (1/72) in advance of his expected appearance in the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint on the Saudi Cup undercard Feb. 22. There the 6-year-old is expected to face a rematch with the Jose D'Angelo-trained Bentornato, a respectable third behind Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) and Book'em Danno (Bucchero) in last year's G3 Saudi Derby.

Getaway Car (Curlin), winner of last year's GIII Best Pal Stakes, continued to train along towards his sophomore debut when clocking 1:00.40 for his five-furlong move Saturday morning. The $300,000 Keeneland November weanling turned $700,000 Keeneland September yearling was last seen completing the exacta for his sire behind Journalism in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 14.

'TDN Rising Star' Bullard (Gun Runner) also breezed five-eighths of a mile Saturday morning, covering the distance in 1:00.20 (14/72) for trainer Michael McCarthy. The dark bay won the first two starts of his career, including Del Mar's GIII Bob Hope Stakes Nov. 17, but was soundly defeated into third by Barnes (Into Mischief) in the GII San Vicente Stakes Jan. 4.

The post Straight No Chaser Works Towards Saudi, Prominent 3YOs Also on Santa Anita Tab appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.