Bob Baffert

Cave Rock (Arrogate--Georgie's Angel, by Bellamy Road), a two-time Grade I winner at two and runner-up to eventual champion Forte (Violence) in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, died Friday, Aug. 18 from complications from laminitis which developed after surgery late last month. According to a statement from Dr. Vince Baker at the SLR Equine Hospital: "On July 28, 2023, after a routine morning of exercise, Cave Rock showed signs of colic while cooling out. He was treated with a tranquilizer and an anti-inflammatory. His vital signs did not improve,...

In a battle of Bob Baffert-trained TDN Rising Stars, second choice Prince of Monaco (Speightstown) got the better of his more fancied stablemate, 1-2 choice Muth (Good Magic), to take Sunday's GIII Best Pal S. at Del Mar. The victory represented the 10th Best Pal score for the Hall of Famer. Prince of Monaco, a $950,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase, was content to linger near the back early as first Tranche (Collected) and then Muth led through opening fractions of :21.76 and :44.76. Closing strongly on the front rank passing...

Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo), first and third in last month's GI Haskell S. at Monmouth, appear likely for a rematch in the Sept. 2 G1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic. Following his Haskell victory, trainer Richard Mandella indicated the Pacific Classic was possible for the Pin Oak Stud runner, however, upon returning to Del Mar, the Hall of Famer began considering the $125,000 Shared Belief S. instead. Facing older horses in the Classic, the sophomore would run against his own division in the Shared...

WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's Pastor T (c, 2, Into Mischief--Top Quality, by Quality Road) covered stacks of ground from a wide draw, but overcame the tough trip to graduate by 4 1/4 impressive lengths to be named the afternoon's second 'TDN Rising Star', the 40th of the all-conquering Into Mischief's sons and daughters to be accorded such honors. The colt's worktab--both at Santa Anita and over the local strip--didn't so much whisper 'ready' as much as it screamed it and the bay was duly dispatched as a 2-5 mortal...

Dreamfyre (f, 2, Flameaway--Appreciating, by Sky Mesa) may not have been the GIII Sorrento S. favorite behind 'TDN Rising Star' Benedetta (City of Light) and flashy Baffert/Zedan runner Dua (Arrogate), but she ran like it, controlling the 2-year-old filly contest from pillar to post. In Del Mar's co-feature Saturday, Dreamfyre broke like a shot from the inside post and immediately put daylight on the rest, clicking off early fractions in :21.74 and :45.10. Benedetta and Dua followed with the rest of the field stretched out well behind. Coming off the...

It should be no shock that the path to glory in the GIII Best Pal S. will pass through the barn of Bob Baffert at Del Mar Sunday afternoon. He'll bring back a pair of 'TDN Rising Stars' in $2m OBS March sales topper Muth (Good Magic) and $950,000 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Select Sale grad Prince of Monaco (Speightstown). Both colts impressed in their lone prior starts--Muth earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure in his gate-to-wire 8 3/4-length blowout at Santa Anita June 18 while Prince of Monaco rolled...

4th-CNL, $60K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1 1/16mT, 3:00 p.m. A $700,000 Ylg FTSAUG purchase, INTEGRATION (Quality Road) debuts for Shug McGaughey. Out of 2016 GI Del Mar Oaks heroine Harmonize (Scat Daddy), who was campaigned and bred by Larkin Armstrong, this 3-year-old colt hails from a deep, extended female family which includes MGSWs like Al Khali (Medaglia d'Oro), Cappuchino (Capote) and Hungry Island (More Than Ready), plus GI Diana S. heroine and MGSW Somali Lemonade (Lemon Drop Kid) and MGISW Verrazano (More Than Ready). TJCIS PPs 5th-SAR, $136K, Msw, 2yo, 7f,...

After a hearing before an arbitral body, trainer Jeffrey Poole has been hit with a 22-month suspension by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) after it was alleged that Poole possessed the banned substance Levothyroxine. He was also fined $10,000 and ordered to make a payment of $8,000 to cover arbitration costs. Poole did not have a horse test positive for the substance. Levothyroxine, commonly known by the trade name Thyro-L, is a synthetic version of the naturally-occurring hormone thyroxine. Thyroxine is produced by the thyroid and works with...

In the absence of Godolphin standout and GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf winner Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the role of morning-line favorite for Saturday's feature at Virginia's Colonial Downs fell to GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational winner Atone (Into Mischief). A Godolphin-bred gelded son of leading sire Into Mischief, the Michael Maker trainee, owned by Three Diamonds Farm, put a career best 103 Beyer Speed Figure to take down Brazilian standout Ivar (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 28. He'll stretch out to 1 1/4 miles...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale of Selected Yearlings, which looked to have a tough task to live up to its record-smashing 2022 renewal, proved more than equal to that task and, when a fast and frenetic session concluded Tuesday night, the auction had once again set high-water marks for gross and average and tied its record median. "We have experienced some magical nights in Saratoga in the past and you've heard me talk about the Saratoga magic, but we ain't seen...

Adare Manor (f, 4, Uncle Mo--Brooklynsway, by Giant Gizmo), a big, rangy daughter of her Breeders' Cup-winning sire, made it four in a row and a first Grade I with a facile win in the $400,000 GI Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar Saturday. The filly will likely attempt to win a Breeders' Cup of her own as the "Win and You're In" Hirsch offers a fees-paid berth to the GI Distaff, which will be held at Santa Anita in November. When the field broke in the Hirsch, it...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Co-owner and co-breeder Steve Coburn was a quotable presence during California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit)'s fine career and delivered again Friday when the California-bred was inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame. Champions California Chrome, Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) and Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro), all in their first year of eligibility, joined jockey Corey Nakatani in the contemporary class of 2023. Fernando Toro was selected by the Historic Review Committee. Three people--the late John Hanes II, the late Leonard Jerome and Stella F. Thayer--were inducted as...