Breeders' Cup Juvenile

ARCADIA, CA - The comparisons to the brilliant Uncle Mo began for 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) following a spectacular, double-digit debut win a day before the GI Travers S. at Saratoga-Uncle Mo's, of course, took place on the undercard--but came to an abrupt halt following a dismal seventh at .55 cents on the dollar in a sloppy renewal of the GI Champagne S. They can safely return now. Just like Uncle Mo did for Repole Stable and Todd Pletcher at third asking beneath John Velazquez at the...

As the wide-reaching Godolphin operation has used the names of different arms throughout the years--for example, 2001 Juvenile Fillies winner Tempera (A.P. Indy) was bred by Darley Stud Management, LLC but raced for Godolphin, LLC--it may be a surprise to learn Essential Quality was the first official Godolphin homebred to win the Breeders' Cup. Remarkably, in the two renewals since his win, another seven Godolphin homebreds have added to that number. Undefeated at two, Essential Quality was a Belmont and Travers winner at three. His first foals were born this...

Dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse was coming off his first two Breeders' Cup wins just the year before when he entered Classic Empire in the Juvenile. Second choice on the board, Classic Empire made back-to-back Grade Is look easy following a powerful victory in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity. Casse indicated looks can be deceiving. "Any hair I had left, he made sure it was gone," said Casse recently with a laugh. "He was a pistol. A lot of people didn't know this, but six days before the...

With a patented Calvin Borel ride, Street Sense skimmed the rail and ricocheted off the turn with such momentum that perhaps even Borel was caught by surprise, as he glanced back several times before finally easing the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner past the wire while 10 lengths clear. Much was made at the time of the 'Juvenile Jinx,' as no Juvenile winner had yet won the GI Kentucky Derby the following year. The charismatic Street Sense promptly put that myth to bed the next spring, then added the GI Travers...

Forte (Violence--Queen Caroline, by Blame), the 2022 champion 2-year-old colt and GI Breeders Cup Juvenile winner, has been retired from racing and will stand the 2024 season at Spendthrift Farm, according to co-owner Mike Repole. "According to Todd Pletcher," said Repole Thursday afternoon, "he grabbed his quarter in the Travers and that turned into a quarter crack in his left front foot. We sent him to [farrier] Ian McKinlay to patch it up and he was galloping. Today, Todd sent him out for a gallop at Keeneland. He said he...

The time Corniche, a $1.5-million OBS topper and 'TDN Rising Star', spent on the track might have been brief, but it was bright. Undefeated in three starts at two and a dual Grade I winner, he was simply better than the rest. "Corniche was always a dominating colt on the farm and so good looking as a foal," said Leah O'Meara of Stonehaven Steadings, who co-bred the Juvenile winner. "We always had high hopes for him. He gave us the first round of excitement when he breezed so well and...

Good Magic entered the GI Juvenile a maiden; he came out a Breeders' Cup winner. He's making an even bigger splash at stud. A little more than six weeks before his first crop turned up GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage, he had this year's priciest OBSMAR 2-year-old. That $2-million colt is now GISW Muth and will be one of the favorites for this year's Juvenile. "The odds are rare to buy a horse and have it become an important stallion," said Hill 'n' Dale's John Sikura of Good Magic. "Intuitively...

When Indian Charlie died prematurely from cancer at the age of 16 in 2011, the loss was palpable. He had perennially been among the nation's leading sires, while his prowess as a broodmare sire had yet to fully emerge. He had several sons already at stud, but waiting in the wings was his top successor and one who would ultimately put him on the map as a sire of sires. At the time of Indian Charlie's death, Uncle Mo had just closed out his racing career and was preparing for...

Zedan Racing Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Muth (c, 2, Good Magic--Hoppa, by Uncle Mo), second as the heavy favorite after pressing a blistering pace in the GIII Best Pal S. Aug. 13, showed a new dimension by coming off the pace while making his two-turn debut in style in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita. It was 3 3/4 lengths back to his Bob Baffert-trained stablemate Wine Me Up (Vino Rosso) in second. Be You (Curlin) was third. Muth becomes a record-extending 12th American...

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' Locked (c, 2, Gun Runner--Luna Rosa, by Malibu Moon), a flashy Saratoga maiden winner at second asking Sept. 1, showed his class as the 3-5 favorite while overcoming a wide trip in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. at Keeneland. Drawn widest of all in post eight, the chestnut didn't get off to the sharpest of beginnings and raced five to three wide around the clubhouse turn. He was out in the clear and one from the...

Siena Farm and WinStar Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' Timberlake (c, 2, Into Mischief--Pin Up {Ire}, by Lookin At Lucky), a bit of an unlucky second as the favorite in the GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga Sept. 4, got back, ahem, in sync with a stylish score in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Champagne S. at the Big A. "He ran good," winning trainer Brad Cox said. "I was very proud of him. He got a good, clean trip today. [Jockey] Florent [Geroux] did a great job. He got away...

Nyquist capped an undefeated 2-year-old season with a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, then added the GI Kentucky Derby the next spring, becoming just the second colt to complete the Juvenile-Derby double. His fellow Darley stallion, Street Sense, was the first. Nyquist got his sire career off to a bang with his first crop including a Breeders' Cup winner of his own in 2020 Juvenile Fillies star Vequist. "From his first season in 2017 until now, hands down the most fertile horse I've ever worked with anywhere in...