Cairo Prince

The absence of the 'Grizzly Bear' has not put a damper on Saturday's GI Alabama Stakes, neither for the connections in it nor likely for the betting public, but despite Candied (Twirling Candy) being the class of the field, it's not as cut and dry of an affair. Currently sitting cosy at 7-5 on the morning line, Candied is deservedly the one to beat as victory in the GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes, a third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, and a gutsy second to 'TDN Rising Star' MGISW...

"My friends thought I was nuts when I got back into the horse business," says Maynard Thompson. "But when those babies are about three to five days old, and you take them outside and turn them loose for the first time, every one of them thinks he's the toughest thing out there. And if that doesn't put a smile on your face, you're not breathing." Which is why Thompson perseveres on 15 acres of gently undulating terrain, a few miles south of Tama on the Iowa River. "I'm 71 years...

Despite rearing at the jump, it was My Boy Prince (Cairo Prince) who got up in good order to take the Plate Trial Stakes at Woodbine on Saturday afternoon. This effort was the third stakes win in a row for the grey, who has proven nearly unbeatable at his hometrack--having not won just twice in seven jumps at Woodbine, on debut in May 2023, when he ran second and last September in the GI Summer Stakes on the grass when he again played bridesmaid. He ran a respectable third in...

Unmatched Wisdom (Cairo Prince) went right to the front for the third time in his career and secured his career first black-type win in the Curlin Stakes. A standout debuter May 10 over a muddy Belmont Big A mile maiden, where he won by 6 1/4 lengths, he was last seen delivering a similarly eye-catching effort against first-level allowance company at that venue June 22 stretching out to this stakes' distance for the first time. Quick to the front from the rail after a sluggish break and outfooting a would-be...

Unmatched Wisdom (c, 3, Cairo Prince--Glide On By, by Pure Prize), the recipient of a 98 Beyer Speed Figure in a sharp 6 1/4-length victory over the mud going a one-turn mile at the Big A on debut May 10, backed up that effort with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance Saturday. Stretching out to 1 1/8 miles for trainer Chad Brown versus four overmatched rivals in a first-level allowance in South Ozone Park, the 1-5 favorite tracked the early leader from second through an opening quarter in :23.72 and a...

7th-Belmont The Big A, $90,000, Msw, 6-15, 2yo, 5f, :56.97, ft, nose. MENTEE (c, 2, City of Light--Nonna Bella, by Stay Thirsty), on the 'Insights' radar by virtue of his relationship to full brother, champion juvenile Fierceness, MGISW, $1,703,850, stepped up to lead the field in this unveiling. The 1-2 favorite cruised along through :22.37 and :44.80 opening splits and had built a noteworthy margin entering the final furlong. Under confident handling, his rider John Velazquez never seemed worried as Colloquial (Vekoma) rapidly closed the gap with a furious late...

7th-BAQ, $90K, Msw, 2yo, 5f, 3:40 p.m. One half of a Repole Stable entry, MENTEE (City of Light) is a full-brother to 'TDN Rising Star' and Champion 2-year-old Male Fierceness. Nonna Bella is herself a daughter of GISP Nonna Mia and a half to GI Wood Memorial S. winner and sire Outwork (Uncle Mo) while third dam Holy Bubbette is responsible for MGSW and sire Cairo Prince (Pioneerof the Nile). Drawn outside for Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez, Mentee comes in off a best-of-20 work June 7 at Saratoga, going...

With bidding now open, Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 103 entries for its June Digital Sale, which will close on Tuesday, June 4 at 2 p.m. ET, the auction company said in a release Thursday. The catalogue offers breeding stock, horses of racing, 19 yearlings, a two-year-old and a stallion prospect. Breeding stock include mares in foal on 2024 covers to sires from Arcangelo to Yaupon. Racing/broodmare prospect offerings are headlined by 2022 Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Cairo Consort (hip 26) (Cairo Prince), while horses of racing age include a last out...

1st-Belmont The Big A, $90,000, Msw, 5-24, 2yo, 5 1/2f (off turf), 1:05.53, ft, head. SOONTOBEKING (c, 2, King for a Day--Swayed, by Freud) ran third on debut May 10 sprinting five panels on a muddy main track facing state-bred rivals. Moved to the barn of Mitch Friedman as his former trainer George Weaver is under a provisional suspension enforced by HIWU, Soontobeking made all the right moves late in his second try to graduate. First bobbling at the break and then bumping with a rival soon after, the only...

My Boy Prince, Canada's champion 2-year-old colt of 2023 and a leading King's Plate fancy, returned to the winner's circle with an authoritative victory in the King Corrie S. at Woodbine Sunday. Second in last year's GI Summer S. and third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, the heavy favorite was returning to the synthetic surface for the first time since dominating in the Simcoe S. at Woodbine last August. He attended the pace of Maximus Magic (Maximus Mischief) through fractions of :24.38 and :47.82, took charge approaching the...

7th-Belmont The Big A, $90,000, Msw, 5-10, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:35.57, my, 6 1/4 lengths. UNMATCHED WISDOM (c, 3, Cairo Prince--Glide On By, by Pure Prize), a $25,000 KEESEP yearling turned $450,000 OBSMAR breezer, kicked off his career with a sharp debut score going a one-turn mile in the Aqueduct mud. Overlooked at 6-1, he forced the issue from an outside second through early fractions of :23.26 and :46.53. He turned up the heat on the far turn, kicked for home as the one to catch and had 6 1/4 lengths...

Today we'll consider some of the sires standing between $10,001 and $19,999. For a long time, I called this the Lookin At Lucky zone. But don't worry, we won't be deploring his neglect yet again: he's staying in Chile, where they evidently appreciate him rather more. Plenty of horses in this bracket have recently relinquished their brief window of commercial opportunity, and are now hanging around to discover whether they might join the very small group whose first runners generate a fresh vogue. Even with the newcomers out of the...