champion two-year-old

Fierceness (City of Light), the beaten favorite in the GI Kentucky Derby, is scheduled to make his next start in the GI Belmont S. on June 8 in Saratoga. "He has settled in well and we are pointing to the Belmont," trainer Todd Pletcher said in a text. Sent off at 3-1, Fierceness finished 15th, beaten 24 1/2 lengths in the Derby. When asked if his colt had any excuses in the Derby, Pletcher replied: "Perhaps too close to a fast pace? Stuck a little wide on both turns?" Following...

Champion 3-year-old filly and MGISW Nest (Curlin--Marion Ravenwood, by A.P. Indy) has been retired from racing her owner Mike Repole told the Daily Racing Form on Wednesday. The owner who bought out his partners on Nest--Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House--for $6 million last fall at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale intended to race Nest this year. After three workouts at Stonestreet Farm in Ocala, Florida, she was set to ship to trainer Todd Pletcher's string at Saratoga, but a diagnostic exam was performed and showed "a slight abnormality in her...

The first foal for champion 2-year-old and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Corniche (Quality Road) arrived at Denali Stud on Monday when Faith And Honor (Honor Code) produced a filly, Coolmore America said in a release Wednesday. "Our Corniche out of Faith and Honor started off our foaling season at Denali in good order," said Conrad Bandoroff. "The filly has plenty of quality about her with good leg and bone. Very pleased with our start!" A $1.5 million sale topper after breezing a furlong in :10 flat at OBS April,...

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...

St. Elias Stable and Repole Stable's GI Kentucky Derby favorite Forte (Violence) arrived at Churchill Downs on Monday following a 14-hour van ride from trainer Todd Pletcher's winter base of Palm Beach Downs in South Florida. Last year's champion juvenile colt bedded down in his barn 39 and joined fellow Derby hopefuls Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) and Tapit Trice (Tapit), both who arrived in Louisville on Sunday. Forte, who won last year's G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and G1 Hopeful S. before being honored with the Eclipse Award, has won both the...

Every owner starting out in racing will have big dreams. That said, when José Delmotte first took a share in a racehorse more than 25 years ago, he may not have allowed his mind to wander as far as one day being the breeder of Europe's champion 2-year-old.  But that is where the Frenchman now finds himself. That one share led to a horse in training, followed by a few more, then some broodmares, the purchase of a farm in France's Orne region, and now that famous graduate of his...

Modestly bred, British Idiom (Flashback) brought only $40,000 as a Fasig-Tipton October yearling in 2018, but by the time she debuted at Saratoga in August, the chestnut had attracted powerhouse connections in Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables and trainer Brad Cox. Backed to narrow favoritism in that six-furlong career bow, she pressed the pace and drew off to a 3 1/2-length score. Adding Lasix and stretching out to two turns in the GI Darley Alcibiades S. Oct. 4 at Keeneland, she was a powerful victress,...

LONDON, UK—Godolphin's homebred Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) was officially named Europe's champion juvenile of 2019 on Wednesday when given the highest rating for a 2-year-old in 25 years. In fact, it was a clean sweep for Godolphin and Kildangan Stud-based sire Shamardal, who were also responsible for the joint runners-up in the category, Victor Ludorum (Ire) and Earthlight (Ire). The magic number for Pintaubo—also awarded to Enable (GB), Crystal Ocean (GB) and Waldgeist (GB) when topping the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings—was 128. One has to look back as far as...