China Horse Club

Dec. 10 Insights: Nashville Returns at Oaklawn

8th-OP, $102K, Alw/Opt. Clm ($80K), 3yo/up, 5 1/2f, 4:46 p.m. ET Nearly a year after suffering his first defeat in last winter's GI Runhappy Malibu S., China Horse Club and WinStar Farm's NASHVILLE (Speightstown) will return to the races as a likely prohibitive favorite in this sprint at Oaklawn. Starting his career with a devastating 11 1/2-length romp as a 3-10 favorite in the Saratoga slop last September--easily good enough for 'TDN Rising Star' honors--the $460,000 Keeneland September proved that was no fluke with an effortless 9 3/4-length allowance score...

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Constitution Colt Closes Pick 3, Caps Exacta for Pletcher in Cigar Mile

In Todd we trust. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher completed a graded Pick 3, and an exacta, to close out the card in style at Aqueduct Saturday as the talented New York-bred Americanrevolution (Constitution) reeled in his stablemate and fellow 3-year-old and 'TDN Rising Star' Following Sea (Runhappy) in the GI Cigar Mile H. presented by NYRA Bets. Coming off an 11 3/4-length drubbing in the Empire Classic H. going 1 1/8 miles around one turn against state-breds in the slop with a gaudy 108 Beyer Speed Figure at...

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Life Was Good, Very Good

There is talk that Breeders' Cup winners Knicks Go (Paynter) and Life Is Good (Into Mischief) will meet in the Jan. 29 GI Pegasus S. at Gulfstream. I'll take Life Is Good. He was that good Saturday in the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Nothing against Knicks Go or any of the other winners over the weekend at Del Mar, but the best horse over the 14 races that make up the Breeders' Cup was Life Is Good. He put in a sensational performance in the Dirt...

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Life is Good Never Looks Back in Dominant Dirt Mile Performance

In what might have been the easiest of victories on Saturday's championship card--or maybe he's just so good he simply made it look that way--'TDN Rising Star' and 3-5 favorite Life Is Good (Into Mischief) captured the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. The bay led every step of the way through blazing fractions straight into the winner's circle, with his only loss in six career starts a neck in arrears of GI Sprint favorite Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music). Silver State (Hard Spun), the GI Hill 'n' Dale...

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Impeccably Bred Into Mischief Shines at Keeneland

Hip 356, a striking daughter of Into Mischief out of 2015 GI Alabama S. winner Embellish the Lace (Super Saver), was hammered down to Spendthrift Farm for $1.25 million, the second filly to eclipse the seven-figure threshold Tuesday as the fireworks continued at Keeneland September. The bay was consigned to the sale by Bluewater Sales on behalf of China Horse Club International, which paid $2.4 million for Embellish the Lace, in foal to Uncle Mo, at Fasig-Tipton November in 2016. It is the second produce from the mare to make...

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Malathaat to Target Alabama

Shadwell Stable's Malathaat (Curlin), who suffered her first career defeat when second behind Maracuja (Honor Code) as the heavy favorite in the four-horse GI Coaching Club American Oaks Saturday, will be aimed at a likely rematch with that filly in the Aug. 21 GI Alabama S. "We had a difficult time analyzing the race beforehand and how we thought it might unfold," admitted trainer Todd Pletcher. "There wasn't a lot of speed on paper and we were in the one post with a target on our backs, so our strategy...

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Harvard Has Them Seeing 'Red' In Maiden Romp

3rd-Indiana Grand, $31,000, Msw, 5-12, 3yo/up, 1m 70y, 1:43.45, ft, 4 1/2 lengths. HARVARD (c, 3, Pioneerof the Nile--Sambuca Classica, by Cat Thief) finished second behind a good-looking debut from American Prince (Liam's Map) at Gulfstream Feb. 28 and was stretching out to two turns off a distant runner-up effort behind Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy)'s 'TDN Rising Star' half-brother Stage Raider (Pioneerof the Nile) in a sloppy seven-furlong maiden at Keeneland Apr. 10. Stage Raider, incidentally, is the morning-line 2-5 favorite for a one-mile Belmont allowance Friday afternoon....

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Surgery for Life is Good

WinStar Farm and CHC's Life is Good (Into Mischief) has officially been taken out of consideration for the GI Kentucky Derby, trainer Bob Baffert confirmed on Los Angeles radio Sunday morning. "He couldn't have worked more beautifully," Baffert told Mike Willman on Thoroughbred LA radio. "It was a great, nice cruising work like he usually does. He's so light on his feet. He came back, the rider said he felt great...Then all of a sudden later in the morning, you could tell something was bothering him in the hind leg....

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Feb. 28 Insights
Feb. 28 Insights

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency FULL-SIBLING TO CLASSIC EMPIRE DEBUTS 3rd-GP, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 1:08p.m. China Horse Club and WinStar Farm's HARVARD (Pioneerof the Nile), a full-brother to champion Classic Empire, makes his career bow Sunday in Hallandale. Classic Empire was named champion juvenile colt of 2016 after victories in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He captured the GI Arkansas Derby at three and was second in the GI Preakness S. before retiring to Ashford Stud. China Horse Club privately acquired his dam...

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Prime Factor Puts Two Hearts Farm Back in the Spotlight

Tony Braddock's Two Hearts Farm made quite a few headlines back in 2015 when their mare Fioretti (Bernardini) marked herself as a Breeders' Cup contender with wins in the Roxelana S. and GII TCA S. With that mare now retired to the Two Hearts Farm broodmare band, talented sophomore Prime Factor (Quality Road) has put his breeder back in the spotlight and looks to add another feather to Braddock's cap Saturday in the GII Fountain of Youth S. Braddock was interested in horses and racing from a young age, attending...

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Life is Good On Track for San Felipe

China Horse Club and WinStar Farm's Life is Good (Into Mischief) tuned up for an expected start in the Mar. 6 GII San Felipe S. with a five-furlong work in 1:00.80 (4/33) at Santa Anita Monday morning. "He went extremely well,"  trainer Bob Baffert said of the 3-year-old colt. Tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following a debut win at Del Mar last November, Life is Good is now two-for-two after opening his sophomore campaign with a win in the Jan. 2 GIII Sham S. Also working Monday from the Baffert...

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Breeders' Cup Winner Bulletin Set For Delayed Aussie Debut

Bulletin (City Zip), who took the inaugural running of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs in 2018, makes his Australian debut for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott in Saturday's A$125,000 Sky Racing Active H. over 1100 meters at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney. He was scratched from a similar spot last weekend at Randwick. Bred in Kentucky by CresRan and sold for $250,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, Bulletin first raced for the partnership of WinStar Farm, China Horse Club and SF Racing and was trained by...

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