China Horse Club

Speightstown (Gone West)'s highly promising 3-year-old colts Nashville and Charlatan are set to square off in the Gl Malibu S. over seven furlongs on opening day at Santa Anita Dec. 26, and the race already has the feel of an anticipated prize fight to it, all the way down to their respective heavyweight connections, who were once together on the same team that celebrated Justify (Scat Daddy)'s Triple Crown. But an important focus of this race belongs to their top-class sire, himself a champion sprinter, because it's quite a feat...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-Gulstream Park, $50k, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 12:35 p.m. Todd Pletcher saddles firster PRIME FACTOR (Quality Road) for China Horse Club and WinStar Farm. The bay colt was a $900,000 purchase at last year's Keeneland September sale. He is out of Haylie Brae (Bernardini), a half-sister to graded-winning freshman sire Speightster and a granddaughter of blue hen mare Classy 'n Smart (Smarten). Christophe Clement sends out Shel Evans's Broadway (Quality Road), a $500,000 purchase at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale. The juvenile is...

Two-year-old sensation and 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) will likely make his next start in the GIII Sham S. on Jan. 2 at Santa Anita, reports trainer Bob Baffert. The one-mile event carries a purse of $100,000. "If all is going well, it looks like the Sham will be his next race," Baffert said. "It will give me a chance to stretch him out. Then I will decide on what's next and look at races like the Rebel at Oaklawn." Owned by WinStar Farm and the China...

With likely Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief) recently retired to stud, the Bob Baffert barn wasted no time unveiling its next speedy superstar by the nation's leading sire as CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC's Life is Good (Into Mischief) demolished his competition to become a no-brainer 'TDN Rising Star'. The bay prepped for this with a head-turning 1:00 flat (1-of-51) gate breeze last Saturday (XBTV Video), and drifted up to 1-5 at the off after spending much of the betting cycle at 1-9. Zipping off to lead...

Trainer Bob Baffert, plus the owners and two jockeys who rode the undefeated 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify and the MGISW Hoppertunity, filed a legal petition against the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) Oct. 13, alleging that the CHRB's recent decision to reopen hearings on two scopolamine positives from those horses in 2018 amounts to "arbitrary, capricious, and unlawful conduct" that purportedly targets Baffert and his clients unfairly while supposedly damaging the horses' reputations as stallions. The petition, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, seeks a judgment, injunction,...

WinStar Farm and China Horse Club's 'TDN Rising Star' Nashville (Speightstown), who took his record to two-for-two with a towering allowance success at Keeneland Oct. 10, could make his next start in the Nov. 7 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint over the same track and distance, WinStar General Manager David Hanley said Monday. "It's a bit too early for a final decision, but I would say the nothing has been ruled out at this point," Hanley said. "I haven't discussed it with [WinStar President/CEO and Racing Manager] Elliott [Walden] or [trainer]...

Nashville (c, 3, Speightstown--Veronique, by Mizzen Mast) set sharp early fractions in the Saratoga slop on debut Wednesday afternoon and ran away and hid from his three overmatched rivals in the stretch en route to a 'TDN Rising Star' performance. The $460,000 Keeneland September yearling graduate, campaigned in partnership by CHC INC. and WinStar Farm LLC, sported a pair of flashy bullets on his worktab for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, including a five-furlong spin in :58 4/5 (1/20) from the gate at the Spa Aug. 9. The 1-5 favorite...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency PRICEY SPEIGHTSTOWN DEBUTS AT THE SPA 3rd-SAR, $72K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:49  p.m. China Horse Club and WinStar's NASHVILLE (Speightstown) makes his career bow in this five-horse affair. The $460,000 KEESEP purchase hails from the family of GI Kentucky Derby upsetter Giacomo (Holy Bull); MGISW Tiago (Pleasant Tap); and GSW & MGISP Stanwyck (Empire Maker). TJCIS PPs

'TDN Rising Star' Improbable (City Zip) scored back-to-back Grade I victories and provided his conditioner Bob Baffert with his second straight renewal of Saratoga's prestigious GI Whitney S. Saturday with a dominant score in this 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Heavily Favored Tom's d'Etat (Smart Strike) missed the break and was relegated to last early as native New Yorker Mr Buff (Friend or Foe) took command, loping through early splits of :25.12 and :49.74 with 3-1 shot Improbable keeping close tabs from second. Improbable...

In times of incredible uncertainty, the arrival of new foals allows breeders the excuse to steal a few moments to hope and dream. This can be especially true when the first crop of new sires arrive on the scene, and one of the most anticipated stallions with first foals this year is the unbeaten American Triple Crown winner Justify, who has already had plenty of quality first-crop representatives pop up across the Northern Hemisphere. Justify was raced by a powerhouse partnership including China Horse Club, and it was that group's...

EXTRAORDINARY (c, 3, Speightstown--Fiftyshadesofhay, by Pulpit) finished fourth on debut in what proved to be a live race at Tampa Feb. 8, which has produced a trio of other next-out winners. Bet down to 2-1 from a 6-1 morning-line quote, the $750,000 KEESEP purchase dueled for early control through a :23.55 first quarter and a :46.29 half-mile. Taking control approaching the far turn, Extraordinary rolled clear in the lane to win for fun in 1:36.88. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0. O-WinStar Farm, China Horse Club & Stonestreet Stables; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings (KY);...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 5th-GP, $44K, Msw, (S), 3yo, 1m, 3:03p.m. WinStar Farm and China Horse Club's $600,000 KEESEP purchase FREEDOM FORCE (American Pharoah) makes his career bow against fellow Florida-breds in this spot. The chestnut is a half-brother to MGISW millionaire Iotapa (Afleet Alex) and SW & GSP Saintly Joan (Northern Afleet). The Rodolphe Brisset trainee enters off a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 flat (1/8) at Palm Meadows Feb. 19. Todd Pletcher saddles another intriguing runner in this test in Mathis homebred Roman Empire (Empire Maker). Off...