Crystal Ball

Juddmonte homebred Bonny South (Munnings) gets the 9-5 morning-line nod for Thursday's GII Falls City S. at Churchill Downs. The chestnut kicked off her 4-year-old campaign with a close decision over Royal Flag (Candy Ride {Arg}) in Keeneland's GIII Doubledogdare S. in April, but had to deal with the buzzsaw that is likely champion older mare Letruska (Super Saver) in three of her next four. Second behind that formidable foe and ahead of MGISW stablemate Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) in the GI Ogden Phipps S. at Belmont in June, she was a...

With the retirement of both Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) and Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), Letruska (Super Saver) stands head and shoulders above the older mare division and is currently ranked second behind only Knicks Go (Paynter) among all runners in the country on the latest NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. She'll look to put her raw brilliance on display over her home track Sunday in Keeneland's GI Juddmonte Spinster S., a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. The powerful 5-year-old bay beat both Monomoy Girl and Swiss Skydiver...

No man an island, huh? Not so sure about that, after the last year or so, when even a family household has sometimes felt like a peninsula at best. So, the very last thing anyone wanted on returning to Saratoga, after being denied its unique balm of fellowship last year, was to hear "the Q word" yet again. A 21-day quarantine for horses stabled in Barn 86, after one of Jorge Abreu's fillies tested positive to EHV-1, must have felt like Groundhog Day for Abreu and neighbor Kenny McPeek. Here...

by Bill Finley and Steve Sherack Undefeated and considered one of the most promising horses in the sport, Life Is Good (Into Mischief) will soon join the Todd Pletcher stable. He had been trained by Bob Baffert, who has lost a number of top horses due to his ongoing problems involving the Medina Spirit (Protonico) positive in the GI Kentucky Derby for betamethasone. After winning the GII San Felipe S., Mar. 6 at Santa Anita, Life Is Good was sidelined and ruled out of the Triple Crown races after coming...

Coming off a banner year in which its fillies finished one-two in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks, WinStar Stablemates Racing burst out of the starting gate in 2021 going two-for-two on Friday. The victories included a win by Gulf Coast (Union Rags) in the Cash Run S. at Gulfstream. "It's nice to get off to such a great start and we are very excited for 2021," said WinStar CEO and President Elliott Walden. "To be two-for-two is great for our owners." The WinStar racing partnership is an offshoot of...

On paper, Peter Callahan's Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) appears to tower over six others in Saratoga's GI Alabama S., a Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In"  event for the $2-million GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff. The chestnut reeled off consecutive wins the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks Mar. 28 and the May 12 GIII Fantasy S. at Oaklawn Park before a front-running, four-length win in the GII Santa Anita Oaks June 6. Facing the lions in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland July 11, the lioness offered a roar of...

Paris Lights (Curlin), an impressive winner of two straight at Churchill Downs, made her stakes debut a winning one with a ultra-game decision in Saturday's GI Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga. The 2-1 chance pressed runaway Bob Baffert-trained Santa Anita maiden winner Crystal Ball (Malibu Moon) from second through fractions of :24.43 and :47.82, and turned up the pressure as they hit the quarter pole. Paris Lights and Crystal Ball, both owned by WinStar Stablemates Racing, turned for home on even terms, and after a dramatic stretch duel, it...