Empire Maker

Top GI Kentucky Derby contender Messier (Empire Maker), recently transferred from Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert to his former assistant Tim Yakteen, breezed six furlongs Sunday for a start in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby Apr. 9 in a bullet 1:11.40, fastest by nearly three seconds of five recorded works at the distance. "He worked lights out," Yakteen said of Messier. "We had Johnny [Velazquez] work him and he'll ride him in the Santa Anita Derby. He gave us a thumbs up. The horse looked great, although he...

Here we are, then, in what Oliver Hardy could only call "another nice mess." But let's disentangle this flourishing sapling Messier (Empire Maker) from the tentacles that may restrain him from a timely bloom on the first Saturday in May, and take a moment to celebrate not only the storied nursery that cultivated his family but also the alert grafting that now involves another farm in his future success. For this horticultural analogy permits only one classification of the spectacular GIII Robert S. Lewis S. winner--as a young maple. Messier...

Messier gave trainer Bob Baffert and jockey John Velazquez their second dominant graded winner of the afternoon when he flew home an unchallenged victor of the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. at Santa Anita Sunday. Shedding the blinkers after getting outkicked in the Dec. 11 GII Los Alamitos Futurity last time out, the 3-5 favorite tugged his way to the fore with little encouragement from Velazquez. Second choice Sir London (Malibu Moon) chased the pace with longshot Cabo Spirit latched on the top two while racing three deep. Sir London...

4th-Tampa Bay Downs, $25,000, Msw, 1-26, 4yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:12.62, sy, 7 3/4 lengths. NETTE NETTE (f, 4, Empire Maker--Vaulcluse {SW}, by A.P. Indy), a $950,000 Keeneland September graduate, made the trip up from South Florida and splashed home to debut as a much-the-best winner. Away in mid-division as the even-money pick, the a half-sister to Lukes Alley (Flower Alley), Ch. Older Horse-Can, GISW-US, MGSW-Can, $795,122; and to once-beaten 'TDN Rising Star' Arrifana (Curlin), SW & GSP, $230,400, tugged Pablo Morales to the front after the completion of a quarter-mile....

January 26 Insights: Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 4th-TAM, $28K, Msw, 4yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:45 p.m. Allen Stable's went to $950,000 to acquire NETTE NETTE (Empire Maker) at KEESEP and she makes her career bow in this spot for Shug McGaughey. Out of SW Vaulcluse (A.P. Indy), the dark bay is a half to Canadian champion and Grade I winner Lukes Alley (Flower Alley) and SW & GSP Arrifana (Curlin). TJCIS PPs

6th-Del Mar, $72,500, Msw, 11-20, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:17.45, ft, 2 1/4 lengths. EMPIRE GAL (f, 2, Empire Maker--Double Tapped, by Tapit) opened her account at first asking Saturday at Del Mar with a good-looking victory over 6 1/2 furlongs Saturday. Prominent in the early stages, the bay filly drifted back to a midfield position while racing well out into the track approaching the turn. Given her cue with a little less than three-eighths of a mile to travel, the 34-5 chance advanced four or five wide into the...

Heavily-favored Messier sat off of a supersonic pace in Sunday's GIII Bob Hope S. at Del Mar and rallied to score going away in the end, giving Bob Baffert--who had three of the four starters--his 11th victory in the seven-furlong test for 2-year-old males. Hammered down to 1-2 favoritism on debut June 27 at Los Alamitos, the $470,000 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling buy cruised to an easy 6 1/2-length graduation off a brief layoff Oct. 22 at Santa Anita to earn 'TDN Rising Star' honors. Taking the bulk of the play...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale continued its frenetic pace Tuesday and figures remained ahead of record pace at the half-way point of the four-day auction. "It was a great session," Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said Tuesday night. "It was record-breaking in all regards: gross, average and co-highest price ever for a colt. But more important than that was the continued level of activity. There is a great RNA rate overall with people walking in there with reserves that were getting doubled and tripled. It was an...

Crunched into 2-5 favoritism to build on a debut second at Los Alamitos at the end of June, Messier (Empire Maker) made a bold run to the front fully three furlongs from home and coasted in by 6 1/2 lengths to become a new 'TDN Rising Star' in Friday's fourth race from Santa Anita. Away only fairly beneath Flavien Prat, the $470,000 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling Showcase graduate worked his way up into a chasing second as the debuting Godsend (Midshipman) went a strong gallop up ahead of him. Prat allowed...

MyRacehorse will offer ownership in six yearlings that were purchased at the recent Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale of selected yearlings. The yearlings, referred to as the "Fasig Select Six, each come with a $2-million bonus designed specifically for horses purchased by MyRacehorse at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. For colts, the bonus would be paid if any were to win the GI Kentucky Derby and for the fillies, the bonus would be paid for a GI Kentucky Oaks victory. Unlike past MyRacehorse offerings, where bonuses were split in partnership with co-owners,...

Two-year-old filly Haughty (Empire Maker), taken down from first to third for interference after a clear-cut debut victory at Belmont Sept. 17, and then unable to draw in off the also-eligible list for Wednesday's GII JPMorgan Jessamine S., bested a solid-looking bunch at Keeneland Sunday to officially earn her diploma as well as the 'TDN Rising Star' nod. She had been flattered since her unveiling when the put-up winner that day was a close second at long odds in last week's GIII Matron S., and the $310,000 OBS April grad...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency  6th-LRC, $45K, Msw, 2yo, 5f, post time: 6:28 p.m. ET The stallion-making syndicate nicknamed "The Avengers" will be represented by a pricey pair of yearling buys here conditioned by Bob Baffert. Favored at 6-5 on the morning line is Messier (Empire Maker), who was the most expensive buy by his late sire last year when he brought $470,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Select Yearlings Showcase. The bay is out of two-turn stakes winner Checkered Past (Smart Strike) from a Sam-Son family that includes Canadian champions Catch...