Graham Motion

In an era where trainers are increasingly hesitant to run their horses frequently and/or in races where they might be longshots, Graham Motion is a throwback. It often pays off for his perennially successful outfit, as it did on Saturday at Belmont, when his Highland Chief (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), dismissed at 19-1 in a five-horse field, upset defending champion turf male Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and MGISW Gufo (Declaration of War) in the GI Man O' War S. Tuesday, Motion joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland as the...

Trainer Graham Motion joined this week's TDN Writers' Room after his trainee Highland Chief (Ire) had a breakthrough performance in the GI Man o' War S.

Gainesway homebred Spendarella maintained her perfect record with a 1 3/4-length victory in the GII Appalachian S. Presented by Japan Racing Association at Keeneland Saturday. Sent straight to the head of affairs, the bay was soon headed by Glenall (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}) to her inside and was content to perch in second turning into the backstretch. Well in hand under Tyler Gaffalione, the favorite still maintained her position as noses pointed for home. She took over just before the quarter pole and withstood the closing rally of Dolce Zel to...

Sent off the 57-10 second-longest shot on the board for Friday's co-featured event on opening day of the spring meeting at Keeneland, Head of Plains Partners' Sy Dog (Slumber {GB}) remained undefeated in three career appearances, holding off Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro) for a narrow success in the GIII Kentucky Utilities Transylvania S.. Coinage (Tapit) bid for the lead on the turn, but was outfinished by the top two and settled for third. Racing at the back of the field and to the inside of favored Verbal (Flintshire {GB}) as...

Saturday, Gulfstream Park HERECOMESTHEBRIDE S.-GIII, $125,000, Gulfstream, 3-5, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:34.38, fm. 1--SPENDARELLA, 118, f, 3, by Karakontie (Jpn)                 1st Dam: Spanish Bunny, by Unusual Heat                 2nd Dam: Spanish Beam, by El Gran Senor                 3rd Dam: Solar Beam, by Majestic Light    1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($220,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd. (NY); T-H. Graham Motion; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $72,850. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $104,650. *Full to Spanish Loveaffair, MSW & MGSP, $284,090; 1/2 to Spanish Queen (Tribal...

Four-time Eclipse winner Beholder (Henny Hughes) is among six racehorses, four trainers and one jockey that make up the 11 finalists for the National Museum of Racing's 2022 Hall of Fame ballot, as chosen by the Museum's Hall of Fame Nominating Committee. The finalists are racehorses Beholder (first year of eligibility), Blind Luck (Pollard's Vision), Havre de Grace (Saint Liam), Kona Gold (Java Gold), Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy), and Tepin (Bernstein) (first year of eligibility); trainers Christophe Clement, Graham Motion, Doug O'Neill and John Shirreffs; and jockey Corey Nakatani....

1st-Tampa Bay Downs, $28,600, Alw (NW1X)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 2-19, 3yo, 7f, 1:24.10, ft, head. BELGRADE (c, 3, Hard Spun--Miss Prytania, by Eskendereya), a $700,000 KEEJAN purchase earlier this year off the heels of a six-length debut graduation for owner Randy Bradshaw and trainer Brendan Walsh in a maiden special weight reserved for horses that sold or RNA'd for $45,000 or less at auction at Fair Grounds Dec. 18, delivered as the 1-2 favorite after some anxious moments in his first start for his new connections at Tampa Saturday. Off to...

Ginger Brew S. placegetters Ocean Safari (Temple City) and Opalina (Optimizer) face off yet again in the GIII Sweetest Chant S. Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Owned by Soldi Stable and Ohana Racing, Ocean Safari looked home free in the stretch after coming in four wide, but was out-kicked late by Alittleloveandluck (Arrogate) to miss by a half- length in the Ginger Brew Jan. 1. She graduated at second asking in a local turf test in September and was third next out in an optional claimer on the synthetic in October....

A horse for 2022: Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})--perhaps Charlie Appleby should run them both in the Free Handicap to see whether Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) can give him seven pounds. First season or proven: Proven. Speed or stamina: Speed that stretches; most occasions call for a bit of both. Cold beer or vintage Claret: Claret. Newspaper or podcast: I'm easy, so long as it's daily. Royal Ascot or Breeeders' Cup: Breeders' Cup. Rock or classical: Classical. Bright young thing to follow: Alice Haynes (trainer) and Jonathan Harding (journalist)....

In terms of the luck so indispensable on the GI Kentucky Derby trail, Carl and Yurie Pascarella are perfectly aware that they have used up a lot of "credit". Certainly they know just how fortunate they were, to have been in the Team Valor partnership that won the race in 2011 with Animal Kingdom (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}). And prior to that, Carl was CEO of Visa during its hugely successful association with the Triple Crown series, between 1995 and 2005 offering a $5-million bonus to anyone who could slake the industry's...

Wertheimer and Frere's Galawi (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Galikova {Fr}, by Galileo {Ire}), a maiden winner in his only U.S. start who hails from the immediate family of champion Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa), has been injured and retired to Northview Stallion Station near Chesapeake City, Md. He will stand in 2022 for $2,000, stands and nurses. Galawi is out of G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille winner Galikova, the younger half-sister of multiple French, English, and U.S. champion Goldikova. In addition to her 11 Group 1 scores in France and England, Goldikova captured three consecutive...

Wertheimer and Frere homebred ZATIP (Tapit), a son of Grade I winner Zaftig (Gone West), turned on the after burners late to become the second 'TDN Rising Star' of the day at Keeneland Thursday afternoon. Off slow in his turf sprint unveiling at Laurel Oct. 1, he rallied to be fifth and was given a 5-1 chance in this switch to the main track over a wet surface. Drawn in post 11 of 12, the chestnut was hustled away from the stalls this time by James Graham and went straight...