Gulfstream

Graded-stakes winning stablemates Locked (Gun Runner) and Crupi (Curlin) have been confirmed to make their 2025 debuts in the Jan. 25 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream, according to trainer Todd Pletcher Sunday. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm's Locked raced four times as a 2-year-old, including a win the GI Breeders' Futurity and a third to champion stablemate Fierceness in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile but was knocked off the Triple Crown trail earlier this year with a knee injury. The TDN Rising Star made his return with...

6th-Gulfstream, $40,000, Msw, 12-13, 2yo, f, 1m, 1:41.21, ft, 1 1/4 lengths. RUTH (f, 2, Uncle Mo--Peppy Rafaela, by Bernardini), bet down to 3-5 favoritism for Todd Pletcher and owner/breeder Frank Batten, was a close-up third behind early pacesetter Queen in the Deck (Cairo Prince) through the opening quarter in :24.81. Fanned out widest of the group around the far turn and relegated back several slots, Ruth responded in kind to urging from jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. and found a high gear coming to the line, powering past the leader...

Hillwood Stable's multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire Post Time (Frosted), most recently second in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Nov. 2, will race again as a 5-year-old in 2025 with the $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park as a potential season opener. Bred and based in Maryland and trained by Brittany Russell, Post Time is entered in Saturday's GII Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, where the 4-year-old drew outermost Post 11. "He'll run next year. I'm going to try to figure out what it's going to look...

This year's Breeders' Cup had a touch of deja vu all over again thanks to a series of veterinary scratches in the lead up to the event, some of which didn't exactly sit well with connections. The one that perhaps garnered the most attention is Californian flag-bearer The Chosen Vron's (Vronsky) removal from the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint on official veterinary advice. The horse's connections initially disputed the scratch, arguing he was 100% sound. It later transpired The Chosen Vron had a small ankle problem that necessitated a few months...

St. Elias Stables homebred Rated by Merit (c, 2, Battalion Runner--Banner Waving, by Speightstown), featured in TDN nearly six weeks ago as Vinnie Viola's "unlikely Derby contender," showed again why he ranks at or near the top of the promising 2-year-olds for the powerful stable. The undefeated colt won Saturday's FTBOA Florida Sire In Reality Stakes at Gulfstream to sweep the Florida Sires series. With the In Reality his first try around two turns, Rated by Merit broke smoothly from the rail to set an easy :24.13 and :48.92 pace....

7th-CD, 120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 3:55 p.m. The half-sister to Eclipse winner and GI Longines Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), PRETTY SASSY (Medaglia d'Oro) debuts as a homebred for Godolphin Sunday. The third foal out of GI Spinaway Stakes winner Pretty City Dancer, who sold to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for $3,500,000 at FTKNOV in 2018 and is a half to GISW Lear's Princess (Lear Fan), Pretty Sassy gets jockey Tyler Gaffalione aboard for trainer Brendan Walsh. Lined up just inside of that runner is Brown Sugar...

Rated by Merit, yet to be headed in two prior starts including a last-out win in the Florida Sire Series Dr. Fager Stakes Sept. 7, stepped up to seven furlongs Saturday and kept his perfect record in tact with yet another gate-to-wire victory in the Affirmed Stakes at Gulfstream. Bet down to 1-5 off two wins by more than 10 combined lengths, the favorite again jumped to the lead but took pressure from Neoequos through the half in :45.45. Finally turning that rival away off the turn, Rated by Merit...

Jairo Rendon was enjoying one of the best years of his career. He finished the Monmouth meet with 66 winners, just 10 winners behind perennial Monmouth riding champion Paco Lopez. He stuck around a few more days to ride some at the all-turf meet at the Meadowlands, but after riding there Sept. 21, he was ready to go home. After the short Meadowlands meet ended, Rendon would have no problem heading to Aqueduct or maybe Gulfstream Park, two places where he could make a lot of money and ride a...

With better than three months left on the racing calendar for 2024, 'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) has already locked up the 3-year-old filly championship, having dominated her peers in the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks, GI Acorn Stakes and GI Coaching Club American Oaks. She lost little in defeat when running fellow 'Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) to a head in the GI Travers Stakes, but she returns to her own sex for Saturday's $1-million GI Cotillion Stakes, the first half of a Grade I double in...

Rated by Merit (Battalion Runner) debuted with a sparkling performance when the colt won by 9 3/4 lengths and posted a 92 Beyer over the same course and distance July 13. Slammed at the windows at 40 cents on the dollar, the homebred was challenged from the bell up the backstretch by Neoeqous (Neolithic). Pushed three wide around the far turn, the juvenile responded and with a big kick down the lane proved his talent. "It kind of went as I thought it would," said trainer Michael Yates. "He's trained...

Gulfstream Park will host the 10th annual Jockeys and Jeans event, a fundraiser for the PDJF, on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. "Gulfstream Park and 1/ST are pleased to host Jockeys and Jeans during our Championship Meet, and we're proud to partner as we work together to advance and promote the welfare and security of jockeys and riders during and after their careers," said President of Racing and Business Development for 1/ST Racing Stephen Screnci. Jockeys and Jeans, which to date has raised over $3.4m and brought in $425,000 last year...

2nd-Gulfstream, $45,000, (S), Msw, 8-9, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.45, sy, 4 1/2 lengths. R MORNING BREW (f, 2, Curlin's Honor--Foolhearted Woman, by Uncaptured), the 5-2 second choice, hustled from the gate and led this field under pressure early from eventual runner up Don't Fool With Me (Khozan). Still narrowly in front off the turn, she put that rival away down the stretch to graduate first time out by 4 1/2 lengths. The first winner for her freshman sire (by Curlin), R Morning Brew is a half to Dancing N Dixie...