Gulfstream Park

Sporting the distinctive gold square on the front and back of Luis Saez's silks, it was first time starter Amor Fati (Liam's Map) who loved the lead and never relinquished it en route to becoming a 'TDN Rising Star' at Gulfstream Park on Sunday afternoon. The $375,000 Keeneland September grad posted a number of sharp works for trainer Brittany Russell over the past two months at her Palm Meadows base. Debuting as the 2-1 favorite here, the gray rocketed to the lead up the backstretch. Setting a strong pace up...

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column reflects on success at Gulfstream Park for Warm Heart and Francesco Clemente.  The highlight of recent weeks has been the Coolmore partners' Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who won her third top-level race in a third different country when taking the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S. in Florida in late January (video). Trained by Aidan O'Brien, the Coolmore-bred set a new course record, and is now bound for...

8th-FG, $57K, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 4:30 p.m. ET. Bred by Machmer Hall, SHIRE'S END (Into Mischief) takes to the turf in New Orleans under the guidance of trainer Brendan Walsh. A $450,000 buy at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, the colt is a full-brother to MGSW/GISP Three Witches, who went to RIFA Mustang Europe for $1.7 million at last year's Keeneland November Sale, then won the GII Santa Monica S. at Santa Anita a week ago. Dam Layreebelle (Tale of the Cat) is also responsible for GII...

D. J. Stable LLC and Robert Cotran's Hades (Awesome Slew), upset winner of Saturday's GIII Holy Bull S. over juvenile champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), may be pointed to either the Mar. 2 GII Fountain of Youth S. or the Mar. 30 GI Curlin Florida Derby, hinted trainer Joe Orseno to the Gulfstream Park notes team Thursday. "We're obviously working backwards from the first Saturday in May," said Orseno. "We'll do what's best for the horses. I don't think both races are in the plans. If...

8th-Gulfstream, $86,940, Alw (NW1X), Opt. Clm ($75,000), 2-7, 3yo, 5fT, :54.64, fm, 3/4 length. REEF RUNNER (c, 3, The Big Beast--Paradise Bay, by Blame) was making his first start on the turf as the 15.90-1 longest shot in a field of seven and outsprinted a luckless 3-5 Valiant Force (Malibu Moon) to upset that one's seasonal debut. Ridden along from fourth by Paco Lopez, with the hot favorite underneath him, the Lieblong homebred was sent along three wide on the turn and had dead aim on pacesetting Esperon (Chitu) as...

8th-GP, $91K, Alw/Opt. Clm., 3yo, f, 5f (AWT), 3:39 p.m. ET St. Elias homebred PRETTY LIAM (Liam's Map) opened her account in outstanding fashion at first asking, firing home to take a course-and-distance maiden by a widening 3 3/4 lengths Jan. 11, good for a lofty 85 Beyer Speed Figure. Irad Ortiz, Jr. has a return call aboard the bay, whose year-older half-sister Danse Macabre (Army Mule) was a leading turf female of her generation in 2023, winning this track's GIII Herecomesthebride S. and three other stakes around one turn,...

'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), a disappointing third in his 3-year-old debut in Saturday's GIII Holy Bull S., exited the race in good order, reports owner Mike Repole. "He's perfectly fine," Repole said in a text message. Fierceness, the 2023 2-Year-Old male Eclipse champion, was coming off an overpowering win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and most believed he would pick up right where he left off in the Holy Bull, where he was the 1-5 favorite. Instead, he finished third, beaten 3 1/2 lengths. When asked...

R Harper Rose (Khozan) represented her fellow Florida-breds well in Saturday's GIII Forward Gal S. over the Hallandale strip as she dropped the hammer down the lane to win. The OBS March grad made her debut a winning one as she streaked to a gate-to-wire finish by 6 1/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park in early August. Stepping into optional claiming company over the same surface Sept. 22, the filly was equally as potent when she won by 5 3/4 lengths. On her home floor last fall, the bay took on...

All eyes were on Eclipse Award and runaway GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hero Fierceness (City of Light) making his seasonal debut in Saturday's GIII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream Park. The tote read 1-5 on the champ, but the Repole homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' was out of gas when push came to shove, and, in a bit of an oddly run race, D J Stable and Robert Cotran's unbeaten Hades (Awesome Slew) controlled a moderate tempo, slipped away from Fierceness in the final furlong and held off Domestic Product...

One could hardly blame trainer Brendan Walsh for trying First World War (War Front) on the main track. After all, the colt had shown promise breaking his maiden on debut over the undulating Kentucky Downs turf course in September before finishing a narrow fourth in the GII Bourbon S. Oct. 8 behind a trio of horses who'd all seen stakes success on either the dirt or the Tapeta. He made a good show of himself by checking in second on both attempts--first to 'TDN Rising Star' Parchment Party (Constitution) and...

Frankie's Empire (Classic Empire) either missed, or ignored, the memo that the longest shot on the board usually doesn't dominate, and strode home a much the best winner in the Swale S. to earn his career-first black type win. A frequent face on the mid-atlantic seaboard, he'd broken his maiden and hit the board in the Sapling S. at Monmouth Park before being shipped to Delaware, where he picked up a second career win against optional claimers. Sixth in the Rocky Run S. last October when contesting over a muddy...

TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack provides his analysis for Saturday's quartet of GI Kentucky Derby prep races. GIII Holy Bull S. - Last year's jaw-dropping GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) finds a perfect landing spot to launch his sophomore season versus seven overmatched rivals. Not worth trying to beat him here, even if he's closer to 1-9 than his 3-5 morning-line quote. I can't see him defeating the recently crowned 2023 champion 2-year-old, but how about Domestic Product (Practical Joke) to...