John Oxley

Still undefeated now in four starts, 'TDN Rising Star' With the Angels added a third consecutive stakes win Sunday with the Key Cents Stakes at Aqueduct. Stepped up in distance while facing New York-breds in each of her three prior starts, she cut back here to six furlongs (her winning debut distance) off the one-mile Maid of the Mist Stakes Oct. 27. Kept in this spot instead of chasing open company in next month's GII Demoiselle Stakes, With the Angels took all the money as the 1-5 chalk but, for...

Who can forget the pulsating finish of this year's GI Kentucky Derby, when three noses hit the wire together in one of the tightest photo finishes we've seen in years? Other than the immediate connections of those three colts, it's hard to imagine anyone more invested in the result than Debby Oxley, whose beloved mare, Darling My Darling (Deputy Minister), is the granddam of two-thirds of that trifecta. While Mystik Dan (Goldencents) got his nose on the wire first, it was the Oxley-bred 'TDN Rising Star' and GI Toyota Blue...

A filly by Gun Runner (hip 24) got the Keeneland September Yearling Sale off to a quick start Monday when selling for $1.5 million to the bid of Doug Scharbauer. Consigned by Gainesway, the chestnut is out of Grade I winner Dream Dancing (Tapit) and was bred by John Oxley. The filly's 2-year-old half-sister Dreamaway (Flameaway) is now two for two after winning the Colleen Stakes at Monmouth Park in July.

Finding his true trip at Deauville on Sunday, the Joseph O'Brien-trained Cowardofthecounty (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}--Hawaajib {Fr}, by Elusive City) turned around recent fortunes to gain a first black-type success in the opening seven-furlong G3 Prix Francois Boutin. Running below expectations when seventh in the G2 Coventry Stakes and G3 Anglesey Stakes having made such a big impression on debut when beating Whistlejacket (Ire) (No Nay Never) at The Curragh in April, the colt who represents Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Stables, Tracy Farmer and John Oxley was again sluggish away from...

COLLEEN S., $102,000, Monmouth, 7-28, 2yo, f, 5fT, :55.64, fm. 1--DREAMAWAY, 118, f, 2, by Flameaway 1st Dam: Dream Dancing (GISW, $483,271), by Tapit 2nd Dam: To Dream About, by Monarchos 3rd Dam: Beautiful Pleasure, by Maudlin 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-John C. Oxley (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward; J-Paco Lopez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $107,740. 2--Lemonpeppasteppa, 118, f, 2, Caravaggio--Saranda, by Smart Strike. ($65,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Julian De Mora, Jr.; B-New Horizons Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Jorge Delgado. $20,000. 3--Me Governor, 118, f, 2, The Factor--Mocha Chip,...

Royal Ascot-bound Cowardofthecounty (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) has been snapped up by Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Stables and other American-based partners. Cowardofthecounty made a scintillating start to his career when scoring on debut for Joseph O'Brien over 6f at the Curragh.  The form has since been franked with the runner-up, the Aidan O'Brien-rained Whistlejacket (Ire) (No Nay Never), landing the First Flier S. over 5f at the Curragh in similarly impressive fashion.  Cowardofthecounty is prominent in the betting for the Coventry S. at odds of 5-1 and, according to O'Brien, the...

1st-Belmont The Big A, $87,300, Msw, 5-16, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f (off turf), 1:06.12, my, 9 lengths. DELIGHTFUL FLAME (f, 2, Flameaway--Delightful Mary {Ch. 2yo Filly & GSW-Can, MSW & GISP-US, $588,055}, by Limehouse) was smashed into 7-10 favoritism for her Gulfstream debut Apr. 12, but was off to an awkward beginning and never reached contention en route to a distant sixth-place finish. The 3-2 second choice--with $685 on her nose less than the well-meant Moonlight Promises (Promises Fulfilled)--the homebred hit the ground running in this rained-off contest and was...

6th-BAQ, $90K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6f, 3:39 p.m. ET. DEPUTY MISCHIEF (Into Mischief), a 3-year-old Bill Mott trainee, makes his first start for co-owners John Oxley, Neil Sands, Tom McCrocklin and Justin Casse. The $475,000 2023 OBS June Sale graduate is out of Canadian champion 2-year-old filly and 'TDN Rising Star' Delightful Mary (Limehouse). Herself campaigned by Oxley, she counts as a half-sister MGSW Delightful Kiss (Kissin Kris). Deputy Mischief has an extended female family which includes MSW Dr Ardito (Liam's Map) and Japanese multiple group 1 stakes runner-up Wilson Tesoro...

With the assignment of GI Kentucky Derby post positions over the weekend, speculation takes a (slight) shift toward logical assessment. Here are some random takeaways on, well, randomness now that fate has left its gentle impression on the field... Dornoch getting buried in post one didn't exactly help the chances of two full-brothers winning the Derby in back-to-back years. This son of Good Magic will have a tough enough task getting out ahead of the field from the rail--which has an 8.5% Derby win rate since the use of a...

2nd-Keeneland, $79,675, Msw, 4-21, 2yo, 4 1/2f, :53.41, ft, head. DREAMAWAY (f, 2, Flameaway--Dream Dancing {GISW, $483,271}, by Tapit) came into this race sporting a recent bullet three-furlong work in :35 3/5 over this surface Apr. 5 and was duly made the 1-2 favorite to make good while facing the boys. Narrowly in front through an opening quarter in :22.48, the grey had to battle all the way through, but proved best at the end, scoring by a head over fellow firster Clever Again (American Pharoah). Mo Hair Sam (Mo...

1st-SA, $54K, Msw, 3-5yo, f, 7f, 4:00 p.m. ET. JANE AUSTEN (Tapit) makes her first start for Muir Hut Stables and trainer Mark Glatt. A $750,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, the gray is out of MGSP Shayjolie (Indian Charlie), who Speedway Stables acquired for $400,000 at the 2015 Keeneland November Sale. The filly's SP second dam produced GI Woodward S. runner-up Mythical Power (Congaree). Making her debut for trainer Richard Mandella is Quick Brown Fox (Justify). The Spendthrift homebred's dam MGISW Bast (Uncle) went to the...

Champion 2-year-old male Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) was purchased by the Korea Racing Authority and arrived Dec. 18 to continue his stud career for the 2024 breeding season, as first reported by The Paulick Report and confirmed by Ashford Stud. The 9-year-old stood at the farm in Versailles, Kentucky, where he was shuttled to Chile on multiple occasions. As of 2023, his oldest foals are 4-year-olds, and his progeny have won 113 races with earnings of more than $13.5 million. Angel of Empire is his most successful offspring, who...