Jr.

Ruth, Full To Mopotism, Debuts A Winner At Gulfstream

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...

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How Drayden Van Dyke Became the Comeback Kid

About a year before Drayden Van Dyke won the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint aboard Soul of An Angel (Atreides), no one would have thought he was about to win any sort of major race. His career in shambles, he went 5-for-136 in 2023, and he knew it would not be easy to bounce back. But the story changed. It's now about perseverance. Van Dyke is in Florida, getting ready for the Championship Meet at Gulfstream. His mental health has improved dramatically and, most importantly he is winning...

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National Treasure Out Of Dirt Mile, Musical Chairs Ensues

National Treasure (Quality Road), who gave eventual Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin) everything he could handle before going down grudgingly in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, will miss this year's event with a foot issue, Daily Racing Form reported Friday afternoon. Winner of this year's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. and GI Metropolitan Handicap either side of a close fourth in the G1 Saudi Cup, the 4-year-old may have struggled with an off track when sixth to Arthur's Ride (Tapit) in the GI Whitney Stakes...

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Fierceness Completes Classic Preparations At Saratoga

Repole Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), expected to vie for favoritism in next Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar, turned in his final breeze Friday ahead of the $7-million centerpiece of championship weekend, going a half-mile in :48.98 over the Oklahoma training track. With his regular work rider Danny Wright in the irons, the homebred began his work slightly behind a workmate, drew alongside at the entrance to the stretch and was in front at the line before galloping out five furlongs in 1:02 1/5....

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'Between Thrilled And Ecstatic': Record-Breaking Fasig-Tipton October Sale Concludes With A Pair Of $500k Colts On Top Thursday

LEXINGTON, KY - The Fasig-Tipton October Yearlings Sale smashed its previous records for gross and average and produced its lowest buy-back rate in 11 years when it concluded its four-day run in Lexington Thursday. " All in all, I am somewhere between thrilled and ecstatic with the results of these four days," Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. said at the close of business Thursday evening. "The consignors continue to bring us higher quality horses each and every year and it is reflected in these results and these statistics." Through four...

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Dual Classic Winner Big Brown Arrives at Old Friends

Big Brown (Boundary), impressive winner of the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness Stakes, has arrived at Old Friends in Kentucky where he will live out his days. Bred in Kentucky by Monticule LLC, Big Brown was a $60,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling and was purchased by the late Paul Pompa, Jr. for $190,000 at the Keeneland April Sale in 2007. Winner of a two-turn turf maiden by better than 11 lengths for trainer Patrick Reynolds, Big Brown made his next start for Rick Dutrow, Jr. after IEAH Stable joined the...

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Fasig-Tipton November Catalogue Now Online; 300 Head To Go Under the Hammer Nov. 4

The catalogue for the Fasig-Tipton November Sale, to be held Nov. 4 at Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, is now online. Featuring 300 catalogued head, the auction opens with an offering of 159 catalogued weanlings, including foals from the first crop of superstar Flightline (Tapit), as well as the first foals of sprint champion Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music), juvenile champion Corniche (Quality Road), and sophomore champion Epicenter (Not This Time). "Fasig-Tipton has assembled some outstanding November catalogues through the years, but this may be our deepest yet," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd...

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Mufasa Roars in Vosburgh, Punches Ticket to Breeders' Cup

Making just his third start in this country, Mufasa (Chi) (Practical Joke) backed up his big-figure victory at Colonial Downs earlier this summer with an impressive performance in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GIII Vosburgh Stakes at the Big A. Favored at 8-5 here, he traveled nicely in second through an opening quarter in :23.13, took over approaching the quarter pole and punched home with authority to defeat Scotland (Good Magic) by 4 1/4 lengths. Mufasa, an eight-time winner from 10 starts in his native Chile, including last year's G3...

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Indigo Stunner Takes Authentic Into Double-Digit Winners

7th-Horseshoe Indianapolis, $32,000, Msw, 9-26, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:38.10, gd, 1 1/2 lengths. INDIGO STUNNER (f, 2, Authentic--Blue Gallina, by Street Sense) became the 10th winner for her freshman sire (by Into Mischief) with a good-looking victory trying two turns for the first time. A promising third going a mile at Kentucky Downs Aug. 31, the $310,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase argued the early pace and was eased back into third by Marcelino Pedroza, Jr. as they hit the backstretch. Traveling comfortably on the back of the leaders through the middle...

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Stakes-Placed Bellavinino Tops Inglis Digital USA September Sale

Bellavinino (Get Stormy), a latest second in the $1-million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies Stakes, brought a final bid of $170,000 from prominent owner/breeder Bill Heiligbrodt to top the Inglis Digital USA September Sale. Bred by Brian Burns's Mt Joy Stables Inc. the dark bay filly easily defeated $35,000 maiden claimers on Gulfstream Park debut July 28 ahead of a fourth in a $250,000 restricted allowance test at Kentucky Downs Aug. 29. Returned on 10 days' rest for the Juvenile Fillies, Bellavinino was always handy to the pace and overcame some...

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Thorpedo Anna The Star Turn on Pennsylvania's Biggest Day

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...

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White Abarrio Nearing A Work, But Won't Make Breeders' Cup

White Abarrio (Race Day), the winner of the 2023 GI Breeders Cup Classic, is close to his first workout after being given a freshener by his connections. However, co-owner Mark Cornett reports that the now 5-year-old horse will not be ready in time to defend his title in this year's Breeders' Cup. "The Breeders' Cup Classic is not in our plans," Cornett said. "We're not going in that direction. There's no way he can be ready for that and we want to get a good race in him off this...

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