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Irad Ortiz, Jr. has withdrawn his appeal of a three-day suspension for "for failure to maintain a straight course in the stretch and causing interference" aboard 11-10 favorite Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper), who successfully defended her title by winning the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park. There was no stewards' inquiry posted after Goodnight Olive's win. The Equibase chart noted that Goodnight Olive "drifted in, taking the path of Society [Gun Runner] near the three-sixteenths pole" before she "quickly opened clear and held safely."...

Brookdale Racing and Mark Edwards's Thorpedo Anna (f, 2, Fast Anna--Sataves, by Uncle Mo) proved that her wide-margin debut success in a sales price-restricted Keeneland maiden Oct. 26 was no fluke, backing up that performance with an even bigger one Friday at Churchill en route to 'TDN Rising Star' honors. Tightening from even money to jump at exactly 2-5, the $40,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling switched off beautifully and settled in a three-wide third behind fractions of :23.22 and :46.74. Slipped a bit of rein at the three-eighths, Thorpedo Anna loomed...

Cataloged as hip 223 as part of Case Clay Thoroughbred Management draft, Dalika (Ger) (Pastorius {Ger}) was hammered down to Pursuit of Success/Bryan Prentice for $1.65 million as the opening session of the Keeneland November Sale began to wind down. In six years at the races, Dalika made 32 trips to the races, good for 10 victories, seven of which came at the stakes level, including a track record-setting performance in the 2022 GI Beverly D. S. where she covered nine furlongs on the turf in 1:46.31. Her other graded...

Two of the planet's top jockeys, Ryan Moore and Irad Ortiz, Jr., were penalized by the Santa Anita Park stewards for riding infractions aboard winning mounts on the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup program. Moore was fined $20,800 and suspended one day (Nov. 12) for being one whip strike over the limit of six when guiding 5-2 favorite Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. Under Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) rules, the fine equates to 10% of Moore's personal purse winnings from...

A rivalry in any sport makes it more exciting. People tune in to watch a pair of foes with a well-established history of beating one another give it another go. And so it was that Elite Power (Curlin), in his final start before retiring to stud next year, came home first in front of his long-time rival Gunite (Gun Runner) to defend his title in the GI Qatar Breeders' Cup Sprint. Last year's Eclipse Champion Male Sprinter, Elite Power kept his good form going into 2023 and defeated Gunite for...

A total of 337 horses--an increase of some 44% over 2022--are set to go under the hammer during Tuesday's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale which kicks off at 10 a.m. ET at the Humphrey S. Finney Sales Pavilion in upstate New York. "We are looking forward to it very much," said Fasig-Tipton President and CEO Boyd Browning, Jr. "We have a great catalog of weanlings, some very interesting mares as well and there has been plenty of action on the grounds so far. We all benefit from the great New...

Upset last time out by one of the three rivals she raced Saturday, McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}) bounced back and turned the tables on Parnac (Zarak {Fr}) to give trainer Chad Brown his fifth straight win in the GIII Waya S. The beaten favorite at odds-on in Saratoga's GII Flower Bowl S. Sept. 2 as Parnac went gate-to-wire, McKulick looked to gain an edge on that rival with the addition of a speedy uncoupled stablemate breaking from the inside gate in Idea Generation (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Running over a bogged-down...

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Agate Road (Quality Road) saved his best for last, as he found his best stride inside the final furlong and edged away to take Wednesday's GII Pilgrim S., earning an all-expenses-paid trip to Santa Anita for the Nov. 3 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in the process. Favored at a shade under 5-2 the $650,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase--carrying the St. Elias colors this time--was content to sit one from the tail as the outposted Spirit Prince (Cairo Prince)--a latest third...

Repole Stable and St Elias Stable's Agate Road (c, 2, Quality Road--Yellow Agate, by Gemologist) was hammered into even-money favoritism for his turf and two-turn debuts on the strength of a near-miss runner-up effort in a rained-off maiden Aug. 5. At the end of 8 1/2 very eventful furlongs Saturday afternoon at the Spa, the $650,000 Keeneland September purchase was named a 'TDN Rising Star'. Drawn widest in a field of 10, Agate Road was behind the eight ball right from the opening bell, as he broke a good two...

There was a lot to cover this week on the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland, including the upcoming GI Travers S. and last week's gut punch that was the deaths on back-to-back days of Grade I winners Art Collector (Bernardini) and Cave Rock (Arrogate), both from laminitis. That's why this week's podcast had two Green Group Guests of the Week. Dr. Raul Bras, a specialist in laminitis who practices at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, explained why laminitis remains such a serious problem and gave an update on...

Rafael Bejarano's trip from Kentucky to New York to ride just one mount Saturday in the GI Alabama S. resulted in disqualification from fifth to sixth and a subsequent three-day suspension issued Sunday by the Saratoga Race Course stewards for "careless riding." The incident involved Bejarano and the 4-1 Taxed (Collected) swerving inward and cutting off the 5-1 Gambling Girl (Dialed In) and Irad Ortiz, Jr. about 70 yards into the 10-furlong stakes. The Equibase chart stated Bejarano's filly "stumbled at the start recovering inwards a step, raced to the...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - The two-day Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale concluded with a day of brisk trade Monday in the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion which produced--from a significantly larger catalogue--the auction's highest-ever gross. "We concluded another successful New York-bred Yearling sale today," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. "It continued the strength and momentum that we have witnessed at this sale in recent years, and also the strength that we saw at the selected sale last week. There was very good activity and lots of outstanding horses on the...