Juddmonte

Just a week after her younger brother Batten Down took the GIII Ohio Derby, 'TDN Rising Star' Scylla (Tapit) kept the family's good fortune going with a strong win in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis Stakes at Churchill Downs Saturday. The 4-5 favorite stutter-stepped slightly coming out of the gate and was at the tail of the field behind fractions of :24.07 and :48.83. Still last into the far turn, the bay filly made rapid progress while five wide approaching the stretch. She drifted in slightly in upper stretch,...

Saturday's G1 Cairn Community Games Pretty Polly Stakes served up a thriller, with Juddmonte's TDN Rising Star Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}--Emulous {GB}, by Dansili {GB}) running down Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the final yards for a deserved top-level breakthrough. With abundant rain falling on The Curragh throughout the day, the Ralph Beckett-trained 4-year-old who was herself cruelly denied late in last year's Irish Oaks held the upper hand in terms of ground preference and traded as the 11-10 favourite as a result. Settled in mid-division early...

Rockcliffe Stud's homebred Celandine (GB) (Kingman {GB}--Pepita {Ire}, by Sir Prancealot {Ire}) followed up a May 24 debut seventh at Goodwood with a breakthrough score at Windsor earlier this month and continued on a roll with a career high in Saturday's Listed Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress Fillies' Stakes at Newmarket. The Ed Walker trainee broke sharply from the stands' side stall and seized an immediate advantage in this black-type bow. In command throughout, the 9-1 chance came under pressure when threatened passing the quarter-mile marker and kept on strongly up...

The Curragh's three-day Irish Derby fixture is more often than not the place to discover future Classic contenders at first glance and Friday's Kildare House Hotel Irish EBF Fillies Maiden looks to have played host to two potentially top-class daughters of Frankel (GB) in Lake Victoria (Ire) and Red Letter (GB). In a thrilling finale to the seven-furlong contest between the regally-bred debutantes, it was the former who edged it to earn TDN Rising Star status and make Ballydoyle's cup run over when it comes to exciting 2-year-old fillies. The...

While soccer's European Championships has witnessed just one successful penalty kick in 24 matches played in Germany thus far, Eckhard Sauren's €210,000 BBAG September yearling Penalty (Ger) (Frankel {GB}--Praia {Ger}, by Big Shuffle) made a mark of his own and added to his runner-up finish in last month's G2 German 2000 Guineas with a career best in Sunday's G3 35th Grosser Preis der Wirtschaft at Dortmund. Penalty backed up a five-length maiden win, going one mile at Dusseldorf in March, with a second over the same distance at Cologne the...

You could say Batten Down has a little bit of family legacy to live up to. The son of champion Close Hatches took a step towards doing just that Saturday at Thistledown with a gate-to-wire win in the GIII Ohio Derby. The full-brother to both MGSW/MGISP Juddmonte sire Tacitus and to GSW Scylla took four tries to break his maiden, finally winning by 8 3/4 emphatic lengths last out at Churchill Downs going 1 1/4 miles Apr. 30. Saturday's Ohio Derby was his first step up from the maiden ranks...

7th-Churchill Downs, $124,570, Alw (NW1X), Opt. Clm ($100,000), 6-19, 3yo, 7f, 1:21.65, ft, 5 lengths. PURE FORCE (c, 3, Constitution--Mexican Gold {GSW & G1SP-Fr, GSP-US, $234,810}, by Medaglia d'Oro) debuted in the Derby Day opener going 6 1/2 furlongs over a muddy strip and raced a bit greenly through the closing stages, but stamped his authority over seven rivals with a 2 1/4-length victory. That effort would otherwise have made him strictly the one to beat in a first-level allowance, but the presence of 'TDN Rising Star' Discreet Mischief (Into...

Coolmore and Westerberg's hitherto undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Delius (GB) (Frankel {GB}--Whatami {GB}, by Daylami {Ire}), who added to his win column going 12 furlongs at Chantilly last month, continued on a roll over the same course and distance in Sunday's G3 Prix du Lys Longines to lay down a marker for next month's G1 Grand Prix de Paris. The 8-5 favourite was steadied off the pace through the initial fractions and improved position to track the leaders in fourth approaching halfway. Taking closer order in the straight, he was...

Accede (Into Mischief) dug down gamely to post a first stakes victory in Saturday's GII Bed o' Roses S. Off as the 4-1 second choice, the Juddmonte homebred veered out sharply at the start and was quickly corrected by Irad Ortiz, Jr. to lead early. Third, but traveling nicely on the inside on the far turn, Accede split horses with authority in the stretch and fended off the longshot runner-up for a career best. "She broke with good intent and I was happy with her on the lead, but if...

Ger Lyons trainee Babouche (GB) (Kodiac {GB}--Pavlosk, by Arch) was all the rage at the tills for Friday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Cork and justified odds-on favouritism with a 'TDN Rising Star' display in the six-furlong contest. She becomes the fifth Rising Star for Kodiac, whose others include last term's G1 2000 Guineas and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas placegetter Hi Royal (Ire). Babouche, who holds entries for the June 29 G2 Airlie Stud S. and Aug. 19 G1 Keeneland Phoenix S., broke smartly and led the smaller far-side...

Juddmonte's previously unraced Zilfee (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}--Concentric {GB}, by Sadler's Wells), who is a half-sister to the operation's icon Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), made a winning start to her career with a gutsy effort going one yard shy of 11 furlongs in Tuesday's Unibet/EBF Maiden Fillies' S. at Kempton. 2nd-Kempton, £7,000, Mdn, 6-12, 3yo/up, f/m, 10f 219y (AWT), 2:19.59, st/sl. ZILFEE (GB) (f, 3, Sea The Stars {Ire}--Concentric {GB} {SW & GSP-Fr, $117,776}, by Sadler's Wells) recovered from an early stumble to race fourth passing the judge first...

Haras Voltaire's Andre Fabre trainee Gun Of Brixton (Fr) (Frankel {GB}--Cat Kate {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}) finished 3/4-of-a-length behind 'TDN Rising Star' Tiego The First (Fr) (Blue Point {Ire}) at Saint-Cloud last month and returned to the same venue to register a stylish victory in Tuesday's Prix Chateau Bouscaut over seven furlongs. 2nd-Saint-Cloud, €30,000, Mdn, 6-11, 2yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:30.51, gd. GUN OF BRIXTON (FR) (c, 2, Frankel {GB}--Cat Kate {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who encountered the 'TDN Rising Star' performance of Tiego The First (Fr) (Blue Point...