Kingsbarns

Spendthrift Farm's Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) earned an automatic berth in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic with a dominant victory in the GI Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs Saturday. The 2-1 shot rated just off the pace as First Mission (Street Sense) and Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) took the field through a moderate opening quarter in :24.13. First Mission, the 4-5 favorite, took charge as the half went up in :48.38, but Kingsbarns was rolling up three wide to grab control into the stretch. The favorite attempted to fight back, but...

With the Breeders' Cup a little over four months away, the 'Win and You're In' tickets to the signature event, the GI Longines Classic, are definitely numbered. The road to Del Mar currently goes through Churchill Downs on Saturday as Classic hopefuls enter the starting gate for the GI Stephen Foster Stakes. Looking to punch his ticket to the seaside oval is Godolphin homebred First Mission (Street Sense). The 'TDN Rising Star' certainly burned brightest when he took home the GIII Essex Handicap by five lengths at Oaklawn Park in...

The Todd Pletcher-trained trio of Fierceness (City of Light), Antiquarian (Preservationist) and Mindframe (Constitution) all visited the track Friday morning in preparation for upcoming starts in the GI Belmont S. held at Saratoga. 'TDN Rising Star' and Champion 2-year-old Male Fierceness marked his first work since finishing off the board as the favorite in the GI Kentucky Derby earlier this month. Working in company with stablemate Mindframe, the pair covered a half-mile in :50 flat over the Oklahoma training track, galloping out in 1:02 2/5, 1:14 3/5 and 1:28 2/5....

A well-backed 5-1 while making his stakes debut in Friday's GIII Pimlico Special S. over the Preakness S. course and distance, Blue Heaven Farm homebred Pyrenees (Into Mischief) was delivered in the nick of time by Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. to complete a memorable stakes three-timer for the Cherie DeVaux barn. The beautifully bred 4-year-old, who capped a three-race winning streak--with Hernandez, Jr. aboard each time--courtesy of a three-length allowance victory over a sloppy Keeneland main track Apr. 12, was eased back and settled not far from a...

by J. N. Campbell Looking strong as an oak in the GIII Ben Ali S. at Keeneland, Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) cleared professionally down the lane to take home his second graded stakes trophy for Spendthrift's case on Saturday afternoon. The 2023 GII Louisiana Derby winner finished 14th behind Mage (Good Magic) in the GI Kentucky Derby before completing his 3-year-old year when he was beaten only a neck as the heavy favorite in the Pegasus S. at Monmouth June 17. After a nine-month hiatus, Kingsbarns returned to Gulfstream Park Mar....

6th-Gulfstream, $73,420, Alw (C)/Opt. Clm ($62,500), 3-2, 4yo/up, 7f, 1:22.47, ft, 1/2 length. KINGSBARNS (c, 4, Uncle Mo--Lady Tapit {GSP}, by Tapit), last year's GII Louisiana Derby winner, made his return to the races Saturday off nearly a nine-month layoff. A player on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, the son of Uncle Mo wound up 14th behind Mage (Good Magic) under the TwinSpires and finished his 3-year-old season beaten just a neck as the heavy favorite in the Pegasus S. at Monmouth June 17. Confidently bet at 3-5 in...

6th-GP, $62K, A/OC, 4yo/up, 7f, 1:44 p.m. ET. Last year as a 3-year-old colt, KINGSBARNS (Uncle Mo) kept his perfect record intact when he went gate to wire to win the GII Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds, which secured himself a slot in the GI Kentucky Derby. The Todd Pletcher trainee finished 14th in America's signature race and a bout with colic sidelined him before the GI Belmont S. He did return to be the runner-up in the Pegasus S. at Monmouth Park in mid-June and that was the last...

GII Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) remains a possibility for either the GII Jim Dandy July 29 at Saratoga Race Course or the previous week's GI Haskell S. at Monmouth Park said Spendthrift Farm's general manager Ned Toffey. "We're freshening him a little bit, keeping some options open," Toffey said. "There's the Haskell and the Jim Dandy and we'll look at those, but we'll talk with [trainer] Todd [Pletcher] and just keep things open. Obviously, it gets pretty tough with fewer spots for these good 3-year-olds. You won't find...

Salute the Stars continued his rise through the ranks here with a determined victory in the Pegasus S. at Monmouth Park. Coming into the race riding a two race win-streak which began when he wrapped his juvenile season with a victory against maidens at Ellis on the grass, he moved from John Ortiz to Brad Cox before his seasonal bow last out May 14 in an off-turf allowance. Winning there by a neck, he was made the 5-2 second choice behind Kingsbarns, who was reappearing for the first time since...

While the $150,000 Pegasus S. (more on that below) serves as the local feeder into next month's GI TVG.com Haskell Invitational S., the graded events on Saturday's Haskell Preview Day at Monmouth Park are set to mark the seasonal debuts for a pair of Chad Brown-conditioned Grade I winners from last term as well as a 'TDN Rising Star' from the same shedrow looking to kick start what connections hope will be a productive 4-year-old campaign. Peter Brant's Gina Romantica (Into Mischief) makes her first appearance since taking out the...

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher gave a "thumbs up" following a Saturday morning breeze from Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's reigning champion 2-Year-Old Forte (Violence), who worked five-eighths over the Belmont Park main track in preparation for the GI Belmont S. NYRA clockers caught Forte through three-eighths in :35 before completing five furlongs in 1:00.44 and galloping out six furlongs in 1:13 over the fast main track. "I was really, really happy. I thought he was moving great. He got into a good rhythm, finished up great and...

Eclipse Award winner Forte (Violence) worked a half-mile in :50.31 breezing Sunday morning at Belmont Park, which has him back on a path to make it to the GI Belmont S. It was his first work since he was scratched the morning of the GI Kentucky Derby by a state veterinarian due to a foot bruise. After the scratch, Forte was placed on the vet's list in Kentucky for 14 days, which meant he could not run in the GI Preakness S. "He looked very good in this work and...