La Troienne

LOUISVILLE, KY -- Heading up to Friday's first graded stakes race of the day at Churchill Downs, trainer Brad Cox appeared to be oozing confidence in regard to the returning champion older dirt female Idiomatic (Curlin) in the GI Fasig-Tipton La Troienne S. In the 8 1/2-furlong test for fillies and mares, the Juddmonte homebred proved that Cox's instinct had been spot on, winning by 3 3/4-lengths over Free Like a Girl (El Deal) in the slop. Installed the 4-5 favorite, she argued the issue with Dorth Vader (Girvin), who...

Champion filly Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) will return to the scene of her greatest triumph when she kicks off her 4-year-old campaign in the May 3 GI La Troienne S. at Churchill Downs. Pretty Mischievous won last year's GI Kentucky Oaks, a win that went a long way toward her earning an Eclipse Award as the nation's outstanding 3-year-old filly. "She's been doing great and working very well," trainer Brendan Walsh said. "We're very happy with the way she has progressed from three to four. We won't know until we...

Last year's champion older female and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff heroine Idiomatic (Curlin), sportingly put back in training for a 5-year-old campaign, could potentially kick off her season in the GI La Troienne S. on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard May 3. The Juddmonte homebred posted her third workout of 2024 for trainer Brad Cox at Fair Grounds Thursday morning, stopping the clock for four furlongs in :49 (17/43). "For starters, (the late Juddmonte founder) Prince Khalid (bin Abdullah) was never afraid to run horses, colts or fillies," Juddmonte USA...

Rigney Racing's Played Hard (Into Mischief--Well Lived, by Tiznow), winner of the GI La Troienne S. in May, has been retired from racing, trainer Phil Bauer confirmed the news first reported in Blood-Horse Thursday. "She had a summer that just nothing bounced her way," Bauer said. "We took her to Saratoga and missed the Shuvee with illness. We planned on bringing her back to Churchill, but in her last breeze up there, she got an injury in her right hind ankle. So we had the discussion with Mr. [Richard] Rigney...

In this continuing series, we examine the past winners of significant filly/mare races by the lasting influence they've had on the breed. Up today is the GI Coaching Club American Oaks, a significant 3-year old filly event on the Saratoga calendar. The CCA Oaks is one of the revered traditions in the sophomore filly ranks. Like so many other races that have a century's worth of history, it has changed both distances and venues multiple times. The race began at nine furlongs in 1917 and was shortened to that distance...

Last Thursday, I received an email out of the blue from someone I didn't know. Evidently Jason Brooks listens to me every Wednesday on Steve Byk's "At the Races" radio show where we discuss pedigrees among other things, and Brooks wanted to inform me that there were "21 graded stakes wins in the first half of 2022 for horses with Phipps pedigrees." According to Brooks, he does social media for Phipps Stable and operates the account @PhippsStableFan on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Curious, I took a look at his...

Dual Grade I winner She's a Julie (Elusive Quality--Kydd Gloves, by Dubai Millenium {GB}) held her own during a star-studded run of mares at Fasig-Tipton November Sunday when selling for $3 million to Spendthrift Farm, who also bought Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) and Got Stormy (Get Stormy) earlier in the sale. Originally sold for $160,000 at KEESEP, the bay took a pair of Grade III events as a 3-year-old and added the GI La Troienne S. last spring before annexing the GI Ogden Phipps S. this year. The millionaire sold as...

It was two years--and four months--ago that Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) gamely dug in past the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs to earn a victory in the GI Kentucky Oaks. This Friday, the popular champion will be in action at Churchill Downs on Oaks Day once more, this time as a 5-year-old in the GI La Troienne S., her first try in a Grade I since being sidelined for all of 2019. Following her Oaks triumph with scores in the GI Acorn S., GI Coaching Club American Oaks and GI Longines...