maiden special weight

Turfway Park executives are projecting purses for maiden special weight (MSW) races to nearly double to about $60,000 for the upcoming dual meets that will be run December through March. Last season, Turfway paid out just $32,000 for MSW races while conducting meets heavily compromised by both the COVID-19 pandemic and a massive grandstand rebuild that kept the northern Kentucky oval closed to on-track spectators. Turfway's 2021-22 MSW purse projection was disclosed Tuesday during a Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) advisory board meeting by Tyler Picklesimer, the track's director of...

3rd-Churchill Downs, $114,814, Msw, 4-28, 2yo, f, 5f, :58.75, ft, 3 lengths. MOLLIE KATE (f, 2, Tapizar--Forbidden Brew, by Milwaukee Brew), sent off at 4-1 for this unveiling, broke sharply and soon led Tranquil Times (Firing Line) through a crisp opening quarter in :22.19. Clear of her rival and moving easily straightening for home, the John Ennis trainee was given moderate encouragement by James Graham in the stretch, cruising home an unchallenged three-length winner over Murgatroyd (Brody's Cause). The winner, a half to Paige Anne (Take Charge Indy), MGSP, $114,540,...

1st-BEL, $90K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 1:00p.m. Trainer Shug McGaughey unveils West Point, Siena Farm, Bobby Flay and Woodford Racing's FIRST CAPTAIN (Curlin), a $1.5 million purchase at the Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga Select sale last summer. The colt is the first foal out of GSW & GISP America (A.P. Indy), a homebred for the Iron Chef. The 3-year-old sports a bullet four-furlong work in :48 1/5 at Payson Apr. 10, and most recently, registered a :48 4/5 (28/63) for the same distance at Belmont Apr. 17. Also suiting up for the first...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. In this edition, Pit Boss (Union Rags) is highlighted following a second-place finish on debut for trainer Wayne Catalano at Oaklawn Park last weekend. Previous runners featured in this column include: MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), MSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), the highly regarded GII San Felipe S. runner-up Honor A. P. (Honor Code) and GII...