Mainstay

A fairytale, and an authentic story of "true love", came to a heartbreaking end Thursday when Tom and Sue McGrath of Swilcan Stable lost Vero Amore (Mineshaft), the rags-to-riches dam of champion Vequist (Nyquist). Her abrupt surrender to colic came as a terrible shock: Vero Amore was in her prime, having just turned 11, and was carrying a sister to the 2020 Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old filly.     Tom McGrath stressed his thanks to Brookdale Farm, where she was a long-term boarder, for their characteristically alert and prompt attention; and also huge...

A field of nine maiden special weight winners--eight of them at first asking--line up in search of their first black-type win in the GII Adirondack S. going 6 1/2 panels Sunday at Saratoga. Both Mainstay (Astern {Aus}) and Saucy Lady T (Tonalist) are exiting the July 15 GIII Schuylerville S. over the track, where they finished one-two, respectively, while Ontheonesandtwos (Jimmy Creed) and Wicked Halo (Gun Runner) filled the same spots in the June 26 Debutante S. at Churchill Downs. Morning-line favorite is Deuce Greathouse, Cindy M. Hutson, Madaket Stables...

With a pair of blowout wins already on her resume headed by Belmont's Astoria S. June 3, Happy Soul (Runhappy) sets her sights on Saratoga's opening day co-featured GIII Schuylerville S. She has been working in company with her Wesley Ward-trained 4-year-old stablemate and GISW Kimari (Munnings). "Visually, Kimari is a better horse, but she's doing it with speed to spare as well," Ward said. "She has had some nice works underneath her and she's come to handle it quicker than I thought." Mainstay (Astern {Aus}), a half-sister to last...

Swilcan Stable and LC Racing's Mainstay (Astern {Aus}), the half-sister to last year's champion 2-year-old filly Vequist (Nyquist), MGISW, $1,237,500, came out running Friday to become her sire's first Northern Hemisphere winner as well as a 'TDN Rising Star'. Scratched from Thursday's Astoria S. at Belmont, the Butch Reid pupil was backed at 6-5 and made that price look like a bargain. Out-footed by Next Tuesday (Kantharos) from the gate, the bay quickly rushed up and cleared by several lengths from that foe. Next Tuesday tried to make a race...