Nadal

Just about an hour and 15 minutes after his stablemate and fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Charlatan (Speightstown) dazzled in the first division of the GI Arkansas Derby, Nadal (Blame) provided Hall of Famer Bob Baffert with a clean sweep of the split Oaklawn feature. The bay scored a good-looking victory in what was considered the deeper edition of Saturday's Arkansas Derby, securing his spot in the gate for the Sept. 5 Run for the Roses. Anxious in the gate, Nadal was away in good order from post five as GII...

Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - Curlin Florida Derby Results - Independence Hall finished fifth. Bankroll: $2275. GI Arkansas Derby (1st Div.) - For the purposes of a contest like this, it's hard to stomach taking $20 profit on our mythical wager,...

Before the coronavirus pandemic struck America and shook up horse racing along with it, things seemed to be falling, as they often do, in Bob Baffert's favor. The Hall of Fame trainer, no stranger to coming into Louisville with the horse or horses to beat, had a trio of colts who looked like they could be the first three choices in the GI Kentucky Derby. Even with the Run for the Roses now postponed four months, Baffert still appears to have a stronghold over a marquee 3-year-old race on the...

Having attracted 22 entries Sunday for next Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby, Oaklawn Park has split the race for sophomores into two divisions for the first time ever. Each race will carry a $500,000 purse--the Arkansas Derby was originally scheduled to be held Apr. 11 and worth $750,000. "Because of our national crisis, we and the entire world of sports are in uncharted waters requiring unprecedented actions," said Oaklawn President Louis Cella. "We're trying to make the best of a very, very difficult situation. On the one hand, it is the...

Last year's champion juvenile colt Storm the Court (Court Vision) is on target for the May 2 GI Arkansas Derby following a five-furlong work in 1:13.60 (3/3) at Santa Anita Monday, trainer Peter Eurton confirmed. Eurton also plans to enter Shooters Shoot (Competitive Edge), winner of a one-mile allowance at Oaklawn Apr. 11, for the nine-furlong race. "Very pleased with his work," Eurton said of Storm the Court. "Very pleased with Shooters Shoot. I know it's going to be tough on both ends with Bob [Baffert]'s two horses, but we're...

Courtesy Oaklawn Barn Notes Bob Baffert has had to hit the reset button in pursuit of his record-tying sixth GI Kentucky Derby victory. Fortunately for the Hall of Fame trainer, he still has the same buttons to push. The first comes Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn when he sends out 5-2 program favorite Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) in the $200,000 Oaklawn S. for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles. Thousand Words, a $1-million Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, is among four highly regarded Kentucky Derby prospects for the Southern California-based Baffert,...

'TDN Rising Star' Nadal (Blame) made it a perfect three-for-three digging down gamely to deliver as the 4-5 favorite in wire-to-wire fashion in Saturday's $1-million GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Park. Removing blinkers for this first two-turn test, the rail-drawn bay was hustled to the front by Joel Rosario and was immediately hounded by unbeaten Louisiana-bred No Parole (Violence) and the returning GI American Pharoah S. runner-up American Theorem (American Pharoah) rounding the clubhouse turn. No Parole backed off, but the two California invaders continued to throw down through sharp...

Bob Baffert sends out so many impressive 3-year-olds this time of year, it seems like some become forgotten as soon as the next one does something special. After the dazzling performances of Baffert trainees Authentic (Into Mischief) and Charlatan (Speightstown) in recent weeks, that forgotten horse may be the barn's unbeaten Nadal (Blame). Saturday, the $700,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream buy will look to match his talented stablemates as a likely favorite while making his two-turn debut in the $1-million GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn. Debuting as a 6-5 favorite Jan. 19...

Hall of Famer Bob Baffert sends out two of his (at least) four serious GI Kentucky Derby contenders in a short but stacked running of the GII San Felipe S. at Santa Anita Saturday. Favored at 6-5 on the morning line, Authentic (Into Mischief) was last seen greenly taking the GIII Sham S. here by 7 3/4 lengths over stablemate Azul Coast (Super Saver), who came back to snag the El Camino Real Derby. A $350,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by the powerhouse, stallion-making syndicate of SF Racing, Starlight, Madaket, et...

Freshly anointed 'TDN Rising Star' Charlatan (Speightstown) appears no worse for wear a day after his impressive 5 3/4-length victory in 1:08.85 at Santa Anita Saturday afternoon. "We knew he was a really fast horse," said Baffert Monday morning. Campaigned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables and Stonestreet Stables, the 3-year-old reeled off three consecutive bullet works at Santa Anita this winter, including an eye-catching five-furlong move in :59.60 Jan. 22. Prior to Saturday's debut score, he breezed five furlongs in :1:00.60 (5/50) at Santa Anita Feb. 11. "His...

A total of 182 2-year-olds make up the catalogue for the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale of Selected 2-Year-Olds in Training slated for Wednesday, Apr. 1. Held in Gulfstream Park's walking ring, the sale will begin at 1 p.m. EDT. The under tack show is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, Mar. 30. "The Gulfstream Sale annually offers the highest concentration of quality of any North American 2-year-old sale," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning.  "This year's catalogue is no exception, as it is again loaded with sire power, depth of pedigree, and quality...

The business of buying racehorses is a constant test of balancing risks and opportunities. A month after Kerri Radcliffe signed for a son of Blame for $700,000-the joint highest price for a 2-year-old by the sire at auction-at Fasig-Tipton's Gulfstream Sale last March, one of the investors backed out. That left Radcliffe with an expensive colt on her hands, but an opportunity to put a transatlantic group of clients in on a horse she staunchly believed in. The ownership group of George Bolton, best known for campaigning international stars like...