OBS April

1st-Evangeline Downs, $28,100, Msw, 6-15, 2yo, 4 1/2f, :53.84, ft, 4 1/2 lengths. GOOD AND STOUT (c, 2, Coal Front--Ready Witted, by More Than Ready) failed to meeting his reserve on a final bid of $117,000 at this April's OBS Sale but was attained privately and earned heavy 3-5 favoritism in this scratched-down debut facing just a pair of rivals. Second of the three through the early running, he began to eat into Hymn for Carlos's (Custom for Carlos) advantage with a furlong to run, and took over from that...

ELMONT, NY - Five years ago, Justify became the 13th winner of the Triple Crown with a gate-to-wire victory in the GI Belmont S. The Ashford Stud-based stallion, quite fittingly, celebrated his first Grade I winner as a sire on the Belmont undercard courtesy of 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Lion (Justify)'s good-looking 1 3/4-length victory as the 2-1 favorite over Drew's Gold (Violence) in Saturday's GI Woody Stephens S. Gilmore (Twirling Candy) was third. The win marked a triumphant return to the Big Apple for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert,...

1st-BEL, $90K, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 6fT, 11:20 p.m. A New York-bred daughter of 2022's champion freshman sire Bolt d'Oro, ADVANCE ATTACK makes her afternoon debut to open the card on Belmont S. day. Purchased for $450,000 out of last year's OBS April Sale, she is a half-sister to GI Shoemaker Mile S. winner Bolo (Temple City), SW Build to Suit (Dominus), and GSP Let Me Go First (Paddy O'Prdo). Her dam, unfortunately lost in 2021, was a half to the dam of GI Kentucky Derby upsetter and Canadian champion 2-year-old...

A filly by Nyquist, who is half-sister to leading GI Kentucky Oaks contender Affirmative Lady (Arrogate), turned in the fastest quarter-mile work of Friday's penultimate session of the under-tack show for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, while a daughter of Speightstown and a colt by Into Mischief shared the fastest furlong time of the week. The daughter of Nyquist (hip 1024) turned in the day's fastest quarter-mile breeze--and second fastest of the week--when covering the distance in :20 2/5. The dark bay filly, consigned...

Having finished a distant fourth on his Del Mar debut last August behind the likes of 'TDN Rising Star' and future dual Grade I winner Cave Rock (Arrogate) and subsequent multiple Grade II victor Practical Move (Practical Joke), Red Barons Barn and Rancho Temescal's Ultimate Gamble (Medaglia d'Oro) made his much anticipated 3-year-old debut in a one-mile maiden at Santa Anita Saturday afternoon. Pounded down to 70 cents on the dollar, the athletic dark bay colt was ridden in supremely confident fashion by Frankie Dettori and ran out an easy...

Practical Move (Practical Joke), upset winner of the GII Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 17, returned to the worktab for the first time since at Santa Anita Saturday morning, drilling a half-mile in a strong :47.80 (7/60). Trainer Tim Yakteen told the Santa Anita press office that the bay colt--bred by Chad Brown and Head of Plains Partners--'moved well' in the work. "Well give him a few more works and see where we're at, but we're looking at sometime in late February or early March," said Yakteen. "We have a few...

Things didn't look especially promising for those who crunched Michael Lund Petersen's Faustin (c, 2, Curlin--Hard Not to Like, by Hard Spun) into 90 cents on the dollar in the early stages of the first juvenile test of the new meet at Santa Anita Monday afternoon. But the gunmetal gray colt did his best work through the line to graduate by open lengths and become a new 'TDN Rising Star.' The March foal was not off to the most alert of beginnings and was no better than midfield and under...

10th-Gulfstream, $60,000, Msw, 12-11, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:35.11, fm, neck. ERNA (f, 2, Curlin--Jumby Bay {MSP, $118,125}, by City Zip) just missed in her unveiling at Belmont's Aqueduct meeting Oct. 22, coming up a neck short to next out GIII Jimmy Durante S. winner Liguria (War Front) as an 11-1 longshot. No longer under the radar at 6-5, the $600,000 OBSAPR grad took contact from both sides at the break but was still able to settle forwardly placed in third as Shez Speightful (Speightster) paced the field through an opening...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. Subsequently flattered by Liguria (War Front)'s impressive performance in last weekend's GIII Jimmy Durante S. at Del Mar, Erna (f, 2, Curlin--Jumby Bay, by City Zip) will look to go one better at second asking in the nightcap at Gulfstream Park Sunday. Off at 11-1 going 1 1/16 miles over the grass on debut at the Belmont at Aqueduct meeting Oct. 22, Erna jumped well from post five...

7th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 4:01 p.m. EDT OXO Equine's EXHIBIT HALL (Munnings) makes her career bow in this spot for trainer Paulo Lobo. Larry Best went to $1.6 million to secure the filly at OBS April after she breezed in :9 4/5 for Eddie Woods, making her the most expensive filly at that auction. A $250,000 KEESEP yearling buy, the chestnut is out of six-time stakes winner Tensas Harbor (Private Vow). TJCIS PPs

Gunned from the middle of the gate by jockey John Velazquez, Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo--Borealis Night, by Astrology) took over from the opening strides and never gave his opponents a chance, winning at first asking by 7 1/4 lengths to kick off Saturday's Breeders' Cup card with a bang and become the newest 'TDN Rising Star' for Bob Baffert and Zedan Racing Stables. The $2.3-million sale-topper at OBS April after a sharp :9 4/5 breeze, Arabian Knight went off with plenty of hype as the 3-5 favorite in a deep field...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 5th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 2:45 p.m.    An $870,000 purchase out of the OBS April sale (:10 1/5) by CHP Racing, having made $180,000 at Keeneland September last year, Summer Wind Equine-bred CREATE TROUBLE (Into Mischief) debuts Saturday for trainer Brendan Walsh. The bay is out of No Curfew (Curlin), a half-sister to the dams of MG1SW Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}), MGISW To Honor and Serve (Bernardini), GISW Angela Renee (Bernardini), and GISP Elnaawi (Street Sense). Create Trouble gets Tyler Gaffalione for the...