Occult

The Saturday graded stakes action across North America offers several options, but the Big A earns the spotlight as the venerable NYRA track plays host to some strong races. Even though the Cigar Mile Handicap was downgraded a tick from its top level status by the American Graded Stakes Committee in 2023, connections still consider the race to possess a certain cache and the rigor in this year's edition is evident. "It [Cigar Mile] came up pretty salty," said Book'em Danno's trainer Derek Ryan. "It is a Grade II now...

With the Del Mar Breeders' Cup officially less than two weeks away, trainer Chad Brown is continuing to oversee his string's preparations at Belmont Park, while the accomplished MGISW Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) puts in her final works for conditioner Ken McPeek upstate at Saratoga. Over the training surface in Elmont, Brown sent out two juveniles for half-mile works in 'TDN Rising Star' Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie) [:48.01] and Zulu Kingdom (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) [:48.63], who are targeting the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf,...

With the Breeders' Cup a little over four months away, the 'Win and You're In' tickets to the signature event, the GI Longines Classic, are definitely numbered. The road to Del Mar currently goes through Churchill Downs on Saturday as Classic hopefuls enter the starting gate for the GI Stephen Foster Stakes. Looking to punch his ticket to the seaside oval is Godolphin homebred First Mission (Street Sense). The 'TDN Rising Star' certainly burned brightest when he took home the GIII Essex Handicap by five lengths at Oaklawn Park in...

Kathleen O. got back to the winner's circle for the first time in over two years when winning Monmouth's Serena's Song S. over a wet track on Sunday. With a solid start to her racing career as a late juvenile, the Shug McGaughey trainee rattled off three straight wins at three, including the GII Davona Dale S. and GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. The dark bay, a respectable fifth to 1-2 finishers Secret Oath and Nest in the Kentucky Oaks, she did not return to action until November when she was...

1st-DMR, $82K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5fT, 7:00 p.m. Picked up for $550,000 at the OBS April Sale earlier this year following a sharp :21.1 breeze, SHE IS ROMANTIC (Blame) debuts Friday out of the Peter Eurton barn for owner C R K Stable. Already a half-sister to a pair of stakes-placed horses, the filly is out of a full-sister to MSW Frolic's Revenge and a half to GSW/MGISP Super Frolic (Pine Bluff) and MSW/GSP Stormy Frolic (Summer Squall). TJCIS PPS 4th-MTH, $57K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 3:24 p.m. Debuting on...

It was a Halloween exacta come early as Occult (Into Mischief) dominated the GIII Monmouth Oaks over a determined Foggy Night (Khozan), giving jockey Feargal Lynch the black-type double in New Jersey. Steadied last out in the GI Acorn at Big Sandy, but recovering well enough to finish third, the 7-5 favorite had already tasted success early this year in New York as the Busanda S. victress at Aqueduct before running fifth in the GIII Gazelle behind Promiseher America (American Pharoah). Racing four wide after the jump and settling well...

All eyes last week were on the Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs, where 38-1 shot Dreaming of Snow (Jess's Dream) scored a huge upset over 2-year-old filly champion Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) and the highly regarded Julia Shining (Curlin). That wasn't enough for Dreaming of Snow to make this week's Top 10 for the GI Kentucky Oaks, but it was certainly a herculean effort to defeat two such highly regarded horses. The spotlight this week will be on the Fair Grounds, where the mega-talented Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief) will...

With the runnings of the GIII Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita and the Martha Washington S. at Oaklawn, there's now a bit more clarity to the division, particularly in California where Las Virgenes winner Faiza (Girvin) look like she is the best of that group. The Martha Washington was won by the Brad Cox-trained Wet Paint (Blame), but she didn't beat a stellar group and will have to wait for another day to make this list. This will be a quiet weekend for the 3-year-old fillies. Gulfstream does offer...

Picked up for $625,000 by Alpha Delta Stables LLC out of the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Occult missed out in fourth on her debut at Belmont's Aqueduct meeting Sept. 17 but returned at one mile to break her maiden in style by 4 1/4 lengths to finish her juvenile season Dec. 18. The 7-5 choice for her first try against stakes company, Occult had a sharp beginning but was outrun into the first turn by Sweetest Princess (Cairo Prince) to her outside. Patiently handled by jockey Dylan Davis in...

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...