Pretty Ana

All of us involved in this game tend to be exposed to its ups and downs on a scale proportionate to our means. That being so, there have unsurprisingly been some pretty wild extremes--for better and worse--in the story of the most lavishly funded program in its history. Just think back, for instance, to the last days of April 2001. Sheikh Mohammed had sent Street Cry (Ire) back to the United States, where he had been skillfully developed as a juvenile by Eoin Harty, with the mission of winning the...

Three Chimneys Farm homebred Pretty Ana (Quality Road), a half-sister to Horse of the Year and leading young sire Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}), dug down gamely in the stretch to record a career high in Saturday's GIII Comely Stakes at the Big A. Sent off as the third-choice in the field of five, the rail-drawn 7-2 chance led them into the clubhouse turn and exchanged blows with longshot Dorothy's Dreams (Always Dreaming) through fractions of :24.41 and :49.32. With that rival backing out of it on the turn for...

There was a time, not that long ago, when the Mother Goose Stakes was one of the most prestigious Grade I summer targets for sophomore fillies in North America. It may be a Grade II now late in the season while the division leaders wait another week for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, but Godolphin homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' Tarifa (f, 3 Bernardini--Kite Beach, by Awesome Again) did her part to honor that former glory at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet with an extremely game and tenacious victory as...

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,...

9th-Fair Grounds, $57,000, Msw, 2-13, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:45.53, ft, 3/4 length. PRETTY ANA (f, 3, Quality Road--Quiet Giant {GSW, $405,389}, by Giant's Causeway), a half-sister to leading young sire Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}), Horse Of The Year, Ch. Older Dirt Male MGISW-USA, G1SP-UAE, $15,988,500, dug down gamely to earn her diploma at second asking here. Pretty Ana was previously third, beaten 5 1/4 lengths, as the even-money favorite after an eventful trip over this same course and distance on debut Jan. 18. Favored at that same price...