Program Trading

It's not often a stallion based outside the continent gets graded winners in the U.S. keeping pace with the leading sires here. Ireland's Lope De Vega (Ire) is not only keeping pace, but more than holding his own. When Carl Spackler (Ire) won Sunday's GI Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga, he became the second U.S. Grade I winner in 2024 for his sire, joining Program Trading (GB), who won Churchill's GI Turf Classic Stakes on Derby day. For comparison, only one stallion (Gun Runner) has three Grade I winners in the...

'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) returned to the worktab for the first time since his bang-up second to Mystik Dan (Goldencents) in the GI Kentucky Derby, breezing a half-mile in the company of his GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby-winning stablemate Domestic Product (Practical Joke) in :48.20 (3/31) over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga. With light rain falling, the pair galloped out six furlongs in 1:14 4/5, according to trainer Chad Brown. "I thought the horse worked super," Brown said of Sierra Leone, who was once again...

Program Trading (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) gave Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables and trainer Chad Brown a fourth winner of the GI Old Forester Turf Classic S. in the last six years, fighting his way past Godolphin's Naval Power (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the shadow of the winning post for a dramatic victory. A 4-1 chance making his 4-year-old debut and first start since narrowly defeating Webslinger (Constitution) in last year's GI Hollywood Derby, Program Trading left there running, and when Never Surprised (Constitution) rolled up to lead and when...

LOUISVILLE, KY -- Weeks and months of preparation, with a healthy dose of good luck, are complete. A full field of 20 will line up for the 150th anniversary renewal of the GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Much of the pre-race hype has revolved around the defending juvenile champion Fierceness (City of Light). A runaway winner in the GI Florida Derby in his latest start, the 'TDN Rising Star' has been training like a beast, signaling he is ready to do big things come Derby day. His trainer, Todd...

Denied as the heavy favorite at Colonial Downs by the undefeated Integration (Quality Road) in the GIII New Kent County Virginia Derby last time out Sept. 9, Program Trading (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) got back on track to take his fourth win in five starts in the GI Hollywood Derby. A winner of his first three starts, the Chad Brown trainee reached the pinnacle two starts back with a narrow victory over Webslinger (Constitution) on a lucky on-the-turf weekend in Saratoga in the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Aug. 5....

The late Charlie Whittingham won his first Hollywood Derby back in 1967 with Tumble Wind and the last of his four victories in the race in 1989 with Live The Dream. Chad Brown added his name to the list of Hollywood Derby winners courtesy of Annals of Time (Temple City) in 2016 and followed up with Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in 2018 and Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) two years later. In Saturday's renewal of the nine-furlong event, Brown will send out a pair of lightly raced sophomores...

The least experienced of the nine 3-year-olds signed on for Saturday's GIII New Kent County Virginia Derby, with only a maiden victory--albeit a smashing one--to his success, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing's Integration (c, 3, Quality Road--Harmonize, by Scat Daddy) grabbed heavily favored Program Trading (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) with less than a furlong to go and came away to an impressive victory in new course-record time. Well-backed at 67-10 despite his overall lack of seasoning, the $700,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase took up a position in the latter...

Klaravich Stables' Program Trading (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) showed grit and determination that belied his relative inexperience and dug down deep to stave off a bid from tough-trip Webslinger (Constitution) to win Saturday's GI Saratoga Derby Invitational over a Mellon Turf Course left yielding by torrential rains that spelled doom to the final four races on Friday's program. Favored Far Bridge (English Channel) plugged on at one pace to be third. It was a second Saratoga Derby for Seth Klarman's operation following on from Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB})...