Quality Road

Peter Brant's Bleecker Street (Quality Road) continued her rapid ascent through the turf distaff division with a thoroughly dominating performance in the GII Hillsborough S. at Tampa, easily accounting for her commonly owned stablemate Rocky Sky (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) to remain unblemished from five starts. While 'TDN Rising Star' Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown) held the early call as the Hillsborough field galloped past the stands for the first time, it was Gladys (Medaglia d'Oro), the own-sister to Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, who took up the running into...

Baoma Corp.'s Ganadora (Quality Road), installed the 6-5 choice in this first go, slugged it out early with So It Would Seem (Honor Code), but was peerless in the stretch, running away to win by an impressive 6 1/2-length margin over 2-1 second choice Lady T (Into Mischief). Mixing it up through a sharp opening pace in :21.58 and :44.74, the $1-million KEESEP buy kicked clear turning for home and proved much the best late to earn 'TDN Rising Star' honors. So It Would Seem faded to second last. Ganadora...

The world's richest horse race contained plenty of international star power, with the likes of GI Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun (Into Mischief) facing off with defending winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), G1 Champion S. victor Sealiway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff victress Marche Lorraine (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), but in the end it was a new name written among the global racing elite with the locally trained Emblem Road (Quality Road) springing the upset in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup. Though he has raced exclusively in Saudi...

Bob Baffert is banned from Churchill Downs for two years and his 3-year-olds are ineligible for points in qualifying races for the Gl Kentucky Derby and Gl Kentucky Oaks. He may also get banned (again) from NYRA, which hosts the Gl Belmont S., which could leave only the Gl Preakness open to horses from his barn. So perhaps it's appropriate that he won a race over the weekend--the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate--that gives the winner a guaranteed entry to the middle leg of the Triple Crown. Blackadder,...

In this edition of our ongoing mating plans series, we spoke with Robert Tillyer, farm manager of Dixiana Farm. "Right now we have about 50 broodmares at Dixiana Farm," Tillyer said. "This year we are going to have around 38 foals. We usually put over 30 yearlings through the sale each year and then Mr. Shively is always happy to retain a few for his own racing stable."   BRIELLE'S APPEAL (m, 8, English Channel - Court of Appeal, by Deputy Minister) to be bred to Gun Runner This year...

Corniche (Quality Road), the $1.5-million OBS April topper purchased by Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner's Speedway Stables, ran away with the GI TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November and took home the Eclipse Award for good measure Thursday. The Bob Baffert pupil justified his price tag and then some with a debut tally at Del Mar followed by the GI American Pharoah S. and a convincing front-running tally in the Breeders' Cup. 

A total of 312 sophomores were nominated for this year's Triple Crown series at the early nomination deadline of Jan. 29. The number of early nominations slipped 4.3%, or 14 horses, from last year's total of 326. The nominated group is led by Grade I winners Corniche (Quality Road), Jack Christopher (Munnings), Pinehurst (Twirling Candy) and Rattle N Roll (Connect). Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), winner of last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and likely 2-year-old champion female, is one of six fillies made eligible for the Triple Crown. Nominees...

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued an additional 35 supplemental entries to its 2022 Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale. The entries are catalogued as hips 572-606 and may now be viewed online. They will also be available in the Equineline sales catalogue app. Print versions of supplemental entries will be available on the sales grounds at sale time. Latest entries include: Road to Romance (Hip 592): Four-year-old daughter of Quality Road was stakes placed at two. Dam is half-sister to two stakes winners including graded stakes winner and millionaire Super Frolic (Pine Bluff). Consigned...

With the 2022 breeding season right around the corner, we will feature a series of breeders' mating plans over the coming weeks. Today we have Barry Butzer of Sun Valley Farm. WILLA (m, 5, Will Take Charge--Miss Kilroy, by A.P. Indy), to be bred to Blame, and her half-sister KITTY (m, 3, Street Boss--Miss Kilroy, by A.P. Indy), to be bred to Union Rags Very lucky to have my dad at side the day Miss Kilroy strode into the ring at the 2009 January Keeneland Breeding Stock Sale, an 11-year-old...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. After getting checked sharply in the early stages of his belated unveiling at Fair Grounds last weekend, $1.5-million Fasig-Tipton Midlantic topper Vinco (c, 3, Quality Road--Stormy Welcome, by Storm Cat) produced a serious rally from last to finish a strong second Jan. 22 (video). Off at a well-supported 7-2 sporting a 13-strong worktab for the patient Dallas Stewart barn dating back to late October, the West Point Thoroughbreds...

8th-TAM, $31K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 4:22 p.m. WinStar Farm, CHC Inc. and Siena Farm's SHINNECOCK HILLS (Quality Road) debuts for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Out of Princess Aspen (Birdstone), the colt realized $600,000 at the Keeneland November sale in 2019. Getting first time Lasix while stretching out, Giant's Fire (Gun Runner) finished third in his career debut going six panels here Dec. 23. Trained by John Terranova II, the chestnut was a $510,000 KEEESEP buy for Robert Baker and William Mack. TJCIS PPs 6th-TAM, $31K, Msw, 3yo, 1m...

With the 2022 breeding season right around the corner, we will feature a series of breeders' mating plans over the coming weeks. Today we have Aidan and Leah O'Meara of Stonehaven Steadings. VENETIAN SONATA (m, 13, Bernardini--Moonlight Sonata, by Carson City), to be bred to Curlin Bernardini's talents as a broodmare sire have been impressive but his strike rate with Curlin has been hugely impressive with nearly 20% stakes winners to date. That coupled with another stellar year at the track for Curlin made this mating an easy decision. Venetian...