Rated by Merit

St. Elias Stables homebred Rated by Merit (c, 2, Battalion Runner--Banner Waving, by Speightstown), featured in TDN nearly six weeks ago as Vinnie Viola's "unlikely Derby contender," showed again why he ranks at or near the top of the promising 2-year-olds for the powerful stable. The undefeated colt won Saturday's FTBOA Florida Sire In Reality Stakes at Gulfstream to sweep the Florida Sires series. With the In Reality his first try around two turns, Rated by Merit broke smoothly from the rail to set an easy :24.13 and :48.92 pace....

Chad Brown never arrives at the Breeders' Cup with a weak hand. But for a trainer who has won 19 Breeders' Cup races, this could be the best team he's ever sent to the Cup. His ammunition includes horses like Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), the 3-year-old filly sprinting sensation Ways and Means (Practical Joke), Turf miler Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and one of the top 2-year-olds in training in Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie). Joining us on this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland, Brown went through...

There's virtually no chance that Vinnie Viola would have bought a horse like Rated by Merit (Battalion Runner) at the sales. That's where he goes every year to spend big bucks in search of a star. At this year's Keeneland September sale alone, Viola bought 18 horses for $9.1 million. Rated by Merit is undefeated at 3-for-3 after winning Saturday's Affirmed S., the second leg in Gulfstream's series for 2-year-olds by Florida-based sires. An overachiever, he is by a stallion who stands for $2,500 and out a mare who was...

Rated by Merit, yet to be headed in two prior starts including a last-out win in the Florida Sire Series Dr. Fager Stakes Sept. 7, stepped up to seven furlongs Saturday and kept his perfect record in tact with yet another gate-to-wire victory in the Affirmed Stakes at Gulfstream. Bet down to 1-5 off two wins by more than 10 combined lengths, the favorite again jumped to the lead but took pressure from Neoequos through the half in :45.45. Finally turning that rival away off the turn, Rated by Merit...

Rated by Merit (Battalion Runner) debuted with a sparkling performance when the colt won by 9 3/4 lengths and posted a 92 Beyer over the same course and distance July 13. Slammed at the windows at 40 cents on the dollar, the homebred was challenged from the bell up the backstretch by Neoeqous (Neolithic). Pushed three wide around the far turn, the juvenile responded and with a big kick down the lane proved his talent. "It kind of went as I thought it would," said trainer Michael Yates. "He's trained...

The fastest 2-year-old so far this season didn't graduate at either Del Mar or Saratoga. That honor belongs to--at least on the Beyer Speed Figure scale (through Aug. 2)--St Elias Stable homebred Rated by Merit (c, 2, Battalion Runner--Banner Waving, by Speightstown), who earned a 92 rating when airing by 9 3/4 lengths for trainer Michael Yates going six furlongs on debut at Gulfstream Park July 13. That is four points higher than the co-second fastest duo of Mentee (City of Light), the younger full-brother of champion Fierceness, and Colloquial...