Society

Whomever gave Soul of an Angel (Atreides) a Red Bull before Saturday's GI PNC Bank Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, go cash your ticket. The 5-year-old mare sprouted wings down the Del Mar stretch to open Breeders' Cup action with a 19-1 upset win for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. and the ownership group of C2 Racing Stable, Agave Racing Stable and Ken Reimer. The most experienced runner in the field by far (her 40 starts are more than double anyone else), Soul of an Angel has been quietly knocking...

Believe it or not, it was just three years ago this month--a mere 36 months ago--that Gun Runner got his first stakes winner as a sire. The Three Chimneys stallion shot to the top so quickly and has such a long list of elite performers that no one would be blamed for mistaking his tenure as far longer. To refresh all of our memories, that initial stakes winner for Gun Runner was a graded winner, as Pappacap won the GII Best Pal Stakes, only to be followed up the next...

However obvious it may now appear that the "real" Fierceness didn't show up for the GIII Holy Bull Stakes back in February, he was keeping tougher company than many assumed at the time. Of the pair, in fact, things went rather more blatantly wrong for Domestic Product, bumped early before wasting energy against a slow pace and coming home wide. Domestic Product still managed to get closer to the winner than did the juvenile champion, and even in scrambling home in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby next time left a...

Society (Gun Runner) stalked and pounced her way to a powerful victory in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Ballerina Handicap at the Spa. Off as the 7-2 third choice, the speedy Peter Blum homebred was content to track in second beneath Tyler Gaffalione--something that she hadn't successfully demonstrated in her previous 13 starts--as 'TDN Rising Star' Munnys Gold (Munnings) sped through fractions of :22.65 and :44.82. Society revved up with a flashy move to take over approaching the quarter pole and turned for home with authority while racing in...

The wagering public knew they wanted a daughter of Gun Runner to win the GIII Chicago Stakes. In one corner was Vahva, the 2-5 favorite, coming off a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure when in control of the Derby City Distaff Stakes on Derby Day at Churchill May 4. Opposite her was the rail-drawn speed of 2-1 shot Society, the defending Chicago Stakes winner but unraced since a tiring fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita last November. Ultimately it was Vahva for trainer...

A veteran of two-thirds of this year's Triple Crown series, Albaugh Family Stables' Catching Freedom (Constitution) gets a fair bit of class relief while facing nine others in Saturday's $500,000 GIII Ohio Derby at Thistledown outside of Cleveland. Winner of the GII Louisiana Derby to earn his spot in the field for the GI Kentucky Derby, the $575,000 Keeneland September acquisition gave an excellent account of himself on the first Saturday in May, delivering a rails rally in the stretch to round out the superfecta, a length and three-quarters behind...

Irad Ortiz, Jr. has withdrawn his appeal of a three-day suspension for "for failure to maintain a straight course in the stretch and causing interference" aboard 11-10 favorite Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper), who successfully defended her title by winning the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park. There was no stewards' inquiry posted after Goodnight Olive's win. The Equibase chart noted that Goodnight Olive "drifted in, taking the path of Society [Gun Runner] near the three-sixteenths pole" before she "quickly opened clear and held safely."...

A trio of Breeders' Cup-bound horses trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen had their first works at Santa Anita Friday. Drilling easy half miles under the watchful eye of assistant Scott Blasi were Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), who went the distance in 50.80 seconds and Society (Gun Runner), who completed her move in 50.20 seconds. Also working for Asmussen was Private Creed (Jimmy Creed), who was officially clocked going three furlongs in 37.40 seconds. "This was their first work on the racetrack so we didn't want to do a...

With Santa Anita Park set to begin its fall meet, fans will be greeted by a pair of all-new state-of-the-art paddock video boards beginning on opening day, Friday, Sept. 29, 1/ST Racing said in a press release late Thursday. Manufactured by US-based Daktronics, the video boards each measure nine feet tall by 16 feet wide. While the previous paddock video boards had a pixel pitch of 15mm, the new boards provide much higher quality viewing, with a finer 6mm one. To view a time-lapse installation click here. Breeders' Cup Stars...

Few horses in training could have matched motors Saturday with Peter Blum's Society (Gun Runner), who took the GIII Chicago S. by the scruff of the neck a few strides away from the gates and never gave any of her five rivals a chance, streaking home to score in new track-record time. Drawn one from the outside, the 2-1 second favorite hit the ground running and led narrowly through the opening stages from Drifaros (Kantharos) as odds-on Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile) was content enough to sit third behind the speed....

Two Phil's (Hard Spun), a too-good-to-lose second after racing on top of a hot pace in the GI Kentucky Derby, kicks off the second half of his season in Saturday's GIII Ohio Derby at Thistledown. The GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks winner has been firing bullets for trainer Larry Rivelli at Hawthorne since, including a five-furlong move in :59 (1/14) June 8. Jockey Gerardo Corrales will replace the injured Jareth Loveberry in the irons. 'TDN Rising Star' Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo), drawn one to the inside of the 8-5 morning-line favorite...

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen sent out a trio of breezers Sunday morning at Keeneland to their final preparations for next weekend's Breeders' Cup World Championships. GI Classic contender Epicenter (Not This Time) covered a half-mile in an easy :50.80 (23/25); GI Juvenile Fillies-bound Grand Love (Gun Runner) went the same distance in :50.20 (19/25); and streaking GI Distaff hopeful Society (Gun Runner) got the half-mile in :49.60 (12/25). "Epicenter worked a nice, smooth half-mile," Asmussen said. "I am extremely pleased with how he is coming into the Classic."...