Spendthrift Farm

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-FG, $75K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 1:30 p.m. Closing weekend at the Fair Grounds includes a pair of important maiden races on Saturday, as Juddmonte homebred CASTLEWARDEN (Into Mischief) heads to post four under Lasix as the morning line 5-2 favorite. Trained by Brad Cox and with the services of Florent Geroux, he is a full-brother to GII Pat O'Brien S. victor Laurel River. Castlewarden's dam Calm Water (Empire Maker) is a full-sister to MGISW Emollient, who herself has produced French GSW Raclette (GB) (Frankel {GB})...

7th-Fair Grounds, $50,000, Msw, 3-19, 3yo, 1 1/16m (off turf), 1:45.25, ft, 4 1/4 lengths. PROMISE ME A RIDE (c, 3, Mastery--Promise Me More {SW & GSP, $171,866}, by More Than Ready), Triple Crown-nominated and sporting many of the same owners as his stablemate one race prior, 'TDN Rising Star' Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo), raced from the second flight in this off-turf unveiling and rode the rail going into the first turn. Angled out into the four path and pulling for his head to take command, Promise Me a Ride...

Bishops Bay (c, 3, Uncle Mo--Catch My Drift, {SW & GISP, $280,540}, by Pioneerof the Nile) posted a noteworthy 97 Beyer Speed Figure on debut Feb. 18 at the Fair Grounds, defeating next-out 'Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense) in the process and showed his own 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy determination Sunday at the venue in his first trip at two-turns. Breaking in line with First Defender (Quality Road) and keen to go with that one, the Triple Crown-nominated bay was forced to take back when that early leader crossed over...

Root Cause (f, 3, Into Mischief--Vertical Vision {MSW, $202,979), by Pollard's Vision), second at Saratoga Aug. 14 last season in a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden which yielded SP Towhead (Malibu Moon), SP Beauitfulnavigator (Ire) (Expert Eye {GB}), and SP Forever Dixie (Quality Road), made it look effortless here en route to 'TDN Rising Star'-dom at 1-5 favoritism in her 2023 bow over Gulfstream Park grass. Breaking well but in no hurry to challenge the eager early speed, Root Cause stalked from the two path in third through the first bend....

Ten juveniles shared the furlong bullet time of :9 4/5 during Tuesday's first session of the under-tack show for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Raul Reyes's Kings Equine sent out eight juveniles to work at OBS Tuesday, including three who hit that bullet mark. "Personally, I thought the conditions were great," Reyes said. "My horses breezed very well. I can say nothing but nice things about the way the track was today. I think it was very fair." Leading the Kings Equine workers Tuesday were...

For owner/breeder Bruce Chandler, patience was a virtue rewarded when his eye-catching Spirit of Makena captured the GIII San Carlos S. in just his four career start. A head shy from perfection in his spaced-out career, Spirit of Makena debuted late in his 4-year-old season; not seen until an Aug. 5 maiden special at Del Mar last season. He was hounded every step of the way on his step up to allowance optional company Sept. 11 in his first trip at the mile and just couldn't hold off Holden the...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-AQU, $80K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 12:50 p.m. Bought by Chenoweth Stables for $200,000 at the '21 FTKJUL auction, GLOBAL IMAGE (Liam's Map) was purchased by Taproot Bloodstock a year later at the OBSMAR after breezing an eighth of a mile in :10 1/5. Owned by Robert LaPenta and Madaket Stables, the Brad Cox trainee shipped to Belmont after training with his Churchill Downs string over the winter. Out of Ballerina S. heroine Class Included (Include), the gray colt will break from the three post with...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo and Hanshin Racecourses: Saturday, March 11, 2023 4th-CKO, ¥10,480,000 ($77k), Maiden, 3yo, 1400mT GARMISCH (c, 3, Uncle Mo--Fiduicia, by Medaglia d'Oro) is the second foal to race out of this dam, a Japanese stakes-winner and Group 3-placed turf sprinter...

Edited Press Release As One Racing Stables has launched its first diverse and inclusive racing partnership. The group will race under the As One Racing banner and has acquired its first equine athlete to promote the group's mission and vision. As One Racing was formed by a group of six like-minded individuals with a desire to grow the sport by broadening its base and bringing new faces to the industry. Turning to history, the group recognized the need for the African American community that had once been a vital part...

During the TDN's visit to Ocala last spring to scope out which first-crop sires were earning favor with the 2-year-old consignors, the response was fairly conclusive. Bolt d'Oro was a common prediction for leading freshman sire, and the consignors who believed in him before his first juveniles reached the starting gate certainly hit the nail on the head. Interestingly, of the seven Bolt d'Oro progeny that were featured in our 'Thoughts from Ocala' video series (see here and here), five of those went on to break their maiden on debut....

Cyberknife, Greatest Honour, Jackie's Warrior, and Mo Donegal--the four first-season stallions standing at Spendthrift Farm for 2023--have all stopped their first mares, according to the Central Kentucky farm. The first mare reported in foal to GI Arkansas Derby and TVG.com Haskell S. winner Cyberknife, a son of sire sensation Gun Runner, is graded producer Afleet Lover (Northern Afleet), who is located at Wynnstay Farm. Likewise, the beautifully bred GII Fountain of Youth S. winner Greatest Honour, a son of Tapit, also had his first mare confirmed in foal. She is...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 6th-GP, $84k, Msw, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 2:39p.m. ET Against a field where several have high-profile connections and purple catalog pages, the Albaugh Family Stables look to be counted present with MILAN MISCHIEF (Into Mischief), their $440,000 KEESEP daughter of America's four-time reigning champion general sire. Hailing from the female line of Irish Mare of the Year, several time European/Irish champion, and four-time High-weight runner MG1SW Kooyonga (Ire) (Persian Bold {Ire}), the Dale Romans trainee is a full-sister to SW Little Menace. Their dam is...