St Elias Stable

Pletcher Trio, Including Runner up Mindframe, Exit Belmont in Good Order

SARATOGA, NY-Sunday morning brought a stark contrast to the previous day, with the skies opening up for several hours over the region. Like many others, the Todd Pletcher squad went out for some light work given the challenging conditions, creating a far more sedate overall atmosphere as opposed to the frenetic activity raging through Saratoga only a day earlier. In Saturday's GI Belmont S., Pletcher saddled a trio of runners in the Triple Crown's final jewel, with TDN Rising Star Mindframe (Constitution) just falling short by a half-length to winner...

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Saturday Insights: Son Of MGISW Stellar Wind Makes First Start At Santa Anita

8th-SA, $54K, Msw, 3-5yo, 1m, 8:09 p.m. ET. MAGNIFY (Justify), a 3-year-old colt, makes his debut for the Bob Baffert barn on Saturday. Out of champion 3-year-old filly and MGISW Stellar Wind (Curlin), the Magnier homebred is her second to make the races, but she has since produced a filly named In the Stars (Into Mischief), who was a $300,000 buy for G. Watts Humphrey Jr. at last year's Keeneland September Sale. The 2017 Keeneland November sales topper when she was taken home by M.V. Magnier for the lofty sum...

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Deterministic Works at Belmont, Will Skip Derby

St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, C. Steven Duncker and Vicarage Stable's Deterministic (Liam's Map) turned in his first work since finishing a well-beaten eighth in the Apr. 6 GII Wood Memorial S. with a five-furlong move in 1:02.63 (11/19) over the dirt training track at Belmont Park Sunday. Deterministic is 16th on the eligibility list for the GI Kentucky Derby thanks to his victory in the GIII Gotham S., but trainer Christophe Clement confirmed the dark bay colt will skip the Run for the Roses. "I spoke to the owners...

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DWC Trackside Report: Catnip Me-'Wow'-ing Them At Meydan

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- With over 100 of the world's most talented gallopers on hand, it isn't easy to stand out, but John and Susan Moore's G1 Dubai Turf hopeful Catnip (Kitten's Joy) has done just that at Meydan this week. A strapping, nearly-black gelding, Catnip exits a longshot, but close third to Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Jan. 27. Trainer Mike Stidham looked at Catnip's Ragozin sheet and that encouraged him to swing for the fences in a hot renewal of...

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Saturday Insights: First Foal Out Of MGISW Bast Debuts At Santa Anita

4th-SA, $65K, MSW, 3yo, f, 6f, 5:32 p.m. QUICK BROWN FOX (Justify), the first foal out of MGISW Bast, debuts Saturday for owner/breeder Spendthrift Farm and trainer Richard Mandella. Spendthrift went to $4.2m, a top-four price, at FTKNOV in 2020 for the daughter of Uncle Mo who earned over $850,000 on the track for trainer Bob Baffert. Bast herself is out of $1.5m Eaton Bloodstock broodmare buy Laffina (Arch) and the family has plenty of graded-stakes caliber runners led by GISW and $1.2m FTKNOV broodmare Fault (Blame) and SW/MGSP South...

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First Mares in Foal to Arcangelo and Up to the Mark

Arcangelo (Arrogate--Modeling, by Tapit) and Up to the Mark (Not This Time--Belle's Finale, by Ghostzapper), both Eclipse champions of 2023 now standing their first season at stud at Lane's End, have had their first mares scanned in foal. Diamondcoat (Gemologist) has been pronounced in foal to 2023 champion 3-year-old Arcangelo. The 9-year-old mare, owned by Allied Racing Stable, is a half-sister to multiple Grade I-placed Absinthe Minded (Quiet American), the dam of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath (Arrogate). Campaigned by Jon Ebbert's Blue Rose Farm and trained by Jena...

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Clement Duo Eye Gotham

St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, Steven Duncker and Vicarage Stable's Deterministic (Liam's Map), off since earning 'TDN Rising Star' status with a debut victory at Saratoga last August, could make his return to the races in the Mar. 2 GIII Gotham S., according to trainer Christophe Clement. "He won very impressively as a 2-year-old. We put him aside and he's on his way back," Clement said. "He's a very exciting horse to have, but the question is, where should we bring him back? He might come back in the Gotham....

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Thursday Insights: Pretty Liam Looms Large In First-Level Allowance

8th-GP, $91K, Alw/Opt. Clm., 3yo, f, 5f (AWT), 3:39 p.m. ET St. Elias homebred PRETTY LIAM (Liam's Map) opened her account in outstanding fashion at first asking, firing home to take a course-and-distance maiden by a widening 3 3/4 lengths Jan. 11, good for a lofty 85 Beyer Speed Figure. Irad Ortiz, Jr. has a return call aboard the bay, whose year-older half-sister Danse Macabre (Army Mule) was a leading turf female of her generation in 2023, winning this track's GIII Herecomesthebride S. and three other stakes around one turn,...

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'Rising Star' Leslie's Rose Returns at Gulfstream

6th-GP, $91k, AOC, 3yo, f, 7f, post time 2:39 p.m. ET LESLIE'S ROSE (Into Mischief) cost Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm $1.15 million at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale, and despite going off at a somewhat lukewarm 9-2 facing five others at Aqueduct Nov. 19, graduated by better than nine lengths over 6 1/2 furlongs en route to 'TDN Rising Star' honors. The St. Patrick's Day foal is out of a daughter of SW & MGSP Wildwood Flower (Langfuhr), the dam of GI Florida Derby-winning 'Rising Star' Materiality (Afleet...

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Forte Settles in at Spendthrift

It didn't take long for champion Forte (Violence - Queen Caroline, by Blame) to settle in at Spendthrift Farm and after just a few weeks of breeder inspections, the 'TDN Rising Star' is already booked full for his first year at stud. "Any time you get a chance to show a champion off to your breeders, it makes the sales team's job pretty easy," said Spendthrift's Mark Toothaker. "He has been hugely popular and is completely sold out. Most every mare that he got is a blacktype mare, so he's...

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Champion Forte Arrives At Spendthrift, Will Stand For 50k

2-year-old champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence), whose retirement was announced earlier this week, has arrived at Spendthrift Farm where he will take up stud duty in 2024. His introductory fee will be $50,000 S&N and he is available for inspection by appointment. "The first thing I think about Forte is just how much of an honor it is for us to bring a horse like him to Spendthrift. He's the fifth champion we've been fortunate enough to add to our stallion ranks since 2020, and that's a testament...

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Thursday's Insights: Ashland Runner-Up Punchbowl Returns at Keeneland

5th-KEE, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 3:08 p.m. ET Gold Square's AIR OF DEFIANCE (Quality Road), a $400,000 Keeneland September purchase, is the 3-1 morning-line favorite after running a solid second behind 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) over a muddy strip at Saratoga in his six-furlong debut Aug. 25. The Brad Cox trainee is the second foal out of graded stakes winner Faypien (Ghostzapper). St. Elias and Starlight Racing's It'smyluckytime (Not This Time), a $450,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, makes his first trip to the post for trainer Todd Pletcher....

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