Talk of the Nation

Saturday's GIII Kelso Stakes lost a fair bit of its intrigue when Godolphin's Mysterious Night (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) was declared from the race, and it was eFive Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) who proved the chief beneficiary, defeating Talk of the Nation (Quality Road) in what more or less amounted to an eight-furlong match race.    Call Me Harry (Street Sense), easily the longest shot in the field of four, led under the wire for the first time, but was content to let...

Chad Brown has won the GI Diana Stakes seven times in its last eight runnings and, well, the odds say that right about 5:45 p.m. Saturday, that will be eight out of the last nine. That's because the Mechanicville native will send out half of the 10 runners for the first elite-level contest of the Saratoga meeting. Strength, indeed, in numbers, but a quintet also not short on quality. Chili Flag (Fr) (Cityscape {GB}) is perhaps the antithetical European import for the barn in the sense that she required three...

The fall meeting at Churchill Downs gets underway Sunday in what has become its traditional way, with juvenile races comprising the entire 11-race program. When the Triple Crown trail begins in earnest following the turn of the calendar, it will likely feature a handful of horses that raced on the day en route to bigger and better things, and the $200,000 GIII Street Sense S. has the feel of a key race going forward. The form of the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity is very much on display, and while that...

Off as the 6-5 chalk in Saturday's $1-million Listed Gun Runner S. at Kentucky Downs, Joe Allen and CHC's TALK OF THE NATION (c, 3, Quality Road--She's Not Here, by Street Cry {Ire}) took command in upper stretch and staved off a stinging late rally from Wadsworth to lead home a 1-2 finish for their in-form stallion. Away in good order, Talk of the Nation took up a stalking position from second early on as Smokey Mandate (Strong Mandate) made the running down the hill and towards the side of...

Talk of the Nation blew away local optional claiming foes last out Feb. 4, and did the same to stakes company here. Off as the chalk breaking from the far outside, the dark bay hopped a bit at the start but was pushed along by Samy Camacho to track from fourth while hung a bit wide. Scrubbed on to assert three deep entering the lane, he seemed to be stuck in neutral for a few strides while figuring out his leads, but as soon as he found his footing he...

6th-Aqueduct, $73,950, Msw, 11-11, 2yo, 6f, 1:13.47, gd, 4 1/2 lengths. TALK OF THE NATION (c, 2, Quality Road--She's Not Here {MGSW, $450,453}, by Street Cry {Ire}) failed to meet his reserve on a final bid of $470,000 after breezing in :10.1 at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale earlier this spring. Given the 4-5 nod in this scratched-down field of just three, Talk of the Nation took his time getting into stride after bumping with Nieuwendyk (Nyquist) shortly after the break. Third of the trio, he kept outside in the clear...