TDN Rising Star

Saturday's G1 Cairn Community Games Pretty Polly Stakes served up a thriller, with Juddmonte's TDN Rising Star Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}--Emulous {GB}, by Dansili {GB}) running down Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the final yards for a deserved top-level breakthrough. With abundant rain falling on The Curragh throughout the day, the Ralph Beckett-trained 4-year-old who was herself cruelly denied late in last year's Irish Oaks held the upper hand in terms of ground preference and traded as the 11-10 favourite as a result. Settled in mid-division early...

Returning to the Curragh venue at which he made a remarkable debut last month, Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Jan Brueghel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Devoted To You {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) had to endure his first fight to stretch his unbeaten record in Saturday's G3 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai International Stakes. What was left in the tank at the end of the 10-furlong contest after he had mastered the long-time leader Trustyourinstinct (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) by a neck remains to be seen, but the manner in which the 8-13 favourite hit...

Bringing genuine star quality to Saturday's G1 Cairn Community Games Pretty Polly Stakes, the Gosdens' Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) makes her belated Curragh debut having missed the 2022 Irish Oaks due to a freak aviation issue. What would have happened had her flight not been cancelled that July we'll never know, but her performance in last year's G1 Coronation Cup tells us she probably would have a Classic on her portfolio. Almost certainly guaranteed to be suited by this fair, galloping track, the 5-year-old may be peaking...

With the Breeders' Cup a little over four months away, the 'Win and You're In' tickets to the signature event, the GI Longines Classic, are definitely numbered. The road to Del Mar currently goes through Churchill Downs on Saturday as Classic hopefuls enter the starting gate for the GI Stephen Foster Stakes. Looking to punch his ticket to the seaside oval is Godolphin homebred First Mission (Street Sense). The 'TDN Rising Star' certainly burned brightest when he took home the GIII Essex Handicap by five lengths at Oaklawn Park in...

The Curragh's three-day Irish Derby fixture is more often than not the place to discover future Classic contenders at first glance and Friday's Kildare House Hotel Irish EBF Fillies Maiden looks to have played host to two potentially top-class daughters of Frankel (GB) in Lake Victoria (Ire) and Red Letter (GB). In a thrilling finale to the seven-furlong contest between the regally-bred debutantes, it was the former who edged it to earn TDN Rising Star status and make Ballydoyle's cup run over when it comes to exciting 2-year-old fillies. The...

2nd-BAQ, $100k, Alw, 3yo/up, 1m, post time: 2:06 p.m. EDT The word was out on DONEGAL MOMENTUM (Uncle Mo) for his local debut over six muddy furlongs May 16, and he ran to the money, shooting clear in the stretch to graduate by a whopping 8 1/4 lengths and earning a strong 92 Beyer Speed Figure to become a no-brainer 'TDN Rising Star'. A $375,000 Keeneland September purchase in 2022, the dark bay colt looks to negotiate a mile from the inside gate Thursday afternoon. Javier Castellano has a return...

Dream Team One Racing Stable's well-related Anakarina (f, 2, Vekoma--Tacit Approval, by Tapit) catapulted her boom freshman sire (by Candy Ride {Arg}) back into the lead for first-crop winners (with nine) after blitzing her rivals from the front Wednesday at Churchill Downs to become a 'TDN Rising Star'. Vekoma leapfrogs Complexity, who was represented by his eighth winner earlier on the program in the form of Sweet Mo B. A homebred half-sister to the globetrotting Grade II Cigar Mile Handicap hero Hoist the Gold (Mineshaft), MGSW & MGISP, $1,411,297, Anakarina...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday's Observations features the return of Elizabeth Jane (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). 19.30 Naas, Listed, €52,500, 3yo, f, 10f 84yT ELIZABETH JANE (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}) has not been seen since gaining a TDN Rising Star tag at Leopardstown in October, but still has Classic credentials having been pitched back into...

A pair of noteworthy names were spotted on the work tab over the weekend at Saratoga, GISW Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) on Sunday and MGISW Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) on Saturday, both cruising over the Oklahoma dirt training track for the first time since their respective efforts during the Belmont at Saratoga festival. From the Chad Brown barn, the 'TDN Rising Star' put in a solo half-mile move with blinkers on in :49.66 (6/30) and galloped out into the backstretch while being encouraged by the exercise rider. When asked, Brown...

Unmatched Wisdom (c, 3, Cairo Prince--Glide On By, by Pure Prize), the recipient of a 98 Beyer Speed Figure in a sharp 6 1/4-length victory over the mud going a one-turn mile at the Big A on debut May 10, backed up that effort with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance Saturday. Stretching out to 1 1/8 miles for trainer Chad Brown versus four overmatched rivals in a first-level allowance in South Ozone Park, the 1-5 favorite tracked the early leader from second through an opening quarter in :23.72 and a...

Champion 2-year-old colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) worked a half-mile in :51 flat Friday for trainer Todd Pletcher over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga in preparation for a start in the GI NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes July 20 at Monmouth Park. Joining the GI Curlin Florida Derby winner on the work tab Friday was Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables recent GII Suburban Stakes winner Crupi (Curlin), who covered a half-mile in :52.85 in company with Talk of the Nation (Quality Road). "Both works were...

Turning the Listed Chesham Stakes into her own Royal Ascot procession on Saturday, Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Mecca's Angel {Ire}, by Dark Angel {Ire}) recorded the widest-margin win of the week by some way to enter the 2025 Classic conversation. Content to follow the leaders in the group racing up the centre, the 11-8 favourite who had won a Leopardstown maiden earlier this month was let loose by Ryan Moore two out and surged clear for an emphatic 9 1/2-length success. Pentle Bay (Ire) (New Bay...