TDN Rising Star

3rd-CD, $127K, OC, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 11:31 a.m. Revelers under the Twin Spires won't have to wait long Saturday for something to sink their teeth (and their wallets) into. Only an hour into the card, a pair of 'TDN Rising Stars', each making their second starts, face off. CARTUCHO (Gun Runner) impressed on debut at Tampa for Chad Brown in his first start since selling for $1.2m as a yearling at Keeneland September in 2022. To stay perfect, he'll have to conquer the equally impressive Mindframe (Constitution) who posted a...

Juvenile group 1 winners Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio) head a field of 16 fillies for Sunday's G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket. TDN Rising Star Ylang Ylang, winner of the course-and-distance G1 Fillies' Mile, will be the sole representative for Ballydoyle and is drawn 12 next to Godolphin's G3 Oh So Sharp S. winner and G3 Nell Gwyn S. runner-up Dance Sequence (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in 13, while Clipper Logistics' G1 Moyglare Stud S. winner Fallen Angel...

West Memorial became the first winner for freshman sire Caracaro (by Uncle Mo) with an upset win over the boys in the Kentucky Juvenile S. at Churchill Downs on Thursday. The John Hancock trainee was a close second on debut at Keeneland Apr. 7. Overlooked at 17-1 here, the bay watched as the Wesley Ward-trained 'TDN Rising Star' Shoot It True (Munnings), a runaway Keeneland debut winner Apr. 5, and Resolute Racing acquisition Mensa (Complexity), a $740,000 purchase earlier this week via the Fasig-Tipton Digital Sale platform, battled for command...

Team Ballydoyle's crack colt City Of Troy (Justify) has 10 peers to overcome in Saturday's G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in his quest to follow the hoofprints of the wonderhorse with which he has drawn early comparison. With the stable removing all of his understudies including the similarly-unbeaten Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) on Thursday morning, the assembled cast will be the smallest for the time-honoured Rowley Mile Classic since 2017 when Ryan Moore enjoyed his last winning ride on Churchill (Ire). Three of the colts dispatched by Coolmore's...

The field for the GI Kentucky Derby, ranked in "likeliest winner" order. 1) FOREVER YOUNG (JPN) (c, Real Steel {Jpn}--Forever Darling, by Congrats). O-Susumu Fujita; B-Northern Racing (Jpn); T-Yoshito Yahagi. Sales History: ¥98,000,000 Ylg '22 JRHAJUL. Lifetime Record: 5-5-0-0, $2,049,451. Last start: WON Mar. 30 G2 UAE Derby. The 5-for-5 Forever Young resonates as the most legitimate threat a foreign-based horse has had to win the Derby since the internationalization of the race over the past several decades. I'd hesitate to compare this colt's presence to the electrifying pre-race aura...

Sweet Rebecca, dubbed a 'TDN Rising Star' off her Gulfstream debut March 10, made her first start for John Stewart's Resolute Racing Sunday in the Memories of Silver S. at Aqueduct. Moved from Brendan Walsh to Chad Brown following her private sale, the full-sister to Sweet Melania stepped into stakes company and was well-backed, jumping at odds of 1-2 with Tyler Gaffalione in the saddle as he was on her debut. Kept in mid-pack fourth while clearly eager to be closer to the front, Sweet Rebecca stayed covered up behind...

Aidan O'Brien annexed the two latest editions of Saturday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Navan with subsequent Group 2 winners Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never) and River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and he secured the hattrick after 1.25-million guineas Tattersalls Book 1 graduate Camille Pissarro (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) produced a 'TDN Rising Star' display in the extended five-furlong contest. Aesop's Fables and River Tiber also earned Rising Stars in this event and Camille Pissarro becomes Wootton Bassett's seventh Rising Star. Camille Pissarro dwelt slightly as the...

'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), the likely favorite for next Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby, completed his final breeze for the first leg of the Triple Crown with a half-mile work Friday in :48.80 (43/68). Working under jockey John Velazquez and in company with fellow 'Rising Star' Agate Road (Quality Road), the Repole Stables homebred and runaway GI Curlin Florida Derby winner worked through fractions of :12.80, :24.80, :36.80 and :48.80 before galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.60, six furlongs in 1:12.60 and seven-eighths in 1:26. "I'm very, very...

7th-Aqueduct, $84,000, Alw (NW2$X)/Opt. Clm ($62,500), 4-20, 4yo/up, 1m, 1:34.55, ft, 1 length. BLAZING SEVENS (c, 4, Good Magic--Trophy Girl, by Warrior's Reward) made a name for himself in his juvenile season through the spring of his sophomore one, earning 'TDN Rising Star'-dom, winning the GI Champagne S., and hitting the board in three other Grade I events, including coming a head short of claiming the second jewel of the Triple Crown--the GI Preakness S. to MGISW National Treasure (Quality Road)--before going on the shelf after an even third-place finish...

Gary and Mary West homebred Flashy Dancer (f, 3, Curlin--Actress, by Tapit) came from out of the clouds to earn 'TDN Rising Star' honors for trainer Brad Cox at second asking at Oaklawn Park Saturday. The 3-1 chance was off to a slow start and trailed the field of eight through fractions of :23.03 and :46.97 in the 1 1/16-mile affair. Flashy Dancer finally entered the picture rounding the far turn and continued to roll approaching the quarter pole. She still had her work cut out for her, however, as...

GI Florida Derby champ Fierceness (City of Light) breezed at Palm Beach Downs on Friday morning in preparation for the GI Kentucky Derby. The Eclipse Award winner covered five furlongs in 1:00.35 under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, while working in company with fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Agate Road (Quality Road). "I thought he worked super--a solid five-eighths with a good gallop-out, exactly what we were targeting," Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. "I think he is doing every bit as good, if not better, than he was...

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. Thursday's Observations features a 'TDN Rising Star'. 16.45 Newmarket, Novice, £20,000, 3yo, 10fT ENDLESS VICTORY (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) earned TDN Rising Star status at Wolverhampton in February and is the Charlie Appleby first string in a race he likes to target with his potential Classic prospects. A full-brother to...