TDN Rising Star

Ancient Wisdom Primed for Munich Test

Sunday's G1 Grosser Allianz Preis von Bayern, the final Group 1 event of the season in Europe, has attracted a field of 11. The 12-furlong heat marks the return of Charlie Appleby trainee Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), who comes back off a win in July's G3 Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket. Last term's G1 Futurity Trophy hero finished a well-beaten eighth in Epsom's G1 Derby in his penultimate start. "We had this race pencilled in for Ancient Wisdom for some time, hoping that the ground would be on the soft...

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Red Smith Leads Turf Stories On Graded Stakes Saturday

If only those walls could talk. There's a room from a bygone era within the press box at Aqueduct Racetrack where members of the media congregated between races. The space's counter is still there, but you have to use your imagination when it comes to what the scene looked like in the old days. The latches on the windows that are now worn with time would be thrown open to let in the sounds of the oval below, while the crisp white shades from the fixtures would have adequately illuminated...

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Sierra Leone to Race at Four

Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, and Brook T. Smith's Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), a $2.3-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling sale topper turned 'TDN Rising Star' turned $7-million GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner, will return to the races for a 4-year-old campaign, according to a post on X by Coolmore America Thursday afternoon. Sierra Leone arrived at Coolmore's Ashford Stud near Versailles, Kentucky from Del Mar--site of the 2024 Breeders' Cup last weekend--on Monday and will be freshened for 2025. The full text of Coolmore's post appears...

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Constitution's Admiral Dennis Earns 'Rising Star' Tag in Churchill Finale

Admiral Dennis (c, 2, Constitution--Gulf Coast, by Union Rags), a luckless third as the favorite sprinting on debut at Churchill Downs Sept. 19, ran to the money as the 3-5 choice with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance for trainer Brad Cox in the Churchill Downs nightcap Thursday. Drawn widest of all in post nine, the $425,000 Keeneland September yearling graduate tracked the early leaders from an outside third through an opening quarter in :22.92 in the one-turn mile contest. Admiral Dennis revved up three deep with a flashy move to...

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Ramatuelle and Opera Singer Both Retired and Likely to Visit Wootton Bassett

'TDN Rising Star' Ramatuelle (Justify) is set to retire to the paddocks after being bought by Coolmore for $5.1 million at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale on Monday. Trained by Christopher Head for owners including NBA Hall of Famer Tony Parker, Ramatuelle won four of her nine career starts and was last seen making the breakthrough at the top level with an emphatic victory in the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp, before being withdrawn from Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar on veterinary advice. The three-year-old was one...

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$6-Million McKulick Tops Competitive Fasig-Tipton November Sale

by Jessica Martini, Christina Bossinakis, & Jill Williams LEXINGTON, KY - The Fasig-Tipton November Sale failed to continue its streak of $100-million plus gross results, but did produce a day of vibrant trade from a diverse international buying bench Monday in Lexington. Twenty-five mares sold for $1 million or more during the auction, matching the figure from 2023. Nine sold for $2 million or more and four sold for $3 million or over, compared to 16 and 10, respectively, a year ago. "It was another tremendous November sale," said Fasig-Tipton...

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Breeders' Cup Follow-Ups: Sierra Leone Well, Future Plans TBA

GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) has come out of the marquee race in good order, according to Chad Brown, and will return to Kentucky Monday morning. "Everything's all good," said assistant trainer Baldo Hernandez Sunday morning after showing the horse to the media. "He will ship tomorrow to Kentucky and maybe Florida after that. I don't know for sure, it's up to the boss." The connections are expected to announce future plans for the colt soon. Sean Flanagan of Flanagan Racing confirmed that...

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Week In Review: Hot Opening Half Yields Paint-By-Numbers Classic

The number that best sums up this year's Breeders' Cup is :44.96. That's the sizzling opening half-mile split for the GI Classic, and 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) utilized it to the utmost advantage on Saturday, propelling himself to the winner's circle with one of his customary, locomotive-like late kicks that had come up just shy of victory in three previous attempts at 10 furlongs. As a relentless long-strider with a penchant for leaning in and being a magnet for trip trouble during his stretch runs, Sierra Leone...

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Darley Sets Nyquist's Fee At $175,000 For 2025 Season

Nyquist will stand the 2025 season at Jonabell Farm for $175,000, Darley announced Sunday. The son of Uncle Mo, who stood last year for $85,000, sired his second GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Saturday when Immersive capped an undefeated four-for-four season. "When you speak of the best stallions right now in North America, Nyquist has to be in that conversation," said Darley America Sales Manager Darren Fox. "His progeny reflect amazing versatility: short, long, dirt and turf. It really doesn't matter the surface or distance. His best books are...

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Citizen Bull And Immersive Relish Success After Friday's Breeders' Cup, East Avenue Will 'Move On'

The respective winners from Friday's GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile--Citizen Bull (Into Mischief)--and the GI NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies--Immersive (Nyquist), will look down the road to their 3-year-old seasons with the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks the target. Trainer Bob Baffert said he knew that Citizen Bull was ready to take on the field at Del Mar, but all week he was careful to not tip his hand too much. His experience with 'TDN Rising Star' Muth (Good Magic), who skipped the Derby and scratched because of...

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Munnings's Quantum Burst Yields a New 'TDN Rising Star' for Sire

A race after running into a 'TDN Rising Star' at Keeneland, Quantum Burst (Munnings) will now be the running line for many horses after she overwhelmed this maiden field to take home her own TDN Stamp of Approval Saturday evening. Said fellow 'Rising Star' was Winstar Farm's Impulse Buy (Speightstown), who also earned the moniker at second asking at their mutual Keeneland start Oct. 5 at this distance. Once that one got to the lead, she never looked back, beating Quantum Burst by 11 lengths on the line. Swapping barns...

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'All Others' Tops Opening Pool Of KY Derby Future Wager

The opening pool for the 2025 Kentucky Derby Future Wager closed Friday in advance of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile with "All Other Colts and Geldings" topping the list as the 4-5 favorite. 'TDN Rising Star' Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie) was the second choice at odds of 9-1. Other Breeders' Cup 'Rising Stars' included in the pool included East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro) at 11-1 and Jonathan's Way (Vekoma) at 19-1. Total handle for the pool, the first of six, was $174,785, a 6.4% increase from the same pool last year. The...

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