TDN Rising Star

Jess's Dream (Curlin), a son of Hall of Fame mare Rachel Alexandra, has been retired from stud duty at Florida's Ocala Stud and gelded accorded to a social media post from Stonestreet Farm. Posted to X, the message reads: "Jess's Dream (Curlin x Rachel Alexandra) has been retired from duty & is healthy & happy at the Stonestreet Training Center where he will begin his third career as our track pony. He has been gelded & we look forward to restarting him under tack in the new year." A winner...

Godolphin homebred Tarifa (f, 2, Bernardini--Kite Beach, by Awesome Again), possessed of a pedigree that says longer and maybe a bit later, defied both of those premises to graduate over an extended seven-furlong trip Wednesday at Keeneland, winning off by open lengths to become the newest 'TDN Rising Star' and 21st overall for her sadly departed sire. Backed like a good thing to be off at odds of 14-5 (2.83-1) from a 6-1 morning line, the dark bay was a forward factor just in behind the early pacesetters and jockey...

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...

Cherie DeVaux had just left a job as an assistant with Chad Brown, where the assembly line churned out one graded winner after another. After nearly eight years with Brown, she was ready to go out on her own and cobbled together a small stable that made its debut in the spring of 2018. Her first starter was Take Charge Tina (Take Charge Indy), who finished a distant fifth in a Belmont allowance race on May 18, 2018. The year would get no better as she went winless in 18...

Nysos (c, 2, Nyquist--Zetta Z, by Bernardini), a $550,000 OBS April breezer (:9 4/5*), made that pricetag look like a bargain with a jaw-dropping 'TDN Rising Star' performance on debut in the Santa Anita nightcap Saturday evening. One of three entered for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the 6-1 chance had a pair of bullets on the worktab, including a four-furlong move in :47 1/5 (1/16) Oct. 12. He was hustled away from his inside draw by Kyle Frey and slugged it out from the outside with his rail-drawn stablemate...

5th-Keeneland, $100,000, Msw, 10-21, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:19.58, ft, nose. DENIM AND PEARLS (f, 2, Into Mischief--Majestic Presence {GSP-USA, MSP-Can, $227,896}, by Majestic Warrior) came into this unveiling sporting a bullet five furlong move over the track Oct. 15 (1/25) in 1:00.40, and crowned the 8-5 choice by the betting public, jumped well to find herself in the midst of a hotly contested lead. Losing her advantage to a vying outer rival, she reclaimed command coming into the homestretch and briefly put open air between herself and the field....

There had already been two TDN Rising Stars during Saturday's action at Leopardstown by the time the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden came along, but in that mile contest Ballydoyle's Ocean Of Dreams (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}--All For Glory, by Giant's Causeway) categorically made it a third as he annihilated the opposition to suggest he could be one of the stable's big Derby players next summer. Settled in mid-division early by Seamie Heffernan, the Coolmore homebred from the heralded dynasty of Galileo (Ire) and Sea The Stars (Ire) made gradual...

Becoming the 10th TDN Rising Star for Siyouni (Fr), who carried that mantle himself, The Aga Khan's Azada (Ire) conquered Leopardstown's deep surface to make the ideal start to her career in the seven-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden on Saturday. Out of Azmiyna (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), whose son The Autumn Sun (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) carried all before him in Australia, the 4-1 shot raced with two behind early after a tardy break from her wide draw. Cajoled forward by Leigh Roche from three out, the Dermot Weld-trained...

Gold Square's Air of Defiance (c, 2, Quality Road--Faypien, by Ghostzapper) ran to the money with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance for trainer Brad Cox at second asking at Keeneland Wednesday. Drawn wide in post 10, the 3-5 favorite was away in good order and forced the issue while three deep through an opening quarter in :22.62. Racing out in the five path, he hit front approaching the top of the stretch and took off impressively from there to score by six widening lengths over Nyquist Frequency (Nyquist). Air of...

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 Insights features TDN Rising Star Aventure. 12.50 Deauville, Group 3, €80,000, 2yo, f, 8fT AVENTURE (IRE) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) earned TDN Rising Star status on her debut at Chantilly last month and takes part in this G3 Prix des Reservoirs. A Christophe Ferland-trained half-sister to the G1...

10th-Keeneland, $120,000, Alw (NW2$X), Opt. Clm ($80,000), 10-14, 3yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:45.63, ft, neck. FIRST MISSION (c, 3, Street Sense--Elude, by Medaglia d'Oro), making his first start since winning this track's GIII Lexington S. during the April meeting, validated 2-5 favoritism--if only just--to give Godolphin a sweep of the late Daily Double. Off alertly from the inside stall, the homebred allowed himself to be taken back to sit in the second flight of horses behind a pace that was slow to materialize. Up into third and remaining glued to the...

The horse that doesn't get tired. The most unusual of all the Rosegreen "unusuals". By the time TDN Rising Star City Of Troy (Justify--Together Forever {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) hit the line with his trademark force in Saturday's G1 Native Trail's Dewhurst S., we were dealing with a colt who prompts excitable talk. The kind not heard in these parts since 2010, when a certain local legend continued his irresistible trajectory in this very prize. After Frankel (GB) put an unreachable star in racing's heavens, here we have one who...