TDN Rising Star

Godolphin contributed to a succession of fireworks at Newmarket's Park Paddocks sales venue during the earlier part of the week and, with action firmly centred on the nearby Rowley Mile racetrack, continued in similar vein as the operation's 2-year-old filly Verse Of Love (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}--Vercelli {GB}, by Shamardal) powered to a 'TDN Rising Star' rosette in Friday's Godolphin Under Starters Orders Maiden Fillies' Stakes. She becomes the 14th Rising Star for her sire, whose roll of honour includes this month's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up Zarigana (Ire). The March-foaled...

9th-Keeneland, $120,000, Alw (NW2X)/Opt. Clm ($125,000), 10-10, 3yo, 6f, 1:10.30, ft, neck. WORLD RECORD (c, 3, Gun Runner--Marwa {GB}, by Exceed And Excel {Aus}) broke his maiden at second asking at Churchill Downs May 27, which earned him a 'TDN Rising Star' badge. The bay finished third over the same surface in the Maxfield Stakes June 30, but rebounded with a signature score in the GII Amsterdam Stakes at the Spa July 26. Well-beaten in the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes upstate a month later, the colt was well-backed...

Unbeaten 3-year-old 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist), sidelined since winning the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes in February at Santa Anita, and the royally bred 2-year-old 'TDN Rising Star' Eagles Flight (Curlin), each returned to the worktab Thursday at Santa Anita. Also working towards a comeback in Arcadia was last year's GI Del Mar Debutante Stakes winner 'TDN Rising Star' Tamara (Bolt d'Oro). Nysos, trained by Bob Baffert, worked four furlongs with company in :47.60 (6/23). "He went nice," Baffert told Daily Racing Form. "I was happy with him." Work...

Four years ago this week, McKinzie was retired to Gainesway after a stellar racing career that netted four Grade I wins and 11 triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures. While it may have been difficult at the time for many to see past the ravages of the COVID pandemic--it was 2020, after all--those far-sighted breeders who patronized McKinzie the next spring are looking positively clairvoyant in 2024. As is becoming blatantly obvious, McKinzie isn't just starting strong as a freshman sire. Instead, McKinzie's beginning as a young sire has been the stuff...

Bright Future (Curlin), the winner of the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at the Spa, has been retired to Claiborne Farm with a stud fee of $12,500 LFSN for the 2025 breeding season, the farm said via a press release on Wednesday. Currently available for inspection at Claiborne, the 5-year-old son of Curlin won five of 11 career starts and earned $947,940 for owners Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables. The Todd Pletcher trainee won the Gold Cup at four and took home the GIII Salvator Mile Stakes at Monmouth...

It was another banner weekend for Godolphin as the stable swept the two Grade I races for 2-year-olds at Keeneland. The filly Immersive (Nyquist) won Friday's GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes and finished things off with a very impressive win by the colt East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity. Both will appear next in the Breeders' Cup where they could garner favoritism in their respective races. Leading the cheering section for Godolphin was its Director of Bloodstock, Michael Banahan, whose duties include overseeing the U.S.-based Godolphin runners....

7th-Keeneland, $100,000, Msw, 10-6, 2yo, 7f, 1:23.96, ft, 1 1/2 lengths. BUILT (c, 2, Hard Spun--Sea Garden, by Curlin) finished fourth on debut, but then was elevated to third after another horse was disqualified at Ellis Park Aug. 24. The winner who collected a 'TDN Rising Star' badge for his effort and was just crowned as the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity champ was East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro). As the 2-1 second choice here, Built raced in between runners out of the chute and then set up shop off sole leader...

Bouncing back to her best, Ramatuelle (Justify--Raven's Lady {GB}, by Raven's Pass) ended a frustratingly long wait for another career success in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de la Foret to close out ParisLongchamp's elite contests in style. Completing another strong Arc day for the fillies, the 3-year-old whose owners include Tony Parker's Infinity Nine Horses had been without a win since the G2 Prix Robert Papin last July but was on her A-game from the outset here tanking on the heels of the leaders. Set alight by Aurelien Lemaitre approaching...

Back in 2010, when Wootton Bassett (GB) registered what would ultimately be his defining success in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, few would have predicted the considerable impact he would have on the breed. Fourteen years on, the extent to which he has grown in stature during his second career was felt in the same Qatar-sponsored race as his son Camille Pissarro (Ire) stepped up to reward Coolmore's faith and investment in the sire's raw material. Up to seven furlongs and fitted with blinkers for the first time, Ballydoyle's TDN...

WinStar Farm homebred Impulse Buy (f, 2, Speightstown--Jojo Warrior, by Pioneerof the Nile), a debut second behind her Rodolphe Brisset-trained stablemate Liam in the Dust (Liam's Map) at Ellis Park Aug. 11, graduated in style with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance at second asking at Keeneland Saturday. The 5-2 chance shot out to the front and sped through an opening quarter in :22.11. She traveled nicely around the far turn, kicked for home as the one to catch and dropped the hammer from there to win by an eye-catching 11...

Providing the perfect follow-up for the reintroduction of his half-sister Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the feature G1 Sun Chariot Stakes, Imad Al Sagar's newcomer Nebras (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}--Princess Loulou {Ire}, by Pivotal {GB}) lit up Newmarket's Saturday card by becoming his sire's 45th TDN Rising Star in the mile maiden. Purchased for 725,000gns at Tattersalls October Book 1, the John and Thady Gosden-trained chestnut was switched off in rear early by Hollie Doyle whose body language spoke volumes preparing for the downhill slide into the dip. Picking up with...

It was a Godolphin homebred filly by a Darley stallion to take the GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes on Keeneland's Opening Day. GI Spinaway Stakes winner Immersive (Nyquist) carried her strong form to Kentucky from Saratoga and will now head to Del Mar a two-time Grade I winner while still undefeated into the GI NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The race looked to flatter New York form with the top three runners from that Spinaway appearing in Immersive, 'TDN Rising Star' Quietside (Malibu Moon) and Sherbini (Cairo Prince) along with the...