TDN Rising Star

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses: Saturday, June 15, 2024 5th-KYO, ¥13,720,000 ($88k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200m AMERICAN BIKINI (JPN) (f, 2, American Pharoah--Paris Bikini, by Bernardini) is a half-sister to Paris Lights (Curlin), who won the 2020 GI CCA Oaks, prompting Katsumi...

4th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5f, 2:13 p.m. The second foal out of MG1SW and 'TDN Rising Star' Lady Aurelia, AURELIA'S MISCHIEF (Into Mischief) makes the races as a homebred for Stonestreet Stables who went to $7,500,000 to secure Lady Aurelia at FTKNOV in 2018. The mare, herself a daughter of Puerto Rican Horse of the Year D' Wildcat Speed, has already produced 'TDN Rising Star' and Zia Park Juvenile S. winner American Rascal (Curlin) as her first foal. Trainer Brad Cox and Florent Geroux team up for Aurelia's Mischief's...

Fourteen 3-year-old fillies will head to post for Sunday's €1,000,000 G1 Prix de Diane Longines after final declarations were made Thursday morning. David Menuisier representative and likely favourite Tamfana (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), who was last seen running fourth in Newmarket's G1 1000 Guineas, has been allocated stall four. His Highness The Aga Khan's G3 Prix de la Grotte winner Candala (Fr) (Frankel {GB}) is towards the outside in 12 while Godolphin's Andre Fabre trainee Rock'n Swing (GB) (Camelot {GB}) was drawn next door in 13. Godolphin is double-handed with...

With a spring in his step down the lane, it was 'TDN Rising Star' Parenting (Justify) who won his first black-type in the Affirmed S. at Santa Anita Park on Sunday. The colt made his debut a success when he won by 2 3/4 lengths at 'The Great Race Place' Apr. 26. That effort earned him 'TDN Rising Star' honors. Trying two turns and against much tougher company here, Parenting was backed at 80 cents on the dollar. The Bob Baffert trainee got down to business heading into the first...

With 'TDN Rising Star' Nash (Medaglia d'Oro) bypassing the GIII Matt Winn S. at Churchill Downs for the GI Woody Stephens S. at Saratoga, the new headliner for Sunday's race under the Twin Spires is Who Dey (Liam's Map). Installed as a 5-2 shot on the morning-line in the Matt Winn, trainer Tom Drury opted to scratch his colt from Friday's Best of Ohio Green Carpet S. at Belterra Park for a chance to return to Churchill. The 3-year-old was last seen finishing fourth behind GI Preakness S. hero Seize...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY--It didn't seem possible for trainer Kenny McPeek to be any more confident in his filly, 'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), as he was prior to her win in the GI Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs five weeks ago. But a short chat with the Kentucky-based trainer earlier in the week spoke volumes as to her ability to repeat in Friday's GI DK Horse Acorn S. Giving the afternoon's 27,529-strong crowd no real cause for concern at any point during the race, she unleashed a tour-de-force...

7th-Saratoga, $110,000, Alw, 6-7, (NW1$X), 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:09.08, ft, 2 lengths. MUNNYS GOLD (f, 4, Munnings--Haraawa, by Medaglia d'Oro), making her 4-year-old debut and her first start since finishing third in last year's GI Test S. at this venue last August, flaunted her considerable speed en route to a facile, pillar-to-post victory as the prohibitive 3-4 favorite. Immediately in front for Irad Ortiz, Jr., whose status for Friday's card was up in the air owing to a Thursday ankle injury, the Florida-bred took her rivals along through quick splits,...

7th-Saratoga, $110,000, Alw, 6-6, (NW1$X), 3yo/up, f/m, 1m, 1:35.90, ft, 8 1/4 lengths. WAYS AND MEANS (f, 3, Practical Joke--Strong Incentive {SW, $123,568}, by Warrior's Reward) was given an entry for Friday's GI Acorn S., but took in this race in its stead and duly stamped her authority on it as the 1-5 mortal. Drawn two from the outside going the Wilton Chute config and adding Lasix for the first time, last year's GI Spinaway S. runner-up was trapped out wide as they angled towards the backstretch and raced out...

Part of a Todd Pletcher-trained and Ramona Bass-owned entry favored at 45 cents on the dollar, with each filly making her first trip to the races, Audacious (f, 3, Into Mischief--Veracity, by Distorted Humor) turned in a professional racetrack debut, and although things appeared to get a bit dicey in the final 30 yards, had done enough to become a 'TDN Rising Star'. Drawn one to the outside of her homebred stablemate Chanteuse (Into Mischief) in the six hole, the $700,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase actually won the break, but...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY -- Trainer Wesley Ward said it was his fault that 'TDN Rising Star' Long Neck Paula (Uncle Mo), the 2-1 morning-line favorite in Thursday's Astoria S., was scratched by the stewards. Ward said he took Long Neck Paula to Burke Equine Therapy to go in a cold water spa on Wednesday. Unbeknownst to Ward, there is a rule stating that permission must be granted by the stewards before a horse can be taken off the grounds for such treatment. "I didn't know, it's my own fault," Ward...

Almostgone Rocket (Into Mischief) made good on a promise of 1-2, leading home a 'TDN Rising Star' exacta as a much-the-best winner of Thursday's Jersey Girl S. at Saratoga. A $250,000 Keeneland September purchase, Almostgone Rocket decimated a field of Oaklawn maidens by nearly a dozen lengths on debut Apr. 5 to become a 'TDN Rising Star', but instead of going for a race like the GII Eight Belles S., for which she would have been well-fancied, opted for a first-level Churchill allowance May 3, and she duly obliged by...

The seven-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden staged on Leopardstown's Thursday evening card has often played host to a future luminary and the latest renewal could have thrown up another as Ballydoyle's Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Mecca's Angel {Ire}, by Dark Angel {Ire}) earned instant TDN Rising Star status. Settled in mid-division early by Wayne Lordan, the 5-1 shot enjoyed an untroubled run down the outer in the straight as the stable's 8-11 favourite Giselle (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) became ensnared in traffic deeper towards the rail. Surging ahead from...