Valentine Candy

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- In his 35 years as a horse trainer, Brett Creighton has never once entered a horse in a Grade I race. There's a reason for that. "I just never had the opportunity I guess," the 62-year-old Creighton said in a matter-of-fact way through an easy Arkansas drawl as he stood on the backstretch at Saratoga Race Course. That all changes on Saturday when Creighton saddles Frost Free (Frosted), the best horse he's ever had, in the GI Woody Stephens S. at Saratoga, part of the blockbuster...

Valentine Candy took home the fourth stakes win of the Oaklawn meet and gave his conditioner Steve Asmussen his ninth Bachelor S. The colt's run of Hot Springs black-type success began late in his juvenile year when he won the Advent S. in early December and later that month when he captured the Renaissance S. Turning the calendar to his 3-year-old season, the chestnut won the Ozark S. Feb. 10, but shipping to Turfway he finished just off the board in the Animal Kingdom S. Mar. 23. Back on his...

When considering the speculative nature of America's financial future, President Harry S. Truman famously exhorted his aides to bring him a one-handed economist. "All of my economists say 'on the one hand'..., then 'but on the other hand'...," the plain-talking Missourian from Independence famously quipped. To put it another way, convictions matter, not the pros and cons. You are either in or you're not. Horse racing, or more specifically preparing for the 150th Kentucky Derby is no different. It's about possessing sterner stuff. Another Harry Truman, Harry Truman Rosenblum that...

Valentine Candy (Justify) put a sweet punctuation to his year with a dominant display in the Advent S. on Oaklawn's opening day. Victorious against a well-met field of Saratoga maidens in July, the chestnut tired badly in the GI Hopeful S. after a round of bumper cars soon after the break took him off the pace. He resurfaced at Keeneland in October with two starts--a second against first-level optional claimers on the seventh and then running third Oct. 28 in the Bowman Mill S. Sent away at 9-5 in good...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - In his second career start Saturday, General Partner (Speightstown) was really ready for prime time at Saratoga Race Course. While it wasn't exactly a led-from-gate-to-wire performance, General Partner was in front quickly under Manny Franco. He was never seriously challenged and won the seven-furlong maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds a solid four lengths in front of the favorite Dive Bomber (Omaha Beach). Klaravich Stables's chestnut colt reached the wire in 1:22.33. General Partner debuted for trainer Chad Brown at six furlongs on July 22 and...

by Bill Finley & Patrycja Szpyra On paper, Saturday's seventh race at Saratoga looked wide open and loaded with talent. All the major players had horses in the race, Wayne Lukas, Chad Brown, Steve Asmussen, Brad Cox , Bill Mott and Todd Pletcher, who had two starters in the six furlong maiden special weight event. The race figured to be fought all the way to the wire. Instead it was the Asmussen horse, Valentine Candy (Justify), who ran them off their feet right out of the gate. Sent off at...