West Point Thoroughbreds

It's early, but maybe not too early to start dreaming of the GI Kentucky Derby. At least it's not for owner Richard Rigney. Rigney is the owner of 'TDN Rising Star' Jonathan's Way (Vekoma), the winner of last Saturday's GIII Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs, the first of many races that award Derby points to the top five finishers. Making his second career start after overcoming trouble to win a maiden at Saratoga, Jonathan's Way was an impressive winner, suggesting there could be bigger and better triumphs in his future....

Making her belated U.S. debut in Friday's opening-day Winter Memories Stakes at the Belmont at the Big A, French import Les Reys (Fr) (Kheleyf) split horses decisively with time ticking away and was home first to record a second consecutive victory at stakes level. Scratched down onto the rail, the gray filly was content to take back and raced just behind midfield while perhaps a fraction keen as Ori (Hard Spun) came across from her widest draw to cut out decent splits up front. Angled out into the clear at...

7th-BAQ, $90K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 3:40 p.m. ET. An $800,000 Keeneland September Sale grad, DAKTO (Quality Road) makes his first start for the ownership group of St. Elias, West Point, Woodford and CJ Stables. Trained by Shug McGaughey, the debut runner is out of Bolton Landing Stakes heroine March X Press (Shanghai Bobby). This dam went to the Parks Investment Group for $560,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale while Dakto was in-utero, and is also responsible for GIII Dwyer Stakes victor Fort Bragg (Tapit). TJCIS PPS

Aidan O'Brien has never won the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. But it hasn't been from a lack of effort. He's had 13 starters in the race and has run some very good horses, including Galileo (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and Giant's Causeway (Storm Cat). But his luck could very well change this year as he will take aim at the Classic with one of the best horses of this generation. The O'Brien trained City of Troy (Justify) has had an outstanding campaign in Europe, winning six of seven starts, including four...

Some say the Boy Scout bugle merit badge is one of the toughest to collect. In Thoroughbred racing it is winning a dirt race from way off the pace. In his Sunday debut at Del Mar, the 'TDN Insighted' Bullard (Gun Runner--Reve d'Amour, by Warrior's Reward) sounded his bugle and charged home to graduate, which earned the 2-year-old a 'TDN Rising Star' merit badge for his effort. Trailing from the bell, the $675,000 Keeneland September grad watched from the rear of the field as 60 cents on the dollar favorite...

At the start of this year's Saratoga meet, jockey Dylan Davis had a goal of beating the 19 wins he came home with last year. With two weeks still left to go before the NYRA circuit heads back downstate, Davis has already accomplished what he set out to do. He has scored 23 wins, including multiple stakes victories and his first Grade I in the U.S., and is currently ranked fourth in a highly competitive Saratoga jockey colony. The 29-year-old has finished in the money in 45% of his 119...

By winning last Sunday's GI Saratoga Derby Invitational, Carson's Run (Cupid) secured a spot in the AUS$5-million Ladbrokes G1 W. S. Cox Plate on October 26 in Australia. In U.S. dollars, the race is worth about $3.3 million. It's an invitation his connections  are seriously considering. "We're interested," said Terry Finley, the managing partner of West Point Thoroughbreds, which owns the horse with Steven Bouchy. "It is a very lucrative package. I haven't talked to (trainer) Christophe Clement about it yet but we are definitely game. That's an awful lot...

In a story reminiscent of 2023 Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin), Carson's Run (c, 3, Cupid--Hot N Hectic, by Henny Hughes) found a sequel to his own fairy tale Sunday, detailed last year here and here. The West Point Thoroughbreds and Steven Bouchey runner, a winner June 23 of the Tale of the Cat Stakes at Monmouth Park, doubled up on his juvenile form, adding the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes Sunday to his GI Summer Stakes victory last year at Woodbine. He crossed the Saratoga wire Sunday...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Before Sandman (Tapit) had reached the post-race test barn following his victory in the opener at Saratoga Race Course Saturday, trainer Mark Casse was dealing with the "what's next" question. Casse did not have the answer to the happy task presented by Sandman's 1 3/4-length victory over Innovator (Authentic) in the seven-furlong $100,000 maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds. "I've got to figure out the best path to the Breeders' Cup," Casse said. "I think he's that kind of horse." Under jockey Dylan Davis, Sandman stalked...

Representatives from several Thoroughbred partnerships and racing syndicates will be available for a meet and greet Saturday, Aug. 10 at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, the museum announced via presser Friday. During the free event, offered as a part of the Saturday Morning Social, interested guests may learn how to get involved with various different ownership groups with 11 total sending representatives. They are--in alphabetical order--Adelphi Racing Club, Brown Road Racing, Centennial Farms, Ironhorse Racing Stable, MyRacehorse, Riverdee Stable, Sackatoga Stable, Shooting Star Thoroughbreds, Uptowncharlybrown Stud,...

Dr. Rolf Embertson--a founding partner, shareholder and surgeon at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital--presented during the sixth installment held on Aug. 6 of the 2024 OwnerView webinar series which focused on the importance of a clear airway in racehorses, The Jockey Club of America said in a Thursday release. During the event, Dr. Embertson explained some of the common throat problems in Thoroughbreds. He detailed how those issues affect horses, and how they are perceived at sales and during their racing careers. A Q&A, sponsored by West Point Thoroughbreds, allowed...

Owners Karl and Cathi Glassman, this week's Green Group Guests of the Week on the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland, bought their first horse in 2015 and initially didn't have much to show for it. But they understood patience and that good fortune would eventually come their way. Did it ever. The Glassmans have their first star, the GI Whitney winner Arthur's Ride (Tapit). Making his stakes debut at age 4, he was a 2 1/4-length winner on a rainy day in Saratoga. The win gave Bill Mott his...