Woody Stephens S.

Following a 12 3/4-length victory by New Jersey-bred Book'em Danno (Bucchero) in the seven-furlong Pasco S. at Tampa on seasonal debut back in January, trainer Derek Ryan got social media all fired up by almost blasphemously suggesting that a trip down the Triple Crown trail--one he'd traversed before with Musket Man (Yonaguska)--was not necessarily an appropriate course to chart for his trainee. "I have no Derby dreams," Ryan told TDN's Bill Finley at the time. "I think the Derby is overrated, but that's just me. We were never really considering...

'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Lion (Justify--Unbound, by Distorted Humor), who became the first Grade I winner for his boom sire in this year's Woody Stephens S. on the Belmont Stakes undercard, has been retired from racing and will enter stud in 2024 at Spendthrift Farm. He will stand for $30,000, stands-and-nurses terms. Bred in Kentucky by Bonne Chance Farm LLC, the chestnut was purchased by Amr Zedan's Zedan Racing Stable for $600,000 out of the 2022 OBS April Sale and made a big impression at first asking, graduating by three...

Trainer Jim Chapman and Stuart Tsujimoto's Drew's Gold (Violence), who suffered the first defeat of his career when a game runner-up to Arabian Lion (Justify) in the GI Woody Stephens S. at Belmont Park June 10, breezed a half-mile in :47.88 over the Saratoga main track Thursday morning and is expected to make his next appearance in the GII Amsterdam S. July 29. "He worked really good. He's never really been a good workhorse alone but as he's gotten older, he's more into it," Chapman said. "I told [jockey] Jose...

ELMONT, NY - Five years ago, Justify became the 13th winner of the Triple Crown with a gate-to-wire victory in the GI Belmont S. The Ashford Stud-based stallion, quite fittingly, celebrated his first Grade I winner as a sire on the Belmont undercard courtesy of 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Lion (Justify)'s good-looking 1 3/4-length victory as the 2-1 favorite over Drew's Gold (Violence) in Saturday's GI Woody Stephens S. Gilmore (Twirling Candy) was third. The win marked a triumphant return to the Big Apple for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert,...

'TDN Rising Star' Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), last-start winner of the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks May 5, breezed a half-mile in :47.87 over the Belmont main track at 6:45 Saturday morning in advance of a start in Friday's GI Acorn S. at Belmont Park. The Godolphin homebred worked in the company of the dual graded-stakes placed Gilmore (Twirling Candy), who is expected for Saturday's GI Woody Stephens S. on the Belmont S. undercard. Trainer Brendan Walsh was duly pleased with his filly's final serious piece of work. "That's typical of...

ELMONT, NY - Did the best 3-year-old in the country run on the undercard? Unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Jack Christopher (Munnings) put on an absolute show with a jaw-dropping win against five overmatched rivals in Saturday's GI Woody Stephens S. at Belmont Park. Away in good order from his rail draw, the flashy, blaze-faced chestnut conceded the early advantage to Provocateur (Into Mischief) and was astutely guided by Jose Ortiz to the outside of that rival. Traveling kindly in second through fractions of :22.61 and :45.38, Ortiz took a peek...

A trio of 3-year-olds from the barn of Todd Pletcher took to the Belmont dirt training track Friday morning as they prepare for stakes engagements during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), who defeated GI Preakness S. hopeful Early Voting (Gun Runner) in the GII Wood Memorial S. Apr. 9 ahead of a closing fifth in the GI Kentucky Derby May 7, breezed a half-mile in the company of his GI Central Bank Ashland S.-winning stable companion Nest (Curlin) in :50.02. Owned by Donegal Racing and Repole...

It is now a decade since John Sikura was walking through a Lexington steakhouse and glimpsed, on a screen over the bar, a bay colt coasting clear of his pursuers with sparks coming from his heels: :21.24, :43.48, 1:07.44. He was puzzled: it wasn't yet the weekend, and he wasn't aware of any stakes being run that day. Seven lengths in a hand ride. Then they told him that this was just a maiden race out at Santa Anita. Sikura couldn't believe his ears. He wasn't alone: a 114 Beyer...

Tom's Ready (More Than Ready), a three-time graded-stakes winner around one turn, has been added to the roster at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, Kentucky. The 7-year-old, trained by Dallas Stewart for Gayle and Tom Benson's GMB Racing, was runner-up in the GIII Lecomte S. and GII Louisiana Derby in 2015, but cut back to one turn to win the GII Woody Stephens S. over seven furlongs and the GIII Ack Ack S. going a mile that season. Winner of the GIII Bold Ruler H. in 2016, the...