The $100,000 maiden special weight event at Saratoga Race Course provided an unusual situation in which Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher had to wait in the winner's circle to see which of his runners–Teleport or Scope (Gun Runner)–who bumped twice in the stretch, would come away with the victory. Scope and Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez reached the wire first, a length in front of Teleport, but after a lengthy review, the stewards disqualified Scope and placed him second.

In a distinguished career with 26,246 starters, Pletcher found himself in what he figured was a first-time situation of being a winner even if he was a loser.

“If I have, I don't remember,” he said.

Though scheduled to start at 4:06 p.m. the 1 1/16 miles turf race was delayed to 4:12 because Stone Farm's Expressway (Hard Spun) flipped in the gate and was scratched.

While being pressed closely by Dynadee (Mo Town), Teleport and leading jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. led through early fractions of :25.66, :51.61 and 1:16.62. They looked like they might secure a gate-to-wire triumph when a bumping incident with Scope occurred between the eighth and sixteenth poles. It started when Teleport came out a bit and made contact with Scope when they were running shoulder to shoulder. The contact pushed Scope out, but a few strides later he came back in and bumped Teleport while Velazquez was striking him with the crop righthanded. Scope continued on and finished first by a length.

A steward's inquiry and a claim of foul by Ortiz led to an extended review by the three judges, who decided on the DQ.

Teleport | Sarah Andrew

Teleport was bred by Newtown Anner Stud who stayed in as a partner when Repole Stable purchased the colt for $403,407 at the 2024 Tattersalls October sale.

Bloodstock agent Alex Solis selected Teleport for Repole and said four factors played into the decision to recommend him: “Great physical, very good mover, good looking and we love the stallion.”

Teleport is Pletcher's ninth winner in the top-level maiden special weight races at Saratoga this summer. He is the sixth of the nine winners that were first-time starters

“He's a horse that has trained, really well for us,” Pletcher said. “He's done all of his training on the dirt, but he's an all-turf pedigree. It seemed like a logical place to get started.”

Ortiz seized control of the race with his horse on the lead and dictated the pace.

Todd Pletcher in the winner's circle | Sarah Andrew

“It was kind of a peculiar-run race, very slow early,” Pletcher said. “I think he was a little bit green by himself. And then obviously some baby stuff going on down the lane. I was happy with the performance of both colts. You hate to have one disqualified, but sometimes that's the way it goes.”

Scope, co-owned by Eclipse Thoroughbreds, Bridlewood Farm and Robert LaPenta was purchased for $400,000 at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale.

A big rangy colt,” Pletcher said. “He's been training okay on the dirt. We felt like the main thing for him was he needed distance. I thought he kicked in really well, showed a nice turn of foot for a big horse.”

Two races after Teleport's victory, Pletcher won the listed Bolton Landing with Snow Face Princess (Midshipman), one of his maiden victors. Pletcher has 20 wins through 28 days of the 40-day season.

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The heavy favorite established her lead up the backstretch and tacked around the far turn like she had even pulled out her pocket handkerchiefs. With rider Juan Hernandez playing the role of bosun, Explora went easy en route to win by a comfortable 4 3/4 lengths over Revera (Lexitonian).

The winner is her dam's last registered foal of record. Out of MGISP Model (Giant's Causeway), Collections Choice (Bernardini) was sent to Korea in 2024. Explora's extended female family includes Irish Group 1 winner Preseli (Ire) (Caerleon).

Blame's most recent 'TDN Rising Stars' were Mucho in 2018 and Nadal in 2020.

2nd-Del Mar, $80,000, Msw, 8-17, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:03.15, ft, 4 3/4 lengths.
EXPLORA, f, 2, Blame
                1st Dam: Collections Choice, by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Model, by Giant's Causeway
                3rd Dam: Snowfire (GB), by Machiavellian
Sales History: $22,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; $350,000 2yo '25 EASMAY. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $48,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman; B-Mesingw Farm, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

#3 EXPLORA ($2.40) was an easy winner of the 2nd race at @DelMarRacing. The juvenile filly by @ClaiborneFarm's Blame was piloted by @JJHernandezS19 for trainer Bob Baffert. pic.twitter.com/1E5TrAbmiH

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) August 17, 2025

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Silent Rule, who sold for $16,000 as a Keeneland yearling, didn't start racing until Aug. 10 last year, in the second half of her 3-year-old season. But she has now bankrolled $355,456 in purse earnings, more than 22 times her auction price.

John Hoctel, a Florida realtor, owns Silent Rule. A Horse Racing Nation profile by Ron Flatter last month explained how Hoctel acquired Silent Rule for free prior to her racing career after the previous owner “decided to move on” when it seemed as if setbacks might keep Silent Rule from racing. Initially, Hoctel had planned on rehabbing and selling her himself, but encouraging workouts under the Mountaineer-based Bernardini's care convinced him to race her.

Silent Rule won her Aug. 10. 2024, debut at Thistledown against Ohio-breds by 11 1/2 lengths, and has visited the winner's circle every race since.

She's primarily roughed up state-bred competition against her own sex, but Silent Rule did also win two allowance races against open competition at Mahoning Valley last winter.

Another state-bred allowance score in the Mahoning mud on Apr. 7 earned Silent Rule a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure.

The filly has since regressed to the mean, numbers-wise (79, 84,83) while continuing her winning ways. But her Aug. 14 victory in the Honey Jay came against males and was punctuated by a nice turn of tactics compared to her usual near-the-lead efforts.

Silent Rule stalked from mid-pack, then swung six wide for the drive before seizing the lead a furlong out.

Nine of her victories have come at six furlongs, with the lone outlier win at 1 1/16 miles. Bernardini told Daily Racing Form a stretch-out attempt could be in her near future.

Slayer of faves…

Surface to Air (Midshipman), who was claimed for $30,000 out of a winning Keeneland maiden race last year, has now done something unique while winning two Grade III Monmouth Park stakes in succession this summer: The Panagiotis Synnefias trainee has consecutively beaten heavily bet, odds-on shippers from the nationally prominent Brad Cox barn.

The 5-year-old, owned by Premier Stable, orchestrated a 19-1 upset of the 1-10 favorite Just a Touch (Justify) in the July 19 Monmouth Cup on the GI Haskell Stakes undercard.

Four weeks later, the 7-2 Surface to Air outlasted the 1-5 favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense) in Saturday's GIII Philip H. Iselin Stakes.

Surface to Air has now compiled a lifetime record of 6-1-3 with earnings of $682,054 from 22 starts.

Multi-surface stakes success…

The victory by Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) in Saturday's GI Alabama Stakes at Saratoga completed a unique trifecta of sorts for fillies exiting last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Participants in that stakes have since come back at age three to win Grade I or Group 1 stakes at a trio of different distances and surfaces.

Nitrogen wins Saturday's Alabama | Sarah Andrew

The winner of the Juvenile Fillies Turf, 'TDN Rising Star' Lake Victoria (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), captured the May 25 G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas over one mile on grass at The Curragh.

Kilwin (Twirling Candy), fifth in the Breeders' Cup, won the GI Test Stakes over seven furlongs on dirt at Saratoga.

Nitrogen, third in the Juvenile Fillies Turf at 49-1 odds, registered her 10-furlong Grade I dirt win Saturday after having won three graded grass stakes earlier in the season, romping by 17 lengths in an off-the-turf graded stakes in the slop, and then getting nosed out of a nine-furlong score in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational on the Saratoga lawn July 5.

There was almost a fourth Grade I winner out of that key Breeders' Cup race on Saturday.

But Thought Process (Collected)–ninth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf–ended up being the beaten favorite at 11-10 odds when second, 1 1/4 lengths behind a 35-1 victress, in the GI Del Mar Oaks.

Five in Travers…

Only five horses were entered Sunday for next Saturday's GI Travers Stakes at Saratoga, and the days leading up to this year's “Midsummer Derby” are likely to be dominated by talk of how short the field is.

The powerful presence of GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief) is partially to blame for scaring off a robust and deep field of competition.

Previous editions of the Travers in the 2020s decade have featured seven or eight starters. But as recently as the 2010s decade, double-digit entrants were the norm, with every Travers between 2014 and 2019 luring at least 10 starters, including 13 in 2016.

Can you name the last time the Travers went with only five starters?

You have to go all the way back to 1994, when Holy Bull prevailed by a neck at 4-5 odds over Concern, with the remaining three stragglers at least 17 lengths in the wake of the top two.

The 1982 edition also featured a field of five. The 12-1 Runaway Groom, who trailed the field by 15 lengths in the early stages, scored by three-quarters of a length over Aloma's Ruler. The pacemaker Conquistador Cielo, favored at 1-5, was another half-length back in third.

In 1975, Wajima prevailed at 4-5 odds by 10 1/2 lengths in another five-horse Travers.

As a side note, 1975 was the first year in which all Travers entrants carried equal weights of 126 pounds. It had formerly been conducted under allowance conditions, with earnings deciding the weights.

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The eye-catching blaze-faced filly came into this race with a fourth-place effort on debut May 23 at the Belmont Big A meet, and a two-length graduation last out July 30 over this course when she tried turf for the first time.

Off as a 6-1 shot here, Snow Face Princess broke inwardly but recovered well to chase the leading flight from fourth as Cy Fair and My Sweetheart (Flameaway) vied for the lead through an opening sectional in :22.31. The 3-5 favorite took control around the far turn, but Snow Face Princess was the looming danger as they swung into the lane. Closing the gap relentlessly, she produced a late burst of speed that carried her over the top. She nailed the 'Rising Star' in the final jumps to win by a neck and earn her first black-type.

“We felt like she was doing really well, she looked awesome, and her condition looked great–her coat is awesome, looked really good,” said winning trainer Todd Pletcher. “So you know, you are just stepping up in class against some really fast fillies and the one thing we thought we had going for us is that she could sit a nice stalking trip and Flavien [Prat] worked out a really good trip.”

When asked about a potential start in the GIII Matron Stakes Oct. 2 at the Belmont Big A meet, Pletcher said, “That's a good possibility, I would say. I have to look at the whole calendar and see what's all out there. Keep all of our options open.”

SNOW FACE PRINCESS wins the Bolton Landing Stakes at 6-1 under Flavien Prat for trainer @PletcherRacing. pic.twitter.com/PgcFESGEGM

— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) August 17, 2025

The victress is the second successful offspring from as many to the races for Crusin Alone. She has a yearling half-sister by Classic Empire and a 2025 half-sister by Mystic Guide. Their dam, herself a half-sibling to GSW Wilburn (Bernardini) and GSW Beethoven (Sky Mesa), went to Cody's Wish for 2026.

Not alone as a black-type producer in the family, Crusin Alone's half-sisters include Venetian Sonata (Bernardini)–dam of GSW Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) and graded placed runners Olive Branch (Speightstown) and Flynn's Chance (Medaglia d'Oro); and A.P. Sonata (A.P. Indy), whose claim to fame is through her son, MGSW & GISP Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro). A third sister is the dam of SW Blue Light (City of Light) and GSW Ballerina d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro). This is the immediate female family of champion 3-year-old filly MGISW Abel Tasman (Quality Road). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

BOLTON LANDING S., $145,500, Saratoga, 8-17, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.61, fm.
1–SNOW FACE PRINCESS, 122, f, 2, by Midshipman
                1st Dam: Crusin Alone, by Honor Code
                2nd Dam: Moonlight Sonata, by Carson City
                3rd Dam: Wheatly Way, by Wheatly Hall
($110,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Gary F. Lewin; B-Paul Tackett Revocable Trust, Chris & Julie Tackett (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Flavien Prat. $82,500. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $142,600.
2–Cy Fair, 122, f, 2, Not This Time–Remarqued, by Arch. ($185,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Medallion Racing, Swinbank Stables LLC, Joey Platts and Mark Stanton; B-Marc Keller (KY); T-George Weaver. $30,000.
3–My Sweetheart, 122, f, 2, Flameaway–My Darling, by Curlin. O/B-Debby M. Oxley (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $18,000.
Margins: NK, 2, 1. Odds: 6.70, 0.60, 2.85.
Also Ran: Sacred Goddess, Bramble Blast. Scratched: Gerrards Cross, Sapphire Beach (Ire), Should've.

The post Snow Face Princess Runs Down ‘TDN Rising Star’ Cy Fair In The Bolton Landing At The Spa appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

That is because the best 3-year-old in the country, Sovereignty (Into Mischief) is running.

Only four others will challenge Godolphin's Sovereignty, who is trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado.

The last time only five horses were entered for the Travers was in 1994 when Holy Bull (Great Above) won.

The smallest field in Travers history was two horses and that happened four times, the last in 1921.

Sovereignty drew post position four and was made the 2-5 morning-line favorite by David Aragona, the oddsmaker for the New York Racing Association.

“We're not taking anything for granted,” Mott said.

Sovereignty has won four of five starts this year, the last two at Saratoga. On July 26, he won the GII Jim Dandy Stakes by a length over Baeza (McKinzie). Before that, he took two legs of the Triple Crown, the GI Belmont Stakes and GI Kentucky Derby. In both those races, he defeated Journalism (Curlin), who was favored in each one.

The connections of Baeza and Journalism have opted to skip the Travers and stay in their home bases in California.

Second choice in the morning line goes to 2-1 Magnitude (Not This Time), who missed the Triple Crown races because of an ankle chip. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC's Magnitude won his first start since February when he romped to a 9 1/4-length win in the Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows on July 5.

Before that, he had won the GII Risen Star, like the Iowa Derby, in front-running fashion. He took it by 9 3/4 lengths at odds of 43-1.

“That is a horse that is very interesting,” Mott said. “He won the Risen Star easily and then came back off a long layoff and ran equally as well. There are a couple horses (in the Travers) that look like they've got good, reasonable, honest type speed if they want to use it.”

BBN Racing's Bracket Buster (Vekoma), trained by Vicki Oliver, could also show speed in the Travers. He finished fourth in his last start, the GI Haskell Stakes; earlier this year he was second in the GIII Lexington.

Trainer Chad Brown will run Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables' Strategic Focus (Gun Runner), who was third in the Curlin Stakes as the 3-5 favorite in his last start. Before that, the 'TDN Rising Star' won his first two starts.

The Rick Dutrow, Jr.-trained McAfee (Cloud Computing) was last seen finishing second in the GIII West Virginia Derby. He is owned by Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbacnk Stables LLC, Judy Hicks and Scott Rice.

Here is the field for the Travers, in post-position order, with trainers, jockeys and odds:

1. Magnitude, Steve Asmussen, Ben Curtis, 2-1
2. Bracket Buster, Vicki Oliver, Luis Saez, 20-1
3. Strategic Focus, Chad Brown, Flavien Prat, 6-1
4. Sovereignty, Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado, 2-5
5. McAfee, Richard Dutrow, Jr., John Velazquez, 20-1

You Win the Alabama, You Get a Carmel Apple

After winning the GI Alabama Stakes on Saturday, dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse decided to treat himself. He wanted a caramel apple.

And that's exactly what he did. After Casse and wife Tina had dinner at Mrs. London's on Broadway in Saratoga Springs, they moved down the street to Kilwins Ice Cream Shop so he could get his just desserts.

“I told her I thought I deserved a caramel apple,” Casse said outside his barn on the Saratoga backstretch Sunday morning. “If my horses run good, I'll go get one.”

His horses ran good in the Alabama.

Mark Casse feeds Nitrogen a peppermint Sunday morning | Sarah Andrew

Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro), the 2-1 second choice, took a giant step upwards in the race for top 3-year-old filly when she won the 1 1/4-mile race by a convincing 1 1/2 lengths over Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro), the 7-5 favorite. Jose Ortiz rode the horse to the victory.

Casse's other filly in the race, La Cara (Street Sense) finished fourth.

The Alabama is the first Grade I on Nitrogen's resume. She was second, beaten a neck in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational at Saratoga on July 5.

On Sunday morning, Casse accepted well wishes from rival trainers who passed by in golf carts as well as those who were on foot.

All was well with Nitrogen, who was wide-eyed and bright as she watched life go by from her stall. Owned and bred by D. J. Stable LLC, Nitrogen has won six of seven starts this year, the first five coming on grass. The only reason she ran in the Alabama was because she had blitzed two other opponents in the off-the-turf GIII Wonder Again on June 7.

She won that race by 17 lengths.

Casse said it is most likely that Nitrogen will be running on the dirt the rest of the way this year.

“I don't think that would even be a question,” Casse said.

Nitrogen will probably get one more start before heading to the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar on Nov. 1.

The options, Casse said, are a listed stakes at Churchill Downs (the $175,000 Seneca Overnight Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Sept. 20) or the $650,000 GI Spinster Stakes at 1 1/8 miles against older fillies and mares at Keeneland on Oct. 5. He said he is not going to totally rule out the $1-million GI Cotillion at Parx on Sept. 20, but that is the probable landing spot for La Cara.

Casse admitted that going into the Alabama, a race he had never won, he was nervous.

“I thought we had a shot to run 1-2 and that's what probably made me nervous,” he said.

Cox Not Disappointed in Good Cheer

Even though she lost for the second straight race–after starting her career with seven consecutive victories–trainer Brad Cox has not lost any faith in his top 3-year-old filly Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro).

Nitrogen outfinishes Good Cheer in the Alabama | Sarah Andrew

She finished second in the GI Alabama Stakes on Saturday, but Cox was upbeat as he talked about the loss in his office at his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track Sunday morning.

Owned by Godolphin, Good Cheer was defeated by 1 1/2 lengths by Nitrogen in the Alabama.

“She ran good,” Cox said. “I felt like she was going to run her race, and I think she did. She just could not overcome the soft pace up front. I'm not disappointed in the effort at all.”

Good Cheer had assumed the top spot in the 3-year-old filly division after winning the GI Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 2.

That was her first Grade I score and followed a pair of Grade II wins– the Rachel Alexandra Stakes and Fair Grounds Oaks.

The first loss of her career came in the GI Acorn Stakes at Saratoga over a sloppy track. That race, which was won by Nitrogen's stablemate La Cara, who was fourth in the Alabama, was dismissed by Cox because of the track.

“That is what happens in shorter fields,” Cox said, referring to the six-horse Alabama. “You don't get pace. When you have a larger group of fillies, there is more pressure on everybody; jockeys have to make decisions, and they just naturally go quicker. We got a good ride yesterday and a good effort.”

Pace-setting La Cara set fractions of :24.94 for the quarter, :49.70 for the half and 1:13.24 for the first six furlongs.

Nitrogen was able to get the jump on Good Cheer and hold her off to the finish.

“That filly is the leader (of the division) and she deserves to be,” Cox said. “But the season is not over.”

Cox said he hopes to get another race into Good Cheer before heading to the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Sunday, Cox sent out another Godolphin runner, Highland Falls (Curlin) for a four-furlong work in :49 (30/106) on the main track. Regular rider Luis Saez was on board.

In his last start, Highland Falls finished second behind 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) in the GI Whitney Stakes earlier this month.

“He breezed real good,” Cox said. “It was foggy when he went there, and we had someone let us know when he hit the half-mile pole, and we saw him from the eighth pole home. He was traveling well, and Luis was happy with him.”

Cox said that Highland Falls could run next in the $1-million GI Jockey Club Gold Cup on Aug. 31. He also said if he does not run in that race, he could be pointed to the $500,000 GII Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs or the $300,000 GII Woodward at Aqueduct. Both of those races are on Sept. 27.

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It was a TAP exacta in R6 at Saratoga!

After a stewards inquiry and jockey's objection, Teleport was moved up to first place over stablemate Scope. @iradortiz was aboard. pic.twitter.com/xqJziXY4bQ

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) August 17, 2025

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Owned by Claiborne Farm, the dark bay made his first start over the grass at Ellis and was well-beaten July 21. Fitted with blinkers and off as a 5-1 shot here, the 2-year-old bided his time along the rail as a scramble for supremacy between longshots ensued up front around the first turn. Getting into action up the backstretch, Swamp King took the controls and tried his best to separate himself from the rest of the field around the far turn. The colt dug deep down the lane and despite heavy pressure from Epic Horsepower (Not This Time) and a late-run from favorite Fulleffort (Liam's Map) got the job done at the wire.

A half-sister to MSW Mobil Solution (Mobil) and the dam of GSW West Coast Belle (Tapit), the winner's dam is responsible for a yearling colt by Jackie's Warrior and a March colt by Mandaloun. She visited Army Mule for next season.

During his lucrative racing career, Steve Asmussen trainee Silver State rattled off six wins in a row for co-owners Ron Winchell and Willis Horton, which included the GII Oaklawn Handicap and GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Mile Handicap. This first-crop sire (by Hard Spun)–who stands at Claiborne for a stud fee of $10,000–has 126 foals of racing age to his credit.

6th-Ellis, $99,844, Msw, 8-17, 2yo, 1mT, 1:36.64, fm, neck.
SWAMP KING (c, 2, Silver State–La Piba {SW, $157,001}, by Lookin At Lucky) Sales History: $60,000 Wlg '23 KEENOV; $70,000 RNA Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $59,526. Click for the Equibase.com chart.
O-Claiborne Farm; B-Clarkland Farm LLC (KY); T-Riley Mott.

Swamp King hangs on to win R6 at @ellisparkracing at 5/1 odds for trainer @riley_mott with @a_concepcion16 in the saddle!

#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/lx4qXnBsba

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) August 17, 2025

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Clocked in :50.22 (31/49) while working through a blanket of fog, the Steve Asmussen charge has been training up to the feature race this weekend after producing a 9 1/4-length masterclass last out July 5 in the Listed Iowa Derby. The son of Not This Time missed the Triple Crown series with an ankle chip, but has been moving forwardly since his return to the races last month.

“He worked good,” said Scott Blasi, assistant trainer to Asmussen on-site for the work. “They [the instructions] were just to go a half-mile. We feel like he's really fit. We were just letting him stretch his legs over the track and he's doing well.”

The Asmussen and Winchell Thoroughbreds combination is no stranger to winning the Travers as they last took home the spoils in 2022 with MGISW Epicenter, coincidentally also by Not This Time.

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Making the switch to Philip Antonacci's shedrow, the dark bay made her seasonal bow as the even-money favorite here. The chalk was keen from the bell and established her lead heading into the first turn. Controlling the pace throughout, Ready for Candy hit the accelerator down the lane and won convincingly to break her maiden by 7 3/4 lengths over Inesperee (Flintshire {GB}). The winner's dam is responsible for several runners currently in-training, including 5-year-old gelding Tiburon (Good Magic), 4-year-old filly Bolt Enoree (Bolt d'Oro) and 2-year-old colt Mister Blue (Maclean's Music).

Enoree was bred to Essential Quality for next term. Out of an extended female family which includes Canadian champion 3-year-old colt Woodcarver (Woodman), Ready for Candy's second dam is Canadian MSW Woodsmoke (Langfuhr) who produced GSW Grand Bili (City Zip). Sales History: $70,000 RNA Ylg '23 KEESEP; $62,000 Ylg '23 FTKOCT; $60,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR; $400,000 3yo '25 FTKFEB. Lifetime Record: GSP-Can, 8-1-3-2, $162,171. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Lindy Farms; B-Mark Dodson (ON); T-Philip Antonacci.

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A photo finish specialist with two victories by a combined margin of barely half a head, the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners colorbearer came into the race with a nose victory July 20 over this course against optional claiming company. She'd tried graded company for the first time two back Apr. 27 in Santa Anita's GIII Senorita Stakes, but only managed an even fourth. She broke her maiden at second asking Mar. 29 at that venue by a nose.

When compared to the rest of the field, namely even-money favorite MGSW Thought Process (Collected) and 8-5 chance SW & MGSP Lush Lips (GB) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}), the betting public could only muster 35-1 odds for this daughter of Nyquist.

In midpack as the pacesetter 'TDN Rising Star' SW & MGSP Casalu (Caracaro) rolled through an opening quarter in :23.22 and a half in :46.98, she was stuck on the fence as a wall of runners blocked any open lanes through the bend. The field fanned out for the homeward drive and Thought Process had made her move while Lush Lips was relentlessly closing on the far outside. Diving to the rail as the scramble to her outside finally produced open air, Velocity quickened to strike the front and outkicked the closing Lush Lips to score her career first black-type of any kind. Thought Process managed to save third.

“To be honest I thought she was going to be better on the dirt,” said winning rider Ricardo Gonzalez, who won the second Grade I race of his career, here. “But I had a wonderful trip. I was following Antonio [Fresu on Edge of Mali] all the way around. Just waiting for a little seam, and once I saw it, she went right through it. This is such a fun race to race, especially here in Del Mar.”

“That's as good of a ride as you'll ever see,” said Michael McCarthy. “I thought she got the perfect trip there. A seam opened up on the fence. It was good.”

“She's had a wonderful couple of weeks down here. She was on her toes, in a great way walking around the paddock, coming out through the tunnel. I liked everything I saw today.”

Coming through on the rail!

Velocity & @RickyGonzalez10 score the upset in the Grade I Del Mar Oaks presented by @keenelandsales. pic.twitter.com/O8k3k6TMLU

— Del Mar Racetrack (@DelMarRacing) August 17, 2025

Pedigree Notes:

Velocity is the second black-type earner for her dam, but the first at the highest level. Her eldest half-brother Open Road (Quality Road) was stakes placed in his career and her second older half-sibling was a multiple winner. Blast, herself a half-sister to SW Home Run Maker (Into Mischief) and GISP Fun (Harlan's Holiday), has a juvenile filly named Holly's Holiday (Maxfield) as her most recent of racing age. There is also a yearling Cyberknife filly named Dash and a 2025 Taiba filly. She was bred back to National Treasure for 2026.

The victress is Nyquist's ninth worldwide Grade I winner and his second in 2025 joining Cavalieri, who claimed the GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile Stakes this past March. Group/Grade I-placed runners for the stallion this season include Gosger, Crimson Advocate, Nysos, Immersive, Randomized, and Zio Jo.

Saturday, Del Mar
DEL MAR OAKS PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SALES S.-GI, $303,000, Del Mar, 8-16, 3yo, f, 1 1/8mT, 1:48.45, fm.
1–VELOCITY, 122, f, 3, by Nyquist
        1st Dam: Blast, by Harlan's Holiday
        2nd Dam: Home Run, by Empire Maker
        3rd Dam: Ninth Inning, by Meadowlake
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($27,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $75,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy; J-Ricardo Gonzalez. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-0, $274,800. *1/2 to Open Road (Quality Road), SP, $236,834. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Lush Lips (GB), 122, f, 3, by Ten Sovereigns (Ire)
        1st Dam: Lamyaa (GB), by Arcano (Ire)
        2nd Dam: Divine Grace (Ire), by Definite Article (GB)
        3rd Dam: Grey Patience (Ire), by Common Grounds (GB)
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. (£82,000 Ylg '23 GOFFUK). O-Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds and Mrs. Paul Shanahan; B-The Pocock Family (GB); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $60,000.
3–Thought Process, 122, f, 3, by Collected
        1st Dam: Creative Thinking (SW-USA, SP-Can, $132,592), by Creative Cause
        2nd Dam: Hat Box, by Street Cry (Ire)
        3rd Dam: Maiden Tower (GB), by Groom Dancer
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($120,000 RNA Ylg '23 KEESEP; $57,000 RNA Ylg '23 FTKOCT). O-Estate of Brereton C. Jones, Little Red Feather Racing and Madaket Stables LLC; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Philip D'Amato. $36,000.
Margins: HF, 3/4, HF. Odds: 35.00, 1.70, 1.10.
Also Ran: Take A Breath (GB), Will Then, Slick (Ire), Firenze Flavor, Casalu, Edge of Mali (Ire), Resolve, Striver. Scratched: Miso Phansy.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Nyquist’s Velocity Sneaks Up the Fence to Shock Del Mar Oaks appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Ok, you get the idea. In Her Glory is not a big-robust looking young horse.

In Saturday's sixth race at Saratoga Race Course–a $100,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies going 5 1/2 furlongs on the Mellon Turf Course–In Her Glory looked 10 feet tall as she ran professionally down the stretch and won the race by a head over Sadie Earp (Tiz The Law).

Sent off at odds of 7-1 in the field of eight, it may have come as somewhat of a surprise, at least a mild one.

Those who know the little gal the best would not be included in that group.

“She's a fighter,” trainer Michael Trombetta said after In Her Glory had gotten her picture taken.

She also showed that she has plenty of athleticism in that slight frame of hers. How big–or small–she is is not really known.

Trombetta said he does not weigh his horses and estimates that In Her Glory might tip the scales at the low end of 900 pounds. As far as her height, he said he doesn't measure that either. Another estimate: maybe 15 hands.

“I think she is the smallest 2-year-old I have this year,” Trombetta said.

Trombetta got an inkling that In Her Glory might have some talent when he watched her in her first start, at Colonial on July 19. After getting off a touch slow, she revved up and finished a clear second in the five-furlong race on the grass.

What happened after she crossed the finish line got the trainer excited.

“She looked hopelessly beaten down the backside and she came really rolling to finish a fast-closing second,” Trombetta said. “When the camera panned out around the turf, she was like 15, 20 lengths in front of the rest of the horses. I said, 'wow, she is just figuring it out.”

Despite the impressive showing at Colonial, Trombetta wasn't sure if coming to Saratoga was the right move for her little girl. Yes, she had shown promise in her first start, but she would be facing tougher in the Saratoga spot.

Charlotte Weber hugs jockey Luis Saez | Sarah Andrew

Because he thought she showed athleticism and because she showed a tenacity in her debut, he threw caution to the wind and came to the Spa. The right decision.

“She broke running and put herself in the race,” Trombetta said. “She was way closer than I thought she would be. I thought Wesley's (trainer Ward) horses (Sadie Earp and Santina (Maclean's Music) would be going like a bat out of hell but that did not really happen.”

Guided by jockey Luis Saez, who had four winners on the Saturday card, In Her Glory was never worse than second and completed the distance in 1:03.55. She paid $17.20, $8.80 and $5.50.

In Her Glory is owned and bred by Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Plantation. She is the first foal out of the mare Zonda (Scat Daddy).

When she was born, Weber could not tell what this smallish filly might be like.

“I could no more tell you that than I could fly,” Weber said with a laugh. “I had some 10 fillies, and you hope they come out alright and look alright. When you are in the breeding shed or the foaling shed you just hope you have a good baby and the birth comes alright.”

In Her Glory hangs on to win R6 at Saratoga at 7/1 under @luissaezpty for trainer @trombetta_mike! pic.twitter.com/isXSJtHR4r

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) August 16, 2025

The post Saratoga Maidens Presented by Keeneland: Small in Stature, but In Her Glory Shows She Can Run appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Off as the 6-5 chalk, the $240,000 Keeneland September purchase could have flaunted the same sort of speed he exhibited on his debut run, but instead was settled just off the pace by Rafael Hernandez, as the previously unbeaten Casson (Caravaggio) showed the way.

Traveling kindly on the back of the speed into the long Woodbine straight, it appeared as if Hernandez might duck to the inside of Casson, but instead he went for a run between rivals, squeezed through and kicked on nicely for a clear-cut victory. Argos (Nyquist), a debut winner sprinting over the Ellis Park turf for Riley Mott, ran home for third.

“This is a good horse,” said Attard, who was adding this to the King's Plate and the GII King Edward Stakes in the two races prior to the Soaring Free. “I think he's a very special horse. So far, everything's gone according to plan and this is another stepping stone. We will take it from here.

“It's been a fantastic day,” he said. “It's been a rough month. We had a lot of tough beats. We couldn't find the winner's circle. Luckily, today, everything kind of came together for us. The team puts in a lot of work and it's nice to see them get rewarded, as well. I couldn't be doing this without them. So, kudos to them and we're just going to enjoy the rest of the day.”

Attard said there is a temptation to send Two Out Hero south of the border for the rich purses available to Kentucky-breds at Kentucky Downs, but, quoting the Wizard of Oz, added, “there's no place like home.”

The Sept. 13 GI Summer Stakes, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf over a mile is the logical next port of call at Woodbine.

Originally a $175,000 purchase by Team Casse at the Fasig-Tipton Florida Sale in 2019, Song River was twice stakes-placed that season and was sold to this breeder for $90,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Horses of Racing Age Sale in 2020. She is also the dam of a yearling Constitution filly that is catalogued as hip 1302 at Keeneland September and a filly foal by Cody's Wish. She visited Flightline this past breeding season.

Two Out Hero is the 119th worldwide stakes winner for Claiborne Farm stalwart War Front. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

BET365 SOARING FREE S., C$156,500, Woodbine, 8-16, 2yo, 6 1/2fT, 1:15.91, fm.
1–TWO OUT HERO, 120, c, 2, by War Front
1st Dam: Song River (MSP, $222,114), by Liam's Map
2nd Dam: Harlan's Honor, by Harlan's Holiday
3rd Dam: Indian Rush, by Indian Charlie
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($240,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Gold Square LLC; B-Corser Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Kevin Attard; J-Rafael Manuel Hernandez. C$90,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $97,683.
2–Casson, 122, c, 2, Caravaggio–Zee Ro Drop, by Lemon Drop Kid. ($200,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Manfred & Penny Conrad; B-Ballycroy Training Centre & Villa Rosa Farms (ON); T-Mark E Casse. C$36,000.
3–Argos, 120, c, 2, Nyquist–Athenian (Ire), by Acclamation (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. ($10,000 Ylg '24 FTKJUL; $165,000 2yo '25 OBSMAR). O-David S Romanik; B-Green Lantern Stables, LLC (KY); T-Riley Mott. C$15,000.
Margins: 1HF, NK, 3/4. Odds: 1.20, 3.40, 4.70.
Also Ran: Rude Procedure, Jupiter, Baytown Dreamer, Jutland, Longhi, Mo Dodgy.

War Front (@claibornefarm) colt TWO OUT HERO ($4.40) impressed in the $150,000 Soaring Free Stakes at @WoodbineTB. Trainer @kevin_attard gets another win on the card! Rafael Hernandez was up on the two-year-old. pic.twitter.com/p01uqj8IOO

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) August 16, 2025

The post War Front’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Two Out Hero Shines In Soaring Free appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

#2 LITMUS TEST ($4.20) breaks his maiden on debut under @JJHernandezS19. The juvenile colt by @DarleyAmerica's Nyquist is trained by Bob Baffert. @MachmerHall @MadaketStables @StarlightRacing @StonestreetFarm pic.twitter.com/KxpAJkJDI3

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) August 16, 2025

The post Nyquist Colt Litmus Test Leads Home Baffert 1-2 In Del Mar Maiden appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Their aptly named colt 'TDN Rising Star' It's Our Time (Not This Time) produced the Mitchums' tale Saturday with a 17 3/4-length victory in the seventh race at Saratoga Race Course. Under Luis Saez, the Virginia-bred colt was the Mitchums' first career winner in their, yes, second start as owners. It's Our Time and Saez turned in their smoking performance in the $100,000 maiden special weight test for 2-year-olds, covering the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.63.

The Virginia Beach, Va. residents, lifelong racing fans, purchased their first horses 11 months ago at the Keeneland September sale. They secured It's Our Time, bred by South Gate Farm and recommended by trainer Tom Amoss, for $425,000.

“I've always loved horse racing,” Elza Mitchum said, “and my son and I just finally decided to go ahead and take the plunge.”

That plunge came after plenty of years or considering when to move from fan to participating.

“I wanted to do it all my life, but I figured I was young enough I could go ahead and start now,” Elza Mitchum said with a chuckle.

Hero Declared (Maclean's Music), the 3-5 favorite, broke on top and set early fractions of :21.99 and :44.78. He led It's Our Time by 1 1/2 lengths after the first quarter and a head after a half-mile. By that point, It's Our Time was rolling. He forged a 10-length lead in the stretch and, though he was geared down in the final furlong, he continued to extend his advantage over Hero Declared.

Amoss said that It's Our Time showed him he was ready for Saratoga's top test for 2-year-old maidens.

“He's a horse that really, really advanced when he got up to here, and you can see it in his workouts,” Amoss said. “I think the real tell was his work from the gate. He worked extremely nicely. I know (Hero Declared) was a very nice horse going into today. My guy's a little guy, but today, David got the best of Goliath. May not happen next time, but we got him today.”

The work that Amoss noted came on Aug. 2 when It's Our Time breezed a half mile in :47.83, the fourth-fastest of 153 at that distance that morning.

Alex Mitchum said that the colt touted them with his training.

“We were looking at the workout times and (Hero Declared) had good workout times, and so did we,” he said. “I think we had a really good break. You always have hope but you never know the trip around. I think Nelson's Penney (Munnings) on Wednesday, didn't get as good of a trip around. She was really boxed in the whole time. It really matters on how you break and get the trip around, but we're really happy with some of the splits that we are seeing in workouts.”

Nelson's Penny was the first starter for the Mitchums' Double Down Horse Racing. She ended up fifth in her debut. Four days later, It's Our Time and his owners broke their maidens with a jaw-dropping victory.

Alex Mitchum said his father decided he was ready to trying owning horses last year and started the process.

“He's always been a huge fan and taking us to Colonial Downs or Laurel when I was a kid. And we've gone to the Derby a couple times,” Alex Mitchum said. “He's a big fan of Tom Amoss, so he reached out one night. We started talking, and ended up at Keeneland last year, bought a couple horses and here we are.”

IT'S OUR TIME makes a statement in his debut!

He breaks his maiden in Race 7 for trainer @TomAmossRacing with Luis Saez aboard who gets his third win of the day. pic.twitter.com/cLqSmgvLsh

— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) August 16, 2025

The post Saratoga Maidens Presented By Keeneland: It’s Our Time Gives Rookie Owners Runaway MSW Triumph appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Entering the race, it was largely billed as a showdown between the 'big three' and it more or less went that way during the running. Nitrogen entered the historic contest fresh off a heartbreaker in the July 5 GI Belmont Oaks Invitational over the course next door where a nose denied her a first Grade I victory. Her tour de force two back June 7 in a washed-off GIII Wonder Again Stakes was what originally inspired trainer Mark Casse to give his turf star a chance over the main track, and put Nitrogen squarely in the talks for a year-end championship honor in the U.S. after she was crowned Canada's champion juvenile filly last season.

Casse may well have gotten his wish with this performance.

Off well, but tasked with tracking stablemate La Cara (Street Sense) as that one zipped to the front, Nitrogen went wide into the first turn as the eager early leader set a slow :24.94 opening quarter, and posted an equally unhurried :49.70 half. With 7-5 favorite Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) watching the action unfold in third behind a 1:13.24 six-furlong split, the top placings were largely unchanged through the final bend but the 2-1 shot was looming as they spun into the lane.

Inhaling La Cara and wandering through the stretch, Nitrogen ultimately had more than enough to hold off Good Cheer, and the fillies gave their sire the exacta in the Grade I contest. Louisiana-bred Margie's Intention (Honor A. P.) came on in the lane to claim third.

“They went pretty slow early, which I thought would help La Cara, but Dylan [Davis] said Jose [Ortiz] was breathing down his throat the entire time,” said Casse. “Dylan knew what he had to do, I never talked or discussed anything with Jose, but I know Nitrogen had enough speed that she was going to be pretty close.”

“I've been coming here since I was 10 years old and the Alabama has always been huge. I can't even explain it. This [winning the Alabama] is all I've ever wanted to do since I was a little boy.”

Casse would not commit either way when asked about a dirt start for Nitrogen, only that he wanted to 'get through today' first and then they'd decide next steps.

Regarding La Cara's performance, Casse conceded that the quarantine which knocked her out of the CCA Oaks probably cost her to an extent. “I think maybe that's a little far for La Cara, but also, in fairness to her, not being able to run in the CCA Oaks [because of a strangles-related quarantine in her barn], probably hurt a little bit.”

Jose Ortiz only had glowing praise for his mount afterwards despite some her late race drifting. “When she gets by herself, she tries to get a little bit lost, but I had a clear lead. Luckily, I was clear and nothing happened. So I'll take it.”

“[The ceiling] can't get any higher–this horse won a Grade I on the dirt now, so it's amazing. Hopefully, she comes back, puts up another couple good few performances and gets 3-year-old filly of the year.”

“This was very impressive, beat some very good horses, and I'd think her next one would be dirt again, but let's see–you are voting, for not only the best 3-year-old, but maybe the best horse,” said Len Green of D J Stable. “Look at the record, look at how many wins, how many stakes wins…that's what you hope for. And of course, we have to give extra carrots to the broodmare because she made the whole thing.”

The Alabama goes to NITROGEN!

She wins the the Grade 1 Alabama presented by @keenelandsales under @jose93_ortiz for trainer @markecasse. pic.twitter.com/00ascYWfUV

— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) August 16, 2025

Pedigree Note:

Out of stakes-placed Tiffany Case, an Uncle Mo half-sister to GSW & GISP Talk Veuve to Me (Violence), Nitrogen is her dam's second to the races and second graded runner. Elder half-sister Love to Shop (Violence) won the Listed Toronto Cup Stakes and was four-times placed at the graded level in Canada. Tiffany Case's most recent offspring is a yearling filly by Gun Runner named Sniper. She did not have a foal in 2025 and was bred to Not This Time for 2026.

This is the immediate female family of SW & MGSP Winning Point (Point Given) as well as Gilded Wings (Gilded Time), who produced a branch of the family that ultimately yielded Chilean Group 1-placed Good Runner (Chi) (Good Samaritan). Further back, this is also the family of English G1 St. Leger-placed Mountain Kingdom and GI Manhattan Handicap victor Cool.

Nitrogen is Medaglia d'Oro's 30th worldwide Grade I winner and his second in 2025 behind Good Cheer.

Saturday, Saratoga
ALABAMA S. PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SALES-GI, $600,000, Saratoga, 8-16, 3yo, f, 1 1/4m, 2:03.31, ft.
1–NITROGEN, 122, f, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
                1st Dam: Tiffany Case (SP), by Uncle Mo
                2nd Dam: Biblical Point, by Point Given
                3rd Dam: Bibical Sense, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-D. J. Stable, LLC (KY); T-Mark E. Casse; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $330,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo filly & GISP-Can, 10-6-2-2, $1,576,604. *1/2 to Love to Shop (Violence), SW & MGSP, $240,778. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Good Cheer, 122, f, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
                1st Dam: Wedding Toast (MGISW, $1,419,956), by Street Sense
                2nd Dam: Golden Sheba, by Coronado's Quest
                3rd Dam: Mari's Sheba, by Mari's Book
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $120,000.
3–Margie's Intention, 122, f, 3, by Honor A. P.
                1st Dam: Playful Dancer, by Into Mischief
                2nd Dam: Dance Hall Days, by Seeking Daylight
                3rd Dam: Dance Move, by Capote
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($57,000 Ylg '23 FTKOCT; $185,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-WinStar Farm LLC and Tom Mueller; B-Coteau Grove Farms, LLC (LA); T-Brad H. Cox. $72,000.
Margins: 1HF, 6, 6HF. Odds: 2.05, 1.40, 8.60.
Also Ran: La Cara, Queen Azteca, Kinzie Queen.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Not Just the Queen of the Lawn: Nitrogen Claims First Elite Level Victory in Alabama appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

And then, the unexpected. As the team made their way over to the winner's circle in the Woodbine infield, 72-year-old Bill Ulwelling collapsed on the track apron before having a chance to make his long-awaited pilgrimage across the track. The moments that ensued were in a word, frightening, and with a gaggle of onlookers crowding around, Woodbine officials and security attempted to keeping the throng at bay.

Several moments later, winning trainer Kevin Attard came sprinting back to check on his owner, red faced and visibly concerned, but was assured by paramedics that the situation was under control.

“They told me he was stable at that moment, and he was conscious,” said Attard. “I guess he knew to lay flat, which is what you are supposed to do it that situation. Luckily, it worked out well. I think maybe have been just a bit too much excitement.”

He continued, “From what the paramedics said, it seems his heart stopped while he was walking down to get his photo taken and greet the horse. He has a pacemaker and it can give you a shock, and it seems like that happened a few times.”

Ultimately, Bill was able to sit up, and was ushered off to the local hospital for further examination, without having been able to partake in the celebratory moment in the winner's enclosure.

“The pacemaker saved his life today,” said Al Ulwelling via text later in the evening.

It would seem there was a much bigger victory won by the Ulwellings Saturday afternoon.

Moran Offers a Textbook Ride on Mansetti

In the days leading up to the King's Plate, the question that kept coming up time and again was whether Mansetti would be able to last the 10-furlong distance. Earlier in the week, Attard said that the colt's progress from two to three and his gallop out following his latest victory in the GIII Marine Stakes were among the main reasons that he expected the colt to be able to handle the assignment. However, the masses did not listen.

Sent off an overlaid 18-1 chance in the field of 13, the Ontario-bred took backseat to 7-2 choice Notorious Gangster (Classic Empire) marginally ahead of second choice No Time (Not This Time), impressive winner of the Woodbine Oaks in her latest start. Others taking some play at the window, 5-1 third choice Tom's Magic (Justify), winner of Monmouth's grassy Tale of the Cat Stakes in June, Plate Trial Stakes winner Sedburys Ghost (Shaman Ghost) and last season's Cup and Saucer victor Ashley's Archer (Karakontie {Jpn}), both installed as 7-1 shots.

Cleanly away, it was 15-1 chance Scorching (Mo Town) who got first jump, leading the field through an opening quarter mile in a crisp :22.93. However, by the time they made it to the first turn, Mansetti scooted up along the inside, and was nursed along by jockey Pietro Moran as Scorching prompted the issue to his outside. Meanwhile, the sole filly in the field was in a covered-up position just behind as the pacesetter threw down a half in :47.45. Spurting clear at the quarter pole, Mansetti was given a reminder by Moran in early stretch as Scorching started to weaken while Tom's Magic began to unfurl his long chestnut legs from the back of the field.

Appearing to be free and clear rolling down the lane, Tom's Magic swallowed up ground with every stride, and despite closing like a freight train late, he was unable to catch the front-runner, who finished 2 1/2 lengths ahead at the wire. Notorious Gangster closed to be third, two lengths behind, and Scorching rounded out the Super. No Time faded to finish ninth.

Mansetti ($38.70) goes gate-to-wire and upsets at 18/1 in the 166th King's Plate at @woodbinetb! #KP25

Pietro Moran was aboard for trainer @kevin_attard and owners @UlwellingRacing! pic.twitter.com/6FPJuTvrD3

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) August 16, 2025

Saturday represented a banner day for trainer Kevin Attard, who also won the GII King Edward Stakes with Gas Me Up one race after the Plate, and the Soaring Free Stakes with Two Out Hero one race later.

Fellow Attard runners Dewolf (Silent Name {Jpn}) was fifth, while Faber (Improbable) finished sixth.

“It turned out to be a great day,” said Attard, who was winning his third Plate after wins with Moira and Caitlinhergrtness. “We had been in a bit of a slump with horses getting beat by a lot or just not running up to expectations. It's been a little frustrating. You just have to keep doing what you know works and keep pounding the pavement. Luckily, things started to roll and gave us a nice little hat trick in the day.”

As for the break down of the race, Attard explained, “When I saw the first quarter I was concerned we were going a little too quick. But then I was pleased with the half time. After that, I could see the horse was in his rhythm, so I wasn't really watching the time at that point. The idea was to get off the rail in case somebody wanted the lead, for them to take it and we get cover. But he really wanted to go. Scorching kind of pressed. Pietro did a really good job getting him to relax.”

A first-up winner at Woodbine last September, Mansetti finished off-the-board in the Display Stakes but bounced back to take the six-furlong Clarendon Stakes against Ontario breds in October.

This season, he was a distant fifth after a troubled start in the one-mile Jerome Stakes at the Big A before winning by four lengths in Woodstock Stakes over six panels in April. Well supported in the Queenston Stakes June 8, the bay had an equipment malfunction early, leading to a forgettable fifth behind Notrious Gangster.

Let go at 5-1 while contesting two turns for the first time in his career in the GIII Marine Stakes, he got the best of Scorching by a length.

Mansetti entering the winner's enclosure for the King's Plate | Michael Burns photo

“I would have probably laughed, you know. This horse really changed from two to three when he got back to Woodbine this season to start his 3-year-old campaign,” said Attard. “He was just acting differently. He showed a lot of talent from a young age, and I really thought he was going to be a good horse, but he just got so kind of keen and eager as a baby that you didn't think he'd stretch out. Luckily for us, he matured nicely over the wintertime, and into his 3-year-old year, he's just kind of figured things out.”

He continued, “We trained him with the [King's Plate] in mind and I am proud with the job we did with him. There had been some doubt if he could go that far. With the seven weeks in between, it all worked out really well.”

According to Attard, Mansetti will likely target the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie Sept. 9. Contested on the dirt, the second leg in the Canadian Triple Crown is conducted over 1 mile 3/16ths.

“Honestly, I am not that concerned about the dirt,” Attard admitted. “The shorter distance should help him too, and he trains over the dirt. He hasn't been working over it obviously because we were focusing on this race. We'll just enjoy the moment and let him dictate if he is ready to proceed on to the next leg.”

He added, “I haven't been able to lead a Plate winner back into the Prince of Wales, so I am definitely looking for to it. And maybe winning a Triple Crown.”

His final statement begged the question whether the 1 1/2-mile Breeders' Stakes at Woodbine Sept. 28 might also be in the cards.

“That is probably stretching it for him,” he laughed. “But you have to go one race at a time. We've got the first leg down and we'll see what'll happen with the second.”

The victory also represented the first victory for Moran, who finished fourth aboard Pierre in last year's King's Plate. Making the victory even sweeter, the 20-year-old rider was facing his father, David, in Saturday's Classic. With the elder Moran aboard William T (Frosted, eighth), it was the first time a father and son were riding against each other in the Plate.

“I am very proud of him,” said Attard. “To accomplish this kind of feat at this young of an age. It is a testament to what the future holds for him.”

Moran, who started racing in 2023, rounded out Saturday's card with 66 wins, leading all riders at the oval.

“He is just a natural,” concluded Attard. “He has also worked hard to get to where he is today even though it hasn't really been that long of a journey for him. He deserves it. Winning the Plate is very special. But winning it with Pietro, is just that much more.”

Pedigree Notes:

Mansetti, a $40,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale last season, is out of Gidget Girl, also the dam of dual stakes winner Staright Up G (Straight Fire). Bred by Jim Rome's Jungle Racing, the Ontario-bred colt also has an unraced juvenile half-brother by Maxfield, in addition to a foal brother by Simplification. The Sky Mesa mare was bred back to Simplification.

Saturday, Woodbine
KING'S PLATE S., C$1,002,500, Woodbine, 8-16, (C), 3yo, 1 1/4m (AWT), 2:03.68, ft.
1–MANSETTI, 126, c, 3, by Collected
           1st Dam: Gidget Girl, by Sky Mesa
           2nd Dam: Surfer Girl (Brz), by Wild Event
           3rd Dam: Australian Girl (Arg), by Lode
($40,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-Al and Bill Ulwelling; B-Jungle Racing, LLC (ON); T-Kevin Attard; J-Pietro Moran. C$600,000. Lifetime Record: GSW, 8-5-0-0, $689,872. *1/2 to Straight Up G (Straight Fire), MSW, $209,660.
2–Tom's Magic, 126, c, 3, Justify–Dixie Chicken, by Rahy. ($200,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-CJ Thoroughbreds and Mo Speed Racing; B-Sean Fitzhenry & Dorothy Fitzhenry (ON); T-Michael Stidham. C$200,000.
3–Notorious Gangster, 126, c, 3, Classic Empire–Sister Nova, by Verrazano. O-Mark Dodson; B-Mark Dodson (ON); T-Josie Carroll. C$100,000.
Margins: 2HF, 2, NK. Odds: 18.35, 5.80, 3.50.
Also Ran: Scorching, Dewolf, Faber, Watsonville Red, William T, No Time, Runaway Again, Sedburys Ghost, Mythical Man, Ashley's Archer.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Mansetti Gives Ulwellings Emotional First Plate Victory appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Sovereignty had his final work before next weekend's $1.25 million GI Travers Stakes Saturday morning at the Oklahoma Training Track. As usual, he was being ridden by Neil Poznansky, the assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

Alvarado, helping the barn out, climbed aboard Fort Nelson (Bernardini), who was Sovereignty's workmate for the five-furlong move. Sovereignty was timed in 1:01.82 (7/13) and Fort Nelson was clocked in 1:01.90 (8/13).

“I was on a nice horse, and I tried to catch him, but it was impossible,” Alvarado said after the work, sitting in a golf cart with his agent Mike Sellitto. “I thought my horse worked great. That other horse…he is just different. It seemed like he was toying with us the whole time.”

Mott was certainly pleased with how Sovereignty, who broke a length in front of his workmate. After getting back to the barn area and watching Sovereignty cool out, he was reminded of how his stable star looked before another big race.

.@KentuckyDerby⁩, ⁦@BelmontStakes⁩ winner@Sovereignty inside, works before next week's Travers.
Neil Poznansky, assistant to HOF trainer Bill Mott is on board. Working with Fort Nelson with ⁦@JuniorandKellyA⁩, Sovereignty's jockey. 5F in 1:01.82. ⁦@theTDN⁩ pic.twitter.com/BkxQLYh66F

— Tim Wilkin (@tjwilkin) August 16, 2025

“He looks very much like he looked going into the Belmont,” Mott said. “He has been training good this last week. Aggressive, up in the bridle. He worked good. It was what we were looking for.”

Sovereignty, owned by Godolphin, is rolling into the Travers with three straight wins and four of five for the year. In his last start, he won the GII Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga by a length; before that, he was a three-length winner in the GI Belmont Stakes.

The Travers is 1 1/4-miles, the same distance as the GI Kentucky Derby, which he won by 1 1/2 lengths on the first Saturday in May. When entries are taken on Sunday, it is expected that just four will try to challenge him.

“Well, his record, I suppose,” Mott said when asked if Sovereignty is scaring off competition. “It's in black and white, what he's done. I'm sure some people figure there are probably easier places to run, but not everybody's fleeing. There are some horses in there that are OK. It's not a done deal.”

Horses expected to enter include the Chad Brown-trained Strategic Focus (Gun Runner), Magnitude (Not This Time) from Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, the Vicki Oliver-trained Bracket Buster (Vekoma) and McAfee (Cloud Computing) from the barn of Rick Dutrow.

“(Sovereignty) is the horse to beat, but, at the same token, they've got to go around there,” Mott said. “He has to do it in the afternoon. That's why they're going to run the race. Otherwise, they would just hand us the trophy, but they don't ever do that.”

Locked (outside) and Fierceness (inside) | Sarah Andrew

Mindframe, Antiquarian Aiming at JCGC; Pletcher May Have More

With two weeks to go, it looks as though Mindframe (Constitution) and Antiquarian (Preservationist) are bound for the GI, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sunday, Aug. 31.

Todd Pletcher, their Hall of Fame trainer, said they might have some company in the starting gate on the final weekend of the Saratoga meet.

Stablemates Fierceness (City of Light) and Locked (Gun Runner) could also end up there.

“I've got to look at that,” Pletcher said outside his office at his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track Saturday morning when asked about having four in the race. “As of today, it's possible, but I don't think it will happen.”

All four of his older horse heavyweights–they are all 4-year-olds–worked Saturday morning just after 7 a.m. on the main track Fierceness and Locked came first and worked in company, both getting four furlongs in 47.66 (3/134). Mindframe and Antiquarian followed with a five-furlong breeze. They were both timed in 1:01.50 (15/27).

Pletcher said that Fierceness, owned by Repole Stable, Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier, will be considered for just about everything on the upcoming schedule. Besides the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Pletcher will look at the GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar, on Aug. 30 and the GII Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs and the GII Woodward Stakes at Aqueduct, both on Sept. 27.

His goal would be to keep Fierceness and Mindframe  — owned by Repole Stable and St, Elias Stables LLC — separated until the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar in November. Fierceness finished fifth in the GI Whitney Stakes on Aug. 2; Mindframe, undefeated in three starts this year, won his last race, the GI Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 28.

“It would be a way of not running him and Mindframe against each other,” Pletcher said about possibly sending Fierceness out West. “Obviously there are some logistics that would have to fall into place nicely for that to happen, but I think it's worth looking into it, Fierceness is on the Jockey Club Gold Cup trail, but he is also on the Pacific Classic trail. Both are possibilities or both are neither.”

He said he would also consider sending Locked, owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm, to the Pacific Classic. First, though, that would have to get the ok from Aron Wellman, the leader of Eclipse. He also owns Journalism (Curlin), one of the top 3-year-olds in the country who could be headed to the Pacific Classic.

Antiquarian, owned by Centennial Farms, and Locked finished second and third in their last starts, the GII Suburban Stakes at Saratoga on the Fourth of July.

“We are blessed to have some high-quality older horses,” Pletcher said. “We came into the year hoping we would have a successful campaign with them. Mindframe has been the most successful so far, but you know how this is. You've got to keep winning.”

Future Is Now before the Smart And Fancy | Sarah Andrew

Aptly named Future Is Now Just Keeps on Winning

On Saturday morning, a 5-year-old mare named Future Is Now (Great Notion) poked her head out of her stall when she heard the rustling of a peppermint being unwrapped.

One of the workers at trainer Michael Trombetta's barn smiled and said, “not more than five.”

Future Is Now got her allotment but probably deserved a few more. She earned them after what she did on Thursday when she won the listed $150,000 Smart And Fancy at Saratoga.

It was her 10th win in 16 career starts on turf and improved her record at 5 1/2 furlongs on the grass to seven wins in 10 tries. It was her fourth win in six starts at Saratoga.

“You know, she has been a lot of fun,” trainer Michael Trombetta said at his barn on the Oklahoma Training Track. “She has exceeded everyone's expectations. To get a horse that wins as often as she does and does it like she does … they just don't come around too often.”

Future Is Now is owned by the Estate of R. Larry Johnson. Larry Johnson, a Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred breeder, passed away in February at the age of 78. He bred Future Is Now and was also the breeder of top older horse Mindframe (Constitution), a Maryland-bred.

Trombetta said the next start for his stable star will likely be the GII Franklin Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 12. Future Is Now won that race last year; she was also a repeat winner of the Smart And Fancy.

He said she is not nominated to run in the GI Breeders Cup Turf Sprint.

“When Larry was here that might have been a possibility,” Trombetta said. “Not being nominated is a bit of a hurdle. I would imagine she would be respected with the boys but it's a little bit of a challenge for the girls to run against these males.”

Future Is Now will leave Saratoga for Trombetta's base at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland on Monday. He hopes that if all goes well, she will run as a 6-year-old.

“You know, I never expect any of them to win,” he said. “I hope they will win. It's a big deal to win (at Saratoga). You can win four or five at one of the Mid-Atlantic tracks and no one even notices. You win here, you get 30 text messages.”

The post Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Jockey Alvarado Now Knows How Sovereignty’s Foes Feel appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

When handicappers and bettors took a look at the past performances for the fourth race at Saratoga Race Course, $100,000 maiden special weight 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs, they saw that Tennessee Belle was a 3 1/4-length second in her debut on July 26. And that loss was to 'TDN Rising Star' Tommy Jo (Into Mischief), a most impressive maiden winner this meet.

Tennessee Belle, trained by John Alexander Ortiz for Boyd Racing, went off as the even-money favorite in the field of seven and cruised to a 7 1/4-length victory. Hall of Fame jockey Joel Rosario and Tennessee Belle completed the gate-to-wire romp in 1:10.74 and paid $4.10. All About You (Maclean's Music), the longest shot in the field at 25-1, was second.

Ortiz smiled broadly as he acknowledged that his filly's race versus Tommy Jo, trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, pretty much confirmed that his assessment of her talent was spot-on.

John Ortiz | Sarah Andrew

“We were going into the first race very prepared and very confident,” Ortiz said. “We got word that Pletcher liked his filly as well in that race, and we ran second to, I think, a very fantastic animal, to give credit where credit is due. It reassured me that we were sitting on a nice filly, as well.

“We were actually planning on running her next week, but we saw this race was coming up, and she came out of that race in fantastic shape, didn't miss a beat, didn't miss a meal. I said, 'You know what? We'll just use this as a stepping stone for our next race, which hopefully is a stakes.'”

Bloodstock agent Billy Love purchased Tennessee Belle as a short yearling at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February sale for $160,000, then brought her to Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, where she RNA'd for $385,000. Randy Boyd purchased her privately after the sale.

“Mr. Boyd got involved and the rest is history,” Ortiz said. “I think we have a very promising future with Boyd Racing in the industry itself. We are looking forward to all his horses that are coming up.”

Equibase stats show Tennessee Belle is Boyd's only starter this year.

“When she came in, she caught our eyes right away,” Ortiz said. “She's not the tallest, but she's very well-balanced, a really good physique to her. She's got amazing angles and lines. Anything you could look for in a good horse, they're all there. But, more importantly, she's got a great demeanor. She's very quiet, docile in the stall, but once she steps on the track, she puts her business face on and it's game time.

“She trains incredibly well in hand. Just very smart all the way around. I've had a lot of fillies that just act the same way, like her, Brightwork (Outwork) and Quietside (Malibu Moon) and many other fillies. I just think it's a great trait for a filly to have: be smart in the mornings and be all game when it's time to play.”

Tennessee Belle was bred in Kentucky by Breeze Easy LLC out of Belle Gallantey (After Market). She is yet another winner for Yaupon (Uncle Mo), the very successful first-crop sire. Ortiz said he was immediately impressed with the Yaupons headed to market.

“They all caught our eyes,” Ortiz said. “I would say we tried to catch a couple. I think that Yaupon has got a tremendous future ahead of himself.”

Tennessee Belle dominates today in R4 at Saratoga! @johnnyortiz24 trains and @jrosariojockey was aboard. pic.twitter.com/3NZCqkMNIw

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) August 16, 2025

The post Saratoga Maidens Presented By Keeneland: Battled Tested Tennessee Belle Easily Handles Spa MSW Field appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Heavily fancied by the crowd at 2-5 come post time, the chestnut broke evenly under John Velazquez to place herself in a forward position as Godolphin representative, Diamond Rain (GB) (Shamardal), blew the start and instantly found herself at the back.

Stalking in third as Hurricane Claire (Silent Name {Jpn}) and last year's King's Plate winner Caitlinhergrtness (Omaha Beach) led the way through modest opening splits of :25.08 and :49.56, the Cherie DeVaux-trained filly started to show her impatience down the backside, swishing her tail as if in protest.

According to Velazquez, She Feels Pretty was actually hit from behind.

“[She] got really anxious…you can see she got cut through the bandages. She got hit pretty good, but then she got pretty keen. So now, I have her covered up, and I've got to get in the clear a little bit. From then on it was a wrestling match with her.”

Given some relief by Velazquez approaching the quarter pole, the 4-year-old rolled to the fore with relative ease while three-wide turning for home, spurted clear in early stretch and was in an all-out drive as the slow-starting Diamond Rain mounted a gallant challenge in the stretch, but ultimately ran out of real-estate and had to play the bridesmaid as the U.S. invader held on to win by a head. GSW Ready for Shirl (More Than Ready) rounded out the trifecta.

“I didn't want to move too soon [because] the horse from Europe [Diamond Rain] was really close and really good,” Velazquez added. “I wrestled with [She Feels Pretty] past the 5/16ths pole and then finally put my hands down to let her do her thing. The last 16th of a mile, I don't know what she saw, but she got lost. I thought, 'Come on, don't do this to me now. We're almost there,' but she got it done.”

Victorious at this venue in the GI Natalma in 2023, She Feels Pretty rounded out that season with a close-up third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. At three, the filly won a trio of stakes, highlighted by the GI QEII Cup over nine furlongs at Keeneland and the 10-furlong GI American Oaks at Santa Anita last December.

Kicking off 2025 the same way she concluded the previous season, she took the GIII Modesty Stakes at Churchill Downs May 2 and made it four straight with a narrow victory in the 1 3/16-mile GI New York Stakes over a yielding Saratoga turf course June 6. Heavily favored for her return to the Spa for the GI Diana Stakes July 12, the Kentucky-bred was caught late and had to settle for second behind Excellent Truth (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) in the nine-furlong test.

DeVaux indicated She Feels Pretty will “most definitely” accept the ticket into the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar.

SHE FEELS PRETTY ($2.90) held off a huge run from Diamond Rain (GB) in the @BreedersCup Filly & Mare Turf #WAYI $750,000 E. P. Taylor Stakes (G1) at @WoodbineTB. The Karakontie (@Gainesway) filly is trained by @reredevaux. @ljlmvel had the ride. pic.twitter.com/3a8aBbWpJK

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) August 16, 2025

Pedigree Notes:

She Feels Pretty is out of a winning mare in Summer

Sweet, $550,000 juvenile purchase by Payson Stud at the Keeneland January Sale in 2016. The mare is a half to several successful runners including SW Summer Breezing (Langfuhr), SW/GSP Adirondack Summer (Thunder Gulch) and GISP Summer Solo (Arch), the dam of MGSW Solo Album (Curlin) and SW/GSP

Maedean (Tapit). This represents the family of French MG1SW Act One (GB) (In the Wings {GB}), G1SP Gharir (Ire) (Machiavellian) and G1SP Summer Symphony (Ire) (Caerleon). She Feels Pretty has a 2-year-old half-sister named She Feels Stunning (American Pharoah), also trained by DeVaux, in addition to a yearling half-sister by Olympiad half-sister and a filly foal by Justify.

Saturday, Woodbine
P. TAYLOR S.-GI, C$754,500, Woodbine, 8-16, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/4mT, 2:00.80, fm.
1–SHE FEELS PRETTY, 125, f, 4, by Karakontie (Jpn)
           1st Dam: Summer Sweet, by More Than Ready
           2nd Dam: Summer Solstice (Ire), by Caerleon
           3rd Dam: Summer Sonnet (GB), by Baillamont
($240,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Lael Stables; B-Payson Stud Inc (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux; J-John R. Velazquez. C$450,000. Lifetime Record: 12-8-2-2, $2,210,592. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Diamond Rain (GB), 125, f, 4, by Shamardal
           1st Dam: Dancing Rain (Ire) (Hwt. Filly-Eng- at 9 1/2 –11 f., Hwt. Filly-Eng- at 11 – 14 f., G1SW-Ger, G1SW-Eng, $932,081), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
           2nd Dam: Rain Flower (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
           3rd Dam: Rose of Jericho, by Alleged
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin, LLC (GB); T-Charles Appleby. C$150,000.
3–Ready for Shirl, 125, f, 4, by More Than Ready
           1st Dam: Perfect Shirl (GISW-USA, GSP-Can, $1,390,729), by Perfect Soul (Ire)
           2nd Dam: Lady Shirl, by That's a Nice
           3rd Dam: Canonization, by Native Heritage
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/-Charles E. Fipke (KY); T-Roger L. Attfield. C$82,500. 'TDN Rising Star'
Margins: HD, 10HF, 3/4. Odds: 0.45, 2.40, 15.55.
Also Ran: Venencia (Fr), Caitlinhergrtness, Literate, Hurricane Clair.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post She Feels Pretty Ventures North to Take the E.P. Taylor, Claims Breeders’ Cup ‘WAYI’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

A $425,000 Keeneland September acquisition, the Virginia-bred broke alertly and actually led for the first few yards, but was outfooted by Hero Declared, who fetched $575,000 at this year's OBS March Sale and showed the way through a strong opening couple of furlongs in :21.99.

The chalk was going along comfortably enough on the engine, but so, too, was It's Our Time, who raced just to his outside and strode into the lead as if Hero Declared was running in place, with the teletimer reading :44.78 for the opening half-mile.

Despite cornering a touch wide off the second corner, it was simply a question of 'how far' from there, as It's Our Time looked to take two strides for the competition's one, opening with every yard while covering the 6 1/2 furlongs in a very slick 1:15.63. Hero Declared just lasted for second, with $975,000 Keeneland September grad Renegade–an Into Mischief son of one-time 'Rising Star' Spice Is Nice (Curlin)–third.

Shea D Summer was a stakes winner at two and added victories at three in the Game Face Stakes and Azalea Stakes, then sold to East Hickmon Stable for $65,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale. Put in foal to the promising Not This Time, the mare was sold on to Amy Moore for $260,000 at KEENOV in the fall of 2022.

The mare's Virginia-bred yearling filly by Bolt d'Oro is catalogued as hip 1722 through Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services, as agent for Moore's South Gate Farm at next month's Keeneland September Sale. The mare's 2025 produce is another Virginia-bred filly by champion Forte (Violence), himself bred by South Gate Farm, and Shea D Summer most recently visited Muth.

7th-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-16, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 1:15.63, ft, 17 3/4 lengths.
IT'S OUR TIME, c, 2, by Not This Time
1st Dam: Shea D Summer (MSW, $170,071), by Summer Front
2nd Dam: Empress of Gold, by Empire Maker
3rd Dam: Circle of Gold, by Seeking the Gold
Sales history: $425,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $55,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Double Down Horse Racing; B-South Gate Farm LLC (VA); T-Thomas M Amoss.

IT'S OUR TIME makes a statement in his debut!

He breaks his maiden in Race 7 for trainer @TomAmossRacing with Luis Saez aboard who gets his third win of the day. pic.twitter.com/cLqSmgvLsh

— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) August 16, 2025

The post Not This Time Colt It’s Our Time Spectacular on Saratoga ‘Rising Star’ Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

At one point separated by just $3,000 on the board, the $75,000 Keeneland November weanling turned $160,000 Fasig-Tipton February yearling was ultimately sent off as the 1.05-1 favorite clear of 2-1 Nonna Teresa and was one of the first to break the line, with the debuting Nonna Teresa doing her best to match motors while holding her spot at the rail and relegating the favorite to the two path past an opening quarter-mile in :22.45.

Joined for the run into the final three-eighths of a mile by 25-1 All About You (Maclean's Music), Tennessee Belle 'voluntarily' counterpunched inside and when asked for her best in upper stretch by Joel Rosario, put the race to bed in a matter of strides and was just shown the whip to the wire.

Tennessee Belle had one previous appearance under her belt, a runner-up effort when well-backed on July 26 debut behind fellow 'Rising Star' Tommy Jo (Into Mischief).

Breeze Easy acquired GI Delaware Handicap and GI Beldame Stakes victress Belle Gallantey for $325,000 in foal to Runhappy at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale and offered the mare with this filly in utero at Keeneland November in 2022, only to retain her when bidding stalled out at $190,000. Re-offered at KEENOV last fall, she was knocked down to Chad Schumer/KGS for $120,000 when listed in foal to McKinzie.

Through bloodstock agents Billy Love and Brittany Linton, Boyd Racing principal Randy Boyd, the president of the University of Tennessee and founder of Radio Systems Corporation, paid $2.6 million for a Gun Runner filly out of former 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags) at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale on Aug. 5. “Life is about living slightly uncomfortable and this is a whole new space for us,” he told TDN's Jessica Martini at the sale. Boyd also gave $350,000 for a Practical Joke colt during the sale's opening night of trade.

4th-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-16, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10.74, ft, 7 1/4 lengths.
TENNESSEE BELLE, f, 2, by Yaupon
1st Dam: Belle Gallantey (MGISW-US, SP-Can, $1,134,270), by After Market
2nd Dam: Revealed, by Old Trieste
3rd Dam: Field of Vision, by Deputy Minister
Sales history: $75,000 Wlg '23 KEENOV; $160,000 Ylg '24 FTKFEB; $385,000 RNA Ylg '24 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $75,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Boyd Racing LLC; B-Breeze Easy LLC (KY); T-John Alexander Ortiz.

Tennessee Belle dominates today in R4 at Saratoga! @johnnyortiz24 trains and @jrosariojockey was aboard. pic.twitter.com/3NZCqkMNIw

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) August 16, 2025

The post Yaupon Filly Tennessee Belle Sails Home To ‘TDN Rising Star’ Honors appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Created this year and to be given annually, the D. Wayne Lukas Award is presented to a New York-based assistant trainer who demonstrates qualities that the late Hall of Famer himself exemplified–dedication, a strong work ethic, and a high commitment to excellence. In addition to a trophy, the winner will receive a $10,000 award. The presentation will be held Monday, Sept. 1 on the closing day of the Saratoga meet.

Lorieul, a native of Normandy, France, has been part of the Clement organization since 1994, and is now assistant trainer to Miguel Clement.

“I worked with Christophe over half, maybe two-thirds of my life,” Lorieul reflected. “Everything that I know is because of him; I wasn't even 20 when I started working for him. I could come to him about anything and learned many life lessons. I learned a lot and had many opportunities to travel, to Japan, Dubai, Hong Kong. He always said, 'be patient with the horses. Take care of them, and they will take care of you.'

“It has been a rough year for us and we are just trying to continue his legacy. We are lucky enough to have good horses in our stalls. Miguel is doing a great job and I'm just trying to assist him the best I can, the same as I did with Christophe. Miguel had mentioned to me that I would be nominated, and I'm very thankful.”

Miguel, who credits Lorieul with teaching him to understand the Daily Racing Form as a child, is now at the helm of Clement Racing. Lorieul supervises the Belmont string, as is his custom.

“He is the backbone of our stable,” said Miguel Clement. “He is amazingly reliable, talented, and devoted to his profession. We are all very lucky to have him, especially when it was so tough, and he really stepped up when we needed him the most.”

The post Clement Racing’s Christophe Lorieul Honored with Inaugural D. Wayne Lukas Award appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Due to the ongoing construction of the new Belmont Park, the BAQ fall meet will once again be conducted in Ozone Park and will run from Thursday, Sept. 11 through Sunday, Nov. 2. The meet will offer a total of 45 stakes worth $9.45-million in total purses, and includes four Grade Is, plus five Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' qualifiers.

Following the conclusion of the BAQ meet, the Aqueduct fall meet will run from Thursday, Nov. 6 through Wednesday, Dec. 31. With 28 stakes–10 of them graded events–the total purses come to $6.025-million. One of the many highlights is the $500,000 GII Cigar Mile for 3-year-olds and upward which will be carded on Saturday, Dec. 6.

Click here to view both stakes schedules.

The post NYRA Rolls Out BAQ, Big A Fall Meet Stakes Schedules For A Combined $15 Million appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Future Is Now (Great Notion) has now claimed seven wins from her last nine starts with a sparkling defense of her title in the Listed Smart And Fancy Stakes Friday afternoon.

Not off the board since mid-May of last year, the Great Notion mare has taken home the hardware in four graded races and hit the board in two others. Her last start July 19 at this venue was a half-length victory in the GIII Caress Stakes. Her only defeat in 2025 thus far was a runner-up effort in the GII Intercontinental Stakes by that same margin.

Quick from the blocks but with Twirling Queen (Twirling Candy) outsprinting her for the lead, the 4-5 favorite stalked to the outside of that rival as an opening quarter in :22.56 was posted and they swung into the stretch behind a four-furlong split in :45.40 with Future Is Now in firm command. Dontlookbackatall (Peace and Justice) tried to make it a race late but the betting choice was too much as she strolled home to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Returning Ellen Jay (Constitution) came on late to claim third.

Benedetta (City of Light), who was pulled up in the stretch, was walked onto the equine ambulance after being hosed and iced down, and was returned to the barn area.

“No objections, no inquiries, so all good,” said winning trainer Michael Trombetta. “It was a nice trip. I think she broke well. [Jockey] Paco [Lopez] wasn't sure how things were going to unfold in the paddock and quite honestly nor was I. He just figured he'd play it the way it breaks and fortunately she broke well, rated kindly and ran when he asked her to.”

When asked about a title defense in the GII Franklin Stakes Oct. 12 at Keeneland, Trombetta replied, “We hope so. That's always been the goal is to get there in the fall. We'll take her back to Fair Hill, let her unwind a little bit and get ready for what's next. She'd had a good season last year–I think she'd ran nine times–we'll take a look at everything.”

“She likes to have competition,” said Lopez. “[When she's alone] she waits a little bit for the horses, when she's next to horses she's a little bit [more engaged]. Today, easy field for her, I'm pretty sure.”

Future Is Now is a half-sister to a pair of similarly accomplished siblings, but claims the crown in the family as king of the hill, too. Elder half-brother Continentalcongres (Constitution) is multiple stakes placed while 4-year-old half-sister Call Another Play (Audible) is a dual stakes winner and graded-placed. Their dam Past as Prelude has a 3-year-old unraced son named Places in My Past (McKinzie) as well as a yearling filly by Audible and a 2025 colt by Charlatan. She went to Life Is Good for 2026. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

FUTURE IS NOW wins the Smart And Fancy Stakes for the second year in a row with @Pacolopez1018 aboard for trainer @trombetta_mike! pic.twitter.com/Vm39zJPgl6

— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) August 15, 2025

SMART AND FANCY S., $150,000, Saratoga, 8-15, 3yo/up, f/m, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.71, gd.
1–FUTURE IS NOW, 126, m, 5, Great Notion–Past as Prelude, by Bernardini. O-The Estate of R. Larry Johnson; B-R. Larry Johnson (MD); T-Michael J. Trombetta; J-Paco Lopez. $82,500. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 18-10-2-1, $967,160. *1/2 to Continentalcongres (Constitution), MSP, $313,800; 1/2 to Call Another Play (Audible), MSW & GSP, $370,345.
2–Dontlookbackatall, 126, m, 5, Peace and Justice–Celtic Arch, by Arch. ($150,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR). O-West Point Thoroughbreds, Scarlet Oak Racing and Titletown Racing Stables; B-A1A Racing (PA); T-Miguel Clement. $30,000.
3–Ellen Jay, 122, f, 4, Constitution–Covfefe, by Into Mischief. O/B-LNJ Foxwoods (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $18,000.
Margins: 1HF, HF, 2 1/4. Odds: 0.80, 16.90, 4.10.
Also Ran: Risk Threshold (Ire), Out too Late (GB), Twirling Queen, Sunday Girl, Benedetta. Scratched: Gal in a Rush, Legadema, Little Prankster.

The post Future Is Now Defends Smart And Fancy Crown at Saratoga appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Rivera's agent, Jimmy Riccio, later posted an update on X to say the rider was sore, but uninjured.

Really happy to say that @jockeylriverajr avoided injury. Thank God for that and appreciate everyone who reached out. He's a little sore but will rest and see how he feels in the morning

— Jimmy Riccio (@RiccioJimmy) August 15, 2025

Rock Harbor walked onto the waiting equine ambulance with assistance and was taken to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital for further examination. Daily Racing Form's David Grening later reported that trainer Jimmy Ferraro indicated that there appeared to be no bone breaks and that she might have suffered a soft-tissue injury.

In the same race, Bunny Honey (Demarchelier {GB}), who had drawn in from the also-eligible list, was pulled up by Joel Rosario, who reported that the horse was 'not travelling well.' NYRA veterinarians who responded found no signs of injury initially. Bunny Honey was also transported by equine ambulance to the barn area for further evaluation.

Two races later, Rosario was also aboard State of Readiness (Majestic City) when the 4-year-old gelding suffered an injury to his right hind. Rosario pulled up the Charlton Baker runner, who was immediately attended to by on-site veterinarians. They quickly determined State of Readiness had multiple inoperable fractures and euthanized him.

Officials at NYRA confirmed State of Readiness is the third racing fatality of the summer meet, which began July 10. There have also been two training fatalities this summer.

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That happens when the price tag he brought at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale read $3.2 million. And to make things even more interesting, the horse was named for Jimmy Barnes, Baffert's long-time assistant.

“Oh, that pressure is gone,” Baffert said with a laugh by phone from his summer base at Del Mar.

Big things were expected from Barnes, who has a so-so record of two wins and a second in four career starts.

Barnes will come to the races next Saturday when he makes his first appearance since a disappointing fifth (and last) finish in the GI Santa Anita Derby on April 5. The top two finishers in that race were Journalism (Curlin) and Baeza (McKinzie).

Barnes is one of three–maybe four–3-year-olds that Baffert is hoping to run in the $500,000 GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes on Travers Day.

In his first start this year, Barnes sizzled, winning the seven-furlong GII San Vicente Stakes by 5 1/2 lengths. In his last two races, he was beaten by Journalism, first in the GII San Felipe and then in the flop in the Santa Anita Derby, where he was defeated by 19 3/4 lengths.

Barnes is owned by Zedan Racing Stable.

“When we stretched him out, he just lost his form, lost some weight,” Baffert said. “I have him back to where he was now, and he is training extremely well. He is a really good horse, and he is ready for something like this.”

Barnes worked four furlongs in :48 (118/93) at Del Mar on Friday.

Baffert is also planning on running Madaket Road (Quality Road), owned by SF Racing, Madaket Stablew LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan and 'TDN Rising Star' Midland Money (Shancelot), owned by Edward Childs.

Madaket Road worked six furlongs in 1:11.40 (1/4) at Del Mar on Monday. Midland Money, who won a six-furlong allowance at Saratoga on Aug. 3, worked four furlongs in :48.83 (6/12) here on Tuesday.

The other Baffert horse under consideration for the Jerkens–Gaming (Game Winner), owned by Michael Pegram Karl Watson and Paul Weitman–worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 (21/45) at Del Mar on Friday.

Looks Like Bracket Buster Will Head to Saratoga for Travers

The field for next Saturday's $1.25-million GI Travers Stakes is not going to be a big one–the looming presence of Godolphin's Sovereignty (Into Mischief) will ensure that.

With entries scheduled to be taken for the Midsummer Derby on Sunday, it appears that only four others will take on the GI Kentucky Derby, GI Belmont Stakes and GII Jim Dandy Stakes winner.

Bracket Buster | Taylor Ejdys/Equi-Photo

One of those challengers will likely be Bracket Buster (Vekoma), who was last seen finishing fourth in the GI Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 19.

Owned by BBN Racing LLC, Bracket Buster is trained by Vicki Oliver. Bracket Buster worked four furlongs in :47.80 (9/32) at Keeneland on Friday. Oliver said she has also looked at the seven-furlong $500,000 Robert Hilton Memorial at Charles Town on Aug. 22.

She said she could cross-enter in both races. Oliver said she would likely head to Charles Town if the Travers somehow drew a field of nine, which is highly unlikely.

“(The New York Racing Association) would like me to come to fill their field out,” Oliver said by phone from her Keeneland base Friday. “They would want us, and I don't blame them. If (Sovereignty) shows up, none of us can beat him, we all know that. I'm not scared. This is racing.”

Bracket Buster finished eight lengths behind Journalism (Curlin) in the Haskell. Gosger (Nyquist) and Goal Oriented (Not This Time) also finished in front of him.

“He did not have the greatest trip in the Haskell,” Oliver said. “He fought on hard to be fourth and the horses that beat him are three of the top 3-year-old horses in the country.”

Bracket Buster has started four times this year and has one win (Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth on June 14) and a second. If he comes to the Travers, Oliver said he would ship on Tuesday.

“Things can happen in a horse race, horses can stumble at the break,” Oliver said. “My horse could stumble, Sovereignty could stumble. You can't win it unless you're in it. There is no shame in running second or third in the Travers.”

Other horses expected to enter the Midsummer Derby are Magnitude (Not This Time), owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC, Klaravich Stables' 'TDN Rising Star' Strategic Focus (Gun Runner) and McAfee (Cloud Computing), owned by Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables LLC, Judy Hicks and Scott Rice.

Longshot Honorable Miss Champ Back for More

It was a sloppy track at Saratoga nearly four weeks ago. On Sunday, July 20, 4-year-old filly Halina's Forte (Mitole) opened some eyeballs when she won the GII Honorable Miss at the juicy odds of 24-1.

Trainer Phil Bauer is bringing her back for the $500,000 GI Ballerina Stakes on Travers Day. He'll see if the Honorable Miss was a fluke for the Rigney Racing LLC runner. He is thinking it will not be.

“You have to give her credit,” Bauer said outside his barn on the Oklahoma Training Track. “She moved forward as a 4-year-old. Can she take another step forward? She is going to have to if she wants to win this heat.”

Halina's Forte | Sarah Andrew

In the Honorable Miss, maybe Halina's Forte had everything going for her. It was her third time on an off track, and it produced her second win.

“She ran a monster race, regardless, and beat a lot of the ones that are coming to run back in this one,” Bauer said.

Even though Halina's Forte had leading rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. on her back in the Honorable Miss, she went off as the second-longest price in the eight-horse field.

Part of the reason for that was her first race of the season. Halina's Forte began the year with a second-place finish in the Prairie Rose Stakes at Prairie Meadows on June 6. She was 4-5 in that one.

“You go to Prairie Meadows, you are supposed to win,” Bauer said. “I think that is what people were looking at and I think they were keying on other horses in there (Honorable Miss).”

Since that win, Bauer said Halina's Forte has done well at Saratoga, a place where she is two-for-two in her career. Overall, she has six wins, three seconds and two thirds in 14 starts.

Bauer said that Joel Rosario will ride Halina's Forte in the Ballerina.

If Halina's Forte is able to win the Ballerina, it would be the second career Grade I win for Bauer, who won the 2023 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs with Played Hard (Into Mischief).

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A distant second to long-gone Flying Hawaiian (Maximus Mischief) in that July 21 contest, he broke on top Friday from his outside post in this second attempt at graduation. Rounding the far turn after an opening quarter in :22.54, even-money favorite Black Volt (Cairo Prince) moved up inside to get on even terms with Freely Held. As they hit the top of the stretch, the son of Independence Hall took command once again, kicking clear through the stretch to score by 6 1/2 lengths at 5-1 odds. Bootleg Runner (Runhappy) came on late to claim second from the betting choice.

Dam Kept is a half-sister to SW Welcome Home, who is responsible for MGSP & SW Pool Winner (Broken Vow) and MSP Sounds of the City (Street Cry {Ire}). The mare has produced a yearling filly by Thousand Words and a weanling colt by Mitole. She was bred back to Speaker's Corner for the 2026 season.

4th-Delaware, $43,250, Msw, 8-15, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:05.80, ft, 6 1/2 lengths.
FREELY HELD (c, 2, Independence Hall–Kept, by Exchange Rate) Sales history: $30,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; $75,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $35,400. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Happy Tenth Stable; B-Three Lyons Racing, LLC (KY); T-Daniel Velazquez.

Freely Held, 2yo C by INDEPENDENCE HALL , is dominant at @DelParkRacing breaking his maiden by 6 1/2 lengths!

Congratulations to breeder, Three Lyons Racing!#BellRinger pic.twitter.com/g6BWZxw4D6

— WinStar Farm (@WinStarFarm) August 15, 2025

The post Independence Hall’s Freely Held Becomes Freshman Sire’s First Winner at Delaware Park appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The victress is the most recent to the races for Rockin, who now has four offspring to get a picture taken from as many to the track. The mare claims a 2025 filly by Zandon and went to Charge It for 2026. Sales history: $7,000 Ylg '24 FTKOCT; $38,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $24,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-JC Racing Stable (Jose Castro); B-Mercedes Stables LLC (KY); T-Jose M. Castro.

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Featuring a rubber match between GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) and two-time GISW La Cara (Street Sense), we'll have our answer following a fantastic renewal of Saturday's GI Alabama S. at Saratoga.

Good Cheer made it a perfect seven-for-seven for trainer Brad Cox with a powerful win on the first Friday in May, but never factored as the 1-4 favorite, finishing a lackluster fifth in the GI Acorn S. in the Saratoga slop June 6.

The Godolphin homebred, listed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite, will face five rivals in the 1 1/4-mile feature.

“She's doing great,” said Blake Cox, assistant trainer to his father. “She was perfect until the Acorn and we can't really come up with an excuse–maybe the racetrack, I guess, but you could tell she wasn't traveling well throughout the race, so we'll give her one more shot here going a mile and a quarter. She should like it, and we've given her plenty of time. She's done well up here, so fingers crossed we get her back in the win column.”

They'll all have to catch La Cara. The aforementioned Acorn was won in front-running fashion by the Tracy Farmer homebred, who also wired the GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland Apr. 7. Those two efforts bookended a speed-and-fade ninth-place finish behind Good Cheer in the Kentucky Oaks.

La Cara | Sarah Andrew

Hall of Famer Mark Casse will also saddle Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro). A four-time stakes winner on grass, the D. J. Stable homebred romped by 17 lengths facing just two rivals in the off-the-turf GIII Wonder Again S. in the Saratoga slop June 7, her lone career attempt on dirt. Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf third-place finisher just missed by a nose in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. at the Spa July 5.

“I've been watching the Alabama since I was eight, and to have two legitimate chances,” Casse said. “I think it's not set in stone, but this race is going to be a big deciding factor in who's going to be champion 3-year-old filly. Obviously, someone can go on and win the Breeders' Cup and that would trump whatever happens in the Alabama, but we'll have a clear-cut leader once the dust is settled.”

Saturday's graded stakes action also includes the GI Del Mar Oaks, headed by 8-5 morning-line favorite Thought Process (Collected); and the GIII Philip H. Iselin S. at Monmouth Park, led by 'TDN Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense).

For a closer look at Saturday's King's Plate card at Woodbine, including the 'Win and You're In' GI E. P. Taylor S., click here.

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“I definitely have a lot of confidence in him,” said Mansetti's trainer Kevin Attard. “Pietro worked for us for maybe three years before he took out his license. So I got a chance to know him pretty well. From day one, he's shown a lot of confidence. He's very mature for his age and just a very good student of the game.”

Moran is the son of journeyman rider David Moran, who also has a mount in the race, on William T (Frosted). It is the first time that a father and son have ridden against one another in the King's Plate. It will be the second King's Plate mount for Pietro, who finished fourth last year with Pierre (Tapiture).

“My dad has been a huge influence on me,” Pietro said. “Just to grow up alongside him, he's been helping me and guiding me every step of the way and points me in the right direction. He's never allowed me to put a bad step forward. I'm very lucky to have my dad's help. We are both competitive. We want to kick each other's butt every time.”

Pietro always wanted to be a jockey.

“I probably couldn't even talk yet to tell everybody I wanted to be a jockey,” he said. “That's how long I've wanted to be a rider. I always wanted to be a jockey. I've always loved the horses and loved the game.”

Moran started riding in 2023 and won just four races that year. He was in the midst of a successful season last year when he was injured at Fort Erie on Sept. 10. He had 62 wins at the time.

It was a precursor of what was to become. Entering Friday's card at Woodbine, he led all jockeys with 65 wins. Rafael Hernandez and Sahin Civaci were tied for second with 57 winners each.

'We've ridden him a lot and have been successful together,” Attard said. “It's been a good relationship and he's a great individual.”

Most Ontario-based trainers would agree. Leading trainer Mark Casse has teamed up with Moran for five winners. In Saturday's stakes Moran will have mounts for Attard and Martin Drexler and two for Casse. He's getting the kind of opportunities that are almost unheard of for an apprentice.

“I've had a lot of good opportunities,” Moran said. “I'm very thankful  for all the opportunities I'm getting to not only ride a lot of races but to ride in stakes races. It just goes to show that trainers are okay with using me. I try to work hard every day and do my best and I'm being rewarded with the opportunity to ride in these big races.”

Moran has set four goals for this year. He will be the champion Canadian apprentice and he also hopes to win an Eclipse Award as the top bug boy in North America and finish the year as the leading jockey in the Woodbine standings. All three are within reach. The fourth is to win the King's Plate.

The King's Plate is a wide-open race that drew 13 entrants. Mansetti, who is 10-1 in the morning line, is coming off a win in the GIII Marine Stakes and has won two other stakes.

“The biggest question for him is the mile-and-a-quarter, but he's got a lot of talent,” Moran said. “He's the only three times stakes winner in the field and the only graded stakes winner in the race. Once he gets a clean trip and is able to settle, he'll give it his best to the wire.”

Moran, who loses his bug on Jan. 6, has yet to decide where he will ride this winter after the Woodbine meet is over. Many believe that he is destined to become a top rider in the U.S.

'I would definitely love to ride in the States and try to become one of those big-name riders that go around the country and ride the best horses and ride in Group Is,” he said.

A win in the King's Plate might move him closer to the goal, but there will be plenty of other opportunities along the way. Kazushi Kimura took a similar path, dominating while he had the bug and winning the Woodbine riding title in 2021, 2022 and 2023. He is now a regular on the Southern California circuit. Easily the most promising rider to come out of Canada since Kimura, Moran's long-term goals could easily be reached.

“You could tell early on with Pietro that he had the recipe to be very successful,” said Attard. “This is only the beginning of what his future holds.”

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