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Navan's Saturday card featured a trio of black-type contests, but early focus centred on the €18,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden for juveniles, in which Coolmore and Westerberg's Charles Darwin (Ire) (No Nay Never), a full-brother to dual Group 1 winner Blackbeard (Ire), illuminated proceedings with a spectacular 5 1/2-length triumph. Aidan O'Brien had annexed three consecutive renewals of the near-six furlong contest, including with subsequent G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere hero Camille Pissarro (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) last year, and his 8-11 pick was away sharply to gain immediate control coming back off a debut...

Facing a couple of starters from barns that typically hold hot hands in Keeneland's baby races at this time of the year, Percy's Bar (Upstart) overcame trouble in the early going of her 4 1/2-furlong career debut before rolling past her competition late to win by an emphatic margin at Keeneland Wednesday afternoon. Pinched back as In the Aggregate (Raging Bull {Fr}) veered over on her at the onset, Percy's Bar found trouble at the hooves of that rival again, forcing to check while passing the gap as the free-flying favorite Gracie's Delight (American Pharoah), from the...

Part of a favored Klaravich Stable entry favored at 70 cents on the dollar, Strategic Focus (c, 3, Gun Runner-Curlin's Mistress, by Curlin) turned in a highly polished debut effort, outfinishing a pair of older rivals to become the newest 'TDN Rising Star' for his boom sire. Drawn widest in a field of eight, the $500,000 Keeneland September purchase broke fractionally to his right and was taken in hand by Dylan Davis to race in the second half of the field behind fractions of :23.38 for the opening quarter and :46.23 for the half. Kept out...

Making the move from France to the States for new connections, Al Jafara (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}) rewarded their patience with a 'TDN Rising Star' effort against allowance foes at Keeneland. Fourth against allowance company on unveiling at Chantilly for owner Mansour Aguel and trainer Hedi Ghabri, she returned nine days later at the venue to take on maidens going 1 1/8-miles. She relished the extra real estate and graduated from that condition by 1 1/4 lengths Sept. 16. Entered into Arqana's Arc sale set for last October, she changed hands to her...

With paddock buzz in his corner and looks to match, Big Truzz (Justify) did not disappoint his backers as he strolled home to confidently break his maiden at Keeneland and earn 'TDN Rising Star' honors in the process. Coming into this unveiling, the striking son of Triple Crown winner Justify had a bullet work at Palm Meadows Mar. 28 [four furlongs in :47 flat, fastest of 52] and a work locally Apr. 9 to his credit. That most recent breeze was another four panel work clocked in :49.80 (67/121), and the betting public liked...

Leopardstown's opening fillies' maiden on Wednesday has produced some luminaries in recent times and Robert Moran's Catalina Delcarpio (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) looks another as she surged to TDN Rising Stardom. Well-supported into 11-4 second favourite for the 10-furlong test, the Paddy Twomey-trained 400,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase tanked along in the hands of Billy Lee behind the leaders off the moderate pace. Full of running turning for home, the relative of the Oaks third High Heeled (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) surged to the front upon command approaching the furlong pole...

Goal Oriented (Not This Time), carrying powerhouse connections and a speedy work tab into his debut, made even-money look like a gift when he glided home a 3 1/4-length debut winner for trainer Bob Baffert and the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan Sunday evening at Santa Anita. The dark bay colt, a $425,000 Keeneland September yearling acquisition, trailed the field and was climbing up the backstretch, but once he got his mind...

Twelve months on from Kempton playing host to Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Saturday's card produced another new TDN Rising Star in Peter Winkworth's deeply promising homebred filly Glittering Surf (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). Off the mark in style over the same mile trip and track in December, the Owen Burrows-trained relative of the G1 Prix Vermeille heroine Kitesurf (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) had to pass most rivals en route to a smooth length success from the strongly-fancied 6-5 favourite Bermuda Longtail (Fr) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}). Burrows has a plan for...

Sottsass (Fr) had two deeply promising fillies in Saint-Cloud's Prix Kizil Kourgan on Tuesday and despite his Ultrafragola (Ire) starting favourite it was the other daughter Safia (Fr) who emerged best to earn TDN Rising Star status. Carrying the colours of racing and breeding's rising force David Layani, the Fabrice Chappet-trained descendant of Sophisticat (Storm Cat) and Serena's Song (Rahy) travelled easily throughout the mile Classic pointer under Cristian Demuro and readily held White Birch Farm's TDN Rising Star Ultrafragola by two lengths. Chappet was pointing to the May 11...

A filly who failed to find a bidder as a yearling and landed a Gowran Park maiden on 3-year-old debut at 40-1 became a new 'TDN Rising Star' at Santa Anita on St. Patrick's Day, fittingly enough, as Raw Ability (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) ran her stateside record to two wins from as many starts and won for the third time in three career appearances. Friendless in the markets when unveiled by Limerick trainer Eric McNamara over a mile at the Irish venue last June 3, the bay-who was bought back for the upset price...

Flying Dutchmen's Shred the Gnar (Into Mischief), making her second career start after finishing a close-up second going six panels in her career bow in Hallandale Feb. 9., appreciated the added yardage as the 2-5 choice scampered off to TDN Rising Star-earning 6 1/2-length victory at Gulfstream Park Sunday afternoon. Sent to the front early by Luis Saez, the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate was comfortably ahead of 3-1 second choice Donor Advised (Gun Runner) through an opening quarter in :23.98. Still moving fluidly through a slightly faster half in :47.01, the bay was asked for more...

Making the journey from his Payson base in South Florida, Lion of Justice (Into Mischief-Ever So Clever, by Medaglia d'Oro) did not mind the new digs one iota as he graduated on debut over the blazing main strip at Colonial Downs on Saturday. Owned by St. Elias Stable, Talla Racing, West Point and C J Stable, the colt represented the pride well and took home a 'TDN Rising Star' for his effort. Bred by Clearsky Farms, the $1.1 million Keeneland September purchase was slammed at the windows to the tune...