Aqueduct

HIGHGROVE (Frosted--Bell Court, by Street Sense), who as an 'Insight' runner went off as the 2-1 second choice here, fired out of the blocks and proceeded to make every pole a winning one through the top of the lane. The filly clearly had more left in the tank and she went on to graduate by 2 1/2 lengths over fellow first-time starter Long Term Market (McKinzie). The 'Insighted' Run Wild (Gun Runner) finished fourth. The second to the races for her dam, the winner has a yearling half-brother by Loggins...

In horse racing, an exceptionally fast race will often involve not just a speedy winner, but others who run faster than usual trying to keep up. That phenomenon arises again in this week's list of fast females, featuring six horses from three races. 6--IRISH MAXIMA, BAQ, May 9, Ruffian Stakes-GII, 1m Beyer Speed Figure- 90 (video) (m, 5, Maximus Mischief--Palace Pier, by Out of Place) O-Irish Three Racing; B-Pillar Property Services (Ky); T-John Servis; J-Frankie Pennington. Once again, Irish Maxima proved that when she shakes loose to a clear early...

4th-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, 5f, post time: 6:27 p.m. ET CUT THROAT should have his fair share of admirers to get first-crop sire Cyberknife (Gun Runner) off to a flying start with his first runner. A half-brother to the stakes-placed Arman (Bolt d'Oro) and April Vintage (Vino Rosso), the February-foaled chestnut is out of an unraced half-sister to SW & MGSP Two Thirty Five (Stay Thirsty). The deeper female family includes Eclipse Award-winning juvenile filly Halfbridled (Unbridled). Cut Throat breezed an eighth of a mile in :10 flat at this...

Directive (Gun Runner), now with the experience of a start under her belt, made the most of her second start against an over-matched field of experienced maidens. Second going 6 1/2 furlongs on the local track Apr. 3, Thursday's 1-5 favorite had to contend with a muddy track but took advantage of her early speed to keep her face clean while largely left alone through fractions of :23.08 and :46.20. 18-1 longshot Moonlit (Daredevil), the other second-time starter in the field, did well to keep pace into the stretch but...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Sandtrap at Aqueduct. Lope De Vega Fillies Capture Aqueduct Affairs Named a TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard in her Salisbury debut for Ralph Beckett in September of 2024, Sandtrap (Lope De Vega) made her American bow a winning one at Aqueduct on April 18 (video). Trained by Chad Brown, the daughter of Zindaya (More Than Ready) races for Bridlewood Farm. Bred by...

1st-AQU, $80k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 1:10p.m. ET Hailing from a branch of the female line which yielded 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' MGISW Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), Okefenokee (Maxfield) will be unveiled in the Aqueduct opener for trainer Tom Morley. Sharing a name with an ecologically rich swampland that spans Georgia and Florida, as well as being a beloved stomping ground for a certain Adams family, the $375,000 Keeneland September purchase enters this debut with a healthy worktab over the training track at Belmont Park. In...

Michelle Cuozzo Borisenok has been elected as the new president of the New York Race Track Chaplaincy, the organization's chairman Terry Finley announced Thursday. Celebrating its 40th year of service to the New York backstretch community, the Chaplaincy was previously headed by Hall of Fame jockey Ramon Dominguez, who will remain as a board member. "It is hard to adequately convey the countless ways Ramon Dominguez helps our organization thrive and we are thrilled that he has agreed to stay involved as a member of our board of directors," Finley...

1st-AQU, $86k, Alw/Opt. Clm., 4yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:10 p.m. ET MATILDA (GER) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) belied odds of 25-1 to defeat the boys in last year's G2 German 2000 Guineas at Cologne in May for owner/breeder Volker Kaufling and was purchased privately thereafter by Peter Brant. Subsequently turned over to Francis-Henri Graffard, the bay filly was as short as 6-1 facing older females in the G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville in August, but finished well down the field in 10th behind the very talented Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot...

The GII Baird Doubledogdare Stakes and GIII Santa Maria Stakes were the highlights of last week among the distaff set, at least from a Beyer Speed Figure perspective.   6. OVERSUBSCRIBED (GB), AQU, 4/17, Plenty of Grace Stakes, 1 mile (turf) (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure - 91 (2nd) (m, 5, by Too Darn Hot (GB)-Zurigha (Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire)) O-Klaravich Stables. B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited (GB). T-Chad Brown. J-Manny Franco. She probably isn't one of the premier Brown turf females, but she has been spotted judiciously enough to be twice...

Currently 16th on the 'Road To The Kentucky Derby' Leaderboard, the GIII Gotham Stakes winner Iron Honor (Nyquist) will bypass the 'Run for the Roses' and instead point to the 151st Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 16 at Laurel Park, trainer Chad Brown told 1/ST Racing via a press release on Tuesday. "He's going to go to the Preakness," Brown, a two-time winner of the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, said Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs. "The only thing is if something weird changes with the [Derby] field, a...

Sandtrap (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}--Zindaya {GSW, $567,240}, by More Than Ready) began her career as a juvenile in the care of trainer Ralph Beckett and the dark bay broke her maiden at first asking to earn a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', at Salisbury that September. The filly was the runner-up to eventual GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Gezora (Fr) (Almanzor (Fr) in the G3 Prix des Reservoirs Stakes at Deauville a month later. Both Sandtrap and Gezora were transferred to Chad Brown's...

A pair of 'TDN Rising Stars, presented by Hagyard', are part of this week's fastest maidens hit parade. 5) LA RASCASSE, KEE, 4/11-8th, 7f VIDEO Beyer Speed Figure- 84 (f, 3, by Authentic-Hallawallah, by Candy Ride (Arg)) O-Resolute Racing. B-Bill Klisit (Ky). T-Will Walden. J-Axel Concepcion. Champion Maryfield (Elusive Quality), who won the 2007 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, was disappointing as a producer, but her top earner Hallawallah (Candy Ride {Arg}) has a chance to burnish the family resume. Hallawallah earned $188,789 with no black type and Beyer...