Blame

The juvenile sales season, on pause since March due to the global pandemic, began its return to action with the first of seven under-tack sessions for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's delayed Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training in Central Florida Sunday. A New York-bred filly by Into Mischief (hip 1240) recorded the day's fastest furlong breeze when covering the distance in :9 4/5. Consigned by Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds and part of the sale's supplemental catalogue, the filly is out of Miss Vigilance (War Pass), a half-sister to Grade I winner...

Unbeaten superstar sophomore and 'TDN Rising Star' Nadal (Blame) exited a breeze Thursday morning with a condylar fracture and has been retired. The Bob Baffert trainee was credited with a four-furlong drill in :48.80 (7/45) (XBTV Video) at his Santa Anita home base before X-rays revealed the injury and he underwent surgery, requiring two screws. "I always say to get my trophies--and I have three Eclipse Awards and one Cartier--you have to get massive scars along the way," co-owner George Bolton told the TDN. "You have to understand days like...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 7th-CD, $79K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1m, 4:08 p.m. ET SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables and Fred Hertrich III's BEACON HILL (Blame) debuts for trainer Rodolphe Brisset. The dark bay, who realized a $500,000 final bid at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling sale, was the highest priced yearling out of 27 sold by his sire in 2018. Dam My Mammy, already responsible for the colt's full stakes-winning sibling Sweet Victory and stakes-placed Ferdinanda (Giant's Causeway), is a half-sister to Grade I-winner Bandini (Fusaichi Pegasus) and Group 3...

On my first trip to the Kentucky Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center, better known as KESMARC, I was actually there to see a Jack Russell Terrier receive a hyperbaric chamber treatment. Troy Hamilton, who operates the chamber and oversees around 1,000 treatments per year, was kind enough to explain the process to me and describe the chamber's many benefits. He also regaled me with tales of some of the greats he had the pleasure to work with, such as Blame and Stephanie's Kitten. I only met owner and founder...

Just about an hour and 15 minutes after his stablemate and fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Charlatan (Speightstown) dazzled in the first division of the GI Arkansas Derby, Nadal (Blame) provided Hall of Famer Bob Baffert with a clean sweep of the split Oaklawn feature. The bay scored a good-looking victory in what was considered the deeper edition of Saturday's Arkansas Derby, securing his spot in the gate for the Sept. 5 Run for the Roses. Anxious in the gate, Nadal was away in good order from post five as GII...

It takes a lot of prospecting, a lot of false leads, a lot of patient drilling. When you do strike oil, however, the fulfilment of a single moment will suddenly indemnify all the barren endeavour in between. And that's equally true whether you are a geologist, trying to read the complexion of the land above mineral deposits; or a horseman, trying to find that latent seam of class beneath the surface hints of pedigree and conformation. Al Stall, Jr., having filled both roles in his time, recognizes the analogy. "Oh,...

7th-TAM, $20K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 3:30 p.m. ET Lynne and Edward Hudson's pricey sophomore colt CREED (Honor Code) adds spice to the Wednesday card at Tampa Bay Downs as he makes his career debut for Shug McGaughey in this elongated sprint. A son of GSP Aspiring (Seeking the Gold), the bay hammered for $650,000 at Keeneland September and boasts a strong female family. Second dam Lassie's Legacy (Deputy Minister) is out of MGSW/GISP Weekend Surprise (Secretariat), making her a half-sister to the legendary A.P. Indy (Seattle Slew) and MGISW Summer...

'TDN Rising Star' Nadal (Blame) made it a perfect three-for-three digging down gamely to deliver as the 4-5 favorite in wire-to-wire fashion in Saturday's $1-million GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Park. Removing blinkers for this first two-turn test, the rail-drawn bay was hustled to the front by Joel Rosario and was immediately hounded by unbeaten Louisiana-bred No Parole (Violence) and the returning GI American Pharoah S. runner-up American Theorem (American Pharoah) rounding the clubhouse turn. No Parole backed off, but the two California invaders continued to throw down through sharp...

Bob Baffert sends out so many impressive 3-year-olds this time of year, it seems like some become forgotten as soon as the next one does something special. After the dazzling performances of Baffert trainees Authentic (Into Mischief) and Charlatan (Speightstown) in recent weeks, that forgotten horse may be the barn's unbeaten Nadal (Blame). Saturday, the $700,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream buy will look to match his talented stablemates as a likely favorite while making his two-turn debut in the $1-million GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn. Debuting as a 6-5 favorite Jan. 19...

GII Remsen S. winner Shotski (Blame) will be pointed towards the $2.5 million G2 UAE Derby Mar. 28, which offers 170 points towards the GI Kentucky Derby. The bay will work once more at Gulfstream before shipping to Dubai. "He seems in good form, full of himself at the moment. Our primary plan is to keep him here in Florida with the plan to go to Dubai," trainer Jeremiah O'Dwyer said. "That's what we're looking at right now. We've been talking about it. We're going to fly out of here...

Grade I winner Abscond (Blame), favored in the local Ginger Brew S. last out, stumbled at the start and got rank after that before finishing a close third, but will have a chance at redemption when likely going off as the public's choice again in Saturday's GIII Herecomesthebride S. for 3-year-old turf fillies at Gulfstream. A debut victress sprinting on the Ellis green last July, the bay was runner-up to 'TDN Rising Star' Kimari (Munnings) in the Bolton Landing S. Aug. 14 at Saratoga before gamely prevailing in the GI...

The business of buying racehorses is a constant test of balancing risks and opportunities. A month after Kerri Radcliffe signed for a son of Blame for $700,000-the joint highest price for a 2-year-old by the sire at auction-at Fasig-Tipton's Gulfstream Sale last March, one of the investors backed out. That left Radcliffe with an expensive colt on her hands, but an opportunity to put a transatlantic group of clients in on a horse she staunchly believed in. The ownership group of George Bolton, best known for campaigning international stars like...