Brendan Walsh

Keeneland concluded its 2025 Spring Meet on Friday following 15 days of racing that produced total wagering of $192 million. The Spring Meet was slated to begin Friday, Apr. 4, but severe storms and flooding rainfall forced Keeneland officials to take the unprecedented step of rescheduling the opening two days, resulting in the GI Central Bank Ashland and the GI Toyota Blue Grass moving to Monday, Apr. 7 and Tuesday, Apr. 8, respectively. "The success of this Spring Meet is a salute to the power of teamwork, and we are...

With a sweeping move around the final of three turns in the 1 1/2-mile closing-day feature, Forever After All (Connect), currently in foal to Flightline, took over from a pair of embattled pacesetters and romped home by daylight in the GIII Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland. Facing a scratched-down field over a course listed as yielding, the 9-5 favorite, a last-out fifth in the GIII The Very One Stakes at Gulfstream Mar. 1, let two rivals to her inside show the way for much of the running before making a confident,...

Good first impressions are a must in most professional situations, and Gin Gin (Hightail) stepped up in a big way for new trainer Brendan Walsh when she dominated the GIII Baird Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland Friday evening. Previously in the barn of Brad Cox, she had a stakes win in New York to her credit in 2024 by way of the Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct in mid-January, but went winless for the rest of the season including a start in the GI Kentucky Oaks. Running 12th in the premier spring...

6th-Keeneland, $110,000, Msw, 4-17, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:28.04, ft, 6 lengths. CLICQUOT (f, 3, Quality Road--Royal Obsession {GSP, $140,857}, by Tapit) ran a distant sixth in her first start at Gulfstream Park Mar. 1. Shipping to Keeneland from Brendan Walsh's Palm Meadows base, the filly put in a pair of solid drills locally before serving as the 7-5 choice here. The 3-year-old was in the mix early and vied for the lead up the backstretch alongside Mazayaat (Bernardini), who incidently finished as the runner-up in their debut race in Hallandale....

Gosger (Nyquist) had been matching motors in the morning with 'TDN Rising Star' East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro), and while the latter was a bounce-back runner-up in the GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes this past Tuesday, the gray colt managed to go one better in Saturday's GIII Stonestreet Lexington Stakes, swinging into action off the final turn before keeping on nicely to score in his black-type and two-turn debuts. The homebred bounced alertly from stall five and was content to take up a rail-skimming position behind the leading trio of the...

Godolphin's East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro), winner of last year's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, tuned up for next Saturday's GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes with a four-furlong work in :47.00 (7/106) at Keeneland Saturday. With Stephen Dolan aboard for trainer Brendan Walsh, East Avenue started two lengths in front of workmate Gosger (Nyquist), a 3-year-old maiden winner, and was three lengths in front at the wire. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.40. "It was just a maintenance work; he did all of his major work at Fair Grounds," said Paul...

From Godolphin's 12 starters in 10 renewals of the GI Kentucky Derby, favored Essential Quality (Tapit)'s promoted third-place finish following Medina Spirit (Protonico)'s medication disqualification in 2021 has been the best result to date. With four serious contenders--all homebreds--on target for upcoming Kentucky Derby preps and fresh off a fifth consecutive Eclipse Award as outstanding owner, could this be the year for Sheikh Mohammed's powerhouse global operation? "We've been there before and we've had chances," Godolphin USA Director of Bloodstock Michael Banahan said. "Who knows what's written in the stars,...

We're inside the 13-week mark to the GI Kentucky Derby with no seismic changes to the running order at this early stage of the season. The rankings are fairly evenly distributed among contenders based on both coasts and in Kentucky, Arkansas and Louisiana. 1) FIRST RESORT (c, Uncle Mo-Fair Maiden, by Street Boss). O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Eoin G. Harty. Lifetime record GSW, 4-2-1-0, $338,671. Last start: WON Nov. 30 GII Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. First Resort's 6-1 win in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes Nov. 30 rated as the most visually...

Preparing to make their sophomore debut in the GII Risen Star Stakes on Louisiana Derby Preview Day, both Jonathan's Way (Vekoma) and East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro) breezed at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Saturday. The nine-furlong Kentucky Derby prep will award 50-25-15-10-5 Derby points to the top five finishers. Firing the bullet for his trainer Phil Bauer, Rigney Racing's Jonathan's Way breezed 5/8ths in 1:00.20 on Saturday, going in company with stablemate Kalahari Dreams. "[Jonathan's Way] sat right off of him going away from the pole," Bauer said of...

Coming into this contest already dually placed at the highest level, Nitrogen (Medagalia d'Oro) turned on the nitrous in the stretch to run down her rivals and claim her first stakes victory. Last seen running third Nov. 1 in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf behind European powerhouse, 'TDN Rising Star', and multiple Group/Grade I winner Lake Victoria (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), and GSW May Day Ready (Tapit), Nitrogen had earlier tried Canadian Grade I company at Woodbine. Third in the GI Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes Sept. 14 behind GISW...

Grade I winner 'TDN Rising Star' East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro) returned to the worktab Jan. 3 in his first published move since finishing ninth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile last November. The well-beaten favorite in the championship race, the son of Medaglia d'Oro went onto the track shortly after a renovation break for a half-mile breeze in :49.20 with Declan Cannon in the irons. The sectionals were reported as :12 2/5, :24 4/5, and :37 2/5 and he galloped out five furlongs in 1:02 1/5, according to clocker Billy...

The lesser-fancied and less-heralded of an uncoupled Godolphin-owned entry in Thursday's GIII Falls City Stakes at Churchill Downs, the beautifully bred Loved (Medaglia d'Oro) went through her gears in the final three-sixteenths of a mile to cause a mild upset. 'TDN Rising Star' Tarifa (Bernardini), the 7-4 favorite exiting a tough victory in the GII Mother Goose Stakes Oct. 26, boxed on for an alibi-free second while no match for the winner. Having earned her first black-type success in the Mari Hulman George Memorial Handicap at Horseshoe Indianapolis this past...