Classic Empire

Beautiful Empire (Classic Empire)'s furious kick carried the day for conditioner Mark Casse, rallying from last to lead home a 1-2-3 finish for the Mark Casse barn in a brisk rendition of the Star Shoot S. at Woodbine. The filly was far back in her first two starts over conventional dirt at Churchill Downs before breaking her maiden Dec. 10 over the synthetic at Turfway Park to conclude her juvenile season. The chestnut began her year with a close runner-up effort Jan. 8 at the venue on first-time Lasix and...

Of the 1,630 stallions who covered mares in North America in 2018, a grand total of up to 34 could have starters in the respective gates of the upcoming GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks (based on a maximum of 20 Derby starters and 14 Oaks starters). That's about a 2% chance. How remarkable is it, then, that this year we have not one, not two, but seven stallions with the potential to pull off a Derby-Oaks sire double, something that hasn't been done since Native Dancer sired the...

It was a jam packed weekend of action from coast to coast. Here's a small, bite-sized sample of its impact on the bloodstock world. All The Time... Few sires are hotter right now than Taylor Made's Not This Time, who has the fewest crops of any of the top 10 sires on the 2022 general sire list. In addition to his one-two finish by Simplification and In Due Time in the Fountain of Youth, his Epicenter is also on the GI Kentucky Derby trail. McGrath's Seal Of Approval... Not This...

The unbeaten Morello (Classic Empire) pressed and pounced his way to a dazzling 4 1/2-length victory in Saturday's one-turn mile GIII Gotham S. at the Big A. Drawn wide in post nine, the even-money favorite Morello, a last out five-length winner of the local Jimmy Winkfield S. Feb. 6, was bumped hard at the start. Seemingly undeterred, he raced under a nice hold while a stalking second behind fellow two-for-two Dean's List (Speightstown) through an opening quarter in :23.47. He cruised up alongside the pacesetter approaching the quarter pole and...

If the early trials have produced a Derby horse to "rise without trace," then that might well turn out to be Morello (Classic Empire). As winner of two sprints round Aqueduct this winter, he obviously still has a long way to go--in every sense. But there's no mistaking his raw talent, nor the fact that we have only seen the tip of the iceberg even in that very stylish exhibition in the Jimmy Winkfield S. Certainly Morello looks eligible to restore some deserved attention to his sire. Though they're all...

Morello obliged as the 7-5 favorite in Sunday's Jimmy Winkfield S. to become the third black-type winner from his sire (by Pioneerof the Nile)'s first crop. A $250,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic juvenile off a good-looking :10 1/5 breeze, the chestnut opened his account with a clear-cut victory going a furlong shorter here Nov. 27 and was flattered when the runner-up came back to win well himself while improving by 17 Beyer points. With an upbeat interim worktab on display, Morello broke alertly from the outermost five post before being allowed to...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols 4th-AQU, $80k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 2:18 p.m. Trainer Jimmy Jerkens sends out firster CAPONE (Classic Empire) for the partnership of Gainesway, LNJ Foxwoods and NK Racing. The dark bay sold for $400,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale following an adventurous work in :10 2/5, accomplished despite the saddle slipping under rider Susan Montanye. TJCIS PPs  

So finally we come to a group of stallions that has at least offered some initial indication of their competence actually to produce a runner. Not that the market tends to enjoy this process! Its nervousness about sires at this stage of their career makes it easy to see why so much investment is instead concentrated in that period of grace when they haven't yet been exposed in such heartless fashion. Yes, the one or two that are prompt to seize their chance are instantly on their way: their second...

Classy Edition took her record to a perfect three-for-three and earned the second stakes victory of her career in the Key Cents S. at Aqueduct Sunday. The bay filly was outfooted in the early strides and raced near the back of the pack before rushing up three wide to be mid-pack down the backstretch. She ranged up five wide at the top of the lane, took charge with a furlong to run and strolled clear to the wire. "It went pretty smoothly," said winning trainer Todd Pletcher. "It looked like...

7th-Churchill Downs, $116,256, Msw, 11-19, 2yo, 7f, 1:22.99, ft, 5 1/2 lengths. ROCKET DAWG (c, 2, Classic Empire--Rever de Vous {SP}, by Distorted Humor), the most expensive first-crop yearling of 66 sold by his freshman sire when bringing $375,000 at last year's FTKSEL sale, tuned up for this with a five-furlong spin in 1:01 1/5 (5/15) at Churchill Nov. 13. Off at odds of 9-2, Rocket Dawg raced in an outside seventh through an opening quarter in :22.76 after exiting from post nine. He began to roll beneath Florent Geroux...

Lawana and Robert Low's $550,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic purchase Classy Edition (Classic Empire) proved worth the money Sunday as she overcame a rough start to dominate a group of New York-bred fillies and garner the 'TDN Rising Star' distinction. Purchased by agent Jacob West off a swift :10 1/5 breeze at Timonium in May, the bay was 3-5 while bidding to become newly minted Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher's eighth juvenile debut winner of the Saratoga stand and third 'Rising Star'. Pletcher sent out smashing turf winner Annapolis (War Front) on...

First Empire, fittingly trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, became the first stakes winner for freshman sire Classic Empire with a win in Saturday's Soaring Free S. at Woodbine. He dueled and tired to fifth in his debut over the all-weather July 4, then dueled free when switched to grass to graduate here Aug. 1. Backed as the second choice in this one, First Empire forced the issue from an outside second, began to shake clear rounding the far turn and gamely kept finding after switching to his left...