Coal Battle

In winning the $300,000 GIII Indiana Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis Saturday, James Bakke and Gerald Isbister's Tip Top Thomas (c, 3, Volatile--Attempt to Name, by Consolidator) may have gotten a little redemption. Last summer and fall, the sky looked like the limit for Tip Top Thomas, who was named a 'TDN Rising Star' in a hard-fought head debut in an August maiden special weight at Saratoga, then came back for a runner-up finish to another 'Rising Star', Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie), in the GI Champagne Stakes. Fourth in his maiden win...

One of the pieces to the handicapping puzzle that was this year's GI Kentucky Derby was just how Juddmonte Farm's Final Gambit (Not This Time) would handle a conventional dirt surface, having raced only on turf and synthetic tracks in his four starts prior to that. The homebred had punched his ticket to the Run for the Roses when exploding through the lane to dominate the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks Mar. 22, and he answered the surface question when making up a stack of ground--albeit behind a strong tempo--to round...

The field for the GI Kentucky Derby, ranked in "likeliest winner" order. 1) JOURNALISM (c, Curlin--Mopotism, by Uncle Mo). O-Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5 LLC, LaPenta, Robert V., Magnier, Mrs. John, Smith, Derrick and Tabor, Michael B.; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. Sales history: $825,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG. Lifetime record: GISW, 5-4-0-1, $638,880. Last start: WON Apr. 5 GI Santa Anita Derby. Journalism is the legitimate and deserving favorite. He checks many of the Derby desirability boxes by being a big, long-striding...

Citizen Bull (Into Mischief), last year's Eclipse champion juvenile, completed his major preparations for Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby with a bullet five-furlong work in :58.40 (1/15) Monday at Churchill Downs. Churchill Downs clockers caught Citizen Bull in fractions of :11.60, :23, :45.80, :58.40 and out six furlongs in 1:12.40 and seven-eighths in 1:27.20. "He worked really good out there," said jockey Martin Garcia, who was aboard for the work. "But he was just messin' around. He did it easy." Garcia also revealed that trainer Bob Baffert, who has radio contact...

Norman Stables' Coal Battle (Coal Front) and Junko Kondo's G2 UAE Derby winner Admire Daytona (Jpn) (Drefong) put in half-mile works for the Kentucky Derby over a fast track Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs. Working during the 7:15-7:30 a.m. EST training window reserved for Kentucky Derby and Oaks contenders, Coal Battle was the first to go, clocking a half-mile in :47.80 under Bethany Taylor. Fractions were :12.40, :24.60, :47.80, and out five furlongs in 1:00.80. "I was thrilled with it. He keeps getting better every time he goes out there,"...

On a crisp Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs, Kentucky Derby 151 contenders Coal Battle (Coal Front) and Sandman (Tapit) turned in published workouts. Sandman, winner of the GI Arkansas Derby for D.J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables, breezed at 7:15 a.m. (all time Eastern) with trainer Mark Casse's longtime exercise rider Froylan Garcia in the irons. The grey began his work with eighth-mile splits of :13.60 and :26.40 before registering an official final time of :49.60 for four furlongs. The colt galloped out five furlongs...

Lonnie Briley's first starter at Churchill Downs came three years ago in the Kentucky Juvenile Stakes on the Thursday of Derby week. Although his trainee Cool Spirit (Mor Spirit) broke a step slow and finished last, the experience left Briley with lasting memories of Louisville. "I tell you, when the horses took off running, it was like there was an airplane taking off," Briley recalled with a soft-spoken Cajun drawl. "It was like a big roar, like the bleachers could come off the ground. It was the first time I've...

Two days after shipping in following a third in the GI Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn, Norman Stables' Coal Battle (Coal Front) began his preparation for the GI Kentucky Derby with a half-mile breeze in :48.40 Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs. With trainer Lonnie Briley's assistant, Bethany Taylor, aboard, the GII Rebel winner clicked off an opening quarter-mile in :24 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.40, according to clocker Adam Wallace. "He was too fresh in the Arkansas Derby," Briley said of the four-time stakes winner. "I usually never have...

Travel plans for the GI Arkansas Derby runners are taking shape as top two Sandman (Tapit) and Publisher (American Pharoah) are scheduled to make the move to Churchill Monday. Positive prognoses abound Sunday as trainers prepared their charges for the haul to Churchill Downs ahead of the final preparations for the first Saturday in May. Sandman relished not only the added distance, as his dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse predicted, but also the meteoric pace up front courtesy of Cornucopian (Into Mischief) and Speed King (Volatile). His preliminary...

We've taken the plunge into the deeper end of the prep pool for the GI Kentucky Derby. Five nine-furlong stakes each awarding 100 qualifying points are scheduled over the next two Saturdays, after which this list will expand to the Top 20. 1) CITIZEN BULL (c, Into Mischief--No Joke, by Distorted Humor) O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Robert Low & Lawana Low (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history:...

Bob Baffert has found himself in a familiar position as he once again brings a well-met runner into Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby with all the buzz behind him, this time in the form of 'TDN Rising Star' Cornucopian (Into Mischief), who has been made the 7-5 morning line favorite from the nine hole. Fresh off an unveiling which garnered the stamp of approval from the TDN, and stopped the clock in a six-furlong maiden special in an eye-catching 1:09.02--the fastest by a 3-year-old in Oaklawn history--the son of Into Mischief...

The Texas Thoroughbred Association's Texas Summer Yearling Sale will be held Aug. 26, beginning at 10 a.m., at Lone Star Park. A limited mixed session will follow the yearling session. "We've already had people asking about the yearling sale, so we are pleased to get the date set and start preparing for another successful auction," said Sales Director Foster Bridewell. "The yearling sale has produced some tremendous racehorses over the years, including the latest example in Coal Battle." A $70,000 graduate of the 2023 yearling sale, Coal Battle is already...