Coal Front

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 reigning Horse of the Year 'TDN Rising Star' MGISW Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) has emerged from her tour de force in Saturday's GII Azeri Stakes, and is on track for an anticipated start in the GI Apple Blossom Apr. 12 at Oaklawn Park. Having emerged from her seasonal bow in said local prep for the Grade I marquee race for older fillies and mares, she will return to Fair Grounds early this week where trainer Kenny McPeek said she will train this month and 'maybe' into April before returning...

As racing across the nation heats up with spring nearly upon us, we take a look at trends and notable items from the country's graded races in February.  February featured 20 graded races from coast to coast. Five tracks hosted graded events during the month: Fair Grounds (4), Gulfstream Park (3), Oaklawn Park (4), Santa Anita Park (7), and Tampa Bay Downs (2). Four were Grade II events, while 16 were Grade III. Six were contested on turf, with 14 on dirt. Eight of the graded contests were for sophomores,...

The only rule is that there are no rules. Some of our most expensive freshmen are entering precisely the end game that drove their purchase: Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) and Muth (Good Magic) cost $2.3 million and $2 million respectively, as juveniles; Prince of Monaco (Speightstown) was a $950,000 yearling. Yet the GI Kentucky Derby remains as likely to be won by a $30,000 claim like Rich Strike (Keen Ice) or, most recently, a son of the $10,000 cover Goldencents. Last week, we saluted the advent of a $2,500 yearling...

Norman Stables' Coal Battle (Coal Front) scored one for the little guy Sunday at Oaklawn Park, overtaking pacesetting California invader Madaket Road (Quality Road) in upper stretch and leaving favored Sandman (Tapit) in his wake while striding home a 1 1/4-length winner of the GII Rebel Stakes. Sandman, who famously broke in a tangle before finishing a valiant second in the GIII Southwest Stakes a month ago, had most of the eyes on him as he broke professionally Sunday, but was unhurried and settled well off the pace as Madaket...

Already a two-time stakes winner with 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in his possession, Coal Battle doubled that total Saturday and made it three in a row with a strong win in Saturday's Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Clearly a horse that can take his track with him (he's now made six starts over six different surfaces and on slop, mud, grass and fast going), the son of MGSW Coal Front jumped up last time out to upset the Remington Springboard Mile Dec. 13 at...

Everybody understands the deal with new stallions. Most will never again command so high a fee, nor so potent a book, and many will complete their principal service to commercial breeders long before any of their stock has actually entered a starting gate. Once they reach that point, you need only browse the freshman tables of years past to get a chastening sense of how many "exciting" newcomers will establish a lasting eligibility to keep seeding the breed. On the other hand, their window of opportunity is ruthlessly brief. If...

5th-Saratoga, $83,000, Msw, 7-20, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:04.75, ft, 9 1/2 lengths. CRAZY MASON (c, 2, Coal Front--Izshelegal {GSP, $134,840}, by Maria's Mon) closed late to finish second following a slow start in his five-furlong unveiling at Monmouth June 17. The 7-2 shot, adding blinkers for this second start, rushed up to challenge Uncle Eddie (Nyquist) for the early lead and those two rivals battled through a quarter in :22.94. Crazy Mason took charge approaching the stretch and completed the half in :46.71 before gliding clear unchallenged to win by...

1st-Evangeline Downs, $28,100, Msw, 6-15, 2yo, 4 1/2f, :53.84, ft, 4 1/2 lengths. GOOD AND STOUT (c, 2, Coal Front--Ready Witted, by More Than Ready) failed to meeting his reserve on a final bid of $117,000 at this April's OBS Sale but was attained privately and earned heavy 3-5 favoritism in this scratched-down debut facing just a pair of rivals. Second of the three through the early running, he began to eat into Hymn for Carlos's (Custom for Carlos) advantage with a furlong to run, and took over from that...

A filly by Nyquist, who is half-sister to leading GI Kentucky Oaks contender Affirmative Lady (Arrogate), turned in the fastest quarter-mile work of Friday's penultimate session of the under-tack show for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, while a daughter of Speightstown and a colt by Into Mischief shared the fastest furlong time of the week. The daughter of Nyquist (hip 1024) turned in the day's fastest quarter-mile breeze--and second fastest of the week--when covering the distance in :20 2/5. The dark bay filly, consigned...

Spendthrift Farm's Coal Front (Stay Thirsty--Miner's Secret, by Mineshaft) sired his first reported foal Jan. 26 when a filly was born at Shade Tree Farm in Ocala, FL. Bred by Tracy Pinchin & Kenneth D'Oyen, the flashy bay filly is out of the Wildcat Heir mare Defying Gravity. "This is a good foal. Nice, big, strong filly with a lot of leg, good shoulder and hip. I like her best of the three foals the mare's had," said Bert Pilcher, owner of Shade Tree Farm. "She was quickly up and...

Thursday, Chris McGrath covered the first half of the Kentucky stallions with first weanlings. Click here to read about Omaha Beach, Vino Rosso, Mitole, Audible, Catholic Boy and Yoshida. Part II appears below. Unusually enough, this intake includes a third Grade I winner on both dirt and grass in WORLD OF TROUBLE (Kantharos--Meets Expectations by Valid Expectations), held at $15,000 by Hill 'n' Dale. This was an unusually efficient machine for the chaotic environment of the sprint division. His only defeat in his final eight starts measured by the neck...