Commandment

We edge inside the two-month mark to the GI Kentucky Derby with a well-bunched Top 12 hurtling toward more lucrative qualifying points races at longer distances. 1) PALADIN (c, Gun Runner--Secret Sigh, by Tapit) O-Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Peter M. Brant, Brook T. Smith, and Summer Wind Equine, LLC; B-Summer Wind Equine LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. Sales history: $1,900,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG. Lifetime record: MGSW, 3-3-0-0, $848,250. Last start: WON Feb. 14 GII Risen Star Stakes. The 3-for-3 Paladin has racked up two wins in nine-furlong...

Wathnan Racing's Commandment (Into Mischief) looked no worse for wear at Payson Park Sunday morning after taking the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream one day earlier. "He looks great this morning," trainer Brad Cox said. "We're real pleased with him." Winner of the Mucho Macho Man Stakes in early January, Commandment fended off 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Chief Wallabee (Constitution) in the Kentucky Derby point-earning qualifier. The 1 1/16-mile test serves as a prep for the GI Curlin Florida Derby Mar. 29 at Gulfstream. While the...

It was a good battle on the tote and it carried over to the racetrack, as Wathnan Racing's Commandment (Into Mischief), sent away the 12-5 favorite, and 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Chief Wallabee (Constitution)--the 29-10 second choice--locked horns in the final furlong of Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, with the slightly more experienced Commandment taking advantage of a superior trip to prevail narrowly. The victory was good for 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. A two-time Fasig-Tipton buyback and sold...

When a field of 10 enters the starting gate for Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, they'll sure have some big shoes to fill. Twelve months ago, Sovereignty (Into Mischief) embarked on what would become a Horse of the Year campaign with a narrow victory in his seasonal debut and a little more than two months later, joined Spectacular Bid (1979), Thunder Gulch (1995) and Orb (2013) as horses to add the GI Kentucky Derby in the last half-century. Horses such as Union Rags (2012) and...

TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack provides analysis for this weekend's trio of GI Kentucky Derby preps--Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park and GIII Gotham S. at Aqueduct and Sunday's GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Park. GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. - Commandment (Into Mischief) is a deserving favorite and the horse to beat in this absolutely loaded renewal of the Coolmore Fountain of Youth. He kicked off the New Year in style, splitting horses at the top of the stretch en route to a...

Last week's news that juvenile champ and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) was off the GI Kentucky Derby trail because of bone bruising resulted in a No. 1 vacancy. I went right down to deadline trying to figure out which of the top three listed below should be the new kingpin. I felt I could have made a cogent case for any of them being No. 1. However, I also feel that from No. 4 on down right now it's a kaleidoscopic free-for-all to round...

Commandment (Into Mischief), a dominating winner of the Mucho Macho Man S. Jan. 3, will make his next start in the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park Feb. 28. The Wathnan Racing colorbearer returned to the worktab for trainer Brad Cox with a four-furlong breeze in :50.60 (16/27) at Payson Park Jan. 23. "Not long after the Mucho Macho Man, Brad (Cox) was thinking about the Fountain of Youth as a spaced-out target," said Case Clay, Wathnan's Racing Manager, USA. "He looks great and Brad's happy with...

The first sophomore skirmishes of the 2026 Classic crop vividly attested to the twin poles that support this business. One is that access to the most expensive blood must work out sufficiently to keep the elite programs in the game. But the other is that a good horse can come from anywhere, which gives us all some kind of chance. The impressive success of Commandment in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes reiterated how the annual quest for the GI Kentucky Derby winner currently starts with the rags-to-riches emperor of American...

We're inside the 16-week mark for the May 2 GI Kentucky Derby. These initial rankings are largely based on 2-year-old form, but a speculative element is baked into the equation with an eye toward projecting how these still-developing contenders will blossom over the winter and early spring. 1) TED NOFFEY (c, Into Mischief--Streak of Luck) 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'. O-Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Aaron & Marie Jones LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. Sales history: $650,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP. Lifetime record: MGISW, 4-4-0-0, $1,657,963. Last start: WON Oct. 31 GI...

Wathnan Racing's newly minted 3-year-old Commandment (Into Mischief) ran to the billing as the 1-2 favorite with a dominating win in Saturday's Mucho Macho Man S. going a one-turn mile at Gulfstream Park. Drawn on the fence, the $500,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase was fourth through opening fractions of :24.09 and :47.38. All dressed up with nowhere to go at the top of the stretch, Commandment bulled his way through in between horses beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. and leveled off beautifully from there to win going away by 6 3/4...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. Favored at 5-2 in his unveiling for Brad Cox in a very deep maiden special weight at Keeneland Saturday, Commandment (c, 2, Into Mischief) stamped himself as one to watch with a "sneaky good" fourth-place finish. Immediately under a ride from his inside draw, the Wathnan Racing colorbearer dropped back to race in 11th through an opening quarter in :22.75. He began to get his legs underneath...