Ezum

The only Triple Crown nominee in a scratched-down field of four, Klaravich Stables' Growth Equity (Nyquist) was second by a length when well-backed on Saratoga debut July 19 and most recently returned to round out the exacta in a local seven-furlong heat that also featured next-out maiden winners Unsearchable (Not This Time) and the highly impressive Ezum (Essential Quality). Pounded at the tills to the tune of a dime on the dollar, the $425,000 Keeneland September purchase was content to track the pace outside of longshot Swiss Army Knife (Practical...

No three-figure maidens this week, but the meeting at Colonial Downs featured prominently in this week's top 5. 5. LOVE'M OR LIAM, GP, 3/13-5th, 1 1/16 miles (Tapeta) (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-81 (c, 4, by Liam's Map--Fly Me to Dubai, by Into Mischief) O-Cheyenne Stable. B-Catherine Hudson, Kildare Stud and Aaron Mulholland (Ky). T-Bill Mott. J-Junior Alvarado. He finally broke his maiden in his seventh start and first on Tapeta (off the turf), but in his defense he hasn't seen easy spots against Grande (later second in Wood Memorial), Life...

Shadwell Stable's Ezum (Essential Quality), a speed-and-fade ninth at longshot odds on seven-furlong debut at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 7, was pounded into even-money favoritism stretching out to a mile Saturday at Colonial Downs and treated his rivals to a 19 1/2-length beating. Soon in front for Flavien Prat, the $485,000 Keeneland November weanling angled down towards the inside and made the running one off the fence while doing it through comfortable fractions up front. Prat held his mount together into the final three furlongs and when he edged ever...

4th-OP, $126K, OC 100k/C, 4yo/up, 1 1/16m, 2:32 p.m. ET. Sandman (Tapit), winner of last term's GI Arkansas Derby and third-place finisher in the GI Preakness S., kicks off his 4-year-old campaign in Hot Springs. The $1.2-million OBS March breezer was last seen finishing ninth in the grassy GIII DK Horse Nashville Derby Invitational S. at Kentucky Downs Aug. 30. He will race with first-time Lasix with Jose Ortiz aboard. He is owned in partnership by D. J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables and is...