Fierceness

Trainer Chad Brown has long stated that a victory in the GI Travers S., not far from home in Mechanicville, would be one of the crowning moments of what will be a Hall of Fame career. 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) is the barn's main hope for the centerpiece of the Saratoga meeting and he can take one giant step towards fulfilling his trainer's dream as the likely favorite in Saturday's GII Jim Dandy Stakes. The colt, who topped the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale not far from the...

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. -- It is no surprise that Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas is confident that his GI Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey (Arrogate) is up to the challenge he will face Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in the GII Jim Dandy Stakes. Never shy about touting his horses, Lukas, 88, said that the MyRacehorse colt is ready to take on beaten GI Kentucky Derby favorite Fierceness (City of Light) and beaten GI Belmont Stakes favorite Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) in the local prep for the...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - A final decision on whether or not 'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) will run against the boys in the $1.25 million GI Travers Stakes will be made on Saturday. That's the deadline trainer Kenny McPeek put on himself Sunday morning, the day after his 3-year-old filly dominated the GI Coaching Club American Oaks, winning by 4 1/2 lengths. "We are going to take the week, get her back on the track Wednesday, and I will make a decision Saturday," McPeek said, sitting in his...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Pressure? What pressure. There was none of that over at trainer Kenny McPeek's barn at the Oklahoma Annex Friday morning. Even though the stable star--the imposing, impressive and almost undefeated 3-year-old filly Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna)--is running on Saturday, no one on McPeek's staff was sweating bullets. Thorpedo Anna is the 1-2 morning-line favorite in the $500,000 GI Coaching Club American Oaks at 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga Race Course. She has won five of six career starts and has won all three of her races...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher promised that he would enter three of his horses for Saturday's $1 million NYRA Bets GI Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park. And that he did on Wednesday as a pair of 'TDN Rising Stars' in Fierceness (City of Light) and Mindframe (Constitution), plus Tuscan Sky (Vino Rosso) were three of the eight 3-year-olds signed on to run in the signature race at the Monmouth. It remains to be seen how many of them actually take the trip from the Spa City to...

Todd Pletcher has taken multiple swings, 18 to be exact, at the GI Haskell S. in the past, and the Hall of Fame trainer once again returns to Monmouth Park loaded for this year's renewal. Pletcher's trio of entered runners is headed by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables'  Mindframe (Constitution). During Wednesday's draw luncheon at the Oceanport oval, the GI Belmont Stakes runner-up was installed the 9-5 morning line favorite shortly after drawing post seven in the eight-horse field. Irad Ortiz Jr., making his first appearance in the Haskell,...

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher is in the midst of yet another busy Saratoga season, but this weekend he will have a quick hiatus from the Spa as he pops over to Monmouth Park to saddle several leading contenders in the GI Haskell Stakes. To discuss Fierceness (City of Light), Mindframe (Constitution) and Tuscan Sky (Vino Rosso)--and talk about whether or not we will see all three colts in New Jersey or if any will wait until the GII Jim Dandy Stakes--Pletcher joined this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast,...

Trainer Todd Pletcher checks in from Saratoga to join this week's TDN Writers' Room. He discussed some of his top 3-year-old colts, including those running in the GI Haskell this weekend, and even gave out a few 2-year-old tips for the betters.

Trainer Chad Brown, who won his 150th Grade I race Saturday with repeat winner Whitebeam (GB) (Caravaggio) in the GI Diana Stakes, is already looking forward to the next starts for his stable's biggest runners. Of note, Gina Romantica (Into Mischief), just edged out for second in the Diana, could be headed to face the boys in the GI Fourstardave Handicap Aug. 10 along with stablemates Chili Flag (Fr) (Cityscape {GB}) and Whitebeam. "Chili Flag and Whitebeam are certainly horses you could consider for the Fourstardave depending who is running...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - With apologizes to the rest of the horse population spending the summer at Saratoga Race Course, the most popular Thoroughbred on the grounds is the dominating 3-year-old filly Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna). Winner of all three of her starts this season--by a combined 13 1/4 lengths--Thorpedo Anna took her next step towards the July 20 GI Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga early Saturday morning. With regular rider Brian Hernandez, Jr. on board, Thorpedo Anna worked five furlongs in 1:01.55 (5/20) on the Oklahoma Training Track....

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--During his Hall of Fame career, trainer Todd Pletcher has won the GIII Sanford at Saratoga a record eight times. He'll look to pad that stat on Saturday when he saddles Mentee (City of Light) in the six-furlong race, which will be run for the 108th time. "For me, it's always about the 2-year-olds," Pletcher said outside his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track when asked what the most exciting part of training is for him. "The 2-year-old program is fantastic here; the state program is great. We...

Chad Brown has won the GI Diana Stakes seven times in its last eight runnings and, well, the odds say that right about 5:45 p.m. Saturday, that will be eight out of the last nine. That's because the Mechanicville native will send out half of the 10 runners for the first elite-level contest of the Saratoga meeting. Strength, indeed, in numbers, but a quintet also not short on quality. Chili Flag (Fr) (Cityscape {GB}) is perhaps the antithetical European import for the barn in the sense that she required three...