Gainesway Stable

During his 22 years serving in the Kentucky State Senate, Damon Thayer was known as a fierce advocate for the horse racing industry. Thayer decided not to run for re-election in 2024, but that doesn't mean that he stopped trying to help the sport, using his considerable political acumen to do so. Thayer has accepted the job as the senior advisor to the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative--a group formed to try to fight off efforts to decouple the racing and casino and card room licenses in Florida. To talk about his...

9th-Gulfstream, $77,000, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 3-9, 3yo, 1m, 1:36.59, ft, 7 1/2 lengths. PRAETOR (c, 3, Into Mischief--Curlin's Approval {MGSW, $654,725}, by Curlin) ran a well-beaten third on debut in the mud at the Spa last August, but he was able to graduate by a neck over the highly-regarded GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth hero Sovereignty (Into Mischief) at the Big A Sept. 27. Given time after a minor injury, the bay returned to work at Chad Brown's Payson base in late January. Slammed at the windows for his...

The New York Gaming Commission has suspended Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher 14 days and fined him $2,000 after a horse he trained tested positive for the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory phenylbutazone during a 2022 race at Saratoga. Via text message, Pletcher said he is appealing the penalty. He declined to comment further. The Paulick Report was first with the story. The horse in question, Capensis (Tapit), was the even-money favorite in the 10th race at Saratoga on July 30, 2022 and finished sixth. He is owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners,...

Gainesway Stable's Spendarella (Karakontie {Jpn}) was named 2022 New York-bred Horse of the Year--as well as champion 3-year-old filly and champion female turf horse--at the New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc.'s annual awards ceremony, sponsored by the New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund, at Saratoga National Golf Course Monday evening. Now four, the filly won a pair of graded events last spring before heading overseas for a runner-up effort in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot. She returned Stateside to win the GI Del Mar Oaks in August. "It's...

Mage. It's not a word you come across too often, though its roots are obviously entwined with those of "magus"--as in the three magi, the wise men who followed the star from the east-and indeed "magician." It denotes one of deep learning, sometimes to an occult degree. And if the horse bearing that name (a son of Good Magic, it hardly needs adding) should happen to win the GI Kentucky Derby, then perhaps we should view the man responsible for bringing him into the world as aptly honored. Because just...

5th-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 3-12, 3yo, 7 1/2fT, 1:29.34, fm, 2 1/2 lengths. FEARLESS SOLDIER (c, 3, City of Light--Hessie's Girl, by Giant's Causeway) had something of a rough debut Feb. 16 when he tossed his head at the jump and hopped coming out of the stall. Racing all over the synthetic track from there, as far as seven wide in the stretch before lugging in through the final furlong, he finished a very green fourth but producing a field-best Beyer Speed Figure of 74. Cutting back from that 1m70 contest...

StarLadies Racing, LNJ Foxwoods and Gainesway Stable's Prank (Into Mischef--Callingmissbrown, by Pulpit), a $500,000 half-sister to stablemate and recent GI Belmont S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), GISW, $1,511,800, flashed serious speed and ability Sunday to justify 1-2 backing and be named an obvious 'TDN Rising Star'. Emerging from the pack to seize early command, the Todd Pletcher pupil doled out a swift opening split of :21.91 before leaving High Class (Into Mischief) in the dust through a :45.11 half. From there it was only a question of how far,...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 5th-BEL, $90k, Msw, 3yo/up, 1 1/16mT, 3:03p.m. ET Carrying the weight of a princely $2 million KEESEP price tag as well as a host of well-known co-owners which includes breeders Stonestreet Farm, Capensis (Tapit) will be unveiled in this spot for trainer Todd Pletcher. Out of GI Santa Margarita S. winner Tara's Tango (Unbridled's Song), he's half to fellow multi-million purchase Alexander Valley (Medaglia d'Oro)--a $2,150,000 buy at KEESEP by Godolphin. Capensis comes into the race off a bullet four furlong move over Saratoga's turf...

2nd-GP, $60k, Msw, 3yo, f, 7f, 12:40p.m. ET This contest kicks off the first of two maiden special weights on the Hallendale card with smartly regarded firsters. Breaking from the far outside, Blini (Tapit) has graded stakes winning shadows to outrun: full-siblings Iron Fist, MGSW, $1,104,199; Anchor Down, GISP & MGSW, $734,254; and half-sister Sweet Lulu (Mr. Greeley), GISW, $693,600. Her dam Successful Outlook (Orientate) is a third generation graded stakes runner and producer. To her inside, there is a Calumet owned and bred half-sister to SW, $865,921, Pingxiang (Speightstown)...

Building on a debut second to Just Distorted (Distorted Humor) for which she earned a lofty 89 Beyer, Gainesway Stable and LNJ Foxwoods' 2-5 favorite Sea Dreamer (Into Mischief) was never out of a high gallop in graduating by 9 1/2 lengths Saturday afternoon at Del Mar to become another 'TDN Rising Star' for her incomparable sire. Smartly into stride from the two hole, the $250,000 Keeneland November weanling turned $285,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga buyback skipped along comfortably with some mild pressure to her outside through an opening quarter in a...

Wit romped home an eight-length winner of the GIII Sanford S. at Saratoga Saturday, becoming the first stakes winner for his highly touted freshman sire (by Into Mischief). The dark bay colt, who broke last before romping home to a six-length 'TDN Rising Star' victory in his 5 1/2-furlong debut  at Belmont June 5, was again away from the gate slowly and settled off the pace as longshot Trust Our Journey (American Pharoah) set the early tempo. The pacesetter was some three lengths in front through a quarter in :22.68...

Practical Joke (Into Mischief) came into the juvenile sales season with plenty of hype and the first-crop Coolmore stallion has not disappointed in the sales ring or on the racetrack where his second winner romped home to a 'TDN Rising Star' debut at Belmont Park Saturday. Sent off the 2-5 favorite, Wit was away a half-step slowly and trailed the field in the early going. But the dark bay colt made a powerful, sustained rally on the far turn and came four wide into the stretch, where he idled for...