Gray Lightning

It's been a long time between drinks for Vahva (Gun Runner), the 2024 GI Derby City Distaff Stakes winner whose last career win came exactly a year ago in the Chicago Stakes at Churchill Downs, when it was a Grade III event. Upgraded to Grade II this year, the Chicago Stakes was targeted by Vahva's connections after the now-5-year-old made no impact in this year's edition of the Derby City Distaff. Irad Ortiz, Jr. kept her a little closer to the pace than usual in the Chicago, as she tracked...

Almostgone Rocket (Into Mischief) made good on a promise of 1-2, leading home a 'TDN Rising Star' exacta as a much-the-best winner of Thursday's Jersey Girl S. at Saratoga. A $250,000 Keeneland September purchase, Almostgone Rocket decimated a field of Oaklawn maidens by nearly a dozen lengths on debut Apr. 5 to become a 'TDN Rising Star', but instead of going for a race like the GII Eight Belles S., for which she would have been well-fancied, opted for a first-level Churchill allowance May 3, and she duly obliged by...

When the dust settled at the close of the Fasig-Tipton April Digital Sale Tuesday evening, the 15-year-old broodmare Eileen's Dream (Bernardini, hip 21) held the new record for a single offering on the digital platform when she sold for $660,000 to DJ Stable. Consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, Eileen's Dream sold with her 2024 colt by Curlin at her side. She was bred back to Charlatan Mar. 27. The sale closed with 87 horses sold for $4,274,300, an average of $49,130. The clearance rate was 92.5% with 670...