Jack Christopher

The winner's circle after Saturday's GI Belmont S. surely rivaled any in Triple Crown history in terms of population after Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) crossed the wire three lengths to the good. In addition to Mike Repole and his substantial crew of family and friends, the celebration contained the massive partnership of Donegal Racing, which brings all of its investors along for the ride with every horse it purchases. Tuesday, the CEO of Donegal, Jerry Crawford, sat down with Joe Bianca and Bill Finley of the TDN Writers' Room presented...

ELMONT, NY - Did the best 3-year-old in the country run on the undercard? Unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Jack Christopher (Munnings) put on an absolute show with a jaw-dropping win against five overmatched rivals in Saturday's GI Woody Stephens S. at Belmont Park. Away in good order from his rail draw, the flashy, blaze-faced chestnut conceded the early advantage to Provocateur (Into Mischief) and was astutely guided by Jose Ortiz to the outside of that rival. Traveling kindly in second through fractions of :22.61 and :45.38, Ortiz took a peek...

ELMONT, NY - There will be a capped crowd of 50,000 on hand for Saturday's blockbuster GI Belmont Stakes program. Nobody will have a better seat in the house all day than jockey Flavien Prat. The 29-year-old Frenchman will be aboard 2-1 morning-line favorite 'TDN Rising Star' We the People (Constitution) in the final leg of the Triple Crown. He will also pilot unbeaten sensation and fellow 'Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) in the prestigious GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H. Both will exit from post one. WinStar Farm, Bobby Flay,...

ELMONT, NY - With the rising sun making its way through cloudy skies, GI Belmont S. longshot Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) began to get into his gallop on the clubhouse turn on a steamy Wednesday morning at beautiful Belmont Park. Sporting plenty of trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.'s flashy yellow-and-blue stable colors, the GI Preakness S. fifth-place finisher continued to catch the eye upon return while jogging along the outer rail with his neck arched. He stood briefly by the gap and soaked up plenty of attention from a handful of photographers as...

A half-sister by Mo Town to the GI Champagne winner Jack Christopher (Munnings), a recent winner of the GII Pat Day Mile S. at Churchill, highlights 12 entries for Fasig-Tipton's June Digital Sale, now online at digital.fasigtipton.com. Bidding is officially open and will close this Thursday, June 9, at 2 p.m. EDT. "We have several attractive offerings for this Belmont week sale, including a two-year-old half-sister to undefeated GI winner Jack Christopher,  who is expected to run in the GI Woody Stephens on Belmont Stakes day," said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton...

Trainer Chad Brown joins this week's TDN Writers' Room to discuss his trio of promising 3-year-old dirt colt, including this weekend's GI Preakness S. winner Early Voting.

After Jack Christopher (Munnings) romped in the GI Champagne S. at Belmont Park last year, his connections were optimistic that the horse had the talent to get them to the winner's circle at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May. That happened, just not the way anyone had planned. Not ready for the GI Kentucky Derby after seven-month layoff, Jack Christopher ran instead in the GII Pat Day Mile S., which he won by 3 3/4 lengths. While the victory was somewhat of a consolation prize, it set the...

It was a hectic week in the Thoroughbred business with all eyes firmly focussed on Louisville, Kentucky. Here are some facts and figures that you might have missed in the rush. Record Numbers... Wagering from all-sources on the Kentucky Derby (single race) totaled $179 million, up 15% over 2021 and up 8% from the previous record of $166.5-million set in 2019. This year's wagering record includes $8.3 million of handle put through the window in Japan. The Smart Strike Factor... As a broodmare sire, Smart Strike has the distinction of...

In the post-race interview, trainer Chad Brown compared Saturday's impressive GII Pat Day Mile winner Jack Christopher (Munnings) to Hall of Famer Ghostzapper (Awesome Again), who Brown worked with while under the tutelage of Bobby Frankel. Like Jack Christopher, Ghostzapper also missed the Triple Crown series and focused on races around one turn during his 3-year-old season before blossoming into a top handicap horse at four, including a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. "This horse reminds me a lot of Ghostzapper, I was fortunate to work with that...

'TDN Rising Star' Jack Christopher (Munnings) returns to action Saturday in the GII Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs. A dazzling debut winner at Saratoga Aug. 18, the flashy chestnut scored another decisive victory in Belmont's GI Champagne S. Oct. 2, earning a 102 Beyer Speed Figure. He was the early favorite for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, but was scratched by the vet the day before the race. A stress fracture was discovered in the colt's left shin that required a screw to be inserted and he returned to...

A total of 312 sophomores were nominated for this year's Triple Crown series at the early nomination deadline of Jan. 29. The number of early nominations slipped 4.3%, or 14 horses, from last year's total of 326. The nominated group is led by Grade I winners Corniche (Quality Road), Jack Christopher (Munnings), Pinehurst (Twirling Candy) and Rattle N Roll (Connect). Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), winner of last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and likely 2-year-old champion female, is one of six fillies made eligible for the Triple Crown. Nominees...

Still recuperating from an injury that prevented him from running in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, 'TDN Rising Star' Jack Christopher (Munnings) is about two weeks away from rejoining Chad Brown's Florida division. However, the trainer said he was not sure if he has enough time to get him ready to run in the GI Kentucky Derby. "He's going to be up against it, that's for sure," Brown said when asked about making the Derby. "I don't want to rule anything out until I put my hands on him, but...