maiden

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. Trainer Danny Gargan launched the careers of GI Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch (Good Magic) as well as GIII Matt Winn Stakes winner Society Man (Good Magic) during the 2023 meeting at Saratoga. Both starters in this year's GI Kentucky Derby, neither won on debut. Dornoch finished a strong second behind fellow future Classic winner Seize the Grey (Arrogate) in his unveiling in the Saratoga slop while Society...

1st-Del Mar, $75,500, Msw, 8-31, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10.07, ft, 1 1/2 lengths. NON COMPLIANT (f, 2, Tiz the Law--Sensitively {GSP, $190,415}, by Street Sense) took the stage and debuted as the 5-2 second choice here. The filly set up shop behind a wall of horses up the backstretch which included stablemate and favorite Usha (Tiz the Law). Under a hard hold, the 2-year-old began to look for running room entering the far turn and with a three-wide move at the quarter pool she was locked and loaded. As Usha...

1st-Kentucky Downs, $180,800, Msw, 8-31, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:35.60, fm, 2 1/4 lengths. DESTINO D'ORO (f, 2, Bolt d'Oro--Heart of Destiny {GISP, $242,089}, by Lion Heart), debuting at 8-1 in her first start since bringing $185,000 at OBS April earlier this year, found herself towards the back of the field after a slightly awkward beginning and was kept off the pace on the outside as Wonderland (Medaglia d'Oro) set speedy fractions of :23.06 and :46.01. Out in the center of the track around the far turn, she came roaring up...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Before Sandman (Tapit) had reached the post-race test barn following his victory in the opener at Saratoga Race Course Saturday, trainer Mark Casse was dealing with the "what's next" question. Casse did not have the answer to the happy task presented by Sandman's 1 3/4-length victory over Innovator (Authentic) in the seven-furlong $100,000 maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds. "I've got to figure out the best path to the Breeders' Cup," Casse said. "I think he's that kind of horse." Under jockey Dylan Davis, Sandman stalked...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y.--Ferocious's (Flatter) blowout victory in the sixth race at Saratoga Race Course Saturday produced a series of backward and forward moments in the winner's enclosure. Ramiro Restrepo and Gustavo Delgado, Jr., principals in Mage's (Good Magic) rise to prominence and victory in the 2023 GI Kentucky Derby, held court following the $100,000 2-year-old maiden special weight race that might be the first big step for another standout. Restrepo and Delgado spearheaded the purchase of Ferocious for $1,300,000 at the OBS March sale and they were appropriately excited...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--With his romp through mud in the opener at Saratoga Race Course Saturday, Reach for the Rose (Audible) hit the target that owner-breeder Ken Ramsey and trainer Saffie Joseph were aiming at. The 5 1/2-length victory in a $100,000 maiden special for 2-year-olds that had been taken off the turf gave colt his first career win and earnings of $55,000. Far more important for Ramsey and Joseph, the win in the one-mile race against three foes is a stepping stone to the $1 million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sept....

3rd-Del Mar, $75,500, Msw, 7-28, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:04.02, ft, 3 1/2 lengths. MCKINZIE STREET (c, 2, McKinzie--Karpathos, by Tale of the Cat), the 4-1 second choice in his first start since bringing $290,000 at OBS April, had to deal with pressure from heavy favorite Emerald Bay (Nyquist) for much of the early running as the front pair put up a half in :44.93. But off the turn, it was McKinzie Street who had something left, turning back the favorite at the furlong marker and coming home in good order...

Just a day after Win Win Win earned the first 'TDN Rising Star' of the freshman class with Nooni, he was joined by Complexity (by Maclean's Music) who picked up his fourth overall winner Friday and first 'Rising Star' when Complexion (Complexity--Rushin No Blushin, by Half Ours) dominated her debut at Aqueduct. The half-sister to MGISW and sire Jack Christopher (Munnings), Complexion was a $400,000 Keeneland September Yearling buy for Arnmore Thoroughbreds last year. Gunned from her outside draw under John Velazquez, she was a length clear within the opening...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Observations features the first foal out of a dual Classic winner. 18.45 Dundalk, €13,000, Mdn, 3yo, 8f (AWT) IGOR STRAVINSKY (IRE) (No Nay Never) is the pick of Ryan Moore of two intriguing Ballydoyle newcomers and is the day's most exciting prospect as the first foal out of...

2nd-Meydan, AED165,000, 11-24, Mdn., 1200m, 1:12.98, ft. LAHFATY (f, 2, Mitole--Magic Belle, by Gold Case), who was profiled in the latest edition of Desert Debuters, continued the strong autumn run for her sire to win by a geared down three lengths on debut at Meydan on Friday. The Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum-owned chestnut hopped slightly at the break, but was always contending for the lead down the back straight. She was poised to take over in earnest leaving the bend, and scampered away from her rivals in a...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Insights features a relative to a multiple Grade I winner. 16.05 Curragh, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, c/g, 8fT ORTELIUS (Justify), a $1.1-million Keeneland September purchase by M V Magnier, is out of a half to the five-times Grade I-winning Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) and therefore a big deal...

1st-Monmouth, $55,250, Msw, 8-6, 2yo, 1mT, 1:39.91, fm, 4 lengths. NOMOS (c, 2, Uncle Mo--Westit {GB} {SP-Fr, SP-USA}, by Tapit) went off favored at 9-5 in this grass debut and got a clean start against the fence from the two slot after the rail horse steadied and was pulled up early in the race. Racing in the middle of a tightly-bunched group into the backstretch through an easy opening quarter in :24.15, he stayed glued to the inside and began to pick up momentum and position as the field swung...