Michael Tabor

Last year's Champion 3-year-old male and 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) will return to Fair Grounds to make his 4-year-old bow in the 100th running of the GII New Orleans Classic on Saturday. Tabbed as the 7-5 morning line favorite, Sierra Leone will face nine other opponents including the highly-regarded winner of the GIII Mineshaft Stakes at Fair Grounds Feb. 15, Hall of Fame (Gun Runner). As reported by TDN's Senior Contributing Editor Alan Carasso, Sierra Leone's trainer Chad Brown had made plans for the colt to make...

7th-GP, $96K, OC 75k/N1X, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 4:00 p.m. ET. Michael Tabor's Blueberry Hill (Munnings), a sharp, wire-to-wire debut winner for Todd Pletcher going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Jan. 30, stretches to two turns for her second career start. The 3-year-old granddaughter of Marylebone (Unbridled's Song) will face six rivals, including morning-line favorite Justinqueso (Ghostzapper), who was unplaced in the GIII Forward Gal S. Feb. 1. TJCIS PPS #5 BLUEBERRY HILL ($8.80) ran away with the sixth race at @GulfstreamPark. The three-year-old filly by @CoolmoreAmerica's Munnings broke her maiden...

"We bought the bar with a credit card," recalls Ken Donworth. "Forty thousand bucks, credit card debt at 20 percent. And we paid it off in three or four months." He shakes his head. "That was 1998. I don't think I'd do it now. So we did take risks, no doubt. But we didn't get caught on any of those slippery slopes." On the contrary. In a college town like Lexington, Donworth and his partners soon figured that policing their customers' age was more trouble than it was worth. So...

Coolmore's 2023 Goffs Orby Book 1 sale topper Minnie Hauk (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Multilingual {GB}, by Dansili {GB}), a €1.85-million purchase, followed up a debut second at Cork earlier this month with a breakthrough score in Saturday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden over one mile at Leopardstown. 1st-Leopardstown, €18,000, Mdn, 10-19, 2yo, 8fT, 1:47.10, sf. MINNIE HAUK (IRE) (f, 2, Frankel {GB}--Multilingual {GB}, by Dansili {GB}), the Goffs Orby Book 1 sale topper when knocked down for €1.85-million last year who registered a debut second at Cork earlier this month,...

Two weeks on from completing a facsimile of his banner 2022 season by notching a second victory in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix du Cadran, Europe's dominant stayer Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Polished Gem {Ire}, by Danehill) added lustre to a perfect 2024 campaign with a decisive success in Saturday's G2 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot. Ballydoyle's star went postward as the 8-11 favourite to gain compensation for a neck defeat in this two-mile contest last year and stalked pacesetting stablemate The Euphrates (GB) (Frankel {GB}) until turning for home....

Coolmore and Westerberg's G3 Stanerra Stakes victrix Grateful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Tepin, by Bernstein), who hit the board in last month's G2 Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster, made the necessary transition under an inspired ride from Christophe Soumillon to secure a career high in Saturday's G1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu at ParisLongchamp. She became the fourth winner on the card for a dominant Aidan O'Brien. Employing patiently tactics and settled off the tempo for most of this 14-furlong marathon, the 207-10 chance made relentless headway out wide in the straight to...

Ballydoyle's star stayer Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Polished Gem {Ire}, by Danehill) went unbeaten through six contests in 2022 and completed an exact replica of that campaign with a pillar-to-post triumph in Saturday's G1 Qatar Prix du Cadran at ParisLongchamp. That 2022 season included an extravagant win in this marathon event, but it was a more straightforward affair this time around. The 1-5 favourite, fresh off a second success in the G1 Irish St Leger, went straight to the front and sent an even tempo for the most part. Gearing up...

Coolmore's G1 St Leger runner-up Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Danedrop {Ire}), by Danehill), winner of Royal Ascot's G2 Queen's Vase back in June, fired the opening salvo of ParisLongchamp's Arc weekend and delivered a battling performance to prevail in the 15-furlong G2 Qatar Prix Chaudenay. The 2-5 favourite, who had also placed in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud and G1 Grand Prix de Paris, went straight to the lead and held sway until turning for home. Under pressure when headed briefly by Trafalgar Square (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) with 300 metres remaining,...

Coolmore's Heavens Gate (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}--Itqaan, by Danzig), with a half-dozen prior outings under her belt, was the most experienced of nine contenders entering Sunday's G3 Weld Park Stakes at the Curragh and her ringcraft was a telling factor  in the seven-furlong contest as she delivered a display of power to claim a career high. She had previously hit the board in the G3 Albany Stakes and G2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes and annexed a valuable pot at Naas in her penultimate start before running fourth in York's G2 Lowther...

Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes was billed as a heavyweight bout between unbeaten 'TDN Rising Stars' Lake Victoria (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Quiet Reflection {GB}, by Showcasing {GB}) and Babouche (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) and it was the former who emerged on top with a scintillating performance dropped in trip for the six-furlong test. Lake Victoria had attained 'TDN Rising Star' status in her June 28 debut over seven furlongs at the Curragh before notching a pillar-to-post victory in last month's G3 Sweet Solera Stakes and went postward as the 6-4 favourite...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Observations features a half-sister to a Group 1-winning sire. 13.55 Punchestown, Mdn, €18,000, 2yo, f, 7fT BEYOND DREAMS (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is a rare Michael Tabor runner for the Dermot Weld stable and as a half-sister to the dual group 1-winning sire Zoustar (Aus) has plenty to...

Aidan O'Brien trainee Ballet Slippers (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the first foal produced by multiple Group 1-winning distaffer Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), shed maiden status at the third attempt in Friday's Wesco Anixter EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes at Ascot. She had previously encountered the 'TDN Rising Star' displays of Red Letter (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Falling Snow (Ire) (Justify) in outings at the Curragh in July and August and, without anything of that calibre in opposition, justified 1-4 favouritism with a one-length defeat of Music Piece (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the...