Midnight Still

So the basketball guy knows a thing or two about training horses. In beating a salty field of maiden fillies on Travers day at 10-1, Virabhadrasana (Jackie's Warrior) became the latest of four Saratoga 2-year-old winners for first-year trainer Kinnon LaRose. The 29-year-old, who was playing Division 1 college basketball six years ago before he got his start in racing as a hot walker for Tom Amoss, has enjoyed a banner summer in Saratoga. His meet culminates closing weekend as he makes his Grade I debut with a pair of...

Predictably, this week's rankings include four from Saratoga (plus one from Monmouth).   5 - IRON PALACE, SAR, 7/9-9th, 1 1/16 miles (turf) (video) Beyer Speed Figure - 80 (c, 3, by Palace Malice--Daisy Elle, by Ghostzapper) O-Daigneault Thoroughbreds. B-Titletown Racing Stables (Ky). T-George Weaver. J-Edgard Zayas. Against a solid turf lineup that included two Chad Brown trainees, Iron Palace drifted from his 12/1 opening line to 27/1 closing odds then won like a good thing. He set a reasonable pace, spurted clear by 2 1/2 lengths in midstretch and...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Right now, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is planning on running his sparkling 5-year-old 'TDN Rising Stars, presented by Hagyard' Nysos (Nyquist) in the $1 million GI Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 8. Unless he changes his mind. For now, though, he has penciled in the imposing Nysos to the Whitney, which is shaping up as maybe the race of the year. "It all depends on how he is training up to it," Baffert said by phone from Louisville, Ky. "Right now, I am pointing...

The Saturday program at Saratoga Race Course was off to a formful beginning when Midnight Still (c, 2, Curlin--More Moonshine, by Malibu Moon) went on the attack in upper stretch and pulled clear to give trainer Kinnon LaRose his first winner at the historic track from his very first starter. Hammered down to 3-5 favoritism off a debut third to 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Balloteer (Early Voting) at Churchill Downs June 12, the $350,000 Keeneland September graduate was beaten for speed and was content to settle off the...