Mike McCarthy

She had to be worked on early in Sunday's GIII Santa Ysabel S. at Santa Anita and seemed an unlikely winner as late as the eighth pole, but Baoma Corporation's Beautiful Gift (Medaglia d'Oro) produced a strong rally in deep stretch to nail Moraz (Empire Maker) in the last jump while making her first start since October. A debut third behind re-opposing GSW barnmate Kalypso (Brody's Cause) going 5 1/2 furlongs Sept. 5 at Del Mar, the homebred stretched out to a local mile Oct. 23 and surged in the...

Sunday's five-horse GIII Santa Ysabel S. features runners from just two barns, with Hall of Famer Bob Baffert represented by three fillies and Mike McCarthy saddling the other two. Baffert-trained Kalypso (Brody's Cause) stands out on speed figures, and boasts a two-back victory in the GII Santa Ynez S. sprinting here Jan. 3. Also a winner of the six-panel Anoakia S. here last October, the $240,000 Fasig-Tipton July buy was last seen finishing second as a front-running favorite in the one-mile GIII Las Virgenes S. Feb. 6. Baoma Corp. homebred...

Cannon Thoroughbreds' Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute) is the 8-5 morning-line favorite for the GII Mathis Brothers Mile at Santa Anita Saturday. The Mike McCarthy trainee, first or second in five of six starts so far this year, won the Oct. 18 GII Twilight Derby and missed by just a head when second in the Nov. 28 GI Hollywood Derby last time out. Three Diamond Farms' Field Pass (Lemon Drop Kid), winner of the July 12 GIII Transylvania S. at Keeneland, was third in the Twilight Derby and returns to...

Rushie, third behind Honor A. P. (Honor Code) and Authentic (Into Mischief) in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby June 6 and behind Art Collector (Bernardini) and Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland last out July 11, benefitted from a bit of class relief and cutback in distance to break through at the graded level. Away in good order from the outside stall, the grey settled fifth early but worked his way up to third and deep as Vertical Threat (Tapiture) set the pace...

Bruce Lunsford's GII Toyota Blue Grass S. winner Art Collector (Bernardini) returned to trainer Tom Drury's Skylight Training Center base in Goshen, Kentucky Saturday night and options for the colt's next start are still open. "I am going to get with Bruce in the next couple of days and figure out what we will do," Drury said. "Art Collector will stay at Skylight for a little while because it is quieter there and then like we have done before, two weeks or so before he runs we will bring him...

Speech (Mr Speaker) became her young sire's first Grade I winner and earned enough points to land her a spot in the Sept. 4 GI Kentucky Oaks with a decisive score in the GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland Saturday afternoon. Speedy GII Las Virgenes S. romper Venetian Harbor (Munnings) shot out to the early lead, loping through an opening quarter in :24.04 with Speech stalking from second off the fence. Envoutante (Uncle Mo) slipped up the fence inside of Speech as the half went up in :47.14, but...

Clint and Lance Gasaway, Madaket Stables and Wonder Stables' Wells Bayou (Lookin at Lucky), most recently winner of the GII Louisiana Derby, continued training towards a potential start in the May 2 GI Arkansas Derby with a five-furlong work in 1:00.40 (9/17) at Oaklawn Park Sunday. Wells Bayou, on the outside during his drill with maiden stablemate Wild Union (Bayern), was credited with splits of :24.40 for his opening quarter-mile, :36.80 for three furlongs, :48.40 for a half-mile and galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.40 and seven furlongs in 1:26.40....

With the end of the championship meet at Gulfstream Park, Oaklawn Park and its Racing Festival of the South is, for all intents and purposes, the current focal point of Thoroughbred racing in North America in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Saturday's GI Apple Blossom H., one of two top-level events staged at Arkansas's spa meeting, attracted an incredibly diverse group of main-track distaffers, including California raiders Ollie's Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Ce Ce (Elusive Quality), who book-ended the 14-strong field when gates were drawn Wednesday. Despite enterprising...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency MCCARTHY UNVEILS PRICEY UNCLE MO COLT 2nd-SA, $55K, Msw, 3yo, 6 1/2f, 3:00p.m. Michael McCarthy saddles a firster with a big price tag in Mr. & Mrs. William Warren Jr.'s $1.4-million KEESEP purchase BELIEVE NOW (Uncle Mo). He is out of the Street Cry (Ire) mare Secret, who is a half-sister to MSW Inspired (Unbridled's Song); SWs & GSP Silver City (Unbridled's Song) and Elope (Gone West); and SW Initiation (Deputy Minister). Bob Baffert has a pair of firsters who cannot be overlooked in American...