Peter Brant

4th-ELP, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 3:16 p.m. OXO Equine's BALTA (Munnings), a $685,000 '23 OBSMAR purchase who went :9 4/5 during the under tack show, debuts Saturday for Paulo Lobo. The 2-year-old chestnut colt's family tree includes GISW Cupid (Tapit) and is a half-brother to SW Opus Forty Two (Mendelssohn). Opposing him will be fellow firster, trained Kenny McPeek, Northern Flame (Flameaway), who brought $425,000 at the Fasig-Tipton August sale last year. Also entered is D. Wayne Lukas trainee Just Steel (Justify), who went for $500,000 at the '22...

While the $150,000 Pegasus S. (more on that below) serves as the local feeder into next month's GI TVG.com Haskell Invitational S., the graded events on Saturday's Haskell Preview Day at Monmouth Park are set to mark the seasonal debuts for a pair of Chad Brown-conditioned Grade I winners from last term as well as a 'TDN Rising Star' from the same shedrow looking to kick start what connections hope will be a productive 4-year-old campaign. Peter Brant's Gina Romantica (Into Mischief) makes her first appearance since taking out the...

ELMONT, NY -- Peter Brant's 'TDN Rising Star' In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) took her customary spot on the front end and never looked back en route to a dominating 3 3/4-length wire-to-wire tally as the 1-5 favorite in Friday's GI Just a Game S. at Belmont Park. Last year's GI Del Mar Oaks heroine and G1 Coronation S. runner-up Spendarella (Karakontie {Jpn}) was second; Wakanaka (Ire) (Power {GB}) was third. In Italian left the gate from her rail draw running beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. and led through an opening...

11th-CD, $120K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 5:58 p.m. Consigned by Denali Stud at the '21 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling sale, CUSP (City of Light) went to OXO Equine for $725,000. Trained by Paulo Lobo, the bay colt's dam Swingit (Victory Gallop) also produced MGSW Travel Column (Frosted) and MGISP Neolithic (Harlan's Holiday). He lines up opposite the widely-drawn WinStar homebred and Brad Cox trainee Paddington (Curlin), whose GISP dam Sea Island (Pulpit)--out of GISP Resort (Pleasant Colony)--counts GII Peter Pan S. hero Sightseeing as a full-brother. TJCIS PPS 5th-BEL, $90K, Msw,...

Last year's G3 Prix de Cabourg victor The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}--Anna Law {Ire}, by Lawman {Fr}) opened this term with a third in Navan's Listed Committed S. and led from pillar to post in Sunday's G3 Goffs Lacken S. at Naas. His eight-race juvenile campaign included three encounters with Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never), hitting the board behind that now-retired former stablemate in the G2 Prix Robert Papin, G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park. The Antarctic broke sharply and led along the far-side rail from flagfall. In...

2nd-Aqueduct, $84,000, Alw (NW2$X), Opt. Clm ($62,500), 4-21, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.02, fm, 1 length. YUKATA (IRE) (f, 4, Galileo {Ire}--Blue Kimono {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}), victorious in a Deauville all-weather maiden at first asking for Jean-Claude Rouget in November 2021, took a conditions race on the turf at ParisLongchamp last April before finishing third as the favorite in the Listed Prix Finlande at the same venue May 19. Well-beaten when last seen in the G1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) last June, she was part of a...

Peter Brant's In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {GB}), last seen finishing second in the Nov. 5 GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf, returned to the races with a dominant wire-to-wire victory in the GI Jenny Wiley S. at Keeneland Saturday. Sent off the 3-5 favorite for her 5-year-old debut, the chestnut mare bound out to the early lead and was in control through fractions of :23.63 and :47.29. Asked to go by Irad Ortiz at the top of the lane, she extended her advantage in the blink of an eye and she...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-AQU, $80K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:20 p.m. Trainer Chad Brown has Aqueduct's first race on closing day bookended with a pair of firsters from his shedrow in OCASEK (Candy Ride {Arg}), who draws the rail with Dylan Davis aboard and to the outside ARMY TIMES (Into Mischief) with Manny Franco in the irons. Both have a Candy Ride connection as the former, who was a $440,000 '21 FTSAUG  purchase by Spendthrift Farm, was sired by him, while the latter's dam, MGSW & MGISP Paid...

Our series featuring notable success for European sires in North America, with this week's highlight being the victory of Grade I winner Shantisara (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}) in the GII Hillsborough S. at Tampa Bay Downs. Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Robert LaPenta's Shantisara is no stranger to the winner's circle, and the 2021 GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. heroine secured her first victory since 2021 with a 1 1/4-length triumph in the Hillsborough S. on Saturday (video). Now a 5-year-old, the mare was bred by Oliver Donlon, and sold...

8th-Gulfstream, $74,000, Alw (C), Opt. Clm ($75,000), 3-10, 4yo/up, 7 1/2fT, 1:27.25, fm, 2 1/2 lengths. DR ZEMPF (GB) (g, 4, Dark Angel {Ire}--Souvenir Delondres {Fr} {GSW-Fr, $138,754}, by Siyouni {Fr}), narrowly second in the 2021 G1 Phoenix S. while under the care of Ger Lyons, won the Listed Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial on seasonal debut last April before adding the G3 Ballycorus S. two starts later. Last seen finishing down the field behind subsequent GI Breeders' Cup Mile third Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the G2 City of York...

3rd-Aqueduct, $70,000, (S), Msw, 2-17, 4yo/up, 1m, 1:39.47, sy, 8 1/2 lengths. SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS (g, 4, Medaglia d'Oro--Khancord Kid {GSW, $167,343}, by Lemon Drop Kid), picked up for $300,000 as a yearling at Keeneland September in 2020, took his time making the races but made his belated debut at 2-1 over a sloppy New York track Friday. Poised just off the lead after enduring contact at the break, the well-related gelding sat a wide trip, chasing three wide up the backstretch as Central Pride (Lord Nelson) paced the...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 3rd-AQU, $70k, Msw, 4yo/up, (S), 1m, post time: 2:20 p.m. ET A $300,000 Keeneland September purchase by Peter Brant back in 2020, SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS (Medaglia d'Oro) makes a belated first trip to the races. Bred by the Bromans, the dark bay is a gelded son of GIII Herecomesthebride S. winner Khancord Kid (Lemon Drop Kid), whose daughter Bar of Gold (Medaglia d'Oro) caused one of the bigger upsets in the history of the Breeders' Cup when taking out the GI Filly & Mare...