Practical Joke

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - The buzz from last week's select sale clearly carried into the new week, with the Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale powering through its opening session Sunday night in Saratoga. During the session, 64 yearlings grossed $8,338,000 for an average of $130,281 and a median of $105,000. Those figures were well ahead of last year's opening session, when 66 head sold for $6,860,000 for an average of $103,939 and a median of $89,000. They were also ahead of last year's cumulative average of $104,178 and median of...

'TDN Rising Star' Himika proved that her impressive first-out victory at Santa Anita in June was no fluke, followed up with an equally effortless victory when taking Del Mar's GIII Sorrento Stakes Sunday. Of a touch slow from her inside draw, the bay bullied her way through the tightly-knit pack heading through an honest :22.11 quarter. Edging past longshot My Kat (Gato Del Oro) approaching the home turn, she fired all boosters late, drawing off to score by a geared-down 4 1/4-length margin over Mo' Em Down, clear of Thank...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Through 14 days of Saratoga's season, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher's 2-year-olds are getting the job done. Pletcher picked up his fifth victory in the top-level $100,000 maiden special weight races Sunday when Tapit's Legacy (Tapit) cruised to a five-length victory in the third race under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez. Pletcher has a 5-2-2 record from 15 starters in the open $100,000 races, a win percentage of 33 with a 60 percent finish in the top three. Last season, Pletcher won four of...

Having been nothing less than spectacular in two prior starts, 'TDN Rising Star' Verifire (Authentic) took his step up to stakes company with aplomb, taking Sunday's closing day Maxfield Stakes at Churchill Downs. A $1-million OBS March purchase for Resolute Racing after selling for $260,000 at Keeneland the previous September, the son of Authentic debuted with a TDN Rising Star-earning 6 1/4-length victory at Colonial Mar. 15. Pounded down to 1-20 favoritism in his return, he rolled home a 6 1/2-length winner over next out winner Saxton (Mosler) in a...

9th-Monmouth, $51,975, Msw, 6-22, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:10.93, ft, 6 1/2 lengths. DRAGONITE (c, 3, Practical Joke--Snapdragon, by Super Saver), sent off the 7-5 choice for this unveiling, prompted 2-1 second chance Soar Richard (Omaha Beach) through an initial quarter in :22.24. Overtaking that rival approaching the quarter pole, the homebred drew off late to score by 6 1/2 lengths over Ripton's Music (Maclean's Music). Soar Richard was third. Snapdragon, who sold in foal to Oxbow at KEENOV in 2022, produced that colt in 2023 followed by a filly by the...

Now a winner from six furlongs to 1 3/16 miles, Awesome Aaron continued his positive trend for trainer Norm Casse with an off-the-pace upset in the GIII Pimlico Special Stakes. After a career spent at nearly every level of racing, the 6-year-old gelded son of Practical Joke proved his 5 3/4-length roll in an allowance/optional claimer at Oaklawn last time out was no fluke (nor was the 104 Beyer Speed Figure that accompanied it). That win on Apple Blossom day Apr. 12, his first since getting claimed for $40,000 at...

Closing relentlessly after a slow start, Hill Road (Quality Road) ran down the Rick Dutrow Jr. pair on the lead to win the GIII Peter Pan Stakes and stamp his ticket for a date with the final jewel of the Triple Crown in June. First profiled by our colleagues in TDN Europe after a sparkling debut in Ireland for trainer Adrian Murray last year, which snagged him 'TDN Rising Star' honors, the connections stepped him up into elite company in mid-September when his next start came in the G1 Vincent...

As first reported by DRF's Nicole Russo, Take Charge Milady (Take Charge Indy) is a question mark for next week's GI Kentucky Oaks after she developed a foot abscess and the team continues to try to get it squared away before the looming deadline. Entries for the Kentucky Oaks, set for May 2, were taken Saturday morning with post position being drawn later in the day. According to trainer Kenny McPeek, the entry was submitted, and the plan will be to wait and see what kind of week it turns...

With paddock buzz in his corner and looks to match, Big Truzz (Justify) did not disappoint his backers as he strolled home to confidently break his maiden at Keeneland and earn 'TDN Rising Star' honors in the process. Coming into this unveiling, the striking son of Triple Crown winner Justify had a bullet work at Palm Meadows Mar. 28 [four furlongs in :47 flat, fastest of 52] and a work locally Apr. 9 to his credit. That most recent breeze was another four panel work clocked in :49.80 (67/121), and...

9th-Oaklawn, $131,000, Alw (NW1$6MX)/Opt. Clm ($62,500), 4-11, 4yo/up, 6f, 1:09.27, ft, 5 1/4 lengths. SKELLY (g, 6, Practical Joke--Adande, by Bwana Charlie) ran a hole in the wind--much to the delight of the local crowd--en route to a supremely confident seasonal bow here against outclassed optional claiming rivals. Leaving the blocks like a rocket and immediately establishing control, Skelly rolled through splits of :21.96 and a half in :44.75 as he built up a sizeable margin entering the homestretch. In a position where the rest would need to produce a...

Linda Rice led all trainers and owners at the Aqueduct winter meet, which began Jan. 1, and Manny Franco topped the leading riders list as the circuit swaps over to the spring meeting starting Thursday, NYRA announced Sunday afternoon. Rice claimed 51 wins as a trainer to capture the title for the third consecutive year since the 2023 meet, and secured her fifth winter title overall. Her record of 217-51-38-29 was good for a win rate of 23.5% and an in-the-money strike rate of 54.38%. Meet highlights included Sand Devil...

St. Elias Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Captain Cook (Practical Joke) breezed a half-mile in :49 (14/79) Wednesday over the Belmont Park dirt training track as he prepares for the GII Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct Apr. 5. Trained by Rick Dutrow, Jr., the bay was completing his sixth workout since capturing the nine-furlong Listed Withers Feb. 1. "It was mostly maintenance," said Blake Dutrow, Dutrow Jr.'s nephew and Belmont-based assistant. "He's ready so we are just trying to keep him happy and stay out of his way, because we feel...