Randomized

The Empire Finally Strikes Back As Dorth Vader Upsets 'WAYI' Ogden Phipps

Maybe it was the sloppy sealed track. Or the 1 1/8 mile distance. Or maybe, just maybe, the force was with her Friday. Rail-drawn Florida-bred Dorth Vader (Girvin) stepped up against the highly-touted Chad Brown-trained duo of Raging Sea (Curlin) and Randomized (Nyquist) to conquer the "Win and You're In" GI Ogden Phipps Stakes, stamping a ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar this November. Making her third start off a significant layoff, Dorth Vader entered 2025 with something to prove. She hadn't won since t he...

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Baeza Ships In, Fierceness Works Ahead Of Belmont Stakes Weekend

GI Kentucky Derby third Baeza (McKinzie) arrived at Saratoga Race Course Thursday evening to prepare for his upcoming start in next weekend's GI Belmont Stakes. Trained by John Shirreffs, the half-brother to both Dornoch (Good Magic) and Mage (Good Magic) arrived at 8:45 p.m. from California along with the Doug O'Neill-trained Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief), who will likely enter the GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap. "He looks pretty bright coming off the van," said Shirreffs on Thursday evening. Of the colt's Derby effort, Shirreffs added: "I thought he ran...

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Chad Brown's Grade I Brigade Works at Saratoga

Five of Chad Brown's Grade I-winning brigade hit the work tab at Saratoga over the weekend, led by MGISW Raging Sea (Curlin) and MGISW Spirit of St Louis (Medaglia d'Oro). Heading out Friday in her first work since pulling the upset in the GI La Troienne on Kentucky Derby weekend, Raging Sea was clocked doing four furlongs over the Oklahoma training track in :49.25 (8/32) while in company with GSW & MGISP Occult (Into Mischief). She is being pointed to the GI Ogden Phipps June 6 during the Belmont Stakes...

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Bramlage Examines Thorpedo Anna, Can't Find Anything Wrong

In an effort to find out why 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) ran so poorly in the GI Fasig-Tipton La Troienne S. Friday at Churchill Downs, trainer Kenny McPeek sent her to be examined by Dr. Larry Bramlage at the Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital. Thorpedo Anna finished seventh and last. Coming into the race she had never been worse than second. According to McPeek, Bramlage could not find anything wrong with the 4-year-old filly. "At this point, she has a clean bill of health," McPeek...

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Raging Sea Roars Home in La Troienne, Thorpedo Anna Finishes Last After Rough Trip

In a race many thought was for second-place, it was Raging Sea (Curlin--Stormy Welcome, by Storm Cat) who stepped up to play the spoiler in her 2025 bow and claim the GI La Troienne Stakes as the 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) faded to last in the lane. Content to watch the action unfold in fifth as her stablemate Randomized (Nyquist) went loose on the lead by way of traffic behind her, Raging Sea was spared a lot of the inside drama when Dorth Vader (Girvin)...

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Saturday's Insights: MGISW Randomized's Half-Sister Leads 'Organized' Unveiling At Gulfstream

1st-GP, $94K, Msw, 3yo, f, 7f, 11:30 p.m. ET. LA NEIGE (Frosted) makes her first start for Connie and Richard Snyder. The Riley Mott trainee is out of unraced French Passport (Elusive Quality) who was acquired by Cover Springs for $200,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November Sale. The first-time starter counts as a half-sister GI Alabama and GI Ogden Phipps heroine Randomized (Nyquist). French Passport is a herself a half-sister to MGSW Smooth Air (Smooth Jazz), GSW & sire Overdriven (Tale of the Cat), and the dam of MGISW Got...

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Darley Sets Nyquist's Fee At $175,000 For 2025 Season

Nyquist will stand the 2025 season at Jonabell Farm for $175,000, Darley announced Sunday. The son of Uncle Mo, who stood last year for $85,000, sired his second GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Saturday when Immersive capped an undefeated four-for-four season. "When you speak of the best stallions right now in North America, Nyquist has to be in that conversation," said Darley America Sales Manager Darren Fox. "His progeny reflect amazing versatility: short, long, dirt and turf. It really doesn't matter the surface or distance. His best books are...

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Raging Sea Runs Down Idiomatic Under The Wire In Personal Ensign Upset

Meet racing's newest millionaire. Raging Sea (Curlin), closing in an all-out stretch drive, just got up to nail pacesetter Idiomatic (Curlin) in the shadow of the wire to win Friday's GI Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga. Billed as the renewed rivalry between Idiomatic and her GI Ogden Phipps upsetter Randomized (Nyquist), the Personal Ensign featured four runners from that June 8th race--all four finishing inside the top five and missing only the recently-retired Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief). In fact, this is a group of fillies and mares who have taken...

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'It's Personal' In Grade I Ensign Rematch At The Spa

Friday is shaping up to be quite a stakes-laden slate as the rescheduled King's Plate card from last weekend at Woodbine joins the GI Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga and a pair of pricey Grade IIs from Charles Town. TDN's full coverage of the races that were forced to move because of a deluge in Toronto can be found in Patrycja Szpyra's preview, plus a piece on the King's Plate by Bill Finley. As for the Spa feature, it boasts a set of intriguing match-ups between four of the runners...

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The Week in Review: Firsts, Lasts, and About-Turns

It didn't look like the GI Belmont S. It didn't feel like the Belmont S. But the Belmont S. it was, and Dornoch (Good Magic) will from here on in be called a Belmont S. winner. What better way to break your Grade I duck as a trainer, as Danny Gargan did here. At a time of concentrated riches among fewer and fewer trainers, Gargan provided a welcome reminder that many plying their trade at less vaulted levels are just as capable of priming their stock for these big days...

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Nyquist's Randomized Turns Tables on Idiomatic in Thrilling Ogden Phipps

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY--Favored Idiomatic (Curlin) towered over her competition both in stature and on paper in Saturday's GI Ogden Phipps S. Despite her imposing presence, however, it was Klaravich Stables' Randomized (Nyquist) who stole the show when holding on to a head victory over last year's champion older mare in the 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar in November. Breaking from the rail, Randomized, sent off at generous 6-1 odds for trainer Chad Brown, scooted to the front several strides in while...

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Juddmonte's Distaff Win by Idiomatic Helps Curlin Equal his Own Breeders' Cup Record

In 2022, Hill 'n' Dale's super sire Curlin got a record-setting three winners on Saturday's Breeders' Cup card. In 2023, the remarkable sire equaled that as Juddmonte homebred Idiomatic (Curlin--Lockdown, by First Defence) gave her sire a hard-fought victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff sandwiched between the encore wins by Cody's Wish in the GI Dirt Mile earlier on the card and Elite Power later in the GI Sprint. Idiomatic, who has had a stellar year with eight wins from nine starts, has almost certainly sewn up the Eclipse...

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