Simon Callaghan

Benedetta (f, 2, City of Light--Tessie Flip, by Grand Slam), a $750,000 OBS March purchase by Kaleem Shah, kicked off her career in style with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance at Los Alamitos Saturday afternoon. The 3-5 favorite bumped with a rival at the start and recovered nicely to flash good speed through an opening quarter in :21.94. Traveling powerfully while about four wide on the turn for home, she switched over to her right lead in the stretch and was under cruise control down the lane to win by...

Kaleem Shah went to $1.8 million to acquire a pair of powerful-looking :9 4/5 breezers from the OBS March 2-Year-Old Sale earlier this spring. Both are expected to be in action this summer at Del Mar. Arman (Bolt d'Oro), a $600,000 OBS March graduate and the first of the highly regarded duo to make the races, debuted with a visually impressive 'TDN Rising Star' performance at Churchill Downs June 23. Named after Shah's son, the bay is being aimed at the GIII Best Pal S. Aug. 14. Shah, ahem, clearly...

Arman (c, 2, Bolt d'Oro--Beautissimo, by Uncle Mo), a $600,000 OBS March purchase (:9 4/5) by Kaleem Shah, overcame a very wide draw in post 10 to earn 'TDN Rising Star' honors going five furlongs on debut at Churchill Downs Thursday evening. The 8-5 favorite wasn't off to a great beginning breaking toward the rear and rushed up on the outside to chase in fourth heading into the far turn. Four wide and on the move approaching the quarter pole, he gained a narrow advantage in the stretch and leveled...

The top two 3-year-old turf fillies in California will face off for the first time along with five other foes in Sunday's nine-furlong GIII Honeymoon S. on the Santa Anita lawn. Cairo Memories (Cairo Prince), named a 'TDN Rising Star' for a 4 1/2-length debut victory Sept. 5 at Del Mar, the $50,000 Keeneland September purchase backed that up with 2 1/4-length tally in the local Surfer Girl S. before finishing ninth with a troubled trip in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Switched to dirt, the gray was...

When the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale opens its four-day run in Lexington next week, it will present buyers the opportunity to bid on fillies and mares, offered as racing or broodmare prospects, whose recent form had them hitting the board in graded company. Multiple stakes winner Bella Vita (Bayern) was second behind champion Gamine (Into Mischief) in the July 5 GII Great Lady M S. at Los Alamitos and comes into the Keeneland January sale off a runner-up effort in the Dec. 4 GIII Go For Wand...

Trainer Simon Callaghan has been suspended for 15 days and fined $5,000 for treatingthe  unraced 3-year-old colt Federal Bureau (Medaglia d'Oro), a $1.2-million KEESEP buy, with three shockwave therapy treatments within 30 days prior to a workout, according to a Santa Anita board of stewards ruling dated Oct. 17. The suspension runs from Nov.14, 2021, through Nov. 28, 2021. As a term of ruling, Callaghan is suspended from all CHRB premises, and "all licenses and license privileges of SIMON CALLAGHAN are suspended and pursuant to California Horse Racing Board rule...

2nd-SAX, $61K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 4:31 p.m. Kaleem Shah's THALES (Quality Road) gets his start for Simon Callaghan Friday. The half to SW and MGISP Standard Deviation (Curlin), who sold for $240,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October sale, realized a $1.25 million final bid following a :20.3 quarter at the OBS Spring sale last season. The ridgling was the highest-priced colt and the second highest priced offspring by the Lane's End stallion last term. Pegram, Watson & Weitman's Essential Wager (Honor Code) also represents a sale's coup for his sire. One...

Maxim Rate (Exchange Rate) strode to the lead inside the final furlong and held off the late-closing duo of La Signare (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Bodhicitta (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) to score the first Grade I victory of her career in the GI Gamely S. at Santa Anita Monday. Dismissed at 13-1, Maxim Rate rated kindly in fourth while racing one off the rail as heavily favored Charmaine's Mia (The Factor) took the field through fractions of :22.82 and :45.94. Maxim Rate ranged up three wide at the top of the...

Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith's As Time Goes By (American Pharoah) has been progressing steadily since last fall and will try to collect her first black-type badge in Saturday's GII Santa Margarita S. at Santa Anita. Third in her career debut sprinting at Del Mar last August, the daughter of MGISW Take Charge Lady (Dehere) returned to finish second to stablemate Himiko (American Pharoah) after setting the pace in the early going at Santa Anita in October. A four-length winner going six panels at Los Alamitos Dec....

MGISW Bellafina (Quality Road--Akron Moon, by Malibu Moon) was pre-entered for the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint Monday, but was scratched Tuesday and is now retired after developing a minor issue in her Oct. 24 breeze at Keeneland (five furlongs in 1:00.60), according to owner Kaleem Shah. Shah noted that 'TDN Rising Star' Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo--Coin Broker {Ire}, by Montjeu {Ire}) has been retired as well. Both mares will join Shah's broodmare band with Bellafina set to visit Uncle Mo and Donna Veloce booked to Justify. The news was...

Kaleem Shah's Madone made it a perfect three-for-three with a late-charging victory in the Surfer Girl S. at Santa Anita Sunday. Made the even-money favorite off of two wins going a mile over the Del Mar lawn, the dark bay filly settled well off a quick pace. She made rapid progress nearing the lane and pounced to the lead at midstretch before gamely holding off Tetragonal, who came from last to just miss. Purchased for $125,000 at this year's OBS March sale off a :10 1/5 breeze, Madone opened her...

Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor's Harvest Moon (Uncle Mo), the only 3-year-old in the four-horse field, put away favored Fighting Mad (New Year's Day) at midstretch and then held off Hard Not To Love (Hard Spun) in the dying strides to win the GII Zenyatta S. at Santa Anita Sunday and earn an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. "I'm absolutely thrilled today, completely over the moon for Harvest Moon," said Bamford. "She's a homebred and she's just so deep in my heart and in my family's heart....