Spendarella

McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}) will look to annex a career high in Saturday's GIII Regret S. at Churchill Downs. The 3-year-old filly, named after trainer Chad Brown's first-ever employee, the late Mary McKulick, was last seen finishing second in the GII Edgewood S. May 6. She was also a close third as the heavy favorite, beaten only one length, in the GII Miss Grillo S. last fall at Belmont Park. Also looking for her first graded stakes score is Beside Herself (Uncle Mo), who enters Saturday's contest off a 2...

In an era where trainers are increasingly hesitant to run their horses frequently and/or in races where they might be longshots, Graham Motion is a throwback. It often pays off for his perennially successful outfit, as it did on Saturday at Belmont, when his Highland Chief (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), dismissed at 19-1 in a five-horse field, upset defending champion turf male Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and MGISW Gufo (Declaration of War) in the GI Man O' War S. Tuesday, Motion joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland as the...

Gainesway homebred Spendarella maintained her perfect record with a 1 3/4-length victory in the GII Appalachian S. Presented by Japan Racing Association at Keeneland Saturday. Sent straight to the head of affairs, the bay was soon headed by Glenall (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}) to her inside and was content to perch in second turning into the backstretch. Well in hand under Tyler Gaffalione, the favorite still maintained her position as noses pointed for home. She took over just before the quarter pole and withstood the closing rally of Dolce Zel to...

Gainesway homebred Spendarella (Karakontie {Jpn}) looks to take her record to three-for-three in Saturday's GII Appalachian S. at Keeneland. A good-looking debut winner going two turns on the grass at Gulfstream Feb. 2, the $220,000 KEESEP buy wired the GIII Herecomesthebride S. in Hallandale Mar. 5, garnering a 90 Beyer Speed Figure. Chad Brown can never be ignored in a turf stake and he enters European import Dolce Zel (Fr) (Zelzal {Fr}). Graduating at second asking in France for her former connections, the bay was privately purchased by Michael Dubb,...

Saturday, Gulfstream Park HERECOMESTHEBRIDE S.-GIII, $125,000, Gulfstream, 3-5, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:34.38, fm. 1--SPENDARELLA, 118, f, 3, by Karakontie (Jpn)                 1st Dam: Spanish Bunny, by Unusual Heat                 2nd Dam: Spanish Beam, by El Gran Senor                 3rd Dam: Solar Beam, by Majestic Light    1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($220,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd. (NY); T-H. Graham Motion; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $72,850. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $104,650. *Full to Spanish Loveaffair, MSW & MGSP, $284,090; 1/2 to Spanish Queen (Tribal...

GIII Sweetest Chant S. victress Opalina (Optimizer) looks to double up Saturday in Gulfstream's GIII Herecomesthebride S. Running away to a 12-length graduation at third asking against state-breds here in September, the chestnut closed from well back to be fifth in the GII J.P. Morgan Chase Jessamine S. a month later. Third in the local Ginger Brew S. Jan. 1, she posted a 3/4-length decision in the Sweetest Chant Feb. 5. Christophe Clement saddles a live one in Lia Marina (Uncle Mo). Earning her diploma at second asking at Belmont...