BloodHorse.com | Horse Racing News

Ever So Lucky Scratched From Hutcheson

Trainer Jonathan Sheppard said Saturday morning that Augustin Stable's Kentucky Jockey Club (gr. II) runner-up Ever So Lucky would be scratched from the $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes (gr. II).

Ever So Lucky Among Six Entered for Hutcheson

Everyone, including trainer Jonathan Sheppard, is waiting to see if the speedy Ever So Lucky belongs on the Triple Crown trail. The answer, hopefully, could come Feb. 11 in the Hutchson (gr. II) at Gulfstream.

Sheppard Hoping to be Ever So Lucky

Unbelievably, Hall of Famer Jonathan Sheppard has never saddled a Derby starter

read blog

Jockey Pimentel Records 1,000th Victory

Jockey Julian Pimentel posted his 1,000th career victory in the ninth race at Delaware Park Sept. 19.

Canadian Stallion Alumni Hall Dies

Alumni Hall, a multiple graded stakes winner for William S. Farish and partners, was euthanized in June because of complications associated with heart failure.

Glens Falls: Emerald Beech Wins 4th Straight

Emerald Beech overhauled pacesetter Dynaslew past mid-stretch to register her fourth consecutive victory by 1 1/2 lengths in the $102,000 Glens Falls (gr. IIIT), the final stakes event of the 2011 Saratoga season Sept. 5.

Saratoga Diary: Cases of Mistaken Identity

Strange goings-on make for an unusual Thursday.

read blog

Saratoga Diary: Place is Jumping

Extra steeplechase adds lift to three Thursdays.

read blog

Tajaaweed Grabs Arlington Handicap Victory

Shadwell Stable's Tajaaweed broke a seven-race losing streak and earned his first stakes win in the United States July 9 when taking over in upper stretch and scoring the $150,000 Arlington Handicap (gr. IIIT).

Triple Crown Talk: Post Derby Thoughts

Kentucky Derby 137 has come and gone, and before we move on to the Preakness let's take a few moments to dissect the race. I have several observations, but let's start out with the winner.

Read Blog

Quarantine Lifted at Gulfstream

Gulfstream lifts quarantine after horse tests negative for EHV-1.

Champion Forever Together Retired

Forever Together, voted the 2008 champion turf female after winning the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT), has been retired from racing to become a broodmare for owner George Strawbridge Jr.

Augustin Stable Champions Work at Keeneland

Augustin Stable's Informed Decision and Forever Together breezed at Keeneland Oct. 25 as the two gray champions trained by Jonathan Sheppard continued to prepare for the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs.

Percussionist Drums Up Grand National Triumph

In his first United States start, Denmark-based Percussionist exploded through the stretch to win the $250,000 Grand National (NSA-I), featured race of the Far Hills Races Oct. 23 in New Jersey.

Fugitive Angel Makes the Grade in Valley View

Augustin Stable's homebred Fugitive Angel rallied from near the back and overtook pacesetting longshot Ice Mist in deep stretch to win the $150,000 Pin Oak Valley View (gr. IIIT) by 3 3/4 lengths Oct. 22 at Keeneland.

10-Year-Old Cloudy's Knight Retired

S J Stables Cloudy's Knight, an earner of more than $2.5 million from 42 starts, has been retired due to a recurrence of a suspensory injury.

Defending Champ Informed Decision Heads TCA

Augustin Stable's Informed Decision will seek to become only the second horse to win the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (gr. II) in consecutive years when she faces eight rivals in the six-furlong sprint.

Arcadius Gives Sheppard 1,000th 'Chase Win

Trainer Jonathan Sheppard enjoyed a banner day at the Monmouth Park-Meridian Steeplechase Festival Sept. 25, capturing his 1,000th career hurdle win when Arcadius took the $100,000 Helen Haskell Sampson Stakes (NSA-I).

Informed Decision Narrowly Wins Masters

Champion Informed Decision wins her second Presque Isle Masters in a tight finish with Dubai Majesty after racing last and then wide.

Saratoga Diary: Coming Together

Fans of the sport's biggest and least noticed stars express 'That's Amore.'

Read Blog

Sermon of Love Takes Turf Writers Cup 'Chase

Trainer Jonathan Sheppard and owner William Pape kept their perfect meet record intact when Sermon of Love came from off the pace to win the $100,000 New York Turf Writers Cup (NSA-I) steeplechase Aug. 26 at Saratoga.

Five Vie for Favoritism in an Open Beverly D.

Tuscan Evening's sad demise earlier this month has left the $750,000 Beverly D. devoid of any obvious favorite on Arlington Million day Aug. 21 at Arlington Park.

Vic Zast's Saratoga Diary: No Sloppy Seconds

Front-runners scampered home first in all but one of six races run on the sloppy track.

Read Blog

Informed Decision Handles Two-Turn Mile

Informed Decision, the 2009 Eclipse Award winner as top female sprinter, won her first race beyond seven furlongs, and first around two turns, July 27 in the $100,000 Windward Stakes at Presque Isle Downs & Casino.

Informed Decision Gets Nod in Chicago 'Cap

Overwhelming 1-5 choice Informed Decision narrowly avoided an upset when she outfought 33-1 shot Rinterval in the final furlong to win the Chicago Handicap (gr. III) by a head July 4 at Arlington Park.

Just a Game: Proviso Bids for Grade I Repeat

In her first race since defeating West Coast males in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap (gr. IT) three months ago, Proviso takes on streaking filly Phola in the $400,000 Just a Game Handicap (gr. IT) at Belmont Park June 5.

Forever Together to Face 'Evening in Gamely

Forever Together, the 2008 female grass champion, will ship west to take on Tuscan Evening, the current female star in California, in the $250,000 Gamely Stakes (gr. IT) at Hollywood Park May 29.

Payton d'Oro Leads Gallorette Field

Payton d'Oro, who won last year's Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr. II) at Pimlico as part of a four-race win streak, will be gunning for her second straight win when she faces nine disaffers in the May 15 Gallorette Handicap.

Cloudy's Knight Injured; May Be Retired

Shirley and Jerrold Schwartz' 10-year-old multi-millionaire gelding Cloudy's Knight , who sustained a tendon injury in a April 19 workout, may be retired from racing, according to Daily Racing Form.

Sheppard, Clement Offer Views on Industry

The changing climate of the Thoroughbred industry and key areas of improvement were prominent topics of discussion by trainers Jonathan Sheppard and Christophe Clement at the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers Club meeting.

Informed Decision Makes Run at Madison Repeat

Last year's champion female sprinter to make 2010 debut in Keeneland's grade I Vinery Madison Stakes.

Clement, Sheppard to Speak at KTFMC Meeting

KTFMC meeting will feature leading trainers Christophe Clement and Jonathan Sheppard. Clement is the conditioner of champion Gio Ponti, and Sheppard trained Breeders' Cup winners Forever Together and Informed Decision.

Champion Female Sprinter: Informed Decision

Augustin Stable runner won six of seven starts (five graded wins) and capped off campaign with a victory over Ventura in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I).

Champion Steeplechaser: Mixed Up

William Pape's 10-year-old won A.P. Smithwick 'Chase (NSA-I) at Saratoga, then finished season with big win in the Colonial Cup (NSA-I)

Cloudy's Knight Shines in W.L. McKnight

Already having had the best season of racing as a 9-year-old, Cloudy's Knight put an exclamation point on 2009 with a 1 1/4-length victory Dec. 26 in the Calder's W.L. McKnight Handicap (gr. IIT).

Cloudy's Knight Has Last Word in Valedictory

The gritty 9-year-old Cloudy's Knight surrendered the lead to Eagle Poise but fought back along the inside to win the 1 3/4-mile Valedictory Stakes by one length on closing day of the 167-day Woodbine meet Dec. 6.

Forever Together Defends Title in Final Race

His excitement as a result of Forever Together's stirring win in last year's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (gr. IT) gave trainer Jonathan Sheppard fits of insomnia. But by all indications, the Hall of Fame trainer is taking things in better stride as his fierce gray mare defends her title as the morning line choice in the $2 million event at Santa Anita Nov. 6.

9-Year-Old Cloudy's Knight Wins Sycamore

Cloudy's Knight, moving in tandem with favorite Winchester during a big stretch move, caught Yate's Black Cat just before the wire to win the $125,000 Sycamore (gr. IIIT) by a head Oct. 22 at Keeneland.

Informed Decision Runs Downs Carlsbad in TCA

Augustin Stable's Informed Decision remained perfect in four starts on the Keeneland Polytrack, as she ran down Carlsbad in the final strides to win the $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (gr. II) Oct. 10, in the process earning a berth into next month's Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. IT).

Northern Dancer Inquiry Goes to Just as Well

Just as Well was awarded victory in the Northern Dancer Turf (Can-IT) at Woodbine Sept. 20 when the winner, Marsh Side, was disqualified for interference in the stretch.

Forever Together Readies for Breeders' Cup

Last year's champion grass mare Forever Together will attempt to add some more black-type to her already stellar resume when facing six other fillies and mares, including the highly regarded Points of Grace, in the $300,000 Canadian Stakes (Can-IIT) Sept. 20 at Woodbine.

Informed Decision Right Choice in PID Masters

Odds-on choice Informed Decision improved to five-for-five on synthetic tracks and cemented her position as a leading candidate for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint when she sailed to a 2 1/2-length victory in the $398,000 Presque Isle Downs Masters (gr. III) in Erie, Pa., on the evening of Sept. 12.

Informed Decision Right Choice in Ballerina?

This time last year, Indian Blessing was the front-runner in the female sprint division and on her way to a year-end Eclipse Award. Now, the Indian Charlie filly will have to take the division's leadership role from Informed Decision, who has won five straight stakes and enters the $300,000 Ballerina (gr. I) as the one to beat.

2009 Hall of Fame: Elliot Chasing Fame

Janet Elliot's horses have led the National Steeplechase Association's annual earnings list six times. Through 2008 Elliot ranked third on the all-time earnings list, with $7,580,234. Her lifetime total of 355 NSA wins through April 17 this year ranks among the best.

Jim Dandy, Diana Stars Come Out in Good Shape

Stonestreet Stables and Gulf Coast Farms' Kensei, who powered home to a 2 1/4-length victory over Warrior's Reward in the Aug. 1 Jim Dandy (gr. II) came out of the race in good shape, according to trainer Steven Asmussen's assistant Larry Ulrich.

Forever Together Looks to Defend Diana Title

On Aug. 1, Forever Together seeks to become only the fifth horse to put together back-to-back victories in the $500,000 Diana Stakes (gr. IT), a feat that only Glowing Honor (1988-89), Shuvee (1970-71), Tempted (1959-60) and Miss Grillo (1946-47) have been able to accomplish in the 71 previous editions of the 1 1/8- mile turf race.

Late Run Earns Winter View All Along Victory

The cutback in distance didn't seem to bother George Strawbridge Jr.'s homebred Winter View, as the daughter of Thunder Gulch came from last at the top of the stretch to run them all down in the $150,000 All Along Stakes (gr. IIIT) June 20 on the Colonial Downs turf.

Winter View Comes Right Back to Take Bewitch

Augustin Stable's homebred Winter View went from last to first in her graded stakes debut, charging through the lane under Julien Leparoux to score the Grey Goose Bewitch Stakes (gr. IIIT) by two lengths April 23 on the Keeneland turf.

Madison: Informed Decision Edges Ventura

George Strawbridge Jr.'s Informed Decision split horses in deep stretch and ran down 2-5 favorite Ventura to win the $300,000 Vinery Madison (gr. I) by a head in thrilling fashion April 9 at Keeneland.

Ventura Back Versus the Girls in Madison

Considering she won the event last year and is coming off a nose defeat against the boys five weeks ago, Ventura would seem to be a cinch for the $300,000 Vinery Madison (gr. I) April 9 at Keeneland. But that is not the case, as the Chester House filly will face six capable fillies on the Polytrack, including multiple stakes winners Informed Decision and Bsharpsonata.