Midday, who was bred in England, gave the Europeans their second win of the 26th Breeders' Cup World Championships. The 3-year-old daughter of Oasis Dream was making her first start in the United States. She is trained by Henry Cecil, a renowned English trainer who earned his first Breeders' Cup victory after many years.
Friday, November 06, 2009
It would be an understatement to say that Magical Fantasy heads the California contingent for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Nov. 6. After four consecutive major stakes wins locally, three in grade I company, she's nearly all that's left.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Looking to join Ouija Board as the only two-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (gr. IT), Forever Together is the likely pick in the $2 million event sponsored by Emirates Airline.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Several trainers from the Oct. 3 races at Belmont indicated which way they were leaning for next month's Breeders' Cup.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Pure Clan overtook Criticism in the final furlong to register a convincing win in the $600,000 Flower Bowl Invitational (gr. IT) at foggy, soggy Belmont Park Oct. 3.
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Dynaforce wouldn't mind a little cut in the ground when she defends her crown in the $600,000 Flower Bowl Invitational (gr. IT) over Belmont Park's inner turf course Oct. 3.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Jockey Kent Desormeaux made it back-to-back grade I wins on a soggy Arlington Park turf course when he guided Dynaforce to victory in the $750,000 Beverly D. Aug. 8.
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Two of the most prestigious turf races on the North American racing calendar, the Arlington Million and Beverly D., will be aired live Sat., Aug. 8, on ESPN from 4:30-6:00 p.m. ET.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
European group winners Alnadana and Mad About You challenge top American-based runners Pure Clan, Black Mamba and others in the $750,000 Beverly D. Stakes (gr. IT).
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Einstein, who stumbled at the start and finished fifth in last year's Arlington Million (gr. IT), drew the inside post for this season's prestigious turf race at Arlington Park, which will be held Aug. 8.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Lewis Lakin's homebred Pure Clan, making just her second start of the season, overtook pacesetter Tizaqueena in upper stretch and sailed to the wire for a 2 1/2-length victory in the $200,000 Modesty Handicap (gr. IIIT) July 11 on the Arlington Park turf.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Lewis Lakin's Pure Clan, fully recovered from a minor injury suffered earlier this season, seems primed to begin her run towards the top of the older female turf division and the climb will start July 11 in the $200,000 Modesty Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Arlington Park, where she will carry top weight of 122 pounds.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Helen Groves and Helen Alexander's Acoma repelled a late bid from Pure Clan and held on for a neck victory in the $109,000 Early Times Mint Julep Handicap (gr. IIIT) June 6 at Churchill Downs.
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Multiple graded stakes-winning filly Pure Clan makes her much-anticipated 2009 debut June 6 in the $100,000 Early Times Mint Julep Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs, but will have to face accomplished rivals Acoma and Tizaqueena, both of whom have shown good form this year.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Tepid 3-1 favorite Wait a While faces a tough field in the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Oct. 24. The 10-horse field includes seven other grade or group I winners.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
A sparkling group of female turf runners, representing both sides of the Atlantic, were pre-entered in the $2-million Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT).
Thursday, October 16, 2008
PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter
Sky Diva is at the crossroads of an improving sire and an improving family. Sky Mesa started slowly but now runners from his first crop have become graded stakes winners and his second crop of juveniles running this year already includes five stakes winners. At the top is grade I winner Sky Diva. The filly's family has also been improving over the past four years. Friday, October 10, 2008
International Equine Acquisitions Holdings, (IEAH Stables), owners of 2008 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner Big Brown, will donate a percentage of winnings of all IEAH starters in next month's Breeders' Cup World Championships to Breeders' Cup Charities.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Paul Pompa Jr.'s Backseat Rhythm came with a five-wide move and rallied from fifth at the top of the stretch, eventually getting up in the final strides under Javier Castellano to win the $250,000 Garden City Stakes (gr. IT) by a half-length on Belmont's yielding turf course Sept. 6.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
IEAH Stables' grade I winners Ariege and Pure Clan are the headliners in a contentious field of eight 3-year-old fillies vying for the $250,000 Garden City Stakes (gr. IT) Sept. 6 on the Belmont turf, but there is plenty of tough competition in the nine-furlong test.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Trainer Bob Holthus said American Oaks (gr. IT) winner Pure Clan is "knocked out" and won't be competing in the $350,000 Del Mar Oaks (gr. IT) Aug. 16.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Trapped on the inside coming down the lane, a patient Julien Leparoux guided favored Pure Clan through a narrow opening between horses and outfought French raider Satan's Circus in the final furlong to win the $750,000 American Oaks Invitational (gr. IT) at Hollywood Park July 5.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Carribean Sunset, a multiple group III winner in Ireland, leads a four-horse European contingent in a field of 12 3-year-old fillies contesting the $750,000 American Oaks Invitational Stakes (gr. IT) at Hollywood Park July 5.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Pure Clan, who was last seen finishing third to Proud Spell and Little Belle May 2 in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), bounced back with an impressive victory June 14 in the Regret Stakes (gr. IIIT) under the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Pure Clan, third in last month's Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) for trainer Bob Holthus, returns to the grass in the $200,000 Regret Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs June 14.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
With co-owner Lewis Lakin looking on, Pure Clan put in her final work for the June 14 Regret (Gr. III) by working five furlongs in 1:02.20 over "firm" turf June 5 under Julien Leparoux.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Trainer Larry Jones scratched the filly Eight Belles from the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), and then proceeded to win the race with Proud Spell.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Trainer Larry Jones took it as a sign of better things to come when his Eight Belles drew the outside 12 post for the May 2 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), but all was not lost for the Kentucky-born trainer when his Proud Spell drew post 8 in the 1 1/8-mile race for the lilies on the first Friday in May.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Pure Clan and jockey Edgar Prado met for the first time, while Awesome Chic went for a trip around the Churchill Downs oval, and trainer Dallas Stewart has yet to decide if he will start Honest Pursuit in the Oaks.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Bsharpsonata, Golden Doc A work together, Highest Class and Honest Pursuit still possible for Oaks, A to the Croft, Awesome Chic, and Pure Clan Gallop.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Bsharpsonata, Golden Doc A to work Wednesday, Awesome Chic, Pure Clan to work Friday, A to the Croft to work Saturday.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Jockey Edgar Prado will be in the irons when Pure Clan takes the gate for the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) May 2 at Churchill Downs. The Oaks will make Prado's first mount aboard the daughter of Pure Prize. She was ridden in five of her six previous career starts by Julien Leparoux.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Fox Hill Farms' Eight Belles, who made the $250,000 Fantasy Stakes (gr. II) at Oaklawn Park her fourth consecutive victory, emerged as a narrow favorite as the third and final pool of Churchill Downs' 2008 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager concluded April 6.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Eight Belles continued her quest to become the best 3-year-old filly in the nation, as the daughter of Unbridled's Song overcame a poor start to win by three-quarters of a length in the $250,000 Fantasy Stakes (gr. II) April 6 at Oaklawn Park, her third consecutive stakes triumph.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Two fillies headed for a showdown in Keeneland's Ashland Stakes (gr. I) April 5, Brereton Jones' Proud Spell and Stonerside Stable's Country Star, stood as the top two choices in Pool 3 of Churchill Downs' 2008 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager as the four-day betting pool reached its halfway point.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Though Larry Jones was tempted to run his ultra-talented 3-year-old filly Eight Belles against the boys in the $1-million Arkansas Derby (gr. II) April 12, the trainer has decided to take the safer route, and instead will line up the daughter of Unbridled's Song in the $250,000 Fantasy Stakes (gr. II) April 6 at Oaklawn Park.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Brereton Jones' Proud Spell, winner of the Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II), and Stonerside Stable's Country Star, a two-time winner in grade I company, are the top choices for the third pool of Churchill Downs' 2008 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, which begins four days of betting April 3.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
In the $100,000 Honeybee Stakes (gr. III) March 16 at Oaklawn Park, the streaking 3-year-old filly proved she could handle graded stakes competition, as she scored by 1 1/4 lengths after coasting to the wire with ease under a confident Ramon Dominguez. She defeated five rivals.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Undefeated Lewis Lakin homebred Pure Clan makes her 3-year-old debut March 16 in the $100,000 Honeybee Stakes (gr. III), and will have to hold off five rivals, including Eight Belles, who won her stakes debut in impressive fashion last month.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Indian Blessing's surprising slip from the ranks of the unbeaten in the Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II) March 8 left Country Star and Proud Spell atop the betting in Pool 2 of Churchill Downs' 2008 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, which closed March 9.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Proud Spell's upset of previously unbeaten champion Indian Blessing in the Fair Grounds Oaks March 8 left Eight Belles and Pure Clan co-favored at odds of 5-1 with one day of betting remaining for Pool 2 of Churchill Downs' 2008 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Unbeaten Indian Blessing, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2007 and the favorite for Saturday's Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II), was a strong 3-1 favorite following the first of four days of betting on Pool 2 of Churchill Downs' 2008 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager.
Friday, March 07, 2008
IEAH Stables has reached an agreement to acquire a majority ownership interest in the undefeated Pure Clan, a leading contender for the grade 1 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) at Churchill Downs. She will race in the silks of IEAH Stables, and current owner Lewis Lakin retained a piece of ownership in the deal.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Unbeaten Indian Blessing, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2007, took over the role of narrow favorite in the first pool of the 2008 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager after the Bob Baffert-trained filly's win in the $200,000 Silverbulletday Stakes (gr. III) at Fair Grounds Feb. 9.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Unbeaten 2-year-old filly champion Indian Blessing and the impressive grade I winner Country Star head a strong roster of 3-year-old fillies listed as wagering interests in the first of three pools of Churchill Downs' 2008 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Lewis Lakin's Pure Clan remained unbeaten and earned her fourth career victory as she unleashed a powerful late run in the $250,000 Golden Rod Stakes (gr. II) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 24.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Lewis Lakin's Pure Clan, unbeaten in three career starts, will stretch out to 1 1/16 miles and aim for grade II status when she heads to the post against eight other 2-year-old fillies in the $250,000 Golden Rod Stakes (gr. II) at Churchill Downs Nov. 24.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Fields are beginning to take shape for each of the five graded stakes at Churchill Downs Thanksgiving weekend, highlighted by the Nov. 23 $500,000-added Clark Handicap (gr. II).
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Lewis Lakin homebred Pure Clan charged 10-wide through the stretch, coming from near the back of a full field of 14 to score a dramatic win in the $150,000 Pocahontas Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Downs Oct. 28.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
