Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. and trainer Chad Brown wrapped up the Aqueduct season with respective three-win days April 22 to secure top honors for the spring meet at the Big A. Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stable emerged as leading owner for the 13-day meet.
With trainer Chad Brown watching from the Keeneland boxes, Good Magic gave the two-time Eclipse Award winner reason to stay loose and happy as the chestnut colt cruised through a four-furlong work in :48 flat April 21.
Baldo Hernandez, assistant to Keeneland spring meet leading trainer Chad Brown, reported the stable's three horses who were first across the finish in the $350,000 Coolmore Jenny Wiley (G1) were fine the morning after the April 14 test.
Her last start was a runner-up finish in the July 8 Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1T) at Belmont Park, but Peter Brant's Sistercharlie was primed for a big effort April 14 in the $350,000 Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland.
With the first grade 1 test for turf females of 2018 slated to take place this weekend, it is fitting the two trainers who have wielded the division's strongest hands in recent years have entrants none would be shocked to see prevail.
In her first start since she captured the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) in November, Rushing Fall showed who she was in the $200,000 Appalachian Stakes presented by Japan Racing Association (G2T) when she drew clear to win by a length.
Champion Good Magic and his caretakers were in good order April 8, one day after his vindicating, 1 1/2-length victory in the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland.
Analyze It remained unbeaten and virtually untested in three starts when he notched a 5 1/4-length victory in the Kentucky Utilities Transylvania Stakes (G3T) over the Keeneland grass course April 6.
The first read on how well Rushing Fall carries expectations forward in her 3-year-old season comes April 8, when she makes her season debut in the Appalachian Stakes Presented by Japan Racing Association (G2T) at Keeneland.
When graded stakes winner Economic Model starts in the March 31 Godolphin Mile Sponsored By Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum City—District One (G2), it will represent both a career first for trainer Chad Brown and a swan song of sorts.
Fourstar Crook launched herself figuratively and literally toward the forefront of the turf female division when she rallied widest of all down the lane to edge Proctor's Ledge by a head in the Hillsborough Stakes (G2T).
The strong-galloping filly all but put herself in the entry box for the $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes (G2T) with the way she trained in Florida the past few months for Ken McPeek, who will send her out to her first start as a 4-year-old March 10.
Promises Fulfilled backed up trainer Dale Romans' faith in the $400,000 Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) when the 18-1 shot delivered a gate-to-wire upset over Strike Power and champion Good Magic in the 1 1/16-mile test.
The first read on how champion Good Magic has progressed comes March 3 when he and nine rivals break from the gate in the $400,000 Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park.
Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence's Favorable Outcome will return the site of his lone graded score March 3 in the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint (G3).
No big changes in the Derby Dozen, but there is always something interesting in the details.
Economic Model turned back multiple graded stakes winner Irish War Cry in the Gulfstream Park stretch to win the $100,000 Hal's Hope Stakes (G3) by 1 3/4 lengths.
Local favorite The Blue Eye (GB) swept by pacesetting American invader Money Multiplier in the stretch of the H. H. the Emir's Trophy (G1) Feb. 24 at Al Rayyan Racecourse in Doha to win the event for the second time in three years.
Reigning juvenile champion Good Magic turned in his final workout Feb. 24 in advance of his expected seasonal bow in the March 3 Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), clocking a half mile in :48.30 at Palm Meadows Training Center.
There will be no shortage of accomplished rivals awaiting Curlin's Approval when she tries to defend her 2017 victory in a revamped Royal Delta Stakes (G3) Feb. 19 at Gulfstream Park.
Sheep Pond Partners and All Pro Racing's Elysea's World (IRE) broke through with a ground-saving trip to kick off her final season of racing with a neck victory over stablemate Dream Awhile in the Suwannee River Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
Did last weekend's stakes cause a shakeup in the Derby Dozen? Find out who the biggest movers were.
Headed by reigning juvenile male champion Good Magic, a total of 360 3-year-olds were made eligible during the early nomination phase to compete in the 2018 races of the American Triple Crown.
After closing 2017 with a runner-up finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T), West Point Thoroughbreds' Untamed Domain will begin his 3-year-old season Feb. 3 in the $100,000 Dania Beach Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park.
A couple of new faces on the Derby Dozen, as we get ready for a big weekend.
Sarah Sharp Farish's homebred Texting put an end to her five-race losing skid with her first graded stakes victory in the La Prevoyante Handicap (G3T).
Celebration of the extraordinary winners of the 2017 Eclipse Awards at Gulfstream Park.
For the California-based trio of Hronis, his brother Pete, and their trainer John Sadler, the Pegasus will be filled with a gamut of emotions.
Continuing his momentum from 2016 when he earned his first Eclipse Award for outstanding trainer, Chad Brown adds another piece of hardware as he repeated as outstanding trainer for 2017.
Her career didn't end as her connections and fans would have liked, but at least Lady Eli leaves the racetrack for her next career with an Eclipse Award in tow.
The first Derby Dozen of 2018 is here! Find out who is number one, and who else made the list.
Coolmore's Stellar Wind got an early four-furlong leg-stretcher Jan. 20 in preparation for her run against males in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1).
Stellar Wind continued to impress trainer Chad Brown the morning of Jan. 14 with her preparation for the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), breezing five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 at Palm Meadows Training Center.
Stellar Wind, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2015 and a six-time grade 1 winner, breezed for the first time as a 6-year-old the morning of Jan. 7, as she continued preparations for a start in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) Jan. 27.
The first take-notice effort from a classic prospect came six days into the calendar year as Mask made his challengers pay for letting him have things his own way during a 6 1/4-length win in the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes Jan. 6.
The expected coronation of Gun Runner took a step closer to becoming official Jan. 5, when the reigning Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner was announced as one of the three finalists in the Eclipse Award balloting for 2017 Horse of the Year.
In a 2017 season in which he sent out a classic winner and a pair of Breeders' Cup winners, trainer Chad Brown finished as the top trainer by North American purse earnings for a second straight year.
Daddys Lil Darling seemed to see Madam Dancealot closing on the outside, and dug in late to win the $300,000 American Oaks (G1T) by a half-length.
In the $100,000 Rampart Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park Dec. 16 , Lewis Bay provided a refresher course on her ability when she turned back even-money favorite Curlin's Approval to score a 1 1/4-length win in her first start since November of 2016.
Though multiple grade 1-winner Lady Eli is a near-certain pick to earn her first Eclipse Award trophy next month, the next portion of her career is still being debated.
Stellar Wind was back on the work tab Dec. 3, breezing a half-mile in :50 flat at Palm Meadows Training Center for a possible start in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 27.
Last of 11 in the backstretch run of the $300,000 Matriarch Stakes (G1T) at Del Mar Nov. 26, Martin Schwartz's Off Limits (IRE) needed a lot to go right.
His stablemate may have won the grade 1, but Analyze It put forward an impressive flourish on a strong day for trainer Chad Brown when he cruised home an easy winner of the $100,000 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3T) at Del Mar.
Trainer Chad Brown signed the ticket for the grade 2-winning daughter of Dubawi, who finished second by a head to Lady Eli in the Diana Stakes (G1). Quidura won or placed seven times in nine starts and earned $503,788.
After four straight close losses in group 1 races, Wuheida (GB) would not be denied in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) Nov. 4 at Del Mar, scoring by one length over Rhododendron (IRE).
Bob Edwards' e Five Racing won last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf with New Money Honey. He perhaps holds a stronger hand this year with 2-year-old Rushing Fall.
Moonshine Memories not only broke her maiden at Del Mar, but she's also won a grade 1 over the track, where she held off Piedi Bianchi in the Sept. 2 Del Mar Debutante Stakes.
Practical Joke has been perfect when asked to run eight furlongs or less. That flawless streak will be put to its toughest tough yet Nov. 3 when the grade 1 winner faces elders in the Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Del Mar.
Last year only a nose separated Lady Eli and the winner, Cheveley Park Stud's Queen's Trust (GB), who will make the trip back to the U.S. to defend her title.
While the race usually is a difficult puzzle considering the light form on 2-year-old fillies and a huge influx of European runners, this year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) Nov. 3 at Del Mar features a ready-made star in Happily.
