Don't Tell Sophia, last rounding the far turn, roared down the stretch to register her first grade I victory in the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes Oct. 5 on the Keeneland main track as overwhelming favorite Close Hatches fizzled.
Trainer Phil Simms and Jerry Namy's Don't Tell Sophia, who hadn't raced since a third-place finish in the grade II Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn Park in March, circled the field to win the $108,200 Locust Grove at Churchill.
Don't Tell Sophia wasn't in a hurry leaving the gate, but she quickly got herself into gear and easily drew off to win her second straight $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes Feb. 16 at Oaklawn Park.
Cowboy Cal was represented by his first U.S. winner when in his second start Tachi captured a maiden special weight race at Indiana Downs Aug. 27.
Rumor put it together for the Hall of Fame tandem of trainer Richard Mandella and jockey Mike Smith to register her first graded stakes victory in the $100,000 Las Flores Stakes (gr. III) March 10 at Santa Anita Park.
Don't Tell Sophia was a $1,000 yearling purchase in 2009. On Feb. 16 she ran them off their feet at Oaklawn Park, easily putting 6 1/2 lengths over her nearest competitor in the $98,000 Bayakoa Stakes.
In the final start of her career, multiple graded stakes winner Upperline outfought Ciao Bella in the homestretch to prevail in the $125,000 Rood and Riddle Dowager Stakes Oct. 21 on the Keeneland turf.
Godolphin Racing's multiple grade I winner It's Tricky has been retired with an injury to her right hind ankle.
Favored Upperline collared pacesetter Hooh Why in the final furlong to post a sharp four-length victory in the $150,000 Arlington Matron (gr. III) at Arlington Park May 26.
Upperline, runner-up in her last two stakes tries, found another gear in the late stages to win the $150,000 Grey Goose Bewitch (gr. IIIT) by 1 1/2 lengths April 26 at Keeneland.
Godolphin Racing's It's Tricky swung three-wide into the stretch, fought her way to the front, and drew clear by 3 1/2 lengths in the $200,000 Distaff Handicap (gr. II) at Aqueduct April 14.
Josephine Abercrombie's Pin Oak Stud announced that Ron Winchell has purchased a significant interest in Cowboy Cal from Robert and Janice McNair's Magnolia Racing.
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin confirmed March 1 that Darley Stable's promising 3-year-old colt Crossbow is off the Kentucky Derby trail due to a small bone chip discovered in his right front ankle.
Freshened since a fifth-place finish in the Ashland Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland three months ago, Upperline drew away to a 4 3/4-length victory in the $100,000 Arlington Oaks (gr. III) July 3.
Front-running favorite Tizaqueena, craftily ridden by E.T. Baird, drew away in the stretch and held sway for a two-length victory in the $150,000 Arlington Matron Handicap (gr. III) May 29 at Arlington Park.
He plans to build a one-mile training track on the property, which is located approximately six miles from the Aiken Training Track.
Godolphin Stables' Midshipman, unraced since taking the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) last fall en route to the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male, is close to making a return to the races, said assistant trainer Rick Mettee.
Citizen, ridden by Jon Court, rallied along the inside to open a wide lead in the stretch and then held on by a head over fast-closing Flying Private in the $50,000 Mountain Valley Stakes at odds of 29-1 Feb. 28 at Oaklawn Park.
Cowboy Cal is headed to the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) in one month following his hard-fought win in the $250,000 Strub Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita Feb. 7.
Front-running Cowboy Cal, one of the few horses that Robert and Janice McNair kept after they sold Stonerside Stable to Darley last year, nipped 28-1 shot Informed by a nose to win the $150,000 San Pasqual Handicap (gr. II) at Santa Anita Jan. 10.
The first wave of up to 30 American mares booked to Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Raven's Pass is scheduled to reach Ireland on Dec. 20, with two other groups slated to begin quarantine soon prior to their trips.
The Fasig-Tipton December mixed sale, this country's last major Thoroughbred auction of the year, will be held Dec. 14 at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie. There are 221 horses listed in the catalog: 142 broodmares or broodmare prospects, 44 weanlings, and 35 yearlings or horses of racing age.
Favored Cowboy Cal gained victory in the $150,000 Bryan Station Stakes (gr. IIIT) when Keeneland stewards disqualified the original winner, Seaspeak, for interference in the stretch Oct. 12.
Skylighter, making her stakes debut after a layoff of nearly three months for trainer Bobby Frankel, made her 14-1 odds look like a gift when she charged home to win the $406,400 Indiana Oaks (gr. II) by three lengths at Hoosier Park Oct. 3.
In an effort to raise money for The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, the Race Track Chaplaincy of New York has organized a basketball game between members of the Saratoga jockey colony and the Texas Titans, a 6th grade Texas-based AAU team.
Janice and Robert McNair, owners of Stonerside Stable, announced that any earnings by their homebred Cowboy Cal in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) will be donated to the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Favored Chatain made it back-to-back wins in Gulfstream Park's $100,000 Hal's Hope Handicap (gr. III) with a devastating kick for home Jan. 6.
Cowboy Cal, a 3-year-old Giant's Causeway colt, captured his first graded stakes win Jan. 1 at Calder Race Course.
Country Star, one of the leading 2-year-old fillies in the nation, is now two-for-two in grade I opportunities after a scintillating 2 3/4-length triumph in the $425,500 Hollywood Starlet Dec. 15.
Country Star, possible finalist in the Eclipse balloting for leading 2-year-old filly, figures to be the favorite in the $250,000 Hollywood Starlet (gr. I) Dec. 15.
Favored Sea Chanter fought her way between horses to get the lead in the final strides, capturing the $113,200 Miesque Stakes (gr. IIIT) for 2-year-old fillies at one mile on the Hollywood Park turf on Nov. 24.
The Nov. 10 session of the Keeneland November breeding stock sale saw declines in gross, average, and median as a changeover of buyers from around the world created a softer market.
Stonerside Stable's favored Karen's Caper roared to the lead mid-stretch under Brice Blanc and raced to the wire in track record time as she captured the $150,000 Eatontown Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the Monmouth Park turf Saturday.
Stoneside Stable's determined Bob and John would not give way in the stretch run of the $388,000 Lone Star Park Handicap (gr. III) to win by a hard fought neck over odds-on choice Sweetnorthernsaint and give jockey Garrett Gomez a sweep of the three graded stakes at the muddy Grand Prairie, Texas, track Monday.
Bob and John, owned by Stonerside Stable, is set to receive the "Aiken, S.C., Trained Horse of the Year" award March 18 at the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum. The public is invited to attend.
Lazy F Ranch's lightly raced Chatain surged past heavily favored Sweetnorthernsaint in deep stretch to grab the lead and hold off an extremely game Sir Greeley to win the $100,000 Hal's Hope Handicap (gr. III) by a nose in track record time at Gulfstream Park Saturday.
Janice and Robert McNair's Stonerside Stable has purchased the 4-year-old filly Argentina from the Wildenstein family's Dayton Investments. The daughter of Sadler's Wells will stay with current trainer Bobby Frankel, who is pointing her for the Flower Bowl Invitational Handicap (gr. IT) Oct. 7.
It's the money time of the year for trainer Bobby Frankel, who is starting to get hot at the right time. He saddled favored Karen's Caper, who got an ideal set up Saturday on the Belmont Park Widener Turf Course under jockey Edgar Prado to win the $155,366 Noble Damsel Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIIT) for fillies and mare at one mile.
Three yearlings bred by Robert and Janice McNair's Stonerside Stable sold for $3 million or more apiece last year at public auction. This year, the yearling market won't be pumped up by the McNairs' best young stock.
Too Much Bling made a three wide move on the turn and took command in the final furlong to post a two-length win as the prohibitive 1-2 favorite in Saturday's $300,000 Carry Back (gr. III) for 3-year-olds at Calder Race Course's Summit of Speed.
Although Todd Pletcher has the two favorites, according to the morning line, for Saturday's 138th running of the Belmont Stakes, a veteran of the Triple Crown races is lurking right behind him.
Trainer Bob Baffert made his trip east with Bob and John pay off with an impressive 1 1/2-length victory in the $750,000 Wood Memorial (gr. I) for 3-year-olds at muddy Aqueduct Saturday.
Favorite Too Much Bling turned in a dazzling nine-length victory in the $150,000 Bay Shore (gr. III) on a sloppy, sealed Aqueduct track Saturday, establishing himself as the leading 3-year-old sprinter in the country.
The flashy Too Much Bling may not have the sort of stamina needed for the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), but the gray colt showed plenty of quality in winning the San Vicente (gr. II) at seven furlongs Sunday at Santa Anita Park.
Bob and John, trainer Bob Baffert's most accomplished Triple Crown prospect, returned to the winner's circle Friday with a three-length victory in a $52,800 allowance event at Santa Anita while traveling 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.81.
Native Annie, a Texas homebred champion for Robert and Janice McNair's Stonerside Stable, has been retired from racing with a record of eight wins from 16 starts and earnings of $336,492.
Trainer Bob Baffert admitted his lone Kentucky Derby (gr. I) contender Sort It Out is no Bellamy Road, one of the favorites for Saturday's classic, but said the colt's workout at Churchill Downs Monday morning was the best he's ever seen of the horse.
Sort It Out hasn't won since February's Whirlaway Stakes, but don't count him out of the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) just yet.
Janice and Robert McNair's Stonerside Stable has purchased a controlling interest in the 3-year-old filly Sis City from the partnership of Sanford Goldfarb, New York Yankees' manager Joe Torre, Michael Dubb, and Ira Davis.
Graded stakes winner Forest Heiress is the first mare to be checked in foal to 2004 champion and dual classic winner Smarty Jones.
