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In addition to the spectacular victory of Quality Road in the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I), there was considerable other Memorial Day Weekend action of note. There is no doubt that Quality Road heads the older males, but the weekend also saw another older runner advance her claims to divisional leadership. This was Tuscan Evening (TrueNicks A++) ...

Having supplied Apapane (by King Kamehameha), winner of this year’s Japanese 1,000 Guineas (gr. I) and Oaks (gr. I) – the latter in a dead heat – the Kingmambo line was represented by this weekend by Eishin Flash, who took the Tokyo Yushun, the Japanese Derby (gr. I). In fact the Kingmambo (TrueNicks,SRO) line took the first two places, Eishin ...

The weekend provided the first ever dead heat in a Japanese grade I event as Champion Two-Year-Old Filly and Japan 1,000 Guineas (gr. I) victress Apapane could not be separated from Saint Emilion, who we had noted as one to watch here after her win in the Sankei Sports Sho Flora Stakes (gr. II). Apapane (TrueNicks A++) is one of four stakes ...

On a quiet weekend for U.S. racing, Treat Gently gave another example of just how versatile the excellent trio of sprinter/milers by Green Desert – Oasis Dream, Invincible Spirit, and Cape Cross – are as sires, with her win in the 11-furlong Sheepshead Bay Stakes (gr. II). Oasis Dream, who was a pure sprinter, and whose third crop are currently ...

After a spectacular win in the Coventry Stakes (gr. II) was followed by a third in the Prix Morny (gr. I) – his final outing at two – a second in the seven furlong Greenham Stakes (gr. III), and a third in the English 2,000 Guineas (gr. I), there were many who questioned Canford Cliffs’s ability to get a mile. However, his connections never ...

At the TrueNicks office in Lexington, Ian Tapp and Scot Gillies recently raised some interesting questions about the pedigree and rating of a sister to the very talented Brother Derek (TrueNicks,SRO), who was offered at last Monday’s Barretts May Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training. This filly, named Sister Kate, is by Alydar’s son Benchmark ...

A talented son of Smart Strike (TrueNicks,SRO) emerges as a leading Kentucky Derby (gr. I) hopeful; the race goes to a rival who benefits from a rail-hugging ride from Calvin Borel; but the Smart Strike son rebounds to prove his classic credentials in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I). If that sounds like ''déjà vu all over again,'' it is, because the ...

In the Dwyer Stakes (gr. II), Fly Down (TrueNicks A++) staked a claim to be considered a Belmont Stakes (gr. I) prospect, with a six lengths tally. He is from the third crop of Mineshaft (TrueNicks,SRO), as is this year’s Risen Star Stakes (gr. II) winner Discreetly Mine. Both of these horses are out of Damascus-line mares, Discreetly Mine from a ...

The loss of the brilliant Dubai Millennium to grass sickness after just one year at stud was mitigated somewhat when his son Dubawi (IRE) (TrueNicks,SRO) turned out to be an outstanding performer. A winner of five of his eight starts, Dubawi took the Superlative Stakes (gr. III) and National Stakes (gr. I) at two, and won the Irish 2,000 Guineas ...

It was clear at the time that the death of Maria’s Mon – at the early age of 14 – was a severe loss to the industry, and subsequent events have only emphasized that fact. Champion of what turned out to be an exceptional juvenile crop, Maria’s Mon won four of his five starts at two, including the Sanford Stakes (gr. III), Futurity Stakes (gr. I), ...