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Back in mid-June, we blogged that “On the West Coast, Bob Baffert has a potential good 'second season' 3-year-old in Coil (TrueNicks A++), who took his record to three wins in four starts by capturing the Affirmed Handicap (gr. III). Coil was apparently under consideration for the Woody Stephens, but he shouldn’t have much trouble carrying his ...

Those who were in attendance at Saratoga on August 23, 1997, or those watching on TV for that matter, would have little problem embracing the idea that Tale of the Cat (TrueNicks,SRO) might well have been the most naturally talented of all of Storm Cat’s sons. That day, he delivered an unforgettable performance, blistering the track to take the ...

Set in the Isis Valley near Scone, Kitchwin Hills is home to two exciting young sires, Dane Shadow and Duporth, one an extremely promising young son of Danehill, and the other a horse with tremendous potential as an outcross for Danehill. Dane Shadow (AUS) (TrueNicks) – a group stakes-winning sprinter by Danehill out of champion 3-year-old ...

Perhaps the most interesting pedigree of the July 4 weekend stakes winners is that of Her Smile, the 3-year-old filly who took the Prioress Stakes (gr. I, video below). She’s a daughter of Include (TrueNicks,SRO), who had the grade I-winning fillies Panty Raid and Cash Included in his first crop, but hadn’t had a graded stakes winners since. ...

Larneuk Stud is a proven winner-producing nursery, situated near Euroa in the heart of Victoria’s thoroughbred country. The farm has now subscribed two of its promising young sires to TrueNicks, allowing breeders to run complimentary hypothetical matings with O’Lonhro and Bramshaw. O'Lonhro (AUS) (TrueNicks,SRO), who will soon commence his ...

The first U.S. 2-year-old grade II winner of the year is Jack’s in the Deck (TrueNicks A+), who upset the Futurity Stakes (gr. II, video below), breaking his maiden in only his second start. Jack’s in the Deck is from the second crop of Love of Money (TrueNicks,SRO) (by Not For Love (TrueNicks,SRO), a brother to Rhythm, and three-parts-brother to ...

A standout in Australia, More Than Ready (TrueNicks,SRO) has also been a very successful and consistent sire in the U.S., but his Northern Hemisphere record had lacked one important thing: a grade I winner. That omission was corrected over the weekend when his progressive daughter Buster’s Ready (TrueNicks A++) captured the Mother Goose Stakes ...

Although a front-running victory in a sloppy renewal of the Alabama Stakes (gr. I) would prove to be the final win of Pretty Discreet’s racing career, she was about to commence a broodmare career that would bring her even greater acclaim. Last weekend, Awesome Maria became the latest grade I winner to extend from Pretty Discreet when winning the ...

Withdrawn from the English 1,000 Guineas (gr. I) after misbehaving in the stalls, and unplaced in the French 1,000 Guineas (gr. I), Immortal Verse turned a corner with a win in the Prix de Sandringham (gr. II). In the one mile Coronation Stakes (gr. I, video below), she delivered a very impressive performance sweeping from last-to-first to win by ...

Royal Ascot occupied most of our attention last week, but we wanted to note a few interesting pedigrees from last week before they get too distant in time. In Australia, the Stradbroke Handicap (gr. I, video below) saw Sincero (TrueNicks A++) become one of the few 3-year-olds in that country this season to defeat his elders in a major race this ...