The morning after the Preakness Stakes, trainer Keith Desormeaux needed to look no further than Exaggerator's pedigree line to express his confidence about the upcoming Belmont Stakes.
The 3-year-old colt crop of 2007 was widely regarded at the time as one of the best and most competitive in decades, and the three top colts – Curlin, Hard Spun, and Street Sense – all went to stud in 2008 or 2009 with considerable fanfare. Curlin proved himself the best of the three on the racetrack, and after a comparatively slow start, is now proving himself the best sire of the three.
Florida Derby winner Dialed In sired the first winner from his first starter when Maximum Edge won the first race at Churchill Downs today. In the maiden race for juvenile fillies going 4 1/2 furlongs, Maximum Edge, ridden by Corey Lanerie, raced just off the early pace, went four wide into the stretch, and wore down pacesetter and 2-5 favorite Golden Mischief (by Into Mischief) to win by a neck at odds of 5-1 in the 5-horse field.
Queen's Plate and Woodbine Oaks prospects Gamble's Ghost and Caren ran one-two in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes on May 15 at Woodbine. In the case of Gamble's Ghost, she is from a family that has produced outstanding fillies, and classic influences, on both sides of her pedigree.
DRF sales editor Joe Nevills analyzes the Preakness Stakes field, in post position order, in the form of Haiku, a Japanese poem of 17 syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five.
Saturday's 141st Preakness Stakes marks the fifth straight year that Maryland’s signature race will be contested without a statebred runner. This reflects problems that the local Thoroughbred industry has faced, but the good news is that state legislators have instituted measures to reverse these fortunes – plus, there have been other developments recently to reward excellence. Better days for Maryland breeders seem to be on the horizon.
From the time Jump Start arrived in Pennsylvania, he has been among the state's leading sires. His popularity with the region's breeders is evident by the size of his book of mares. Last year, for example, he was bred to 102 mares, the second most by any horse standing in the state, behind only second-year sire El Padrino.
Northview Stallion Station had a stranglehold on the Maryland general sire list in 2015, being represented by the top four sires in the state by progeny earnings.
It was an exacta sweep for successful young stallion Bernardini in the Grade 2 Ruffian Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park, as Cavorting bested Carrumba by five lengths. In addition to sharing a sire, both fillies are from solid female families.
Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, currently standing his first season at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky., will not shuttle to Australia for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season.
