open mind stakes

Just 10 days after Kimari went within an eyelash of becoming the maiden stakes winner for the China Horse Club’s U.S.-based breeding program in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot, that title was claimed by Valiance in the $75,000 Open Mind Stakes on turf at Monmouth Park. The striking gray filly maintained […]

Unbeaten Valiance continued to live up to her lofty yearling price, swinging out from a stalking trip in mid-stretch and going on to 1¼-length victory in Sunday’s $75,000 Open Mind Stakes at Monmouth Park. A $650,000 yearling purchase, the Todd Pletcher-trained filly improved to 3-for-3 lifetime while recording her first stakes victory in an evenly-matched […]

Trainer Bret Calhoun and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. had a memorable Saturday at Churchill Downs that ultimately led the duo to the winner’s circle with longshot Patrona Margarita in the $200,000 Pocahontas (Grade II), securing the top spot on the early “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” leaderboard. Hernandez’s day started out with three victories in […]

Maggie Moss’s So Many Ways, winner of Saratoga’s Grade I Spinaway at two and Churchill Downs’ Eight Belles (Grade III) on Kentucky Derby Day, heads a competitive field of nine 3-year-old fillies entered to compete in the 38th running of the $100,000-added Dogwood Stakes (GIII) for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday, Sept. 21 at Churchill Downs. […]