Celestial City learned how to be a racehorse by continually proving himself against top competition. Each time he raced, he showed that the lessons he was learning were taking hold. Celestial City became a graded stakes winner, but just when his promising career was finally taking flight, he sustained an injury that ended his days as a racehorse. Now, he has a new home and a new purpose.

On February 12, Celestial City joined the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation's (TRF) herd at the Lowell Correctional Institution for Women in Ocala, FL. He will provide vocational training in equine care and stable management as part of the TRF's Second Chances Program. The TRF is the nation's oldest and largest Thoroughbred rescue organization.

Forty years ago, the TRF started Second Chances at the Wallkill Correctional Facility in New York. The idea was that inmates would learn how to take care of horses and maintain the stable and grounds, while the horses got daily, supervised care. Many Second Chances graduates have gone on to find careers as farriers, veterinary technicians, and even farm managers. Since its start in 1984, Second Chances has expanded to several states. TRF expanded to Lowell in 2002 and has since added a Second Chances Youth Program located near the women's prison. Both the women's and youth programs have achieved deserving praise for helping horses and people find better lives.

At five years old, Celestial City is the youngest member of the TRF's national herd, half of which are 20 years or older, and average a stay of 15 years. Unlike the majority of other horses, Celestial City had a standout pedigree, terrific connections, and every reason to succeed.

A son of Uncle Mo, Celestial City's racing education was the responsibility of Hall of Fame trainer Claude “Shug” McGaughey. Under McGaughey's management, Celestial City had a record of 3-2-2 from 10 starts and earnings of just under $350,000. Two years ago, Celestial City came up short in a pair of stakes races at Saratoga Race Course. Both times, Celestial City's efforts were encouraging. He was figuring out racing while McGaughey was figuring him out.

Then in late October of 2022, Celestial City overcame a stumble at the start and posted a 2 1/4-length victory in the GII Hill Prince S. at Aqueduct. There was plenty of reason to be optimistic about Celestial City's 2023 racing season.

“He was doing well, and we gave him a blowout,” McGaughey said. “He was on the training track at Belmont and he fractured his right-hind ankle. He had surgery, and he would look like he was doing good, but then he would have a setback. We finally decided to pull the plug and not race him anymore.”

Celestial City's ankle was operated on by Dr. Patty Hogan, a noted veterinary surgeon who works with Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds. She is also a staunch advocate of aftercare for racehorses and encourages owners to include an aftercare plan for each horse they race. McGaughey had such a plan already in place.

Since Celestial City had his early racing education at Niall Brennan Stable in Ocala, he was assured a safe landing after he could no longer race. Niall Brennan and his wife, Stephanie, have developed racehorses since they went into business 33 years ago. In 2009, they started their own non-profit Thoroughbred aftercare program, Final Furlong Horse Retirement, to make sure that any horse that had been in their care for any length of time would find a decent home and, perhaps, a new career.
While most of McGaughey's retirees join Final Furlong, Stephanie had her own plan for Celestial City. As a TRF board member since 2022, she felt that Celestial City would be a perfect fit at TRF's Second Chances at Lowell.

“The inmates would learn how to 'let down' a racehorse and down the line, he will be a great horse for their riding program,” Stephanie said.

While TRF and Final Furlong are independent of one another, the chance to work together for the good of a horse will always be accepted.

“Later on, if Celestial City gets adopted, his connections will know that he is guaranteed a lifetime placement with TRF,” she added. “So, if circumstances should change, he can always come home to TRF. That is a huge selling point. Very few aftercare programs offer that safety net.”

Celestial City wasted no time in winning over everyone over at Lowell.

“The women are used to working with much older horses,” Stephanie said. “Along comes Celestial City and he is young, slick and fit. They were excited to meet him and they have taken good care of him. Now, they are helping him get used to being around other horses.”

“That shouldn't be a problem. He has always been such a cool horse.”

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The 8-5 favorite as the betting public set their sights on her royalty-befitting auction price and pedigree, the flashy chestnut took some time to find her feet as the entire field, save for one filly who never was involved, disputed affairs at the front. Eventual runner-up Neat Trick (Good Magic) was pressing the issue from four off the fence, and fractions sailed by in :22.68 and :45.55 splits. Still chasing that group and now with a wall of horses in front of her as they made the swing into the lane, Sedona angled out five wide to find racing room and produced an eye-catching rally when the opportunity arose. She overhauled Neat Trick by a half-length as that one held off On Command (Omaha Beach) to claim second. Sedona is Curlin's 25th 'Rising Star'.

“I think she's a classy filly,” said winning trainer Shug McGaughey. “She's really come around the last month. I was kind of not satisfied with her earlier in the winter, development-wise. About three weeks ago, I was up there, and she worked really well. I think her development is good. I like to see her run this way, where she goes on and finish–because they learn–instead of being on the lead.”

Favored firster #6 SEDONA ($5.40) closes down the outside to make her debut a winning one in R7 at Gulfstream.

The well-bred $2 million yearling purchase was ridden by @jose93_ortiz for Shug McGaughey and owners @westpointtbred, @woodfordracing, and Chris Larsen. pic.twitter.com/K1WDb1TC4j

— TVG (@TVG) March 3, 2024

A full-sister to multiple Graded winner 'TDN Rising Star' First Captain, who himself sold for $1.5-million at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling sale in 2019 to familiar connections, Sedona is the most recent to the races for America. In addition to that full-brother, there is a full-sister American Caviar who never made it to the races, and last produced a now yearling colt by Uncle Mo. That sister RNA'd at the 2023 Keeneland November sale for $390,000 while her Uncle Mo sold to AAA Thoroughbreds for $510,000 in the same ring.

America had her own offspring by the stallion, producing unplaced Kid America (Uncle Mo), a $550,000 RNA at KEESEP in 2021, as well as a 2-year-old colt who missed his reserve at FTKOCT in 2023 when the last bid came in at $345,000. She has since produced a yearling full-sister to Sedona and is due to Gun Runner this season.

Their dam has her own sales stories to tell having never hit her reserve in a public auction. The multiple Grade I-placed racemare first went unsold as a yearling for $725,000 at KEESEP '12, and later at the Fasig-Tipton November sale, an RNA in 2019 at $3.1-million and then again in 2023 when the final bid fell short at $1.2-million.

Along with the busy first dam, this is also the female family of Paris Bikini, who is now in Japan after selling for $1.95-million in 2020 to Katsumi Yoshida while in foal to Uncle Mo. Her claim to fame is by way of her daughter, GISW Paris Lights (Curlin), who sold to Spendthrift Farm for $3.1-million at KEENOV in 2021. In the extended family, Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour makes an appearance as well as European champion Peeping Fawn.

7th-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 3-3, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:24.24, ft, 1/2 length.
SEDONA, f, 3, by Curlin
           1st Dam: America {GSW & MGISP, $580,532}, by A.P. Indy
           2nd Dam: Lacadena, by Fasliyev
           3rd Dam: Butterfly Blue (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV and for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Woodford Racing, LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds and Chris Larsen; B-B. Flay Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. *$2,000,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG. **Full to First Captain, MGSW & GISP, $662,100.

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Owned in partnership by Woodford Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds and Chris Larsen, SEDONA (Curlin) debuts Sunday at Gulfstream Park for trainer Shug McGaughey. The full-sister to MGSW/GISP and $1.5m FTSAUG yearling First Captain nearly topped 2022's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale when selling for $2,000,000. Dam America, herself a graded stakes winner and dual Grade-I placed, last went through the auction ring late last year at FTKNOV but failed to meet her reserve at $1,200,000. She also RNA'd for $3.1m at FTKNOV back in 2019. The family has produced plenty of pricey horses including America's half-sister Paris Bikini (Bernardini) who brought $1.95m at FTKNOV in 2020 and that mare's daughter, GISW Paris Lights (Curlin), who went to Spendthrift Farm on a final bid of $3.1m at KEENOV in 2021. TJCIS PPS

5th-FG, $57K, MSW, 3yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 3:45 p.m.

Spendthrift homebred Wine and Waves (Vino Rosso), running for Albert Stall, Jr., debuts on the grass Sunday in New Orleans. A daughter of MGSW/GISP Malibu Pier, she is a half to SW and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf runner up Coasted (Tizway) who went the way of Katsumi Yoshida for $1.3m at FTKNOV in 2017 and produced Japanese GSW Danon Beluga (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}, runner up in last year's G1 DP World Dubai Turf. Malibu Pier is additionally responsible for MGSP Malibu Stacy (Tizway). Wine and Waves drilled four furlongs in a near-bullet :47 4/5 (2/54) Feb. 22 in preparation for her debut. TJCIS PPS

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Away only fairly, the 3-5 chalk was handy enough to the early pace of 5-2 second pick Merit (Mastery)–rerouted from the Fountain of Youth–banking around the first turn and was settled nicely in fourth by Jose Ortiz through early sections of :23.79 and :47.62. Traveling a path or two away from the inside down the backstretch as the pacesetter opened just a touch of daylight, Conquest Warrior was ridden along just a bit 3 1/2 furlongs out, and when Raguel (Justify) failed to go on from a three-wide position, he had dead aim on the pacesetter. Claiming that one more or less on his own courage at the three-sixteenths, Conquest Warrior quickly opened up and was under a full-nelson for the final sixteenth of a mile, stopping the clock in a very respectable 1:50.52 for the nine furlongs on a fast strip.

“I thought there was a couple horses in there that might show a little speed. He wanted to be a little keen going into the first [turn] but then he settled perfect for [Ortiz]. I thought it was a perfect race for him,” winning trainer Shug McGaughey said. “He got to settle in behind horses, eat a little dirt, make his run the way you'd want him to and finished up on his own. When those horses came to him galloping out [Ortiz] said he wanted to go with them, so he let him do it. I'm pleased.”

A debut third to giant-figure El Capi (Maclean's Music) going seven furlongs in the Aqueduct mud Dec. 2, Conquest Warrior was pinched at the start of a local mile maiden Jan. 13 and was steadied a couple of more times in transit, but nevertheless managed to overcome all that to graduate by a half-length. The runner-up on that occasion, Centennial Farms' Antiquarian (Preservationist), backed up that effort with a maiden-breaking victory of his own on the Risen Star undercard at the Fair Grounds Feb. 22.

McGaughey was non-committal about the colt's next start n the immediate aftermath of the race.

“We'll see,. The timing's good [to the Florida Derby],” he said. “We can take him there, Kentucky or New York. He's got two wins over this track. We only have to travel and hour and a half [from Payson Park] [unlike] the other places. I'll watch [the Fountain of Youth]. I'm looking forward to it.”

Betz Thoroughbreds acquired the three-time stakes-winning Tea Time for $250,000 in foal to Union Rags at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale and that produce, a filly named Soul Play, was purchased by Don Adam's team at Keeneland September in 2021 before signing for her half-brother 12 months later. Tea Time's dam Asian Empress (Empire Maker) is a full-sister to GI Juddmonte Spinster S. winner Acoma and a half to five other winners, including the late Grade I-winning sire Arch, as well as the unraced dam of two-time Eclipse Award and dual Grade I winner Covfefe (Into Mischief) and Japanese MGSW/MG1SP Albiano (Harlan's Holiday). Tea Time is responsible for the 2-year-old colt Brodeur (Nyquist), a $110,000 FTKOCT yearling purchse by D J Stable, and is due to Justify this season.

7th-Gulfstream, $73,420, Alw (NW1X), Opt. Clm ($75,000), 3-1, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:50.52, ft, 5 lengths.
CONQUEST WARRIOR (c, 3, City of Light–Tea Time {MSW, $279,966}, by Pulpit) Sales history: Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $96,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Courtlandt Farms (Donald Adam); B-Betz/B & K Canetti/J Betz/CoCo Equine/D J Stables (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III.

Conquest Warrior, with @jose93_ortiz, wins with authority in Friday's featured race at #GulfstreamPark. pic.twitter.com/H52WoPjT3S

— Gulfstream Park (@GulfstreamPark) March 1, 2024

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Courtlandt Farms' CONQUEST WARRIOR (City of Light) impressed in his Gulfstream debut Jan. 13 and earned 'TDN Rising Star' status for trainer Shug McGaughey. The $1,000,000 Keeneland September yearling bumps up into allowance company over the local main track Friday and adds an extra 1/8-mile to boot as he preps for a potential run at an upcoming GI Kentucky Derby prep. Conquest Warrior enters off a bullet five-furlong drill Feb. 24 (1:00 3/5 {1/7}).

While main rival Speak Easy (Constitution) will scratch in favor of the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S., Conquest Warrior will have to deal with another impressive maiden runner in Peter Blum Thoroughbreds' Merit (Mastery) who broke through on debut at Gulfstream by 10 1/4 lengths late last year and was third when last spotted Feb. 3. TJCIS PPS

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“We like the post and the way he's been training,” trainer Todd Pletcher said Thursday.

Irad Ortiz Jr., who was slated to ride Speak Easy Friday, will have the return mount in the Fountain of Youth.

Speak Easy had been installed as the 3-5 morning-line favorite in a field of seven 3-year-olds entered in Friday's seventh race, a 1 1/8-mile optional-claiming allowance. Courtlandt Farms' Conquest Warrior (City of Light) is expected to be favored in his absence. Trained by Shug McGaughey, Conquest Warrior was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following a gutsy victory in a Jan. 13 maiden special weight race.

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Stretching out to 1 1/8 miles, the $925,000 KEESEP yearling broke in and brushed with Batten Down (Tapit), a son of champion Close Hatches (First Defence) who was a debut sixth in that same heat, leaving the stalls. Ridden along in fourth by Javier Castellano rounding the clubhouse turn, Corporate Power was encouraged to keep pace while in that same position as Batten Down showed the way through a half mile in :47.86.

Corporate Power loomed up with a nice move while three deep on the far turn, but Batten Down was going the much easier of the two and Paco Lopez let it out a notch as they turned for home. Batten Down looked well on his way in the stretch, but Corporate Power wasn't done yet despite racing greenly and attempting to lug in repeatedly.

Corporate Power and Sturdy (Mitole) both began to lift as Batten Down tired late. Corporate Power, much more focused racing in between horses now, seemed to want it the most of the trio and was able to eke out a neck victory over Batten Down in a blanket finish. It was another neck back to Sturdy in third.

Corporate Power's dam Road to Victory, a winner of her first three career starts at two, highlighted by a neck victory over subsequent two-time champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GII Golden Rod S., brought $1.45 million from breeder Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings in foal to War Front at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Road to Victory produced a colt by Into Mischief in 2023 and a filly by Not This Time this year.

Sales history: $925,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $44,800. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Courtlandt Farms (Donald Adam); B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III.

#5 CORPORATE POWER ($4.60) gets up between rivals to win race 4 at Gulfstream Park.

This is the first victory and second career start for the Shug McGaughey trainee, who was ridden by @jjcjockey for Courtlandt Farms. pic.twitter.com/FlUYGa7iVr

— TVG (@TVG) February 24, 2024

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Bred by Bobby Flay, who also campaigned GSW America, the colt brought $1.5 million at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Sale in 2019. Flay retained a piece of the colt, who was ultimately raced by a partnership including West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm and Woodford Racing. Trained by Shug McGaughey, the chestnut won his first three career starts, including the GIII Dwyer S. and subsequently added an allowance win at Gulfstream and the GIII Pimlico Special S. later in the 2022 season. He also finished second in the GII Suburban S. and third in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup. He retired with five wins from 11 career starts and earnings of $662,100.

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Churchill Downs, Inc., has barred trainer Bob Baffert from competing in the GI Kentucky Derby, and that left us in a quandary over how to assess the nation's best 3-year-old prospects.

It didn't seem right to dismiss the accomplishments of elite-level sophomores, regardless of whether they were eligible for the Derby or not. Nor did it seem proper to ignore the benchmarks their performances provide to help establish the overall pecking order.

So we're including Baffert's trainees in the Sophomore Top 12–along with horses from any other stable–so long as those horses are Triple Crown aspirants.

Once all the major preps have been run in April, we'll still expand the Top 12 to the Top 20 like we do each year.

And in the week leading up to each Triple Crown race, these rankings will again focus on race-specific, horse-by-horse analysis for the Derby, GI Preakness S., and GI Belmont S.

1) NYSOS (c, Nyquist–Zetta Z, by Bernardini) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Baoma Corp; B-Susie Atkins (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $130,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $150,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT; $550,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 3-3-0-0, $216,600. Last start: WON Feb. 3 GIII Robert F. Lewis S.

The 3-for-3 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos has plenty of sophomore prowess in his pedigree. Sire Nyquist won the 2016 Kentucky Derby. Damsire Bernardini took the 2006 Preakness. Grand-damsire A.P. Indy won the 1992 Belmont, and his sire, Seattle Slew, swept the 1977 Triple Crown. All three female-side of those sires were crowned 3-year-old champions, and the latter two were also voted Horse of the Year at age three.

Nysos won't be Derby-bound because of the ban imposed upon trainer Bob Baffert. But this colt will have other opportunities to tee it up against Grade I competition, with a possible Santa Anita Derby/Preakness combo looming on his calendar.

That schedule is pure speculation, because Baffert generally does not disclose advance stakes engagements for his horses. In the long run it might be futile to try and guess the projected paths of Baffert's top-tier sophomores. But right now in the dead of winter it's an interesting exercise considering the legitimate hype surrounding Nysos.

This nimble but powerful colt has now won at six, seven and eight furlongs by a combined 26 3/4 lengths while earning Beyer Speed Figures of 96, 97 and 105.

Two other items stand out in Nysos's past performance block: 1) How did a colt this talented ever go off at 6-1 odds in his debut? 2) Given his apparent mental maturity, it's a bit of a surprise to see Nysos was a comparatively late May 8 foal.

2) MUTH (c, Good Magic–Hoppa, by Uncle Mo) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Zedan Racing Stables Inc; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $190,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $2,000,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-3-2-0, $716,600. Last start: WON Jan. 6 GII San Vicente S.

'TDN Rising Star' Muth had been expected to start as the favorite in Saturday's GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn, but trainer Bob Baffert wasn't satisfied with how a Feb. 18 workout at Santa Anita unfolded and declined to enter him.

Muth was clocked in :47.40 (10/128) while covering a half-mile “handily” to the inside of a workmate. But DRF.com's Steve Andersen reported that the move came during a time in morning training when another horse had been pulled up in the stretch with a fatal injury and the warning siren was blaring to alert other riders to pull up and get out of the way.

“He's not going to Arkansas,” Baffert told DRF. “He didn't get a proper work.”

Plan B was not disclosed.

Muth has already shipped cross-country and been scratched on the morning of a race, when Baffert backed the Good Magic colt out of the GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga on Labor Day, citing a “salty” field and a desire to try two turns at a later date.

That secondary option turned out to be the GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita Oct. 7, in which Muth manhandled an overmatched field at 2-5 odds.

Muth then ran second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and started off his 3-year-old season with an assertive, 90-Beyer win in the GII San Vicente S. over seven furlongs.

3) SIERRA LEONE (c, Gun Runner–Heavenly Love, by Malibu Moon) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Mrs John Magnier, Michael B Tabor, Derrick Smith Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing LLC & Peter M Brant; B-Debby M Oxley (KY); T-Chad Brown. Sales history: $2,300,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-1-0, $336,750. Last start: WON Feb. 17 GII Risen Star S.

It can be hazardous to your bankroll to fall in love with deep closers in a 20-horse field and the list of Derby also-rans is littered with stout-hearted stayers who came up short because they either ran into traffic or ran out of real estate after circling wide to avoid trouble.

Speed-centric horses racing either on the front end or just off it have won eight of the last 10 Derbies, with Rich Strike in 2022 and Mage in 2023 the off-the-pace exceptions.

But it's difficult not to take a shine toward 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone after seeing this locomotive-like Gun Runner colt overcome both a slow pace and a sloppy, sealed racetrack when inhaling No. 4-ranked Track Phantom (Quality Road) in the GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds.

Equipped with blinkers and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione (both first-time changes), Sierra Leone got bet down to 5-2 favoritism off an 11-week break after running second in the GII Remsen S. at Aqueduct.

He settled mid-pack, then uncorked a prolonged far-turn rally during which Gaffalione sat chilly before setting down his colt in the nine path for the drive.

Sierra Leone had his work cut out for him while still four lengths behind the pacemaker at the eighth pole, but steadily eroded the gap between him and the hard-trying Track Phantom.

The margin got sliced to two lengths inside the sixteenth marker, and even though Sierra Leone lugged in a bit–a habit carried over from his first two races–within a few strides it was evident that Gaffalione had timed his move perfectly, reeling in his target 50 yards from the wire while Sierra Leone extended his powerful finishing pop into the gallop-out.

Next up is the Apr. 6 GI Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland.

4) TRACK PHANTOM (c, Quality Road–Miss Sunset, by Into Mischief) O-L & N Racing LLC, Clark O Brewster, Jerry Caroom & Breeze Easy LLC; B-Breeze Easy LLC (KY); T-Steve Asmussen. Sales history: $500,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-3-2-1, $365,000. Last start: 2nd in Feb. 17 GII Risen Star S.

Track Phantom's Feb. 17 birthday didn't end with a party in the Fair Grounds winner's circle. But his runner-up effort behind Sierra Leone in the Risen Star S. didn't diminish his reputation as a straightforward speed horse who is capable of outrunning rivals for the lead, dictating the tempo, and then refusing to fold in the stretch. He was neither tiring nor quitting. He simply got collared by an A-list closer.

“He ran a great race but ended up just being second best,” said jockey Joel Rosario. “He tries hard every time and keeps getting better.”

This $500,000 KEESEP colt by Quality Road now has a foundation of six lifetime races, all at a mile or longer. In each of his last three two-turn starts, he has drawn either the outermost post (in fields of six and seven) or gate 11 of 12 (on Saturday). Yet Track Phantom has ably swatted back inside challengers by clearing them on the first turn.

With wins over the New Orleans track in both the Gun Runner S. and the GIII Lecomte S., plus his second-place finish over nine furlongs in the Risen Star, it's no surprise trainer Steve Asmussen has circled the Mar. 23 GII Louisiana Derby at 1 3/16 miles for Track Phantom's next start.

5) FIERCENESS (c, City of Light–Nonna Bella, by Stay Thirsty) 'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Repole Stable (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo, GISW, 4-2-0-1, $1,127,250. Last start: 3rd Feb. 3 GIII Holy Bull S.

Since the advent of the Eclipse Awards, no 2-year-old champion colt has ever lost his first race back at age three and then won the Kentucky Derby.

After running a punchless third at 1-5 odds in the GIII Holy Bull S., wearing a blanket of roses on the first Saturday in May might now seem too tall an order for juvenile champ Fierceness, especially considering trainer Todd Pletcher's plan all along was to have just one other pre-Derby start.

But all is not lost in terms of Derby aspirations for this 'TDN Rising Star.'

For starters, we're now firmly entrenched in the “less is more” era of prepping 3-year-olds to run 10 furlongs and Fierceness could easily cycle back to being a hot commodity with a big nine-furlong effort in the Mar. 30 GI Florida Derby.

Fierceness, based on his five-race career arc, hasn't yet shown an ability to deliver back-to-back strong performances. Nor has he checked the “overcomes adversity” box.

But his two victories in his Saratoga debut and in the Breeders' Cup have both been delivered with enough of a “Wow!” factor to signal that this Repole Stable homebred has what it takes to assert himself at the top of the crop if he ever gets into a groove.

6) DORNOCH (c, Good Magic–Puca, by Big Brown) O-West Paces Racing LLC, R A Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding LLC, Two Eight Racing LLC & Pine Racing Stables; B-Grandview Equine (KY); T-Danny Gargan. Sales history: $325,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-2-2-0, $257,400. Last start: WON Dec. 2 GII Remsen S.

Dornoch hammered for $325,000 at KEESEP in 2022, a price that now looks like a bargain considering his older brother, Mage, at the time was an unknown colt four months away from winning his career debut and nine months away from soaring home first at 15-1 in the Kentucky Derby.

By way of comparison, four months after Mage's career-defining Derby victory, the next foal out of the mare Puca, a colt by McKinzie, sold for $1.2 million at the 2023 edition of KEESEP.

Trainer Danny Gargan has spent the better part of his winter at Palm Meadows trying to get Dornoch to maintain focus. Gargan doesn't want a repeat of the antics that Dornoch displayed when winning the Remsen S.

In that nine-furlong stakes, Dornoch outgunned five rivals for the lead, took mid-race pace pressure, repulsed fresh challengers on the far bend, then got to “goofing off” in the stretch according to Gargan, brushing the inside rail before re-surging to snatch back the lead from No. 3-ranked Sierra Leone.

Although Dornoch has raced on or near the front in all four of his races, Gargan said after the Remsen that a change in tactics might be a worthwhile experiment. He believes that by coming from a bit farther off the pace, Dornoch will see other horses and remain more mentally locked in on his task.

We'll find out in the GII Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Mar. 2.

7) MAYMUN (c, Frosted–Handwoven, by Indian Charlie) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Vision Racing & Sales LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $50,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $900,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $79,200. Last start: WON Feb. 11 Santa Anita AOC.

Maymun's one-mile allowance victory at 3-10 odds at Santa Anita didn't vault him any higher in these rankings. But the effort did maintain his perfect record while posing an open question about what this colt might do when tasked with tougher competition after being unveiled with a flourish in a 'TDN Rising Star' sprint romp back on Jan. 20.

Breaking from the rail in his second lifetime start Feb. 11, this son of Frosted brushed a foe at the break, then sideswiped stablemate and second-favorite Imagination (Into Mischief) when bearing out into the first turn.

Flavien Prat settled Maymun into a slower second-quarter split down the backstretch. The real running started three-eighths out when Imagination engaged Maymun from the outside and the pace ratcheted up into a more spirited cadence while the two Bob Baffert trainees peeled off from the pack.

Imagination (previous Beyers 70, 78, 78) clearly attained the lead on three distinct occasions from the quarter to the sixteenth poles while never quite putting away Maymun for good.

But Maymun clawed back a half-length deficit inside the final 100 yards, winning by a neck through a final eighth in :12.83 while 10 1/2 lengths clear of the three remaining stragglers.

Maymun's winning time of 1:36.65 equated to an 89 Beyer, a four-point haircut off his 93-Beyer debut.

8) CONQUEST WARRIOR (c, City of Light–Tea Time, by Pulpit) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Courtlandt Farms (Donald Adam); B-Betz/B&K Canetti/J.Betz/CoCo Equine/D.J. Stables (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. Sales history: $1,000,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $52,200. Last start: WON Jan. 13 Gulfstream MSW.

Conquest Warrior, dubbed a 'TDN Rising Star' off an adversity-overcoming maiden win going a mile through traffic in his second lifetime race Jan. 13 at Gulfstream, will make his next start there for trainer Shug McGaughey in either an allowance/optional claimer at 1 1/8 miles Feb. 29 or in the Fountain of Youth S. at 1 1/16 miles two days later.

“Ideally, the allowance race goes and we get that next little step into him without quite going into the deep end,” Ernie Retamoza, the manager for owner Courtlandt Farms, told TDN's Steve Sherack last week. “But with the way that he ran and the way he's trained since, I think Shug feels like if the allowance doesn't go, we're sure not gonna sit around and wait on another one. We're gonna go ahead and get him going and see if he can take us there.”

The stout-framed $1-million KEESEP colt has breezed four times since his last start, including two “bullet” clockings at four and five furlongs at Payson Park.

“He's trained really well and came out of that race in great order,” Retamoza said. “He's had some [fast] workouts, really atypical of Shug's horses. Shug doesn't fire bullets all the time, but that colt kind of does. Hopefully, that's a good indicator of what kind of horse he is and where we're headed. Those good horses work fast, that's just the way it is.”

9) TIMBERLAKE (c, Into Mischief–Pin Up (Ire), by Lookin At Lucky) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Siena Farm LLC and WinStar Farm LLC; B-St. Elias Stables, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. Sales history: $350,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISW, 5-2-1-0, $475,600. Last start: 4th Nov. 3 GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile S.

This son of Into Mischief started his career in three sprints, and while his best races have been at seven furlongs and a one-turn mile, it's noteworthy that his dam's only two wins in Great Britain came over 1 1/2 miles and 1 3/4 miles.

This 'TDN Rising Star' was installed as the 6-5 morning line favorite for Saturday's Rebel S. at Oaklawn, and trainer Brad Cox is hoping the 1 1/16-miles distance will be a launch pad for Timberlake to earn Derby qualifying points in his sophomore debut.

Timberlake's fourth-place try as the 3-1 third choice in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile was essentially over before the first turn when he resisted efforts to settle and never fired when called upon for run.

But go two starts back in his past performances, and that emphatic sloppy-track pasting of a GI Champagne S. field that included eventual champ Fierceness could be the race that is the more useful benchmark for prognosticating Timberlake's future.

Florent Geroux won't be aboard on Saturday for the first time in Timberlake's five-race career. He's booked to ride Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming) for Cox in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup. Christian Torres will pick up the mount.

10) LOCKED (c, Gun Runner–Luna Rosa, by Malibu Moon) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Walmac Farm; B-Rosa Colasanti (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $425,000 yrl '22 KEESEP). Lifetime Record: GISW, 4-2-0-2, $608,400. Last start: 3rd Nov. 3 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

'TDN Rising Star' Locked was the beaten favorite when third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and his sophomore season was delayed when he had to miss the Feb. 10 GIII Davis S. at Tampa after spiking a fever.

But bettors haven't forgotten that this $425,000 KEESEP colt put up mid-90s Beyer numbers three times at age two, and his win in the Oct. 7 GI Breeders' Futurity S. at Keeneland was punctuated by Locked twice re-seizing the lead inside the eighth pole.

As such, he was installed as a 16-1 choice in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool that closed Sunday, the same price as 2-year-old champ and stablemate Fierceness.

Trainer Todd Pletcher plans to start Locked in the Fountain of Youth S., which could end up luring three Top 12 contenders.

11) MYSTIK DAN (c, Goldencents–Ma'am, by Colonel John) O/B-Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby & 4G Racing, LLC (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-2-1-0, $510,110. Last start: WON Feb. 3 GIII Southwest S.

Last fall, trainer Kenny McPeek started this Goldencents colt's career by running twice in sprints and three times within a 33-day span. He now believes Mystik Dan's future will be in longer races with more time between starts.

After Mystik Dan's eight-length, 101-Beyer GIII Southwest S. score, McPeek told the TDN Writers' Room podcast that, “This horse is really fast. He has been from the beginning. Initially, I ran him twice in sprint races and after I did that, I kind of regretted it a little bit because we had to retool him a little bit. He's so quick that you had to kind of re-teach him and he needed to learn how to go longer.”

McPeek explained that this homebred for Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby, and 4G Racing made that learning process straightforward because of Mystik Dan's capacity to absorb and repeat what he has been schooled to do.

“This is the kind of mind that you need for these high-level races,” McPeek said.

After running up the score on a sealed, muddy track that he clearly relished, it remains to be seen whether Mystik Dan can repeat his gaudy Southwest performance on a dry surface going longer against a deeper field, with the Mar. 30 GI Arkansas Derby as his target.

12) SPEAK EASY (c, Constitution–Fun, by Harlan's Holiday) O-Siena Farm LLC & WinStar Farm LLC; B-WinStar Farm LLC (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,000. Last Start: WON Jan. 27 Gulfstream MSW.

In the last five years, trainer Todd Pletcher has started 185 firsters at odds of 8-1 or higher. Of the 11 who won, according to DRF's Formulator, Speak Easy, who earned a 100 Beyer, is the only one to have run a figure greater than 90. That means this Constitution colt gets serious consideration for this list, even if it is getting a touch too deep into the season to have Derby aspirations for sophomores who've only started once.

This WinStar Farm homebred who races in partnership with Siena Farm broke from the one post in his Jan. 27 Gulfstream debut, sluiced through a four-way early duel to latch on to the 3-2 favorite, then relentlessly ran down that rival in a seven-furlong clocking that was :01.08 seconds faster than older fillies and mares ran in a Grade II stakes later that afternoon.

“We had him going pretty well last summer and was getting close to a race when he had a minor setback, so we gave him some time,” Pletcher said after that win. “The fact that he had a pretty good foundation last summer I think helped in preparing him for his debut. He'd always trained really well, but I think that performance even exceeded our expectations.

“If we get the opportunity to run in an allowance race, that could be an option,” Pletcher continued. “I guess running as fast as he did, if he had to go into a stakes, I suppose you could make an argument for that as well.”

The post TDN Sophomore Top 12: ‘Rising Stars’ Anchor Top Three Spots appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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In a race completely dominated on the front end, Corporate Power (c, 3, Curlin–Road to Victory, by Quality Road) stamped himself as one to watch finishing with interest for fourth in an absolutely stacked maiden special weight on the Pegasus World Cup undercard at Gulfstream Park Jan. 27.

Out of the blocks last of 11 at debut odds of 17-1 for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, the Courtlandt Farms colorbearer bumped into a rival at the start and was quickly outsprinted while under a ride by Javier Castellano.

Three from the back marker and taking plenty of dirt as the highly regarded firster from the Gustavo Delgado barn Victory Avenue (Arrogate) and the Todd Pletcher-trained newcomer Speak Easy (Constitution) sped through a half mile in :44.61, Corporate Power finally entered the picture advancing along the rail as they approached the top of the stretch.

He continued to make steady progress racing along the fence as Speak Easy kicked clear from the aforementioned 3-2 favorite an eighth of a mile from home.

Corporate Power, sporting a white shadow roll, was steered out by Castellano to avoid a tiring rival close to home and kept his mind on business from there–his gallop out past the winner on the clubhouse turn is worth a view of the replay alone–after splitting horses to cross the line 8 1/4 lengths adrift Speak Easy.

Corporate Power reported home fourth behind Speak Easy in a live maiden special weight on Pegasus World Cup day | Coglianese

Speak Easy, the recipient of a 100 Beyer Speed Figure, defeated Victory Avenue by 1 3/4 lengths at odds of 8-1. It was another 3 3/4 lengths back to second-time starter Big City (City of Light), who chased the top two throughout in third. The final time for seven furlongs was a swift 1:21.96.

Corporate Power earned an 84 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“Those maiden races on those big days are always loaded like that,” Courtland Farm Manager Ernie Retamoza said. “We really had a ton of regard for that colt going into the race and probably even a little more coming out of it. Javier (Castellano) was really complimentary about the way that he split horses and took some kickback and kept on and galloped out. We're super excited about him getting to two turns.”

Corporate Power's dam Road to Victory, a winner of her first three career starts at two, highlighted by a neck victory over subsequent two-time champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GII Golden Rod S., brought $1.45 million from breeder Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings in foal to War Front at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Corporate Power's sire the mighty Curlin is responsible for 56 graded/group winners worldwide.

Corporate Power brought $925,000 from Donald Adam's operation on day three of the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling sale. Adam purchased 11 yearlings at the auction for a total of $8.235 million.

“When we bought him, the purchase price resembles how many people liked the horse,” Retamoza said. “We had him ready to run last November–he got himself ready pretty quick–but we ended up not running him up there (in New York) and Shug (McGaughey) said, 'Let's just get him down to Florida.' We didn't run him quite as quick as we thought we might, but nonetheless, here we are and we're really happy with him.”

Corporate Power returned to the worktab with a four-furlong breeze in :50.60 (28/34) at Payson Park Feb. 11. He'll make his next start in a route, Retamoza said.

“Shug hasn't shared with us when yet, but it's all systems go to a two-turn spot,” Retamoza said. “We're all looking forward to that. It was a great effort to get him started. We're really excited about him.”

Courtlandt Farms and McGaughey also campaign fellow sophomores Change of Command (Into Mischief) ($1.05 million yrl '22 KEESEP), a disappointing 11th in last weekend's GIII Sam F. Davis S. and 'TDN Rising Star' Conquest Warrior (City of Light) ($1 million yrl '22 KEESEP), who overcame an impossible trip to graduate impressively at second asking Jan. 13. Working bullets since, the latter will make his next start in either an allowance race Feb. 29 or the GII Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 2, per Retamoza.

The 'Second Chances' Honor Roll is headed by recently crowned Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin), fellow two-time Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) and GISWs A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo), Honor A. P. (Honor Code), Locked (Gun Runner), Paradise Woods (Union Rags) and Speaker's Corner (Street Sense).

Tipsy Tammy (f, 3, Arrogate), featured in this same space Jan. 26, graduated impressively next out for trainer Phil Bauer at Fair Grounds Feb. 1. Godolphin homebred Cornishman (c, 3, Curlin), the subject of a Second Chances profile Feb. 7, is entered to make his second career start in a maiden special weight on Saturday's GII Risen Star S. program.

#1 SPEAK EASY ($18.60) and #5 Victory Avenue smoked home and @iradortiz gets the son of Constitution up for a Race 2 victory at Gulfstream Park. Congratulations to the @PletcherRacing team and owners @SienaFarmKY and @WinStarFarm. pic.twitter.com/hRjmMUyV46

— TVG (@TVG) January 27, 2024

The post Second Chances: ‘It’s All Systems Go to a Two-Turn Spot’ For Pricey Son of Curlin Corporate Power appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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