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Tracy Farmer's homebred La Cara, who won the Ashland Stakes (G1) before finishing ninth in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) behind undefeated Good Cheer, posted a 7-1 upset June 6 in the $500,000 Acorn Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief) continued his ascent with a powerful, 2 1/2-length victory over heavily favored 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) in the 'Win and You're In' GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap at Saratoga. Just a Touch (Justify) held third over second-choice White Abarrio (Race Day).

“(Winning the Met Mile) is something that I never dreamt of just because it seems so far-fetched, but a horse like Raging Torrent is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime kind of horse,” winning trainer Doug O'Neill said. “He's got speed. He's got stamina. He's got class. He has no problem shipping and it's just a wonderful feeling.”

Overlooked at odds of 8-1 following wins in the GI Malibu S. at Santa Anita Dec. 26 and the G2 Godolphin Mile at Meydan Apr. 5, the Yuesheng Zhang and Craig Dado colorbearer cleared the field of five from his outside draw beneath Frankie Dettori over the sloppy and sealed going.

He showed the way through fractions of :23.92 and :46.86 with 3-4 choice Fierceness, a last-out winner of the GII Alysheba S. in track-record time at Churchill Downs, in hot pursuit in second after brushing with White Abarrio at the start exiting from his rail draw.

Fierceness drew up alongside Raging Torrent approaching the quarter pole and it looked like a two-horse race from there with the former appearing to be going the better of the two.

Raging Torrent still had plenty left in the tank, however, and turned back Fierceness to win going away for his third straight victory.

Raging Torrent, a game winner of Del Mar's GII Pat O'Brien S. last summer, had a three-race winning streak snapped when seventh in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint last fall.

“He's been in great form,” O'Neill said. “We intentionally gave him that time off after the Malibu and were shooting for the Godolphin Mile after that. Usually when you make a plan, God laughs, especially in this business, but Raging Torrent is just one of those unique horses who you can make a plan (for) and he comes through and does it. Incredible.”

O'Neill added, “If he comes out of it good, the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile will be a logical goal and maybe a race between now and then. The plan is to take him to California on Tuesday and play it by ear.”

Fierceness, previously three-for-three at the Spa, led by a heart-stopping win in last summer's GI Travers S., will be pointed for the GI Whitney S. at Saratoga Aug. 2, per trainer Todd Pletcher.

“Actually, Johnny (Velazquez) said he broke so sharply he kind of hit the gate and came back with some blood on his mouth,” Pletcher said. “Then the first sixteenth of a mile was pretty rough. They were bouncing around trying to get position. After that he got into the exact position that we wanted, he just couldn't get by the horse on the lead.”

Pedigree Notes:

Raging Torrent is one of three graded winners and the lone top-level winner for Maximus Mischief, a Spendthrift-based son of Into Mischief. He is the only starter from his winning dam Violent Wave (Violence), who was claimed by Equinox, Inc. for just $6,250 out of her career finale at Gulfstream Park in 2018.

Violent Wave, a $150,000 KEESEP yearling and a half-sister to GSW The Nth Degree (Distorted Humor), was offered with Raging Torrent in utero at the 2021 Keeneland January Sale, but was led out unsold on a bid of $27,000. Raging Torrent was himself bought back for the same price by breeders Rodney Winkler and Alfonso Mazzetti at Keeneland September in 2022, and it was Mark Davis's name (Steve Rothblum, agent) on the ticket when he fetched $75,000 at the 2023 OBS April Sale (:10).

The first daughter of Violence to produce a Grade I winner, Violent Wave is also the dam of the unraced 3-year-old colt Contra Mundum (Honor A.P.), a $55,000 RNA at KEESEP in 2023, and the 2-year-old filly Layan (Collected), a $47,000 KEENOV weanling.

Violent Wave was bought back for $575,000 in foal to Up to the Mark at the 2024 KEENOV sale.

That's three straight graded stakes wins for RAGING TORRENT as he wins the Grade 1 @HillnDaleFarm Metropolitan Handicap with @FrankieDettori up for trainer @DougONeill1! pic.twitter.com/ys0lQTtDKd

— Belmont Stakes (@BelmontStakes) June 7, 2025

Saturday, Saratoga
HILL 'N' DALE METROPOLITAN H.-GI, $970,000, Saratoga, 6-7, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:35.89, sy.
1–RAGING TORRENT, 123, c, 4, by Maximus Mischief
              1st Dam: Violent Wave, by Violence
              2nd Dam: Coastal Wave, by Dixieland Band
              3rd Dam: Orange Wave, by Coastal
($27,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP; $75,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR).
O-Yuesheng Zhang and Craig Dado; B-Rodney J. Winkler &
Alfonso Mazzetti (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill; J-Lanfranco Dettori.
$550,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-UAE, 14-7-1-2, $1,797,400.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free
Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Fierceness, 125, c, 4, City of Light–Nonna Bella, by Stay
Thirsty. O-Derrick Smith, Repole Stable, Michael B. Tabor,
and Mrs. John Magnier; B-Repole Stable, Inc. (KY); T-Todd A.
Pletcher. $200,000. 'TDN Rising Star'
3–Just a Touch, 119, c, 4, Justify–Touching Beauty, by Tapit.
($170,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP; $125,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT;
$300,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Qatar Racing, Resolute Racing
and Marc Detampel; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Brad
Cox. $120,000.
Margins: 2HF, 2 1/4, HF. Odds: 8.00, 0.75, 3.70.
Also Ran: White Abarrio, Castle Chaos.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post All the Rage: Raging Torrent a Front-Running, Upset Winner of the Met Mile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Winner of last year's GI Woody Stephens Stakes on this program and very game third in the GI H. Allen Jerkens Stakes, Book'em Danno (Bucchero) made the most of his third trip to Saratoga with a stalk and grind-it-out defeat of fellow elite-level winner Mullikin (Violence) in a high-class renewal of the GIII True North Stakes Saturday afternoon.

The 23-10 second choice–about $5,000 behind favored Nakatomi (Firing Line), Book'em Danno left gate five without incident and was content to lay third through the opening exchanges, as Concrete Glory (Bodemeister) set a good pace in advance of Mullikin. The latter made his move early beneath Flavien Prat to claw his way to the front at about the midway point of the turn, but Paco Lopez had the move covered atop the New Jersey-bred Book'em Danno, and the two began to put a gap on their rivals nearing the stretch.

Despite the demanding pace–the half was a taxing :44.72 over the rain-affected going–Mullikin had a kick and remained in front, albeit narrowly, with a furlong to race. But Book'em Danno, who typically saves his best for a finish, wore his rival down late to take it by 1 1/4 lengths. Nakatomi, last year's GI A. G. Vanderbilt Handicap winner and a near-miss runner-up in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen when last seen Apr. 5, bombed the start and rushed up beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr., but never factored thereafter, finishing fifth.

“He's had some bad luck in his races where he got beat a head and a neck, but I really wasn't afraid of anybody today,” said winning trainer Derek Ryan. “The six [furlongs] is a little short for him; six and a half, seven is his trip. [Jockey] Paco [Lopez] gave him a great ride. He loves to be on the outside. I've been preaching that for the last year, and I finally got someone who will do it for me. So, I was very happy. I said, 'Sit third, but make sure you're on the outside.'”

“He'll run on anything. Good horses, they said they'll run on a tin roof. He's just a good horse,” Ryan added.

The unlucky runner-up in the GIII Perryville Stakes at Keeneland last October, Book'em Danno was arguably over the top when a slightly hampered fifth in the GII Cigar Mile Handicap Dec. 7 and connections called time on a season during which he bankrolled better than $800,000. After being ruled out of trips to Saudi Arabia and Dubai in February and March, Book'em Danno resumed in a $150,000 overnight handicap on Virginia Derby weekend, but when just two horses took him on, it meant that he had to be ridden atypically on top of the speed, and he left there knowing he'd had a race, covering the seven furlongs in 1:20.03. Part of that incredibly deep field for the GI Churchill Downs Stakes May 3, Book'em Danno was awkward for a stride or two in upper stretch, led between calls in deep stretch and settled for fourth, beaten a neck for all of it behind 'TDN Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution).

Pedigree Notes:

Book'em Danno is thus far the most decorated performer for his sire, who covered his first book of mares in New York in 2024 and now anchors the fledgling stallion operation at Ironhorse Stallions in Stillwater, about 20 miles south and east of Saratoga. Bucchero covered in excess of 185 mares this season.

Breeder Greg Kilka purchased the unraced Adorabella for $14,000 in foal to Fast Anna at the 2020 Keeneland January Sale, and that foal, Girl Trouble, did her part in improving the page with a pair of juvenile stakes scores in 2022. When factoring in Book'em Danno's emergence in late 2023, the family became even more valuable, as the mare's then-yearling colt by Classic Empire topped the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic October sale on LC Racing's bid of $135,000. That same operation added Adorabella to the fold when paying $550,000 for the mare in foal to Medaglia d'Oro after she was supplemented to the Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Adorabella subsequently aborted that foal. Adorabella returned to the Darley superstar and produced a colt this past Apr. 1.

The stakes-placed second dam produced snythetic stakes winner Alydiva (Quality Road) and she is a daughter of Esprit d'Escalier, the dam of GSW & MGISP Gastronomical (Sunshine Forever). Alydorable was purchased by Thomas & Mitchell Bloodstock for $5,000 at the 2023 Keeneland November Sale and foaled a filly by Sir Winston last May before being covered by Bucchero.

 

Book'em Danno (2-1) wins the G3 True North by 11/4 lengths for trainer Derek Ryan and @pacolopez. 8th win in 14 starts for NJ-bred; race was a Win and You're In for @BreedersCup Sprint at Del Mar. 5-6-2-8 pic.twitter.com/BMCwBHtxyZ

— Tim Wilkin (@tjwilkin) June 7, 2025

Saturday, Saratoga
TRUE NORTH S.-GIII, $400,000, Saratoga, 6-7, 4yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:14.64, sy.
1–BOOK'EM DANNO, 124, g, 4, by Bucchero
              1st Dam: Adorabella, by Ghostzapper
              2nd Dam: Alydorable, by Arch
              3rd Dam: Esprit d'Escalier, by Diesis (GB)
($475,000 RNA 3yo '24 KEECHA). O-Atlantic Six Racing, LLC;
B-Gregory J Kilka & Bright View Farm (NJ); T-Derek S. Ryan;
J-Paco Lopez. $220,000. Lifetime Record: GISW-U.S., GSP-
KSA, 14-8-3-1, $1,360,425. *1/2 to Girl Trouble (Fast Anna),
MSW, $288,540. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free
Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Mullikin, 124, h, 5, Violence–Tulira's Star, by Congrats.
($500,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-WinStar Farm LLC; B-Fred W.
Hertrich III & John D. Fielding (KY); T-Rodolphe Brisset.
$80,000.
3–Crazy Mason, 122, c, 4, Coal Front–Izshelegal, by Maria's
Mon. ($20,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $27,500 Ylg '22 EASOCT).
O-Donna Wright and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing;
B-Gmbracstables LLC, Mr. & Mrs. Ramon Rangel & Mr. &
Mrs. Zachary Madden (KY); T-Gregory D. Sacco. $48,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 2 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 2.30, 2.85, 6.30.
Also Ran: Nutella Fella, Nakatomi, Surveillance, Concrete Glory. Scratched: Full Moon Madness.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Book’em Danno Rebounds Over Mullikin In True North appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Kathy Walsh, the former trainer who died last month at age 85, will be honored with a 'Celebration of Life' Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. in the 100-1 room at Santa Anita. In addition, the fifth race is named in Walsh's honor.

The reception at the 100-1 includes a cash bar and free appetizers compliments of Santa Anita. All are welcome to attend.

Walsh was a trainer from 1970 until her retirement in 2021. She won 1,232 races and earned training titles at Longacres in Washington state and Canterbury Downs in Minnesota. In 2009, Walsh was inducted into the Washington Racing Hall of Fame.

Walsh's top performers included Grade I winners Georgie Boy and Nany's Sweep, as well as graded stakes winner Devious Boy and Hanuman Highway, who in 1998 finished seventh in the 1998 Kentucky Derby behind winner Real Quiet.

The post Celebration Of Life Set For Kathy Walsh appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

One of the pieces to the handicapping puzzle that was this year's GI Kentucky Derby was just how Juddmonte Farm's Final Gambit (Not This Time) would handle a conventional dirt surface, having raced only on turf and synthetic tracks in his four starts prior to that.

The homebred had punched his ticket to the Run for the Roses when exploding through the lane to dominate the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks Mar. 22, and he answered the surface question when making up a stack of ground–albeit behind a strong tempo–to round out the superfecta while finishing just over four lengths behind Sovereignty (Into Mischief). A 17-1 chance five weeks and a day ago, Final Gambit will be a fraction of that price against a maximum of six rivals in Sunday's GIII Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs. The rail-drawn Gaming (Game Winner) will scratch in favor of Sunday's Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita, trainer Bob Baffert told the TDN's Sue Finley on Saturday.

“He came out of the Derby in really good shape and we were proud of his effort that day,” trainer Brad Cox told the Churchill Downs media office. “We targeted this race to give him another opportunity on dirt without shipping somewhere. He worked three times since the Derby and I thought each one was solid leading into this race.”

Cox said Saturday that Flavien Prat is scheduled to retain the mount despite being named on horses in the postponed GI Manhattan Stakes and GI Jaipur Stakes.

Final Gambit is joined in the field by four other Derby alumnus, including 'TDN Rising Star' East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro). Eighth after failing to find the front on Derby Day, the Godolphin homebred figures to have an easier time getting to the lead from the outside gate on Sunday in a field void of early speed.

Burnham Square (Liam's Map) was up on the wire to defeat East Avenue in the GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes on Apr. 8 and turned in a mostly even effort in the Derby, enduring a bit of bumper cars a half-mile from home before passing tiring rivals into sixth.

Coal Battle (Coal Front), upset winner of the GII Rebel Stakes, was a mid-pack 11th in the Derby, while Chunk of Gold (Preservationist), a longshot second in the GII Risen Star Stakes and GII Louisiana Derby, exits a ninth.

The Matt Winn sextet is completed by Just a Fair Shake (Laoban), the distant runner-up to Belmont Stakes participant Crudo (Justify) in the May 17 Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico.

The post Final Gambit In a Starring Role in Matt Winn appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

While many of her rivals scrambled over the sloppy track, Dorth Vader took aim on runaway leader Dazzling Move and fired past that rival in midstretch for a convincing score at 8-1 odds in the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) June 6 at Saratoga Race Course.

Registration is now open for the Global Symposium on Racing, taking place Dec. 8-10 at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Ariz.

Two Thousand Guineas (G1) winner Ruling Court faces a stamina test as well as the growing concern over the prospect of the rain getting properly into the Epsom ground in the June 7 Epsom Derby (G1).

The multiple graded stakes winner returned to her favorite venue and to the winner's circle June 6.

Minnie Hauk got the better of a sustained duel with stablemate Whirl to win the Epsom Oaks (G1) June 6, with favorite Desert Flower third having come under pressure turning into the home straight.

Steve Asmussen and the U. S. Department of Labor settled a court case that originated in 2015 over the Hall of Fame trainer's payroll practices in Kentucky.

America's Best Racing provides a quick look at the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) field. The five-horse field is not lacking in quality with grade 1 winners Fierceness, White Abarrio, and Raging Torrent entered.

Jan Brueghel upsets Calandagan to win the June 6 Coronation Cup (G1) for jockey Ryan Moore and trainer Aidan O'Brien.

Horse Racing Ireland has reached an agreement with the Land Development Agency regarding the sale of a portion of land at Leopardstown racecourse that could deliver 800 social and affordable homes.

America's Best Racing provides a quick look at Churchill Downs' Matt Winn Stakes (G3), which includes five starters from the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1) who will meet again under the Twin Spires.

Woodbine canceled racing June 6 due to poor air quality, the Canadian track announced on social media.

With $554,031 bet through 2:25 p.m. ET on June 6, Journalism is favored in early wagering to win the June 7 Belmont Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.

Clement has spent his life preparing to become a trainer, but nothing prepared him for grieving his father while running the stable during one of the biggest weeks of the racing year.

Soul Rush, victorious in the Dubai Turf (G1T) in his last start, returns to Tokyo Racecourse June 8 seeking to improve on his third-place finish in the 2024 Yasuda Kinen (G1).

The Road: sponsored by Gainesway and Darby Dan Farm