United States
Sierra Leone books return trip to Classic
Last year's Champion 3-year-old Colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), winless in two attempts since capturing the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic, came storming home from last of nine to book a return trip to Del Mar in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' G1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga.
The US$2.3 million ($3.57 million) Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate, owned by Peter Brant, the Coolmore partners of Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Westerberg and Brook T Smith, came rolling widest of all and outkicked Highland Falls (Curlin) home to get the money.
“I was happy with his position,” winning trainer Chad Brown said. “He was quite far back and I knew when those horses were stopping out in the centre of the track, that he was going to have to go inside horses and catch a lot of dirt.
“What we know about the horse now is that he's a long, outside-run horse, like he did in the Breeders' Cup and in the (2024 Kentucky) Derby and nearly won, so for him to cut the corner and catch a lot of dirt, which isn't his preferred way to pass horses, making up considerable ground to then get out with blinkers full of mud and get there was a really remarkable run by him. A lot of heart.
“I would (consider the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup) because he hasn't run that much this year. Last year, I had handicapped the Travers until the Classic barely as the absolute maximum layoff for me and he was able to pull it off. This is a little further away now, so I'm not sure I want that many weeks between races with a horse who has only run three times. I'm not afraid to run this horse. I'm not afraid of running again, because if he comes out of it sound, I have a lot of time from the Jockey Club Gold Cup.”
MV Magnier of Coolmore added, “He's a very good horse. We're blessed to be here and it's exciting. We just look forward to the Breeders' Cup.”
Future Coolmore stallion Sierra Leone is one of 10 Grade 1 winners worldwide for the brilliant Gun Runner, who won this same race in 2017. The Gun Runner x Malibu Moon cross is also responsible multiple Grade 1 winner and 'Rising Star' Locked. Broodmare sire Malibu Moon is responsible for 11 top-level winners.
The 10-year-old broodmare Heavenly Love, a homebred for Debby Oxley and winner of the G1 Darley Alcibiades Stakes, has also produced the unraced 3-year-old colt Domestic Policy (Nyquist), a Gun Runner filly in 2024, and a Nyquist filly this year. She was bred back to Gun Runner.
This is also the same female family as Kentucky Derby and Classic third place finisher Forever Young (Real Steel).
Deterministic books ticket to Breeders' Cup with Fourstardave win at Saratoga
By JN Campbell, TDN America
Looking to earn a trip to the Breeders' Cup just like his sire did, 'TDN Rising Star' Deterministic (Liam's Map) found his footing down the lane and won the G1 FanDuel Fourstardave Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday afternoon.
A mark of consistency for the Clement barn while patriarch Christophe was alive, the dark bay has continued to deliver for young Miguel. To cap his 3-year-old season, Deterministic nabbed the G3 Hill Prince Stakes at the Big A in early November.
Taking to the main track at Keeneland on April 6 after an allowance race was rained off the grass, the colt kicked off his 4-year-old season with a runner-up finish. Getting back on his preferred surface in the G2 Fort Marcy Stakes during the Belmont At The Big A meet on May 3, the dark bay won by four and a half lengths.
Last time he was at the Spa – the site where he broke his maiden at 2 and was named a 'Rising Star' – the 4-year-old captured the GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes on June 8 using pillar to post tactics, which gave Miguel Clement his first top level score.
Off as a 9-2 shot here, this time Deterministic tracked just off the pacesetter My Boy Prince (Cairo Prince) into the first turn and up the backstretch. The Clement trainee geared up for action around the far turn and taking aim at his target down the lane began to find his best stride. Passing the leader inside the final furlong, Deterministic cleared and scooped up his ticket to Del Mar's G1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile. Intellect (Intello) was the runner-up.
“He looked great,” said trainer Miguel Clement. “He has tactical speed so you can use it. He was moving very well. I think Kendrick (Carmouche) was just waiting to make his move. When he went for it, he went big. The horse delivered. He is a top-class horse. He's won on multiple surfaces over a wide range of distances.”
His stallion's sixth winner at the top level alongside the likes of Colonel Liam and Burnham Square, Deterministic is one of 13 Graded black-type winners for Liam's Map. Dam Giulio's Jewel (Speightstown), who passed away in 2022, was a half-sister to Graded-placed Duff One (Harlan's Holiday). Her last registered foal on record is Morana (Frosted), currently an unraced 3-year-old.
Under the winner's productive third dam, Amelia (Dixieland Band), are Graded winners Kindergarden Kid (Dynaformer), Assateague (Stromy Atlantic), and Rainha Da Bateria (Broken Vow), as well as Japanese Group heroine Rabbit Run (Tapit).
World Beater gives Riley Mott first Graded win
By Jill Williams, TDN America
Pin Oak Stud's World Beater (Oscar Performance), second last out behind Test Score (Lookin At Lucky) in the July 4 G1 Belmont Derby, turned the tables on that rival to give his young trainer Riley Mott the first graded stakes win of his career in Saratoga's G1 Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes Saturday.
The son of and former assistant to Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Riley Mott is no stranger to racing's biggest stage. It will perhaps be more of a surprise to learn this is the first Graded win of his own career than it is to see it happen at the highest level.
“I grew up here,” said the younger Mott after the Saratoga Derby. “This is my childhood at Saratoga, this is my playground. The amount of times we've walked down here to the winner's circle together, my dad and I, I couldn't count them all, so this was really special to have him and my extended family here.”
Breaking widest of all in the Saratoga Derby, World Beater mowed down early leader Juwuelier (Wootton Bassett) late under Junior Alvarado and held sway over Test Score to win by a half-length.
“Beautiful trip from the nine (post),” said Alvarado. “I got to save some ground coming into the first turn and completely cut the corner in the second turn. When I asked my horse for his best, he split horses, and he was unbelievable today.”
Alvarado, who is the regular rider of Bill Mott's 2025 dual Classic winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief), was aboard World Beater for the first time. He picked up the ride when regular rider Jaime Torres got stuck in Atlanta due to bad weather and was unable to make it to Saratoga in time for the race.
A US$105,000 ($162,000) Keeneland September yearling in 2023, World Beater has steadily improved his Beyer numbers with every start.
There's no denying Oscar Performance has been hot these days, with World Beater becoming his ninth Graded winner as he sends just his fourth crop of 2-year-olds to the races this year. Joining 2024 G1 Belmont Derby winner Trikari as his sire's second winner at the highest level, World Beater is one of 18 black-type winners for the young Mill Ridge sire, a son of the late Kitten's Joy and himself a Grade 1 winner at two, three, and four.
Dam Dabinett, a winning daughter of Blame and the producer of one of the 30 stakes winners out of daughters of that Claiborne stalwart, was, like her Saratoga Derby-winning son, bred by Dr John A Chandler, husband of the late Mill Ridge founder Alice Chandler. Black-type winning second dam Sharp Apple – by the late Mill Ridge sire Diesis – also produced European multiple Group winner and French Group 1-placed Pomology (Arch), as well as multiplle Group 1-placed Sassy Little Lila (Artie Schiller). Both were also bred by Chandler.
Dabinett has been exclusively bred to Oscar Performance every year she's been a broodmare, with a 2-year-old colt named Heeere's Johnny finishing fifth on debut at Saratoga July 13 for Magic Carpet Racing and Catherine W.Coyle after selling for US$100,000 ($155,000) at the 2024 Keeneland September sale. The mare produced fillies in 2024 and 2025 and was bred back to Oscar Performance again for next term.
Kilwin aces the 100th running of The Test
By TDN America
In high school, we'd call her a multi-sport athlete. A two-time varsity letter earner. Someone, horse or human alike, who has the skills to excel at more than one specialty is a rare commodity indeed and Kilwin (Twirling Candy) proved Saturday that she's as versatile as she is talented in taking the 100th running of the G1 Test Stakes at Saratoga.
The connections of BBN Racing - who paid US$225,000 ($348,000) at Keeneland for the filly - must have had their stomachs in their throats as Kilwin stumbled badly out the gate and quickly plummeted to the back of the field. Stuck down inside behind the wall of runners with less than a furlong to run, she angled out under Jose Ortiz to come widest of them all and had to gut out a final few strides to get by 'TDN Rising Star' Ragtime (Union Rags) for the win.
“Well, I thought this filly (Kilwin) was out of the race when she stumbled at the gate,” Arnold admitted. “Even Jose (Ortiz) said, 'I kind of picked her up, and she was running well enough, maybe I can get her Grade I-placed and get third because she stumbled so badly.' It wasn't like the way you drew it up, but it went well.
“I thought she was done. I was watching the other filly (Echo Sound) run. I was watching the TV and she (Kilwin) wasn't on the TV. Her spot was off the TV and I didn't even consider that she was still in the race, actually, so it went well. Jose didn't give up on her and he kept riding.”
Arnold noted that his filly would target the G2 Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs on September 6.
Ortiz added, “She was moving very well and I thought I had a shot turning for home. Honestly, I was following the right horse and I knew Junior (Alvarado, on Ragtime) was traveling really nicely. I cut the corner and I was following him, then I came out and she gave me that extra kick that I needed inside the eighth-pole.”
Kilwin is the 12th Grade 1 winner for Lane's End stallion Twirling Candy, who was himself a dual Graded stakes winner on the turf before taking the G1 Malibu Stakes on dirt in track record-setting style. First dam Spanish Star also continues to boost the broodmare sire portfolio for champion Blame whose daughters have already produced the likes of champion Forte (Violence) and Group 1 winner Switzerland (Snitzel), who was announced to be standing at Coolmore Australia earlier this year.
From four foals to the races, Spanish Star has produced four winners with Kilwin joining the likes of Graded winner One Timer (Trappe Shot) and stakes winner, Grade 1-placed Just Basking (Arrogate). The dam herself, who sold with Just Basking in utero for US $275,000 ($425,000) at Keeneland's November Breeding Stock Sale in 2020 after bringing just US$1500 ($2320) out of the same sale three years prior, is a half to G1 Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston (Awesome Again).
Her recent offspring include a 2-year-old Essential Quality colt named Mojacar who sold for US$500,000 ($773,000) at Keeneland September last year to Belladonna Racing, a yearling filly from the first crop of Flightline, and a weanling filly by Cody's Wish. She returned to Twirling Candy for a full-sibling to Kilwin in 2026.
Seismic Beauty wires field in Clement Hirsch
By Jill Williams, TDN America
There's a pattern. Four times in her career, My Racehorse and Peter Leidel's Seismic Beauty (Uncle Mo) has gone straight to the lead and each time she's won big, but never bigger than she did Saturday in the G1 Clement L Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar. It was the first Grade 1 victory of her career following her first Graded score in the GII Santa Margarita Stakes on May 25 at Santa Anita. Saturday's win nets her a 'Win and You're In,' fees-paid berth to the G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff later this fall over this surface.
“I think she won the race out of the gate today,” said winning rider Juan Hernandez. “She broke really, really sharp. She loves to be on the lead. She was really comfortable. You know, she was just galloping; she was in a really good rhythm.”
Off at even money, Seismic Beauty went straight to the front and stayed there; the US$250,000 ($387,000) Keeneland September buy shook loose of everyone, skipping through the stretch 3l to the best, and finally held off a furiously closing Kopion (Omaha Beach) by 1.5l at the line.
“That wasn't an easy lead, they were rolling,” said Hall of Fame conditioner Bob Baffert. “She's a big filly. She looks like she's going easy, but they were going fast. She's just getting better and better. She's still maturing, but I think she'll improve off of that.”
Ashford Stud's late Uncle Mo, who was lost due to a left foreleg injury last December at just 16, is the sire of Seismic Beauty and five dozen other Graded winners, as well as 113 black-type winners worldwide. Among his many accomplishments as a sire is victory the last three years running in the Clement L Hirsch, as he also sired 2023-24 winner Adare Manor. That mare sold to Katsumi Yoshida at last fall's Fasig-Tipton November sale for US$2.8 million ($4.33 million).
Three of Uncle Mo's stakes winners are out of Medaglia d'Oro mares, with Seismic Beauty the first on that exact cross to win Graded events. That still-active 26-year-old Darley sire, who is having yet another banner year in 2025, has 130 stakes winners out of his daughters.
The winning dam Knarsdale, stakes-placed at Monmouth in 2019, was a 2020 purchase at Keeneland November by Determined Stud while carrying Seismic Beauty in utero. Her unraced 2-year-old filly, My Steel Magnolia (Essential Quality), was a US$225,000 ($348,000) buy at last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale by LCI. The mare has a yearling full sister to Seismic Beauty and a March 12-foaled filly by Charlatan. She was bred back to Arabian Knight, a son of Uncle Mo who won the 2023 G1 Pacific Classic.
