England
Christmas Day wins Derby in miserable weather
By Tom Frary, TDN Europe
In conditions more akin to the festive period then summertime at Epsom, Ballydoyle's Christmas Day mastered the gruelling test the 2026 G1 Betfred Derby became to provide Camelot with his first Blue Riband.
The subject of increased support as every shower rained down on the Surrey venue, the 7-1 shot was sent forward by Ronan Whelan to race second from the outset and when committed in the early straight galloped relentlessly to a 2.75-length success from Maltese Cross (Sea The Stars). Third was James J Braddock (Zarak), 2.5 lengths away while the favourite Benvenuto Cellini (Frankel) was never able to land any kind of blow.
It later transpired that Benvenuto Cellini had missed the break, having had his hind leg raised and was declared a non-runner having been disadvantaged by the start, but this was all about another outsider of the stable's runners to prevail in the mould of Wings Of Eagles, Serpentine and Lambourn. For Ronan Whelan, who was becoming the ninth Derby-winning jockey for Aidan O'Brien, the race was welcomingly uneventful as the pair made their own way home in isolation.
This was a 12th win in the Blue Riband for Aidan O'Brien and a landmark 50th British Classic success. “He's done nothing but improve, he's so genuine, stays and loved the soft ground,” he said of the winner, who had won the Eyrefield at two and taken the Ballysax before running third in the Dante in his spring preparation. “I'm delighted for the lads, they put everything in. He's a tough hardy horse and by the right stallion.”
“We always felt he was going to stay and Ronan gave him a beautiful ride,” he added. “He's a very unassuming horse with a lovely mind and plenty of class. Conditions changed and nobody knew what was going to happen, Ryan and Christophe got a bit sandwiched in the straight but you can't take anything away from the winner, every day he's done the same thing and is uncomplicated.”
“It's tough competition and to win one Classic is so difficult, let alone 50.” - Aidan O'Brien
“It's tough competition and to win one Classic is so difficult, let alone 50,” he concluded. “I'm so delighted to win big races for John and Sue and Michael and Doreen and Derrick and Sarah, because they put so much into it and that's what allows it to happen. I'm delighted for Camelot, he's a serious stallion and always was and we're only going to see what he can do going forward.”
Aidan O'Brien | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Pedigree: Christmas Day is out of the stakes winner Beauly (Sea The Stars), whose first foal was the three-time Grade 3 winner Missed The Cut (Quality Road). The second dam is the Wilshire Handicap winner Pickle (Piccolo), who was responsible for Oasis Dream's four-time Listed scorer and sire Gusto, while the family also features the same sire's Jersey Stakes winner and Irish 2000 Guineas runner-up Gale Force Ten, the Falmouth heroine Simply Perfect (Danehill) and the Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Bianca Nera (Salse). Beauly's yearling colt is by Wootton Bassett.
Bay City Roller plugs through mud for G1 Coronation Cup
By Tom Frary, TDN Europe
Staged in the relentless drizzle and mirk that arrived with vicious timing to dampen Derby day, Saturday's G1 Coolmore Coronation Cup came down to survival of the fittest with Victorious Forever's Bay City Roller (New Bay) overwhelming his rivals for a 10-length victory.
With the 5-4 favourite Calandagan (Gleneagles) unable to raise a leg and Ballydoyle's leading hope Jan Brueghel (Galileo) struggling from the outset in ever-worsening conditions, it was left to Oisin Murphy to enjoy an armchair ride around Epsom on the 4-year-old who had already proven his love of such ground.
Once the eventually pulled-up Illinois (Galileo) and his stablemate Lambourn (Australia) were spent, the 17-2 shot who had been steered away from the far rail as per the norm powered to the line as the only runner able to post a respectable time. Jan Brueghel managed to get second without ever threatening, in the end 5.5 lengths clear of Lambourn with Calandagan beaten a total of 41.5 lengths in fourth.
“This is a flagship race that we all grew up watching, it's a great idea to bring it to Derby day so to win it is amazing, an out-of-body experience,” trainer George Scott said. “I've always hoped that one day we'd turn up at the races and the weather would be so horrible that people didn't want to get out of their cars, as that is when Bay City Roller comes into his own! He's a consummate professional, a freak of a horse. He just goes and does his job, trains hard every day, relishes his racing and I'm so pleased he was able to show his quality today.”
Pedigree: Bay City Roller's dam is the Vintage Tipple and Noblesse winner and dual Group 3-placed Bloomfield (Teofilo), who is also responsible for the dual Listed-placed Botanical (Lope De Vega). She is a granddaughter of Rahaam (Secreto), dam of the Coventry-winning sire Verglas and the King's Stand winner and July Cup runner-up Cassandra Go (Indian Ridge), whose triple Group 1-winning daughter Halfway To Heaven (Pivotal) produced Galileo's luminaries Rhododendron and Magical.
America
Golden Tempo adds Belmont to Derby win
By Steve Sherack, TDN
After pulling off a historic 23-1 upset in the G1 Kentucky Derby, the Cherie DeVaux-trained Golden Tempo (Curlin) doubled up in Saturday's G1 Belmont Stakes, held for the third and final time at Saratoga.
The Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable homebred and future Lane's End stallion followed in the footsteps of Sovereignty (Into Mischief), who also secured the first and third legs of last year's Triple Crown after famously skipping the G1 Preakness Stakes.
“I do think we made the right decision. I don't think we'd have the same horse if we did run back in two weeks (in the Preakness),” said the trailblazing DeVaux, who became the first woman to saddle a Kentucky Derby winner earlier this spring and the second to win a Belmont.
“That's a horse-by-horse, case-by-case decision. And for him, as much growth as we've seen in him, it would've been hard for him to follow that up in two weeks and then subsequently three weeks.”
Not shown much love at the windows by the lively crowd of 46,128 on a steamy afternoon – which briefly turned to a downpour at post time – the 6-1 fourth-choice broke outwardly from his wide draw in post nine and was masterfully steered over to the rail by Jose Ortiz heading into the clubhouse turn.
Golden Tempo and Commandment (Into Mischief) raced shoulder to shoulder down the centre with the unlucky Kentucky Derby runner-up and favoured Renegade (Into Mischief) also kicking in now to their inside as well.
Golden Tempo was always going a little better of the two, and, after a terrific show down the lane, finally put the race to bed to win going away by 1.25 lengths, stopping the timer for the 10 furlongs in 2:03.49. It was another four lengths back to Renegade in third.
It was a rolling double for Vinnie Viola's St. Elias Stable, also a co-owner of back-to-back G1 Manhattan Stakes winner Deterministic (Liam's Map).
“So on Wednesday this week, I lost a very, very dear friend, that I grew up on the same block with, since we were 4 years old, spent our whole lives and shared our family lives together – Dominic DiPrisco,” an emotional Viola said in the winner's circle as a rainbow fittingly appeared over the Saratoga backstretch.
“I said in my prayers this morning, I asked Dominic to help the horse, which I knew he would. He will be deeply, deeply missed. And this race is dedicated to Dominic DiPrisco, thanks for giving me a chance to say that again.”
Pedigree: The always-remarkable two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, whose towering accomplishments as a stallion range from siring three Breeders' Cup winners on a single day – a feat he achieved in 2022 and again in 2023 – to siring the winners of all three Triple Crown races, added another laurel to his crown with a second Belmont Stakes winner following his first-crop star Palace Malice in 2013. In the years between, Curlin has had four others hit the board: Keen Ice (2015), Irish War Cry (2017), Nest (2022), and Journalism (2025). Curlin himself was second in a thrilling edition of the Belmont in 2007.
A generational “big-horse” sire, Curlin has 70 Graded winners (6% from starters) and 119 black-type winners (10.6% from starters). His breeding season was prematurely abbreviated this year following complications from an ulcer. Curlin stands at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, where his 2026 fee was $225,000 and it is hoped the 22-year-old and current top-five leading sire will be able to return to the breeding shed next term.
Winner of the 2016 G3 Top Flight Invitational Handicap and placed in seven more Graded races, including the 2016 G1 Ogden Phipps Stakes, Carrumba (Bernardini) came home to Claiborne in advance of the 2018 season to be a broodmare. Golden Tempo is her third living foal and first to the races.
The mare, whose foals are sixth-generation Phipps-breds through the Blitey branch of Lady Pitt, has a 2-year-old Nyquist colt who is expected to be campaigned, like Golden Tempo, by the Phipps/St. Elias partnership. The mare's yearling filly by Liam's Map is earmarked to be retained solely by the Phipps Stable.
Deterministic wins G1 Manhattan Stakes
By Alan Carasso, TDN
Trainer Miguel Clement all but guaranteed that Deterministic (Liam's Map) would be on the lead in defence of his title in Saturday's G1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes at Saratoga.
Held together through six furlongs with the New York-bred Rhetorical (Not This Time) still doing his thing up front, Deterministic confronted the front-runner well inside the final furlong and kept on gamely to the line. Test Score (Oscar Performance) ran on for second ahead of One Stripe (SAf) (One World {SAf}), who rallied from the tail of the field to just touch Rhetorical out of third.
“He broke a touch slow, which I was very disappointed about,” Clement said. “So, we had to go to 'Plan B,' which fortunately Kendrick [Carmouche] rode him brilliantly, and Plan B still worked out anyways because he's top class.
“He's a tremendous racehorse. He's a pure athlete. We are very privileged to be part of the ride.”
Pedigree: Deterministic is one of four winners from as many runners from Giulio's Jewel (Speightstown), who sadly passed away in 2022. The mare's final foal is the 4-year-old filly Morana (Frosted), a homebred for breeder Hinkle Farms, who was victorious in her lone start to date for Cherie DeVaux over the Turfway all-weather on March 27.
Grade 1 quinella for Nyquist
By Alan Carasso, TDN
Given a masterful ride from two-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat, Nysos (Nyquist) overcame a bit of a tricky trip, but pulled clear from a furlong and a half out to post an impressive victory in Saturday's G1 Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap at Saratoga. Knightsbridge completed a noteworthy 1-2 finish for Darley America stallion Nyquist. The Met Mile is a Breeders' Cup Challenge race for the G1 Dirt Mile at Keeneland in October.
Looking to make amends for an all-world runner-up effort to Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in the G1 Saudi Cup 3 1/2 months ago, Nysos is co-owned by Susan and Charlie Chu's Baoma Corp., Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith and will enter stud at Coolmore in Kentucky at the end of his career.
Knightsbridge swept in front with an eye-catching three-wide move with about three furlongs to race, but Prat had the move covered and Nysos was equally in for the fight. Pulled out wide to deliver his challenge, he descended upon Knightsbridge with a furlong and a half to travel and pulled clear to take it by a decisive four-length margin.
Journalism (Curlin), runner-up to Sovereignty in last year's G1 Belmont Stakes, was off the pace for third while no threat to the winner. Journalism is bound for Coolmore upon conclusion of his career.
Baffert is willing to roll the dice going forward that Nysos can handle an extra couple of furlongs.
“We are going for the (Breeders' Cup) Classic with him,” the trainer confirmed. “I think I might take him to maybe Del Mar. G1 Pacific Classic, maybe. He runs well there or maybe the G1 Whitney (Stakes). I want to space out his races.”
After crushing Santa Anita maidens by 10.5 lengths in October 2023, Nysos added big-margin victories in the G3 Bob Hope Stakes and the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, and a couple of days after the latter success, his dam–offered in foal to Cyberknife– topped the Fasig-Tipton February Sale on a bid of US$2 million (AU$2.8 million) from Coolmore.
Pedigree: His dam Zetta Z (Bernadini) is also responsible for Warnock (Yaupon), a US$450,000 (AU$638,000) Keeneland November weanling who was eighth on turf sprint debut at Churchill June 5 for owner Tom Durant and trainer Tristan Ashford.
Nysos's second dam is a daughter of 2001 G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff upsetter Unbridled Elaine, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Glitter Woman (Glitterman) and dam of three winners from five to race, including multiple Graded winner Etched (Forestry)–a sire in Korea–Graded winner Out of Bounds (Discreet Cat) and English Group 2 scorer Emotionless (Ire) (Shamardal). Unbridled Elaine's unraced daughter Elaine's Cat (Discreet Cat) is the dam of recent G2 Belle Mahone Stakes winner Deloraine (Candy Ride {Arg}) and stakes-placed Remuda (More Than Ready).
Englishman thrashes all in Woody Stephens
By Steve Sherack, TDN
It was a 'Man' versus boys in the G1 Woody Stephens Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday.
C R K Stable's Englishman (Maxfield), a well-beaten second behind Crude Velocity (Beau Liam) in the battle of unbeaten 'TDN Rising Stars, presented by Hagyard' in the G2 Pat Day Mile Stakes on Kentucky Derby day, turned the tables with authority on the cutback to seven furlongs, equalling Darby Creek Road's track record of 1:20.40 set in 1978.
“It doesn't surprise me,” winning trainer Cherie DeVaux said. “This horse is so fast that we kind of get a glimpse of it when he runs. He runs like that and almost broke the track record at Fair Grounds wrapped up, so the sky is the limit for him right now, but I believe that's at six and seven furlongs.”
DeVaux added that Englishman would target the G1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial at Saratoga on August 29.
Pedigree: Englishman, a US$400,000 (AU$567,000) Keeneland September purchase by Lee Searing's operation, becomes the first Graded winner for second-crop sire Maxfield. He is responsible for three other black-type winners.
Englishman was produced by the winning In It for the Gold (Speightstown), who brought US$75,000 (AU$106,000) from Country Life Farm, agent, at the 2023 Keeneland November sale. She is a daughter of stakes winner and Grade 1-placed All Due Respect (Value Plus).
Reef Runner wins G1 Jaipur sprint
By Jill Williams, TDN
It's been nearly six months since Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's homebred Reef Runner (The Big Beast) has competed on these shores (a win in the Janus Stakes at Gulfstream in December), but he hasn't been idle. He brought a G2 1351 Turf Sprint win home from Saudi Arabia and barely missed the top three in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai.
On Saturday at Saratoga, he showed international competition made him razor sharp and ready for the G1 Jaipur Stakes on Belmont Stakes Day. Reef Runner took the 5 1/2-furlong sprint by a half-length over defending winner Ag Bullet (Twirling Candy) and secured a fees-paid berth into this year's G1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland.
“What do you say but, 'Wow.' He's just a really neat horse,” said winning trainer David Fawkes. “Anything you ask him to do, he does.”
Fawkes added, “We're going to point to the Breeders' Cup and hope for good weather, like this. We got so lucky. I've been sweating all week. I was watching the radar. It was spitting a little bit earlier, which was fine. I just didn't want it to be like Dubai.”
“We got so lucky. I've been sweating all week. I was watching the radar. It was spitting a little bit earlier, which was fine. I just didn't want it to be like Dubai.” - David Fawkes
Pedigree: Reef Runner is the top runner for his Arkansas-based sire, The Big Beast, who holds court at McDowell Farm. A son of Yes It's True, The Big Beast – who did his best running at Saratoga and won the 2014 G1 King's Bishop Stakes – has 13 black-type winners to go with his sole Graded winner.
Paradise Bay (Blame), dam of Reef Runner and a US$350,000 (AU$496,000) purchase at the 2017 Keeneland September sale by the Lieblongs, is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Paradise Woods (Union Rags) and hails from the same extended family as sires Vekoma and Mr. Greeley.
Classic Q wins G1 Just A Game Stakes
By Jill Williams, TDN
Classic Q (Classic Empire) is proving classy “to a T.” Last seen securing her first graded win on Kentucky Derby Day in the G2 Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes, the Gary Barber, Blue Crevalle Racing, and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners colourbearer doubled up on Belmont Stakes Day, capturing the $500,000 G1 Just a Game Stakes at Saratoga in front-running fashion. In addition to kicking off the graded action on a stellar day of racing for the much-heralded Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, the Just a Game marked Classic Q's first score in her first try at the highest level.
“I think I'll just retire,” said trainer Mark Casse with a laugh. He also previously won the Just a Game with Tepin (Bernstein) in 2015. “Saratoga has been my life since I was a little boy. It's been my dream, so to be able to accomplish what we've done this weekend is quite amazing.
“He (John Velazquez) gets along with her (Classic Q). He knows her well. She's always been talented, really talented. She's amazing.” - Mark Casse
“She's just extremely ornery. (Rider John Velazquez) said she was being so good and when they loaded the last horse, she started acting up. Then, when she breaks, you can't rush her or she'll run off. He gets along with her. He knows her well. She's always been talented, really talented. She's amazing.”
Pedigree: Classic Empire, trained by Casse to the 2-year-old colt championship of 2016, is the sire of 14 Graded winners and 32 black-type winners. In addition to Classic Q, his stakes winners of 2026 include G2 Baird Doubledogdare Stakes winner Alpine Princess. He was purchased by the Korea Racing Authority in late 2023 and has been standing in Korea since the 2024 season after beginning his career at Ashford Stud.
Lovely Em (Scat Daddy), dam of Classic Q and a US$38,000 (AU$54,000) purchase at the 2024 Keeneland November sale by Barry R. Ostager, has a yearling filly by Vekoma named Red Unit and was bred to Solomini for 2026.
