The Gulfstream Park Press Office issued the following story on the victory by Romagna Mia in the Via Borghese Stakes following a seven-length romp over the Tapeta. The grey daughter of Mastercraftsman lowered the mile and half track record on Tapeta surface to 2:28.69. The previous best was 2:30.48, set by Modus Operandi (Ire) in February of 2022. ... More

In an effort to get more newcomers to Team Valor International involved in racing abroad, company CEO Barry Irwin has reached back in the stable's marketing playbook, just as it did with subsequent Graded Stakes winners Pluck and Sailor's Cap, to present an opportunity for fresh racing partners to join a racing syndicate with special terms and conditions. Orderofthephoenix was an impressive maiden winner at Dundalk last month ... More

Green Up looked to have an insurmountable task for her comeback facing Frank's Rockette Sunday in a one-corner elongated sprint at Aqueduct for the $135,000 Pumpkin Pie Stakes, but the pile of late money bet on the Team Valor International filly was a sign of confidence from unexpected quarters and presaged a positive yet unexpected result. ... More

Pummeling the wickets as though losing was completely out of the question, horseplayers hammered down Romagna Mia from 6-to-1 to the solid 2-to-1 choice at post time. In a lone North American outing the Englishborn, Italian-developed and Frenchraced import had finished third in the Grade 1 Beverly D Stakes at Colonial Downs behind Fev Rover and Gina Romantica. Those horses won Grade 1 races at Woodbine and Keeneland in their next start, imbuing the form with a high patina of success. ... More

McLovin, already a beloved equine simply by virtue of his comical name, endeared himself to the crowd of National Hunt aficionados on Saturday at a major day of hurdle and steeplechase racing at Fair Hills in New Jersey and before he cooled out and hopped on the van back to Keeneland he had managed to create his own fan club. It did not hurt that during his signature victory in the day's only Flat race, the $100,000 John Forbes Stakes over 2 miles, he jumped a road and a pathway a few times en route to his grass course triumph, teasing those in attendance that he himself may someday want to return to the home of jump races in the United States to try his luck over the barriers. ... More

Just Great never had a straw in her path on debut when she trotted up the easiest kind of winner by nearly 14 lengths at Delaware Park. But on Wednesday, back at the same stand, racing for twice the purse in a $100,000 non-black-type stakes, things were markedly different for the Great Notion juvenile filly. She was victorious, remaining unbeaten in 2 starts as the earner of $90,000, but had much more to overcome on this outing ... More

Go Athletico last Sunday at The Curragh caught the soft ground he likes, got the waiting trip he needs and began from the most favorable side of the course from an advantageous draw. And the 5-year-old gelding responded with what likely was the best effort of his 30-race career when winning the Group 3 Renaissance Stakes over six furlongs. ... More

Team Valor International and Gary Barber's Elysian Field finished a strong second Sunday at Woodbine in Canada's most important race, the $1-million King's Plate, as "The Other Barber" turned in a tour de force performance on the front end to lead a one-two finish for the Hollywood movie mogul and trainer Mark Casse. Elysian Field continues to develop and improve. ... More

Elysian Field, perfectly piloted by Sahin Civaci, emphatically answered the question of whether she could be effective around two turns over a route of ground yesterday at Woodbine, when she hog-tied 13 rival sophomore fillies at the top of the home stretch and powered to a dominating 2 -length victory in the Woodbine Oaks. Such was the impression made by the Team Valor International and Gary Barber-owned filly that her connections likely will supplement her to the August 20 renewal of the King s Plate. ... More

Setting a new Timeform Topper of 114, Go Athletico easily took the Listed Midsummer Sprint at Cork. It was his first start in Ireland, first start for trainer Ado McGuinness, and also his debut for Team Valor International. This is the horse who defeated subsequent Group 1 winner Sealiway at two in the Group 3 Prix La Rochette. ... More

On the evening before the Kentucky Derby, the Virginia Thoroughbred Breeders Association handed out their annual awards for the horses considered to be the best representatives of the state s breeding program. Horse of the Year honors went to Team Valor International s classy sophomore filly Green Up. ... More

Elysian Field came good yesterday fourth time out and first time up in her homeland of Canada. Dropped in trip from a pair of 2-turn Gulfstream Park races to a sprint for the first time since she was a good runner-up on debut sprinting at Saratoga on the grass, she not only displayed plenty of talent, but a lot of moxie, as she rated kindly inside along the fence, had the agility to split horses and the raw talent to draw off down the lane to score easily by 3 1/4 lengths at Woodbine over the Tapeta surface. ... More

Lajoscha did not come into the Altano-Rennen exactly as planned. However, his class prevailed and he won the Listed race with authority for Woehler and jockey Eddie Pedroza in fine style over the 14 furlongs in Berlin. Now Herr Woehler will bring him back in 2 weeks at the same Hoppegarten racecourse for Germany s top race for Stayers, the Group 2 Oleander-Rennen going 2 miles. ... More

Bella Romanza, which had been bought a year ago off a strong synthetic track breeze in Ocala at the OBS sale of unraced juveniles, reverted to that form when dazzling an Easter Sunday throng at Gulfstream Park yesterday to surprise not only most of those in attendance at the Hallandale track, but her connections as well. A rare pleasant surprise, is how trainer Todd Pletcher characterized the 14-to-1 upset fashioned by Bella Romanza in winning her racing bow over 7 furlongs on grass. ... More

Hurricane Dream enjoyed his American debut and took full advantage of a fast pace to not only win by 4 1/2 lengths on Keeneland's opening day, but to run faster by far than any other United States based grass runner around two turns this season. Under Frankie Dettori, Hurricane Dream broke well from the gate, easily recovered when the horse to his left came over on him and he settled into a nice position. ... More

The Charleston, dispatched as the 8 to 1 fourth choice to 9 to 5 favorite Kyalami Girl, overcame the widest of draws on a course that favored inside speed all day long to post a mild upset under a daring and inspired ride from Grant van Niekerk. The Charleston and Kyalami Girl are both trained by Candice Bass-Robinson, who admitted before and after the race that she fancied Gaynor Rupert s filly over the Team Valor stablemate and did not see how The Charleston would be able to beat the favorite, especially from her draw. ... More