STRIKER HAS DIAL TRIUMPHS IN THE SKIPAT ON PREAKNESS DAY

May 16, 2026 LAUREL  Case Clay Thoroughbred Management yearling purchase, STRIKER HAS DIAL took the field all the way in the Skipat Stakes, the first stakes event on the Preakness undercard and her second consecutive stakes win.

The 5-year-old daughter of Dialed In broke sharply under jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. and competed with Modo for the early lead. She gained command and posted fractions of :22.47, :45.76, and :57.79. Down the backstretch, Striker Has Dial continued to race comfortably and led the field by a length into the far turn of the 6-furlong test. As the field hit the top of the stretch, she came under a drive and pulled away from her rivals. Steve Asmussen trainee Benedetta attempted an outside rally but was unable to catch the leader. Striker Has Dial hit the wire 1 3/4 lengths in front in a final time of 1:10.44. This mare was purchased at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale for Chief Horse Futures. Second in this race last year at Pimlico, she goes one better at Laurel.  Article adapted from The Bloodhorse Daily

April 21, 2026 HORSESHOE INDIANAPOLIS Case Clay Thoroughbred Management 2YO purchase, STORMFORGED won gate to wire going 6f on the dirt in an Allowance at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Stormforged went off at even money odds and after his signature fast break from the gate, he led the windy race from gate to wire, putting away rival Zapping Strike and drawing away to win by 4+ lengths. He won his debut impressively and was defeated by Englishman at the Fairgrounds last time out but is back to his winning ways. STORMFORGED, a 3yo son of Vekoma, was purchased for Wathnan Racing at the Fasig Tipton Midlantic Sale and is trained by Steve Asmussen.

April 17, 2026 AQUEDUCT Case Clay Thoroughbred Management Yearling purchase, DOUBLE ACT won gate to wire going a mile on the turf in a Maiden Special Weight at Aqueduct. Double Act quickly moved to the front of the field and controlled the pace in hand, drawing away to win by just less than 2 lengths in his turf debut. DOUBLE ACT was purchased for Wathnan Racing at the Fasig Tipton Saratoga Select Sale and is trained by Bill Mott.

April 9, 2026 KEENELAND Case Clay Thoroughbred Management Yearling purchase, FOURTH DIMENSION won impressively going two turns on the dirt at Keeneland. After he broke a step slow, he found himself at the back of the pack but when they turned for home he swung wide and going from last to first, kicked home to win by 4+ lengths earning an 82 Beyer. Starting his career on the turf, he really found his spot with the switch to dirt and has been improving in every start. FOURTH DIMENSION was purchased for Wathnan Racing out of the Fasig Tipton October Sale and is trained by Bill Mott.

March 28, 2026 GULFSTREAM Widely touted as the best Kentucky Derby (G1) prep race this year, the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park March 28 did not disappoint as Wathnan Racing's COMMANDMENT edged OGMA Investments, JR Ranch, and High Step Racing's The Puma by a nose.

In a dramatic renewal of the Florida Derby at 1 1/8 miles, Commandment, a bay son of Into Mischief trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Flavien Prat, surged widest of all in the stretch to nail The Puma in the final stride, hitting the wire in 1:49.99 over a fast track. Prat tipped him out entering the stretch, and the colt responded with a sustained rally to overhaul The Puma at the wire.

"I thought I had a chance at the eighth pole," Prat said. "He's straightforward, and he's a fighter. He showed some guts down the lane." Commandment stamped himself as a leading Kentucky Derby contender with the victory, which earned him 100 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. For Cox, the victory continued a strong run in major Kentucky Derby preps and reinforced his belief in the colt's stamina.

"I think he put to bed the question of how far he wants to go, with the right trip, he can get it done at a mile and an eighth and a mile and a quarter." COMMANDMENT was a Case Clay Thoroughbred Management Yearling purchase for Wathnan Racing. Article adapted from the Bloodhorse Daily

March 14, 2026 FAIR GROUNDS Case Clay Thoroughbred Management Yearling Purchase, WOOTEN WARRIOR broke her maiden in a dead heat.  She broke sharply from post 5 and went straight to the lead in the 5.5 furlong turf contest, she extended her lead in the stretch and looked like she was home free when her rival closed from 7th for a thrilling finish but she hang on to tie for 1st. Wooten Warrior was purchased for Bal Mar Equine from the Arqana Yearling Sale and is trained by Al Stall. 

March 14, 2026 TAMPA Case Clay Thoroughbred Management 2YO Purchase, EMBLAZE graduated at first asking - showing plenty of talent in a tough trip.  Drawn widest in a field of 10, the $350,000 OBS April graduate was forced to her outside at the break, but was angled back towards the inside by Samuel Marin and sat more or less a midfield trip, eating a fair bit of kickback. Under the pump, but going well enough as they made the stretch, EMBLAZE was angled out with Marin looking to come to the outside of all of those ahead of her, but EMBLAZE had other ideas and maintained an inside track. Pulled out once more inside the final eighth of a mile, she finally kept a straight course and surged past favored Sutura (Vekoma) for the victory. Emblaze was purchased for Dahman and is trained by Miguel Clement. Article adapted from the Thoroughbred Daily News

February 28, 2026 GULFSTREAM PARK Case Clay Thoroughbred Management Yearling Purchase, COMMANDMENT not only proved he could go two turns Feb. 28 in the $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park, the Into Mischief colt indicated he had more stamina if needed.  Commandment, the Brad Cox-trained 2-1 favorite, wore down and withstood a determined challenge from Chief Wallabee to win the Fountain of Youth.  He covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:43.33, a performance worth a 101 Beyer and 50 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby (G1). Cox said he liked where jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. had Commandment throughout, and he was especially encouraged by what came after the finish.  "Irad said he kind of asked him to gallop out past the second wire and he had plenty... passed the two-turn test."  

Cox said the Florida Derby (G1) March 28 is the "logical spot," while noting the April 4 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland as another option depending on how Commandment comes out of Saturday's race.  

Commandment's trip required composure from the outset. He bumped with Bravaro at the start, then took up position midpack while 50-1 longshot Rockies Balboa used the rail to seize control. Rockies Balboa carved out the opening quarter in :23.16 and the half in :46.89, with the field stacked behind in a tight, stalking line.  Ortiz, kept Commandment in the clear and advancing . They edged closer around the far turn, then angled sharply to the rail near the quarter pole—a move that left him saving ground but that carried extra significance given the track's recent perceived outside advantage. Commandment drifted late under right-handed urging, yet he refused to give way and narrowly prevailed, validating Ortiz's confidence in the colt's professionalism.  "He's been doing everything so good since day one," Ortiz said. "I trust him and when the space came he was ready to go." COMMANDMENT was purchased for Wathnan Racing out of the Keeneland September Sale. Article adapted from the Bloodhorse Daily

February 28, 2026 TAMPA BAY DOWNS Case Clay Thoroughbred Management Private Purchase, FLOOD ZONE was much the best in a AOC at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday. The G3 Gotham Winner returned from the layoff to win decisively, setting him up well for his 2026 racing season. With Samy Camacho aboard for trainer Brad Cox, the 4-year-old son of Frosted sat three lengths off leader Gianluca Be Lucky through a :44.75 half mile before going on the attack around the turn. Camacho took him five wide turning for home then jetted to the front to win by three-and-a-quarter lengths in 1:23.31 on the track rated good. Raging Fury was second, a half-length faster than Air Invasion in the show spot. FLOOD ZONE was purchased for Wathnan Racing.

February 20, 2026 SANTA ANITA Case Clay Thoroughbred Management Yearling Purchase, BLACKSMITH was much the best in a MSW at Santa Anita on Friday. Having already proven to be a Graded Stakes quality horse, having run 2nd to stablemate, Litmus Test in the G2 Los Al Futurity earning a 94 Beyer. A change in tactics helped Blacksmith score his first win, Florent Geroux maintained his momentum out the gate, staying closer to the pace. Way back in his debut on Oct. 25, Blacksmith showed enough early speed to track pace fractions of :22.43 and :44.82 in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint, he recaptured that speed on Friday, racing in second position as stablemate Authentic Patriot carved out splits of :22.99, :46.77, and 1:10.99. A 3YO colt by Liam's Map, Blacksmith was purchased at the Keeneland September Sale for Wathnan Racing and is trained by Hall of Fame conditioner, Bob Baffert. Content adapted from TwinSpires' Derby Watch

February 15, 2026 JEBEL ALI RACECOURSE Case Clay Thoroughbred Management Private Purchase, DAVID OF ATHENS delivered another gritty performance to win the G3 Jebel Ali Mile Stakes after winning the prep race last month.

In a thrilling stretch battle, Wathnan Racing's DAVID OF ATHENS and Salem Bin Ghadayer’s MASMAK hit the wire in unison, resulting in a dramatic dead-heat in the G3 Jebel Ali Mile on Feb. 15.

It was the first Graded Stakes win for the four-year-old son of Nyquist, who began his career stateside, breaking his maiden in his two-year-old debut at Keeneland.

Ridden by James Doyle, David of Athens sat just off the pace as Masmak went right to the lead to set the pace. Roused by Doyle to challenge in the stretch, David of Athens matched every stride of Masmak through the final furlong, with neither giving an inch. Mount Kosciuszko was just another head back in third. 

David of Athens was purchased privately for Wathnan Racing and his local trainer is Hamad Al-Jehani. Article adapted from Darley News

February 14, 2026 FAIR GROUNDS Case Clay Thoroughbred Management Private Purchase, HIT SHOW—prepping for the March 28 Dubai World Cup (G1), a $12 million race he won in 2025—wore down a stubborn ACCELERIZE to score by a head in the $242,500 Mineshaft Stakes (G3) Feb. 14 at Fair Grounds Racecourse. 

Third or fourth for much of the early running of the 1 1/16-mile race, while always close to front-running Accelerize and pace-pressing TIME TO WIN, HIT SHOW was urged into action on the second turn by Florent Geroux. He began to advance nearing the lane, but ACCELERIZE proved a stubborn foe to pass. The latter fended him off until the sixteenth pole, but after drifting out late, proved unable to repel Hit Show's finish. 

"He's a fighter," Geroux said during an in-house interview.

Saturday's victory improved Hit Show's record to 12-for-24 and his earnings to more than $9 million. Besides the 2025 Dubai World Cup and the Mineshaft, the Brad Cox trainee has captured six other graded stakes races. Article adapted from Bloodhorse Daily

March 10, 2026 OAKLAWN PARK Case Clay Thoroughbred Management Yearling Purchase, WILL TAKE IT delivered a determined performance to win the $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes Feb. 5 at Oaklawn Park. 

Ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., WILL TAKE IT saved ground along the rail before going through a narrow opening in the early stretch, outfighting WOODCOURT for the win. 

WILL TAKE IT settled in third in the five-horse field over the initial 6 furlongs of the race, on the rail about a length and a half behind front-running WOODCOURT and pace-chasing SPEED KING, the 3-5 favorite. Blocked until exiting the second turn, WILL TAKE IT found needed daylight at the head of the lane, he then engaged WOODCOURT, ultimately prevailing by a head after a stretch duel.

WOODCOURT finished second, while AMERICAN LAW came with a rally on the outside to get up for third. SPEED KING ran fourth, and THOUGHTHATCOUNTS was fifth. 

Will Take It, a 5-year-old by Tapit, was purchased for Willis Horton Racing and is owned in partnership with breeder, Whisper Hill Farm. Article adapted from the Bloodhorse Daily.

February 5, 2026 FAIR GROUNDS Case Clay Thoroughbred Management Private Purchase, TWOLATEBABYDOLL broke her maiden in style in a 5.5f sprint at the Fair Grounds. She settled in at the back of the pack early, patiently ridden at the rail, as they rounded the turn she made her bid, lengthening her stride in an impressive stretch run going from 8th to win by a length in her first start sprinting. Twolatebabydoll was a private purchase from Ireland for Bal Mar's Paul Varga and is trained by Al Stall.

January 24, 2026 FAIR GROUNDS Case Clay Thoroughbred Management 2YO Purchase, NOBLE AFFAIR was unveiled Dec. 27 at this venue but sprinting on the turf, and ran on well to claim third in a blanket finish. He

moved to the dirt for this second jump, he was asked to navigate a sloppy surface as Fair Grounds hustled to beat the weather, and left the gates carrying 3-1 odds. Out to set the pace through an opening quarter in :22.38 and after four furlongs in :45.89, Noble Affair was still leading the bunch, but that lead was under pressure from Corona de Oro in the lane. Game along the rail as the 2-1 favorite came calling from the grandstand side, his advantage was shrinking late as the pair battled down to the wire. Noble Affair held off his rival in the stretch dual, refusing to let him get by, winning by 1/2 a length and it was a long way back to third. NOBLE AFFAIR was an OBS April 2YO purchase for Wathnan Racing. Article taken from the TDN

January 17, 2026 JEBEL ALI RACECOURSE Case Clay Thoroughbred Management Private Purchase, DAVID OF ATHENS was the decisive winner of the Jebel Ali Mile Prep Stakes, firmly establishing himself as one of the leading contenders for the G3 Jebel Ali Mile Stakes.

Ridden by Patrick Dobbs, DAVID OF ATHENS broke sharply and secured his spot on the rail for a ground saving trip, in the final furlongs he was neck in neck with Diamond Dealer who put a neck in front, prompting David of Athens to fight back, he put away his rival and drew away to win by 2 1/2 lengths.

David of Athens is a 4yo colt by Nyquist, he was purchased for Wathnan Racing and his local trainer is Hamad Al-Jehani.

January 16, 2026 GULFSTREAM PARK Case Clay Thoroughbred Management Yearling Purchase, BLACK CHERRY entered this contest with a bullet work to her name in preparation for her debut, and the betting public liked her to the tune of 7-2 odds as the race came off the turf in favor of the Tapeta. Breaking on top to show the way through an opening quarter in :21.77, she was still at the head of affairs as the field swung off the bend for the homeward run. Bracing as challenges arrived on both sides, Black Cherry gamely held on late to win by a neck over a fast-closing Pearl of Pearl.  BLACK CHERRY was a Keeneland September purchase for Wathnan Racing.  Article taken from the TDN

January 10, 2026 GULFSTREAM PARK Case Clay Thoroughbred Management Yearling Purchase, THUNDEROUSLY was the easy winner of his debut at Gulfstream Park. He settled in mid pack and took plenty of dirt to the face before confidently picking off each rival around the turn and then into the stretch, winning by 5 lengths in the 1 1/16th test. Trainer Bill Mott was obviously very impressed, particularly the way Thunderously finished, launching his career around two turns.

Thunderously “had a huge turn of foot,” Mott said in the winner’s circle immediately after the race. “He started kind of early and for him to re-break. . . . He won easier than the other one [Chief Wallabee]. The way he trained, I thought he was more of a two turn horse. THUNDEROUSLY was a Keeneland September purchase for Wathnan Racing. Quotes taken from DRF

January 3, 2026 GULFSTREAM PARK Case Clay Thoroughbred Management Yearling Purchase, COMMANDMENT won the Mucho Macho Man as the 2-1 post time favorite at Gulfstream Park. Splitting rivals at the head of the lane after stalking the pace for much of the 1-mile, $157,500 stakes race for 3-year-olds, the talented colt burst past those rivals to register a widening 6 3/4-length triumph. The margin of victory matched the stakes record set by Itsmyluckyday in 2013 when the race was contested as the Gulfstream Park Derby. Jockey, Irad Ortiz was encouraged by how Commandment performed and how he galloped out after the race. "He has a great mind, so let him be him and when it was time to roll, find some room and let him do the rest," Ortiz said. "He looked really, really good after the race, too. I liked the horse since day one when I rode him going short at Keeneland (when Commandment was fourth). I thought he could go longer. After that, he won and today again, so everything is going the right way. I think he's a cool horse." Commandment was purchased for owner, Wathnan Racing at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is trained by Brad Cox. Adapted from the article by the Bloodhorse Daily (Byron King)