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Well-Meant Demian Becomes Flightline’s First Winner at Tokyo

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Naohiro Sakakuchi’s Demian (c, 2, Flightline–Mira Alta, by Curlin) was produced by the visiting Damian Lane with a bit less than a furlong to race and quickened up nicely to become the first winner from the much-anticipated initial crop of his freshman sire (by Tapit) in Saturday’s sixth race for unraced 2-year-olds going 1400 meters on the turf at Tokyo Racecourse.

Favored at odds-on in ante-post wagering, the $1.7-million Keeneland September acquisition was ultimately away as the 19-10 second pick, but jumped only fairly and raced near the back of a compact group early on before improving into midfield for the run around the turn.

Traveling in hand and with cover turning into the long straight, Demian was asked to take a gap between horses about 300 meters from home, did so professionally and surged past longtime leader Desert Spirit (Jpn) (Isla Bonita {Jpn}) inside the final 100 meters, edging away to graduate by 1 1/4 lengths. He covered his final three furlongs in a race-fastest :33.6.

Breeder Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds purchased the colt’s dam Mira Alta for $200,000 in foal to Awesome Again at the 2015 Keeneland November Sale and that produce became Wicked Awesome, a stakes winer and Grade III placed on the Maryland circuit.

The mare’s foal of 2018 was the Todd Pletcher-trained Promise Keeper (Constitution), who validated 3-2 favoritism in the 2021 GIII Peter Pan Stakes for a partnership including Woodford Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm and Rock Ridge Racing. Mira Alta is also responsible for GSP War Stopper (Declaration of War) and her youngest produce include a yearling full-sister to Demian and a colt by Nyquist foaled this past Mar. 5.

Demian’s stakes-winning and Grade III-placed second dam Zenith (Roy) accounted for six winners from nine to race, including Great Hunter (Aptitude), winner of the 2006 GI Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity and third to Street Sense in that year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Zenith’s unraced daughter Aspen Light (Bernardini) is the dam of MGSW and GI Preakness Stakes third Owendale (Into Mischief) and his ‘TDN Rising Star’ presented by Hagyard full-sister Shred the Gnar, recent winner of the GI La Troienne Stakes.

The racetrack exploits of Flightline need little recounting. Bred by Jane Lyon’s Summer Wind Equine, Flightline was a $1-million purchase as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga and won his first three starts by a combined 37 1/2 lengths, including a 11 1/2-length romp in the seven-furlong GI Malibu Stakes.

He returned for an additional trio of starts as a 4-year-old for trainer John Sadler, taking the GI Metropolitan Handicap by a half-dozen lengths, the GI Pacific Classic by an eye-watering 19 1/4-length margin and the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic by better than eight lengths en route to Horse of the Year and champion older dirt male honors. Lyon retained a stake in his racing career and was joined in the ownership group by Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing.

Flightline‘s first starter, Greenwell, was a promising runner-up in a five-furlong maiden at Churchill Downs on June 12 and he will have his third runner overall in the form of Flying Dutchmen homebred filly House Boat Party in a five-furlong contest Saturday afternoon.

Flightline is the sire of 124 registered 2-year-olds from his first crop and stood for $125,000 in his fourth year at stud at Lane’s End in 2026.

6th-Tokyo, ¥14,880,000 ($92,866), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400mT, 1:22.8, gd/fm.
DEMIAN (c, 2, Flightline–Mira Alta, by Curlin) Sales history: $1,700,000 Ylg ’25 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $48,680.
O-Naohiro Sakaguchi; B-Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Makoto Saito. VIDEO (#6)

2c DEMIAN (Flightline x Mira Alta (Curlin)) win the 2yo 1400m Newcomers (debut race) at Tokyo

Ridden by Damian ( not Demian) Lane

First winner as sire for the great FLIGHTLINE comes on Turf pic.twitter.com/fnI2NcN1yq

— Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) June 13, 2026

Hip 45, a Flightline colt out of Mira Alta from @WarrendaleSales, soars to $1.7M at #KeeSept – purchased by Naohiro Sakaguchi! pic.twitter.com/HPKVaJpCcq

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) September 8, 2025

The post Well-Meant Demian Becomes Flightline’s First Winner at Tokyo appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Kennyten A First ‘TDN Rising Star’ For Drain The Clock

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A pair of OBS March graduates lined up side by side in the gate at Santa Anita Friday but it was the longer shot of the two, 8-1 third choice Kennyten (Drain the Clock), who earned his diploma en route to becoming his freshman sire’s (by Maclean’s Music) second winner and first ‘TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard’.

Bred in Kentucky by Nicholas Lotz and just a $20,000 Keeneland September yearling, Kennyten impressed in Florida earlier this year, selling to Holly and David Wilson for $140,000 after breezing his furlong in :10.

Drawn outside his main rival, he had a naturally faster gear away from the gate, out-sprinting the 1-5 favorite and $850,000 OBS March purchase for Zedan Racing Stables Nayar (Tiz the Law) to secure early position on the lead.

Once clear on the rail under jockey Ricardo Gonzalez, Kennyten set the cruise control and dared the three rivals closest to him to try and keep up. Calumet Farm runner Billy Goat (Vekoma) managed to stay alongside past the quarter pole and Nayar tipped out from third to try his luck but both runners failed to make an impact as Kennyten ran these colts off their feet through the final sixteenth, winning stylishly by 7 1/2 lengths while Gonzalez hardly drew his stick.

Nayar was a clear second and a further 6 1/2-lengths ahead of Boss Man Bolt (Bolt d’Oro) who came from last to finish third.

“We knew he was fast, didn’t [know] if he was fit enough,” trainer Vladimir Cerin told the TDN. “I was wrong! Michael McCarthy bought him for Holly and David Wilson. Michael has become such a force in thoroughbred racing, not only as a future Hall of Famer but also as someone who can buy yearlings, 2-year-olds and older horses with great success.”

Bred in Kentucky by Nicholas Lotz, Kennyten is the second to the races and first winner for his Goldencents first dam. Lotz bought into the family via second dam Marianka whom he purchased for $11,000 at the 2011 Keeneland November Sale. Kennyten’s dam is a half-sister to a pair of graded stakes winners such in Matt’s Broken Vow (Broken Vow) and High Button Shoes (Carson City). Fairywren produced a filly by Jack Christopher last year and was covered by Complexity for 2026 but has yet to report a foal.

4th-Santa Anita, $65,000, Msw, 6-12, 2yo, 5f, :56.99, ft, 7 1/2 lengths.
KENNYTEN, c, 2, Drain the Clock
            1st Dam: Fairywren, by Goldencents
            2nd Dam: Marianka, by Ascot Knight
            3rd Dam: Unforgetable You, by Vice Regent
Sales History: $20,000 Ylg ’25 KEESEP; $140,000 2yo ’26 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $39,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart and VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.

O-Holly and David Wilson; B-Nicholas M. Lotz (KY); T-Vladimir Cerin.

KENNYTEN ($18.80) looked like an absolute monster in the 4th at @SantaAnitaPark! What a debut for the son of @Gainesway‘s freshman stallion Drain The Clock. Vladimir Cerin conditions the 2YO and @RickyGonzalez10 was up! pic.twitter.com/8jBdOyYRJ4

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) June 12, 2026

The post Kennyten A First ‘TDN Rising Star’ For Drain The Clock appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Well-Meant Demian Becomes Flightline’s First Winner at Tokyo

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Naohiro Sakakuchi’s Demian (c, 2, Flightline–Mira Alta, by Curlin) was produced by the visiting Damian Lane with a bit less than a furlong to race and quickened up nicely to become the first winner from the much-anticipated initial crop of his freshman sire (by Tapit) in Saturday’s sixth race for unraced 2-year-olds going 1400 meters on the turf at Tokyo Racecourse.

Favored at odds-on in ante-post wagering, the $1.7-million Keeneland September acquisition was ultimately away as the 19-10 second pick, but jumped only fairly and raced near the back of a compact group early on before improving into midfield for the run around the turn.

Traveling in hand and with cover turning into the long straight, Demian was asked to take a gap between horses about 300 meters from home, did so professionally and surged past longtime leader Desert Spirit (Jpn) (Isla Bonita {Jpn}) inside the final 100 meters, edging away to graduate by 1 1/4 lengths. He covered his final three furlongs in a race-fastest :33.6.

Breeder Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds purchased the colt’s dam Mira Alta for $200,000 in foal to Awesome Again at the 2015 Keeneland November Sale and that produce became Wicked Awesome, a stakes winer and Grade III placed on the Maryland circuit.

The mare’s foal of 2018 was the Todd Pletcher-trained Promise Keeper (Constitution), who validated 3-2 favoritism in the 2021 GIII Peter Pan Stakes for a partnership including Woodford Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm and Rock Ridge Racing. Mira Alta is also responsible for GSP War Stopper (Declaration of War) and her youngest produce include a yearling full-sister to Demian and a colt by Nyquist foaled this past Mar. 5.

Demian’s stakes-winning and Grade III-placed second dam Zenith (Roy) accounted for six winners from nine to race, including Great Hunter (Aptitude), winner of the 2006 GI Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity and third to Street Sense in that year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Zenith’s unraced daughter Aspen Light (Bernardini) is the dam of MGSW and GI Preakness Stakes third Owendale (Into Mischief) and his ‘TDN Rising Star’ presented by Hagyard full-sister Shred the Gnar, recent winner of the GI La Troienne Stakes.

The racetrack exploits of Flightline need little recounting. Bred by Jane Lyon’s Summer Wind Equine, Flightline was a $1-million purchase as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga and won his first three starts by a combined 37 1/2 lengths, including a 11 1/2-length romp in the seven-furlong GI Malibu Stakes.

He returned for an additional trio of starts as a 4-year-old for trainer John Sadler, taking the GI Metropolitan Handicap by a half-dozen lengths, the GI Pacific Classic by an eye-watering 19 1/4-length margin and the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic by better than eight lengths en route to Horse of the Year and champion older dirt male honors. Lyon retained a stake in his racing career and was joined in the ownership group by Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing.

Flightline‘s first starter, Greenwell, was a promising runner-up in a five-furlong maiden at Churchill Downs on June 12 and he will have his third runner overall in the form of Flying Dutchmen homebred filly House Boat Party in a five-furlong contest Saturday afternoon.

Flightline is the sire of 124 registered 2-year-olds from his first crop and stood for $125,000 in his fourth year at stud at Lane’s End in 2026.

6th-Tokyo, ¥14,880,000 ($92,866), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400mT, 1:22.8, gd/fm.
DEMIAN (c, 2, Flightline–Mira Alta, by Curlin) Sales history: $1,700,000 Ylg ’25 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $48,680.
O-Naohiro Sakaguchi; B-Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Makoto Saito. VIDEO (#6)

2c DEMIAN (Flightline x Mira Alta (Curlin)) win the 2yo 1400m Newcomers (debut race) at Tokyo

Ridden by Damian ( not Demian) Lane

First winner as sire for the great FLIGHTLINE comes on Turf pic.twitter.com/fnI2NcN1yq

— Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) June 13, 2026

Hip 45, a Flightline colt out of Mira Alta from @WarrendaleSales, soars to $1.7M at #KeeSept – purchased by Naohiro Sakaguchi! pic.twitter.com/HPKVaJpCcq

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) September 8, 2025

The post Well-Meant Demian Becomes Flightline’s First Winner at Tokyo appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Kennyten A First ‘TDN Rising Star’ For Drain The Clock

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A pair of OBS March graduates lined up side by side in the gate at Santa Anita Friday but it was the longer shot of the two, 8-1 third choice Kennyten (Drain the Clock), who earned his diploma en route to becoming his freshman sire’s (by Maclean’s Music) second winner and first ‘TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard’.

Bred in Kentucky by Nicholas Lotz and just a $20,000 Keeneland September yearling, Kennyten impressed in Florida earlier this year, selling to Holly and David Wilson for $140,000 after breezing his furlong in :10.

Drawn outside his main rival, he had a naturally faster gear away from the gate, out-sprinting the 1-5 favorite and $850,000 OBS March purchase for Zedan Racing Stables Nayar (Tiz the Law) to secure early position on the lead.

Once clear on the rail under jockey Ricardo Gonzalez, Kennyten set the cruise control and dared the three rivals closest to him to try and keep up. Calumet Farm runner Billy Goat (Vekoma) managed to stay alongside past the quarter pole and Nayar tipped out from third to try his luck but both runners failed to make an impact as Kennyten ran these colts off their feet through the final sixteenth, winning stylishly by 7 1/2 lengths while Gonzalez hardly drew his stick.

Nayar was a clear second and a further 6 1/2-lengths ahead of Boss Man Bolt (Bolt d’Oro) who came from last to finish third.

“We knew he was fast, didn’t [know] if he was fit enough,” trainer Vladimir Cerin told the TDN. “I was wrong! Michael McCarthy bought him for Holly and David Wilson. Michael has become such a force in thoroughbred racing, not only as a future Hall of Famer but also as someone who can buy yearlings, 2-year-olds and older horses with great success.”

Bred in Kentucky by Nicholas Lotz, Kennyten is the second to the races and first winner for his Goldencents first dam. Lotz bought into the family via second dam Marianka whom he purchased for $11,000 at the 2011 Keeneland November Sale. Kennyten’s dam is a half-sister to a pair of graded stakes winners such in Matt’s Broken Vow (Broken Vow) and High Button Shoes (Carson City). Fairywren produced a filly by Jack Christopher last year and was covered by Complexity for 2026 but has yet to report a foal.

4th-Santa Anita, $65,000, Msw, 6-12, 2yo, 5f, :56.99, ft, 7 1/2 lengths.
KENNYTEN, c, 2, Drain the Clock
            1st Dam: Fairywren, by Goldencents
            2nd Dam: Marianka, by Ascot Knight
            3rd Dam: Unforgetable You, by Vice Regent
Sales History: $20,000 Ylg ’25 KEESEP; $140,000 2yo ’26 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $39,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart and VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.

O-Holly and David Wilson; B-Nicholas M. Lotz (KY); T-Vladimir Cerin.

KENNYTEN ($18.80) looked like an absolute monster in the 4th at @SantaAnitaPark! What a debut for the son of @Gainesway‘s freshman stallion Drain The Clock. Vladimir Cerin conditions the 2YO and @RickyGonzalez10 was up! pic.twitter.com/8jBdOyYRJ4

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) June 12, 2026

The post Kennyten A First ‘TDN Rising Star’ For Drain The Clock appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.