Phipps Stable’s homebred Now and Later is ending a two-month layoff on Friday, June 14th in Race 5 at Churchill Downs. The mile-and-a-half allowance race over the turf is for ages three years and older. Breaking from post 7 in a field of 10, the Candy Ride colt will have Edgar Morales aboard. Post time is 2:45 pm Eastern.

Now and Later broke his maiden three starts back over the turf in July 2023 at Delaware Park, after which he had a seven-month layoff. In his first start of his 4-year-old campaign this February over Turfway Park’s all-weather track, he worked some rust off with an 11th place finish. He significantly moved forward last time out finishing a close fourth over the turf in mid-April at Keeneland and earning a career best 80 Beyer speed figure.

Now and Later is the second foal out of Phipps-bred Arch mare Vagabond and a half-brother of graded stakes-winning mare Surprisingly, by Mastery. Vagabond’s third dam is Phipps foundation mare Our Country Place (a half-sister to champion Sky Beauty), acquired by Ogden Phipps in 1993. This is the family of grade 1 winners Guarana, Pine Island, Pleasant Home, and Point of Entry.

Photo: Now and Later breaking his maiden on July 1, 2023 Delaware Park with jockey Feargal Lynch aboard.

Thoroughbred Daily News-declared “Rising Star” Signator is stepping up in class for the grade 2 Suburban Stakes on Saturday, June 8 at Saratoga. Race 6 on the Belmont Stakes undercard, it will cover a mile and a quarter over the dirt. Signator has the inside post in a field of 8 with Javier Castellano aboard. Post time is 1:51 pm Eastern.

Signator showed promise early on in his career, being declared a “Rising Star” by Thoroughbred Daily News after a dynamic maiden win at Aqueduct in his second juvenile start in October of 2022. Following the win, he had a 10-month layoff and earned two wins among allowance company from six starts as a 3-year-old.

Saturday’s start will be his second graded stakes race. He finishing ninth in the grade 3 Fred W. Hooper in January at Gulfstream Park and then took a 105-day layoff before finishing fourth among allowance company early last month at Aqueduct.

Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, he prepared for the Suburban with a four-furlong breeze over a fast Belmont dirt training track on Sunday, June 2nd in 47.64 seconds, the ninth-fastest of 132 workouts that morning.
By Gainesway Farm stallion Tapit and out of Phipps-bred Seeking the Gold mare Pension, he shares the same sire and female family as superstar sensation Flightline who stands in Kentucky at Lane’s End Farm.

A win by Signator would be the ninth time a Phipps horse has won the Suburban. The impressive list includes Dynamic One (2022, owned in partnership), Easy Goer (1990), Dancing Spree (1989), Personal Flag (1988), Buckpasser (1967), Bold Ruler (1958), Busanda (1951), and Snark (1938).

A $1.7 million purchase from the Eddie Woods Stables consignment at the April 2022 Ocala Breeders’ Sale, Signator is owned in a partnership that includes West Point Thoroughbreds, Inc., Woodford Racing LLC, Gainesway Farm (his breeder), Phipps Stable, Ken Langone, Edward Hudson Jr., Lynne Hudson, and Lane’s End Farm.

Photo: Signator, January 2023

PENTATHLON had a promising 3-year-old debut in the opener on Friday at Saratoga.

Breaking from post № 3 in a 10-horse field with jockey Joel Rosario aboard for the 7-furlong maiden special weight over the dirt, he settled in the two path just off the leader up the backstretch. He then moved to the inside path approaching the far turn and came under coaxing and spun just off the inside into the upper stretch. He kept on under a drive to take show honors.

It was a good effort for Shug McGaughey-trained Speightstown colt who was making his third career start and ending an 8-month layoff.

A sixth-generation Phipps-bred, Pentathlon is from the royal Personal Ensign branch of Phipps foundation mare Dorine (Arg). He is owned in partnership by Phipps Stable, St. Elias Stable and Woodford Racing LLC.

Phipps Stable’s co-owned Perform moved forward on Friday at Saratoga in the second start of his 4-year-old campaign.

With Dylan Davis aboard for the mile-and-a-quarter allowance optional claimer over the dirt, he broke from the 8 hole and bumped with a rival at the start. He settled in on the rail near the back of the field nearing the first turn and remained on the inside up the backstretch. He responded to urging entering in the far turn, picking off foes to hit the top of the stretch on the rail in third. He moved out under a drive, passing another foe to take runner-up honors.

Last time out, he finished third among allowance company at Aqueduct in a race that ended a 10-month layoff. The Good Magic colt won the Frederico Tesio Stakes last year and took sixth in the grade 1 Preakness.

Trained by Shug McGaughey, Perform is owned in partnership by Woodford Racing LLC, Lane’s End Farm, Phipps Stable, Ken Langone, and Edward Hudson, Jr.

Phipps Stable-bred colt Pentathlon is seeking his maiden win on Friday, June 7 in Saratoga Race 1, a seven-furlong maiden special weight on the dirt for ages three years and older.

The Phipps Stable-bred three-year-old colt is ending an eight-month layoff after finishing third at Aqueduct last time out.

He ran a four-furlong bullet on the Belmont dirt training track on May 20 in 47.68 seconds, the fastest of 46 workouts that morning.

In training with Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, he will be ridden by jockey Joel Rosario who was aboard the family’s Kentucky Derby winner Orb.

Breaking from post № 3 in a field of 10, the well-bred Speightstown filly out of Tapit mare Parade is owned in partnership by Phipps Stable, St. Elias Stable and Woodford Racing LLC.

Post time is 12:20 pm Eastern.

Stakes winner Perform is seeking his first win of his 4-year-old campaign on Friday, June 7th in Saratoga Race 2, a $115,000 allowance optional claiming race for ages 3 years and older covering a mile and a quarter over the dirt. The Shug McGaughey trainee will have jockey Dylan Davis aboard, breaking from post № 8 in a field of 9. Post time is 12:53 pm Eastern.

He earned black-type last April by winning the Frederico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park, qualifying him for the grade 1 Preakness Stakes in May in which he finished sixth. He shipped to Saratoga for the summer where he finished a fifth in the Curlin Stakes. After a ten-month layoff, Perform kicked off his 4-year-old campaign on May 19 at Aqueduct, finishing third among allowance company.

By Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms stallion Good Magic and out of Tale of Ekati mare Jane Says, the colt’s granddam is a half-sibling to sires Into Mischief and Mendelssohn and four-time champion Beholder.

Bred by Michael and J.B. Lane Orem, Perform was purchased for $230,000 from the Beau Lane Bloodstock consignment at the Keeneland September 2021 sale. He is owned in partnership by Woodford Racing LLC, Lane’s End Farm, Phipps Stable, Ken Langone, and Edward Hudson, Jr.

After sitting out the year as a three-year old, Phipps Stable’s promising Into Mischief filly Self Confident has rewarded the patience of her connections with an exciting maiden special weight win covering a mile and a sixteenth on the turf at Monmouth on Saturday, May 18th.

Breaking from the outside post in a field of seven, Self Confident raced two wide off of the pace under guiding from jockey Samy Camacho. She stalked in the far turn before rallying three wide into the stretch. She closed steadily in the final furlong before surging approaching the finish to get up and get the win by a head.

The well-bred filly has progressed nicely in her return this year, finishing fourth twice in January and February at Gulfstream, followed by a third-place finish at Tampa in April.

A ninth-generation Phipps homebred, Self Confident is from the Get Lucky branch of La Troienne mare Baby League. The family includes Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and grade 1 winners Bluegrass Cat, Callback, Dance Number, Frost Giant, Girolamo, Got Lucky, Numbered Account, Private Account, Rhythm, and Phipps-bred sires Imagining, Not for Love, and Polish Numbers.

Phipps Stable’s regally-bred Curlin filly Mystifying earned an impressive debut victory at Gulfstream Park on Sunday, January 14th.

She broke from post 4 in a field of 7 with jockey Jose Ortiz aboard for the six-furlong maiden special weight on the dirt. Mystifying dueled from the two path after the start and settled on the rail up the backstretch. After continuing to duel from the rail in the far turn, she took the lead and kicked clear entering the upper stretch. She dug in to fight off a late challenge and crossed the wire for a half-length victory in 1 minute and 11.68 seconds.

A sixth-generation Phipps homebred, the Curlin filly is from the blue-blooded Blitey branch of Phipps foundation mare Lady Pitt, acquired by Ogden Phipps to freshen up his broodmare band in 1969.

Lady Pitt’s descendants include active grade 1-winning sires Flightline, Oscar Performance, and Instilled Regard, as well as nine grade 1-winning Phipps homebreds, including Dancing Forever, Dancing Spree, Fantastic Find, Finder’s Fee, Furlough, Good Reward, Heavenly Prize, Oh What A Windfall, and Persistently.