Stroud seeking G1 Spa success with Title Role and Kensington Lane

• Stroud seeking G1 Spa success with Title Role and Kensington Lane
• Original Sin a live chance in G2 Suburban presented by Subourbon Life
• Twenty Six Black in good order for Listed Harvey Pack; Carmensita takes a swing in G1 Belmont Oaks

Will Stroud has made great strides as a horse owner in his brief time in the business, and he will be hoping to secure a Grade 1 double on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course with Title Role in the $750,000 Belmont Derby and Kensington Lane in the $600,000 Belmont Oaks.

The Belmont Derby, a nine-furlong turf route for sophomores, is slated as Race 9 on Saturday’s Independence Day program, which is co-headlined by the Grade 1, $600,000 Belmont Oaks at nine furlongs for sophomore fillies in Race 7. The 11-race card also features the Grade 2, $500,000 Suburban presented by Subourbon Life in Race 8 and the Grade 3, $225,000 Sanford in Race 5. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

The Texas-based Stroud is a prominent private equity businessman via his Stroud Companies. He campaigns horses both individually and often in partnership with Andrew Farm, Mountmellick Farm, For The People Racing and Coolmore.

“I’ve only been in this game four years so to have two Grade 1 runners on the first weekend of the Saratoga meet is special. We’re really excited,” Stroud said. “Horse racing is definitely my passion and it’s great to be able to share it with friends, make new friends, and bring others into racing alongside us. It’s been exciting and hopefully profitable; that’s the name of the game.”

Stroud recently bought into Title Role, who arrives at the Belmont Derby from a 1 1/4-length score in the one-mile Group 2 German 2000 Guineas for Coolmore principals Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor.

Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, the Too Darn Hot colt, out of the Grade 3-winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Valiant Girl, enjoyed a profitable winter in Dubai at Meydan Racecourse where he posted scores at one-mile in both the Jumeirah Guineas Trial in January and the Jumeirah 2000 Guineas in February. Title Role landed a 2 1/2-length fifth in the Group 3 Greenham when cut back to seven furlongs in April at Newbury ahead of his German Guineas coup.

Stroud noted he and Charlie O’Connor, US Director of Sales for Coolmore, had been keeping tabs on Title Role since February.

“When he ran fifth at Newbury, we were a little concerned, but he stepped up in the German Guineas and we’re really excited about him,” Stroud said. “His physical is great, his pedigree is great, and I think his sire will do really well in the U.S. Obviously, the competition he’s been facing is top tier, going against the best of the best in Europe.

“If you look at the head-on view of his starts, he’s lightning – straight ahead, great out of the gate, which is something we look for,” Stroud added.

The Crisfords enjoyed success with Choisya in the U.S. last year, winning the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland in her first stateside start ahead of a pair of top-flight outings at the Spa in the Just a Game [7th] and Diana [4th].

Stroud said he is hopeful that Title Role will enjoy similar first-out success in America.

“I’m cautiously optimistic he will adapt well. The Crisfords have been great to work with,” Stroud said. “We’re probably going to start focusing on the one-mile turf [and longer] races with our program. To have a restricted 3-year-old race like the Belmont Derby is really helpful. We’ll see how he does in this. He’s proven so far at a mile – he’s 3-for-3 at the distance - so we’ll see how he handles the extra furlong, but cautiously optimistic is better than pessimistic.”

Stroud noted that Title Role will stay in the U.S. following the Belmont Derby and will shift to the barn of trainer Brendan Walsh. While no second starts have been circled on the calendar just yet, the Spa does offer the 1 3/16-mile Grade 1, $750,000 Saratoga Derby presented by Qatar Racing for sophomores on August 8.

“Brendan will take over the training after this race at Saratoga,” Stroud said. “We’ll see how the horse does on Saturday and what he might like [to do next]. I think he’s exactly where he needs to be for American racing. The Belmont Derby is a logical step.

“Our goal with him is stallion duty, but we’ve got to walk before we run,” Stroud added. “So, let’s try and get a Belmont Derby win and see where we end up.”

Title Role will exit post nine on Saturday in rein to Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

Stroud will also be represented in the Belmont Oaks by Kensington Lane [post 3, Joel Rosario] for trainer Donnacha O’Brien.

Kensington Lane took down the Group 3 Athasi in May at The Curragh ahead of a fifth-place effort last out in the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas. The well-related Starspangledbanner chestnut’s second dam is Ramruma, winner of the Group 1 Epsom Oaks, Group 1 Irish Oaks and Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks in 1999.

“The Group 3 win in Ireland was a big deal. We’re really excited about her,” said Stroud, who has interest through Medallion Racing, who co-owns with Agave Racing Stable and Evan Trommer.

Phillip Shelton, racing manager for Medallion Racing, told NYRA earlier this week that Kensington Lane will stay in the U.S. following the Belmont Oaks and be transferred to California-based Phil D’Amato with an eye towards Grade 1 races such as the Del Mar Oaks, the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland and the American Oaks at Santa Anita Park.

Stroud’s most recent success came via the sophomore filly Life of Joy - named for Stroud’s wife Joy – winner of the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks in March at its namesake track. Life of Joy missed the Kentucky Oaks through injury.

Campaigned in partnership with Andrew Farm, Mountmellick Farm and Mike Morgan’s For the People Racing Stable, Stroud said the Brad Cox trainee is now retired.

“Mike Morgan has purchased her off of all of us and she’ll become a broodmare,” Stroud said.

Undaunted, Stroud is marching forward with an eye to increasing his racing empire in New York. He is an owner in the stallion Confidence Game, who is standing for a fee of $5,000 at Hidden Lake Farm in Stillwater, N.Y.

Confidence Game [20-3-1-4, $823,962], by Candy Ride, captured the 2023 Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn Park ahead of a 10th-place finish in that year’s Kentucky Derby.

Stroud indicated he is sending as many as seven quality broodmares to the care of Dr. Stowe Burke DVM’s farm in Saratoga Springs to foal out and potentially breed back to Confidence Game.

Part of the impetus is that NYRA is accelerating the implementation of comprehensive purse increases for all New York-bred overnight races. Originally scheduled for January 2027, these purse increases in races restricted to New York-breds will now be fully enacted in September 2026 to coincide with the re-opening of Belmont Park. Throughout the 2026 calendar year, NYRA will increase purses in all New York-bred overnight races for 2-year-olds.

“We love the breeder incentives. The climate in New York is great for racing and Saratoga is my favorite track outside of Kentucky,” Stroud said. “I think it’s a great program and I wish more states would do what New York is doing. I think Saratoga is as good as it gets, and I hope the new Belmont Park will be just as nice.”

Najja Thompson, Executive Director, New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc., said he’s excited to see Stroud making a commitment to New York breeding and racing.

“It is an encouraging example of the confidence that leading owners and breeders continue to place in our program,” Thompson said. ”As more participants choose to invest in New York, it reinforces the strength of our incentives, the quality of our racing, and the long-term opportunities available throughout the state. We are pleased to welcome those who share our vision for the continued growth and success of breeding and racing in the Empire State.”

Among Stroud’s well-bred mares headed to the Empire State is Lewinsky, a sophomore daughter of Tiz the Law out of the Group 3-winning Pivotal mare Entangle, who won 20-of-33 career starts. Lewinsky, a $100,000 purchase from the 2025 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds In Training, is in foal to Golden Pal.

Also headed to New York is Humor Me Baby, who is by Munnings and out of the Colonel John mare Humor Me Colonel – a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Practical Joke, a current Coolmore stallion. Humor Me Baby, a half-sister to stakes-winner Beautiful Empire, was purchased for $300,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. 

“Humor Me Baby is a Munnings that didn’t quite work out as a racehorse, but she’s in foal to Gunite. She’s an April cover,” Stroud said.

All being well, Stroud is hopeful he will have many reasons to visit Saratoga this summer, including with a pair of promising juvenile fillies in Epic Fury and Just Dance.

Epic Fury, by Cyberknife and out of the Bernardini mare Zetta Z, is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-winning multimillionaire Nysos, last year’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile victor and recent winner of the Grade 1 Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap at Saratoga.

She was acquired for $240,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds In Training where she worked in 10 seconds flat. Epic Fury is stabled with Brendan Walsh and has worked extensively over the synthetic track at Turfway Park, including a half-mile work July 1 in 50 flat.

Just Dance, by Triple Crown-winner Justify, was purchased for $230,000 at the same sale as Epic Fury and also breezed in 10 flat. The half-sister to stakes-winner Dance d’Oro is out of the stakes-winning A.P. Indy mare Dance Quietly – a half-sister to 2005 Horse of the Year Saint Liam as well as graded stakes-winners Funtastic, Quiet Giant [the dam of Gun Runner] and Congressionalhonor.

The Eddie Kenneally-trained Just Dance recently worked three-eighths from the gate in 37.80 on June 30 at Keeneland.

With many irons in the fire, Stroud said he is hopeful to cross another life goal off his list this weekend, even though he will be unable to attend in person as he will be in the nation’s capital for America’s 250th birthday celebration.

“I just got back last night from a bachelor party in Budapest, and I was saying to my wife that I’m not going to get a lot of sleep the next couple days,” Stroud said. “Between the jet lag and the excitement of racing, we’ll have our hands full.

“When I got into horse racing, I said, ‘I could die a happy man with a Grade 1 win at Saratoga and a lovely wife.’ Hopefully, that will happen.”

***

Original Sin a live chance in G2 Suburban presented by Subourbon Life

Calumet Farm’s Kentucky homebred Original Sin is tabbed at 10-1 on the morning line and is in good form for Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Suburban presented by Subourbon Life, a 10-furlong route for 4-year-olds and upward, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Brendan Walsh, the 4-year-old Curlin gray enters off a half-length score in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Blame on May 30 at Churchill Downs. There, Original Sin stalked the pace from second-of-7, took over through three-quarters in 1:12.21 and held off Who Dey and returning rival Hit Show in a final time of 1:49.39. 

“This race has been the plan since he won the Blame here. It was always the plan. This horse has been going from strength to strength,” Walsh said. "He’s just turned into a racehorse the last six months. He had every reason to be beaten in the last eighth of the Blame, and he didn’t let any of them get by him.”

In the Blame, Original Sin was making his stakes debut following an optional claiming score going the same distance in April at Keeneland. He is 3-for-4 this year, also winning his 1 1/16-mile seasonal debut in January at Fair Grounds ahead of a sixth over that same course in February, both in allowance-level tilts.

“He’s done nothing wrong. I ran him back too quickly at Fair Grounds the one time he ran a little below par,” said Walsh. “I think if he gets spacing between races, and the further he goes, the better he’ll get. This horse, who knows what he could turn into as he goes a little longer.”

Original Sin showed different tactics when winning at Keeneland, rallying from last-of-7 to score by 2 3/4 lengths and earn a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure, which would put him squarely in the mix for the Suburban.

“It was funny because he didn’t break that day. He was way far back. The time before that at Fair Grounds as well, I thought, ‘is there something up with him?’ I couldn’t find anything,” said Walsh. “Then in the last race he broke really well and we went forward with him, albeit there may not have been as much pace, but it was nice to see that he was able to stay up there and if anything, maybe he hit the front too soon.

“I don’t know that he needs to be that far forward, but Saratoga, you always hope he doesn’t get too far back,” Walsh continued. “I think the track should suit him. Especially with some pace in there, I think he’ll just keep going and going, and run at them at the end.”

Original Sin [post 10, Tyler Gaffalione], out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Beauty and Light, is a half-brother to 17-time Japanese winner Pingxiang, who ran in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar.

“He’s a lovely horse. He’s a beautiful horse with a lovely mind. He’s gotten better and better and better,” Walsh said of Original Sin, who is 8-4-0-2 with $387,735 in earnings.

***

Twenty Six Black in good order for Listed Harvey Pack; Carmensita takes a swing in G1 Belmont Oaks

Roger Cimbora, Jr.’s New York homebred Twenty Six Black has hit the board in 10 of his last 14 starts, and looks for his first open-company stakes victory in Sunday’s Listed $150,000 Harvey Pack, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for older horses, at Saratoga Race Course.

A dual graded stakes-placed son of War Dancer, the 6-year-old Twenty Six Black was last seen finishing a hard-trying fourth in the Grade 1 Jaipur on June 6 here, landing just 1 1/2 lengths back of the victorious Reef Runner after stalking in seventh-of-10 under Manny Franco. The effort was a rare off-the-board result at Saratoga, where he boasts an 8-2-3-1 record.

“The racetrack played against him and the speed was carrying most of the day, but a very honest effort on his part to step up to those horses,” De Paz said. “Every year, we winter him and do the same routine and you wonder how they’ll come back, but every year he seems to improve from the previous year.”

Twenty Six Black posted a 6-2-1-1 campaign last year that was highlighted by a win in the restricted Disco Partner in August over Sunday’s course and distance, which was surrounded by graded placings when second to returning rival Bring Theband Home in the Grade 2 Troy here and third to Alogon in the Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint at Belmont at the Big A. He closed out the year with a one-length score in the state-bred New York Turf Sprint Championship in October there.

This year, the consistent gelding returned in the Listed Elusive Quality on May 2 at Belmont at the Big A, where he tracked in third behind the victorious pacesetter Waralo and squeezed up the rail while in very tight to come up a neck shy. Waralo exited that effort to win the Ashley T. Cole last Saturday at Belmont at the Big A.

“It was kind of a troubled trip and disappointing in the sense that he didn’t win when it looked like he would have been the winner, but it worked out because it gave him the race and we got the information back that he wants to compete as an older horse,” De Paz said. “It wasn’t an all-out effort, so he was able to build into the Jaipur, where he clearly was in good form, and that race didn’t take much out of him. All signs are good right now.”

Out of the First Dude mare Brazo de Oro, Twenty Six Black is a full-brother to A Little At First – who scratched from today’s Listed Saranac here – and a half-brother to stakes-placed Can’t Fool Me, who were all trained by De Paz.

“He’s as honest as they come – that whole family is,” De Paz said. “That’s quite the broodmare that Roger has. Twenty Six Black is on it when he goes over for race time, but other than that he’s a true gentleman to be around.”

Franco returns to the irons from post 4 on Sunday as the morning-line 3-1 favorite.

On Saturday, De Paz will have a chance at a Grade 1 victory with Carmensita, an Argentinian Group 1-placed daughter of Treasure Beach, in the $600,000 Belmont Oaks for sophomore fillies going nine furlongs on the inner turf.

Campaigned by Club Sixty Five Racing, the bay filly – who was foaled in October 2022 in Argentina – has made one start for De Paz since moving from the barn of Nicolas Martin Ferro, who conditioned her to a maiden win in July at Saturday’s distance and a Group 1 placing when a close second in the Enrique Acebal in November.

Last out, Carmensita was third beaten 2 3/4 lengths in a first-level allowance on Belmont Stakes Day June 6 here, rallying from ninth-of-11 and 10 lengths off the pace under returning rider Ricardo Santana, Jr.

“She’s got good form in Argentina and the fillies she ran against there have come back and done well,” De Paz said. “It’s a very ambitious spot, but I really had no excuse training wise – and I was looking for one – to not run in this spot. The tricky part was the allowance races were either going a mile and a half or a mile, so they really didn’t suit her.”

De Paz noted that Carmensita’s last two works over the Belmont Park dirt training track have come in company with multiple stakes-winner Awesome Czech, including a half-mile in 48.88 seconds on June 27.

“She’s doing well and I worked her twice with Awesome Czech, who seems like she is rounding back into form, and her [Carmensita] works were probably better now than they were going into that allowance race,” De Paz said. “We’ve got more to gain than we do to lose – if she hits the board, it’s adds tremendous value to her as a broodmare. We’re excited about it. There’s more pros, and we’ll get a lot of information back.” 

Carmensita has been assigned a field-high 125 pounds as a Southern Hemisphere contender, and will emerge from post 7 in rein to Santana, Jr. [30-1ML].

De Paz noted some of his upcoming stakes contenders at the Spa will include Awesome Czech, who is targeting the restricted Listed $150,000 De La Rose on July 17, and Striker Has Dial, a winner of back-to-back stakes who points to the Grade 2, $250,000 Honorable Miss presented by Mionetto on July 26.