American Stakes

Taj Mahal earned his way into the $2 million Preakness Stakes (G1), the second jewel of the Triple Crown, with a dominant performance April 18 in the $150,000 Federico Tesio Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles at Laurel Park.

Almendares scores a neck over Genius Jimmy in the April 18 American Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park.

Burnham Square scores in the Elkhorn Stakes (G2T) April 18 at Keeneland. The 4-year-old son of Liam’s Map, who was last year’s winner of the Blue Grass Stakes (G1), is now a graded stakes winner on turf and dirt.

White Abarrio upsets the reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty and 2025 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Journalism in the April 18 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) at Oaklawn Park.

Despite most of the attention on Sovereignty April 18, Bill Mott’s barn fires in the $350,000 Ben Ali Stakes (G3) as Stars and Stripes and Batten Down complete the exacta at Keeneland.

Three Chimneys Farm’s Ottinho, runner-up to Further Ado in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1), will bypass the Kentucky Derby (G1) in favor of a start in either the Preakness Stakes (G1) or Peter Pan Stakes (G3), trainer Chad Brown said April 18.

Florida Derby (G1) runner-up The Puma and Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) winner Albus were among the Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders who breezed across the country April 18, two weeks out from the May 2 1 1/4-mile classic.

Grand National hero Noble Yeats has died at the age of 11 after suffering from colic, shortly after the fourth anniversary of his Aintree triumph for the Waley-Cohen family and trainer Emmet Mullins.

The Inglis HTBA Australia Yearling Sale this April 19 provides a proven opportunity to buy bargain-priced colts and fillies now that the big players have already done their shopping at the majors.