Undefeated Watch: 15 horses have 15 perfect stories

Fifteen active Thoroughbreds led by Silent Rule are on Horse Racing Nation’s list of undefeated horses. That does not mean they are the only ones lacking losses.

To make HRN’s watch list, a horse has to have a minimum three wins in flat races, at least one in a stakes, and must appear in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico records kept by Equibase. All their results must be official wins, of course. A first-place finish that turns into a disqualification is no good for this exercise.

The comings and goings of these horses tell a lot of different stories and different ambitions.

Silent Rule, 10-for-10

From a rehab farm to repeat victories, John and Linda Hoctel’s 4-year-old Street Boss filly has dominated Ohio-breds since her debut last August. After a two-month break, trainer Jay Bernardini brought Silent Rule back Thursday for a 2 3/4-length triumph in the $100,000 Best of Ohio Honey Jay Stakes at Thistledown. As always, she was paired with jockey Brandon Tapara. It was her ninth win going six furlongs and her second facing males. Bernardini said Silent Rule will wheel back Sept. 4 in the $75,000 Michael G. Mackey Memorial Angenora Stakes. The race for Ohio-bred fillies and mares also goes six furlongs at Thistledown.

Moonlit Notion, 6-for-6

After a maiden win and then four more at the allowance level, 3-year-old colt Moonlit Notion graduated to stakes company and won May 10 in the $100,000 Coin Collector Stakes at Charles Town. That has been the scene of all six of his wins. It also is where he was diagnosed with colic. Bred, owned and trained by Tim and Judy Grams, the son of Great Notion has recovered and is back from the farm. Judy Grams said he is just getting back to training for a comeback race which has not been chosen yet.

Carismático, 5-for-5

Racing exclusively at Camarero in his native Puerto Rico, 3-year-old Carismático this year became the 15th horse to win the island’s Triple Crown. The only other horse who did it with an undefeated record was Camarero, for whom the track was named. Carismático graduated from non-descript sprints to route stakes when he won the Derby Puertorriqueño (G1) in May. Then came triumphs in the Copa Gobernador (G1) in June and then last month’s Copa San Juan (G1) to complete the classics sweep. The Maraud colt was claimed for $20,000 out of his six-length debut victory last year. Owned since by the Tony Guzmán stable, Carismático has been paired all year with Camarero’s leading jockey Jorge Vélez. His trainer Jason Lisboa has not publicly declared a next race for him.

Laurelin, 5-for-5

Bred in Ireland, Laurelin is a turf specialist who has risen in the talent-rich ranks of 3-year-old fillies. She does not have a Grade 1 race in her past performances yet, but trainer Graham Motion has her on the verge. Laurelin finished first in the Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G2) last Saturday. Afterward, Motion said the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) on Oct. 11 at Keeneland would be the goal for the daughter of Zarak. He did not know right away whether a race might come in between. Newstead Stables, a relatively new venture owned by Steven and Jessica Jell, bought Laurelin for $169,488 at a yearling sale in Europe.

Cavalieri, 4-for-4

Since she won the Beholder Mile (G1) on March 8, 4-year-old Cavalieri has been out of sight but not out of mind. Trainer Bob Baffert brought the Nyquist filly back from a break for a Monday workout at Del Mar. The 48.8-second, half-mile drill was her first since Juan Hernández rode her to her most recent victory during the Santa Anita winter. “I gave her a break to freshen her,” Baffert said Saturday. “You need fresh horses for the Breeders’ Cup.” The Distaff is the goal, but Baffert did not rule out the possibility of a race in between. Speedway Stables, owned by Peter and Ann Fluor and K.C. Weiner, bought Cavalieri two years ago for $900,000.

Frac Dancer, 4-for-4

Last seen May 25 winning an allowance race at Woodbine, Canada-bred Frac Dancer has not raced or worked since. A synthetic-track, sprint specialist, the 4-year-old Frac Daddy colt defines lightly raced. His two victories as a 2-year-old included the US$111,139 Clarendon at Woodbine. After a winter break, Frac Dancer was victorious in the $104,000 Texas Glitter, which was rained off the turf and onto the Tapeta at Gulfstream Park. That was in March 2024. He missed the next 14 months before trainer and co-owner Mike De Paulo brought him back for that springtime allowance race. Plans for a next race have not been revealed.

Reckless Star, 4-for-4

Four wins in seven weeks have thrust 2-year-old sprinter Reckless Star from the Northern Plains to the ranks of the nation’s undefeated. Not only has she won all her races, the Launch Commander filly has led from gate to wire in each of them. Bred, owned and trained by North Dakota stalwart Scott Horst, she bookended the eight-day June meet at the Billy Decoteau Memorial Racetrack with maiden and state-bred stakes wins. The North Dakota Horse Park’s eight-day July meet arrived 13 days later, and so did Reckless Star victoriously in the track’s Juvenile Sprint stakes. Last out she stretched to 5 1/2 furlongs to win the $18,000 North Dakota Thoroughbred Association Futurity on closing day, lifting her earnings to $24,600. Ricardo Martínez has ridden Reckless Star’s last three races.

With the Angels, 4-for-4

It has been nine months since With the Angels last raced, but she got back to breezing this month. “She had a sub-epiglottis ulcer that took months to heal,” trainer Linda Rice said Sunday. Sold for $350,000 in the spring of 2024, the Omaha Beach filly burst on the scene last August with an 11 1/2-length runaway in a maiden sprint at Saratoga. Rice kept her in state-bred company for wins at Aqueduct in the seven-furlong Joseph A. Gimma, the one-mile Maid of the Mist and the six-furlong Key Cents stakes, all with jockey José Ortiz. And then With the Angels was sidelined. The 3-year-old is owned by Winning Move Stable, John Oxley, Lady Sheila Stable, Rideau Racers and Sanford Robbins.

Chi Chi Time, 3-for-3

Based at Hastings in Vancouver, front-running Chi Chi Time has stayed home for all three of her races. The 3-year-old Finality filly who was privately acquired by Wil - A - Way Farm, Gail Jewsbury and Pat Jarvis broke her maiden in May. Trained by Jarvis, she followed that with a June win in the River Rock Casino Stakes. Stretching to a route of ground for the first time Aug. 4, Chi Chi Time ran away to a six-length win in the US$35,561 British Columbia Cup Handicap going 1 1/16 miles. Jockey Kuri Powell is 4-for-22 at the current Hastings meet. All but one of those wins have come aboard Chi Chi Time.

Disco Time, 3-for-3

Trainer Brad Cox told Daily Racing Form that “a little setback” kept Disco Time from racing Feb. 15 in the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds. It turned out Juddmonte’s homebred colt by Not This Time was off the Kentucky Derby trail. Seven months after Florent Géroux rode him to a deep-closing triumph in the Lecomte (G3), Disco Time is back in training. He has had seven consecutive weekly breezes at Churchill Downs, where he won his first two races last fall. Cox has not said yet which race he would target for Disco Time’s comeback.

Mythical, 3-for-3

Expectations have been lofty for Arindel’s 2-year-old homebred filly by St Patrick’s Day. With Emisael Jaramillo riding her to three gate-to-wire wins including the Tremont Stakes against males, Mythical has put herself in the discussion for a division championship. After winning the 6 1/2-furlong Adirondack (G3) on Aug. 3, trainer Jorge Delgado said he was “most likely, 99%” committed to entering Mythical in the seven-furlong Spinaway (G1) on Aug. 30 at Saratoga. That race is an automatic qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Oct. 31 at Del Mar.

Our Lady, 3-for-3

Bred in Pennsylvania and based in Canada, 3-year-old Our Lady had a homecoming when she won the $75,000 Malvern Rose Stakes as the odds-on favorite July 7 at Presque Isle Downs. Including two races in May at Woodbine, all three of her wins have come in synthetic-track sprints. Unlike her first two starts, Our Lady’s most recent triumph against state-bred rivals came in deep-closing fashion. The $160,000 daughter of Bolt d’Oro is owned by JDLP Holdings and trained by Steven Chircop. Patrick Husbands has ridden all three of Our Lady’s wins.

Sassy C W, 3-for-3

Favored in all three of her short sprints, Chicago-based 2-year-old Sassy C W has yet to fail her backers. She even has a couple stakes on her résumé. The $375,000 Yaupon filly won the $150,000 Astoria during Belmont Stakes week at Saratoga and then the $100,000 Prairie Gold Lassie on July 4 at Prairie Meadows. Owned by Patricia’s Hope and Carolyn Wilson, Sassy C W is trained out of Hawthorne by Larry Rivelli and has been ridden by Jareth Loveberry since her Churchill Downs debut during Kentucky Derby week.

Smarty Hardy, 3-for-3

The latest addition to the watch list came Saturday when 2-year-old gelding Smarty Hardy stretched to six furlongs for his three-length victory as the 4-5 favorite in the $100,000 Prairie Meadows Freshman Stakes. Bred in Nebraska by David Anderson, the son of Stroll made his debut only five weeks ago for owner Donald Hansen. Trainer Todd Jordan paired Smarty Hardy with his daughter Kylee Jordan for wins July 28 in the Iowa Stallion Futurity and Saturday in the Freshman. Smarty Hardy got his first name from his dam Smarty Party and his Eclipse Award-winning damsire Smarty Jones.

Verifire, 3-for-3

Resolute Racing owner John Stewart paid $1 million for this Authentic colt who impressed June 29 by winning the seven-furlong, $250,000 Maxfield Stakes at Churchill Downs. With Flavien Prat riding for Cox, Verifire has won his races by a combined 15 1/2 lengths, all going one turn. The seven-furlong H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) comes next at Saratoga on Saturday. In the meantime Stewart has been welcoming buyers making offers for a minority share of Verifire.