Nole Ksum Racing Stable

06/01/2026

Natural Beauty '25 Update

Check out an updated conformation shot of your Violence—Natural Beauty yearling filly. We’re very pleased with the progress she’s made physically; she’s improved notably behind, and carries tons of substance/body, particularly for a horse at this stage who has not yet been sales prepped.

As previously mentioned, she’s a candidate for either the Keeneland September sale or Fasig-Tipton October.

06/01/2026

Tiffany's Mo Photos

Enjoy some fresh photos of Tiffany’s Mo at Gainesway Farm. All remains in good order with her pregnancy.

Things will continue to be pretty quiet for her ahead of the Keeneland November sale in the fall, though there’s a strong chance that her Liam’s Map c**t makes an appearance at a yearling sale—most likely Keeneland September—so we’ll have that to follow along with and potentially get another update for her.

Her 2-year-old Epicenter c**t, now named Epic Road, has been breezing along at The Thoroughbred Center, though we admittedly do not have very high expectations for him given his sale price ($9K at KEESEP).

06/01/2026

This Thursday, June 4, Italian Soiree will make her 13th career start when she contests the $250,000 Intercontinental Stakes G2 over 5 ½ furlongs on the turf at Saratoga Race Course.

She breaks from Gate 8 with Dylan Davis in the saddle for trainer Graham Motion in the 8th race (4:27 p.m. ET).

Italian Soiree comes into this race in good order after running on Kentucky Derby Day in the $1M Churchill Distaff Turf Mile G2, where she led the field for the first ¾ mile before fading in the homestretch.

The cut back to 5 ½ furlongs should suit her well, and we can’t wait to watch her at Saratoga during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

05/31/2026

Bacio: Check In

Bacio exited yesterday’s work in good order and is set for his trip across the pond.

05/31/2026

Simply Joking Runs Second in Santa Margarita Stakes G2
On Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita Park, Simply Joking finished second in the $200,000 Santa Margarita Stakes (G2), a 1 1/8-mile dirt test for trainer Michael McCarthy.

👉 Watch the replay of Simply Joking in the Santa Margarita Stakes G2

Breaking alertly from the gate, Simply Joking once again put herself in a familiar position—on the lead. She quickly established command heading into the clubhouse turn, setting an opening quarter in :22.44 while hugging the rail with Seismic Beauty applying pressure to her outside.

Down the backstretch, Simply Joking continued to dictate terms through a strong half-mile in :45.37. Although she appeared comfortable on the front end, Seismic Beauty remained within striking distance throughout, ensuring the pace stayed honest.

Approaching the far turn, jockey Emisael Jaramillo asked Simply Joking for a bit more, and she responded gamely, attempting to put some separation between herself and the rest of the field. Turning for home, she still held the advantage and looked poised for another gate-to-wire victory.

However, Om N Joy began to build momentum from off the pace and unleashed a strong late rally down the center of the track. Despite fighting on bravely, Simply Joking was unable to hold off the closing challenge and finished a solid second. The final time for the race was 1:50.03.

While the result fell just short of another stakes victory, Simply Joking once again demonstrated her speed, toughness, and consistency. She carried her speed a long way while facing pressure throughout much of the race and was only beaten by a rival who enjoyed a favorable closing setup.

Final Thoughts

This was another strong performance from Simply Joking and further evidence that she belongs at the graded stakes level. The early duel with Seismic Beauty likely took a toll in the final furlong, yet she continued to battle all the way to the wire and was clearly second-best on the day.

One of the biggest takeaways from this effort is her consistency. She continues to show up, put herself in the race, and give an honest account of herself every time she steps onto the track. She also appears particularly comfortable in these smaller, compact fields where she can utilize her tactical speed and establish position early.

While a victory would have been the perfect ending, there is very little to criticize about this effort. Simply Joking ran her race, fought hard, and once again proved she can compete with quality company. With her current form, there should be plenty of opportunities ahead this summer.

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05/30/2026

Bacio: Workout

Bacio breezed five furlongs over the Keeneland turf course in 1:01.60 this morning in what is his final breeze Stateside before he ships to England on June 4th. Trainer Wesley Ward was happy with the work and gives his feedback in the video above.

Still photos are courtesy of Aaron Mattice.

05/30/2026

Philippines-Circus Crowd Wins 2026 PHILRACOM Chairman’s Cup I

Always interesting to see the impact of American thoroughbreds around the world.

05/29/2026

Montana Horse Racing Needs Help From Us

It may not sound like a big deal to you…but there will be no thoroughbred racing in Montana this year

05/29/2026

Trust But Verify Update

Trust But Verify received another round of exosomes yesterday and a follow-up exam from Dr. Bramlage.

Dr. Bramlage noted improvement in the tendon—probably more than we might have expected.

The key now is to introduce some stress to stimulate further regrowth of the tendon, so Trust But Verify will start to be turned out next week to get some natural exercise/stress in the field, and he’ll also start jogging on the walker three times a week for the same purpose.

In another month, he’ll get another check to see if the healing has continued and if the tendon has strengthened.

As previously noted, he’s fighting an uphill battle as far as return to training/racing goes, but we did find this latest report from Dr. Bramlage to be fairly encouraging.

Trust But Verify has relocated to Dell Ridge Farm to continue his rehab and will remain there for the time being.

05/29/2026

Woodburn Breeze Report

Woodburn breezed this morning at Ian Brennan Stables, and looked excellent working outside of a mate. He was clearly going much easier of the two and was under a tight hold throughout from his rider.

Our next update will likely be regarding his ship up to Saratoga.