George Weaver Eyes Woody Stephens For Promising Lafayette Winner Colloquial
Trained by George Weaver, the son of his dual Grade 1 winner Vekoma was last seen winning the seven-furlong Lafayette (L) on April 7 at Keeneland. There, he showed a new dimension when setting the pace after two solid efforts from off-the-pace, including an eye-catching local seven-length graduation sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs at second asking that garnered a 106 Beyer Speed Figure.
Advertisement
The 2 1/4-length Lafayette saw him earn an 88 Beyer, the same number he earned on debut last June when a nose second to subsequent graded stakes winner Mentee in a track record-setting performance.
'We've been happy with him,' Weaver said. 'We've been waiting for this race for a long time, and now we're getting close.'
Weaver said the chestnut's versatility is the mark of a top-level horse.
'Good horses are [versatile], and they can adjust to situations,' Weaver said. 'He's talented, so luckily he's good enough to have that versatility. I don't think he's tied to any one way of running. I'm sure this will be a competitive race, but I wouldn't trade places with anybody.'
Advertisement
Colloquial is one of several candidates for Weaver at this year's Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. The veteran conditioner also has Dorth Vader, Sacred Wish, and Soontobeking nominated to races during the five-day Festival.
John Ropes' Grade 2 winner Dorth Vader was a troubled fourth last out in the La Troienne (G1) on May 2 at Churchill Downs, enduring a bumpy trip into the first turn while running in third position under John Velazquez. She went on to finish just 1 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Raging Sea with just a head and three-quarter-lengths separating the minor awards between Taxed, Randomized and Dorth Vader.
Weaver said Dorth Vader is likely being pointed to the $500,000 Ogden Phipps (G1) on June 6, which offers a 'Win and You're In' berth into the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) in November at Del Mar.
'She had horse and was running the whole way, and it was pretty tight in the first turn,' Weaver said. 'She was on the rail and [Randomized] stopped her progress. We're just hoping for a good, clean trip [in the Phipps].'
Advertisement
Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson, Christopher Dunn and Anthony Spinazzola's Grade 1 winner Sacred Wish was a last-out seventh – defeated just 2 1/2-lengths – in the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile on May 3 at Churchill Downs.
The 5-year-old Not This Time mare has been a model of consistency, currently holding a 14-for-20 in-the-money record that includes a Grade 1 triumph in last year's Matriarch at Del Mar, and over $1.1 million in earnings.
Weaver said the dark bay, who worked a half-mile in 51.25 seconds yesterday over the Oklahoma dirt, has been nominated to the Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game on June 5 at the Festival, but he is unsure if that will be her next start.
'We'll see how her next work goes,' Weaver said. 'We're kind of up in the air about her next start.'
Advertisement
Our Blue Streaks Stable and SGV Thoroughbreds' consistent New York homebred Soontobeking is targeting the $200,000 Mike Lee for state-bred sophomores on the June 4 Opening Day of the Festival.
Co-owned by Weaver, the son of King for a Day has put together a respectable 12-3-3-4 record with $363,428 in earnings, led by a stakes triumph in the state-bred Gander on March 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
'We're looking forward to seeing him again,' Weaver said of the colt whose last effort was a runner-up finish in the NYSSS Times Square on April 13 at Aqueduct. 'You appreciate the horses that always show up, and he does. He just overcomes with try.'
Beyond the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, Weaver is eyeing a return next month to Royal Ascot, where he won the Group 2 Queen Mary in 2023 with Crimson Advocate. This year, Weaver is hopeful he'll be represented by two juveniles for owner Dew Sweepers in stakes winner Sandal's Song and maiden-winning New York-bred Tough Critic.
Advertisement
'It's a hard thing to get done,' Weaver said of winning at the prestigious meeting. 'It's hard to win over there, even when you have the right horse – they run big fields, and you have to ship a long ways. It makes it exciting to do it, and hopefully everything goes smoothly and they run their race.'
Sandal's Song looks to follow the path of Crimson Advocate after a stylish debut graduation in the five-furlong Royal Palm Juvenile by 1 1/2 lengths with a stalk-and-pounce trip engineered by Luca Panici. The Mendelssohn chestnut, who was a $75,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, overcame a hop at the start to sit off the pace down the backstretch and responded kindly into the lane to draw off to the victory in a final time of 56.30 seconds.
Weaver said Sandal's Song is likely pointing towards the Norfolk (G2) for juveniles sprinting five furlongs on June 19.
'They've only had that race [the Royal Palm Juvenile] for the last couple of years, and we've been fortunate enough to get horses that have a chance to compete in it,' Weaver said of the race that awarded Sandal's Song a $25,000 equine travel stipend for Royal Ascot.
Advertisement
The New York-bred Tough Critic was also impressive in his debut, taking a 5 1/2-furlong maiden on April 24 at Keeneland by 1 1/4 lengths with a deep-closing trip under Eclipse Award-winning rider Flavien Prat. The $350,000 Keeneland April Horses of Racing Age Sale purchase is by Caravaggio and is out of is out of the Invincible Spirit mare Thatchit, a half-sister to 2009 Norfolk winner Radiohead.
Weaver said Tough Critic is being considered for the six-furlong Coventry (G2) on June 17 or the five-furlong Windsor Castle (L) on June 18.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
12 hours ago
- Associated Press
4 Steps to Budget When Living on Your Own in Lafayette, LA
NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / July 26, 2025 / Living on your own in Lafayette, LA, is a big step - and an exciting one. You get to make your own choices, create your own space and enjoy your independence. But living on your own also means being in charge of your own money, which may be overwhelming at first. Don't worry, you're not alone. Many people in Lafayette are learning how to manage their budgets and take control of their finances for the first time, just like you. And while it may seem challenging some days, the good news is that you could build smart money habits one step at a time. Whether you're paying rent, buying groceries or handling surprise costs, tools like budgeting, saving or looking into loans in Lafayette, LA, could help you stay on track. Keep reading for a few ways to care for your finances while living on your own. 1. Know what's coming in and going out The first step to creating a budget is understanding your income and expenses. Income is how much money you earn each month and expenses are how much you spend. Start by writing down your monthly income. If you get a regular paycheck, list how much money you earn after taxes. If you work different hours each week or have more than one job, try to estimate an average income based on what you've earned in the past few months. Next, write down your regular monthly expenses. These might include: Also, think about any bills that come up less often, like car insurance, which you may pay every six months or annually. Break those less frequent payments into monthly amounts so you don't forget to plan for them. Once you compare the money coming in and going out, you could see if you're spending more than you make or if you have funds left over to save. 2. Choose a budgeting method Choosing a budgeting method that fits your lifestyle may make managing money much easier. Consider the following well-known strategies: 3. Prepare for the unexpected Even if you have a solid plan, life doesn't always go the way you expect. Your car might break down, your pet might need to see a vet or you could lose hours at work. To deal with any unforeseen expenses, it's smart to set up an emergency fund. An emergency fund is money you set aside specifically for unexpected costs. Start small - even saving $20 a week can add up over time. If you don't have enough money saved and something urgent comes up, you might consider a personal loan to help cover car repairs, medical bills or other important expenses. A personal loan is a lump sum of money you borrow from a bank, credit union or other lender. You pay back the loan in fixed monthly installments over a pre-determined amount of time along with interest, which is the cost of borrowing money. Make sure you understand the terms of a loan before you borrow. Look at the interest rate, monthly payment amounts and the time it will take to repay. 4. Make saving a regular habit Saving money doesn't have to be hard. If you treat savings like a regular bill, it might become part of your routine. One simple method is setting up automatic transfers from your checking account to a savings account. Automatic transfers ensure that part of your paycheck gets saved without you even thinking about it. You could also make saving into a game. Set a goal to save $5 every time you skip a coffee or pack lunch instead of going out. Over time, you'll see how small choices could lead to big savings. Build your independence with smart money habits Living on your own comes with new responsibilities, but it also brings freedom and the opportunity to make your own financial choices. When you learn how to budget, save and prepare for the unexpected, you're giving yourself the tools to stay in control of your money - and your future. SPONSORED CONTENT CONTACT: Sonakshi Murze Manager [email protected] SOURCE: OneMain Financial press release
USA Today
2 days ago
- USA Today
Urban Meyer and Mack Brown predict the winner of Ohio State vs. Texas in Week 1
We're a little over a month from the college football season kicking off, and this year it opens with a bang, especially if you are an Ohio State fan, because the Buckeyes host the Texas Longhorns in Week 1. It's a game everyone has been pointing to in the offseason, and for good reason. There's a great chance that it'll be a top-three matchup and a rematch of the classic College Football Playoff semifinal from last season. It's a little too early for us to dissect this thing and provide a prediction, but that has stopped others from weighing in on the game, especially as the season draws nigh. The latest to pontificate on how this one will play out are two guys with ties to each school. On a segment from the Triple Option podcast, former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and former Texas head coach Mack Brown each provided a prediction for the game. To nobody's surprise, really, each went with their rooting interests and allegiances. For Meyer, it boiled down to one player that will be the best on the field. 'They have Jeremiah Smith, the best player in college football, and I don't think it's really that close,' Meyer said on the podcast. 'You can roll up on him, you can double him, and you can slow him down. But you can't stop him. … But they have other weapons. They've recruited so well at the skill positions there.' For Brown, it had more to do with the experience at quarterback and when the game is going to be played that will swing the balance. 'I didn't like that it's the opening game for either team, especially when one loses in the (College Football Playoff) semifinals and one wins the national championship and loses its quarterback,' Brown said. 'We had Louisiana-Lafayette the week before we went to Columbus and to the Shoe (in 2005), so we had a warmup and won 60-3. So we at least had the routine of getting on the bus and getting all of those new players together and Friday before the game and pregame — you're not gonna have that. You have that young quarterback at Ohio State (Julian Sayin), and this is Arch Manning's really big deal and it's gonna be in front of millions of people. 'I like Texas because they've got Arch back and Ohio State's inexperienced at quarterback. And I like the fact that it's at noon for Texas. I played at 8 o'clock at night (in 2005)." Well then, that doesn't give us much insight into this one really, does it? You'd expect both to lean towards their emotions and look for a reason the team they want to win, to do just that. Not to take away from Meyer and Brown, but we'll continue to look at those in the media that don't have some ties to each program to see how they feel. In fact, ESPN's Heather Dinich has also already weighed in with a prediction. Let the countdown continue ... Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
CNBC
4 days ago
- CNBC
Morgan Stanley's highest conviction picks into earnings
Morgan Stanley expects a handful of stocks that are reporting quarterly results soon to see big gains. Second-quarter earnings season has so far impressed Wall Street, even as investors keep an eye on commentary about tariff-related uncertainty and artificial intelligence spending and demand. Of the 88 S & P 500 companies that have reported results, more than 82% have beaten analysts' estimates, according to FactSet data. Analyst Michelle Weaver wrote in a Tuesday note to clients that Morgan Stanley expects a "normal" rate of companies outpacing earnings estimates this season. "Given the downward EPS revisions we saw in April / May and the subsequent recovery in Earnings Revisions Breadth from –25% to ~1% , we expect the index to deliver 2Q beat rates roughly in line with historical averages (4-5%)," Weaver wrote. She added, earnings should be "top-heavy," led by strong year-over-year "Magnificent Seven" net income growth. Below are five of Morgan Stanley's 13 highest conviction plays. These are stocks in which near-term catalysts should drive "a meaningful move" upward, according to the firm. Morgan Stanley views Nvidia as an earnings winner. The firm rates the chipmaking giant overweight with a $170 price target, which implies 1.8% potential upside. "Expect the pace of revenue and EPS to accelerate on the print, as demand remains very strong and NVDA continues to deliver upside on the supply side having resolved issues with rack scale products," the firm said about the stock. Analysts are bullish that Nvidia's revenue growth in the second half of 2025 and 2026 will improve after the company resumes shipments of previously banned H20 chips to China. CVS Health is another name Morgan Stanley likes, with an overweight rating and a price target that implies the stock could gain about 31%. Analyst Erin Wright called CVS a "compelling turnaround story in Managed Care," given its focus on the Medicare Advantage business, which she said has earnings power. "CVS should be a cleaner print in what has been a volatile period for Managed Care, with another 'beat and maintain' or ~in line quarter likely, in our view, offering welcomed relief," Wright said. CVS in the first quarter exceeded estimates and hiked its earnings guidance , but did not provide a revenue forecast given uncertainty with higher medical costs from more Medicare Advantage patients returning to hospitals. CVS 1Y mountain CVS Health performance over the past year. AI data center play Eaton has room for upside, according to analyst Chris Snyder. He views the stock as attractively positioned heading into earnings due to margins in its Electrical Americas business. "We have confidence in both ETNs pricing power & ability to drive volumes higher given company backlog and ongoing capacity adds," the analyst said.
