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By Christie DeBernardis  The $2.1 million Jane Lyon spent to purchase Littleprincessemma (Yankee Gentleman), who was in foal to young sire Pioneerof the Nile, at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton November sale may have seemed a little steep at the time. However, it proved to be a steal at 6:53 p.m. June 6 when her son American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) captured the GI Belmont S. and in turn became the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years.  "Pioneerof the Nile was still a young stallion, although he had obviously already produced a Grade I winner...

Saturday's GI Stephen Foster H. under the lights at Churchill Downs counts Horses of the Year, Eclipse Award, Breeders' Cup, Dubai World Cup and American Classic winners among its heroes over the last two decades, including Awesome Again, Victory Gallop, Street Cry (Ire), Saint Liam, Curlin, Blame and Fort Larned. But on a handful of occasions, that exclusive fraternity has been raided by horses who, on paper, appeared completely hopeless, yet Colonial Colony ($127.60), Seek Gold ($185.40) and Pool Play ($72.60) have managed to light up the tote.  With just...

Pegram, Watson and Weitman's Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday) kicks off his 4-year-old campaign in Saturday's GII San Pasqual S. at Santa Anita.  The half-brother to MGISW Executiveprivilege (First Samurai), a heart-breaking defection with a foot issue two days before the GI Kentucky Derby, returned from the shelf with a smart second-place finish in a seven-furlong optional claimer here Oct. 29, then secured a very game decision in Churchill's GI Clark H. last time Nov. 28. Last term's GII Rebel S. winner and GI Santa Anita Derby runner-up worked six furlongs in 1:12...

Dual Classic winner and Horse of the Year finalist California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) breezed six furlongs in 1:11.60 at Los Alamitos yesterday in preparation for his 4-year-old debut in Santa Anita's GII San Antonio S. Feb. 7. With blinkers on and regular rider Victor Espinoza aboard, the flashy chestnut doled out splits of :23 1/5, :47 2/5 and :59 1/5. Trainer Art Sherman's son and assistant Alan Sherman described the work as "outstanding." The GI Hollywood Derby hero's next work will be pushed back to Monday, Jan. 19 due to the Jan....

Recently retired 5-year-old Premier Steps (Ire) (Footstepsinsand {GB}) provided the first major jolt to the Keeneland sales pavilion Monday morning as Japan's Shadai Farm saw off all challengers to secure the broodmare prospect for $400,000. Craig and Holly Bandoroff's Denali Stud, Agent II consigned the bay as hip 39.  Trained in Europe as a juvenile by Tom Dascombe, Premier Steps was third in Royal Ascot's G3 Albany S. and finished a dead-heat second, beaten just a neck, in Deauville's G3 Prix du Calvados-Haras des Capucines. Transferred to Chad Brown after being purchased privately,...

A number of Todd Pletcher's top 3-year-old worked at Palm Beach Downs over the weekend. Both  GI Champagne S. winner Daredevil (More Than Ready) and GI Breeders' Futurity victor Carpe Diem (Giant's Causeway) fired bullets with Daredevil completing five panels in :59.64 on Sunday and Carpe Diem going that same distance in :59.42 Saturday. "They're both training exceptionally well," Pletcher said. "Carpe Diem's breeze yesterday was very impressive. He came out of it well, and we're planning to go in the [GII] Tampa Bay Derby [Mar. 7] with him. I thought Daredevil worked extremely...

GULFSTREAM PARK TURF H.-GI, $300,000, GPX, 2-7, 4yo/up, 1 1/8mT, 1:47 1/5, fm.  1--MSHAWISH, 118, h, 5, by Medaglia d'Oro       1st Dam: Thunder Bayou, by Thunder Gulch       2nd Dam: Bayou Storm, by Storm Cat       3rd Dam: At the Half, by Seeking the Gold  ($25,000 wnlg '10 KEENOV; $10,000 yrl '11  KEESEP; €170,000 2yo '12 ARQMAY). O-Al Shaqab  Racing; B-OTIF 2007 (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher;  J-Javier Castellano. $178,560. Lifetime Record:  GSW-UAE, SW & GSP-Fr& UAE, 17-6-2-2,  $1,055,155. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the  eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.  Click for the brisnet.com chart, the brisnet.com...

Today's G3 Al Shindagha Sprint features the 2012 and 2013 winners of the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, and it is the 2013 winner Reynaldothewizard (Speightstown) who gets the morning line nod at 8-5 off a decisive score in the Listed Dubawi S. Jan. 15. The veteran 9-year-old last year failed to hit the heights that saw him go three-for-three through the carnival, but his first-up score in the Dubawi over this track-and-trip indicated he is firmly back on track and ready to shoot for a second Shaheen. The 2012 winner, Krypton Factor (GB) (Kyllachy...

Australian trainer Darren Smith, who has been stood down from racing by stewards since May, has been charged with 20 cobalt positives. The charges encompass raceday samples from 17 different runners from Apr. 29 to Dec. 4, 2014. One of those runners, the 3-year-old filly Nisroc (Aus), was also found to have cobalt in her system during an out-of-competition check at Smith's Newcastle stable in May. Nisroc was one of 11 winners that tested positive for cobalt under Smith's care during that time period, and that group also included the...

Zayat Stables' El Kabeir (Scat Daddy) will now be aimed at the Apr. 4 GI Twinspires.com Wood Memorial after exiting his win in Saturday's GIII Gotham S. in fine shape. “He ate up well last night and looked great this morning,” said trainer John Terranova. “He's happy, sound, and was excited to see everybody [today]. All looks well.” Terranova was pleased to see El Kabeir settle off the pace Saturday. “I was very impressed, visually,” Terranova said of the Gotham. “The way the race unfolded, he showed a whole new dimension. A...

David Howman, who has served as director general of the World Anti-Doping Agency since 2003, will share insights on the creation of the World Anti-Doping Code and the organization's successful efforts in bringing international consistency to anti-doping policies and regulations when he addresses Thoroughbred racing delegates from all over the world at the Pan Am Conference in New York City Friday, June 5.  The Jockey Club and the Latin American Racing Channel are co-hosting the conference. It begins Wednesday, June 3, 2015, and concludes Saturday, June 6, with the running...

Steve Sherack & Brian DiDonato will make $100 win/place bets on 20 Kentucky Derby preps. The handicapper with the highest total at the end wins. (For the BetAmerica sign-up bonus, click here). SS: Last Week - Well, we're both still showing a profit, but not by much after hitting a bit of a cold spell. Classy Class gave me the best run of my three selections last weekend in the Gotham, but hung a bit late to just get tagged for second after awaiting racing room in the stretch. Danzig Moon, meanwhile, never put in a serious rally to...