Alex and JoAnn Lieblong

It's been nearly six months since Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's homebred Reef Runner (g, 5, The Big Beast--Paradise Bay, by Blame) has competed on these shores (a win in the Janus Stakes at Gulfstream in December), but he hasn't been idle. He brought a G2 1351 Turf Sprint win home from Saudi Arabia and barely missed the top three in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai. On Saturday at Saratoga, he showed international competition made him razor sharp and ready for the GI Jaipur Stakes on Belmont Stakes Day....

Trainer David Fawkes issued an upbeat report on Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's Reef Runner (The Big Beast) as he continues his preparations for the G1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan Racecourse on Mar. 28. "He's doing excellent," Fawkes said. "Obviously I've got to do a lot by video or telephone, but watching him train, he loves it there and he's doing great." The 5-year-old is taking everything in his stride according to Fawkes in spite of the intermittent military activity taking place around him at the sprawling facility, which is...

9th-Tampa Bay Downs, $32,000, Msw, 12-11, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:24.69, gd, 4 1/4 lengths. INTO AMORE (f, 3, Into Mischief--Embellish the Lace {GISW, $441,540}, by Super Saver) made the trip up off a solid worktab at Palm Beach Downs and was made the 7-5 choice to get her career off to a winning start. Ridden along to take up a chasing role in second down the backstretch beneath Pablo Morales, the homebred was more or less on even terms approaching the stretch and asserted through the final furlong to take...

8th-Gulfstream, $86,940, Alw (NW1X), Opt. Clm ($75,000), 2-7, 3yo, 5fT, :54.64, fm, 3/4 length. REEF RUNNER (c, 3, The Big Beast--Paradise Bay, by Blame) was making his first start on the turf as the 15.90-1 longest shot in a field of seven and outsprinted a luckless 3-5 Valiant Force (Malibu Moon) to upset that one's seasonal debut. Ridden along from fourth by Paco Lopez, with the hot favorite underneath him, the Lieblong homebred was sent along three wide on the turn and had dead aim on pacesetting Esperon (Chitu) as...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL-The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, which had four million-dollar juveniles a year ago, has matched that mark with another day to go as a colt by Good Magic topped Tuesday's trade with a sale co-record final price of $2 million. Bob Baffert, sitting in the press box alongside Donato Lanni while on the phone with Amr Zedan, made the winning bid, which matched the $2-million price tag of Chestertown (Tapit), who sold at the auction in 2019. "It...

Whisper Hill Farm's Mandy Pope had already signed the $5-million ticket for GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) during Fasig-Tipton's Night of the Stars, and she made another high-dollar addition to her world-class broodmare band when spending $2.9 million to secure 2019 GI Frizette S. heroine Wicked Whisper (Liam's Map). Barren to Uncle Mo in her first mating, the half-sister to GSW/MGISP Point of Honor (Curlin) was carrying a first foal by that one's top sire. The Steve Asmussen-trained Wicked Whisper was a $500,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by Alex and...

Wicked Whisper (Liam's Map - Zayanna, by Bernardini) made quite an impression in Saratoga during the summer of 2019 when she cruised to a 6 1/4-length juvenile maiden win and earned 'TDN Rising Star' status. That victory was just the beginning for the striking chestnut, who went on to become a Grade I winner at two and a graded winner at three. Now, she prepares to go through the ring at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale carrying her first foal by Curlin. "Wicked Whisper has every ingredient to be a foundation...

8th-Oaklawn, $84,000, Alw, 1-24, (NW1X), 3yo, f, 6f, 1:11.89, my, 1 1/2 lengths. ABROGATE (f, 3, Outwork--Hot Coffee, by Burning Roma) became the third winner on Oaklawn's Sunday card for her owners, trainer and jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. A six-length debut winner at Churchill Nov. 12, she'd been flattered when the runner-up from that heat returned to take her next two starts and was backed down to 4-5 favoritism facing a promising group. Away well, the dark bay was content to press from second through an opening quarter of :22.78...

8th-Churchill Downs, $87,037, Msw, 11-12, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10.53, ft, 6 lengths. ABROGATE (f, 2, Outwork--Hot Coffee, by Burning Roma) took all the money for her debut Thursday at Churchill, broke on top and never looked back in a sharp victory, becoming the 13th winner for her streaking freshman sire (by Uncle Mo). Showing an upbeat worktab highlighted by a local five-furlong gate breeze in 1:00 2/5 (6/46) Nov. 1, the $270,000 Keeneland September grad was bet hard throughout and kicked smoothly from the stalls as a 3-2 chalk. Quickly...

7th-Oaklawn, $60,000, Msw, 4-11, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.41, ft. EARNER (c, 3, Carpe Diem--Devious d'Oro {SP, $169,047}, by Medaglia d'Oro) was pounded into 4-5 favoritism off a debut second to 'TDN Rising Star' and subsequent Oaklawn allowance scorer Echo Town (Speightstown) in a six-furlong Fair Grounds maiden Jan. 18 and gave trainer Steve Asmussen a rolling personal Pick 3 with a dominating maiden victory Saturday at Oaklawn Park. Drawn outside in gate 11, the chestnut raced three deep around the first turn in the second flight of horses and improved...