Catholic Boy

It took the length of the stretch, but Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo--Catch My Drift, by Pioneerof the Nile) closed the gap on the longshot to claim the GII Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct. Bishops Bay is two races shy of enjoying a perfect record this season--that lone off the board finish coming in the GI Forego Stakes Aug. 23 at Saratoga and his lone runner-up effort coming at his '25 opener at Oaklawn Park. He was last seen Nov. 2 winning the GIII Forty Niner Stakes to claim his spot...

Just over 20 minutes had passed when Darren Filkins dislodged the irritant in his craw concerning the future of Harris Farms without its eponymous captain, John, who passed this July. "People were talking dispersal," said Filkins, about Fasig-Tipton's recent digital sale of around 90 Harris homebreds. "I even corrected people yesterday. 'Oh, I heard you're shutting down Harris farms.' 'Nope.' I don't know where they heard it. We're not shutting down Harris Farms. We're committed to being in this." Sitting at a table in Del Mar's backstretch cafeteria and presiding...

John C. Harris, one of California's most respected leaders in agriculture and Thoroughbred breeding, has passed away peacefully at the age of 81. Born July 14, 1943, Harris was a lifelong resident of Fresno County. He attended local elementary and high schools before earning his degree from UC Davis. He proudly served his country in the United States Army. Harris was a passionate farmer, rancher, and businessman who dedicated his life to stewarding the land and advancing California agriculture. As the driving force behind Harris Farms, one of the state's...

When Rashmi (Oscar Performance), the latest ingenue to punctuate a dynasty of George Strawbridge-bred starlets, made short thrift of the latest running of the GIII Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita, her win affirmed the charmed run enjoyed by her trainer, Jonathan Thomas, shows no outward signs of lost momentum. Will Then (War of Will) cruising away with the GIII Jimmy Durante Stakes. Truly Quality (Quality Road) showing rare quality in the GII Hollywood Turf Club Stakes. Mrs. Astor (Lookin At Lucky) doing double Grade III duty in the Red Carpet...

The two-day California Thoroughbred Breeders Association's 2025 Stallion Season Online Auction will start at 8:00 a.m. PT on Monday, Jan. 6, exclusively on www.Salering.net, the organization said in a press release on Friday, Jan. 3. Set to conclude at 8:00 p.m. PT on Tuesday, Jan. 7, the auction features seasons to 29 California stallions, including perennial leading Golden State sire Stay Thirsty. All seasons listed are being sold with no guarantee. The proceeds from the event benefit the CTBA's Political Action Committee Fund, which works in support of legislation to...

Grade I winner Catholic Boy (More Than Ready) has been relocated to California and joined the roster at Harris Farms for the 2025 breeding season, a release announced Monday afternoon. A winner at the highest level on turf and dirt, and only the third American 3-year-old in history to accomplish the feat by winning the GI Travers and GI Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes, he has two crops of racing age with 65% starters, 26% winners, and one stakes winner, El Catolico in Puerto Rico as of Oct. 21. He also...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Saturday running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses. A quartet of American-conceived juveniles running on Sunday at Tokyo will appear in Saturday's paper: Saturday, November 18, 2023 5th-KYO, ¥13,720,000 ($91k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT EVEN NOW (f, 2, Catholic Boy--Evening Call, by Tapit), a $385,000...

War Front (Danzig) will again lead the way at Claiborne Farm among their nine-stallion roster for 2024, with a fee of $100,000, the same price for which he stood in 2023. In 2023, War Front's yearlings sold for up to $800,000, and he is among the top 10 North American-based sires this season by percentage of black-type winners from starters (6.9%), black-type performers from starters (11.8%) and total graded stakes winners (six). War Front's GI Preakness S.-winning son War of Will will stand for $25,000. His first yearlings sold at...

Lady d'Oro (Catholic Boy) is freshman sire Catholic Boy's first winner with her grass victory at Monmouth Park on Sunday afternoon. The filly was 49-1 in her debut when she finished sixth over a sealed track June 16 at the New Jersey track. Still overlooked at the windows at 14-1 here, the bay filly avoided Momma Kim (Noble Mission {GB})'s fall, who stumbled up the backstretch after clipping heels with Gold Alliance (Goldencents), which also caused Bingo's Girl (Yoshida {Jpn}) to go down. Rounding the far turn, Lady d'Oro made...

With the 2-year-old sales season having kicked off and the first 'baby' races of the year ready to get going in a few weeks, laser focus will be placed on the up-and-coming first-crop stallions. Rightfully so, as we all hunt in earnest for the next breakout young sire. Could there possibly be another Gun Runner in the freshman class of 2023? A total of 16 young guns in North America have 50 or more current 2-year-olds resulting from their first covers in 2020. A great many more have fewer than...

Seven juveniles have been supplemented to the Texas Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, adding to an already record-setting number of horses cataloged. HIP 187--a filly by Dialed In who is a half to a stakes winner and from the family of MSW Gray Attempt. Consigned by 1880 Bloodstock. HIP 188--a filly by freshman stallion Catholic Boy who is from the family of MGSW Tax, MGSW Yell, and MGIW Elate. Consigned by 1880 Bloodstock. HIP 189--a filly by Tapwrit who is a half to two winners and from the family of GSW...

International sire War Front leads Claiborne's stallion roster yet again, remaining at a fee of $100,000 for 2023. His son War of Will, whose first weanlings will be on offer at the upcoming breeding stock sales, will stand for $25,000. Champion Blame will have his fee increased for 2023 from $20,000 to $25,000. Fellow Eclipse winner Runhappy's fee also went up from $12,500 to $15,000. GI Met Mile victor Silver State will stand his second season for $20,000. MGISW Catholic Boy's fee was decreased from $20,000 to $15,000 and Demarchelier...