City of Light

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 Sunday running at Kokura Racecourse: Sunday, February 2, 2025 5th-KOK, ¥11,850,000 ($76k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1200mT FOCUS LIGHT (JPN) (f, 3, City of Light--Zest, by Tapit) was acquired by K I Farm for $420,000 when offered in utero at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale. The...

First let's salute two horses in this category just emerging from surely the most competitive freshman title race ever. The lead changed hands between both, as well as McKinzie (now $75,000), through the final hours of 2024, with VEKOMA ultimately seizing the crown--partly through belated processing of a son in Panama--by $22,939 from McKinzie, with TIZ THE LAW breathing down their necks $9,334 behind. In fact, his "extra" winner gave Vekoma a share of the North American record of 39 first-crop juvenile winners. Admittedly he was working from corresponding volume,...

Since finishing second in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) has undergone what owner Mike Repole described as minor elective surgery on a hind ankle. The news was broken by Dave Grening in the Daily Racing Form on Sunday and reiterated Tuesday by trainer Todd Pletcher at the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program's Global Symposium on Racing, at which Pletcher was a featured speaker. "We had two vets look at him and one guy said you'll just turn him out for 60...

 Battle of Normandy (City of Light) put the final touches on a spectacular Saturday for West Point Thoroughbreds and partners with a stalk-and-pounce success in the GIII River City Stakes as night fell across Churchill Downs on Saturday. The partnership also campaigns Saturday's GIII Hill Prince Stakes runner-up Cugino (Twirling Candy) as well as GII Red Smith Stakes winner Integration (Quality Road). All three West Point gallopers are by Lane's End stallions. While Masteroffoxhounds (War Front) and Hades (Awesome Slew) were off slowly, Wonderful Justice (GB) (Justify) left there cleanly...

Champion juvenile and 'TDN Rising Star' MGISW Fierceness (City of Light) will join the ranks at Ashford Stud upon his retirement from racing, the farm announced via release Sunday. The champion juvenile from 2023 is a leading GI Breeders' Cup Classic contender and will likely be one of the favorites at post-time. Of the others, Coolmore will have two other rooting interests as well with 'TDN Rising Star' GISW Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) and 'TDN Rising Star' MG1SW-Eng City of Troy (Justify) in the race. That group accounts for three...

Repole Stable's Breeders' Cup-bound homebred full-brothers champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) and Mentee (City of Light) turned in workouts on a brisk autumn morning over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track Thursday. Fierceness, who was last seen winning a thrilling renewal of the GI DraftKings Travers Stakes Aug. 24, breezed five furlongs to the outside of the stakes-placed Classic Catch (Classic Empire) in 1:01.69 (1/3). The GI Breeders' Cup Classic will be next for Fierceness. "It was another excellent breeze, pretty much what we've become accustomed to seeing...

5th-Keeneland, $100,000, Msw, 10-17, 2yo, 7f, 1:28.92, ft, 3 lengths. UNCLE JIM (c, 2, City of Light--Now Now, by Tiznow), the 6-5 favorite, was unhurried and rated off the pace while racing along the rail through a quarter in :22.46 and a half in :45.71. Behind a wall of horses as the field bunched up nearing the stretch, the dark bay colt found clear sailing along the rail and closed powerfully to win going away by three lengths. Copp (Blame) was second. Uncle Jim, a $240,000 KEESEP yearling, has a...

It will be a family affair at Del Mar. His older brother may be looking to claim divisional honors on the dirt in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic next month while 2-year-old Mentee (City of Light) is taking a different route to the seaside oval, booking his slot in the gate for the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint with a win in Friday's GIII Futurity Stakes at Aqueduct. A winner by the narrowest of margins, albeit always confidently handled, in his track-record setting Aqueduct debut, the Repole Stables homebred...

TIMONIUM, MD - Despite a smaller catalogue, the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale produced an average and median in line with its 2023 edition Tuesday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. "It was fine. It wasn't exceptional, it wasn't terrible. It was a solid day of work," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. at the close of business Tuesday. "There was significant demand for what were perceived to be the better horses. The lower end, the horses that were either considered conformationally lacking or were lacking in terms of...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - After Filoso (City of Light) won the sixth race Thursday, the celebration was a heady concoction of relief, joy and optimism. The relief followed what at times had been a harrowing trip in the one-mile $100,000 maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds at Saratoga Race Course. Twice, jockey Dylan Davis had to check the colt in traffic yet he managed to stay on course with their rail-hugging journey for a 3 ½-length victory. "It wasn't a pretty trip today," trainer Chad Summers said. "Dylan did a...

However obvious it may now appear that the "real" Fierceness didn't show up for the GIII Holy Bull Stakes back in February, he was keeping tougher company than many assumed at the time. Of the pair, in fact, things went rather more blatantly wrong for Domestic Product, bumped early before wasting energy against a slow pace and coming home wide. Domestic Product still managed to get closer to the winner than did the juvenile champion, and even in scrambling home in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby next time left a...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- It was quiet trackside at Saratoga Race Course Friday morning. Everyone had a day off after the New York Racing Association canceled Friday's card after Thursday's was run. The reason was the havoc expected to blow through the area thanks to the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby. The heavy stuff was predicted to come later in the afternoon. Horses, however, did not get the memo. They still went to work. As did the trainers and exercise riders and grooms and hotwalkers. "No days off," Hall of...