In an exhibition of pure sprinting prowess, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum's Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) brought all his power to bear on his rivals on Friday to register back-to-back successes in Goodwood's G2 King George Qatar S. Despite the contrasting ground conditions to the easy turf he encountered 12 months ago and the obvious questions posed by defeat in the June 19 G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, the bay attracted heavy support as the 8-11 favourite and was in front before he had raced two...
The 17th edition of the Claiming Crown, held Saturday at Gulfstream Park, generated total handle of $10,118,000--up 0.57% from 2014 despite rainy conditions which caused four races to be taken off the turf. Gulfstream was hosting the event for the fourth year. "We're extremely pleased with the success of Saturday's Claiming Crown," said P.J. Campo, General Manager of Gulfstream Park and Vice President of Racing for The Stronach Group. "We had big fields and tremendous participation from horsemen throughout North America. We're confident the numbers would have been even more...
by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL - With one more million-dollar juvenile bringing its three-day total to a record-tying seven, the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training concluded Thursday with its highest-ever gross and increases in both average and median from a year ago. "Gratified, pleased and happy for the consignors," OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski said of the auction's record-setting results. The consignors bring the horses and the quality of the horses that they bring is what brings the prices. So I...
by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL - Brisk trade continued from start to finish of the second session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training Wednesday in Central Florida and the day concluded with figures well ahead of the auction's 2025 renewal. The session was topped by a filly by Nyquist who sold for $2 million to Boyd Racing from the Wavertree Stables consignment. Through two sessions of the three-day sale, 295 horses have sold for $51,336,500. After two sessions in 2025, 269...
by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL - With brisk activity at the top of the market, the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training opened Tuesday with a lively day of trade topped by a $1.35-million son of Corniche. The colt was one of three to bring seven figures during the session. The entire 2025 March sale produced seven million-dollar juveniles. "Certainly an excellent day," said OBS president Tom Ventura. "We had a lot of activity in the barns during the week and expected that...
After burning up the track all last week during the under-tack shows, a colt by first-crop stallion Drain the Clock (hip 132) was the first for his sire to breach the seven-figure mark Tuesday at OBS March, selling to Pedro Lanz for $1.1-million. Lanz was bidding on behalf of the Saudi-based KAS Stable and said the colt would stay in the U.S. and be trained by Brad Cox. "They are athletes. Incredible athletes," Lanz said of the juveniles he has seen by Gainesway's Drain the Clock. When you see them,...
An already standout week for Gainesway stallion Drain the Clock finished on a high note Saturday when a chestnut colt (hip 748) by the first-season stallion consigned by Doble J Equine Sales became the second horse by the sire to equal the OBS track record this week, breezed a quarter-mile in :20 1/5 during the final day of under-tack shows. Out of the Exhi mare Exsqueeze Me, an OBS graduate who is a half sister to GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Wavell Avenue (Harlington), the colt made...
A pair of juveniles from the Top Line Sales consignment led the penultimate OBS March under-tack show session Friday with a Drain the Clock filly (hip 508) and a Golden Pal colt (hip 598) sharing the co-fastest furlong breeze in :9 3/5. Setting the mark first of the two, the day's fastest-working colt was one that Top Line's Jimbo Gladwell admitted they stretched on to acquire for $275,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Select Yearling Sale last August. "He had size and a beautiful walk [at Saratoga]," Gladwell said....
A filly by Nyquist and colt by Yaupon realized the co-fastest eighth in :9 3/5 on Day 2 of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March 2-year-old in Training Sale's under-tack show on Thursday. Offered as Hip 391, the day's fastest-working colt is out of unraced Stand Back (Giant's Causeway), the dam of Grade II winner Step Forward (Speightstown). The Florida-bred hails from the family of Grade I winners Cavorting (Bernardini) and Clairiere (Curlin). He is consigned by Raul and Martha Reyes' Kings Equine. "I expected something good, but we never...