Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners

Trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle a pair of runners in Saturday's GII Fort Lauderdale S. at Gulfstream Park, the local prep for the Jan. 23 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational. Harrell Ventures' Halladay (War Front), winner of the Aug. 22 GI Fourstardave H. set the pace before fading to sixth in the Nov. 7 GI Breeders' Cup Mile last time out. The 4-year-old is three-for-three over the Gulfstream lawn where he won the Tropical Park Derby last December and this year's Sunshine Forever S. Stablemate Largent (Into Mischief) has won...

Vacay dominated in her stakes debut Sunday to become her fast-starting freshman sire (by Giant's Causeway)'s third black-type winner. A 1 3/4-length first up winner in the Belmont slop Oct. 16, she was backed down to favoritism and soon showed why. The dark bay broke with the pack from her outside five post and settled in second last while always off the fence. Scrubbed on to hold her position into the bend, she mounted a wide bid into a :45.89 half and bounded past rivals over the top en route...

3rd-AQU, $80K, 2yo, 8.5fT, 12:50 p.m. ET Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, William Freeman and Michael Valdes's AVIANO (Medaglia d'Oro) debuts for trainer Todd Pletcher, who recorded his 5,000th career victory last weekend and becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2021. Out of graded stakes winner Bryan's Jewel (Rockport Harbor), the April foal realized a $775,000 final bid from Eclipse at last year's Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling sale in Saratoga. Bryan's Jewel, a daughter of $650,000 Fasig-Tipton buy Saphiria (Touch Gold)--trained by Pletcher--is also responsible for a Bodemeister filly ultimately named...

by Dan Ross and Jessica Martini CYPRESS, CA - With numbers predictably down against a backdrop of pandemic and economic uncertainties, a total of 166 yearlings grossed $3,735,700 during the Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings Sale held Monday at Los Alamitos Race Course. The average of $22,504 was down 15.9% from last year's inaugural Fasig California Yearling sale and the median dropped 30.0% to $10,000. "Statistically it was in line with what we've seen at the Kentucky sales and the Ocala sales," Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said at the close of...

7th-Keeneland, $69,943, Msw, 10-17, 2yo, f, 7f, 1:29.66, ft, 1 1/2 lengths. THINKING (f, 2, Nyquist--Critikal Reason {SP}, by Aptitude) was rated a 4-1 chance to improve off a debut sixth to next-out GIII Matron S. victrix Royal Approval (Tiznow) at Kentucky Downs Sept. 9 and made a successful transition to the main track to graduate at second asking Saturday at Keeneland. One of the first into stride from her high draw, Thinking raced in a share of third and three wide down the backstretch before and chased outside dueling...

Valiance, previously a turf specialist who earned her first stakes win in a washed-off event last out, rallied from off the pace to upset the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. Sunday at Keeneland. The win sealed a berth in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff for the gray and capped off a monster weekend at Keeneland for jockey Luis Saez. Beginning her career with three straight turf triumphs last year, including a score in Monmouth's Open Mind S., the $650,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga buy had to be shelved for over 10 months...

Gretzky the Great (Nyquist), who became freshman sire Nyquist (Uncle Mo)'s first stakes winner in August, became his second Grade I winner less than a month later with a victory in Sunday's GI Summer S. at Woodbine. The score in the "Win and You're In" event punched Gretzky the Great's ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and gave Japanese-born jockey Kazushi Kimura his first career Grade I triumph. Unveiled going five furlongs on the local turf July 12, the Ontario-bred was runner-up to re-opposing rival Ready to Repeat...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-BEL, $63K, Msw, 6f, 2yo, f, 1:00 p.m. ET Shadwell Stable's ZAINALARAB (War Front) will get both her racing career and the Belmont fall meet underway Friday when facing five other juvenile fillies in this sprint. Bought for $1 million even at Keeneland September, the bay is the first foal out of GSW Delightful Joy (Tapit), a half-sister to GSW Cali Star (Street Cry {Ire}) and 113 Beyer-earning SW Seymourdini (Bernardini). Trained by Chad Brown, she shows a steady worktab going back to mid-July at...

P. G. JOHNSON S., $93,000, Saratoga, 9-3, 2yo, f, 7f (off turf), 1:21.85, ft. 1--SIMPLY RAVISHING, 122, f, 2, by Laoban 1st Dam: Four Wishes, by More Than Ready 2nd Dam: Emilyna, by Valid Wager 3rd Dam: Piano Affect, by Fappiano ($50,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Harold Lerner LLC, Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek) & Nehoc Stables; B-Meg Levy (NY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek; J-Luis Saez. $55,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $94,600. *First SW for freshman sire (by Uncle Mo). 2--Con Lima, 120, f, 2, Commissioner--Second Street City, by Consolidator. ($15,000...

Gretzky the Great earned the first black-type win for his first-crop sire (by Uncle Mo) as he eventually wore down frontrunner Into the Sunrise to prevail in Woodbine's Soaring Free S. Sunday afternoon. Second to favored Ready to Repeat going five panels over the local lawn July 12, the bay broke through by daylight over a rained-off six furlongs Aug. 2. Away well from the outside five hole, Gretzky the Great skated along out in the clear in second as Into the Sunrise enjoyed a clear lead and Ready to...

Dismissed at odds of 19-1, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Red Lark (Ire) (Epaulette {Aus}) rallied into the stretch and stormed down the center of the track to pull the upset in the GI Del Mar Oaks. California-bred California Kook (Boisterous) came with a barnstorming run from last to round out the exacta ahead of fellow Cal-bred Warren's Showtime (Clubhouse Ride) in third. Red Lark settled slightly worse than centerfield, with cover on the back of Warren's Showtime, as favored Laura's Light (Constitution) set the pace in advance of Parkour (Carpe Diem)....

6th-Woodbine, C$108,646, Msw, 8-2, 2yo, 6f (AWT) (off turf), 1:09.84, ft. GRETZKY THE GREAT (c, 2, Nyquist--Pearl Turn {MSP, $182,560}, by Bernardini), sent off the hot 1-2 choice, jumped out to an early advantage, led through splits of :22.77 and :45.09 and turned on all boosters late, crossing the wire 4 1/2 lengths ahead of Liars Club (Broken Vow). The Ontario bred kicked off his career for Mark Casse with a second-place effort sprinting five panels over the local turf July 12 behind Ready to Repeat (More Than Ready), who...