Fasig-Tipton Saratoga

The last few years of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale have been very profitable ones for Bobby Flay's boutique breeding operation. In 2019, he topped the sale with First Captain (Curlin) out of his homebred mare America (A.P. Indy). In 2021, his Uncle Mo--Dame Dorothy colt brought $1.6 million, the second-highest price of the week. In 2022, First Captain's full-sister was the top filly at $2,000,000, and the second-highest price overall. And it's no wonder: Flay admitted that he targets the sale, and calls the experience "one of my favorite...

The one thing trainer Tom Amoss knew about his starter in Sunday's sixth race at Saratoga was that if she got into a fight in the stretch she would be able to handle it. That proved to be the case in the 6 1/2-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies. Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Alys Beach (Omaha Beach) scored a game win, out-battling the Todd Pletcher-trained Life Talk (Gun Runner) to win by a head. "On the track, she showed her competitiveness in practice," Amoss said. "She needed that today." Amoss has...

1st-SAR, $136k, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, post time: 1:10 p.m. ET His full-brother Mage is about three hours south at Monmouth Park to contest Saturday's GI TVG.com Haskell S., but DORNOCH (Good Magic) could still represent the family should the Saratoga opener be transferred to the main track. Whereas Mage cost $235,000 at Keeneland September in 2021 (before fetching $290,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale last year), Dornoch was a $325,000 acquisition in Lexington. The pair's dam SW & GSP Puca (Big Brown), a 'TDN Rising Star' and also responsible...

11th-CD, $120K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 5:58 p.m. Consigned by Denali Stud at the '21 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling sale, CUSP (City of Light) went to OXO Equine for $725,000. Trained by Paulo Lobo, the bay colt's dam Swingit (Victory Gallop) also produced MGSW Travel Column (Frosted) and MGISP Neolithic (Harlan's Holiday). He lines up opposite the widely-drawn WinStar homebred and Brad Cox trainee Paddington (Curlin), whose GISP dam Sea Island (Pulpit)--out of GISP Resort (Pleasant Colony)--counts GII Peter Pan S. hero Sightseeing as a full-brother. TJCIS PPS 5th-BEL, $90K, Msw,...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. A little racing experience may be, ahem, just what Ocasek (c, 3, Candy Ride {Arg}--Shananies Song, by Eltish) needed. Carrying the name of Ric Ocasek, the late frontman for The Cars, the Spendthrift Farm colorbearer wasn't off to the sharpest of beginnings from his rail draw and was forced to steady in the early stages traveling 6 1/2 furlongs on debut for Chad Brown in the opener...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 11th-GP, $84K, Msw, 3yo, f, 5fT, post time: 5:51 p.m. ET The post-Derby program at Gulfstream concludes with this turf dash for sophomore fillies headed by 7-2 morning-line chance SHOOTOUTTHELIGHTS (City of Light) from the barn of Wesley Ward. A $525,000 purchase by the Breeze Easy braintrust at Keeneland September in 2021, the April foal looks to become the second winner for her stakes-placed dam, a half-sister to turf MGSW Clearly a Queen (Lucky North), who is also responsible for Bison City S. victress Mizzen...

Insights, sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 4th-GP, $84K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, post time: 12:27 p.m. ET Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg and Gandharvi LLC's ILLUSTRATED (Justify) was led out unsold when bidding stalled out at $290,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. The blaze-faced bay made the decision to retain him look that much better when selling for $1.1 million at last year's Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale after breezing an eighth of a mile in :10 flat despite jumping the shadows of the sixteenth pole and of floodlights...

In a field including six first-time starters, Squire Creek (Uncle Mo) proved much the best, scampering home a six-length winner over the well-related 4-5 choice Wicked Again (Gun Runner) in the six-furlong contest at Fair Grounds Thursday. Off the blocks alertly, the 5-2 second choice vied for the early lead with the well-related Wicked Again through opening fractions of :21.65 and :44.92. Head-to-head with that rival turning for home, the $525,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate edged ahead in early stretch and blasted clear late en route to an easy victory. A...

Spendthrift Farm's Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro) sat a midfield trip and worked home best of all to record a second victory at the graded level in Saturday's GIII Kitten's Joy S. at Gulfstream Park. Settled in about fifth position early as fellow 10-1 chances Dude N Colorado (GB) (Uncle Mo) and Boppy O (Bolt d'Oro) eyeballed each other through reasonable fractions, Major Dude dropped down onto the fence with about a half-mile to race and traveled well within the grasp of the in-form Irad Ortiz, Jr. as they raced around...

The betting public had some difficulty knowing exactly what to do with Red Carpet Ready in Saturday's $200,000 Fern Creek S. at Churchill Downs. The $180,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate opened her account at first asking by 10 going six furlongs on the Stars of Tomorrow I program here Oct. 30, but it came over a heavily rain-affected track and was only modestly graded. The dark bay filly was accordingly no better than 7-1 off a morning line that was half that number and jumped alertly to stalk the pace outside...

Bat Flip (Good Magic) was sent off at odds of 23-5 to build upon a wire-to-wire maiden victory going two turns over the Aqueduct turf course Oct. 23, but showed a bit of a new dimension when forced to stalk the pace in Saturday's Central Park S. at the Big A. The $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad proved equal to the task in becoming a fifth stakes winner and first on the grass for his freshman sire (by Curlin). Looking intent on making the running yet again from his low draw,...

4th-Churchill Downs, $114,370, Msw, 10-30, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:12.08, sy, 10 lengths. RED CARPET READY (f, 2, Oscar Performance--Wild Silk, by Street Sense) proved to be just that with a splashy debut performance through the Churchill slop Sunday afternoon. Touching 37-1 at the off, the $180,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase hit the ground running from her low draw and outsprinted the well-backed Bo Derek (Speightstown) to lead them through an opening quarter-mile in :21.74 over the rain-affected surface. With that 7-2 chance her shadow around the turn, Red Carpet Ready shrugged...