Flightline

TIMONIUM, MD - Midway through Monday's first session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale in Timonium, one bloodstock agent quipped, "Turns out untimed works, work." The final figures of the auction's opening session--conducted a week after the company's first untimed under-tack preview show--seemed to bear the sentiment out, with the session's average and median concluding well ahead of last year's sale record-setting figures. "It was a tremendous start to the Fasig Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training sale," Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said Monday evening. "There were pretty...

Bloodstock agent Pedro Lanz, bidding on behalf of the Saudi-based KAS Stable, went to $2.1 million to acquire a colt from the first crop of champion Flightline (hip 54) from the Sequel consignment. Bred by Chester Broman, the chestnut colt is out of GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint winner Bar of Gold (Medaglia d'Oro) and is a half-brother to graded winner Coinage (Tapit). "This horse is going to race here in the United States," Lanz said after signing the ticket on the colt. "I don't know who is going to...

TIMONIUM, MD - The first of two sessions of the under-tack preview of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale got underway under brilliantly sunny skies and a brand new format Tuesday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. Some 250 horses previewed over the track, and, while they were cascaded by the beeps of stopwatches from onlookers in the grandstand, Fasig-Tipton provided no times for the works. With forecasted wet weather later in the week, the under-tack show was condensed to two days, leading to close to nine...

The R.A.C.E. Fund will kick off its annual online auction Friday, May 8 on eBay (seller name: racefund) at 8 p.m. ET with all proceeds raised used to help Thoroughbreds in need of retirement and rescue from slaughter. In addition to halters and horseshoes worn by champions, a number of items have been donated from the third phase of photographer Christopher Hoff's private collection. "We have some very exciting and amazing auction items again this year," said R.A.C.E. Fund President Marlene Murray. "We would like to especially thank our volunteer...

1st-SA, $65K, Msw, 3-5yo, 6f, 4:00 p.m. ET. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has an uncoupled entry with 3-year-old Sir Davis (Justify) and 4-year-old Pecos River (McKinzie). The former was a $450,000 Keeneland September grad, while the latter went for $750,000 at the 2024 OBS March sale. Out of MSW Lovely Syn (Freud), Sir Davis is a half-brother to MSW Love in the Air, who was purchased by Japan's Dr. Masatake Iida for $425,000 during the 2023 Keeneland November sale while in foal to Life Is Good. As for...

In terms of the horses themselves, Americans of due adventure could hardly have more compelling incentives to prospect the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale. Last year's auction was staged immediately after Kentucky-bred Ruling Court (Justify) vindicated his status as the record-breaking sale-topper of 2024 by winning the G1 2,000 Guineas, while GI Preakness Stakes winner War of Will (War Front) is among those American-bred graduates to have excelled back on native soil. But this time round there is a fresh spur to American interest. Because even as sires like Justify have finally...

SOARING HIGH (f, 3, Curlin--Songbird {Ch. 2-year-old Filly, Ch. 3-year-old Filly, MGISW, $4,692,000}, by Medaglia d'Oro) made her second try a winning one when she turned in a sterling campaign opener on the Kentucky Oaks undercard Friday afternoon. The Cherie DeVaux trainee was unveiled beneath these Twin Spires last September, and ran midpack in a field that yielded Kentucky Oaks contender GSW Counting Stars (Honor A.P.) and SW Coco Connect (Connect). She went on the shelf after that effort and returned to the public worktab Mar. 26 at Keeneland when she...

The flash sale for Starship Beauty (Hard Spun), a half-sister to Kentucky Derby hopeful Fulleffort (Liam's Map) and GISW Power Squeeze (Union Rags), is accepting bids, the organization announced via press release. Offered pregnant to Constitution for her first foal, Starship Beauty is consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency. Her aforementioned half-sister won three graded stakes in her career including the GI Alabama Stakes as a 3-year-old. The millionaire daughter of Union Rags sold for $2.5-million at the Fasig-Tipton November sale last year to Godolphin as a broodmare prospect. Half-brother...

The record-breaking $10.5-million Flightline 2-year-old colt purchased last week at the OBS April Sale has officially been named Zedan. The name was announced on social media via the Zedan Racing Stables page in a note that read, "The Flightline colt out of Lucrezia that we purchased at @OBSSales has been named #ZEDAN. Mr. Bob Baffert selected the name after meeting Amr's father, H.E. Dr. Fareed M. Zedan, during his visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The two hit it off wonderfully and Bob selected the name ZEDAN as a kind gesture...

The Flightline colt who sold for a record-setting $10.5 million at the OBS Spring sale Friday arrived at the Southern California barn of trainer Bob Baffert Saturday night shortly before 9 p.m. "He's a specimen," Baffert said Sunday morning. "A man among boys really. And with his pedigree, you know why he cost so much." Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni signed the sales ticket for the colt on behalf of Amr Zedan's Zedan Racing. The purchase price shattered the all-time OBS record of $3 million, which Zedan paid for Grade I...

by Jessica Martini & Stefanie Grimm OCALA, Fl - Following its third of four sessions Thursday, the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training needed just north of $14 million to secure its highest-ever gross. That amount was almost entirely secured Friday through the sale of one horse when Donato Lanni, bidding on behalf of Saudi businessman Amr Zedan, went to all-time high $10.5 million to acquire a colt by champion Flightline from the Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbred consignment. By the close of business Friday, the Spring sale had...

There's breaking records, and then there's what happened midway through Friday's final session at OBS April. After a week of build up, the bidding came to a head as a son of Flightline (hip 1056) absolutely demolished the OBS record, selling to Amr Zedan for an eye-watering $10,500,000. "There was a lot of hype on this horse and he followed through with the hype," said bloodstock agent Donato Lanni. "When he worked, everybody got on the rail and watched, and he delivered. Bob [Baffert] loved him. [Flightline] is one of...