Flightline

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale continued to churn out double-digit increases over its 2024 renewal as the eight-day auction's Book 2 section concluded Thursday. "It felt like a complete continuation from yesterday," Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said Thursday evening. "The momentum was there and there was the same enthusiasm for quality stock. The market never seemed to waver all day. It seemed to be steady and strong and consistent. Which was very encouraging. It jumped out of...

DEL MAR, CA - As Breeders' Cup hopefuls continue their final preparations in the early morning hours for racing on Friday and Saturday, the Del Mar paddock will transform into an auction ring for the second annual Keeneland Championship Sale on Wednesday evening. Last year, a share in Horse of the Year Flightline (by Tapit) was the headliner when it went for $2.5-million. Once again looking to create a high-energy atmosphere, Keeneland has put together a robust slate of offerings, which include fractional interests in three racehorses currently in-training--two are...

1st-Churchill Downs, $118,636, Msw, 10-26, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:45.70, ft, 3 1/4 lengths. JUST SINGING (f, 2, Justify--Talkin and Singing, by Songandaprayer) was unveiled at this venue Sept. 27 going a mile on the main track, and made up good ground to run fourth. Given 2-1 odds to improve for this second jump, the eye-catching filly bumped with the outer stall door as she left the gate and had to set up as the caboose in the race. Steadily making up ground on the leaders and coming five wide...

LEXINGTON, KY - The four-day Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale reached its halfway point in Lexington Tuesday and continued to produce figures significantly ahead of its record-setting 2024 edition. Through two sessions, 540 yearlings have grossed $33,091,000 for an average of $61,280 and a median of $30,000. At the same point last year, 544 horses had grossed $28,753,000 for an average of $52,855 and a median of $20,000. The 2024 auction concluded with a cumulative record gross of $58,575,500 and a record average of $52,206. "The second session of the...

LEXINGTON, KY -- The Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale powered through its opening session in Lexington Monday, with figures up significantly from its record-setting 2024 renewal. "It was a great start to the October Yearling Sale in Kentucky," Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said at the close of business Monday. "All of the statistical categories produced significant increases and we saw a continuation of the trends that we've seen from July carried through August, carried through September and now in October. There was tremendous demand at more levels than we've seen...

Undefeated Flightline, the 2022 Horse of the Year whose first yearlings averaged $749,083 for 55 sold this year to date, will anchor the Lane's End stallion roster in 2026 and stand for $125,000. Flightline, whose first runners will be eagerly anticipated in 2026, had 10 yearlings sell for $1 million or more between the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga and Keeneland September sales. The 17 members of Lane's End's roster includes one new addition in multiple Grade I winner Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief--Violent Wave, by Violence), who was retired at the end of...

Fasig-Tipton has supplemented seven additional hips to next month's November Sale including Serra Do Mar (Arg) (Jump Start), the dam of last year's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Full Serrano (Arg) (Full Mast), and Overly Indulgent (Pleasantly Perfect), who produced this year's GI American Pharoah Stakes winner Intrepido (Maximus Mischief) and is offered carrying a full-sibling to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hopeful. The full list of supplements includes: 2025 Twirling Candy--Ultimate Cause filly (Hip 91): Weanling filly by Twirling Candy, sire of this year's Grade I-winning females Ag...

1,601 yearlings are set to go through the ring for next month's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale, to be held on October 20-23, in Lexington, Kentucky. The four continuous sessions, conducted Monday-Thursday, will begin each day at 10 am. "Kentucky October is one of the most important yearling sales in the nation," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. "The quality on offer continues to rise each year, as evidenced by the sire power and strength of pedigree in this year's catalogue." Sires represented by multiple yearlings include Constitution, Candy Ride (Arg),...

Editor's Note: the tables mentioned in the piece below have all been inserted into the article individually in alphabetical order. Please see those for reference. As an Englishman, I can assure my friends in the Bluegrass that America does not have a monopoly on political division. But in this rancorous age it is a comfort, either side of the water, that a mutual love of the horse can keep people not just talking, but outright friendly, who might otherwise only be yelling at each other. It is not too often...

Ken Freirich, who was part of the ownership group behind Horse of the Year Flightline, has made a $500,000 gift to Breeders' Cup Charities in an effort to positively impact the Thoroughbred industry's culture of giving by illustrating the importance of long-term commitments, the Breeders' Cup said via a press release on Friday. Funds from Freirich will be released over a 3 1/2-year period. This major gift is in addition to the $100,000 match the international philanthropist provided to Breeders' Cup Charities in July during the organization's Annual Day of...

The million-dollar parade at the Keeneland September sale continued early in Thursday's fourth session of the auction when April Mayberry went to $1.4 million to acquire a colt by Flightline (hip 794). The bay colt, bred and consigned by Dixiana Farms, is out of Layla (Union Rags), a full-sister to Grade I winner Express Train. Mayberry was bidding on behalf of C R K Stable's Lee Searing. The colt was the 49th of the auction to bring seven figures and the eighth from the first crop of Lane's End's champion...

by Jessica Martini, Christina Bossinakis, and Jill Williams LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland September Yearling Sale, which opened with a record-setting session Monday, continued with an action-packed second Book 1 session Tuesday, establishing yet another September session record average and median. Twenty horses sold for $1 million or more during the session, led by a colt by Gun Runner and a filly by Flightline who brought matching $2.2 million price tags. "It was a good day at the sale, for sure," said Keeneland President Shannon Arvin. "We built on what...