Gary Barber

Vequist (Nyquist) suffered a nose defeat when debuting going 4 1/2 furlongs at Parx, but found no equals when stepped up into the GI Spinaway S. Sunday at Saratoga, pressing a fast pace and romping clear impressively in the stretch to break her maiden in the first Grade I race of the year for juveniles. Unveiled as a tepid favorite July 29 in Bensalem for owner/breeder Swilcan Stables, the bay chased a wire to wire winner throughout and just missed when taking a final dive at her foe nearing the...

2nd-Churchill Downs, $99,290, Msw, 9-4, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10.79, ft. SALTY AS CAN BE (f, 2, Into Mischief--Theycallmeladyluck {SP}, by Dixie Union), a half-sister to 2018 GI La Troienne S. winner Salty (Quality Road), GISW, $688,500, was purchased by Team Casse for $850,000 out of last year's FTSAUG sale from the Baccari Bloodstock consignment, but her worktab yielded few clues and she was no better than 11-1 despite her impeccable pedigree. Settled in about fifth spot early and punching the breeze three wide, Salty As Can Be rolled up to...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-CD, $97K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 11:30 a.m. ET Gary Barber and Baccari Racing Stable's SALTY AS CAN BE (Into Mischief) opens her account in this sprint, the second event on a star-studded GI Longines Kentucky Oaks day card at Churchill. Bought for $850,000 at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, the bay is a half-sister to Salty (Quality Road), who won the GI La Troienne S. over this track for these connections in 2018 before selling for $3 million to Don Alberto at Fasig-Tipton November. Other interesting firsters...

The first three finishers from the local GII San Clemente S. will reconvene in Saturday's GI Del Mar Oaks with a pair of Group winners from Europe shipping in to spice things up in the nine-furlong test for 3-year-old turf fillies. Of the local hopes, San Clemente victress Laura's Light (Constitution) figures to take the most play as she tries to make it six wins in eight career outings. A debut winner sprinting on the all-weather at Golden Gate last November, the bay was privately purchased by Gary Barber out...

3rd-Del Mar, $56,000, Msw, 8-14, 2yo, 5fT, :57.50, fm. GET HER NUMBER (c, 2, Dialed In--Fancier, by Bernstein), off at a well-backed 3-1 in a field scratched down to seven after the chilly-on-the-board Stratofortress (The Factor) got loose while parading, took up a prominent position outside of pacesetting Commander Khai (Twirling Candy) and pressed from the outside. The latter carried the lead into the lane, traveling well, and looked home inside the final half-furlong, but Flavien Prat was able to extract just a bit extra from his mount and threw...

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...

Claiborne Farm has purchased an interest in Classic winner War of Will (War Front--Visions of Clarity {Ire}, by Sadlers Wells), who will stand at the Paris, Kentucky farm upon the conclusion of his racing career. The winner of a trio of a trio of graded events at three, including the GI Preakness S., the Gary Barber-campaigned colt most recently scored in the GI Maker's Mark Mile over the Keeneland turf July 10. War of Will's 2021 stud fee will be announced following the Breeders' Cup. "War of Will has an...

Umberto Rispoli was off to a hot start in his first visit to Del Mar, with seven trips to the winner's circle from his first 21 rides, and he'll look for his third black-type success at the meet in Saturday's GII San Clemente S. The Italian has the call atop Croughavouke (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) for Jeff Mullins in the one-mile prep for the GI Del Mar Oaks and the filly has run well in a pair of appearances at the seaside oval. Runner-up in last year's Juvenile Fillies Turf...

Ten Broeck Farm's Owlette (Frac Daddy) looks to record her fourth stakes win in Saturday's GIII Selene S. at Woodbine. Conditioned by Wesley Ward, the Ontario-bred filly took last year's Shady Well S. and Victorian Queen S. and subsequently won the June 13 Star Shoot S. in her 2020 bow. Never worse than second in six career starts, including four wins over Woodbine's Tapeta, Owlette will be joined for the first time by Luis Contreras. Always armed and dangerous at Woodbine, Mark Casse saddles a pair of fillies for Gary...

Looking for his first trip to the winner's circle since annexing the GI Preakness S. some 14 months ago, Gary Barber's War of Will (War Front) did it toughest, but called on all his class and determination to scratch out a short-head success in the GI Maker's Mark Mile as the Keeneland summer meeting reached its mid-point Friday. Drawn widest in the field of 10, the handsome blaze-faced bay raced three off the fence leaving the stretch for the first time and punched the breeze from up close as High...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-BEL, $64K, Msw, 2yo, 5fT, 1:15 p.m. ET International star sire power will be on display in Friday's opener at Belmont, as Coolmore unveils RIVER TIBER (War Front) against Gary Barber's Mrs Frankel (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and six other juveniles in this intriguing turf sprint, the first 2-year-old turf race in New York this year. River Tiber, a $500,000 Keeneland September buy, is a full-brother to 2015 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero Hit It a Bomb and 2016 G1 Cheveley Park S. victress Brave...

Unsurprisingly given her record in 2019 with her 2-year-old fillies, Jessie Harrington was at the forefront at Navan on Wednesday as the 10-1 shot Silence Please (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) edged out One Voice (Ire) (Poet's Voice {GB}) for a one-two in the 10-furlong Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Salsabil S. Held up with one behind early, Gary Barber and Team Valor International's Silence Please who went two-for-two when defying topweight in a seven-furlong nursery at Cork in September responded to Tom Madden's urgings to reel in One Voice in the...