Horse Racing
The top bid during the 2024 Fasig-Tipton February Digital Sale was made by John Stewart's Resolute Bloodstock, who parted with $370,000 for Pounce (Lookin At Lucky), a maiden winner at first asking for Quintessential Racing Florida LLC and Hat Creek Racing and this trainer on the dirt at Churchill Nov. 19, an even sixth from a difficult high draw in a one-mile allowance over the Turfway synthetic Dec. 13 and the front-running winner of her turf debut from an equally awkward draw Feb. 11. Returning just 11 days after changing...
Eskendereya (Giant's Causeway--Aldebaran Light, by Seattle Slew), whose son Mitole was the leading freshman sire of 2023 by winners and progeny earnings, died of heart failure Mar. 2 at Shichinohe Stallion Station in Japan, where he had been standing since 2016. He was 17 years of age. Bred in Kentucky by Sanford Robertson, Eskendereya was purchased by Zayat Stables for $250,000 at the 2008 Keeneland September sale. Turned over to Todd Pletcher, the chestnut broke his maiden in a rained-off renewal of the 2009 Pilgrim S. and switched to the...
Juddmonte Farms' Laurel River (h, 6, Into Mischief--Calm Water, by Empire Maker), favored for the 2022 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile before being ruled out on the eve of the race, flashed some of the form that saw him win the 2022 GII Pat O'Brien S. with a towering, front-running victory in Saturday's G3 Burj Nahaar at Meydan Racecourse, the course-and-distance prep for the G2 Godolphin Mile Mar. 30. The result represented a complete turnaround from his local debut Jan. 26 when he was an early factor in the G3...
6th-GP, $62K, A/OC, 4yo/up, 7f, 1:44 p.m. ET. Last year as a 3-year-old colt, KINGSBARNS (Uncle Mo) kept his perfect record intact when he went gate to wire to win the GII Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds, which secured himself a slot in the GI Kentucky Derby. The Todd Pletcher trainee finished 14th in America's signature race and a bout with colic sidelined him before the GI Belmont S. He did return to be the runner-up in the Pegasus S. at Monmouth Park in mid-June and that was the last...
The defection of big-figure maiden winner Speak Easy (Constitution) to Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. made the task at hand for 'TDN Rising Star' Conquest Warrior (c, 3, City of Light--Tea Time, by Pulpit) that much easier on paper, and the Courtlandt Farms colorbearer made light work of the six rivals that stuck around to likely punch his ticket to the GI Curlin Florida Derby in four weeks' time. Away only fairly, the 3-5 chalk was handy enough to the early pace of 5-2 second pick Merit (Mastery)--rerouted...
Between them, Irad and Jose Ortiz have accounted for four of the last six runnings of the GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S., the third of three preps on the road to the championship meeting's main event, the GI Curlin Florida Derby four weeks down the road. The brothers will have every chance to extend that dominance as they partner with two of the top fancies in Saturday's $400,000 contest, offering the winner 50 points and a virtual guaranteed berth in the field for the GI Kentucky Derby. Jose Ortiz...
All continues to go smoothly for D. J. Stable and Robert Cotran's undefeated GIII Holy Bull S. winner Hades (Awesome Slew), a trend trainer Joe Orseno hopes to see continue as the colt sits out Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park to await the GI Florida Derby. Since his two length score in the first leg of the Florida series, Hades has worked twice at four furlongs and at a mile, which prompted the connections to give the second leg some consideration before deciding to pass....
Claiborne Farm Feb. 29 reported the first mare has checked in foal to Annapolis (War Front), the operation said in a release Thursday. The 5-year-old was bred to St Claude (Tiznow), who is owned by Pete and Martha Williams and is boarded at Nicky Drion Thoroughbreds. She is from the family of Horse of the Year Flightline and tallied her first registered colt Jan. 12 by Army Mule. A graded stakes winner at 2 and 3 as a homebred for Bass Racing under trainer Todd Pletcher, Annapolis set a new...
LRE Racing LLC and JEH Racing Stable's four-time Grade I winner Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) has recovered from the fever that forced him to miss last weekend's G2 1351 Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia and is now being prepared for an appearance in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on the Dubai World Cup undercard Mar. 30, co-owner Lee Einsidler confirmed Thursday. "You know, it's funny, if the Saudi race had been in Florida, we wouldn't have had to miss it," Einsidler said of last weekend's contest, in which Casa Creed...
With rain in the Arcadia forecast for Friday night through Saturday, track officials at Santa Anita could move Saturday's card, according to The Daily Racing Form. Saturday's slate includes the GI Santa Anita H. and three other graded races, which could shift to Sunday. That day's card would then move to Monday. An announcement is expected Thursday morning.
The TDN's popular annual series 'Mating Plans, presented by Spendthrift,' continues today in a conversation with Brendan Jacobson of Wimberley Bloodstock. HOLIDAY SOIREE (15, Harlan's Holiday--Try to Remember, by Include) to be bred to Gun Runner. Holiday Soiree was a talented racehorse who won the Shine Again S. at Saratoga and placed in the GI Humana Distaff at Churchill. She is the dam of Vahva (Gun Runner), who won the GII Raven Run S. and GIII Charles Town Oaks last year. She is a gorgeous filly with lots of tenacity...
The catalog for the 2024 Texas Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, set for Wednesday, Apr. 3 beginning at 10 a.m. ET in the Lone Star Park Sales Pavilion, is out, the Texas Thoroughbred Association said in a release Wednesday. The breeze show is scheduled for Monday, Apr. 1 on Lone Star's main track, starting at 8 a.m. ET. "This is a solid, quality group of two-year-olds coming to our sale," Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales Director Foster Bridewell said. "We have an array of national and regional stallions represented in the book...