Horse Racing
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 6th-SA, $61K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1m, post time: 6:50 p.m. ET Dixiana Farms-bred AMERICAN ADMIRAL (American Pharoah) was purchased by Hunter Valley Farm for $340,000 at Keeneland November in 2018 and fetched $1.3 million from Jamie McCalmont on behalf of M.V. Magnier and Sarah Kelly at KEESEP the following fall. That price was the richest of 70 of his sire's second-crop yearlings to sell in 2019, bar the sales-topping $8.2 million Mandy Pope paid for the half-sister to Beholder (Henny Hughes) and Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday)....
8th-Belmont, $89,240, Alw (NW1$X), Opt. Clm ($80,000), 5-14, 3yo, 1m, 1:38.22, ft, 3 lengths. STAGE RAIDER (c, 3, Pioneerof the Nile--Stage Magic {Broodmare of the Year, GSP, $133,981}, by Ghostzapper) would have given those who backed him into 1-20 favoritism a bit of a scare in upper stretch, but he rallied through a tight spot at the fence to clear his first allowance condition Friday at Belmont. The half-brother to Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy, Horse of the Year, Ch. 3yo Colt, MGISW, $3,798,000); and to The Lieutenant (Street...
An agreement executed Friday by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) with the Guangzhou Municipal Government is set to strengthen the Club's foothold on the Chinese Mainland, with the prospect of staging "international-standard' racing at Conghua Racecourse (CRC), heretofore known as the Conghua Training Centre (CTC). Located about 200 kilometres and approximately a three-hour car trip (four hours by horse float) from Hong Kong, Conghua was opened to great fanfare in 2018. Built on 150 hectares on a site that hosted the equestrian events at the 2010 Asian Games, the...
Having run with credit when fourth trying the 2000-metres for the first time in the G1 Osaka Hai last month, champion Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) returns to a much more manageable trip as the warm favourite for the G1 Victoria Mile at the Fuchu Racecourse in Tokyo. The race serves as a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar in November. After taking down the colours of 2020 Victoria Mile heroine and former Horse of the Year Almond...
In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Sunday running at Chukyo, Niigata and Tokyo Racecourses. The weekend's feature takes place at headquarters, where champion Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}--Tapitsfly) figures a firm favorite for the G1 Victoria Mile: Sunday, May 16, 2021 5th-TOK, ¥13,830,000 ($126k), Allowance, 3yo, 1600mT VANISHING...
3rd-Indiana Grand, $31,000, Msw, 5-12, 3yo/up, 1m 70y, 1:43.45, ft, 4 1/2 lengths. HARVARD (c, 3, Pioneerof the Nile--Sambuca Classica, by Cat Thief) finished second behind a good-looking debut from American Prince (Liam's Map) at Gulfstream Feb. 28 and was stretching out to two turns off a distant runner-up effort behind Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy)'s 'TDN Rising Star' half-brother Stage Raider (Pioneerof the Nile) in a sloppy seven-furlong maiden at Keeneland Apr. 10. Stage Raider, incidentally, is the morning-line 2-5 favorite for a one-mile Belmont allowance Friday afternoon....
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-CD, $100K, Msw, 2yp, 5f, post time: 5:29 p.m. ET ANNA AND MIA (Cupid) becomes the first starter for her Grade I-winning sire and is out of a stakes-winning full-sister to MSP Breathethefire (Valid Expectations). The deeper female family also includes the flashy MGSW/GISP Phantom On tour (Tour d'Or). A $50K purchase at Fasig-Tipton February in early 2020, the February foal fetched $45K at FTKOCT in the fall and was most recently hammered down for $160K at the OBS March Sale after breezing an eighth...
The suspension of Tex Sutton charters meant that GI Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit (Protonico) and his once-beaten stablemate, 'TDN Rising Star' Concert Tour (Street Sense) (video), had to endure a lengthy van ride over from Churchill Downs, but GI Preakness S.-bound duo arrived safely at Pimlico Race Course shortly after 2 p.m. Monday afternoon. The horses were overseen by assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes, who said they departed Louisville about 4:45 a.m. Monday morning. "It seemed simple," he said. "Actually, we're here even earlier than we fly sometimes. If you...
Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC's Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) tuned up for Saturday's GI Preakness S. Monday morning at Churchill Downs, working an easy half-mile in :50.20. A $525,000 Keeneland September yearling, Midnight Bourbon won the GIII Lecomte S. in January and earned additional points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby with a third in the GII Risen Star S. and a runner-up effort in the GII Louisiana Derby. Unable to go forward after taking a bump at the start of the GI Kentucky Derby May 1, the strapping bay colt raced...
Kentucky-based horses that ship to Maryland for this week's GI Preakness S. and supporting races will no longer face health-related return restrictions when they try to re-enter the state, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture announced Monday. According to a press release issued by the agency, "Effective Monday, May 10, [the] Office of State Veterinarian rescinds restrictions on horses originating from both Pimlico and Laurel. All horses from these facilities that meet the standard health requirements for Kentucky tracks and training centers (including EHV1 vaccination, 72-hour Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, and...
A 475,000gns Tattersalls October yearling purchase by Mike Ryan on behalf of owner Peter Brant, In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was bet into 7-5 favoritism for her Mar. 28 bow at Tampa, but found trouble enough at the quarter pole and again 100 yards later to cost her a debut graduation. Kicked immediately into the lead here by Irad Ortiz, Jr., In Italian enjoyed a fairly soft time of things on the engine, clocking unpressured fractions of :24.03 and :49.39. Challenged briefly approaching the stretch, In Italian rebroke and coasted...
According to co-owner MyRacehorse, Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) is having some minor physical issues and will be given a freshener before returning to the races later this year. "After collaborating with our partners, Spendthrift Farm, and trainer Brad Cox, have decided to give Monomoy Girl a brief break from training, with the expectation of the 6-year-old mare returning for a second-half of the year campaign on the racetrack," read an email sent to those owning a share of Monomoy Girl through Myracehorse. The email went on to say that Monomoy Girl...