John Stewart

American owner-breeder John Stewart of Resolute Racing has completed a deal to buy a majority share in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}). The four-year-old gelding, who is trained in Chantilly by Francis-Henri Graffard, was bred by Gestut Schlenderhan and races in the colours of Schlenderhan's Baron Philip von Ullmann. The owner's father, Georg, raced the 2005 GI Breeders' Cup Turf winner Shirocco (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) among a host of top-class horses, and this year's Breeders' Cup will be among the options...

By Brian Sheerin, Emma Berry and Adam Houghton DEAUVILLE, France -- Just 24 hours after John Stewart's Resolute Racing lit up Arqana when snapping up a Wootton Bassett (GB) filly for €1.4 million, it was another American-based buyer who commanded top lot status at the August Yearling Sale when bloodstock agents Alex Solis and Jason Litt struck the winning bid of €730,000 for lot 187, a Sea The Stars (Ire) filly out of an unraced half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner The Fugue (GB) (Dansili {GB}). While Solis and...

By Brian Sheerin and Adam Houghton DEAUVILLE, France--John Stewart has made more of a splash in a year trading in bloodstock than most people will in an entire lifetime and the effervescent character behind the ever-expanding Resolute Racing sent more ripples through the industry by snapping up the €1.4 million Wootton Bassett (GB) top lot (lot 105) on day one of the August Yearling Sale at Arqana. Irishman Gavin O'Connor has been representing Resolute Racing at Arqana this week while Stewart tuned in from his base in America. Bred by...

In 2009 when Tom Rooney joined the U.S. House of Representatives for Florida's 17th Congressional District--a Southwest portion of the Sunshine State--he assumed passage of a bill to permanently ban the commercial slaughter of horses, along with their export for such purposes, was a slam dunk. "I did not think that this was going to be a controversial issue," said Rooney, now the president and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA). "It immediately became one of the most contentious, where I was like, 'yeah, I oppose horse slaughter...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, which opened Monday with figures on pace for a third year of records, concluded Tuesday with an electric session which demolished the sale's previous high for gross, average, and median. At the close of business Tuesday, 154 yearlings sold for $82,160,000--highest ever in the auction's 103-year history, surpassing the previous record of $75,055,000 set last year. The average of $533,506 also improved on the 2023 record figure of $487,370, while the median of $425,000 bettered the...

A Gainesway-consigned Ghostzapper filly out of winning Seeking the Blue (Arch) hammered to John Stewart's Resolute Bloodstock for $1.2 million at Tuesday's session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. The half-sister to MGSP Janis Joplin (California Chrome) and MSP Vino Rouge (Vino Rosso) was bred in Kentucky by Payson Stud and went through the ring as Hip 147. The May 5 filly joins another Ghostzapper purchase in the Resolute portfolio--Stewart purchased champion Goodnight Olive at Fasig-Tipton's November sale for $6 million.         ⚡ GHOSTZAPPER (@HillnDaleFarm) filly sells for...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, a record-setter during its last two renewals, opened with a power-packed start-to-finish session Monday evening in the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion. "We won the first half," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. "It was a really strong start to the opening session of the 2024 Saratoga yearling sale. We averaged over $500,000 tonight and the median was $400,000. Our RNA rate at an elite sale at 20% is pretty remarkable. We always aim for zero, but...

Hip 75, a Bluewater Sales-consigned Gun Runner colt out of Lady Godiva (Unbridled's Song). was another high-profile purchase for John Stewart's Resolute Bloodstock during the opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, as he was extended to $1.7 million after a protracted bidding duel. An Apr. 17 foal, the gray is closely related to GI Clark Handicap winner and sire Leofric, a son of Gun Runner's sire Candy Ride (Arg), and his dam hails from the Peter Blum family of Grade I winners Well Chosen, Telling and this year's dual...

One of the most anticipated yearlings to grace the ring Monday evening in Fasig-Tipton Saratoga's opening session was Hip 57, a half-brother to breakout first-crop sire star Complexity by popular and well-supported first-year yearling stallion Charlatan. He didn't disappoint, hammering for $1.5 million to John Stewart's Resolute Bloodstock, who had made no secret of his desire to purchase the colt over the weekend. Consigned by Warrendale Sales, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised, the chestnut colt is also a half to 2018 GIII Doubledogdare Stakes winner and 2016 GI Breeders' Cup...

If you didn't know the sophisticated people behind the mating, you might imagine that Puca went to Good Magic on no better premise than to double down on the alchemy implicit in both names. Because a puca (or pooka) in folklore is a shape-changing sprite, capable of bringing good or bad fortune. Shakespeare named Puck accordingly in A Midsummer Night's Dream, but my favourite example is Elwood P. Dowd's invisible drinking buddy Harvey, a rabbit standing just under six feet four inches. Perhaps you've noticed his silhouette at Harvey's Bar...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Add Virgin Colada (More than Ready) to the Resolute Racing's burgeoning list of firsts. So, so many firsts in its first season of racing. With her huge finish in the stretch in the seventh race Sunday at Saratoga Race Course, Virgin Colada got to the wire first, a half-length in front of Running Away (Gun Runner) in the 1 1/16-miles maiden special weight contest for 2-year-old fillies and was promptly tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star.' She won her, yes, first start in 1:44.32 and paid $11.20...

Saving her best kick for the final stretch, first time starter Virgin Colada (More Than Ready--Episcopal, by Carpe Diem) mounted a strong charge down the lane to graduate and earn a 'TDN Rising Star' for her efforts at Saratoga on Sunday afternoon. Sporting the silks of John Stewart's Resolute Racing, the filly debuted as a 9-2 shot here. The 2-year-old, who saved every bit of ground while at the rear of the field until the top of the lane, launched her bid down the center of the course and sailed...