Keeneland September

Friday Insights: Well-Related Constitution Colt Debuts Going Long

2nd-AQU, $80k, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/8m, post time: 1:10 p.m. ET CHOWSER (Constitution), a $200,000 purchase out of the 2023 Keeneland September Sale, carries the silks of Richard Santulli's Colts Neck Stables in this trip to the races. A late April foal, the chestnut is a full-brother to 2021 GIII Oklahoma Derby winner and GI Santa Anita Handicap runner-up Warrant and a half to GII Barbara Fritchie Stakes heroine Ms Locust Point (Dialed In), each of whom won their maiden at second asking over six furlongs. The colt's dam Whisper...

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Our Moonlight Becomes a 54th 'TDN Rising Star' for Tapit at Santa Anita

Cooey (Girvin) was all the rage from a pari-mutel perspective in Friday's eighth race from Santa Anita, but the more lightly regarded first-time starter Our Moonlight (f, 2, Tapit--Mannerly, by Unbridled's Song) confronted the odds-on choice a sixteenth of a mile from the wire and rolled home to an impressive 2 3/4-length victory to become yet another 'TDN Rising Star' for her all-conquering sire. Off at 8-1 from a 6-1 morning line with Cooey taking the lion's share of the action at 4-5, Our Moonlight--a $325,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase--was...

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First Runner For Grade I Winner Speech Set For Kyoto Debut

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 Saturday running at Kyoto Racecourse: Saturday, December 21, 2024 5th-KYO, ¥13,720,000 ($88k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600mT STIR HEART (JPN) (f, 2, Gun Runner--Speech, by Pulpit) is the first foal to race from her dam, who caused a mild upset in taking out the 2020...

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Wednesday's Insights: CHC Debuts Into Mischief Filly at Tampa

9th-TAM, $53K, Msw, f, 3yo/up, 7f, 4:30p.m. China Horse Club sends out the late-starting INTO AMORE (Into Mischief), a homebred daughter of GI Alabama winner Embellish the Lace (Super Saver). Trained by Todd Pletcher, the 3-year-old filly has been posting steady works at the Hall of Famer's Palm Beach Downs base in South Florida. The half-sister to GI Travers winner Afleet Express (Afleet Alex), herself a $2.4 million Fasig-Tipton November purchase in 2016, is responsible for a pair of $1.25 million Keeneland September yearlings--Tap the Faith (Tapit) in 2020 and...

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Iowa-Bred Looking For 'Glory' In Longines Hong Kong Mile

It takes a pretty serious animal to earn $2 million in any racing jurisdiction, let alone accomplishing that feat in a place like Hong Kong. The urban environment is not for every horse--to that end, the Hong Kong Jockey Club operates their state-of-the-art satellite facility in Conghua [shung-pha] on the Chinese mainland--and it takes a special horse to thrive there. Chancheng Glory (Mor Spirit) has done just that over the course of the last 18 months or so. Bred in Iowa by Allen Poindexter, the 4-year-old gelding has won seven...

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Practical Joke Colt Romanesque Leads Baffert 1-2 at Del Mar

2nd-Del Mar, $54,500, Msw, 11-23, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 1:15.91, ft, 2 1/4 lengths. ROMANESQUE (c, 2, Practical Joke--Mony'slittlegracie, by Alphabet Soup) was the slightly better-fancied half of an uncoupled Bob Baffert-trained entry at 5-2, raced in lockstep with Rodriguez (Authentic) for most of the final half-mile of Saturday's second race at Del Mar and finally gained the upper hand inside the final 100 yards to graduate at first asking. Off perhaps a half-step slowly from the inside gate while Rodriguez clearly won the break, the $60,000 Keeneland November weanling turned...

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Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby Kicks Off With Cattleya Stakes

A field of 16 juveniles--13 colts and a trio of fillies--will head to the Tokyo 1600-meter start for Saturday's $199,488 Cattleya Stakes (allowance), a contest that serves as the first of four legs on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby and offers points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale. American-breds comprise a quarter of the field and Godolphin homebred Snappy Dresser (Union Rags) is the best-backed of the foursome at just over 5-2 in early wagering. A full-brother to MGSW & GISP Caramel Swirl, the May 19 foal debuted in a...

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Desert Debuters: Twirling Candy Son Of Rosalind Can Give Tudhope Another

In this series, we will have a look at American-bred first-time juvenile starters (through the end of 2024) and debuting 3-year-olds in maiden races at the tracks of the Emirates Racing Authority, with a specific focus on pedigree and/or performance in a sales ring. The flagship venue for racing in the United Arab Emirates is Meydan Racecourse, which will host racing predominantly on Fridays, with the exception of Super Saturday Mar. 1 and Dubai World Cup night Apr. 5, 2025. Here are the horses of interest for the Friday program...

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Thursday Insights: Tommy Town Homebred Gets Started at Aqueduct

1st-AQU, $90k, Msw, 2yo, f, 1m, post time: 12:10 p.m. ET KEEPTHEDREAMALIVE (Into Mischief) makes her first trip to the races for owner/breeder Tommy Town Thoroughbreds and trainer Bill Mott. Tommy Town acquired dam It Tiz Well (Tiznow) for $230,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September sale and campaigned her with Jerry Hollendorfer to five wins from 10 starts, including a two-length upset of eventual champion Abel Tasman (Quality Road) in the 2017 GI Cotillion Stakes. The homebred outworked 142 other horses when breezing a half-mile in :48 1/5 (17/159) over...

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Breeders' Cup Mile Winner More Than Looks Retired To Lane's End, To Stand For $15,000

Victory Racing Partners' More Than Looks (More Than Ready--Ladies' Privilege, by Harlan's Holiday), who most recently stormed home from the back of the field to win the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar, has been retired from racing and will enter stud at William S. Farish's Lane's End in 2025. He will command an introductory fee of $15,000, live foal, stands and nurses terms. Bred in Kentucky by Hinkle Farms, More Than Looks was acquired by Victory Racing Partners for $135,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September sale and...

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Frosted Firster Grayscale Runs To The Money, 'TDN Rising Star' Honors at Gulfstream

eFive Racing Thoroughbred's Grayscale (c, 2, Frosted--Petunia, by Into Mischief) was pegged as the 8-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday's seventh race at Gulfstream, but his worktab--which included a bullet half-mile in :44 4/5 last month and other morning trials that screamed ready--dictated that he'd jump a much-shorter price for his career debut. Crunched into 3-10 for the Breeders' Cup-winning connections of trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. and jockey Drayden Van Dyke, the gray colt made no mistake en route to being named the afternoon's second 'TDN Rising Star'. Away in mid-division...

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Cool Intentions Looks The 'Real' Deal In Gulfstream Graduation

4th-Gulfstream, $40,000, Msw, 11-16, 2yo, 1m, 1:39.74, ft, 4 lengths. COOL INTENTIONS (c, 2, Authentic--Intentional Cry, by Street Cry {Ire}) was sent off as the 13-10 chalk to improve for a debut second going six furlongs of the Gulfstream main track Oct. 19 and ran away from his rivals in the final sixteenth of a mile to become the 19th winner for his first-crop sire (by Into Mischief). Away without incident from his low draw while stretching out to the one-turn mile for the first time, the $285,000 Keeneland September...

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