Keeneland September

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Uncaged (Curlin) was unleashed in front of a big house at Saratoga Race Course on Whitney Day at Saratoga Race Course. And, at the end of the six-furlong $100,000 maiden special weight, Uncaged left no doubt. He and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. began revving up just outside the eighth pole and won going away by 1 3/4 lengths. Afterwards, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher and the ownership group of Repole Stable and WinStar Farm were more than pleased. Pedigree wise, you don't see Curlin progenies...

1st-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10 p.m. ET. FIRST CLASS LADY (Uncle Mo) debuts for Douglas Scharbauer and Stonestreet. Made a $900,000 purchase at last year's Keeneland September Sale, the Steve Asmussen trainee is the second registered foal, but first to the races for Stonestreet homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' Lady Pauline (Munnings). This dam, who is herself out of Puerto Rican champion D' Wildcat Speed (Forest Wildcat), is a half-sister to G1 King's Stand Stakes heroine Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy)--the dam of SW American Rascal (Curlin)--both of whom...

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 Sunday running at Niigata Racecourse: Sunday, August 4, 2024 2nd-NII, ¥13,720,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, f, 1600mT T O NILSSON (JPN) (f, 2, McKinzie--American Legend, by American Pharoah) was purchased by Tomoya Ozasa for the equivalent of $84,390 at last year's JRHA Select Sale and...

1st-SAR, $100k, 3yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 1:10 p.m. ET LADY PINK (Into Mischief), a $720,000 acquisition by Peter Brant at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, is out of the unplaced Astray (Bernardini), whose SW & MGSP dam Away (Belong to Me) was responsible for MGSW and GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Eight Belles (Unbridled's Song) and an additional pair of stakes horses. The bay is a half-sister to Bob Marco (Arrogate), stakes-placed on the grass as a 3-year-old. Rigney Racing's Two Sharp (Twirling Candy), a $925,000 KEESEP yearling, blew the break...

3rd-DMR, $75K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 6:04 p.m. ET. The Three Amigos--Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman--send out yet another first timer trained by Bob Baffert in EMERALD BAY (Nyquist). Last year's top-priced yearling colt for his sire was taken home by the trio for $700,000 during Keeneland September. The juvenile is out of G. Watts Humphrey homebred and GI Juddmonte Spinster Stakes heroine Romantic Vision (Lemon Drop Kid), who foaled a colt by City of Light Mar. 29. TJCIS PPS

7th-SAR, $100k, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, post time: 3:54 p.m. ET INVICTUS (Into Mischief), the first foal from 2019 GI Kentucky Oaks and 2020 GI Ballerina Stakes winner Serengeti Empress (Alternation), cost China Horse Club, Siena Farm and WinStar Farm $1.2 million at last year's Keeneland September Sale, and the Jan. 29 produce carries the WinStar colors for this first go. The bay, bred on similar cross to this sire's Grade I winners Life Is Good and Practical Joke, has been made the 3-1 choice on the morning line for...

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 weekend running at Niigata Racecourse, two debuting both Saturday and Sunday: Saturday, July 27, 2024 2nd-NII, ¥13,720,000 ($89k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400mT JASPER DIVINE (c, 2, Frosted--Rocket Reload, by Reload), whose dam was stakes-placed on the turf at two in the five-furlong Woodbine Cares...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - When the seventh race at Saratoga Race Course was finished Saturday, Chad Brown, who deflects credit often, did it once more. The six-time leading trainer at the Spa had just won a $100,000 maiden special weight with the 5-2 favorite, Incentive Pay (Volatile). It was the first juvenile starter of the meet for Brown. Brown didn't want to pat himself on the back after this one. He wanted Pete Bradley, a longtime friend and respected bloodstock agent, to take the bows. At the 2023 Keeneland September...

Having resisted the urge to take up an assignment at Royal Ascot after making a successful racecourse debut in the May 11 Royal Palm Juvenile Turf, D J Stable's Bullet  (War Front) switched to a synthetic surface for Saturday's My Dear S. and posted an equally eyecatching success. Drawn gate seven, the $425,000 Keeneland September yearling raced in a share of fourth and four off the inside into the turn. Forced to concede ground as Carlisle Bay began to get away at the five-sixteenths, Bullet easily gathered that one up...

8th-Los Alamitos, $43,000, Msw, 6-30, 2yo, f, 5f, :57.48, ft, 1 3/4 lengths A. Z. WILDCAT (f, 2, Munnings--Lucky Long, by Lookin At Lucky) prevailed in a good pari-mutuel battle and then backed it up on the track in professional style to open her account as the narrow 2-1 favorite. The $200,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase brike a bit inward, but was up to press the early issue before sitting the pocket trip from third around the hairpin turn. Produced three wide into the stretch, the filly went to the...

4th-CD, $120K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 2:15 p.m. ET. Rigney Racing made TWO SHARP (Twirling Candy) her sire's top priced offspring in 2022 when the outfit went to $925,000 during Keeneland September. Trained by Phil Bauer, the filly is the lone foal out of Double Sharp (Distorted). Woods Edge Farm acquired this dam at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale for $255,000 and she is out of MGSW/MGISP Bsharpsonata (Pulpit). Also making her first start is Greg Foley trainee Cathcart (Quality Road). The 3-year-old filly was purchased for $800,000 at the...

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 weekend running at Fukushima and Kokura Racecourses: Saturday, June 29, 2024 6th-KOK, ¥13,720,000 ($85k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1000m OTOMENA SHACHO (f, 2, Speightstown--Mylady Curlin, by Curlin) is the second foal and first to the races for her dam, who validated 5-2 favoritism for Sather...