Keeneland

When Napa Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) won Friday's first race at Keeneland, bloodstock agent Ben McElroy was more relieved than ecstatic. Some six months earlier, he purchased Napa Spirit at the Goffs Orby Yearling sale in Ireland with a set goal in mind. He was looking for a unique type of horse, one that could win in the U.S. and Europe, would be fast and precocious, like the grass and be a good fit for the Royal Ascot meet. Friday's win was the latest sign that he had more...

TVG and Keeneland have reached an agreement that extends their longstanding partnership through at least 2026. As part of the agreement, TVG will retain exclusive broadcast rights for Keeneland's race meets as well as non-exclusive wagering rights for Keeneland's races. The network will share broadcast rights for select special events with NBC Sports. In addition, FanDuel group will promote Keeneland's racing to its more than 10 million Daily Fantasy Sports and sports book customers as the company further integrates promotion of horse racing with its sports book and daily fantasy...

The 15-day Spring meet at Keeneland Race Course concluded Friday, with total all-sources wagering reaching $164,680,229, an improvement of 7.55% versus the 2019 Spring meet, when all-sources handle totaled $153,116,119. The 2020 Spring meet was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Average daily wagering on the Keeneland product was $10,978,682, an increase of 14.72 when compared to $9,569,757 during Spring 2019. A limited number of patrons were allowed on track during the 15-day stand. Attendance totaled 96,243 for a daily average of 6,416. With four winners on Friday's closing-day program,...

2nd-Keeneland, $59,524, Msw, 4-23, 2yo, 4 1/2f, :51.75, ft, 2 1/4 lengths. HEADLINE REPORT (c, 2, Gormley--Green Eyed Cat, by Tale of the Cat) was pounded into debut odds of 30 cents on the dollar and did his best work through the wire to become the first winner for his freshman sire (by Malibu Moon) Friday at Keeneland. Off slowly beneath John Velazquez and immediately under the pump, the bay quickly made up for lost time and was on even terms with La Belleza Negra (Cairo Prince) as they hit...

1st-Keeneland, $43,340, Msw, 4-23, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:04.17, gd, 1 1/2 lengths. NAPA SPIRIT (IRE) (c, 2, Invincible Spirit {Ire}--Aimhirgin Lass {Ire}, by Pivotal {GB}) validated 2-5 favoritism in the closing-day opener at Keeneland, giving Stonestreet and trainer Wesley Ward a maiden winner on the grass acquired overseas for the second consecutive afternoon. Not the fastest away, the bay raced in and among rivals early on as stablemate Magniloquent (American Pharoah) showed the way through an opening quarter in :21.78. Three wide and traveling well in hand on the turn,...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-KEE, $60K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, post time: 1:05 p.m. ET NAPA SPIRIT (IRE) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) sports a flashy worktab for trainer Wesley Ward, including a trio of bullets over the Palm Meadows turf, for this debut run. Agent Ben McElroy paid £420,000 on behalf of Stonestreet Stables for the bay at last year's GOFSEP Yearling sale. Joel Rosario has the call on the even-money morning-line favorite, who hails from the extended female family of G1 Golden Jubilee S. winner Malhub (Kingmambo). Ward and...

OCALA, FL--There's been a palpable good feeling all week at OBS for the auction house's marquee Spring 2-Year-Old Sale, and you need look no further than the full parking lot to explain why. Business is booming, but perhaps equally responsible for the positive vibes is the easing of coronavirus restrictions as the country rapidly becomes vaccinated, which means old friends seeing and hugging each other for the first time in a long time. Wednesday morning, Joe Bianca and Jon Green talked about that and much more with four consignors and...

Ruthin (GB) (f, 2, Ribchester {Ire}--Selinka {GB}, by Selkirk), a 350,000gns TATOCT yearling purchase, kicked off her career with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance sprinting on the Keeneland lawn for Wesley Ward Thursday. The rail-drawn, 3-5 favorite shot out to the front and sped through an opening quarter in :21.91. She let it out a notch approaching the top of the stretch, and, despite racing greenly on her left lead for most of the stretch, was geared down late en route to a flashy, six-length victory over Artos (Ire) (Kodiac...

7th-Keeneland, $78,525, Alw, 4-15, (C), 4yo/up, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.60, gd, 2 1/4 lengths. MAVEN (g, 4, American Pharoah--Richies Party Girl {MSW, $357,085}, by Any Given Saturday) became the first North American winner for his sire on debut over the Aqueduct main track just shy of two years ago and was the last of 22 lots to go through the ring for the boutique Goffs London Sale, but was retained by owner Richard Ravin on a bid of £725,000 (about $912,000) that would otherwise have topped the event. The chestnut rewarded...

Eclipse Thoroughbreds, Madaket Stables and Heider Family Stables' Speech (Mr Speaker) looks to reproduce the form that landed her last summer's GI Central Bank Ashland S. in Friday's GIII Baird Doubledogdare S. at Keeneland. Promoted a position to third after the disqualification of Gamine in the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks in September, the Mike McCarthy trainee tired to sixth in the seven-furlong GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at the Lexington oval Nov. 7. Javier Castellano, who was aboard the Florida-bred for two of her three lifetime wins, gets...

1st-Keeneland, $59,286, Msw, 4-15, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :51.84, gd, 8 3/4 lengths. AVERLY JANE (f, 2, Midshipman--Sh Sh Shakin', by Richter Scale) gave her trainer a third juvenile winner in as many days at Keeneland, rolling home to score as much the best in the Thursday opener. Sent along to vie for the lead from between rivals, the half-sister to Chattel (Giant Oak), SW, $111,540, ultimately settled outside of pacesetting Royal County through an opening quarter in a quick :21.68. She wrested command from that one in upper stretch,...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 7th-Keeneland, $81K, Alw (N2L), 3yo, 6f, post time: 4:24 p.m. ET THERIDEOFALIFETIME (Candy Ride {Arg}) sandwiched a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy graduation over this strip last July between runner-up efforts to top juvenile Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music), finishing 2 1/2 lengths behind that one on Churchill debut in June and three lengths adrift in the GII Saratoga Special S. in August. Stretched out to the one-turn mile for the GIII Iroquois S. on the Derby undercard Sept. 5, the homebred was sent to the front and...