Keeneland

A filly by Bolt d'Oro (hip 401) brought a final bid of $1.25 million from trainer Steve Asmussen, acting on behalf of Ron Winchell, midway through the second session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale Tuesday in Timonium. Consigned by Wavertree Stables, the filly worked a furlong during last week's under-tack preview in :10 flat. Ciaran Dunne purchased the filly on behalf of a pinhooking partnership for $335,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. She is out of Werewolf (Arch) and is a half-sister to graded-placed Howling...

Having long served as Champion Bore regarding the schism between gene pools either side of the Atlantic, I always find it curious that Europeans so readily shed their inhibitions about American stallions once a 2-year-old is introduced to their domestic market by a compatriot pinhooker. That's presumably because they are nowadays so enslaved by the clock--whatever their contrary claims--that pedigree has almost been neutralized at 2-year-old sales. Functionality is all. Admittedly an elite sire will put a premium on a bullet time. But just as unfashionable local stallions have achieved...

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 Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses: Saturday, May 11, 2024 3rd-KYO, ¥10,480,000 ($67k), Maiden, 3yo, 1900m CRITICAL HIT (c, 3, American Pharoah--Mythical Mission, by Giant's Causeway) was a creditable fifth on his Hanshin debut over 1800 meters Mar. 30 and returned on...

For trainer Kenny McPeek it was an unforgettable weekend. He struck first with Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) in the GI Kentucky Oaks and came back the next day to win the GI Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan (Goldencents). McPeek became the first trainer since Plain Ben Jones in 1952 to win both the Oaks and Derby the same year. How did he pull it off? What's next for Mystik Dan? Why was he so confident before each race? Those were among the questions our panel asked McPeek when he appeared...

Nominations are now open for the 2024 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards. The nomination period concludes July 15. The awards, sponsored by Godolphin, in association with The Jockey Club, the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, and the Breeders' Cup, offers cash prizes totaling $122,000 to be presented to winners and two finalists in a total of seven categories, as well as monetary awards going to two runners-up. The awards are the Dr. J. David "Doc" Richardson Community Award, Katherine McKee Administration Award, Dedication to...

If you consider yourself a baseball fan and are of a certain vintage, the term Iron Horse will conjure up thoughts of one of the most legendary baseball players to ever grace the diamond: The Iron Horse himself, Lou Gehrig. Jonathan Eig, author of Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig, described the term Iron Horse as "a type of courage to persevere and to keep yourself going and to never give up." Harlan Malter, Founder and Managing Partner of Ironhorse Racing Stable is a self-proclaimed sports fanatic...

Starlight Racing has named a 2-year-old colt Coach Clint (Laoban) in honor of the late Clinton Glasscock, a longtime member of the partnership and a tennis coach at St. Xavier High School. Coach Clint is in training at Keeneland with Brendan Walsh and will be moving over to Churchill Downs in May. Starlight Racing is hosting an auction to allow individuals to bid on and acquire 10% of the horse's net earnings for the entire duration of the operation's ownership of the colt, with proceeds from the auction benefitting the...

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Lope De Vega gelding Silver Knott for Godolphin. Silver Knott Adds Elkhorn Laurel to Resume Godolphin's Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), already a multiple group winner in England, won the GII Elkhorn S. at Keeneland on Saturday (video). He has also been Grade I-placed for trainer Charlie Appleby in the Hollywood Derby last December. Bred by St Albans Bloodstock, LLP, the 4-year-old...

Led by matching $450,000 co-toppers Dana's Beauty (Not This Time) and Cheval de Guerre (Caravaggio), John Stewart's Resolute Bloodstock purchased four lots for a total of $1.172 million at Keeneland's April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale on Friday, held following the final race of the Spring Meet. Resolute was the sale's leading buyer. For the single-session auction, Keeneland sold 54 horses for $3,940,000, for an average of $72,963 and a median of $38,500. With sales of $1.544 million for 16 horses, ELiTE was the sale's leading consignor. Keeneland sold...

Keeneland's 2024 Spring Meet concluded Friday with all-sources wagering exceeding $218 million, the third-highest handle in track history. Average daily purse money of $1.16 million attracted Thoroughbred racing's top stables and jockeys, delivering 16 days of quality racing complemented by community and special events that offered family fun with a philanthropic mission. "A big thanks to our horsemen and sponsors, the crowds who turned out daily on track and those who watched and wagered on Keeneland across the country," Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. "We especially appreciate the...

She's back, and back with a vengeance. Barbara T (f, 3, Army Mule--Alternative Energy, by Kantharos) disappeared from her foes and made her seasonal debut at Keeneland one worthy of a 'TDN Rising Star' nod. Last seen in her lone juvenile start July 30 at Del Mar, she finished a begrudging second to fellow debuter Chatalas (Gun Runner), who would eventually go on to win the GII Chandelier S. and place in the GII Starlet S. as well as the Blue Norther S. that season. That race would also yield...

1st-Keeneland, $79,675, Msw, 4-26, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:03.35, fm, 1 1/4 lengths. SATURDAY FLIRT (f, 2, Mendelssohn--Dragic {MSP, $104,350}, by Broken Vow) raced near the rear of the field on this unveiling, biding her time in cover as the frontrunners put up :21.89 and :45.18 early splits. Swung seven wide to the grandstand side as they rolled into the stretch, Saturday Flirt closed relentlessly but managed to overhaul 28-1 longshot Bois Blanc (First Samurai) in the late stages to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Out of a half-sister to...