Keeneland

A Year Removed from a Horse of a Lifetime, Sadler Three Deep at Breeders' Cup

ARCADIA, CA - With a trio of longshot chances entered in this weekend's Breeders' Cup, trainer John Sadler found a quiet spot on the apron to watch his 9:00 a.m. set train at Santa Anita on Wednesday morning. It was a very different scene ahead of last year's Championships as the 67-year-old put the finishing touches on the once-in-a-lifetime Flightline (Tapit), who concluded his brilliant career unbeaten from six starts with a performance for the ages in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland. How's life after Flightline treating you...

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Trio Supplemented To November Horses Of Racing Age Sale

Keeneland has added three horses, including recent Fall Meet winner Halmstad (Nyquist), to its Horses of Racing Age Sale, which brings the single-session auction catalogue set for Friday, Nov. 17 at noon ET to 303, the organization said in a release Thursday morning. Halmstad (hip 4302) scored a 3 3/4-length maiden special weight victory at Keeneland Oct. 27 in his third lifetime start. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, the 3-year-old gelding is a half-brother to SW Spycraft (Discreet Cat) and is out of Sugarcraft, by Bernardini. The other...

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2024 Kentucky Race Dates Set

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) on Tuesday approved a Thoroughbred racing calendar for 2024 that largely mirrors the template that has been in place for the past three seasons. The board's unanimous approval included a conditional "optional dates" placeholder for Ellis Park's July and August calendar that has to be solidified into a three-dates-per-week commitment before the end of this year. The gaming company Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), which owns Ellis, Churchill Downs Racetrack, and Turfway Park, had requested additional time to figure out if swapping Fridays for Mondays...

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Clay's Debut Consignment Features a Powerhouse Pair

It was almost a year ago that Case Clay stepped away from his position at Three Chimneys Farm to focus full-time on his company, Case Clay Thoroughbred Management. With services including bloodstock auction and private purchases, portfolio management and equine insurance, he has stayed busy since going solo. Clay was in Australia for the Inglis Easter Sale this spring to oversee a successful auction for his clients offering yearlings there. They celebrated several lucrative sales, including a Dundeel (NZ) colt out of Kevikki (Aus) (Smart Missile {Aus})--a mare that Clay...

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Keeneland Wraps 2023 Fall Meet With Near-Record Handle

Keeneland closed its 2023 Fall Meet on a high note Saturday. The meet produced total all-sources wagering of $201.7 million, the second-highest Fall Meet handle and fourth-highest handle in Keeneland history. "The Fall Meet was terrific from start to finish, and we are thankful for the strong support of our participants, fans and community," Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. "It was rewarding to see crowds line the rail through the very last race every day, savoring all the excitement this season had to offer. And with the recent...

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Maximus Mischief's Glengarry Too Strong in Bowman Mill

Iowa-bred Glengarry (Maximus Mischief) ran his record to three wins from as many appearances with a good-looking victory in Saturday's Bowman Mill S. at Keeneland. The 5-2 second choice off a 12 3/4-length romp against his fellow state-breds in the Sept. 30 Iowa Cradle S., the gray colt was under the pump early from Luis Saez as he tried to match strides with Cowes (Outwork) to his outside, but when it was apparent that he was not going to make the lead, Glengarry was taken hold of for a stride...

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Practical Joke Filly Sparkles On Keeneland Debut

4th-Keeneland, $100,000, Msw, 10-28, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:10.65, ft, 7 3/4 lengths. HOWL (f, 3, Practical Joke--How, by Indian Charlie) was crunched into 6-5 favoritism for a belated career debut and overcame a wide trip from the outside draw to open her account in impressive fashion. Not the swiftest away, the aptly named $190,000 Keeneland September yearling worked her way into the thick of things in quick order, but that sluggish dispatch meant that Howl was trapped out as they raced to the turn. Easing down into about the three...

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Making Waves: Mastercraftsman Filly Feeling Valourous

   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 Romagna Mia in the Dowager S. at Keeneland last weekend.   Mia All Class In Dowager Team Valor International's Romagna Mia (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) won the Dowager S. at Keeneland on Sunday (video). It was the GI Beverly D. S. third's second graded/group score, having taken the G2 Premio Lydia Tesio in 2022. Bred by Cavendish Bloodstock, the Graham Motion trainee was a...

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Youalmosthadme Dominates Keeneland's Myrtlewood

Cut loose in the lane and rolling home, Youalmosthadme (f, 2, Oxbow--Good Gator, by Good and Tough) gave them the slip on the cut back from a mile and dominated the Myrtlewood S. to pick up her second career black type victory. Last seen finishing second behind long-gone GIII Pocahontas victress 'TDN Rising Star' V V's Dream (Mitole), who finished second to Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GI Darley Alcibiades earlier in the month, Youalmosthadme already tallied an open length maiden score over this track in the spring and...

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Klaravich Homebred 'Surges' To Valley View Victory

Favored on the morning line at 3-1 for Friday's GIII Bank of America Valley View S. at Keeneland, Klaravich Stable's Surge Capacity (Flintshire {GB}) launched a furious final-furlong flourish and was along in the dying strides to--somewhat remarkably--give trainer Chad Brown a first victory in the event at an overlaid 5-1. The homebred was off alertly from gate nine and was able to cross down to ride the rails into the first turn as Yesternight (Midnight Storm) was hard sent from the 11 hole to make the running. Appearing to...

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Weekend Preview: Stars of Tomorrow Program Anchored By Street Sense

The fall meeting at Churchill Downs gets underway Sunday in what has become its traditional way, with juvenile races comprising the entire 11-race program. When the Triple Crown trail begins in earnest following the turn of the calendar, it will likely feature a handful of horses that raced on the day en route to bigger and better things, and the $200,000 GIII Street Sense S. has the feel of a key race going forward. The form of the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity is very much on display, and while that...

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Half-Sister To GISW Paris Lights Debuts at Kyoto

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 Niigata Racecourses. The weekend feature takes place at Tokyo on Sunday, when Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) returns to action in defense of his title in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) against a top field. Read Heather Anderson's...

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