Keeneland

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes 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 Monday running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses: Monday, October 9, 2023 1st-KYO, ¥10,480,000 ($70k), Maiden, 2yo, 1400mT PIKARI (f, 2, Twirling Candy--Laudation, by Congrats) turned in a sound third-place effort on her Aug. 20 debut going nine furlongs from a terrible draw...

The parade of graded stakes races this Saturday is like a Christmas tree laden with presents. Towards the end of the celebration, as the wadded paper congregates, there will be a customary wistfulness that slowly sets in. We never want it to end. With 17, yes 17, graded races on the docket--nine of those have Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' status--it is going to be a splendid day to receive as Belmont at the Big A, Keeneland Race Course, Woodbine Racetrack, Gulfstream Park, Hastings Racecourse and Santa Anita Park...

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Candied (f, 2, Candy Ride {Arg}--Toni Tools, by Roaring Fever), a 3/4-length, come-from-behind debut winner sprinting at Saratoga Aug. 20, stayed perfect while stretching to two turns in Friday's 'Win and You're In' GI Darley Alcibiades at Keeneland. The 4-1 chance raced in between horses rounding the clubhouse turn in fifth. She advanced into fourth approaching the quarter pole, made a flashy, sweeping move at the top of the stretch, and, despite hanging on her left lead down the stretch, went on to defeat favored runaway GIII...

Already a proven winner over the 1 1/16-mile trip, Buchu (Justify) made the jump from maiden winner to graded-stakes winner Friday with an eye-catching come-from-behind performance in the GII Jessamine S. on Keeneland's opening day. Facing her fifth track in as many starts, the dark bay debuted with a pair of thirds on the dirt--first at Ellis Park June 16 and then to Saratoga in a rained-off event July 30. Sixth once she finally got on the turf in upstate New York Aug. 20, Buchu broke through at 4-1 by...

6th-Keeneland, $100,000, Msw, 10-6, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.49, ft, 3 1/4 lengths. BOURBON BREEZE (f, 2, Omaha Beach--Malibu Pride, by Malibu Moon) became her sire (by War Front)'s 14th winner in impressive fashion here, the 4-1 shot saving early ground from behind the leading bunch heading into the straight. Losing a few positions as the field closed ranks, she next had to contend with a wall of runners in front of her and finally found her seam in the final furlong as she muscled between rivals for an opening. Driving...

Hoist the Gold (Mineshaft) punched his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint with an overdue first graded stakes win in Friday's 'Win and You're In' GII Stoll Keenon Odgen Phoenix S. at Keeneland. He finished third in the GI Runhappy Malibu S. at Santa Anita last December and second in this year's GI Churchill Downs S. on the Kentucky Derby undercard. He fell just a neck short in this spring's GIII Commonwealth S. in Lexington. Last seen finishing a well-beaten sixth in the GII Pat O'Brien S. Aug. 26...

3rd-Keeneland, $106,700, Alw, 10-6, (NW1X), 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:26.99, ft, 13 1/2 lengths. TWO ITEM SAVER (f, 3, Super Saver--Two Item Limit {MGSW & MGISP, $1,060,585}, by Twining) debuted in 2022 in the same Churchill Downs maiden which yielded GSW Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief) and SP Baby Got Backspin (Kantharos), finishing fourth for Dallas Stewart before being put on the bench until August of this year. Now in the barn of Ignacio Correas, she graduated from the maiden ranks in the Colonial dash last out at second asking and shipped...

No matter whether it is April or October, if it's Keeneland, then you know a Wesley Ward 2-year-old who sets sail for a maiden voyage has a chance to sparkle. Royal Slipper (Uncle Mo) certainly did that on opening day Friday afternoon when the juvenile filly won impressively as a newly-minted 'TDN Rising Star'. Breaking along the fence, Royal Slipper shot to the lead and quickly opened up a distinct advantage up the backstretch. As fellow firster Loveland (Munnings) gave chase into the far turn, the Ward trainee continued to...

Veteran trainer Larry Demeritte stayed vigilant through the very end of last year's Keeneland September Sale, taking a close look at every yearling going through the ring during the final session. With less than 20 hips to go, when most buyers were long gone and many consignments were already packed up, he raised his hand on Hip 4146. Coming in with a winning bid of $11,000 for the son of Exaggerator, Demeritte signed the ticket for his longtime client Harry Veruchi. "I stay at the sale and look at every...

The fall isn't really, The Fall, until Keeneland arrives. Well, get your steaming pot of burgoo ready, because it's here. Scheduled for Friday, Oct. 6, the meet's opening day at the Old Keene Farm is upon us and the 10-race card includes a trio of graded stakes which all have Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' implications. Leading off is the GII Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs on the Main Track. Suitors for the GI Breeders' Cup Qatar Racing Sprint include MSW Bango...

2nd-KEE, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:32 p.m. Drawn inside facing a field of 12, ROYAL SLIPPER (Uncle Mo) for Wesley Ward is out of $1.5m Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed Sale pick up Laffina (Arch), making her a full-sister to MGISW and $4.2m FTKNOV purchase Bast. The dam is a half to GSW/GISP Mananan Mclir (Royal Academy) and to the dam of GISW Fault (Blame), another FTKNOV spotlight at $1.2m. Lady Chai (Kantharos), a $570,000 Keeneland September buy, is a half-sister to GSW/GISP Shivaji (First Samurai) and to SW/MGISP Tarabi (First...

It's a busy time at Keeneland. The September sale has just ended, the fall race meet is upon us and the November sale is right around the corner. With that in mind, the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland called upon Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach to fill us in on the latest from one of America's favorite racetracks. Breathnach was this week's Green Group Guest of the Week. The foal crop keeps dropping every year, but that doesn't seem to affect the September sale. There were...