Keeneland

Elite Sales, the Thoroughbred consignment business of Liz Crow and Bradley Weisbord, will begin selling yearlings in 2023, adding to their existing business of breeding and racing stock, according to the pair. "Elite Sales launched in 2017 with the goal of being the number-one consignor of horses of racing age and broodmares/broodmare prospects," said Weisbord. "With six years under our belts, we have experienced a wide range of success including selling 21 off-the-track broodmare or racing prospects for $1 million or more." The addition of yearlings to their lineup is...

by Sara Gordon and Katie Petrunyak Many of the nearly 250 people attending the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers Club's (KTFMC) monthly meeting, held Tuesday evening at the Keeneland sales pavilion, were unfamiliar with the unregulated and untaxed gaming machines known as "gray machines." The risk these gray machines pose to historical horse racing (HHR) gaming and the state's horse racing industry as a whole were the main topic of the meeting that included a discussion and Q and A session of Central Kentucky legislators. In a panel moderated by 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 Tokyo and Hanshin Racecourses. Click here for our preview of Sunday's first Group 1 of the new year, the February S., featuring US-breds Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid), Shirl's Speight (Speightstown) and Jasper Prince (Violence): Saturday, February 18, 2023 7th-HSN,...

Keeneland will hold its 2023 April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale this year on Sunday, Apr. 30 beginning at 4 p.m. ET. Entry deadline for the print version of the April Sale catalog is Monday, Apr. 3 and approved supplemental entries will be accepted until the sale. Keeneland successfully held its April Selected Sale last year on closing day of the Spring Meet, and the sale will return to that position on the calendar in 2024. This year's move to Sunday is a one-time event to avoid conflict with...

While no singular superstar emerged from this class numbering just 60, the top-to-bottom quality separates this class from its counterparts. MGISW Guarana (Ghostzapper) was the only 'TDN Rising Star' to win multiple Grade I events in 2019. She posted three consecutive victories that year, going straight from her maiden-breaking score at Keeneland to the GI Acorn S., where she defeated GI Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress (Alternation) and future Eclipse champion Ce Ce (Elusive Quality), and then to Saratoga's GI Coaching Club American Oaks. Second only to GISW Street Band...

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 Saturday running at Tokyo Racecourse: Saturday, February 11, 2023 2nd-TOK, ¥11,850,000 ($90,463), Newcomers, 3yo, 1400m ERIKA BONITA (f, 3, Justify--Caledonia Road, by Quality Road) is the first foal out of her dam, whose upset victory in the 2017 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies...

As a nod to the growing popularity of tailgating on The Hill, Keeneland will expand the traditional Friday/Saturday schedule to now include Sundays during the Spring Meet. No ticket or reservation is required. Fans can watch the racing action via a jumbo TV and place their bets in a wagering tent with live music and food trucks nearby. Concerning tickets for its upcoming Spring Meet, to be held Apr. 7-28, those will go on sale Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 9 a.m. ET. A variety of options for Dining, Grandstand reserved...

Recently crowned champion sprinter Elite Power (Curlin) will launch his 5-year-old campaign in the $1.5-million G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint on the Saudi Cup undercard Feb. 25. The Juddmonte colorbearer capped a five-race winning streak with a powerful, come-from-behind victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland last out Nov. 5. Elite Power, a $900,000 Keeneland September graduate, has posted five workouts for Hall of Famer Bill Mott since the beginning of the new year at Payson Park, including a five-furlong breeze in 1:02.80 (4/8) Feb. 2. "He had his...

Pete McCormick, a longtime Keeneland bid spotter and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, passed away Thursday at the age of 75.  A native of Ontario, California,  Pete was just a boy when given his first job in the auction business from Tom Caldwell, the longtime head auctioneer at Keeneland, who took McCormick under his wing. "The Keeneland family mourns the passing of Pete McCormick, who was an iconic presence in the Keeneland Sales Pavilion during his four decades as a bid spotter," Keeneland said Friday in a statement. "Pete famously said,...

Breeders' Cup Sprint champions in their races, both Goodnight Olive and Elite Power turned heads, as they rattled off a string of quality victories. GOODNIGHT OLIVE Goodnight Olive brought a salty four-race win streak into her stakes debut and then promptly reeled off two of the biggest Grade I prizes for female sprinters, making her a no-brainer choice for Eclipse champion female sprinter. She debuted in 2021 with a runner-up finish in a Gulfstream maiden, then went to the sidelines for seven months, never to lose again. The dark bay...

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 Chukyo and Tokyo Racecourses. Sunday's headliner at headquarters is the G3 Negishi S. over 1400 meters, the local lead-up into the G1 February S. going a mile on Feb. 19. The talented Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) leads a four-pronged...

by Sara Gordon and Katie Petrunyak LEXINGTON, KY-The Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers Club (KTFMC) held its first meeting of the year on Tuesday at Keeneland. The event was conducted jointly with the Kentucky Association of Equine Practitioners (KAEP) and the over 200 in attendance represented both organizations. Members of the Godolphin Flying Start and Kentucky Equine Management Internship programs were also on hand. Recent changes and trends in the equine veterinary field were a focal point of the evening, along with topics including equine litigation and liability, navigating equine veterinary...