Larry Best

Eclipse Hoping Lightning Strikes Twice With Tiz the Law Firster

2nd-GP, $68k, Msw, 3yo, f, 5fT, post time: 1:21 p.m. ET CODE (Tiz the Law) gets her career underway here for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm, who teamed to race her 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard half-brother Locked (Gun Runner) to six wins from 11 starts, including a blowout success in the 2025 GI Santa Anita Handicap. Unsold on a bid of $245,000 as a foal at Fasig-Tipton November in 2023, the Mar. 13 foal is out of a winning daughter of SW & GSP Gabriellina Giof (GB)...

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Breeders' Cup Distaff Winner Blue Prize Dies

Argentine champion and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff heroine Blue Prize (Arg) (Pure Prize--Blues for Sale {Arg}), by Not For Sale {Arg}) died at the Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital on Monday after complications from foaling, according to Frank Taylor, the Vice President of Boarding Operations at Taylor Made Farms, where the 13-year-old mare has been boarded for her entire breeding career. "She had complications from a hemorrhage," Taylor said. "She had a foal [by Life Is Good] about a week ago." According to Taylor, her latest filly is doing well....

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His Career Thriving, Will Walden Set to Have His First Breeders' Cup Starter

It was hard to see Minaret Station (Instilled Regard) winning the GII Castle and Key Bourbon Stakes last week at Keeneland. He was 38-1 and coming off a narrow win in a maiden at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Yet, he beat his rivals that day, punching his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. But that was only one part of this story, one that is about being on the bottom, digging your way out of trouble and then thriving. For trainer Will Walden, this will be his first Breeders' Cup...

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Mitole 'Rising Star' Makes it Two in a Row at Oaklawn

8th-Oaklawn, $140,000, Alw (NW2L)/Opt. Clm ($80,000), 12-31, 2yo, 1m, 1:38.63, ft, 4 lengths. CARBONE (c, 2, Mitole--Treasure in Heaven, by Street Sense) was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following a front-running eight-length debut romp going six furlongs at Churchill Downs Nov. 19. Stretching out to a mile for this second start, the 3-5 favorite sprinted right out to the early lead and was unchallenged while loping along through fractions of :23.40 and :47.76. He was let loose approaching the stretch and bound clear to score by four lengths. Lightline (City...

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Nov. 23 Insight: Pricey Munnings Filly Debuts at Churchill Downs

7th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 4:01 p.m. EDT OXO Equine's EXHIBIT HALL (Munnings) makes her career bow in this spot for trainer Paulo Lobo. Larry Best went to $1.6 million to secure the filly at OBS April after she breezed in :9 4/5 for Eddie Woods, making her the most expensive filly at that auction. A $250,000 KEESEP yearling buy, the chestnut is out of six-time stakes winner Tensas Harbor (Private Vow). TJCIS PPs

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Into Mischief Colt Tops Another Banner Day at KEESEP

By Christie DeBernardis and Jessica Martini A $1.4-million son of super sire Into Mischief (Hip 604) led a sextet of seven-figure sellers during the opening session of Book 2 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Wednesday. Consigned by Summerfield on behalf of Stonestreet Stables, the colt was purchased by Larry Best of OXO Equine. With six horses eclipsing the million-dollar mark Wednesday, the sale total now comes to 28. During the equivalent session last year, just two yearlings brought seven figures, including the $1.7-million sale topper. "It was a great...

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Into Mischief Colt to Best for $1.4 Million

Wednesday's third session of  the Keeneland September sale produced back-to-back seven-figure yearlings when Larry Best bid $1.4 million to acquire a colt by Into Mischief (hip 604), just one hip after Mandy Pope purchased a Tapit filly for $1.1 million. The first foal out of stakes winner and multiple Grade I placed Dawn the Destroyer (Speightstown) was consigned by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck's Summerfield on behalf of his breeder, Barbara Banke's Stonestreet. The colt was the fourth of the day to bring seven figures and brought the three-day total for...

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Blockbuster Book 1 Concludes at Keeneland With Another 13 Million-Dollar Yearlings

by Jessica Martini, Christie DeBernardis & Christina Bossinakis The elite Book 1 section of the Keeneland September Sale, which began with a powerhouse session Monday, maintained its energy all the way through to the end of Tuesday's second session. After nine yearlings sold for $1 million or more Monday, a further 13 horses topped that mark during Tuesday's session, led by a $1.8-million son of Constitution. "Coming out of day one, I think that momentum was almost euphoric," said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. "Coming into day two,...

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Best Lands Quality Road Filly at KEESEP

A yearling filly by hot sire Quality Road brought a $1.3 million from Larry Best's OXO Equine Tuesday at the Keeneland September sale. Offered by Lane's End, acting as agent on behalf of Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Equine, Hip 302 is out of listed winner Key to My Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), out of GI Frizette heroine A Z Warrior (Bernardini).   🌟 @keenelandsales September Day 2: Hip 302, a Quality Road filly out of KEY TO MY HEART (IRE) - consigned by @LanesEndFarms, brings the hammer down at $1.3...

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OBS Spring Sale Storms to Record-Setting Conclusion

by Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis OCALA, FL - The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds, which had already surpassed its record gross during Thursday's penultimate session, powered straight through to the finish Friday, concluding with new highwater marks for average and median, as well as gross. At the end of four days of selling, 707 head had grossed $91,984,000. The previous record gross, set just last year, was $73,907,900. The average of $130,105 and median of $65,000 were well ahead of previous marks of $108,903 and $60,000,...

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Munnings Filly Brings $1.6M From Best at OBS

A filly by Munnings (hip 1174) joined the seven-figure club at OBS when selling for $1.6 million to Larry Best. Bloodstock agent Christina Jelm signed the ticket on the chestnut who worked a furlong in :9 4/5 last week. The filly is out of multiple stakes winner Tensas Harbor (Private Vow) and was purchased by Woods's Quarter Pole Enterprises pinhooking partnership for $250,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. She is the fifth seven-figure juvenile of the four-day auction, which had already surpassed its previous record gross during Thursday's third...

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Mating Plans: OXO Equine

With the 2022 breeding season right around the corner, we will feature a series of breeders' mating plans over the coming weeks. Today we have Taylor Made's Katie Taylor Whalen on behalf of Larry Best, owner of OXO Equine. Best retired two stallions to Taylor Made--GISW Instilled Regard (Arch) and GSW/GISP Instagrand (Into Mischief)--for their first seasons last year, with both represented by their first foals in 2022. A majority of his broodmare band, over 50 strong, will go to one of the two and are expecting foals by either...

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