OBS

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 10th-DMR, $70K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, post time: 9:07 p.m. ET CORNICHE (Quality Road) topped this year's OBS April Sale on a bid of $1.5 million from Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner's Speedway Stable and has drawn gate 10 as the 9-5 favorite Saturday at Del Mar. The son of six-time GSW and GI Matriarch S. runner-up Wasted Tears (Najran) was led out unsold on a bid of $385,000 at KEESEP last year, but turned in a smooth sales breeze in :10 flat to become...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, post time: 1:05 p.m. ET While the GI Alabama S. takes centerstage later on in the program, the Saturday lid-lifter at Saratoga looks a key race in prospect, with any number of booming pedigrees and lofty pricetags on display. Peter Leidel signed the ticket at an even $1 million for RAYMOND (Into Mischief) at Keeneland September last fall, with the colt's breeder Stonestreet Stables staying in for a share. The Apr. 21 foal is the third foal to the...

OCALA, FL - The three-day Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds more than bounced back from its 2020 pandemic-induced lull, ending Friday with its highest-ever gross and average and with a record-tying median. In all, 560 juveniles grossed $24,492,950 for an average of $43,737--besting the previous record figures of $23,475,500 and $39,722, respectively, set in 2015. The cumulative median was $20,000. With 125 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 18.2%. "The June sale is all grown up now," said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. "I...

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, including the first career start for an immaculately bred son of Tapit who goes out for one of that sire's biggest Japanese-based supporters: Saturday, June 12, 2021 1st-CKO, ¥9,680,000 ($88k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m DANON PULSE (JPN)...

OCALA, FL - The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds continued the trend of strong results at this spring's juvenile sales with a day of competitive bidding Wednesday in Central Florida. Gary Young made the session's highest bid, going to $425,000 to acquire a filly by Practical Joke on behalf of owner Amr Zedan. A total of 176 horses sold Wednesday for a gross of $7,268,400. The average was $41,298 and the median was $20,000. All figures were up from, not just the pandemic-delayed 2020 June sale, but...

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 Sunday running at Chukyo Racecourse, including the return of last-out Group 3 winner Shivaji (First Samurai). Over at Tokyo, a field of 17 is set for the world's richest Derby, the G1 Tokyo Yushun, headed by the undefeated Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}): Sunday, May...

In the wake of 2020 June graduate Medina Spirit (Protonico)'s victory in the GI Kentucky Derby, the catalog for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2021 June Sale of Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age was released Monday and is now available via the OBS website at obssales.com. The iPad version of the catalog is available via the equineline Sales Catalog app. Supplemental entries are being accepted until May 19. There are 858 2-year-olds and 15 older horses cataloged for the three-day sale, with all sessions beginning at 10:30 a.m. EST....

Sure, it's a very different game from our own. On the face of it, horse racing and soccer appear to have little more in common than the same generic umbrella as sports. But then it turns out that "soccer" is itself a very different game--or a very different industry, at least--from what the British know as "football." And if you happen to have followed an extraordinary week for its European elite, then it would be remiss not to ask whether there might actually be one or two highly pertinent lessons...

A son of leading sire Quality Road was the first to hit the seven-figure mark at the OBS Spring Sale's second session Wednesday, bringing $1.5 million from Marette Farrell. Bred by Bart Evans and Stonehaven Steadings, the bay is a son of MGSW & MGISP Wasted Tears (Najran). Consigned by de Meric Sales, the :10 flat breeze RNA'd for $385,000 at KEESEP.

A Liam's Map filly (Hip 1188) from the Flying Fish consignment looks to become the next star to come out of Art Fisher's training center after being one of eight juveniles to work a bullet in :9 4/5 during the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale under-tack show Saturday. The start of the sixth and final session was delayed until 9:30 a.m. due to storms in the forecast. "The third time I breezed her, I called the guy who owns her and said, 'This filly is diseased with speed.' So,...

The sixth and final session of the under tack show for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2021 Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds was delayed by weather Saturday morning, but is now underway. OBS issued a press release saying that the situation is being closely monitored and it is anticipated that conditions will be favorable for the session to begin at 9:30 a.m. Further changes will be announced if necessary, the sales company said. The National Weather Service issued a "significant weather advisory" for the area. "At 7:23 a.m. EDT, National Weather...

A colt from the first crop of Florida stallion Valiant Minister was one of two to breeze a bullet quarter mile in :20 3/5 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale under-tack show Friday. Hip 996 will attempt to follow in the hoofprints of his Bridlewood-based sire, who topped OBS's 2015 June sale after a bullet work, selling to Charles Chu of Baoma Corp. For $680,000 after breezing an eighth in :9 4/5. "I remember Valiant Minister when he sold here," said SGV Thoroughbreds' Steve Venosa, who consigns Hip...