Pioneerof the Nile

Three of Ashford Stud's Grade I-winning stallions will be in the limelight in the coming weeks as they are represented by their first crop of yearlings in the sales ring. Three-time GIW Practical Joke (Into Mischief), the regally-bred Cupid (Tapit) and juvenile champion Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) all ranked amongst the top of their class with the sale of their weanlings, and now look to continue the streak with their yearlings. We sat down with Coolmore's Adrian Wallace and discussed two of the young sires. [tdn_vimeo_embed title="Cupid and Classic...

1st-SAR, $72K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:10 p.m. ET Stonestreet Stable's CANTATA (Medaglia d'Oro) debuts for Steve Asmussen, who is winning with 20% of his runners at the current meet. Purchased for $950,000 at Keeneland last September, the bay is the second foal out of Stoweshoe, who is also responsible for Desert Peace (Curlin), who realized $1.3 million from Godolphin at the same venue one year earlier. The Doug and Felicia Branham-bred filly has been training steadily at Saratoga, including a four-furlong move two back Aug. 6 (XBTV Video)....

2nd-KEE, $70K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 1:39 p.m. ET John Oxley's PALAZZI (Pioneerof the Nile) makes his career debut for trainer Mark Casse. Out of the stakes-winning and multiple graded-placed sprinter Kindle (Indian Charlie), the $510,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling graduate is a half to two-time winner Made in America (Tiznow). A year earlier, Palazzi realized $375,000 at Keeneland in November, while his year-younger brother, by American Pharoah, brought $2.2. million at that venue in September. Also worthy of note is first-time starter SWILL (Munnings), trained by Brad Cox, who has a...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Sunday's Insights features a €3.2-million Goffs Orby sale-topping full-sister to two Group 1 winners. 1.25 Chantilly, Cond, €28,000, 3yo, f, 10 1/2fT BONNE IDEE (GB) (Frankel {GB}) created a big impression for the Andre Fabre stable when winning a Lyon-Parilly maiden last month and takes the next step towards...

Even Richard Wagner would have struggled to make anything of this particular "ring cycle". In four starts, Eight Rings (Empire Maker) has so far abruptly alternated the full works--strings, horns, kettle drums--with a timid clink of the triangle. As such, he certainly can't afford to break the cycle when surfacing for the first time since his Breeders' Cup bust in the Bachelor S. at Oaklawn Saturday. Dropping in grade and distance, in fact, he needs to produce the dominant sophomore performance of a day that also features a new stakes...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - The two-day Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale couldn't match up to its record-setting 2018 renewal, but when the dust settled Monday evening at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion, the auction had seen its fourth straight record-priced yearling. The record bid came from Larry Best, who said he had only seen the filly two hours before he spent $775,000 to acquire the daughter of Malibu Moon from the Winter Quarter Farm consignment. In all, 186 yearlings sold during the 2019 New York sale for a total of...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - A year ago, Jonathan Thorne sent a son of Pioneerof the Nile through the sales ring at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Yearlings Sale and watched as the youngster sold for a sale-record $600,000. It was a gratifying moment for the longtime New York breeder who has been on the front lines of the evolution of the state's breeding program. Thorne returns to the New York sale with a five-horse consignment in 2019. "I was just really fortunate enough to breed a horse and raise him and...