Verifying

Running a breeding shed efficiently and effectively takes a certain level of teamwork. Really, it takes a lot of the same characteristics found in any strong relationship. So it's no surprise, then, that the husband-and-wife duo of Roberto and Leticia Vera manages the shed at Pleasant Acres Stallions with such ease, proving that both professionally and personally, the best teams are built on mutual trust, understanding and sometimes, a whole lot of patience. For the past two years, Roberto and Leticia have made up the two-person team behind a roster...

Verifying (Justify), who stands at Florida's Pleasant Acres Stallions, was represented by his first foal when a filly was born Jan. 25. The filly is out of the Malibu Moon mare Selective Memory and owned by Belvedere Farm. "There is so much to say about Verifying and the potential for his progeny to take the racing industry by storm," said Director of Stallion Services Christine Jones. "A half-brother to 6x Grade I winner Midnight Bisou, Verifying is a dual hemisphere stallion who had a very successful breeding debut in Florida...

Pleasant Acres Stallions outside of Ocala, Florida, who welcomed to its stallion roster this year 'TDN Rising Star' Champions Dream and Mr Fisk, has released the farm's stud fee schedule, according to a Friday press release. The 220-acre farm owned by Joe Barbazon and Helen Barbazon added MGSW Mr Fisk (by Arrogate) after the homebred was retired by Sunny Brook Stables last month. The colt amassed a record of 11-5-2-0 and earnings of $369,700. Mr Fisk will stand for $8,500. GSW Champions Dream (by Justify) will take up residence alongside...

The four first-year stallions at Pleasant Acres Stallions in Florida--Verifying, Doppelganger, Simplification, and Chess Chief--as well as Bodexpress, who is new to Florida after standing three years in California, all have had multiple mares confirmed in foal to kick off their stud careers. "Since the breeding shed opened this season, we have had a very active stallion barn," said Christine Jones, the farm's director of stallion services. "We have recently received confirmation that all five of our exciting new stallions have mares in foal, so we are off to a...

Pleasant Acres Farm outside of Morriston, Florida launched its stallion division in 2013 with the vision of bringing top-class sires to the Sunshine State. Over a decade later, the operation founded by Joe and Helen Barbazon is still working toward that same goal. This year they've provided a major boost to the Florida stallion ranks with the addition of five newcomers for 2024, bringing their stallion roster up to a total count of 13 members. With his first-crop of 2-year-olds hitting the track this year, Bodexpress (Bodemeister) has relocated from...

Verifying (Justify--Diva Delite, by Repent), winner of the GIII Indiana Derby and a half-brother to Eclipse winner Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute), will stand at Pleasant Acres Stallions in Florida for an introductory fee of $10,000 in 2024. Trained by Brad Cox after selling for $775,000 as a KEESEP yearling, Verifying began his career at two with a win in his first asking at Saratoga before placing in the GI Champagne S. at Belmont at the Big A in his second start. In addition to winning the Indiana Derby, he placed...

Snapping a six-race slide and returning to the winner's enclosure for the first-time since his GII Gotham S. win in the spring, Raise Cain (c, 3, Violence--Lemon Belle, by Lemon Drop Kid) nipped Dr. Venkman (Ghostzapper) in the shadow of the wire to score in the Perryville S. The aforementioned GI Kentucky Derby prep race has been his only victory in 2023, and in pairing with a nose runner-up effort in the GIII Indiana Derby July 8 to familiar foe GSW & MGISP Verifying (Justify), has been the only time...

The opening session of the Keeneland September Sale picked up considerable steam at its midway stage when a filly by Into Mischief and a colt by Uncle Mo made seven-figure prices back-to-back. The Gainesway-consigned hip 92 is a daughter of Grade III winner Delightful Joy (Tapit), a $700,000 purchase by International Equities Holding at Keeneland January in 2017 and also the dam of Window Shopping (American Pharoah), winner of this year's GIII Summertime Oaks for Perry and Ramona Bass and Richard Mandella. Hip 92 was hammered down to Sheikha Hissa's...

The sensationally fast New York Thunder (Nyquist) was well on his way to a fifth victory from as many starts in Saturday's GI H. Allen Jerkens S. at Saratoga, but fell when well clear at the sixteenth pole and suffered a life-ending injury in scenes eerily reminiscent of those three weeks ago when Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic) catastrophically broke down just before the wire of the GI Test S. One in Vermillion (Army Mule) found his best stride in the stretch and inherited the victory at odds of 19-1....

West Will Power (Bernardini), a last-out winner of the GI Stephen Foster S., worked five furlongs in 1:02.24 (1/4) in company with the stakes-placed Tapit Shoes (Tapit) for trainer Brad Cox over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track Saturday. West Will Power, owned and bred by Gary and Mary West, is under consideration for either next Saturday's GI Whitney S. or the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Sept. 2 at the Spa. "It's a very prestigious race. It means a lot," Cox said of the Whitney. "We'll see how things unfold after...

A couple of hours after Aspen Grove (Ire) conjured up a 15-1 surprise in the GI Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks, Verifying (Justify) validated a quote of 3-5 favoritism--if only just--to best Raise Cain (Violence) in the GIII Indiana Derby. Away alertly for Marcelino Pedroza, Jr, the $775,000 Keeneland September yearling--a half-brother to the magnificent Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute)--was content to lie second and allow the rail-drawn Transect (Gun Runner) to carve out the early fractions. Georgie W (Tapiture) tracked three wide from his high draw, while Cagliostro (Upstart) enjoyed the run...

A pair of Grade I events for 3-year-olds on grass will co-anchor a loaded 12-race program at Belmont Park Saturday. European invader The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), a narrow winner of the G2 Dante S. May 18 and fifth-place finisher after stumbling at the start in the G1 English Derby June 3, will make the trip across the pond for trainer Andrew Balding for the GI Belmont Derby Invitational. The 7-2 morning-line favorite, drawn widest of all in post 11, will square off against 10 rivals, including GII Pennine Ridge...