Currently on the outside looking in, Hades sits in 24th place on the leaderboard with 30 points. The GI Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 starters. The Lexington offers 42 points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale.

With a victory, Hades would be in the top 20. A runner-up finish would put him on the bubble.

Hades upset potential Kentucky Derby favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) (third) and next-out GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby winner Domestic Product (Practical Joke) (second) with a game victory in the GIII Holy Bull S. Feb. 3. Hades suffered his first career defeat finishing a well-beaten fifth behind Fierceness after getting bumped at the start in the GI Curlin Florida Derby Mar. 30.

“We need the points. I'm not going to go there to be number 21 (on the also-eligible list),” trainer Joe Orseno said. “He didn't get a chance to run in the Florida Derby.”

Hades will race with first-time blinkers in the Lexington and will also receive a rider change to Jose Ortiz. Paco Lopez was aboard Hades in his first four career starts.

“I always thought he would be better with blinkers, but he kept winning and I couldn't make the change,” Orseno said. “He'll have blinkers here; little ones.”

Two other Lexington entrants could be on the Derby bubble with a victory: Encino (Nyquist) (20 points) and Liberal Arts (Arrogate) (19 points).

John Battaglia Memorial S. winner Encino, scratched from last weekend's GI Blue Grass S. in favor of this spot, tries dirt for the first time for trainer Brad Cox. Last year's GIII Street Sense S. winner Liberal Arts was an eventful sixth (disqualified and placed eighth for interference after getting rank on the first turn) in the GI Arkansas Derby Mar. 30.

The Lexington field of 10 also includes 5-2 morning-line favorite The Wine Steward (Vino Rosso), who makes his first start since finishing a very game second in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland Oct. 7.

Saturday's 11-race card at Keeneland also prominently features the GI Jenny Wiley S. Gina Romantica (Into Mischief), a two-time Grade I winner over the lawn in Lexington, held her own against the boys finishing a respectable fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile last time Nov. 4. The 3-1 morning-line favorite is one of four entered for Chad Brown, who has won five of the past six runnings of the 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares and has six Jenny Wiley victories overall.

Brown will also saddle last term's GI Matriarch S. heroine Surge Capacity (Flintshire {GB}), MGSW Fluffy Socks (Slumber {GB}) and longshot Beaute Cachee (Fr) (Literato {Fr}). “With a lot of my good grass fillies, I like to target this and I like the mile and a sixteenth to start,” Brown said.

The field of 10 also includes: Didia (Arg) (Orpen), a game winner of the GII TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational S. at Gulfstream Jan. 27; and the Charlie Appleby-trained English Rose (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who captured the G2 Balanchine S. at Meydan last time Feb. 23.

Wet Paint (Blame), three-for-three against stakes company at Oaklawn last season, will face off against California invader Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) in the GI Apple Blossom H. in Hot Springs. Wet Paint, just up in time in last summer's GI Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga, makes her first start since finishing eighth in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita Nov. 4. Adare Manor, winner of last summer's GI Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar, crossed the line one spot better in seventh at the Championships and kicked off her 5-year-old campaign for Bob Baffert with a runner-up finish as the favorite in the GI Beholder Mile S. at Santa Anita Mar. 9.

Saturday's graded action is rounded out by the GIII Count Fleet H. at Oaklawn and GIII Giant's Causeway S. at Keeneland.

The post Last Chance at the Big Dance: Hades Can Punch Kentucky Derby Ticket in Lexington appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Since his two length score in the first leg of the Florida series, Hades has worked twice at four furlongs and at a mile, which prompted the connections to give the second leg some consideration before deciding to pass.

“He's doing great, that's the problem. It's hard to sit still,” Orseno said. “But in the grand scheme of things and what we're trying to accomplish, it's probably the right thing to do. I've seen too many people try to run in all three races here and then you have nothing left. We're just trying to do right by the horse.”

Potentially, Hades could be Orseno's second GI Kentucky Derby starter. He entered Thunder Blitz in 2001, who was fourth behind Monarchos.

The post Holy Bull Winner Hades To Wait For Florida Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“We're obviously working backwards from the first Saturday in May,” said Orseno. “We'll do what's best for the horses. I don't think both races are in the plans. If I had to guess today, I'd say the latter one.”

Orseno said the undefeated Hades came out of his Holy Bull win in good shape.

“My both feet are on the ground and everything's fine,” said Orseno. “The horse is doing great. He came out of it really well in his training. He's been back training two days. He's galloping great.”

Orseno continued: “Yesterday, he was more aggressive. It was windy and it was his first day back on the track. Today, he was more settled.”

The trainer also detailed the decision that led to gelding the bay, who is now unbeaten in three starts. Orseno had spotted Hades at the 2023 OBS April Sale, where he worked two furlongs in :21 1/5. D. J. Stable signed the ticket and Orseno brought his longtime client Cotran in to team up on the Florida-bred colt.

“When I bought him out of the sale, I gave him a week and brought him down here. He just wasn't training like I thought he should have been,” Orseno said. “He was stud-ish, really stud-ish. He was a little weak behind. He didn't seem to be himself. I said, 'This isn't the horse I bought,' because we really loved him.”

Despite extra time turned out in Ocala, Hades showed no improvement.

“He was being real stud-ish, not going forward. I said, 'Just cut him and help him grow up a little bit.' That's what we did. We just gave him time and cut him. He's a son of Awesome Slew. Nobody was thinking 'stallion' at that point. Nobody was thinking anything. We bought a racehorse and we've got to get him to the races.”

The result is an undefeated prospect who has earned 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

The post Connections Eye Florida Route to Derby for Holy Bull Winner Hades appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Newly crowned as champion 2-year-old male, Fierceness makes his much-anticipated sophomore debut on Saturday in the GIII Holy Bull S., but he won't be the only starter representing Ocala Stud. Hades (Awesome Slew), who is two for two for trainer Joe Orseno, was bred and raised at Ocala Stud before he sold to D.J. Stable as a 2-year-old.

Like everyone tuning into the early Kentucky Derby preps this weekend, Ocala Stud's David O'Farrell is familiar with the anticipation that always comes around this time of year.

“It's the most exciting time of the year in this business once you get to the Derby prep races and see the potential of these young 3-year-olds,” he said.

To have two promising graduates in the same starting gate for the first leg of Florida's road to the Kentucky Derby makes this season all the more sweet.

Ocala Stud and the O'Farrells have been affiliated with Hades's female family for several generations, going back to his third dam Grade I winner and producer Pretty Discreet (Private Account). His dam The Shady Lady (Quality Road) never made it to the racetrack, but all four of her foals of racing age are winners including Devious Dame (Girvin), who sold as a 2-year-old for $240,000 and went on to win the 2022 Astoria S.

Hades is from the second crop of Ocala Stud's own Awesome Slew, a multiple graded stakes winner by Awesome Again who was the leading first-crop sire in Florida in 2022.

O'Farrell said that Hades was as straightforward as they come from the time he was foaled, on through the breaking and training process and at the sales, where he brought $130,000 at the OBS April Sale.

“He never had any issues and was good-minded,” he explained. “You never really know what the level of talent is until you get close to the sale, but he performed beautifully at OBS, sold for a nice price, went to a good home and the rest is history.”

Breaking his maiden on debut for D.J. Stable and Robert Cotran, Hades went on to win a state-bred, seven-furlong contest at Gulfstream on Dec. 31 by eight lengths. The gelding earned a 84 Beyer Speed Figure for that effort.

Hades has a full-brother pointing for the upcoming OBS April Sale as well as a yearling half-sister by Girvin. The Shady Lady is in foal to Ocala Stud sire Win Win Win this year.

With Paco Lopez aboard, Hades drew the first position for Saturday's Holy Bull, but of course he'll have to contend with overwhelming favorite Fierceness, who has been training at Palm Beach Downs since his Breeders' Cup victory.

A second-generation homebred for Repole Stable, Fierceness was among just the second crop of horses that Ocala Stud has trained for Repole.

“He was another one that kind of quietly went through the program,” O'Farrell explained. “He was medium sized and never grabbed your attention, but also didn't do anything to get your attention in a bad way. Sometimes those are the best ones. By the last two or three weeks when we started breezing him a little bit, he was doing extremely well.”

Ocala Stud's list of 2023 graduates for Repole Stable also includes 'TDN Rising Star' Agate Road (Quality Road). Owned in partnership with St. Elias Stable, the winner of the 2023 GII Pilgrim S. runs just before the Holy Bull on Saturday in the GIII Kitten's Joy S.

Hades gets a second straight win for trainer Joe Orseno and owners D.J. Stable and Robert Cotran | Ryan Thompson

“When you train horses for Repole, you're really spoiled because there are so many nice horses,” said O'Farrell. “Agate Road is no different. He went out in a Repole set and was as nice as anyone in the set.”

O'Farrell said that this winter they have 12 Repole horses at their farm's training center.

Also among the year's Kentucky Derby hopefuls, Ocala Stud is represented by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm's Locked (Gun Runner), the winner of the 2023 GI Breeders' Futurity who finished third in the Juvenile, as well as Born Noble (Constitution), who had an eye-popping maiden win for St. Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds on Dec. 30 and returns to the starting gate on Saturday at Gulfstream.

It's a loaded group of promising Ocala Stud graduates and odds are good that plenty more accolades are in the farm's future as the year continues.

“It really comes down to the owners sending us nice horses,” O'Farrell explained when asked about Ocala Stud's recent accomplishments. “We have a great group of clients and it starts with the horse. We're blessed to be able to train so many nice, well-bred horses. We have an unbelievable staff that has been with us for a long time. Our trainer George Burrows has been with us over 40 years. Many of his assistants and foremen and exercise riders have been with us for over 30 years.”

It's the best–and busiest–time of the year at Ocala Stud as foals are hitting the ground, the breeding shed doors are about to open and the countdown is on for the first 2-year-old sale in just a few weeks. Plus, the farm's stallion roster features three young sires who will be represented by their first foals this year.

“We have a couple of Roadsters on the ground and they're really nice, so we're off to a very good start there,” O'Farrell reported. “We're waiting on the first Colonel Liam in the next 10 days or so and Gretzky the Great has one coming in the next few days. We're excited about the first crops from them this year. It's a lot to juggle this time of year, but it's a lot of fun.”

The post Ocala Stud Well Represented in Holy Bull and Beyond appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“It was a strong start to the sale,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. said at the close of business Monday. “There was significant increase in average price compared to the first day and the overall sale last year. It was certainly an acceptable RNA rate. The median increased 20% from the first day last year and a little more than that overall.”

During Monday's session, 161 horses sold for $16,975,000. The average was $105,435–up 15.1% from last year's opening session and up 10.5% from the 2022 record-setting overall average of $95,391. The session median was $60,000, up 20% from the opening session figure a year ago.

From 300 catalogued lots, 215 horses went through the ring Monday. With 54 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 25.1%. It was 25.5% last year.

“It's an interesting marketplace,” Browning said. “There is dramatic competition on the 'more expensive' horses in a sale of this nature. You can see the pavilion fill up when a horse is going to bring a couple of $100,000 or more. You see the people come in and you know they are going to bid, and they are going to bid, and they are going to bid. But when a horse is going to bring $25,000, you can see the auction team working their tails off to try to get bidders on those type of horses. So it's an interesting marketplace. It's very, very healthy at the upper end–it's the same trend that we've seen at the other 2-year-old sales this year. We saw it to a lesser extent at the yearling sales last year, with the competition really focused on the upper end. So it's healthy, but it's not euphoric.”

A filly by Mendelssohn brought the session's top price when selling for $800,000 to Speedway Stables. Consigned by Paul Sharp, the session topper was one of 23 to sell for $200,000 or more. Nineteen juveniles hit that mark during last year's opening session.

The Midlantic sale concludes Tuesday with a session beginning at 11 a.m.

Ciaran Dunne, 2023 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2 Y-O-in Training Sale | Fasig-Tipton

Speedway Strikes for Mendelssohn Filly
Speedway Stables' Peter Fluor went to a session-topping $800,000 to acquire a filly by Mendelssohn (hip 245) during Monday's first session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale. The gray filly, who was consigned by Paul Sharp, worked a furlong in :10 1/5 during Wednesday's second session of the under-tack show last week.

“We thought she was a great physical,” Fluor said of the filly. “We loved her breeze, as everybody else did. She is just a standout. Mendelssohn is on the move, but she just looked like a tremendous athlete to us.”

The juvenile is out of stakes-placed Lady Hansen (Hansen).

“We loved the filly before I even got here for the Preakness,” Fluor said. “[Bloodstock agent] Marette [Farrell] had seen her and had seen her breeze. We just thought she had a huge amount of potential. And we loved her demeanor.”

Sharp, along with pinhooking partner Liz Crow, purchased the filly for $125,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“I really liked her and she carried herself well,” Sharp said of the filly's appeal last fall. “She looked like the type of horse that would do well at a 2-year-old in training sale.”

Of her progression through the winter, Sharp said, “She just did everything we could have asked for. She was one of my favorite fillies that we had on the farm all year. She's just done everything right.”

Hip 245 was the second purchase of the afternoon for Fluor and K.C. Weiner's operation, which went to $500,000 to acquire a colt by Not This Time (hip 198) from the Pick View consignment.

“He had a nice breeze (:10 3/5), not an incredible breeze, but a great physical and his mind is in the right place,” Fluor said. “We liked the way he handled it. He's a young horse–I think he's a May foal–so we will give him a little time and maybe shoot for maybe September, October for the races.”

Both juveniles will be trained by Bob Baffert.

Fluor admitted Speedway has been targeting fillies who might join the operation's fledgling broodmare band after their racing careers.

“We are predominately looking for fillies, but we look at other horses too. That's why we bought the Not This Time colt,” Fluor said.

While still in its early stages, the Speedway breeding operation enjoyed sales ring success with its first crop of yearlings last summer when selling a daughter of Tapit (hip 72) for $750,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale.

“We kind of backed into the breeding,” Fluor said with a laugh Monday. “When we retired some fillies, K. C. Weiner, my partner at Speedway, asked what we would do with this filly. We said, 'Well, we can sell her or we could breed her.' He said he'd do whatever I wanted to do, and I said I don't care, we can do whatever you want to do. We never made a decision, so we bred her. That's how we got into the breeding business.”

Awesome Slew Colt Lights Up Midlantic
A colt by Awesome Slew (hip 91), who became the first of the under-tack show to work a furlong in the co-bullet :10 flat last week, caused the first fireworks of the opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale when selling for $700,000 to the partnership of WinStar Farm's Maverick Racing, Siena Farm and CMNWLTH.

“We just loved him,” said WinStar's Elliott Walden. “We thought he was the best horse in the sale. We loved his breeze. We are happy to get him, but it was a lot. We thought like he would be in that $500,000 to $700,000 range, so he was in the top end of that range.”

Following his bullet breeze, the colt did have trouble navigating the turn on the Timonium oval last Tuesday.

“He was going so fast, he didn't make the turn,” Walden said. “So it's a good and a bad thing. But he just seemed like a really nice colt.”

The Commonwealth partnership pioneered by Chase Chamberlin and Brian Doxator has already famously enjoyed success with graduates of the Midlantic sale. They partnered up on 2022 graduate and now GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic).

Hip 91 is out of Cash Reserve (Distorted Humor) and is a half-brother to stakes-placed Reckling (Dialed In) and Campy Cash (Race Day). He was consigned by Tom McCrocklin, who purchased him for $150,000 on behalf of Michael Sucher's Champion Equine at last year's Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's October Yearling Sale.

“I literally recall telling Michael Sucher that I thought he was the best horse in the [OBS] sale,” McCrocklin said following the colt's work last week.

The colt's yearling price tag made him the most expensive yearling by Awesome Slew to sell last year. He is now well on his way to being the stallion's most expensive 2-year-old of 2023. Awesome Slew stands at Ocala Stud for $4,000. His first crop of 2-year-olds were led in the sales ring last year by a colt who sold for $400,000 to Klaravich Stable at OBS March.

Sucher's multiple pinhooking successes with McCrocklin this spring are led by a son of Arrogate who sold for $1.050 million and a filly by Munnings who sold for $1 million, both at the OBS March sale. At the same sale, McCrocklin sold a daughter of Arrogate, purchased on behalf of Sucher for $250,000 at the Keeneland September sale, for $950,000.

Hip 186, 2023 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2 Y-O-in Training Sale | Fasig-Tipton

Uncle Mo Filly to LNJ Foxwoods, NK Racing
A filly by Uncle Mo (hip 186), who turned in a flashy :10 1/5 work last week, delivered in the sales ring Monday in Timonium when selling for $625,000 to the bid of bloodstock agent Alex Solis. Solis was bidding on behalf of a partnership of the Roth family's LNJ Foxwoods and Nancy Favreau and Kathy Psoinos's NK Racing.

“She's a beautiful Uncle Mo filly with a big pedigree, out of a Blame mare,” said Solis. “So for us it made sense from a pedigree perspective and her breeze was phenomenal. I think I gave out three stars for the whole breeze show and she was one of them.”

The filly will be trained by Brad Cox, who trained champion Covfefe (Into Mischief) for LNJ Foxwoods.

The bay filly is out of Gabriellestoblame (Blame), a half-sister to GI Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist (Uncle Mo). She was consigned by Pick View, as agent for her breeder, Bridlewood Farm.

Tapit Colt to Young
A colt by Tapit (hip 250) will be joining the barn of trainer Todd Pletcher after bloodstock agent Steve Young purchased him for $600,000 on behalf of an undisclosed client. Consigned by Julie Davies and bred by Gainesway, the juvenile is out of Lady Pewitt (Orientate) and is a half-brother to champion Jaywalk (Cross Traffic) and to multiple stakes winner Danzatrice (Dunkirk), the dam of this year's GI Toyota Blue Grass S. winner Tapit Trice (Tapit).

“He is arguably the best bred horse in the sale,” Young said. “He has a lot of similarities to some of the good Tapits that I have bought. I think he has a sire's pedigree. He trained great. It was a challenging track and a challenging week for people buying and selling and he was the one we wanted.”

Young compared the colt to Anchor Down, another son of Tapit out of an Orientate mare, whom he purchased for $250,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September sale. Anchor Down was a multiple graded stakes winner for Alto Racing.

“Anchor Down was a terrific horse, maybe not the luckiest horse who ever lived, but a Grade II winner nonetheless,” Young said. “[Hip 250]'s got subtle things that make you like him even more every time you look at him.”

Looking ahead for the colt, Young said, “He was a popular horse here. He had a lot of shows. He's going to get a chance to catch his breath and then he will go to Todd Pletcher.”

Not This Time Colt Pays for Pick View
Just a few hips after selling a filly by Uncle Mo for $625,000 on behalf of Bridlewood Farm, Joe Pickerell's Pick View hit a pinhooking home run when Speedway Stables purchased a colt by Not This Time (hip 198) for $500,000. Pick View had purchased the gray for $260,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“That's a step up for us, that's getting us out of our comfort zone a little bit,” Pickerell said of the colt's yearling price tag. “But when you find one that looks like him with that pedigree, you just go for it. Fortunately there are some amazing partners on this horse that are very close friends and family.”

The colt is out of the unraced Goodness Unbridled (Unbridled's Song) and is a half-brother to stakes-placed Chart Topper (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}).

His trip to the sales ring was not without a little hiccup, following a furlong work in :10 3/5 last week.

“That was not the best day of his life,” Pickerell said of the work. “The best thing about it was that we've been doing it long enough that we have some people who trust our word, people who saw him at the farm and saw him progress through the winter. And we all knew there was a lot better in him. He's a young 2-year-old, they are allowed to have a bad day, but one bad day does not negate from September to now. We always said if we can get him on the shank in front of people, they are going to fall in love.”

The colt went through the ring shortly after Pick View sent out Bridlewood Farm's homebred Uncle Mo filly to sell for $625,000.

“Bridlewood raised her and they did a great job and then George Isaacs was gracious enough to let me take her for the training part,” Pickerell said. “She's an Uncle Mo, who needs no introduction, and then that female pedigree is probably one of the better pedigrees in the sale. When they work like she did, it's just who is going to be the last one standing. She's one that, you want not only on the racetrack, but if you're racing fillies and breeding, that's the kind of filly you want for the long term. So not only is she going to be a phenomenal racehorse, but we really look forward to her down the road as a broodmare.”

Also Monday afternoon, Pick View offered a filly by Tapit (hip 156) who sold for $250,000 to Charlie Allen. The bay, who is out of multiple stakes winner Enchanted Ghost (Ghostzapper), was purchased by Hoby and Layna Kight for $150,000 at the Keeneland September sale. She worked in :10 1/5 before selling to Remount Thoroughbreds for $200,000 at the OBS March sale.     “We sold her for a client who bought her in March,” Pickerell said. “It's a little different group [that bought her in March].”

The filly worked in :10 2/5 last week in Timonium.

“She's another filly with a bright future,” Pickerell said. “She's just a tiny little bit of vet work away from them paying $1 million for her. She's by Tapit, a beautiful filly, she breezed at two 2-year-old sales sound. We just need these buyers to have a little more confidence in horsemanship and a little less confidence is some of these new state-of-the-art diagnostics.”

Omaha Beach Colt Heads West
A colt from the first crop of Omaha Beach (hip 93) will be heading to Southern California after trainer Mark Glatt signed the ticket at $425,000 to secure the juvenile on behalf of an undisclosed client Monday in Timonium.

“He's a beautiful horse who worked well,” Glatt said. “The Omaha Beaches have presented themselves well. He had a strong bottom side and he looked like an athletic horse. He just looked like a horse you could right on with. We are really pleased to get him.”

The colt, who was bred by Castleton Lyons and Kilboy Estate, is out of multiple stakes winner Catch My Fancy (Yes It's True) and is a half-brother to stakes winners Dubini (Gio Ponti) and What a Catch (Justin Phillip), as well as to Catch the Moon (Malibu Moon), who produced Grade I winner Girvin (Tale of Ekati) and graded winner and multiple Grade I-placed Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow).

Consigned by Wavertree Stables, the chestnut worked a furlong last week in :10 2/5.

The post F-T Midlantic Opener Builds Up Steam With $800K Mendelssohn Filly on Top appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“He's a very fast horse,” McCrocklin said Tuesday. “I was not surprised to see him work like that. He showed up here and breezed very well.”

The bay colt is out of Cash Reserve (Distorted Humor) and is a half-brother to stakes-placed Reckling (Dialed In) and Campy Cash (Race Day).

“I literally recall telling Michael Sucher that I thought he was the best horse in the [OBS] sale,” McCrocklin said.

Asked if he was surprised by the colt's final price last fall, which made him the most expensive of eight yearlings by his sire to sell in 2022, McCrocklin said, “It was just a very difficult year to buy yearlings. If you had a nice physical horse there was plenty of money out there to buy them. So I wasn't terribly surprised. And it kind of felt like we were going to buy the horse–it didn't feel like a huge stretch. It wasn't one of those 'it was my last bid' stories.”

With the absence of the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale from the calendar this year, the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale and the inaugural Midlantic June sale next month in Timonium are the only major juvenile auctions to feature works over a dirt track. The appeal of that surface led McCrocklin to take a 33-horse consignment to Maryland.

“I think buyers like it because they race on dirt predominately,” McCrocklin explained. “I think it gives them a little more confidence. You saw from the times today, it takes a very fast horse to go :10 flat here. Where at OBS on the synthetic racetrack, it's not unusual to see :10 flats all over the place.”

Of the 10 juveniles to work a quarter-mile Tuesday, a colt by Flameaway (hip 15, video) consigned by LG, agent, and a colt by Nyquist (hip 126, video) consigned by Top Line Sales shared the bullet time of :21 3/5.

Top Line Sales also sent out a juvenile by Lookin at Lucky (hip 89) to share the session's second-fastest furlong time. The New York-bred colt, a homebred for Top Line's Torie Gladwell and Jordan Wycoff, turned in a flashy :10 1/5 work during the day's second set.

A bay filly by City of Light (hip 174), who is a half-sister to graded winner The Tabulator (Dialed In), powered through her :10 1/5 work for Steve Venosa's SGV Thoroughbreds.

Becky Thomas's Sequel Bloodstock, which was responsible, not just for last year's $3.55-million May sale topper, but also for GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic), sent out a filly by Munnings (hip 160) who worked the furlong in :10 1/5 in the day's third set.

A pair of juveniles from the first crop of Maximus Mischief shared the second-fastest furlong time Tuesday, with Bryan Ford Training Stable sending out a filly (hip 69, video) and Cary Frommer sending out a colt (hip 125, video) by the graded stakes winner.

The day's six :10 1/5 works also included a filly by Uncle Mo (hip 186). Consigned by Pick View, LLC, the bay is out of Gabriellestoblame (Blame), a half-sister to GI Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist (Uncle Mo). She was bred by Bridlewood Farm.

The under-tack show continues through Thursday with sessions beginning each day at 8 a.m. The Midlantic May sale will be held next Monday and Tuesday. Bidding commences at 11 a.m. for both sessions.

The post Awesome Slew Colt Sets Furlong Mark at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Tuesday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The culmination of the evening was the presentation of the 2022 FTHA Awards. Host Ron Nicoletti announced the winners in 11 categories, including the newly added Champion Tapeta Horse and Champion Tapeta Filly/Mare. Raina Gunderson was chosen as the 2022 “Person of Distinction” for her devotion to the horses.

The complete list of the 2022 FTHA Champions is:

• Person of Distinction: Raina Gunderson
• 2-year-old Colt/Gelding: Awesome Strong (Awesome Slew)
• 2-year-old Filly: Lynx (Brethren)
• 3-year-old Colt: Steal Sunshine (Constitution)
• 3-year-old Filly: Maryquitecontrary (First Dude)
• Older Horse/Gelding: Willy Boi (Uncaptured)
• Older Filly/Mare: Spirit Wind (Bahamian Squall)
• Turf Horse/Gelding: California Frolic (California Chrome)
• Turf Filly/Mare: Last Leaf (Not This Time)
• Tapeta Horse/Gelding: Grand David (Tapiture)
• Tapeta Filly/Mare: Kate's Kingdom (Animal Kingdom)

The post FTHA Honors 2022 Award Winners appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The Florida-bred colt won by an eye-catching six lengths on debut for Elena Racing, Inc. and trainer Jorge Delgado at Gulfstream Park May 6 in an open maiden special weight. Awesome Strong is from the first crop of Awesome Slew out of the Pleasant Tap mare Pleasant Ring. That mare is a full sister to stakes winner and graded stakes producer Pleasant Chimes. Pleasant Ring has produced six winners to date, including multiple stakes winner Bad Debt (Grand Reward), a multiple graded stakes placed earner of $838,000.

Three-year-old Sareeha (Ire) (Shamardal) (Hip 10) was the leading racing/broodmare prospect offered, selling for $150,000 to Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. The filly was consigned by Carriganog Racing (Joseph O'Brien). Placed in her second career start Apr. 23 at Limerick, Sareeha is daughter of European champion Shamardal out of the winning Dansili (GB) mare Saraha (GB).

“We believe a good horse can come from anywhere, at any time,” Eclipse's Aron Wellman said. “Sareeha is a filly who was on our radar as a potential private purchase in Ireland after her race last month, so when she was entered in the Digital Sale, it made sense for us to monitor her status. The world is getting smaller by the day, especially in our industry, so we cannot rule out any avenue by which horses can be acquired. We were able to connect with Joseph O'Brien, who trains for Eclipse in Ireland, which made it a bit more comfortable. That said, the process was seamless and the technology was user friendly. We applaud Fasig's willingness to be innovative and we certainly hope Sareeha is a success story for the program sooner rather than later.”

At the close of active bidding, 13 horses sold for $1,150,000, good for an average of $88,500. The median was $60,000. There were 120 bidders registered for the sale. Each offering attracted at least five unique bidders. Prospective buyers placed 609 cumulative bids, averaging better than 25 bids per horse.

Buyers may still make offers on horses that failed to meet their reserve by visiting the sale page, then clicking “Make Offer” next to the horse they are interested in purchasing.

The post Two-Year-Old Colt Awesome Strong Tops F-T May Digital Selected Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The winner is a half to Bad Debt (Grand Reward), MSW & MGSP, $838,330. Pleasant Ring has not produced a foal since Awesome Strong, but was bred to Bucchero last term.

2nd-Gulfstream, $58,000, Msw, 5-6, 2yo, 4 1/2f, :51.62, ft, 6 lengths.
AWESOME STRONG (c, 2, Awesome Slew–Pleasant Ring, by Pleasant Tap) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $38,000. O-Elena Racing, Inc.; B-John B. Penn (FL); T-Jorge Delgado. **$30,000 Ylg '21 OBSOCT. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Awesome Slew Gets First Winner at Gulfstream appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Girvin, a leading 3-year-old of his crop, won the 2017 Haskell Invitational S. (G1) and registered back-to-back Graded stakes wins in annexing the Risen Star S. (G2) and the Louisiana Derby (G2). An earner of $1,624,392 on the racetrack and a winner from six to nine furlongs, Girvin is represented by well-received first yearlings this year, which included a $200,000 colt who was the co-highest-priced yearling for a freshman sire at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale.

Seeking the Soul, a Charles Fipke homebred, had an illustrious racing career, winning the 2017 Clark H. (G1), the 2018 Ack Ack S. (G3), and the 2019 Stephen Foster S. (G2). All told, he won or placed in eight Graded stakes, including runner-up finishes in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. (G1), earning more than $3.4 million. His first foals arrive in 2022.

Win Win Win captured the Forego S. (G1) at Saratoga in 2020, defeating four Grade 1 winners. He set a new track record at three, winning the seven-furlong Pasco S. at Tampa Bay Downs in an eye-catching 1:20.89, running a 2 on the Ragozin Sheets. He hails from a deep Live Oak family and is a descendant of the influential Halo sire line. Standing as a partnership between Live Oak Stud, Airdrie Stud, and Ocala Stud, Win Win Win will see his first foals arrive in 2022.

Stud fees for Adios Charlie, Awesome Slew, Jess's Dream, Noble Bird, and The Big Beast remain unchanged at $4,000 S&N for 2022. Greenpointcrusader will stand for $3,500 S&N once again; Ami's Flatter and Dak Attack will both stand for $2,500 S&N; and Battalion Runner rounds out the roster, standing for $1,500 S&N. For more information, contact David or Joe O'Farrell at (352) 237-2171 or visit OcalaStud.com.

Ocala Stud's 2022 roster and fees are as follows:

The post Girvin Leads 2022 Roster At Ocala Stud appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post