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Bloodlines Presented By Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders And Owners Association: Travers Stakes Result Extends Rivalry Between Arrogate, Gun Runner

Seven years ago, a gray colt named Arrogate (by Unbridled's Song) won the Grade 1 Travers Stakes in a galloping tour de force on his way to becoming the season's champion 3-year-old colt, and on Aug. 26, a gray colt from the second crop by Arrogate followed suit by winning the Saratoga centerpiece.

Arcangelo has now won his last four races (from six lifetime starts), beginning with a maiden victory in March, then ascending to win the G3 Peter Pan Stakes in May, adding a classic in June with the Belmont Stakes, and now affirming his ranking at the top of this division with success in the Travers on Saturday.

This was a strong weekend of racing achievements for the deceased Arrogate. On the same day as the Travers, another of the stallion's second-crop sons, Abeliefinthislivin, won the G3 Canadian Derby at Century Mile Racetrack in Edmonton, Alberta. On the previous day at Saratoga, Arrogate's first-crop star, Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath, was second in the G1 Personal Ensign, the filly's third second-place finish in a G1 this season.

Then Arcangelo laid down trumps in the Travers. This race might also be referred to as the “Tapit Travers,” because the first two finishers are out of mares by Tapit (by Pulpit), and the third-place finisher, Tapit Trice, is a son of the three-time leading national sire.

Immediately behind Arcangelo in the Travers was Disarm, whose sire Gun Runner had been third to Arrogate in the 2016 Travers. Arrogate had then proceeded to win the 2016 Breeders' Cup Classic over California Chrome, the 2017 Pegasus, and the 2017 Dubai World Cup, when he overcame a poor start that put him last in the opening furlong and made up many lengths from a very disadvantageous position to catch Gun Runner about 200 yards from the finish and win by open lengths.

After the race in the desert, their careers diverged: Arrogate never won another race from three subsequent starts; Gun Runner never lost another one, from five, all G1s.

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Just as they were competitors on the racetrack, so Arrogate and Gun Runner have proven exciting rivals at stud. Despite Arrogate's early death before the end of his third season at stud, both have plentiful representation and have made their marks.

But, just as Arrogate blasted all his rivals to bits in the 2016 Travers, Gun Runner provided a similar display with this first crop of racers in 2021 and 2023, beginning his initial term at stud with juvenile champion Echo Zulu and G1 Hopeful Stakes winner Gunite, and continuing with a second season of stallion success that included G1 Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting; G1 Arkansas Derby and Haskell winner Cyberknife; Santa Anita Derby, Pennsylvania Derby, and Malibu winner Taiba; and G1 Cotillion winner Society. He was the leading freshman sire by a whacking margin, and Gun Runner has continued to show an extraordinary dominance as the leading sire of his third-year cohort.

Yet for all Gun Runner's excelling, there was one shocking fact about this season for the chestnut son of Candy Ride. As of Derby Day, Gun Runner hadn't had a single graded stakes winner in 2023. Not one.

By the end of June, he'd racked up a couple at the G3 level. After the year's midpoint, the tide has turned, and Gun Runner has now had how many graded winners? Six in the last 60 days.

Over the past weekend, Gun Runner had a pair of G1 winners at Saragota: Echo Zulu in the Ballerina and Gunite in the Forego, as well as Vahva in the G3 Charles Town Oaks. Now the tide is floating one boat, the Gun Runner boat.

With the number of the stallion's stock training forwardly and racing effectively, it is almost certain that the Gun Runner tide will be even more overwhelming in the months to come.

Bred in Kentucky by Besilu LLC, Gun Runner is the most successful stallion son of leading sire Candy Ride and is out of the graded stakes winner Quiet Giant, who's a top-quality daughter of leading sire Giant's Causeway. With that pedigree, combined with superior athletic ability, Gun Runner had every opportunity to make a mark at stud, and the handsome chestnut has done just that. Long may he run.

The post Bloodlines Presented By Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders And Owners Association: Travers Stakes Result Extends Rivalry Between Arrogate, Gun Runner appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Zadorsky, Into Happiness Top Fasig-Tipton August Digital Sale

The Fasig-Tipton August Digital Sale closed Tuesday afternoon with 84 horses sold for $2,074,700. Offerings included breeding stock, horses of racing age, and yearlings. A pair of active race fillies shared top billing, while the gross and number of registered bidders established new records for the Digital platform.

Zadorsky (Hip 1), a 2-year-old Tapiture filly and the first offering to close, sold for $180,000 to Hoolie Racing Stable from the consignment of Legion Bloodstock.

The bay filly was most recently first by 2 1/4 lengths in maiden special weight company at Saratoga on Aug. 13 under the tutelage of trainer Wayne Catalano. Zadorsky has won or placed in all three of her career starts, with earnings of $72,890. She was offered from her training stable at Churchill Downs.

Into Happiness (Hip 8), a 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief, matched the $180,000 top price when sold to KPO Holdings from the consignment of Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

The bay filly is coming off a three-race win streak, including a pair of victories at Saratoga, the most recent on Aug. 9 for trainer Mark Hennig. Into Happiness has a record of 13-4-2-0 and earnings of $215,797 to date. She was offered from her training stable at Saratoga.

Stakes producer San Antonio Stroll (Hip 16) was the sale's top-priced broodmare, sold for $175,000 to Girvin's Girls from the consignment of Ocala Stud, agent for Cliff Love and Michelle Love.

A 9-year-old daughter of Stroll, San Antonio Stroll is the dam of last year's Grade 2 Saratoga Special Stakes winner Damon's Mound (Girvin), who provided a timely update when he won the Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes at Charles Town on Friday to increase his earnings to $379,700. The mare was offered carrying a foal from the first crop of G1 Santa Anita Derby winner Roadster.

“The August Digital Sale showed a very healthy market at all levels,” said Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales Leif Aaron. “For the first time on the platform, we grossed more than $2 million in a single sale. A record number of registered bidders for a record number of entries shows that Digital is continuing to grow in the right direction. We're very excited for the future.”

In total, 84 horses sold for $2,074,700, good for an average of $24,699. Nearly 450 prospective buyers registered to bid on 122 offerings from 146 catalogued. The gross and number of registered bidders (448) were new highwater markers for the Digital platform, which launched in March of last year.

Results are available online.

The next Fasig-Tipton Digital will be the October Digital Sale, which opens for bidding on Thursday, October 5 and closes on Tuesday, Oct. 10. Nominations are now being accepted.

The post Zadorsky, Into Happiness Top Fasig-Tipton August Digital Sale appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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VIDEO: Where Are The Horses Of The 2015 Kentucky Derby Today?

The 2015 Kentucky Derby featured one of the strongest top-to-bottom fields in recent memory, led by eventual Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year American Pharoah.

Bloodstock editor Joe Nevills takes a look at where every member of the 19-horse field is today, eight years after the race. Some have gone on to prominent stud careers, some have ended up standing at stud overseas, some have gone on to succeed in fields outside of the racing and breeding industry, while others left us too soon.

This video is a compilation of a “Where Are They Now” series from the Paulick Report's TikTok account. We'll be doing special shortform video content on TikTok, with short visual features, opinions, and anything else that we can shoot with our phones that might be fun for racing fans to watch.

To follow and subscribe to the Paulick Report TikTok account, click here.

Find out where the horses of the 2015 Kentucky Derby are in the video below:

The post VIDEO: Where Are The Horses Of The 2015 Kentucky Derby Today? appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Practical Joke Colt Tops 2023 Texas Summer Yearling Sale

The hammer fell after a final bid of $110,000 on a Texas-bred Practical Joke colt to lead the way at the 2023 Texas Summer Yearling Sale.

Cataloged as Hip 122, the Practical Joke colt, who is out of the stakes-winning Imperialism mare Jan's Perfect Star, was purchased by Al Pike, agent, Monday at Lone Star Park. The colt is a half brother to four winners from as many to race from the dam, including the stakes-winning Road Bloc (Street Sense) who won the Jebel Ali Sprint Stakes in Dubai in March this year. Scott Mallory consigned the colt on behalf of the breeders, Michael and Linda Mazoch.

“We're grateful to Mike and Linda Mazoch and Scott Mallory for bringing the colt to our sale and we're proud that a Texas-bred topped our sale again this year,” TTA Sales Director Foster Bridewell said. “He was quality and presented himself well to our buyers, so when the hammer dropped it all made sense.”

A Vekoma colt, also consigned by Scott Mallory, agent, was the second highest priced yearling sold at $90,000 on Monday at the sales pavilion at Lone Star Park. Scanlon Training and Sales signed the ticket for the Louisiana-bred colt out of the winning Tale of the Cat mare Winning Saga.

Three others reached the $80,000 mark. Hip 24, a Texas-bred Competitive Edge colt consigned by Highlander Training Center, sold for $85,000 to KDE Equine. Hip 51, a Texas-bred Competitive Edge filly also consigned by Highlander Training Center, was purchased for $80,000 by Lone Star Thoroughbreds. Straight Line Equine Sales sold Hip 110, a Louisiana-bred Spun to Run colt, for $80,000 to Whispering Oaks.

“We're grateful to our breeders, owners, consignors, and buyers for trusting in us and coming to Texas to buy or sell,” Foster said. “We're looking forward to seeing how these athletes develop and are already looking forward to our 2-year-old sale in the spring of 2024.”

In total, 175 horses sold Monday at the 2023 Texas Summer Yearling Sale for a total $3,244,900. The average price was $18,542. The median was $11,000.

Full results are posted at TTAsales.com.

The post Practical Joke Colt Tops 2023 Texas Summer Yearling Sale appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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