What the race turned out to be was a strong statement issued by Muth, as Zedan Racing's colt kicked for home, won by two lengths and collected the purse money. Of course–since the 3-year-old is a trainee in Bob Baffert's care–he will not receive his 100 Kentucky Derby points.

This was the Hall of Fame trainer's fifth Arkansas Derby win–with the last coming when he won both halves of the split Derby with Nadal (Blame) and Charlatan (Speightstown) during Covid in 2020.

Muth's road to Oaklawn started when he broke his maiden impressively by 8 3/4 lenghts at first asking last June at Santa Anita. That effort earned him a 'Rising Star' badge. However, in his next start the $2 million OBS March grad took on fellow 'Star' and stablemate Prince of Monoco (Speightstown), and finished as the runner-up by 4 1/4 lengths in the GIII Best Pal S. at Del Mar in mid-August.

Baffert scratched him from running in the GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga because he thought his colt needed more recovery time after his race at the seaside oval. Back at 'The Great Race Place', the colt stretched out to two turns successfully when he won by 3 3/4 lengths in the GI American Pharoah S. in early October, and then was second over the same surface in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile when he could not catch champion 2-year-old Fierceness (City of Light).

Muth in the early jumps | Coady Photography

After a two-month break, Muth returned to the Arcadia races Jan. 6 and took home the seven-furlong GII San Vicente S. Over the next month, as Baffert weighed his options for where to go next, he contemplated shipping the 3-year-old to Hot Springs for the GII Rebel S. However, a final workout shelved the trip and the trainer opted to wait for a potential shot at the Arkansas Derby.

Made the 8-5 morning-line favorite and saddled on behalf of Baffert by Rodolphe Brisset, Muth went off as the 2-1 second choice here with Timberlake garnering 1-1 favoritism. At the break, it was Time for Truth (Omaha Beach) who sped to the lead past the grandstand, but Muth was quickly into stride and tracked just to the outside of the early pacesetter into the first turn.

Suddenly at the top of the backstretch Timberlake shot between the two frontrunners, but Muth responded quickly and went with his rival. Posting fractions of :23.43 for the first quarter mile and :47.46 for the half-mile, it was the son of Good Magic who gained the upper hand around the far turn, which signaled that Timberlake was in trouble. Muth chopped up the ground down the lane and scampered home over Just Steel, who ran a game race in defeat followed by Mystik Dan.

“He got away and then he was in a good spot,” said Baffert. “The track–speed really wasn't playing well today–but he was in a good spot there. Down the backside, when I saw Timberlake sneak up in there, I thought maybe he was going to control the race from there because I figured he was the horse to beat. But Muth, he's just … the only that beat him was Fierceness and we saw what he did today (winning the Florida Derby). I'm just happy for everybody. It (Arkansas Derby) is very important. It's a very prestigious race, winning that. You know how we feel about Oaklawn.”

Pedigree Notes:
With nine graded stakes winners to his credit, Good Magic's other Grade I stakes winners include Blazing Sevens and last year's Kentucky Derby hero Mage. Muth, who tied an OBS sale record when he was purchased by Amr Zedan after he breezed during the under tack show going a furlong in :9 3/5, is the first foal out of Don Alberto homebred Hoppa (Uncle Mo). She RNA'd for $1.9 million at the Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed Sale back in November. Hoppa is responsible for a 2-year-old filly by Violence, who went to Rigney Racing for $385,000 at the Keeneland September Sale, and a yearling filly by Tacitus. She was bred back to Good Magic this term.

Saturday, Oaklawn Park
ARKANSAS DERBY-GI, $1,500,000, Oaklawn, 3-30, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:49.54, ft.
1–MUTH, 124, c, 3, by Good Magic
                1st Dam: Hoppa, by Uncle Mo
                2nd Dam: Handoverthecat, by Tale of the Cat
                3rd Dam: Frayne, by Red Ransom
($190,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $2,000,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR). O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $787,500. Lifetime Record: 6-4-2-0, $1,504,100. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Just Steel, 124, c, 3, Justify–Irish Lights (Aus), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($500,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-BC Stables, LLC; B-Summerhill Farm (KY); T-D. Wayne Lukas. $262,500.
3–Mystik Dan, 124, c, 3, Goldencents–Ma'am, by Colonel John. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Lance Gasaway, 4 G racing LLC, and Valley View Farm LLC; B-Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby & 4G Racing LLC (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $131,250.
Margins: 2, 4 1/4, HF. Odds: 2.30, 32.50, 4.00.
Also Ran: Timberlake, Informed Patriot, Time for Truth, Imperial Gun, Liberal Arts, Will Take It, Dimatic.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

#7 MUTH ($6.60) by Good Magic gets the cue to go in the stretch and goes on to easily win the $1.5M Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park. @JJhernandezS19 was in the irons for Bob Baffert. Congrats to all the connections! pic.twitter.com/yt6qMYu9Mr

— TVG (@TVG) March 31, 2024

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The latter was the top-priced foal at the 2015 Keeneland November Sale when she was hammered down to Whisper Hill Farm for $3.2 million. Eclipse Award winner Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway), a daughter of Lady Take Charge's half-sister Charming (Seeking the Gold), was the overall topper when sold to John Sikura and Hill 'n' Dale Equine for $6 million.

Last year, Lady Take Charge produced a full-sister to Will Take It, who went to Sinandigan Stable at the Keeneland September Sale for $1.3 million.

The extended female family runs through influential second dam MGISW Take Charge Lady (Dehere), who is responsible for GI Florida Derby champ Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy), Horton's champion 3-year-old colt Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song), GI Beholder Mile winner As Time Goes By (American Pharoah), and Take Charge Brandi's half-brother and top-five first-crop sire Omaha Beach (War Front). TJCIS PPS

5th-AQU, $85K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 2:14 p.m. ET
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Don Alberto and Bridlewood Farm homebred Carolo Rapido (Curlin) is out of GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss). She was a Blandford Bloodstock buy last year during Fasig-Tipton's Fall Mixed Sale for $1.2 million while in-foal to Gun Runner. TJCIS PPS

6th-OP, $115K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 3:50 p.m. ET.
SF Bloodstock bred Guarani (Speightstown), who will be making his first start for Three Chimneys Farm after they purchased him for $425,000 at Keeneland September. The Steve Asmussen trainee is out of MGSP Czechers (Indian Charlie), who also produced his full-brother, G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen S. hero Switzerland. TJCIS PPS

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“It has been a surreal experience to own a horse of this magnitude,” said owner Jon Ebbert. “The day I laid eyes on him at the yearling sale, I said to myself that this is the most beautiful horse I have ever seen. I'm so blessed the way everything unfolded and so appreciative of my team. To win the Belmont, the Travers and looking as the possible favorite in the Breeders' Cup is incredible. From the beginning of this journey, I tried to make every right decision for this horse, and now I have another important one to make. Upon his retirement, I've chosen Lane's End as the perfect fit for his stallion career.”

Trainer Jena Antonucci, who became the first woman to saddle the winner of a Triple Crown race when Arcangelo captured the Belmont, added, “Having the opportunity to steward Arcangelo thus far in his racing career has been the absolute blessing of a lifetime, for which I will be eternally grateful for. Watching him grow into his mental and physical greatness has been remarkable. We will be excited to see the talent of his progeny and watching Arcangelo pass along his innate ability, talent, and desire to be a champion.”

By champion Arrogate, the sire of five Grade I winners in his brief career at stud, Arcangelo was bred by Don Alberto Corporation. His dam Modeling, a $2.85-million Keeneland November broodmare purchase, is a half-sister to Streaming (Smart Strike), winner of the GI Hollywood Starlet S. She hails from the family of broodmare of the year and prolific producer Better Than Honour, the dam of back-to-back Belmont winners Rags to Riches and Jazil.

“Arcangelo's historic 3-year-old campaign fits a profile that we are very familiar with on our stallion roster,” said Lane's End's Bill Farish. “There's no doubt that Arrogate's brief career at stud has had a major impact on racing and the opportunity to stand a Classic-winning son of his with such a deep pedigree makes Arcangelo an exciting and unique prospect for Lane's End.”

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6th-SAR, $136K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 4:00 p.m.
Switching to the Spa main, a pair of colts are set for their maiden trips. As a weanling, Change of Command (Into Mischief) went for $570,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November Mixed Sale before fetching $1.05-million less than a year later at the Keeneland September Sale. The Shug McGaughey trainee, who will have Jose Ortiz aboard, is out of a dam who is a full-sister to MGSW Mrs McDougal (Medaglia d'Oro).

Also entered is Kaleem Shah's Billal (Street Sense), a $725,000 '22 Keeneland September grad from Bill Mott's shedrow, who will be ridden by Florent Geroux. Dam Bambalina (Bernardini) was purchased by Repole Stables at the '20 Keeneland November Mixed Sale for $270,000 with Billal in-utero. She's out of Champion grass mare Perfect Sting (Red Ransom), who is also responsible for GSW Smart Sting (Smart Strike). TJCIS PPS

4th-DMR, $82K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 7:29 p.m.
Heading out to Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, a competitive group of 2-year-olds will be looking to strut their stuff. Indispensable (Constitution) for trainer John Sadler was a $825,000 buy at the Keeneland September Sale and his extended female family includes MGSWs Gulch Approval (Gulch) and Rusty Slipper (Lemon Drop Kid). His dam High Performer (Candy Ride {Arg}), a full-sister to SW Chocopologie, was purchased by Hunter Valley Farm while in-foal–yielding a colt–to Omaha Beach for $130,000 at the '21 Keeneland November Mixed Sale and she was bred back to that sire, which produced a filly Mar. 15.

Bob Baffert has a pair of firsters ready to fire in Wynstock (Solomini), who initially sold as a yearling for $50,000 at the Keeneland September Sale before going this past spring for $700,000 during OBS April. The New York-bred is his dam's first offspring. Last but certainly not least, is Don Alberto homebred Ultra Power (Curlin), who is out of dual Champion female Unique Bella (Tapit). She is the daughter of GI Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic heroine Unrivaled Belle (Unbridled's Song), who is also responsible for her full-sister Vanishing Point, a $1.5-million purchase at the '19 Keeneland September Sale by Yuji Hasegawa. TJCIS PPS

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“This is going to be a serious horse,” Leon's bloodstock advisor Fabricio Buffolo said when asked about his reaction to Dai Vernon's 5 1/4-length victory Monday. “He could be a really nice horse.”

Buffolo purchased Dai Vernon on behalf of Besilu Stables for $500,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The colt is out of Charladora (Scat Daddy), a half-sister to Laoban (Uncle Mo). Buffolo was familiar with the pedigree from his days working with the colt's breeder, Don Alberto Corporation.

“What attracted us the most is physically, he is an extremely good-looking horse and well made,” Buffolo said of the yearling's appeal. “He has a good page, the dam is a half to Laoban and I worked for Don Alberto before so I remember he was always a nice horse and the dam, Charladora, was a very good-looking mare. But at the sale, he just looked the part. He looked like such a nice horse.”

Dai Vernon had a few setbacks on his way to the races that delayed his first start until just last month.

“He had a little bit of a stress fracture in his tibia,” Buffolo said. “He went to Margaux and we waited and just gave him the time that he needed. Then he went back to [trainer] Brad [Cox] and then he had a quarter crack, so we had to go easy on him for a good time for that to heal.”

Dai Vernon made his first start going 1 1/16 miles over the turf at Ellis Park June 22.

“We knew he was slow at the break, he didn't like to be involved too much at the beginning,” Buffolo explained. “It's hard to do that on dirt, so we thought maybe we would start him first time on turf just to see how it goes. Maybe he will be closer and near the pack or in the pack. Before the race, Brad said, 'The horse is well, I think he's going to run well, I expect a good race.'”

Dai Vernon followed at least part of the script in that debut. He was slow at the start, but little else went to plan that day.

“We were baffled about it,” Buffolo said of the debut. “I think it was probably the turf. He was never in it. Brad said afterwards, 'I have no idea. I was not expecting that.' He thought the horse was going to run well because he was working well. And then suddenly he had no part in the race whatsoever.”

Perhaps it was just a touch of cosmic revenge for a horse named after the magician who marketed himself as 'The man who fooled Houdini,' that while Dai Vernon was toiling home in last, his debut race was won by a horse named Harry Hood.

After the lackluster debut, Dai Vernon was adding blinkers, while moving to the dirt and shortening up to one mile for his second start Sunday. Following another slow start, the colt was well back in last and Buffolo was fearing another disappointing effort.

“When I was watching it on the backstretch, I was like, 'Oh, this is embarrassing. We are going to be last or second last,'” he admitted. “I wanted to dig a hole and just put my head into it. But then he started picking it up and I thought that was interesting.”

Dai Vernon began closing with long, steady strides on the far turn as the half went up in :46.42 and he turned for home four wide and just off the leaders.

“Midturn, I said, 'OK, now he's going to get tired. Now it's over and now he's going to get tired,'” Buffolo recalled. “And then he kept coming.”

Dai Vernon collared Smile Mon (Runhappy) with a furlong to run and just glided clear to the wire to win by daylight.

“The gallop out was quite strong,” Buffolo added. “He galloped out really well. Now the question is, is he going to repeat that. I don't know what was in his head yesterday, but whatever it was, it was good.”

As for next starts for the promising 3-year-old, Buffolo said, “We will talk with Brad and see. He will most likely go back to an allowance and we will see how he does. It was a mile and definitely what he showed is that it won't be a problem going a bit more distance.”

One thing seems for certain, there will be no tinkering with the colt's slow-starting tendencies.

“I talked to Brad after the race yesterday, and we said let's not go against it,” Buffolo said. “That's what he likes, that's what he does. So we don't need the jockey trying to get him closer. If he does what he did, we are pretty happy.”

Buffolo said the effort had impressed Leon, who is excited to see what the future holds for the colt.

“Mr. Leon is very excited about him,” Buffolo said. “He is enjoying it now, having a horse that might have some ability.”

Leon's Besilu Stables burst onto the racing and sales scene in 2011. Highest of the stables' high-profile purchases that year was Royal Delta (Empire Maker), who was acquired for $8.5 million. Named champion 3-year-old filly that year, Royal Delta returned to the track in the Besilu colors and was named champion older mare of 2012 and 2013. The mare died in 2017, leaving just one foal, a filly named Delta's Royalty (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who is now part of Besilu's boutique broodmare band. Delta's Royalty has a yearling colt by Dubawi (Ire) foaled in Ireland and was repatriated to the U.S. where she produced a colt by Kingman (GB) this year.

At the same Keeneland November sale at which he purchased Royal Delta, Leon also acquired the champion's weanling half-sister, Crown Queen (Smart Strike), for $1.6 million. Winner of the 2014 GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S., she has a 2-year-old colt by Frankel (GB) and a yearling filly by Kingman (GB) and is currently back in the U.S. and in foal to champion Flightline, according to Buffolo.

While Besilu Stables is small on numbers, the operation is focused on quality and, after having mares boarded in Europe for the last few seasons, the plan is now to be based mainly in the U.S.

“We have a Dubawi colt running in Europe and a Frankel 2-year-old,” Buffolo said. “And we have a couple of more there that are going to come here. We are probably going to keep a couple [in Europe], but focus a little bit more here [in the U.S.], since Mr. Leon is here and most of the horses are here. He enjoys having the quality horses.”

Besilu Stables currently has about six horses in training in the U.S. and, while Buffolo said the focus will be mostly on breeding to race, he did not rule out the odd yearling purchase at the upcoming sales.

“I would say that it's likely we might buy one or two yearlings, but I don't see him buying many,” he said. “We are just breeding his own mares and then racing them.”

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ERNA (f, 2, Curlin–Jumby Bay {MSP, $118,125}, by City Zip) just missed in her unveiling at Belmont's Aqueduct meeting Oct. 22, coming up a neck short to next out GIII Jimmy Durante S. winner Liguria (War Front) as an 11-1 longshot. No longer under the radar at 6-5, the $600,000 OBSAPR grad took contact from both sides at the break but was still able to settle forwardly placed in third as Shez Speightful (Speightster) paced the field through an opening quarter in :23.18. Up into second while two wide around the far turn, Erna fanned out to the five path for the stretch run but drifted in late, just managing to hold off a hard-charging Penumbras Maker (Empire Maker) to graduate by a neck. Jumby Bay has since produced a yearling colt by Uncle Mo and visited Tiz the Law for the 2023 season. Sales History: $135,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $600,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $55,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

O-James D. Spry; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux.

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“We are pleased to have Reed join our Don Alberto team, and to continue our tradition of producing top-class Thoroughbreds,” said Carlos Heller, founder of Don Alberto Corporation. “His leadership and presence will be an asset to our operation for years to come and we look forward to what the future

will bring.”

The Heller family's Don Alberto campaigned two-time champion Unique Bella (Tapit), who is now part of the operation's star-studded broodmare band. It also bred and sold the $2.6-million sale-topping son of Into Mischief last year at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale.

“Reed has been an invaluable colleague and friend these past 13 years and everyone here at Fasig-Tipton will miss him very much,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “We wish him every success and look forward to watching him excel in his new role with Don Alberto.”

Ringler said, “I want to thank Liliana and Carlos Heller and the staff at Don Alberto for this wonderful opportunity. I will be forever grateful to my 'Fasig Family' of the last 13 years.”

In addition to Ringler's appointment, Tim Beeson, who managed the U.S. operation for leading breeder Windhaven Farm for the past 25 years, will be joining Don Alberto as its new farm manager.

“Tim and I have known each other for over 20 years, and his excellent reputation speaks for itself,” said Ringler. “It is a blessing to have Tim joining the already stellar team at Don Alberto, and we are fortunate to have him.”

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CONSTELLATION (Bellamy Road-For Royalty, by Not For Love)

Sale: 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale

Purchaser/Owner: Don Alberto Corporation

Produce Record: 2019 Curlin colt, 2021 Into Mischief filly

2021 Booking: Quality Road

Offered carrying her first foal by Curlin, Grade I winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Constellation was purchased for $3.15 million by the Don Alberto Corporation at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

Her Curlin colt would go on to sell for $250,000 to Repole Stables and St. Elias Stables at last year's Keeneland September Sale.

After visiting Into Mischief but failing to produce a foal in her first year with Don Alberto, she was bred back to the Spendthrift sire last year.

Don Alberto's former Executive Director Fabricio Buffolo reported that Constellation foaled her Into Mischief filly on Jan. 31.

“We are extremely happy that she had a nice, robust filly,” he said. “She has been developing well. You can tell that she has all the parts there to turn into a nice filly as she grows.”

Buffolo said that Constellation will be bred to Quality Road this year.

“It will be interesting to see how she will produce with a horse like him with more scope and size,” he noted. “It's all about getting to know the mares and how they produce and it's a mating that has some contrasts on the physical aspect, which sometimes can be rewarding. Bellamy Road has only three blacktype winners as a broodmares sire and all three are from Mr. Prospector-line stallions.”

After a 'Rising Star'-worthy debut win as a juvenile for LNJ Foxwoods, Constellation ran in the money in her next two graded starts before capping off her 2-year-old season with a win in the Furlough S. As a sophomore, she added two more stakes wins before taking the GI La Brea S. At four, the chestnut ran second in four straight graded races including the GI Madison S. at Keeneland.

CALEDONIA ROAD (Quality Road-Come A Callin, by Dixie Union)

Sale: 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale

Purchaser/Owner: Narvick International

Produce Record: 2020 Justify filly, 2021 Justify colt

2021 Booking: Kizuna (Jpn)

Eclipse Champion Caledonia Road was purchased by agent Emmanuel de Seroux of Narvick International for $2.3 million at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

The million-dollar earner was bred to Justify as a maiden and produced a filly in January last year. De Seroux reported that the filly is “doing great” at the Ito family's Grand Farm in Japan, where Caledonia Road also resides.

The mare was bred back to Justify and foaled a colt on Jan. 27 this year.

“He's reported to be a very good foal,” de Seroux said.

This year, Caledonia Road will visit champion Kizuna, a son of the late influential Japanese sire Deep Impact and the leading Japanese freshman sire in 2019.

Trained by Ralph Nicks, Caledonia Road won on debut and ran second in the GI Frizette S. before taking the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filles to win Eclipse honors for Champion 2-Year-Old Filly in 2017. She is a half-sister to stakes winner One of a Kind (Lemon Drop Kid) and hails from the family of Grade I winners Data Link (War Front) and Hymn Book (Arch).

CATHRYN SOPHIA (Street Boss-Sheave, by Mineshaft)

Sale: 2017 Keeneland November Sale

Purchaser/Owner: Bridlewood Farm and Don Alberto

Produce Record: 2018 Pioneerof the Nile filly, 2019 Medaglia d'Oro filly, 2020 Into Mischief colt. In foal to Curlin.

2021 Booking: None

One year after Bridlewood Farm and Don Alberto partnered up to buy a sales-topping Baffled (Distorted Humor) for $3.5 million, the same duo went to $2.3 million at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale to purchase 'TDN Rising Star' Cathryn Sophia. The 2016 Oaks heroine was carrying her first foal by Pioneerof the Nile.

The Pioneerof the Nile filly, now named Mezcal, was purchased for $625,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale by Bobby Flay, but does not yet have any recorded works or starts.

Cathryn Sophia produced a Medaglia d'Oro filly in 2019 and last year, foaled an Into Mischief colt in May.

“He is a late foal that has developed so well over the last few months,” said Don Alberto's Fabricio Buffolo. “He is a strong individual and typical of what you expect of the sire.”

Buffolo reported that this year, Cathryn Sophia is in foal to Curlin. A similar mating proved successful when the Hill 'n' Dale sire produced champion and young sire Vino Rosso with a Street Cry (Ire) mare.

Because Cathryn Sophia's Curlin foal is expected to arrive late, Buffolo said that she will take a year off this year.

Purchased as a yearling by Cash Is King LLC and trained by John Servis, Cathryn Sophia broke her maiden on debut by 12 3/4 lengths before crushing the competition in the Gin Talking S. by 16 1/4 lengths in her next start. She won her sophomore debut in the GII Forward Gal. and maintained the undefeated streak in the GII Davona Dale S. After a third-place finish in the GI Ashland S., the Maryland-bred scored a victory in the GI Kentucky Oaks. In the later half of her sophomore season, she ran third in both the GI Acorn S. and GI Cotillion S. and caught a win in the Princess of Sylmar S.

Cathryn Sophia was offered at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton November Sale as a broodmare or racing prospect and sold to SF Bloodstock for $1.4 million. It was announced a month later that she would retire from racing, and she returned to the sales ring a year later in foal to Pioneerof the Nile.

GALILEO GAL (Galileo (Ire)-Alpha Lupi (Ire), by Rahy)

Sale: 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale

Purchaser/Owner: Craig Bernick

Produce Record: 2020 Kingman (GB) filly. In foal to Lope de Vega (Ire).

2021 Booking: Kingman (GB)

The regally-bred Galileo Gal was offered at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Watch out feature leading up to the sale here. She was purchased by Craig Bernick for $1.4 million.

She was sent to Norelands Stud in Ireland and was first bred to Juddmonte's hot young sire Kingman.

That mating produced a filly that is now a yearling.

“We are happy with [her],” Bernick said. “Our plan is to put her into training with Jessica Harrington next year.”

Galileo Gal was next bred to Ballylinch Stud's Lope de Vega (Ire) and Bernick reported that she is expected to foal any day now. She will return to Kingman later this year.

Bred by the Niarchos family, Galileo Gal was purchased by Gary Barber as a yearling and brought to race in North America, where she was a winner at three and four. The chestnut is a half-sister to champion and four-time Group 1 winner Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), as well a second G1 Coronation S. winner in Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) and stakes winner Tenth Star (Ire) (Dansili {GB}). Her family includes several other champions in Miesque (Nureyev), East of the Moon (Private Account) and Rumplestiltskin (Ire) (Danehill), as well as Group 1 winners and sires Kingmambo (Mr. Prospector) and Karakontie (Jpn) (Bernstein).

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With over 100 broodmares, Don Alberto, based in Lexington, was a top 15 breeder nationally last year. Timm succeeds Fabricio Buffolo, who has been the Executive Director for the past four years. Both are graduates of the prestigious Godolphin Flying Start program.

Beginning with the purchase of the former Vinery Stud in 2013, Don Alberto has subsequently expanded its holdings in America to occupy 1300 acres and has positioned itself as an active breeder at the top of the bloodstock market.

Originally from Murray, Utah, Chance Timm has over 14 years experience in the Thoroughbred industry. He has been with Lane's End Farm since 2014 as the Director of Stallion
Seasons and Shares, where he has also had an active role in their sales consignment. “Don Alberto has established itself as a major force in the worldwide thoroughbred industry,” said
Timm. “I am confident that our team will further that success in the coming years and am very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it. I'd like to thank Bill Farish and everyone at
Lane's End; it has been a privilege to work at such a distinguished farm.”

Don Alberto was founded in South America in 1987, when Liliana Solari Falabella bought an estate near Los Angeles, Chile, and founded the Haras Don Alberto, a Thoroughbred breeding farm. With her sons Andrea and Carlos Heller, Falabella developed the farm as well as their Bethia brand, which includes a dairy, winery, milk transportation and trucking, and more. The company employs more than 4,500 people.

Buffolo, originally from Brazil will return to his home country to be closer to his family while continuing his career in the thoroughbred industry. “I look forward to Chance leading our progression as one of the top breeding and racing organizations in North America. Although I am sad to see Fabricio go, I am very thankful for his hard work which has led us to where we are today,” said Carlos Heller on behalf of the Heller Solari family.

“I want to personally thank Carlos and Ms. Liliana for this incredible opportunity and for understanding my desire to be closer to my family. I'm very proud of what we've accomplished and have no doubt Don Alberto will continue to ascend the ranks of the industry,” said Buffolo.

In addition to racing two-time Champion Unique Bella among other graded stakes winners, Don Alberto has bred and sold multiple million-dollar yearlings. In 2018, they bought Grade I winner Salty for $3,000,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale, who produced a Tapit filly in 2020.. She was bred back to Tapit last year. They bought Dacita for $1.85 million the prior year at Fasig November, who has since produced an Uncle Mo colt in 2019, and a Quality Road filly in 2020.

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