Keeneland November | Horse Racing Free Tips

Keeneland Bid Spotter Pete McCormick Dies At 75

Pete McCormick, a longtime Keeneland bid spotter and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, passed away Thursday at the age of 75. A native of Ontario, California, Pete was just a boy when given his first job in the auction business from Tom Caldwell, the longtime head auctioneer at Keeneland, who took McCormick under his wing.

“The Keeneland family mourns the passing of Pete McCormick, who was an iconic presence in the Keeneland Sales Pavilion during his four decades as a bid spotter,” Keeneland said Friday in a statement. “Pete famously said, 'My life is the auction business,' and he was widely respected by colleagues and horsemen for his tireless work ethic, professionalism and devotion to his craft. He would arrive at the sale two to three hours before the auction began to walk the barns, talking to buyers and consignors and getting to know the horses. His extensive knowledge and his demeanor won him a legion of fans, many of them buyers at the highest level, who showed their confidence in Pete by sitting in his area of the ring to place their bids. He was their good-luck charm.”

“Keeneland extends its deepest condolences to Pete's family, especially his son, Ken. He will be greatly missed.”

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Eskimo Kisses’s First Foal Debuts at Chukyo

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses, including the first foal from a big-figure Keeneland November purchase:

Saturday, January 14, 2023
4th-CKO, ¥11,850,000, Newcomers, 3yo, 1400m
LA LA BELLEVILLE (f, 3, Union Rags–Divine Praises, by Medaglia d'Oro) is the latest to make the races out of a winning daughter of SW Grand Prayer (Grand Slam), who is also the dam of MGSW & GISP Valid (Medaglia d'Oro); GISW Malibu Prayer (Malibu Moon); and Grand Love (Gun Runner), third in last year's GIII Pocahontas S. A $130,000 Keeneland September grad, the dark bay is a half-sister to the commonly owned La La Chandon (Street Sense), a maiden winner at second asking in Japan in 2021. B-Three Chimneys Farm LLC (KY)

REGALO FIORI (JPN) (f, 3, West Coast–Legallini, by Hard Spun) was acquired in utero for $80,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale and is maternal granddaughter of MGSW/GISP Dust and Diamonds (Vindication), whose son Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) won the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity at two and last year's G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby). B-Hatakeyama Stud Farm

Sunday, January 15, 2023
3rd-CKO, ¥11,850,000, Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m
KISS ON THE CHEEK (JPN) (f, 3, Curlin–Eskimo Kisses, by To Honor and Serve) is the first produce from her dam, who took down the colors of Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) in the 2018 GI Alabama S. and was purchased by Shadai Farm with this filly in utero for $2.3 million to rank as the second highest-priced offering of the 2019 Keeneland November Sale. A half-sister to Grade I-placed Silver Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}), Eskimo Kisses was produced by Silver Colors (Mr. Greeley), a daughter of champion 3-year-old filly and GI Kentucky Derby heroine Winning Colors (Caro {Ire}), who is also the granddam of two-time Japanese stakes winner Cheerful Smile (Jpn) (Sunday Silence). B-Shadai Farm

6th-NKY, ¥11,850,000, Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m
BOLD ZONE (c, 3, Mendelssohn–Halo Dolly, by Popular), closely related to Grade III-winning turf sprinter Barraza (Into Mischief), was an unfinished product when hammering for $40,000 at KEESEP in 2021, but improved nicely and fetched $280,000 from Katsumi Yoshida at OBS March last year after breezing an eighth of a mile in :10 1/5. Two-time graded winner Halo Dolly brought $300,000 from Spendthrift Farm at KEENOV in 2014 and was sold in foal to Authentic for $110,000 at the same event in 2021. B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY)

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Goldencents Colt Looks To Go One Better at Chukyo

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Saturday running at Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses:

Saturday, January 7, 2023
3rd-NKY, ¥11,850,000, Newcomers, 3yo, 1200m
HARDWIRED (c, 3, Hard Spun–Season Maker, by Pioneerof the Nile) is the first foal out of an unplaced daughter of the late French SW & MGSP Season's Greetings (Ire) (Ezzoud {Ire}), whose daughter Grace Hall (Empire Maker) won the 2011 GI Spinaway S. at two and the GII Delaware, Gulfstream and Indiana Oaks as a sophomore. Also the dam of a newly christened juvenile colt by Mendelssohn, Season Maker was sold in foal to Frosted for $55,000 at Keeneland November this past fall. B-Godolphin (KY)

4th-CKO, ¥11,850,000, Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m
HAKAISHIN (c, 3, Runhappy–Elarose, by Storm Cat) looks to become the fifth foal from as many to the races for his dam, a daughter of three-time Grade I winner and foundation mare Take Charge Lady (Dehere). The latter's produce include GISW sires Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy) and champion MGISW Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song); GISW As Time Goes By (American Pharoah); and the dams of champion Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway) and MGISW Omaha Beach (War Front); and of GSW/GISP 'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit). Masatake Iida acquired Elarose for $450,000 in foal to Quality Road at KEENOV in 2018. B-Chiyoda Farm (KY)

MONTE LUNA (f, 3, Union Rags–Light the Sky, by Tapit) cost $75,000 as a KEESEP yearling and is out of a half-sister to champion and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Stevie Wonderboy (Stephen Got Even) and Theyskens' Theory (Bernardini), a Group 3 winner and placed in Group 1 company as a juvenile in England and second to Winter Memories (El Prado {Ire}) in the GI Garden City S. in 2011. B-Peter J Callahan, Runnymede Farm Inc, Enid Cafritz & Haras d'Etreham (KY)

5th-CKO, ¥10,480,000, Maiden, 3yo, 1600mT
AIR METEORA (c, 3, Goldencents–Nokaze, by Empire Maker) turned in a very promising effort on his lone racetrack appearance, making the majority of the running in an 1800-meter newcomers' event Nov. 20 only to be run down close home (see below, SC 8). This slight cutback in trip can only help the half-brother to GSW Air Almas (Majestic Warrior), SW Air Fanditha (Hat Trick {Jpn}) and the talented Air Sage (Point of Entry). Nokaze is herself a half-sister to Yuzuru (Medaglia d'Oro), the stakes-winning dam of GSW Yuugiri (Shackleford), an impressive Oaklawn allowance winner first off a near eight-month absence at Oaklawn Dec. 30. B-Sekie & Tsunebumi Yoshihara (KY)

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Corona Bolt A Sixth SW for Bolt d’Oro in Sugar Bowl S.

Off as the heavy chalk in Monday's $97,000 Sugar Bowl S., Stonestreet Stables LLC's Corona Bolt (Bolt d'Oro) led not long after the start and kicked away in the final furlong to become a sixth black-type winner for his leading freshman sire (by Medaglia d'Oro).

Adding Lasix off strong one-length debut score at Churchill Downs Nov. 19 (82 Beyer Speed Figure), the $225,000 Keeneland November weanling speared through from between rivals to lead and covered the opening couple of furlongs :22.24 under an easy Florent Geroux hold and turned them in after a half in :45.92. Slipped a bit of rein as Toddchero (Bucchero) loomed a momentary threat at midstretch, Corona Bolt opened up while scarcely asked and came home 6 3/4 lengths to the good. Minnesota-bred Distorted Pro (Distorted Humor) was up for second ahead of Toddchero, who was earning black-type for the fifth time in his young career.

Summerfield Sales acquired Corona Bolt's dam for $16,000 at Keeneland January in 2016 and she was bred to Sky Mesa for a foal carrying the wonderfully productive cross of A.P. Indy and Quiet American. The result was Proven Strategies, a stakes winner and twice graded-placed on the turf with earnings in excess of $355,000. The mare, a half-sister to Canadian Classic winner Cool Catomine (Spring At Ladt) and SW Wild Catomine (Milwaukee Brew), is represented by a yearling filly by the late Flatter that fetched $90,000 at this year's Keeneland September sale. Her weanling colt by War at Will was a $70,000 buyback at Keeneland November last month and she most recently visited Yaupon. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

SUGAR BOWL S., $97,000, Fair Grounds, 12-26, 2yo, 6f, 1:09.96, ft.
1–CORONA BOLT, 116, c, 2, by Bolt d'Oro
1st Dam: Stormbeforethecalm, by Quiet American
2nd Dam: Smart Catomine, by Smart Strike
3rd Dam: Gather the Storm, by Storm Cat
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($225,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV). O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Summerfield Sales Agency Inc & Etarip Stables (FL); T-Brad H Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $102,000. *1/2 to Proven Strategies (Sky Mesa), SW & GSP-Can, GSP-USA, $355,787. **Sixth stakes winner for freshman sire (by Medaglia d'Oro).
2–Distorted Pro, 118, c, 2, Distorted Humor–Pro Pink, by Touch Gold. 1ST BLACK-TYPE. O/B-Novogratz Racing Stables Inc (MN); T-Brad H Cox. $20,000.
3–Toddchero, 116, c, 2, Bucchero–French Politics, by Political Force. ($77,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Mark Norman & Norman Stables LLC; B-GDS Racing Stable (FL); T-Jayde J Gelner. $10,000.
Margins: 6 3/4, NO, 4HF. Odds: 0.50, 5.30, 16.10.

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