The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale will begin on Wednesday, Nov. 10 according to an update from Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin and Vice President of Sales
Tony Lacy Tuesday. Fasig-Tipton's one-day November Sale will be held Nov. 9. The Breeders' Cup will take place at Del Mar Nov. 5 and 6.
“In keeping with Keeneland's mission, we continually strive to do what is best for the industry,” said the statement from Keeneland. “Setting the stage for a successful November Sale is a top priority as we work to deliver the absolute best marketplace to buyers and sellers this Fall. Keeneland's opening session of the 2021 November Sale will be on Wednesday, Nov. 10, following the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar.”
The Keeneland November entry deadline is Monday, Aug. 2.
Half Ours (Unbridled's Song–Zing, by Storm Cat), a four-time leading sire in Louisiana, was euthanized Saturday, July 17, following a paddock accident at Clear Creek Stud. He was 18 years old.
“It is a sad day for us all,” said Clear Creek's Val Murrell. “Half Ours enriched our breeders' program in Louisiana and beyond, having touched many who bred and raced. He was obviously an integral part of Clear Creek Stud's very existence, like a family member that you saw every day. His loss will be felt by many and his influence will remain for years to come, defined by progeny that always showed up, held together, running on both dirt or grass.”
Bred by Brilliant Stables, Half Ours was purchased by the late Buzz Chace for $625,000 at the 2004 Keeneland September sale and became one of the first 'TDN Rising Stars' when graduating by better than 10 lengths as first asking for owners Aaron and Marie Jones and Barry K. Schwartz and trainer Todd Pletcher at Keeneland before following up in the Three Chimneys Juvenile S. in 2005. Aaron Jones bought out his partner when Half Ours sold for $6.1 million to top the Keeneland November sale in 2006 and the colt ran his unbeaten streak to five with a victory in the 2007 GII Richter Scale Breeders' Cup H. before heading to the breeding shed with a career mark of 7-5-1-0.
Half Ours entered stud at Taylor Made Stallions in Kentucky before moving to Clear Creek for the 2011 breeding season. From 11 crops to race, he is the sire to date of 24 stakes winners and led the Louisiana sires' table from 2014 to 2016.
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 Hanshin and Tokyo Racecourses. The final Group 1 event of the spring/early summer, the Takarazuka Kinen, is slated for Sunday at Hanshin and is led by its defending champion Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}):
Saturday, June 26, 2021 1st-HSN, ¥9,680,000 ($87k), Maiden, 2yo, 1600mT CONCH PEARL (f, 2, American Pharoah–A Z Warrior, by Bernardini) makes her second start, having had the misfortune of running into a potential monster when clearly runner-up to 'TDN Rising Star' Command Line (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) on Tokyo debut June 5 (see below, gate 3). A daughter of the 2010 GI Frizette S. heroine, the half-sister to SW Key To My Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and SP Cole Porter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is out of a half-sister to MGSW/GISP Jojo Warrior–a daughter of American Pharoah's sire Pioneerof the Nile–as well as MSW & GSP J Z Warrior (Harlan's Holiday) and GSW & GISP E Z Warrior (Exploit). Conch Pearl cost $340K at KEESEP last fall. B-Triemore Stud (KY)
10th-TOK, ¥28,600,000 ($258k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1600m VALKYRJA (JPN) (f, 4, Tapit–Peace and War, by War Front) is perfect in just two previous appearances, a debut victory at Kyoto in February 2020 before returning from a 13-month absence to add a first-level Chukyo allowance over a very sloppy strip this past Mar. 13 (see below, gate 9). Peace and War, upset winner of the 2014 GI Darley Alcibiades S., was sold for $1.45 million with this filly in utero at Keeneland November in 2016. B-Northern Racing
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 Tokyo Racecourses. This week's Group 1 feature is the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), in which the popular white filly Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) will attempt to protect her perfect five-for-five record while attempting the 2400-meter trip for the first time:
Saturday, May 22, 2021 3rd-TOK, ¥9,680,000 ($89k), Maiden, 3yo, 1600m DAYTON TESORO (f, 3, Violence–Chelan Echo, by Lion Heart) outran odds of 20-1 to finish a respectable fourth on local debut over 1400 meters in a single juvenile appearance last November and is a candidate to improve with maturity and a bit more distance here. A $130K Keeneland September purchase, the chestnut is out of a half-sister to MSW Notoriously (Cherokee Run), SW Cherokee Echo (Cherokee Run) and GISP Smarty's Echo (Smarty Jones). B-Woods Edge Farm LLC (KY)
11th-CKO, Heian S.-G3, ¥68,000,000 ($625k), 4yo/up, 1900m AMERICAN SEED (c, 4, Tapit–Sweet Talker, by Stormin Fever) made giant strides once switched to the dirt last fall, winning three starts by a combined 17 lengths, but he stubbed his toe when a distant 14th as the 2-5 favorite in the G3 March S. at Nakayama. The $825K KEESEP yearling, whose dam was a Grade I winner on the turf in 2005 before fetching $1.15 million at KEENOV, was rumored to have lost a shoe in the running and he gets Christophe Lemaire back in the saddle Saturday. American Seed is a full-brother to SW & GSP Sweet Tapper; and to the dam of recent GII Edgewood S. runner-up Barista (Medaglia d'Oro); and a half to GSP Perregaux (Distorted Humor). Sweet Talker is a half-sister to the versatile MGSW Silver Medallion (Badge of Silver). B-Courtlandt Farm (KY)
Sunday, May 23, 2021 11th-CKO, ¥34,620,000 ($318k), Allowance, 4yo/up, 1200m QUEEN'S V V (JPN) (f, 4, Honor Code–V V Goodnight, by Midnight Lute), a $360K in utero purchase at KEENOV in 2016, has punched well above her weight in Japan, with three wins from nine runs, including a half-length success over this track and trip when last seen Mar. 14 (see below, gate 15). Her Grade III-placed dam is a half-sister to GSW Gleam of Hope (City Zip) and to SW Forest Princess (Hansel). B-Kosho Bokujo
