Described as “a visionary behind many companies”–all of which were based in his hometown of Parkersburg, West Virginia–Ross sold his SBR group in 2006, but continued to own Woodcraft Supply, LLC, a chain of woodworking specialty related stores which operates in 34 states, and to participate in the oil and gas exploration and production industry. In addition to the sale of SBR, 2006 also marked the formation of the Ross Foundation, which supports charitable efforts in several West Virginia counties.

Ross entered the racing and breeding industry in 2016 when he and business partner, Mike Hall, founded Breeze Easy, LLC.  Quickly becoming a force at the track and in the sale ring–where it is now well represented as both a buyer and seller–Breeze Easy scored a notable racing triumph two years later when the Wesley Ward-trained Shang Shang Shang shipped to Royal Ascot and captured the G2 Norfolk S. The following year, another Ward trainee, Four Wheel Drive, was undefeated in three juvenile outings, culminating in the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Other standouts to carry the Breeze Easy colors have been multiple graded stakes wining sprint star, Imprimis; Late Night Pow Wow, a West Virginia-bred, who captured the GIII Barbara Fritchie S. and was Grade I-placed; GIII Marine S. scorer Easy Time; multiple stakes winner and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf third Outadore; and other stakes winners Curlin's Honor (owned in partnership with John Oxley), Devine Mischief, Curlin's Catch and Karak. Most recently, Boppy O (owned in partnership with John Oxley) captured the 2022 GIII With Anticipation S. at Saratoga.

Ross is survived by his wife, Susan Storck Ross, sons Samuel B. “Tres” Ross, III and Spencer Brownell Ross, and four grandchildren. A “Celebration of Life” ceremony will be held at a later date to be announced.

The post Sam Ross, Co-Owner of Breeze Easy, Passes Away appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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A $1.4-million son of super sire Into Mischief (Hip 604) led a sextet of seven-figure sellers during the opening session of Book 2 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Wednesday. Consigned by Summerfield on behalf of Stonestreet Stables, the colt was purchased by Larry Best of OXO Equine.

With six horses eclipsing the million-dollar mark Wednesday, the sale total now comes to 28. During the equivalent session last year, just two yearlings brought seven figures, including the $1.7-million sale topper.

“It was a great session,” said Tony Lacy, Keeneland's Vice President of Sales. “When you are seeing six million-dollar plus horses in session three, getting us up to 28 for three days, you are bringing it back to 2006, 2007 levels, which is really encouraging. The average and median have ticked up again over last year. Overall, it was a really, solid competitive session. There was diversity in the buyers. It was great to see the money spread.”

Book 2 opened Wednesday with 219 head bringing $66,695,000 with an average of $304,543 and a median of $250,000. There were 77 horses that failed to meet their reserves. During the same session in 2021, 211 horses summoned $60,996,000 with an average of $289,081 and median of $230,000. There were 72 RNAs.

Through the first three days of selling, 439 yearlings have grossed $180,355,000 with an average of $410,831 and median of $325,000. A total of 139 yearlings have been bought back. During the first three days in 2021, 419 youngsters grossed $151,618,000 with an average of $361,857 and median of $290,000. There were 180 horses led out of the ring unsold.

The top 20 yearlings were all purchased by domestic buyers. The powerhouse group led by SF/Starlight/Madaket bought three of the six seven-figure sellers. All three colts–one each by Gun Runner, Quality Road and Into Mischief–were purchased for $1.05 million.

“A lot of domestic buyers participated and we are very grateful to them,” said Cormac Breathnach, Keeneland's Director of Sales. “The current purse structure in racing and their involvement in the sale just speaks volumes. We are very excited about it. We still have international buyers here on the grounds and they aren't finding it as easy as expected to fill orders. The energy from Book 1 continued into Book 2 and we look forward to it continuing into the next nine sessions.”

Gainesway had a great day Wednesday, selling a pair of million-dollar homebreds in Hip 603, a $1.3-million Tapit filly, and Hip 740, the $1.05 million Into Mischief colt. Antony Beck's operation was the session's leading seller by gross receipts, with 27 yearlings bringing $9.78 million with an average of $362,222.

The second of two Book 2 sessions gets underway Thursday at 11 a.m.

Best on Top for Into Mischief Colt

Larry Best found a colt by Into Mischief (hip 604) who checked all the proverbial boxes and the owner outlasted a phone bidder to take the yearling home for a session-topping $1.4 million at Keeneland Wednesday. Out of stakes winner and multiple Grade I-placed Dawn the Destroyer (Speightstown), the bay was consigned by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck's Summerfield on behalf of Barbara Banke's Stonestreet. After signing the ticket on the colt in the pavilion, Best rushed off to watch his Fortin Hill (Mucho Macho Man) win an optional claimer at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

“It's always good when the breeder, after you buy him, offers to partner with you on the horse,” Best said after speaking with Banke. “I love Into Mischief. I have all these filters that I use and rarely does a horse meet all the filters when it's a colt. That's why you don't see me buying many colts. My filter is pretty stringent. Believe it or not, this one cleared them all. And I thought, 'why am I not buying the horse when I bought all of these others Into Mischiefs and done well with most of them?' So I waited until I saw him in the ring again and I said, 'If I am going to roll the dice at a big number for a colt, I am going to stick with Into Mischief and this one looks as good as I've seen.”

Best said the odds were against him when he was looking ahead to hip 604 making it as a stallion.

“In racing, it is so hard to win one race,” Best said. “The likelihood of getting a horse that becomes a sire is remote, but this is my shot. I'll give it a shot because I love the bloodlines.

He is magnificent. He looks like Into Mischief, he is just well-balanced and a beautiful horse. But I can't emphasize enough, when you are buying colts, the risk is very high. And you almost have to be willing to lose on colts. With fillies, if you buy good fillies, you can love those horses for 10 years plus. ”

Best's broodmare band is still in its early stages, but he has already enjoyed plenty of success as a seller.

“My first horse that I ever bought was Moi (Medaglia d'Oro),” Best recalled. “I paid $750,000 and I thought I was nuts. She didn't do very well on the racetrack, but her third foal I sold for $570,000 as a weanling and Archie St. George's just sold him for $1.05 million [as hip 344 Tuesday at Keeneland]. I think maybe I'm doing something right.”

Best concluded, “So, do I need luck on this one? I need a whole lot of luck, but he's a beautiful horse.” @JessMartiniTDN

Larry Best admires his $1.4 million purchase (hip 604) back at the Summerfield barn at #KeeSept! pic.twitter.com/CYqBRHJSMV

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) September 14, 2022

Stonestreet Yearlings Shine Wednesday

Barbara Banke's Stonestreet helped Book 2 get off to a strong start when selling a colt by Curlin (hip 410) for $925,000 to Don and Donna Adam's Courtlandt Farm and the operation came back later in the session to sell a colt by Into Mischief (hip 604) for a $1.4 million to Larry Best.

“We loved him,” Banke said of the Into Mischief session topper, who is the first foal out of the Stonestreet homebred and multiple Grade I-placed Dawn the Destroyer (Speightstown). “He's a great colt out of a great race mare. He was definitely one that I would love to stay in on, but I know Larry doesn't take partners. I may ask him anyway. He is a really good colt.”

Dawn the Destroyer, who finished second in the GI Ballerina S. and third in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint in 2019, was bred to Curlin this year.

Hip 410 is out of Road to Victory (Quality Road), winner of the 2017 GII Golden Rod S. Stonestreet purchased the mare, in foal to War Front, for $1.45 million at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November sale.

“I thought he would be very well received,” Banke said of the yearling. “He was a beautiful colt out of a good mare and by Curlin. He should be a very nice two-turn type horse.”

After a quiet Book 1, Stonestreet made its mark on the first session of Book 2, with seven yearlings sold for $3.8 million.

“We are just getting into the thick of it now,” Banke said Wednesday morning. “We sold four at Saratoga and we have six or seven to sell today and a lot more coming up.”

Through three sessions, Courtlandt Farm has purchased 11 yearlings for $8,235,000. The farm's new yearlings include three seven-figure purchases: a filly by Into Mischief (hip 359) for $1.35 million; a colt by Into Mischief (hip 344); and a son of City of Light (hip 73) for $1 million. @JessMartiniTDN

Gun Runner Colt Draws a Crowd

A trio of high-profile owners teamed up to acquire a colt by Gun Runner (hip 694) for $1.15 million late in Wednesday's third session of the Keeneland September sale. Bloodstock agent Justin Casse signed the ticket on the yearling on behalf of John Oxley, Coolmore's M.V. Magnier, and Breeze Easy.

“Everybody loves Gun Runner these days,” Casse said of the Woods Edge Farm-consignee. “They all seem to have very good walks and tremendous movement. He has a very good topline. He was a class act on the end of the shank from day one. He comes from a good nursery–they raise a good horse.”

After watching the strength of the market this week at Keeneland, Casse admitted he was not surprised by the colt's seven-figure price tag.

“If you had asked me three days ago, I probably would have said it wouldn't go that high,” Casse said. “I would have said maybe in the $600,000 range, but the way that things have headed, I have a hard time distinguishing what makes a horse like that bring over $1 million, other than the two right people are on him.”

The chestnut colt is out of multiple stakes winner and multiple graded placed Kathballu (Bluegrass Cat). He was consigned by Peter O'Callaghan's Woods Edge Farm, which purchased him for $185,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

“He was vetted nearly 20 times,” O'Callaghan said of the yearling's popularity at the barn. “I would say all the big money was on him. It seemed like they all followed him up here. He was just a lovely, lovely colt, very much in the mold of his sire. He was very straightforward. He was a very nice colt when we bought him and did fabulous. Wonderful temperament. Very solid.”

O'Callaghan admitted he was a big fan of exciting young stallion Gun Runner.

“All these Gun Runners are easy to train,” he said. “They take the hardships. We've never had a stallion like this guy. We've had some great sires–Tapit, Into Mischief, Uncle Mo–but Gun Runner is a little bit extra. It's incredible.”

The million-dollar transacation continued a big day for both Woods Edge's pinhooks and homebreds.

On the pinhooking front, Woods Edge sold a filly by Flatter (hip 403) for $425,000. The filly had been purchased for $190,000 from the Pin Oak Stud dispersal held at Fasig-Tipton last September. Also Wednesday, Woods Edge sold a yearling full-sister to GISW Consumer Spending (More Than Ready) (hip 434) for $650,000 to Mike Ryan. The operation had purchased the filly for $240,000 at the Keeneland November sale last fall; and a Twirling Candy colt (hip 739), acquired for $175,000 at Keeneland November, for $400,000 to M.V. Magnier.

Hip 621, a Twirling Candy filly bred by Woods Edge, sold for $925,000 to Rigney Racing, and hip 520, a homebred son of City of Light, sold for $400,000 to CRK Stable.

Woods Edge sold 11 horses Wednesday for $5,205,000.

“The market is great, but it's the same story,” O'Callaghan said. “You have to be good. It has to be the right sire and it has to vet. If you want to break out, you have to be squeaky clean.”   @JessMartiniTDN

Sold for $1.15 million to Justin Casse for Oxley & MV Magnier, @breezeeasyllc! https://t.co/uL2TbpEMQ7

— TDN (@theTDN) September 15, 2022

Pope Returns to the Well For Tapit Filly

Mandy Pope went to $1.3 million to secure MSW & GSP Danzatrice (Dunkirk)'s Tapit colt at this auction last year and she returned to the well Wednesday, buying his full-sister (Hip 603) for $1.1 million. Trainer Chad Brown, acting on behalf of client Peter Brant, was the underbidder.

“We bought the brother [Tapit Trice] last year,” Pope said. “We have him in training. Gainesway stayed in for a little part of him. He is with Todd Pletcher right now and we have high hopes for him. We are going to make a nice family here.”

As for the filly, the Whisper Hill Farm owner said, “I thought she had a nice hip, a nice heart girth and moved really well.”

Danzatrice is a half-sister to champion juvenile filly Jaywalk (Cross Traffic). Gainesway bought the mare for $105,000 as a 2-year-old at the OBS April sale. Her first foal, a now gelding named General Strike (Union Rags), sold for $250,000 at this auction and Tapit Trice was her second foal.

“It was Antony [Beck]'s strategy” said Gainesway's Brian Graves. “He had several Tapit fillies and he wanted to split them up a little bit. I really wouldn't have been able to pick between them honestly. They both had things to like about them. I preferred this one a little bit and the price showed it at the end of the day, but they were pretty close.”

—@CDeBernardisTDN

Sold for $1.1 million to Mandy Pope! https://t.co/RrYq9uhZyZ

— TDN (@theTDN) September 14, 2022

SF/Starlight/Madaket Strike Early

The powerhouse colt partnership led by SF Bloodstock, Starlight and Madaket Stables made their presence felt early in Wednesday's Book 2 opener, going to $1.05 million for a colt by young sire standout Gun Runner (Hip 383). The bay was consigned by Pope McLean's Crestwood Farm on behalf of breeder Ann Fostock.

“He is a beautiful horse raised by really wonderful people,” said SF's Tom Ryan. “Gun Runner is a sensation. There is no other way to describe him. He has five Grade I winners from his first 120 runners. It is an amazing feat. Bob loved this horse. Donato loved this horse. John Moynihan is part of this horse. Everybody that saw him [liked him]. It was a consensus vote. We are happy to land him.”

Out of Perfect Flute (Pleasantly Perfect), Hip 383 hails from a deep Juddmonte family. His second dam is MGISW and Kentucky Oaks-winning millionaire Flute (Seattle Slew), who is the dam of MGSW & MGISP Filimbi (Mizzen Mast). This is also the female family of GISW Weep No More (Mineshaft) and GSW Current (Curlin).

“He was a special horse,” said Crestwood's Marc McLean. “He's a horse we thought could break through and it happened. It was a nice surprise. He was bred by a client, he was foaled and raised at our farm. He has always been a standout. He has such good scope and size and that's what made him special. We got lucky and got him in the right spot. We were pretty busy this morning; buyers kept coming back, which is a good thing. He was early in the session, which made us nervous, but I believe everybody had done their homework. Hopefully he was one of the standouts on the day, but you don't know until you get here.”

The SF/Starlight/Madaket team sparked fireworks late in the session, securing a son of Into Mischief (Hip 740) for the same $1.05 million.

“We love Into Mischief. We've bought seven of them now [at KEESEP],” Ryan said. “How could you not love Into Mischief? He is out of a very good racemare and is by a very good sire. He is a horse Bob Baffert loved immediately, so we are happy to own him.”

Consigned and bred by Gainesway, Hip 740 is out of GSW & MGISP More Chocolate (Malibu Moon).

“This is where I thought the horse belonged,” said Gainesway's Brian Graves. “The mare is getting a bit middle-aged. I am especially proud of that one. Antony [Beck] let me do that mating during the Covid times. We thought he was a really nice colt physically.”

In between those colts, the partnership once again paid $1.05 million for a Quality Road colt (Hip 574) who is a full-brother to the stakes-winning Stillwater Cove.

The SF/Starlight/Madaket team, guided by bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, have purchased a total of 14 yearling colts for a sale-best $9.88 million through the first three days of bidding. —@CDeBernardisTDN

Hip 740, an Into Mischief colt, hammers at $1.05 million from the @Gainesway consignment. Donato Lanni agent for SF/@StarlightRacing/Madaket signs the ticket. #KeeSept pic.twitter.com/8wB6wMN7gr

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) September 15, 2022

Million-Dollar Score for Hancock

Rowland Hancock, who has been breeding Thoroughbreds for over four decades, had his first seven-figure sale when Tom Ryan signed the ticket at $1.05 million on a colt by Quality Road (hip 574) on behalf of the SF/Starlight/Madaket partnership. The dark bay colt is out of Celibataire (Broken Vow), a full-sister to graded winner Interactif and dam of stakes winner Stillwater Cove (Quality Road). Hancock purchased the mare, in foal to Union Rags, for $180,000 at the 2018 Keeneland January sale.

“I had seen her yearling the year before and I fell in love with the yearling,” Hancock said of the mare's appeal. “Anybody that could produce something that beautiful, I wanted to own.”

Of his first million-dollar yearling, who was consigned by Crestwood Farm, Hancock said, “This colt was something. He is one of the most balanced, classy horses I've ever seen. I've bred some fairly good horses, but he was just special. You always read about these classy horses who want to walk and never get mad, keep their demeanor. He exemplified that. He loved to walk. He loved to get out.”

Celibataire's first foal for Hancock was a $100,000 Keeneland September yearling in 2019. He retained the mare's Gun Runner filly, Cause Celebre, who ran at Kentucky Downs just after her half-brother lit up the board at Keeneland. Celibataire's 2-year-old daughter of Justify sold for $215,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November sale. The mare was bred to Mendelssohn this year.

Hancock has eight mares in his broodmare band.

“I've been doing this for 47 years,” he said of his breeding operation. “This is the culmination of doing it for a long time.”

Hip 383 was the second seven-figure purchase of Wednesday's session for the SF/Starlight/Madaket partnership, which struck early in the day to acquire a Gun Runner colt, also consigned by the McLean family's Crestwood Farm, for $1.05 million.

“We love Quality Road, he's a great, proven stallion,” Ryan said of the purchase. “It's a very nice family. He's a half to a stakes-winning filly. He's a very straightforward colt.”

Of the colt's final price tag, Ryan said, “The market is very strong, it's carried through from Book 1 to Book 2 very nicely. But he's a big, strong Quality Road colt who was well-raised and with a proper pedigree. It's not that surprising.”

Enjoying the dual $1.05-million sales, Marc McLean said, “It's been a great day; unbelievable really.”

He added of the Quality Road colt, “He was not a huge colt, but just a beautiful mover. We wouldn't dream he would go that high. It was a good job by the sales team. Both of these were for clients and were raised and foaled at our farm. It is rewarding.” @JessMartiniTDN

Seeing double… Hip 574 a Quality Road colt out of Celibataire marks the second seven-figure sale for the combination of @CrestwoodKY as seller, @DonatoLanni, agent as buyer, $1.05 million as the final price tag. #KeeSept pic.twitter.com/nKSA6M98fi

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) September 14, 2022

Into Mischief Filly A Fitting Tribute to Late Dam

Stakes winner Steelin' (Orientate) was very good to the team at Jeff and Chiquita Reddoch's Stonehaven Steadings during her 14-year tenure with them, producing a champion in her very first foal Shanghai Bobby (Harlan's Holiday). Sadly, the Reddoch family lost Steelin' last year, but her final foal, a filly by Into Mischief (Hip 459), paid fitting tribute to her late dam Wednesday, bringing $900,000 from WinStar's Maverick Racing and Siena Farm.

“We loved her physique,” said WinStar's Elliott Walden. “She is a really strong filly. The pedigree works with Shanghai Bobby and another daughter has already had a graded stakes winner, both are by Harlan's Holiday. She is something we can put in the broodmare band as well.”

The Reddochs' daughter Leah O'Meara was first to congratulate Walden after he signed the ticket with her parents and husband Aidan O'Meara not far behind her.

“This is her last foal,” Leah O'Meara said. “We lost the mare before we weaned her. This was kind of her swan song. We didn't really want to bring her to the sale, but we have every other filly out of the mare. We still have the family and have sold well out of the family. This was a beautiful result.”

Stonehaven Steadings purchased Steelin', who was coincidentally bred by WinStar, for $155,000 at the 2009 KEENOV sale. The resulting colt sold for just $105,000 at KEESEP, but became champion and sire Shanghai Bobby. They have not offered many of Steelin's foals at auction, but her 2015 Tapit colt brought $500,000 from Winchell Thoroughbreds at this auction. The Reddochs sent Steelin' through the ring in 2015 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale in foal to Medaglia d'Oro, but RNA'd her for $1.775 million. Her daughter Miz Kella (Harlan's Holiday) is the dam of MGSW Canoodling (Pioneerof the Nile).

Stonehaven Steadings has been having a strong Keeneland September Sale thus far, selling seven yearlings for $6.975 million with an average of $996,429, including the current sale topper, a $2.5-million colt by Quality Road (Hip 97). The nursery also produced recently retired champion and OBS April sale topper 'TDN Rising Star' Corniche (Quality Road).

“It's been unbelievable,” O'Meara said. “This is the perfect storm. This is the best crop we have ever brought to a sale and to be this well received in a market so strong is just unreal. There are no words. I am thankful. Everyone will benefit. It will trickle down to everybody.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

Coolmore & Breeze Easy Team Up on Gun Runner Colt

Coolmore's M.V. Magnier teamed up with Mike Hall of Breeze Easy to acquire a son of the red-hot Gun Runner (Hip 640) for $825,000 Wednesday.

“Gun Runner is obviously doing very well as a stallion,” said Magnier. “Three Chimneys is a very good breeder and all the guys really liked the horse. Hopefully he is good.”

He added, “We are partnering with Breeze Easy. They are very nice people and we enjoy doing business with them.”

Consigned by Taylor Made Sales, Hip 640 was bred by the Torrealba family's Three Chimneys Farm, which stands Gun Runner. The operation purchased the colt's GSP dam Flatter Up (Flatter) for $300,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November Sale in foal to the late Arrogate. She hails from the family of MGISW and stallion Midnight Storm (Pioneerof the Nile).  —@CDeBernardisTDN

Wednesday closes with a three-day total of 28 million-dollar #KeeSept yearlings, the most since 2007… Thank you to our buyers and sellers! pic.twitter.com/KjauH4gJHG

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) September 15, 2022

The post Into Mischief Colt Tops Another Banner Day at KEESEP appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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In her most recent start, Far Away Love took third in the Group 1 Gran Premio Seleccion-Argentine Oaks over ten furlongs on dirt at Palermo, on Oct. 9, after disputing the lead through a six furlong fraction of 1:09.26

The Gran Premio Seleccion was just the third start of Far Away Love's career. She debuted at Palermo on Aug. 14, in a six-furlong maiden event, which she took by five lengths. Far Away Love returned a month later for the G2 Clasico Francisco J. Beazley over nine furlongs. Leading throughout, she scored by five lengths from Super Bijou, who was only beaten a neck in the Seleccion, running a spectacular 1:47.02.  

Far Away Love comes from an Argentine shuttle crop sired by Violence, who in addition to North American Grade 1 winners Volatile, No Parole and Dr. Schivel, and current undefeated classic prospect Newgrange, has sired Argentine Group 1 winners Fiel Amigo and Dandy Del Barrio, both successful at the “Estrellas” meeting, Argentina's equivalent to the Breeders' Cup.

Far Away Love's dam, the Not For Sale mare, Far Away Eyes, was a winner in Argentina, and is a sister to Blues For Sale. A three-time group stakes winner in her native country, Blues For Sale is dam of Blue Prize, who captured the G1 Gran Premio Seleccion before coming to the U.S., where her successes included back-to-back scores in the G1 Spinster Stakes, and a victory over the year's champion older mare, Midnight Bisou, in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. Three days after her Breeders' Cup win, Blue Prize topped the Fasig-Tipton November Sales, falling to a bid of $5 million from OXO Equine. Blue Prize's half-sister, Blue Stripe, captured the G1 Gran Premio Criadores, and is now in training at Santa Anita.

In addition to Blues For Sale, Far Away Eyes is also a sister to Cure For Sale, a listed winner in Argentina, and a Keeneland allowance winner, and multiple graded placed while racing in the U.S.

Key Cure, the second dam of Far Away Love, is a daughter of Cure the Blues, who was a five time winner in the U.S. before being exported to Argentina. She descends from the Ladies Handicap heroine, Sea Saga, ancestress of 11 Grade 1 winners, also including General Challenge, Notable Career, Evening Jewel, Denman's Call and A Shin Hikari, as well Southern Halo, multiple leading sire in Argentina, and responsible for More Than Ready during his time in the U.S.

Said Breeze Easy managing partner Mike Hall: “We watched film of Far Away Love's races, and were very impressed by the raw talent she's shown right from the start of her career. She's very fast and can clearly carry that speed. She is also lightly-raced, and has the potential to keep improving. It was appealing that she was by an up-and-coming U.S. sire, and so closely related to Blue Prize, which gives her a pedigree page that would be recognized anywhere in the world. We're very excited for her racing career in the U.S., and think she'll make a tremendous broodmare down the line.”

A 4-year-old of 2022 by Northern Hemisphere time, Far Away Love arrived in the U.S. on Feb. 5, and after completing quarantine, she will acclimatize at a training center in Florida, before commencing her U.S. racing career.

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The yearling bay filly by Gun Runner, is out of Homemade Mo Nae, by Uncle Mo, a half-sister to graded stakes winner Conquest Two Step. Click here to view her walking video.

Hip No. 180, a bay son of Laoban consigned by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds LLC, Agent, was purchased by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing for $160,000. He's out of Steve's Philly by Tale of Ekati, and is a full-brother to current stakes winner Yo Cuz.

Hip No. 25, a yearling by Maclean's Music, went to Woodford Thoroughbreds for $150,000. Consigned by Silver Oaks Farm (Danielle Loya), Agent, the dark bay or brown filly is out of stakes-placed Beauty for Ashes and is a half-sister to graded stakes-placed Beautiful Shot.

Woodford Thoroughbreds also paid $130,000 for Hip No. 112, a bay filly by Mitole consigned by Summerfield (Francis & Barbara Vanlangendonck), Agent. She's out of stakes winner Lunarlady, by Yes It's True, and is a half-sister to the dam of graded stakes-placed Whateverybodywants.

Summerfield also consigned Hip 133, a bay filly by Vino Rosso out of graded stakes placed Peisinoe, and is a half-sister to graded stakes placed Proverb. She was purchased by Bach Stables, LLC for $110,000.

Hip No. 122, a son of Audible consigned by Beth Bayer, Agent, was sold to First Finds for $100,000. The bay yearling colt is out of Mom's Deputy, by War Chant, and is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Mom's On Strike.

Hip No. 33, consigned by Abbie Road Farm (Lisa McGreevy), Agent, was sold to Woodford Thoroughbreds for $65,000. The dark bay or brown filly by Mo Town is out of Can't Steal My Joy, by Exclusive Quality, from the immediate family of Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil.

The top broodmare of the day went to H & E Ranch for $57,000. Hip 40, Sierra Aleone, a dark bay or brown mare by Gemologist, is a stakes placed winner and sold in foal to Spun To Run.

Hip No. 253, Freedom Speaks, a daughter of American Freedom consigned by Best A Luck Farm LLC, Agent was sold to Reitman Stables LLC for $145,000 to top the Horses of Racing Age session.

The 3-year-old gray filly, whose three-eighths in :31 2/5 seconds was fastest at the distance at the Under Tack Show, is out of the Macho Uno mare Wicked Speed, a half-sister to Horse of the Year Fatal Bullet.

Hip No. 268, Sonic Thrust, consigned by Grassroots Training & Sales LLC, was sold to Emerald Sales, Agent for Michael Eiserman for $70,000. The 4-year-old bay colt by Twirling Candy, who breezed three eighths in :31 4/5 seconds at the Under Tack Show, is out of Broad Sound, by Broad Brush, and is a half-brother to stakes placed Brimstone Island.

For the Consignor Preferred session, 143 horses sold for a total of $3,074,300, compared with 99 horses grossing $1,896,300 in 2021. The average price was $21,499 compared with $19,155 a year ago, while the median price was $10,000 compared with $10,100 last year. The buyback percentage was 16.4 percent; it was 30.3 percent last year.

For the Horses of Racing Age session, 73 horses grossed $1,211,700 compared with 73 selling for a total of $1,692,500 in 2021. The average was $16,599, compared to $23,185 a year ago, while the median price was $11,000. It was $13,000 last year. The buyback percentage was 18.9 percent; it was 12 percent in 2021.

The Winter Mixed Sale continues Wednesday at 11 a.m. with Hip No.'s 401 – 649 in the Open Session.

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In all, 143 head sold during the preferred session for a total of $3,074,300. The average was up 12.2% from a year ago when 99 head grossed $1,896,300 and averaged $19,155. With 28 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 16.4%. It was 30.3% a year ago.

The session topper (hip 86) was consigned by Get Away Farm and was bred by that farm's owners Carol Reitman and husband Warren Miller, in partnership with Susan Gannon.

Reitman and Miller purchased Get Away Farm in Lowell, Florida from Manny Andrade in September of 2020 and acquired the unraced mare Homemade Mo Nae (Uncle Mo), carrying the session topper, from him two months later for $92,000 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

“Manny Andrade owned the family,” Miller explained. “He had nurtured the family and bred it along. The broodmare, Homemade Mo Nae, was destined to go up to the [Fasig-Tipton] Saratoga Select sale. She was a gorgeous-looking filly and they were expecting half-a-million dollars. But she was injured and she was scratched. Manny was very disappointed. He said she was the nicest one he'd ever bred.”

Miller continued, “I knew he had held on to a few of the ones that he thought were better mares at the end and sent them up to Keeneland. His farm manager, Larry Anderson, who still works with us, he told us that everything that family had thrown was very correct and the Uncle Mo mare was a gorgeous mare. So he thought it would just carry on and certainly it did. We took his advice and bid on her. We bought her in foal to Gun Runner and then he got hot. That's basically the whole thing.”

Miller quickly reinvested the day's profits, topping the auction's horses of racing age session when going to $145,000 to acquire Freedom Speaks (American Freedom) (hip 253). The unraced 3-year-old filly is out of Wicked Speed (Macho Uno), a half-sister to Canadian champion Fatal Bullet (Red Bullet). The gray filly worked three furlongs in :31 2/5 during Monday's under-tack preview. Purchased for $37,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale, she was consigned Tuesday by Thomas and Lori Fackler's Best A Luck Farm.

“We will see if she can run,” Miller said. “She breezed good on this Poly and hopefully, with the Poly down there [at Gulfstream Park], she'll recoup some of her purchase price and maybe place in a good race and have a future as a broodmare as well.”

Miller and Reitman have a broodmare band of about 12 mares at Get Away Farm and plan mostly to race their foals. Among the homebreds to carry the silks of Reitman Stables is stakes winner Crown and Sugar (Crown of Thorns).

“We are getting up there and I like to race when I can,” Miller said of the sale of the yearling and purchase of the 3-year-old. “It's a longer wait [with the yearling] and we've been doing this a while, time is marching on. We are a smaller farm and we just look to keep plugging along and play around.”

Miller credits teamwork for success in the sales ring and on the track.

“I was in the buggy business–the harness business for years–and we came together and put it together as a team,” he said. “We have a great farm manager in Larry. He's been at Get Away Farm for 35 years. It used to be run by the Mills family, Randy Mills. And then Manny Andrade bought it. He stood Two Step Salsa and Drill. We bought it from him and we chose to carry on in an easy fashion. We still foal out about 50 mares there for some people locally. Susan is one of our consultants. We are all partners.”

Homemade Mo Nae, who is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Conquest Two Step (Two Step Salsa) and graded placed Sheikh of Sheikhs (Discreetly Mine), was not able to secure a return date to Gun Runner last year.

“We were disappointed they wouldn't accept her to breed back at Three Chimneys, but they are getting bombarded with horses,” Miller said. “The mare didn't catch back last year, but it's ok. She'll be ready to go as soon as the weather gets good up there in Kentucky.”

Until then, the team at Get Away Farm is enjoying Tuesday's success.

“We are a small outfit,” Miller said. “We do everything privately in our little group. So we are happy to just compete. For us, this was a home run.”

The OBS Winter Mixed Sale continues with an open session beginning at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

The post Gun Runner Filly Tops OBS Opener appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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LEXINGTON, KY – Demand for horses remained high across the board as the Book 2 section of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale concluded Friday in Lexington.

“Today was pretty spectacular from start to finish,” Keeneland's Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said Friday evening. “It was a very strong day all the way through. We sense some frustration on the part of buyers with the momentum from September carrying through to November.”

A total of 475 head sold during the two Book 2 sessions for a gross of $76,528,000. The average of $161,112 was up 24.5% from the 2020 Book 2, while the median rose 39.2% to $135,000.

During last year's two-session Book 2, 425 head sold for $55,003,000 for an average of $129,419 and a median of $97,000.

The buy-back rate for Friday's session was 18.52%. Through three sessions, the cumulative buy-back rate stands at 22.18%. It was 28.53% a year ago.

Breeze Easy secured the section's top-priced offering when Chris Baccari made a final bid of $725,000 to secure the broodmare J. Quirk (Unbridled's Song) Friday. The operation came right back to acquire the mare's weanling filly by Gun Runner–the day's highest-priced foal–for $375,000.

Six lots topped the $500,000 mark during the section, matching the 2020 figure.

Friday's action featured a diverse buying bench, with the day's top 10 lots selling to nine different entities.

“It is great to see the depth of the competition for the mares,” said Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “I think that is very encouraging as we step forward. With the foal crops getting lighter, you see energized breeders. These are professional, established breeders, who are really investing and getting determined for the future.”

Bloodstock agent Lincoln Collins purchased two mares Friday for matching $400,000 bids on behalf of Woodford Thoroughbreds.

“It got very strong today,” Collins said. “It was strong enough yesterday, but we found it much harder to buy today than we did yesterday.”

Gainesway was Friday's leading consignor with 26 sold for $5,310,000.

“It's impossible to buy and it's really fun to sell,” admitted Gainesway's Brian Graves.

Consignor Neal Clarke of Bedouin Bloodstock expects the high demand to continue throughout the final week of the November sale.

“I think it is just going to get stronger,” Clarke said. “There is a lot of enthusiasm and a big appetite for horses right now. I wish we had 50 more horses to sell.”

The Keeneland November sale continues through Friday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

Breeze Easy Gets Quirky

While Chris Baccari was signing Friday's session-topping ticket to acquire J. Quirk (Unbridled's Song) (hip 915) for $725,000 to join the Breeze Easy broodmare band, the operation's Mike Hall was calling an audible to go right back in and acquire the mare's weanling daughter by Gun Runner (hip 916) for $375,000.

“We are just trying to collect some really good mares,” Baccari explained of the first purchase. “And she's a proven producer and by Unbridled's Song.”

Hall added, “We liked the mare a lot. She has thrown a lot of good physical horses who have all sold well and done well.”

The 10-year-old J. Quirk, who sold in foal to Game Winner, is from the family of Tiznow. Her 3-year-old daughter Lady Mystify (Bernardini) sold for $325,000 at last year's OBS April sale and won this year's GIII Remington Park Oaks.

Hall was on the phone and giving Baccari instructions as bidding on the weanling progressed.

“We are going to race the filly,” Hall said of the day's highest-price foal. “We were here for the mare and at the last minute decided to get the weanling.”

Hall admitted, “I was a little shocked on the price. I stopped several times.”

Mare and foal were consigned by Denali Stud on behalf of Scott and Evan Dilworth. The Dilworths purchased J. Quirk for $260,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November sale.

Scott Dilworth, buying Hall and Baccari a congratulatory drink after the mare and foal sold, said the strong market had led him to offer the duo Friday at Keeneland.

“When it's raining, you sell umbrellas,” Dilworth said. “The market was so strong and I thought the mare and baby would complement each other if I sold them together. That's why I put the package together. Unbridled's Song is one of the top broodmare sires right now and there is a lot of blue skies for these guys with the Bernardini filly who is running right now. So I thought it was a great time to sell.”

Asked about the strength of the market, Dilworth shook his head and said, “It's unbelievable. I've been chasing weanlings all week. They are just running away. It's crazy. But it's a beautiful thing.”

Casner Dreams of Summer

Longtime owner/breeder Bill Casner went to $460,000 in the early part of Friday's session to secure the unraced Summer Vacation (Eskendereya) (Hip 680), a daughter of blue hen Dream of Summer (Siberian Summer).

“I've got a 3-year-old [filly] from the same family by Not This Time [Hippie Cowgirl] that was a good racehorse,” Casner said. “Unfortunately, she hurt herself after she broke her maiden, but I love that page and this mare has had good production.”

Grade I-winning millionaire Dream of Summer produced a trio of black-type winners by the late, great Giant's Causeway in Grade I-winning millionaire and sire Creative Cause; GISW mare Vexatious; and MGSW New York stallion Destin.

Consigned by Hill 'n' Dale, the 9-year-old mare sold in foal to Twirling Candy. She has already produced four foals, including MGSP Ten for Ten (Frosted).

“I think that is a good fit [her mating to Twirling Candy],” Casner said. “I think it's a good cross and that is certainly one of the things you take into consideration. You hope you can have a good baby and hope you can pay for part of the mare when that baby goes to the sales.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

Orglandes to Japan…Eventually

Orglandes (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) (hip 984) will be heading to Japan after selling to bloodstock agent Nobutaka Araki, bidding on behalf of Shimokobe Farm, for $440,000 late in Friday's session of the Keeneland November sale. But the mare will likely remain in the U.S. to be bred next spring and she may return to the barn of trainer Chad Brown to race again.

“Originally, we were going to buy her as a broodmare prospect and then send her to Japan next year,” Araki said. “But thanks to Elite consignment, they gave me a list of possible races for her. So she could start in this stakes Nov. 27 [GIII Long Island S.]. So I was getting Chad Brown's number from Liz and I will call Chad and say we might send her back. If she hits, we'll get some money back.”

Racing for the partnership of Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael Caruso, Orglandes won last year's GIII Red Carpet H. and she entered the Keeneland sale off a win in last weekend's Zagora S. at Belmont Park.

“She is a lovely mare–with size and a beautiful head. So we are very happy to get her,” Araki said. “Hopefully, her foals will come back for the Breeders' Cup.”

Orglandes was the second mare Araki purchased on behalf of Shimokobe Farm this week. He acquired Jolie Olimpica (Brz) (Drosselmeyer) (hip 193) for $675,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November sale Tuesday.

Curuzu to Benson Farm

Curuzu (Giant's Causeway) (hip 816) will be joining the broodmare band at Gayle Benson's Benson Farm after farm manager David Shone signed the ticket at $425,000 to acquire the 6-year-old from the Indian Creek consignment Friday at Keeneland. The mare, who is in foal to Nyquist, was proceeded in the ring by her weanling colt by Twirling Candy who sold for $200,000 to Tommy Wente's St. Simon Place.

“She is a gorgeous mare by Giant's Causeway and she's in foal to Nyquist,” Shone said of Curuzu's appeal. “But really the foal that went before her was one of the best foals I've seen today. She can obviously throw a good foal, so hopefully she can throw me a Nyquist that looks like that.”

Curuzu is a daughter of graded stakes winner La Reina (A.P. Indy) and she is a full-sister to graded winner Chief Havoc and a half to graded placed Aurelius Maximus (Pioneerof the Nile). Bred and campaigned by Emory Hamilton, she sold in foal to Twirling Candy for $140,000 to Keats Grove Farm. Her Twirling Candy weanling was bred by Idlewood Farm.

Benson Farm currently has a broodmare band of some 10 mares and most of the operation's foals will be offered at auction.

“We will see what we get and go from there, but typically we offer everything at sale and see what they make,” Shone said of plans for the farm's foals. “If they don't make enough, we'll race them.”

Also Friday, Shone purchased Something New (Medaglia d'Oro) (hip 660), in foal to Munnings, for $250,000.

Gayle Benson's G M B Racing campaigned Grade I winner Tom's d'Etat (Smart Strike) and Shone said the breeding operation will support the young WinStar stallion.

“We have some stallions now to support,” Shone said. “We have Tom's d'Etat at WinStar and a couple of stallions in Louisiana. So we have some mares we will breed to those stallions as well. We will expand a little bit so we have enough mares to breed to those stallions and some commercial mares for the farm as well.” @JessMartiniTDN

Counterparty Risk Set to Return to the Track

GSW Counterparty Risk (Ire) (Australia {GB}) (Hip 808) proved popular at Keeneland Friday, hammering for $400,000 to David Lanigan, acting on behalf of Scott Heider. She was consigned by Elite as a racing or broodmare prospect.

“She's a nice filly,” Lanigan said. “We are going to give her a little bit of a holiday and get her back in training around January or February. During that time, we will make a decision about where she will go, but the plan is to run on next year. We are happy to get her.”

Klaravich Stables purchased Counterparty Risk for 325,000gns at the 2018 TATOCT sale and shipped her stateside to Chad Brown. She captured the GIII Lambholm South Endeavour S. in February and was third in the GIII Eatontown S. in June. The 4-year-old was most recently third in Monmouth's Violet S. Sept. 25 and her record currently stands at 10-2-2-3.

Counterparty Risk hails from the family of GISW Sarah Lynx (Ire) (Montjeu) and GSWs Steel Prince (Nathaniel) and Sugar Boy (Authorized). —@CDeBernardisTDN

Woodford Continues Buying Spree

John and Susan Sykes's Woodford Thoroughbreds has been quite active all week and they struck late in Friday's session for a pair of $400,000 mares in foal to Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief).

“We bought quite a few mares in the last few days, just trying to get the numbers up and have a go at having some good yearling sales,” said bloodstock agent Lincoln Collins, who signed the tickets while seated between John and Susan Sykes.

When asked if the shared covering sire was a factor in their purchases, Collins said, “Absolutely. We love Authentic. We think he is going to be a good stallion and we hope we are going to get good-looking ones out of the mares we bought in foal to him. We bought a mare out of Mrs. Abercrombie's [Pin Oak] dispersal in foal to Authentic, so now, I believe, we have four mares in foal to Authentic.”

The Woodford team's first purchase Friday was Mucho Amor (Mucho Macho Man) (Hip 967) from the Paramount Sales draft. The 5-year-old won four of her 19 starts, including the Seattle S. Bloodstock agent Christina Jelm purchased Mucho Amor for $100,000 at this year's Keeneland January Sale, just days after she finished third in the New Orleans S. Returned to the races under the name of new owner Michael Pegram, the dark bay was unplaced in her next three starts and was sent to Authentic just 18 days after her final race at Oaklawn Apr. 10.

Woodford's next acquisition came just seven hips later in the Elite-consigned New York Groove (Verrazano) (Hip 974). The bay was a perfect four-for-four as a juvenile, including wins in the Presque Isle Debutante S. and Woodbine's Glorious Song S. Campaigned by Commonwealth New Era Racing, Madaket Stables and Wonder Stables, she made her final start in January of this year and retired with four wins from nine starts. Her second dam Potrinner (Arg) (Potrillazo) was a Group 1 winner in Argentina, who produced GSW & MGISP Melhor Ainda (Pulpit).

“In the case of both mares, they are both stakes winners,” Collins said. “The Verrazano mare is a very useful 2-year-old, which I think is quite important. The other mare was a stakes winner and they were very, very good-looking. Looks are everything in the yearling game now. There is nothing that says that good-looking mares will get good-looking foals, but it is all about trying to increase your probability of getting a good-looking one.”

Woodford has purchased 10 mares so far at Keeneland November for a total of $2.92 million. —@CDeBernardisTDN

Baccari Strikes for Uncle Mo Colt

A weanling colt by Uncle Mo (hip 681) is destined for resale in the yearling market after selling for $360,000 to Chris Baccari early in Friday's session of the Keeneland November sale. The weanling is out of the unraced Sunshiny Day (Bernardini), a daughter of champion Storm Song (Summer Squall). He was bred by Aaron Sones and consigned by Eaton Sales.

“I knew he was going to cost a lot of money,” Baccari said. “In my opinion, he has a unique look for his sire, and I like his sire a lot. He is out of a Bernardini mare and moves like a cat.

[Uncle Mo] has sons that are reproducing now, so anytime you can, you need to get involved in something like that. He is a straightforward, good-moving horse. He looks like a straight racehorse.”

Of paying that much for a pinhooking prospect, Baccari explained, “I'm trying to acquire horses I can sell to my customers that will be racehorses. Sometimes I have to give a lot for some of them. Making money is good, but I want to make sure when I bring my product to town, my clients do well.

It is important to me to sell the very best I can get.”

The weanling had attracted a varied group of shoppers, according to Eaton's Reiley McDonald.

“He's a beautiful, beautiful horse,” McDonald said. “Physically, he is as good as it gets and he is out of a Bernardini mare with pedigree, so [the price] was not a surprise. We had end-users, pinhookers, a lot of people on him. He is a different class of individual.”

Well-Related Speightstown Set to Return to Auction

Those interested in Hip 817, a well-bred son of Speightstown, will get another shot to buy him next year as he was purchased by Brian Graves for one of his pinhooking partnerships. Graves signed the ticket as CeCe Stables.

“He will go in Saratoga or maybe Book 1 or Book 2 [at KEESEP], who knows,” said Graves after signing the ticket out back. “He is a select colt by a really good stallion and we are just excited to get him.”

He continued, “He was just an outstanding physical, just what you want to see from a Speightstown. He's got that speed look with a big hip and beautiful shoulder. He looks like he will be really fast.”

SF Bloodstock acquired Hip 817's MSW & MGSP dam Czechers (Indian Charlie) for $275,000 at the 2018 renewal of this auction carrying a foal from the first crop of Connect. That was the same year her son Switzerland (Speightstown) won a pair of Grade III events.

The full-brother to this weanling took quite some time to come into his own, but found his best form in 2018, winning the GIII Maryland Sprint S. and GIII Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash. Switzerland is now racing in Dubai and won the G3 Dubawi S. at Meydan in January.

“We have loved him from day one,” said consignor Bedouin Bloodstock's Neal Clarke. “He has been a great colt and is very well related. He came in here and did everything very professionally. We are thrilled with the price.”

Bedouin and SF Bloodstock have been having a very successful Keeneland November Sale, teaming up to sell the $800,000 Exotic Notion (Lemon Drop Kid) and her $600,000 Quality Road colt; the $600,000 Stormy Embrace (Circular Quay); a $350,000 Into Mischief colt; a $250,000 son of Uncle Mo; a $200,000 Justify colt; and the $65,000 mare Surreptitious (Speightstown). —@CDeBernardisTDN

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During the two-session Book 3, 571 yearlings sold for $80,011,500 for an average of $140,125 and a median of $110,000. With the inclusion of post-sale transactions, the 2020 Book 3 sections saw 483 yearlings sell for $42,269,700 for an average of $87,515 and a median of $60,000.

With just 84 horses reported not sold Sunday, the session's buy-back rate was 23.08%. Through six sessions, the buy-back rate stands at 27.53%.

With 29 yearlings sold for $3,557,000, Taylor Made Sales Agency was Sunday's leading consignor.

“It's been really strong,” Taylor Made's Marshall Taylor said of Book 3 trade. “We probably RNA'd only three or four horses. We've sold most of our horses today, so it's been really good for the day. I think it's been a lot stronger, especially compared to last year. The momentum has almost picked up in Book 3. New people came into town and people were hanging around from Books 1 and 2. It's been a perfect storm of people being forced to stay longer and new people coming in. I thought yesterday and today were really strong. I hope it continues keep going into Books 4 and 5.”

Pinhookers, largely shut out in earlier books, started breaking through in Book 3, but as plenty of buyers are still getting repeatedly shut out, the rest of the week at Keeneland figures to be competitive.

“What I have heard from buyers is that it's been very difficult to buy the horses that they have orders for,” said breeder Fred Hertrich. “So I think there are still a lot of horses to be sold.”

First-crop sire City of Light, in high demand all week at Keeneland, had the top two yearlings during Sunday's session. Bloodstock agent Jacob West bid $700,000 for a son of the Lane's End stallion from Farfellow Farms (hip 1913) and Breeze Easy secured a filly (hip 1860) by the young sire for $525,000 from the Warrendale Sales consignment.

Through six sessions, 44 yearlings by City of Light have sold for $17,050,000.

The Keeneland September sale continues through Friday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

West Strikes Late for City of Light Topper

The hour was late, but most of the major players were still milling around the pavilion when bloodstock agent Jacob West made the highest bid of Sunday's sixth session of the Keeneland September sale, going to $700,000 to acquire a colt by Lane's End's in-demand sire City of Light.

“It's 8 o'clock at night, it's way past my bedtime,” West quipped after signing the ticket on hip 1913 on behalf of the partnership of Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola's St Elias.

“He's a beautiful horse,” West continued. “I knew we were going to have to fight them off. I had a pretty good feeling when I walked back and saw who was still hanging around that everyone was going to be on him. And that was exactly what it was. But Mike and Vinnie were dead set on getting him. He has a stallion's pedigree and a stallion's look. He just happened to be put in this book and this is where he sold. But he stood out like a sore thumb. He was the obvious horse today for us.”

It was another standout result for the Knelman family's Farfellow Farms. The operation's only other yearling to go through the ring at the auction was a $1-million son of Street Sense (hip 1022) who sold Thursday.

Sunday's session topper is out of Hessie's Girl (Giant's Causeway), a half-sister to Grade I winner Bullsbay (Tiznow) and to graded winner Our Khrysty (Newfoundland), whose daughter Grace Adler (Curlin) won the Sept. 5 GI Del Mar Debutante.

“He was physically so impressive and he's out of a nice Giant's Causeway mare,” Jak Knelman said of the yearling. “There is a lot of activity in the family. We bought the mare a few years ago, and I'll give a lot of credit to my mom, she picked the mare out of the catalogue. The stallion is really showing that he's throwing a nice physical.”

The Knelmans purchased Hessie's Girl for $150,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November sale, but almost missed out on the session-topper when putting her back through the ring while she was carrying the colt at the 2019 Keeneland November sale. The mare failed to sell at $190,000.

“We are pretty excited she didn't sell,” Knelman said with a smile. “To be honest with you, the City of Light momentum was already starting in utero with these mares. So we thought we would put her in the sale. And for whatever reason, this mare just didn't get picked up by that wave. So a little bit of dumb luck. And I don't think we will be putting her in the sale again any time soon.”

Hessie's Girl produced a colt by Liam's Map this year and was bred back to Game Winner.

“It's a testament to our farm manager Josh Hennessy and to Emmanuel,” Knelman said of the farm's outstanding September results. “They work so hard every day, so a lot of kudos to them.”

Breeze Easy Takes Top Filly

Breeze Easy, which sold the session-topping daughter of Curlin Saturday at Keeneland, purchased the top-priced filly during Sunday's session when going to $525,000 to acquire a filly by City of Light (hip 1860) from the Warrendale Sales consignment.

“We've been waiting all day for this horse to come through,” said Breeze Easy's Mike Hall. “We haven't bought very many, but we loved this horse and this was one we wanted to take home.”

Hall is already dreaming of Saratoga with Breeze Easy's newest acquisition.

“I think she's an early type horse and she can go to Saratoga,” he said. “She is a little different type of City of Light. She's a little more typey. I think she might be a little earlier than some of them. We are looking forward to her.”

Of the two session toppers on opposite sides of the ledger, Hall said, “The horse we sold yesterday, we loved her also, but you have to sell some horses. We are trying to build a business.”

Hip 1860 is out of stakes-placed Donna Getyourgun (Stormy Atlantic), a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Clearly a Queen (Lucky North). The yearling is a half-sister to stakes winner Mizzen Beau (Mizzen Mast).

The yearling was bred by Tony Holmes, who purchased Donna Getyourgun, in foal to Speightster, for $26,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November sale.

“I had a conservative reserve on her,” Holmes said after the filly went through the ring. “For us to go buying horses back at big prices would be changing the goal posts for me. But this was brilliant.”

City of Light's big success in the sales ring made setting a reserve more difficult, according to Holmes.

“You should have to protect her along with those figures, which was a nice problem to have,” he said. “When you are trying to set a reserve, it was a bit higher than what we normally would do.”

Asked to compare the filly to other City of Light yearlings, Holmes admitted, “I didn't see a lot of them. I've just been looking at her every day since she was born.”

Of the yearling, he added, “She looks very athletic with a lovely big rear end. She is a smooth, smooth horse.”

Donna Getyourgun produced a filly by Catholic Boy this year and was bred back to McKinzie.

When told he had sold the day's top-priced filly, Holmes said, “I should probably go get a drink then.”

Violence Colt Rewards Hertrich and Fielding

A colt by Violence (hip 1717) took the lead at Keeneland Sunday when selling for $500,000 to WinStar Farm's Elliott Walden. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, the dark bay yearling was bred by Fred Hertrich and John Fielding.

“He was just a really good invidual,” Hertrich said. “I probably never had a horse that had as many vets look at him or came and did single shows. I knew that was the type of horse that Elliott likes to buy. He's a big, scopey horse. You'll probably see him in the Derby in a couple of years.”

The colt is out of graded-placed Tulira's Star (Congrats), a half-sister to graded winner Mountain General (Mountain Cat). Hertrich purchased the mare for $145,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November sale.

Even though bidding at Keeneland this past week has been strong, Hertrich said he is still seeing polarization in the marketplace.

“Everybody will tell you the market is absolutely wonderful, but that's probably for the top two-thirds,” he said. “There are certain sires that people don't seem to want to buy. You never know until you get here what is going to be the horse that everybody wants to buy or a sire that nobody wants to buy. Certainly, with the first-crop sires, you have the Gun Runners that everybody wants to buy and the Arrogates that are maybe less popular. Next year, it could be the opposite.”

Buchanan Gets Her Gun Runner

Bloodstock agent Jane Buchanan, working with BBA Ireland on behalf of an existing client, had an order to fill for a yearling by Gun Runner. It took until the sixth session of the Keeneland September sale, but Buchanan got the job done when signing the ticket on hip 1647 for $475,000. The dark bay colt was consigned and co-bred by Jim and Pam Robinson's Brandywine Farm.

“We had an order to try to find a Gun Runner colt in the sale,” Buchanan said. “And as you know, it's been proving very tough. He was an excellent individual from a great nursery in Brandywine Farm. We are just delighted.”

Buchanan said it was likely the yearling will be heading overseas.

“He will possibly go abroad, most likely, but I'll have to talk to [BBA Ireland's] Michael [Donohoe] about that,” she explained.

The yearling is out of Royal Irish Lass (Saint Ballado) and is a half-brother to graded winner and Grade I placed Royal Mo (Uncle Mo) and multiple stakes winner Tara From the Cape (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}).

“We had a $149,000 reserve on him and I thought he might bring $200,000 to $250,000,” Jim Robinson, celebrating his birthday with strong sales result Sunday, said. “We had a lot of activity on him. So it was a little more than I expected.”

It was the colt's second trip through the Keeneland sales ring. He RNA'd for $95,000 at last year's November sale.

“He was just too nice to let him go,” Pam Robinson said of last fall's buy-back.

“Just a tick,” Jim Robinson said with a broad smile when asked how much impact Gun Runner's hot start to stud might have had in the change of sales fortunes. “The timing couldn't be any better. And he was a lovely horse with a tremendous walk on him. Perfect X-rays, according to our vet. All the stars just lined up.”

Ward Sees the Light

Trainer Wesley Ward signed the ticket to acquire a colt by City of Light (hip 1692) for $460,000 midway through Sunday's sixth session of the Keeneland September sale. The bay yearling was bred and consigned by Woodford Thoroughbreds.

“We have been going through the day's horses that are coming in and he was a the top of the list,” Ward said. “He was the one I felt most confident in. He's back here in a later book and I think I would have had to pay a little more if some of the people who were here earlier hadn't already headed out of town. So, we got a little bit of a value even though it was quite dear. I think he's going to be a really nice horse.”

Lane's End's first-crop sire City of Light has set the Keeneland sales ring on fire this week and Ward said he has liked what he's seen of the stallion's first yearlings.

“I've been very impressed with them,” Ward said. “They are beautiful horses and they look like they've got athleticism. We will see next year as we get a little closer, but right now, it looks like he's going to make it.”

Speightstown Filly Heads West

A filly by Speightstown will be heading to the West Coast after bloodstock agent Phil Hager signed the ticket at $425,000 on hip 1612 in the name of Lee and Susan Searing's CRK Stable.

“We bought two in Book 2 and we wanted to buy one more,” Hager said. “It's taken us until now. But we really like this filly. She looks fast, like a 2-year-old type.”

Hager said the filly will be trained by Peter Eurton, while adding of his involvement in the purchase, “I'm just helping out.”

The filly is out of the unraced Poetic Justice (Pioneerof the Nile), who is a daughter of graded winner Draming of Liz (El Prado {Ire}). She was consigned by Burleson Farms, which co-bred the filly in partnership with Becky Thomas's Sequel Thoroughbreds and Louis Trudel. The partners purchased Poetic Justice, with the filly in utero, for $165,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale.

“We are big Speightstown fans,” Lyn Burleson said of the mare's appeal while selling two years ago in foal to the WinStar stallion. “And she's a beautiful mare. Every year, we try to add a couple mares to the program. This was a young mare who was pricey for us, but a really pretty physical and we thought she would cross well with Speightstown.”

The result was extra special because the partnership on the mare includes Trudel, a longtime Sequel employee.

“Louis Trudel, one of my longtime guys, has 5% of the mare,” Thomas said. “This is his first group of mares, so he has 5% of five mares. I first met up with him because he was working for Cavalia [as stable coordinator] at that time. And someone told me this guy wants to get into the Thoroughbred business. It was many, many years ago and this is his first real participation in owning horses. At home, he has 5% of a City of Light yearling who is going to the 2-year-old sale. He's is the ultimate Thoroughbred man right now.”

Of the yearling's final price tag Sunday, Burleson admitted, “We weren't expecting anywhere near that much. We are smaller players in that, so we are all just delighted with that. And he went to a really good home and there were a lot of good underbidders.”

Mathiesen, Jennings Have Big Day Before The Big Day

Hannah Mathiesen and Aidan Jennings will celebrate their nuptials in two weeks, but the couple had an early big day with a group of stellar pinhooks at Keeneland Sunday.

First up, they sold a colt by Violence (hip 1541), purchased earlier in the year for $65,000 at the Fasig-Tipton February sale, for $165,000 to BBN Racing. Next up, a Nyquist colt (hip 1576), purchased at Keeneland January for $40,000, sold for $200,000 to S 3 L, LLC. A colt by Accelerate (hip 1765), purchased for $110,000 at Keeneland last November, sold for $200,000 to Atlas Bloodstock and completing the standout day, a colt by Kantharos (hip 1818), purchased for $125,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale, sold for $250,000 to Ben McElroy, as agent for Wesley Ward.

Of their topper seller Sunday, Mathiesen said, “He was strong and very leggy for a Kantharos. A lot of them are quicker, speed horses. Since he is out of a Street Sense mare, he had a lot of stretch. I think that appealed to a lot of people. We loved him all the way along.”

Mathiesen's experience in racing and sales spans the globe. Vice president of the Nexus Racing Club, which looks to promote the sport to younger fans, the California native also spent time in Australia and has managed pinhooking partnerships in both hemispheres.

Jennings, a native of Ireland, has plenty of international experience as well.

“My uncle is a National Hunt trainer in Ireland, Gerry Lynch is his name,” Jennings said. “He got me into racing. I went to college and studied equine management and science. Then I went on my own little Flying Start. I went to Japan, I went to France and worked in Australia. And I worked at Coolmore as well.”

Mathiesen and Jenning's Keeneland pinhooking success also included a son of Arrogate (hip 721) who sold in Book 2 for $250,000 to the bid of Colts Neck Stables. He had been purchased for $150,000 at Keeneland last November.

“All of these horses we bought with the option to race,” Mathiesen explained. “So we brought them to market to see how it would go and thankfully, it went very well.”

Jennings admitted luck, as well as skill, played a part in their success.

“I think we were probably lucky,” he said. “The horses went the right way. It's a small sample size. The five went well, but if you had 10, I'm sure you'd have five that go well and five that don't. The market was good, but we had good horses. All of those horses looked like stakes horses. They looked the part.”

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Hope in Him rewarded their confidence in his stakes potential with a sensational debut victory that instantly established him as a leading prospect for the 2021 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes. The annual series for juveniles sired by accredited stallions standing in Florida gets under way Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., where a mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 carryover pool will also be held.

The Joe Orseno-trained Hope in Him, the 8-5 favorite, is scheduled to meet eight other juveniles in the $100,000 Dr. Fager, a six-furlong sprint that will co-headline Saturday's program with the $100,000 Desert Vixen, a six-furlong dash for 2-year-old fillies.

“The owner, Mike Hall, and the fellow who picks out our horses, Tom McGreevy, did all the work [in Ocala]. When I got there, they said, 'Meet us at the barn. We want you to take a look at this colt. We like him and want to know what you think,'” Orseno said. “I went over there, and I just fell in love with him.”

 Hope in Him made an auspicious debut in a 4 ½-furlong maiden special weight race at Gulfstream June 4, breaking sharply from the gate to set the pace before drawing away to a five-length triumph.

“He lived up to our expectations. He really did. I thought he was a nice horse when we bought him,” Orseno said. “We took him down here and he trained forwardly with everything he did. He's a natural out of the gate.”

Samy Camacho has been named to ride Hope in Him, replacing the recuperating Edwin Gonzalez.

Hope in Him's victory became even more impressive when runner-up Lightening Larry came back to score a solid maiden special weight win June 18. Lea Farms LLC's Lightening Larry is slated to take on Hope in Him again in the Dr. Fager.

The son of Uncaptured chased Hope in Him in his debut, finishing 2 ¼ lengths clear of the third-place finisher. Two weeks later, the Jeff Engler-trained Florida-bred graduated by two lengths, drawing clear after pressing the early pace in the five-furlong sprint.

“We knew we had a nice horse. I was pleased with his first start. Obviously, the other first-time starter left there running and never stopped,” Engler said. “I thought Larry ran on well and got a lot of education from that race. It showed in his second race, because he ran much better and finished better.”

Engler said he expects Lightening Larry, 6-1, to appreciate the six furlongs of the Dr. Fager.

“I think the added-distance in the stake will help us against Hope in Him. We'll just have to see, but I know he's doing really well,” Engler said.

Romero Maragh has the return mount aboard Lightening Larry

Stonehedge LLC's Gil and Marilyn Campbell, who have won 15 Florida Sire Stakes races, will be represented by homebreds Dean Delivers (4-1) and Cajun's Magic (5-1) Saturday.  Dean Delivers won his debut by 7 ½ lengths June 26, kicking away to an impressive score after pressing the early pace in a five-furlong maiden special weight race at Gulfstream.

“I expected if he ran back to his breezes, he'd run well,” Yates said. “He kind of showed himself, with a couple others, early on in their training. We were probably pretty conservative bringing them up to their races. They didn't have a lot of fast works.”

Cajun's Magic, who finished a close second in his May 29 debut, graduated by 4 ¾ lengths July 3 at Gulfstream.

Miguel Vasquez has the call on Dean Delivers, while Jesus Rios has the return mount on Cajun's Magic.

Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's Big and Classy (8-1) is also coming off a dominating victory, breaking his maiden in his second career start by 5 ¾ length at the seven-furlong distance June 18. The David Fawkes-trained son of The Big Beast had finished an even fourth in his five-furlong debut a month earlier.

Emisael Jaramillo has the return mount.

Bella Inizio Farm's Laki Lio (10-1), a debut winner at Gulfstream April 16 by 3 ½ lengths; Arindel's Merlin (15-1), who has finished second in all three career starts; Amalio Ruiz-Lozano's Gold Special (20-1), a six-length winner in a maiden $35,000 claimer in his second start; and Joseph Imbesi's Palimonium (15-1), who finished fourth in his recent debut; round out the field.

The Florida Sire Stakes series will will continue Aug. 28 with the $200,000 Affirmed and the $200,000 Susan's Girl for fillies, both slated for seven furlongs, and Sept. 25 with the $400,000 In Reality and the $400,000 My Dear Girl for fillies, both to be run around two turns at 1 1/16 miles.

The post Hope In Him, Lightening Larry Square Off Again In Dr. Fager appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In 2000, while employed by Stronach Stables, he sent out Macho Uno to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Perfect Sting to win the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Last Saturday, the Orseno-trained Imprimis won the $700,000 Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs, earning an expenses-paid berth in this year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

“It's a long time between, that's for sure,” Orseno said. “It's just a matter of you have to have the horses; you have to obviously get lucky. I believe you make your own luck in this business with hard work and paying attention. I get the most I can out of my horses, but the ability has to be there.”

Imprimis, a 6-year-old son of Broken Vow, finished sixth in the Turf Sprint in 2019, but Orseno said the gelding is in much better form in 2020. The difference, the trainer explained, can be chalked up to a pair of throat surgeries that have allowed him to breathe in more air during his races.

“I didn't feel like his race in the (2019) Breeders' Cup showed what he was capable of,” explained Orseno. “You know, I was looking at the same horse, his bloodwork was good, he was training the same way he always had. We finally galloped him with an aerodynamic scope because he'd always made a little bit of noise, and we found that he was getting little to no air through his throat. It's just unbelievable what this horse was accomplishing not being able to breathe; he's always trying.”

After the first surgery, Imprimis was better, but he still made a little more noise than Orseno liked when he was training. He decided to scope the horse again and found that one of the structures in Imprimis' throat was still interfering with his breathing.

“We just thought, 'Let's fix it so we have no excuse,'” Orseno said. “The horse didn't owe us anything, but we wanted to give him the best chance for success. The owners (Breeze Easy LLC) are all about the horse, I'm all about the horse, and we weren't trying to make any particular race, so why not fix it.”

It all seems to be going the right way for Imprimis now. The gelding has crossed the wire first in both of his 2020 races thus far, though he was disqualified for interference and placed third in the G3 Troy Stakes at Saratoga last month.

Orseno and daughter at Gulfstream Park (Gulfstream Park photo)

Now, heading into the Breeders' Cup with the potential favorite for the Turf Sprint, Orseno is even more grateful for the horsemanship lessons he learned early on his career; he was taught to always put the horse first, and it's paying off.

A native of Philadelphia, Orseno didn't grow up in a horse racing family. His father enjoyed the racetrack for the gambling opportunities, so Orseno was able to get an up-close look at the horses from an early age, but he didn't start to fall in love with the sport until high school.

“I lived in a town not far from Garden State Park,” he explained. “When I was in high school I had plenty of jobs, and one of them was parking cars across the street from the track. I wound up meeting a lot of owners and trainers and jockeys, just talking to them, and every now and then someone would give me a horse to bet on. I'd put my two dollars on the horse and sometimes it would win, and I just enjoyed seeing the sport from that new angle.”

Orseno's father was a builder who owned his own business, and he'd always imagined they would go into business together when he graduated high school.

“I grew up playing football, basketball, and baseball, so I probably would have gotten into business with Dad,” Orseno said. “But then Dad passed away after high school, so I went to the track full time. I was walking horses on weekends anyway. I did it all on my own, worked hard and learned all I could learn.

“I feel like I came around in a time when the trainer who brought me around, Mickey Crock, was a real horseman. He was a small trainer with about 15 horses from New England, and he went to Garden State in the winter. He was a horseman, he taught me from the ground up what I needed to know.

“There's a lot of trainers in the game now that aren't horsemen. I'm glad I came up the way I did; it allows me to be all about the horses.”

Orseno took out his training license in 1977, and did well during his early years, winning training titles at Atlantic City, Garden State Park and Delaware Park. By 1993, however, he was down to just seven horses at the Meadowlands, and thought he'd have to leave the business.

That's about the time owner Frank Stronach first noticed Orseno and sent him a few horses. By 1998, Stronach had hired Orseno to take over his 40-horse stable entirely.

It was for Stronach that Orseno won those two Breeders' Cup races in 2000. That year, he also saddled upset Preakness Stakes winner Red Bullet, as well as Pimlico Special (then a Grade 1) winner Golden Missile.

In 2002, Orseno reopened his stable to the public. He's sent out at least 30 winners and accumulated over $1 million in earnings almost every year since then, racing mostly out of Florida year-round.

In fact, Imprimis was purchased specifically for that Florida program. The Sunshine State-bred gelding didn't race at all as a 2- or 3-year-old, but won on debut in February of 2018. In his second start, Imprimis won an allowance optional claiming event by 2 3/4 lengths.

Orseno had tried to claim the horse that finished second to Imprimis that day, and took notice of the dark bay's turn of foot. When the chance came up to buy him with Breeze Easy, Orseno was all in. Even he didn't expect the horse to be this good, however.

“When we bought him, we never dreamt he was going to take us to this place and time,” Orseno said. “After his first start for us (a 4 1/4-length allowance win), I told them he might be better than we thought he was.

“He just accelerates at the top of the stretch, just poetry in motion. After that race I sat down with (Breeze Easy owners) Sam Ross and Mike Hall, and I told them, 'He's better than we thought guys, we might have to travel a bit with him.'”

Orseno was right, and Imprimis has taken them on a journey all the way to Royal Ascot: in 2019, the gelding ran a good sixth, beaten just four lengths, in the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes.

“None of us were disappointed, though I think I should have run him in the Diamond Jubilee over six furlongs instead, and we might have been third behind Blue Point,” Orseno said, laughing good-naturedly.

This year, with his breathing fixed and all systems firing toward the Breeders' Cup, Orseno believes he really has a shot to compete with the best of the best at Keeneland.

“He doesn't need his racetrack, and he'll run over just about anything,” the trainer said. “I just have to keep him happy, that's my job now.”

The post Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: Both Orseno, Imprimis Breathing Easier Ahead Of 2020 Turf Sprint appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Ward won the first two editions of the 6 1/2-furlong race, beating males with fillies, Moonlight Romance in 2018 and Cambria last year. With Kentucky Downs now offering a sprint stake for juvenile fillies, Ward turned to his colts and they delivered for him. Breeze Easy's Outadore stayed perfect in his second career start with a 1 3/4-length victory under Irad Ortiz, Jr. in 1:17.31. Fauci and jockey Tyler Gaffalione were 3 1/4 lengths ahead of the third-place horse, Cowan.

Ward, well-known for his success with 2-year-olds, answered a question about being unbeaten in the race with a question – “Isn't that what you're supposed to do?” – and punctuated it with a laugh.

Starting from the outside posts in the field of 10 running over the course rated as “soft,” Outadore (9) and Fauci (10) stalked from a few lengths back of the early pace set by County Final of :21.79 and :46.51. Outadore made his move first with a five-wide surge through the turn and took over the lead near the eighth pole. Fauci followed Outadore's rally on the outside, but could not catch his stablemate.

Outadore, the 9-5 favorite, paid $5.60 to win. The first-place money pushed his career earnings to $334,100.

“He's a nice horse, really nice horse,” said jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. “He broke good over there. He probably needed that first race when he won. He was ready today. He knew what he was doing. He broke and pulled me right there. He relaxed so nice, when I asked he just went ahead. It felt like he had a little more in the tank today.”

While pleased with their performances, Ward said he expects more from Outadore and Fauci as prospects for the $1-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, to be run at one mile at Keeneland on Nov. 6.

“I think both will go a little farther, which is nice as well,” he said. “I think they'll both go a mile on the grass no problem. So, we'll probably split them up in their next start, one to the Bourbon (at Keeneland), one to the Pilgrim at Belmont. We're going to talk it over with both owners and make a plan. The way it looks, Irad (Ortiz) said he was wanting more ground and was kind of waiting. First thing Tyler (Gaffalione) said was, 'Wesley, please, run him farther.' So we're really excited about both colts.”

Outadore a gray/roan son of Outwork, was purchased for $290,000 as a yearling at 2019 Keeneland September. He won his debut at Saratoga on July 26, pressing the pace in a 5 1/2-furlong race that he won by 2 3/4 lengths, setting him up for his start at Kentucky Downs.

“Very nice colt,” Ward said. “He took a little while with some minor shin issues, as most 2-year-olds do. So we gave him the time. Sam Ross, his owner with Mike Hall, is a wonderful guy, and he's jumping up and down and screaming in West Virginia. That's the way you want these owners to be.”

Breeze Easy already has a Breeders' Cup victory on its resume: Four Wheel Drive, who won the 2019 Juvenile Turf Sprint for Ward at Santa Anita. Outadore could take his owners right back to racing's championship meet next month.

“The horse is going wonderful and Wesley (Ward) is doing a good job with the horse,” Hill said. “Mike Mollica and I picked this horse out at Keeneland sale last year and we're back shopping this year. We're really happy with this horse and looking forward to going to the Breeders' Cup.”

Fauci, co-owned by Lindy Farms and Ice Wine Stable, has never been worse that second in his four career starts. The son of Malibu Moon was purchased as a yearling at 2019 Keeneland September for $175,000. He is 1-3-0 from his four starts and with the $95,000 he earned in the Juvenile Turf Sprint has banked $166,800.

Gaffalione said that he and Fauci were a bit slow getting started.

“We didn't get away the cleanest,” he said. “I just wasn't settled in the gate; they sprung a little quick. I just never got his feet planted. But from there on, he traveled nice. I had a great stalking position following the winner most of the way. I got him out at the quarter pole. He had every chance from there. Just second-best today. Great effort. I think he could benefit from more ground. He doesn't have a real explosive turn of foot, but he keeps coming.”

The post Ward Retains Stranglehold On Kentucky Downs Juvenile Turf Sprint With 1-2 Finish By Outadore, Fauci appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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