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Rosario Set to Join Oaklawn Jockey Colony Friday

The favorite to land an Eclipse Award as the country's outstanding jockey of 2021 will begin his 2022 push at Oaklawn.

Joel Rosario is named on seven horses Friday, which will mark his first day as a regular in Hot Springs and first action since suffering a hairline fracture of a rib when he was unseated shortly after the finish of a Dec. 2 race at Aqueduct.

Rosario ($32,944,478) was eyeing a single-season North American record for purse earnings before the injury. Now healthy, Rosario's return to the saddle will fall on his 37th birthday.

“He takes care of himself like no one, probably, you've ever met,” Rosario's agent, Ron Anderson, said Saturday afternoon. “He's exceptionally fit … his lady friend is a nutritionist. She's taught him how to take care of his weight, what to eat, what not to eat. He's ready to go at all times. It will be six weeks since he fell and he had a hairline fracture. It's time to get started again.”

All seven horses Rosario is named on Friday are for Hall of Famer and perennial Oaklawn training champion Steve Asmussen. Rosario and Asmussen teamed to win the $2-million GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 5 at Del Mar with unbeaten Echo Zulu (Gun Runner). Rosario won the $6-million GI Breeders' Cup Classic the following day aboard Knicks Go for trainer Brad Cox.

Cox (12 victories) and Asmussen (11) entered Sunday leading the 2021-2022 Oaklawn trainer standings. Coupled with Oaklawn's purse structure, the highest in the country this winter, Anderson said Oaklawn is a perfect fit for Rosario, who has enjoyed immense success in Hot Springs, particularly in 2020. Rosario wintered last year at Santa Anita, but Anderson has Hall of Famer John Velazquez there in 2022. Velazquez's major client is Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

“We have success for two guys that are 1-2 and 2-1 there,” Anderson said, referring to Oaklawn. “The winter in California's not quite the same as it used to be. Just looking for a change. So, Brad we've won for; Steve, we've won for. We've won a Breeders' Cup for both of them. It's three days a week and the purses are fantastic. It's a good place to go for a change. I have Johnny, too, and Johnny's in California, per Bob's request. Sometimes, it's just the flow of the way things feel. Johnny won the last two Kentucky Derbys for Bob. Bob would like him to come out there. Joel won the Breeders' Cups for Brad and Steve. They're kind of the kingpins at Oaklawn. The purses are big. Joel doesn't mind it there. He likes it.”

Rosario rode six days during the final weeks of Oaklawn's 2020 meeting and won 15 races, including the $150,000 Oaklawn Mile S. aboard Tom's d'Etat (Smart Strike) for trainer Al Stall, $100,000 Rainbow S. aboard Man in the Can (Can the Man) for trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs, $165,000 Arkansas Breeders' Championship S. aboard Man in the Can and the second division of the $500,000 GI Arkansas Derby aboard Nadal (Blame) for Baffert.

Coupled with a double in March, including the $1-million GII Rebel S. aboard Nadal, Rosario finished with a spectacular 17-10-7 record from just 45 mounts and amassed $2,030,576 in purse earnings. Rosario ranked second in stakes victories at the meet (five), fourth in purse earnings and 11th in victories–just one shy of cracking the top 10–with an eye-popping 38% strike rate. Rosario added three more stakes victories at the 2021 Oaklawn meeting, including the Rebel for Baffert aboard Concert Tour (Street Sense).

Anderson said Rosario is booked to ride Concert Tour in the $150,000 Fifth Season S. for older horses Jan. 15 at Oaklawn, a 1-mile race that would mark the colt's first start for Cox. Rosario and Cox are scheduled to team up again Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park when Knicks Go makes his final career start in the $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S..

“World-class rider,” Cox said Saturday afternoon. “I mean, it's no secret about that. He's a very good all-around rider and very happy that he's going to be there during the meet. Looking forward to him teaming up with Knicks Go again in the Pegasus and go from there.”

Anderson said Rosario is scheduled to ride regularly at Oaklawn until at least early April. Rosario has 28 career Oaklawn victories, including 12 stakes, with his mounts earning $4,979,104. In addition to Nadal, Rosario won the $200,000 GII Azeri S. and $600,000 GI Apple Blossom H. in 2014 aboard eventual champion Close Hatches (First Defence) for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Rosario rode his first winner in the United States in 2006. He has more than 3,000 career victories, including 15 in Breeders' Cup races and three in Triple Crown events, and his mounts have earned more than $250 million.

In addition to purse earnings, Rosario led the country in stakes victories (69) and graded stakes victories (49) in 2021, according to Equibase. Rosario is seeking his first Eclipse Award.

“Look, like I tell people, he's a world-class rider,” Anderson said. “He could go anywhere in the world and be competitive. Lucky enough we come in there and we ride for Steve right away. Got some calls with Brad, got some calls with Moquett and some other people. We'll get back with it here.”

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Keeneland January Sale Kicks Off Tuesday

The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale gets underway at 10 a.m. Tuesday with the first of four sessions. The sale was originally scheduled to kick off Monday, but was delayed due to a winter snow storm in Lexington, which also pushed back the ship in date. The 1,631-horse catalogue is comprised of broodmares, racing/broodmare prospects, newly turned yearlings, horses of racing ages and stallions/stallion prospects.

“It is a very solid catalogue with a lot of depth,” said Cormac Breathnach, Keeneland's Director of Sales Operations. “The January Sale catalogue doesn't always have major highlights like we would in November, but we do have strong offerings at the top, like Co Cola (Candy Ride {Arg}). She is the dam of Search Results (Flatter) and is in foal to Flatter, so she is carrying a full-sibling to that Grade I-winning filly. She is a real standout offering who fits a lot of programs. We have a lot of good race fillies who could retire as broodmares or who could go on and be a lot of fun in 2022, such as Hello Beautiful (Golden Lad). She has won eight stakes and she is either an attractive broodmare prospect or race filly. We have Inthemidstofbiz (Fed Biz), who won the GII TCA here at Keeneland. We are excited about what we have and the momentum from November carrying over.”

It was a strong Keeneland November Sale from top to bottom, but many people left that auction with unfulfilled orders, according to Breathnach.

“That sale finished before people fulfilled all of their orders,” he said. “We took supplemental entries to this sale on the back of the strength of November. The entries for November happen early. They happen before the September Sale. The market had not revealed how strong it was going to be at that point, so through the November Sale, a lot of people were interested in selling horses and participating from a buying angle. The sale in November was a record median and a really healthy market from top to bottom. It did not feel overheated, but was really strong in terms of supply and demand. That is giving us a lot of confidence going forward into January.”

At last year's pandemic-affected Keeneland January Sale, 998 horses grossed $46,482,600. The auction was highlighted by three dispersals and was topped by a member of the Paul Pompa dispersal, MGSW Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom), who summoned $925,000 and is now a Grade I winner.

Travel restrictions will not impact this year's auction, though the COVID-19 pandemic has taken another upswing.

“The travel restrictions have basically gone away aside from fulfilling testing requirements,” Breathnach said. “People will make their own personal decisions, but if there is an advantage through COVID, it is the ability to bid online or over the phone. People have found a way to make sales work for them despite these difficulties.”

The Keeneland January Sale runs from Tuesday, Jan. 11 through Friday, Jan. 14 with each session starting at 10 a.m. Book 1 is Monday and Tuesday followed by a pair of Book 2 sessions.

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Keogh Hopeful November Momentum Will Roll Into the New Year

James Keogh's Grovendale Sales enjoyed a very strong Keeneland November Sale about seven weeks ago. Finishing in the top 10 on the consignor standings, Grovendale sold 62 head for $6.9 million and had an especially good showing during the auction's second session. The Irishman says he hopes that success will carry into the upcoming Keeneland January Sale, where his consignment will offer 42 horses.

“We had several really, really nice mares and just feel very, very blessed. The ball just landed in our court,” Keogh said of the November Sale.

When asked if he feels the November momentum will carry into January, Keogh said, “It is a new year and why not? There were a lot of people in November who got outbid on foals, so I would say there are a lot of pinhookers who have money in their pocket for the right horse. It was a strong market, but it was selective. If you had the goods, you more than got paid for it.”

Keogh has a strong selection of broodmares and foals from top to bottom for the January sale, but his draft does have a clear standout in Co Cola (Candy Ride {Arg}) (Hip 492). Grade III-placed on the track, the 11-year-old mare is the dam of GI Acorn S. winner and GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up Search Results (Flatter) and she is carrying a full-sibling to that talented filly. Her now-3-year-old colt Search Engine (Flatter) summoned $625,000 at OBS last April and she has a yearling colt by Nyquist. Co Cola RNA'd for $925,000 at the recent Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

“Obviously, Co Cola, the dam of Search Results, is a very, very important mare,” Keogh said. “She is carrying a full-sibling to Search Results. Her full-brother sold for $625,000 last year and Search Results herself was a session topper in Book 4 at Keeneland. Co Cola is a mare who just gets it done on the racetrack and gets it done in the ring. Her first foal is a Will Take Charge (Blue Steel) and he was fourth in the GIII Harlan's Holiday at Gulfstream last month. Search Results had six starts last year and in four of them she ran 90+ Beyers. She is a quality race filly and very consistent. She is back in training with Chad Brown down at Payson and by all accounts, she is as good as she has ever been.”

Keogh also named Polyester (Tiz Wonderful) (Hip 850) when asked about his draft's standouts. The unraced 12-year-old mare is the dam of GIII Pimlico Special S. winner Harper's First Ride (Paynter), who has won four additional stakes. She sells in foal to reigning Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief).

“I am very excited about a mare called Polyester,” Keogh said. “She is the dam of Harper's First Ride, who won the Pimlico Special. She is also a mare who gets it done on the racetrack and in the sales ring. Harper's First Ride has won 12 of his 23 lifetime starts with earnings of over $699,000. He is a tough, hard-knocking racehorse. She is in foal to Authentic and mares in foal to him averaged $390,000 in November. She is a very, very good-looking mare from a strong, old American pedigree.”

The Grovendale consignment also offers a strong group of yearlings. Most of them are by hot young sires, such as City of Light, Mitole, Connect and Vino Rosso.

“We have a very nice City of Light. I'm pretty bullish on him,” Keogh said. “We have a bunch of solid foals all of the way through. The Vino Rosso is a very good foal, two nice Connects and a big, strong Mitole foal, who is very nice. I am excited overall about the whole draft. It is a pretty good group of horses.”

The Keeneland January Sale gets underway Tuesday, Jan. 11 and runs through Friday, Jan. 14.

CLARIFICATION: In a story in Saturday's TDN about the Ontario Mare Purchase program, we neglected to say that the program applies to the Keeneland January Sale, as well as the OBS Winter Mixed, and the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale. Ontario residents who purchase an in-foal broodmare are eligible for a rebate of 50% of the purchase price to a maximum of $25,000 CAD. In-foal mares must be purchased for a minimum purchase price of $10,000 USD, with no maximum. Click here for complete program eligibility requirements, and details.

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Sunday’s Insights: Pricey Quality Road Filly Among Interesting Group at GP

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7th-GP, $60K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 3:37 p.m. ET

Glen Hill Farm's Customer Driven (Quality Road) is one of a number of well-related firsters signed on here. She is out of MGSW and GISP House Rules (Distorted Humor), who was second by a neck in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks here in 2014. House Rules was carrying Customer Driven when she brought $750,000 from WinStar Farm at the 2019 Keeneland January sale as part of the dispersal of JV Shields, Jr. Glen Hill subsequently picked up Customer Driven for $470,000 as a KEESEP yearling. House Rules is out of Argentinian MGSW/MG1SP GI Juddmonte Spinster S. third Teamgeist (Arg) (Mutakddim), who also produced MGISP Win the Space (Pulpit).

Brian Lynch will send out two in Jim and Susan Hill homebred Frozen Solid (Frosted) and William K. Werner's I Cross My Heart (Practical Joke). The former is out of Canadian champion grass mare Solid Appeal (Successful Appeal), who in turn is a half to GI Cotillion S. heroine It Tiz Well (Arch); while the latter was an $80,000 September yearling turned $200,000 OBS March juvenile off a :10 1/5 breeze.

St George Stables and trainer Fausto Gutierrez also have a pair of homebreds signed on. Oaxaca (Speightstown) was a $135,000 KEENOV in utero purchase out of a daughter of GSW/GISP Vision in Gold (Medaglia d'Oro). Omixochitl (More Than Ready)'s dam, who is a half to MGSW/GISP Tom's Ready (More Than Ready), cost $175,000 at the same auction.

Lay the Groundwork (Speightstown) will garner attention given she's conditioned by Chad Brown for top owner Klaravich Stables. The $125,000 KEESEP by is out of a stakes-placed mare from the family of GSWs High Velocity, Masseuse, Royal Artillery and Green Mask. Veterans Highway (Quality Road)'s dam is a stakes-placed full-sister to Japanese multiple Group 2 winner A Shin Top (Tale of the Cat) and half to MGISW General Quarters (Sky Mesa). TJCIS PPs

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