Alice Bamford

Jim and Dana Bernhard's Pin Oak Stud continued its buying spree at the Keeneland September Yearling sale, going to $925,000 to acquire a colt by Twirling Candy (hip 2555) from the Paramount Sales consignment Tuesday. Bred by Alice Bamford and Highfield Investment Group, the yearling is out of stakes-placed Hiking (First Defence). Pin Oak has now purchased 19 yearlings at the auction for a total of $8,835,000.

Grade I winner and millionaire Mo Forza (Uncle Mo) was represented by his first foal, a California-bred filly out of Californiasunshine (Lucky Pulpit), Jan. 10. Mo Forza, who racked up a record of 15-8-3-1 and earnings of $1,034,460, which included wins in the GI Hollywood Derby and six other Grade II races, stands at Rancho San Miguel in California for a fee of $9,000. "She is quite a character already, thrilling everyone with her looks," co-owner and breeder Alice Bamford said of the newborn filly. "In addition to being correct,...

The first mare bred to Grade I winner Mo Forza (Uncle Mo), Alice Bamford's two-time winner Californiasunshine (Lucky Pulpit), has checked in foal on a single cover. Mo Forza, who entered stud this year at Rancho San Miguel in the Golden State, won no fewer than seven graded races in the course of his career, including the 2019 GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar. "Mo Forza has handled the transition to his breeding career with class and vigor, just like he sailed through his racing career," said Rancho San Miguel...

Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor's Harvest Moon (Uncle Mo), the only 3-year-old in the four-horse field, put away favored Fighting Mad (New Year's Day) at midstretch and then held off Hard Not To Love (Hard Spun) in the dying strides to win the GII Zenyatta S. at Santa Anita Sunday and earn an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. "I'm absolutely thrilled today, completely over the moon for Harvest Moon," said Bamford. "She's a homebred and she's just so deep in my heart and in my family's heart....

Harvest Moon (Uncle Mo) remained perfect in three starts going long on the dirt and gave her sire yet another new graded winner with a determined success in the GIII Torrey Pines S. on the Pacific Classic undercard. The betting favorite was beaten for speed and was content to race in the one out and one back position with cover rounding the first turn as Secret Keeper (Into Mischief) led narrowly from Provocation (Into Mischief) to her outside. Mike Smith atop the latter upped the ante through the middle stages,...