American Pharoah

Coolmore has released its 2022 stud fees for stallions standing at Ashford Farm in Kentucky. Uncle Mo remains at the top of the roster at $160,000--down slightly from an advertised fee of $175,000 for the 2021 breeding season. The champion juvenile has been represented this year by the likes of GI Forego S. winner Yaupon; streaking turf miler Mo Forza; and brilliant turf sprinter Golden Pal. Triple Crown winner Justify, whose first yearlings have been well received this year at an average of $393,713 and with multiple seven-figure sellers, will...

Bob Baffert comes into Sunday's GII Zenyatta S. with a strong one-two punch in the form of Private Mission (Into Mischief) and the regally bred As Time Goes By (American Pharoah--Take Charge Lady). The winner of this event earns a spot in the upcoming GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar. A debut winner at this oval last October, Private Mission checked in fourth in Del Mar's Desi Arnaz S. a month later and was subsequently shelved. Making her belated sophomore bow in a June 12 optional claimer here, the...

'TDN Rising Star' Corniche (c, 2, Quality Road--Wasted Tears, by Najran), the $1.5-million OBS April topper earlier this spring and a jaw-dropping debut winner going 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar Sept. 4, led them every step of the way to run to the money as the 2-5 favorite in Friday's 'Win and You're In' GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita. Pappacap (Gun Runner), winner of the GII Best Pal S., was second; third out maiden winner Oviatt Class (Bernardini) was third. Corniche is the 10th winner of the...

As springboard--or tripwire--before the ultimate Breeders' Cup showdown at Del Mar this November, Santa Anita's opening weekend sure ticks a lot of boxes. "Really happy with the job my staff did putting all these races together," said Santa Anita racing secretary, Chris Merz, on Thursday morning. "Stakes coordinator James Kasparoff did an outstanding job." In all, there are seven Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" races. The three on Friday--the GI American Pharoah S., GII Chandelier S., and the Speakeasy S.--are geared around the sport's young blood. The Saturday and...

by Dan Ross and Jessica Martini  The third time proved the charm for the Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings Sale, which produced the strongest results in its short three-year history with a session of lively bidding in Pomona Tuesday. "Today was the most encouraging day we have had in California in a sales environment in the last three years that we've been  involved here," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. "There was a dramatic increase in the average and the median doubled from the sale last year and the RNA rate was...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 6th-BEL, $90k, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 3:38 p.m. ET Seven horses make their career debut in this potential-laden nine-horse field, headed by PROTONIC POWER (Protonico), part of an uncoupled entry for the Todd Pletcher barn. Owned by Sumaya US Stable, who campaigned his sire, the colt is out of Grade III winner Sheza Smoke Show (Wilko), making him a half to 2020 OBS April topper and subsequent Grade I winner Princess Noor (Not This Time). The bay stayed home at Belmont for the summer and...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a son of Group 1 winner Ballydoyle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). 14.00 Naas, Mdn, €15,500, 2yo, c/g, 5f 205yT Westerberg & Coolmore's LEINSTER HOUSE (War Front) is the lone newcomer in an 11-strong field and gets assistance from Seamus Heffernan in this debut for Aidan O'Brien. The...

by Jessica Martini, Brian DiDonato & Christie DeBernardis LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland September Yearling Sale, led by a trio of million-dollar yearlings, opened with a day of steady trade in Lexington Monday. A total of 95 yearlings sold during the session for $38,172,000, at an average of $401,811 and a median of $325,000. "I think the trade was really strong," Keeneland's new vice president of sales Tony Lacy said at the close of business Monday. "The numbers may have stacked very comparably to last year, but I think there...

Bidding on behalf of owner Joe Allen, Alan Quartucci was extended to $1.4 million for an American Pharoah half-sister to Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Stars' Echo Town (Speightstown) and recent Spinaway S. heroine Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) to lead the early returns during Monday's opening session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in Lexington. Hip 43 is a daughter of GSW Letgomyecho (Menifee), whose eight winners from 10 to the races also includes Grade III-winning sophomore J Boys Echo (Mineshaft), GSP Unbridled Outlaw (Unbridled's Song) and SP Dragic (Broken Vow)....

DEL MAR JUVENILE TURF S., $102,000, Del Mar, 9-6, 2yo, 1mT, 1:36.24, fm. 1--MACKINNON, 120, c, 2, by American Pharoah            1st Dam: Scat Means Go (GSP, $142,054), by Scat Daddy            2nd Dam: Shenandoah Valley, by Proud Citizen            3rd Dam: Ashley Anne's Wish, by You and I ($200,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT; $285,000 2yo '21 FTFMAR). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-ERJ Racing, LLC & Dave Kenney; B-International Equities Holding, Inc. (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0, $117,860. 2--Thirty Four Coupe, 119, c, 2, Run Away...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY--To punctuate his acceptance speech that concluded the Hall of Fame induction ceremony Friday, trainer Todd Pletcher used a favorite line of the late Cot Campbell, the Thoroughbred owner and colorful racing personality who was one of his longtime patrons. "It's not going to sound nearly as cool coming from me, he was a cool guy," Pletcher said, "but most of all, I want to thank the horses, the horses and the horses." Campbell's words were a fitting coda for racing's annual feel-good day that salutes the best...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-DMR, $70K, Msw, 3yo/up, 5 1/2fT, post time: 7:00 p.m. ET Bred in Australia by the renowned Arrowfield Stud, KAZUHIKO (AUS) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was purchased for a joint third-highest price of A$1.7 million (US$1,211,760) at the 2019 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale by a partnership including Spendthrift Farm, Kennewell Racing and Group 1 Bloodstock. Trained by Lloyd Kennewell, the Sept. 1 foal was the subject of major betting support ahead of his debut in the G3 National S. at Adelaide's Morphettville Racetrack in South Australa...