Carpe Diem

Quite a few horses have lately nourished the illusion that we might, collectively, actually know what we're doing. Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), for instance, is threatening to make sense of the second-highest price paid for an American yearling in 2022; while Newgate (Into Mischief) is steadily working off a $850,000 debt of his own, while similarly bringing closer the real payday at stud. But last weekend we were given yet another reminder of the genetic powder-keg lit by a mating strategy that can only have prompted a supercilious smile in...

Michael Lund Peterson's Kinza (Carpe Diem--Secret Wonder, by Quality Road) debuted in 'TDN Rising Star' style Friday, leading a field of maiden fillies at Santa Anita gate-to-wire to graduate for trainer Bob Baffert. Purchased for $350,000 as a 2-year-old earlier this year at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale after breezing in :10.1, the 5-1 shot prepped for this spot with a pair of back-to-back bullet works earlier in the month (five furlongs from the gate in :59 3/5 {1/9} Nov. 29 and again in 1:00 flat {1/4}...

MGSW Unified (Candy Ride {Arg}) will relocate to Lacer at Aztec Equine in Sunset, Louisiana after being acquired from Lane's End Farm, David Tillson and his partners said in a release Saturday. "Unified has settled in well, he is in wonderful shape and is acclimating to his new home," Tillson said. The stallion, who celebrated his fourth stakes winner on Friday at Saratoga when Unified Alliance won the Coronation Cup S., will join leading general sire in Louisiana, MGISW Carpe Diem (Giant's Causeway) and first-crop yearling sire GISP Bobby's Wicked...

Salute the Stars continued his rise through the ranks here with a determined victory in the Pegasus S. at Monmouth Park. Coming into the race riding a two race win-streak which began when he wrapped his juvenile season with a victory against maidens at Ellis on the grass, he moved from John Ortiz to Brad Cox before his seasonal bow last out May 14 in an off-turf allowance. Winning there by a neck, he was made the 5-2 second choice behind Kingsbarns, who was reappearing for the first time since...

New York-bred Fingal's Cave (Carpe Diem), perfect in four career starts in the Big Apple, takes on graded stakes company for the first time in Saturday's GII Lexus Raven Run S. at Keeneland. The bay cuts back in distance to seven furlongs after capturing her stakes debut in Saratoga's Fleet Indian S. versus state-breds going 1 1/8 miles in the mud Aug. 26. "At some point, we will challenge her and this seems to be a good spot," trainer David Donk said. "The Raven Run is for straight 3-year-olds, it's...

When The Great Maybe (Upstart) left the blocks at Saratoga and strolled in eight lengths ahead of a lively-met field of fillies, she carried not only the silks of Lael Stables--whose name invokes great nostalgia and respect in the halls of the Thoroughbred community--but also the dreams of a small breeding operation an hour north of Lexington, run by Monica Egger. Now, that farm in Piner, Kentucky, has a 'TDN Rising Star' to add to their list of accomplishments. "I have really enjoyed my short foray into Thoroughbreds and have...

WinStar stallions Carpe Diem (Giant's Causeway--Rebridled Dreams, by Unbridled's Song) and Exaggerator (Curlin--Dawn Raid, by Vindication) have been sold and will take up stud duty in new locations for 2022, the farm announced Thursday. Carpe Diem will be syndicated by a group led by Dawn and Jeff Picard's Picard Racing and David Tillson and he will stand the upcoming breeding season at Acadiana Equine at Copper Crowne in Louisiana. Campaigned by WinStar and Stonestreet Stables, the $1.6 million OBSMAR buy woon the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity in 2014 and the...

Speightstown will head the roster at WinStar Farm in 2022 with a fee of $90,000, stands and nurses, the same fee for which he stood in 2021. Right behind the chestnut is Constitution, North America's second-leading third-crop sire, who will stand for $85,000 S&N, also the same as 2021. Among notable changes on the 18-horse roster, More Than Ready gets a trim from $65,000 to $50,000. "Our 2022 roster is suited for breeders at every level," said Elliott Walden, WinStar's president, CEO, and racing manager. "Speightstown, Constitution, and More Than...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Sunday running at Kokura and Niigata Racecourses: Sunday, August 29, 2021 5th-KOK, ¥13,400,000 ($122k), Newcomers, 2yo, 2000mT PEACE FINE (c, 2, Gun Runner--Status Pending, by Tale of the Cat) is out of a stakes-winning half-sister to MSW & GSP Rock Candy (Mineshaft), GSP...

2nd-Saratoga, $85,000, (S), Msw, 8-20, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10.92, gd, 12 1/2 lengths. MAKIN MY MOVE (f, 2, Carpe Diem--Hard to Stay Notgo {MSW, $212,440}, by More Than Ready), bought back for $190,000 at OBS March after breezing in a bullet :9 4/5, likely left her breeders pleased with that outcome after running up the score impressively Friday. Backed down to 5-4 with some upbeat works and with leading rider Luis Saez taking the mount, the bay broke on top with Silver Fist (Iron Fist) and Trinity Titoli (Lord Nelson)...

On this side of the Atlantic, Gulfstream 2-year-old winner O CAPTAIN (c, 2, Carpe Diem--Mama Nadine {SW}, by A.P. Indy) connects Walt Whitman's most famous poem ("O Captain, My Captain," on the death of President Lincoln) with Roman bard Horace's "Carpe Diem/Seize The Day," probably via the 1989 movie "Dead Poets Society," where an English lit teacher played by Robin Williams inspires his students to great ambitions with the help of both poets. On the other side of the pond, Thirsk juvenile winner LEOPOLD BLOOM (c, 2, Ulysses {Ire}--Zuhoor Baynoona...

As for intriguing names of winning horses, that was the week that was. Let's start with the seminal power of those two immortal little words Carpe Diem ('Seize The Day'} from Ancient Rome prince of poets Horace (65-8 BC)--also responsible for Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori ('It is sweet and fitting to die for the homeland'), written only a few years after having run away, throwing the shield on the ground, at the battle of Philippi (42 BC). Two horses creatively honored the WinStar stallion Carpe Diem (by...