Cavorting

by Jessica Martini, Christina Bossinakis & Jill Williams LEXINGTON, KY - Following another day of competitive bidding, the two-session Book 1 section of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale concluded Tuesday with double-digit increases over its 2023 counterpart. A colt by Curlin brought the section's top price when selling for $5 million to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm. The sale topper was one of four by the Hill 'n' Dale stallion to bring $1 million or more on the day and, with a further 16 yearlings bringing seven figures Tuesday, Book...

A Curlin full-brother to MGISW Clairiere and an Into Mischief half-brother to GISW Girvin (Tale of Ekati)--both Stonestreet-breds--sold in a matter of minutes Tuesday afternoon at the Keeneland September sale for the two highest prices of the day thus far. Causing the biggest stir was hip 347, a Mar. 11-foaled chestnut colt by Curlin out of MGISW Cavorting (Bernardini), brought by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm for $5 million after a protracted bidding battle. Cavorting has three foals to race: MGISW Clairiere, SW La Crete (Medaglia d'Oro), and MGSP Judge...

Stonestreet Farm has had plenty of stacked rosters going into Book 1 of the Keeneland September Sale, but the farm's longtime bloodstock advisor John Moynihan estimates that this year's class of of yearlings is among the best that the operation has ever presented to the market. "It's rare that you get the physical horse with these amazing pedigrees because so many times you get a physical and you don't have the pedigree or you get the pedigree but you don't have the physical," Moynihan reflected. "We're very fortunate this year...

Trainer Mark Glatt is weighing his options for the promising Judge Miller (Curlin). The lightly raced 4-year-old, a jaw-dropping winner while making his route debut in an optional claimer at Santa Anita Feb. 24, has been nominated to Oaklawn's $600,000 GIII Essex H. and the $500,000 GII New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds. Both races will be contested at 1 1/8 miles and are slated for Saturday, Mar. 23. "He's nominated to a couple of stakes coming up, but I don't know what we're doing with him yet for certain,"...

1st-AQU, $85K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 12:20 p.m. ET. Whisper Hill Farm purchased LESLIE'S ROSE (Into Mischief) for $1.15 million at last year's Keeneland September Sale. Bred by John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock Services, the Todd Pletcher trainee's younger half-sister and stablemate Bo Derek (Speightstown) sadly passed away after making her second start back in January for Siena and WinStar Farms at Gulfstream Park. Second dam MGSP Wildwood Flower (Langfuhr) produced GI Florida Derby champ Materiality (Afleet Alex) and GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up My Miss Sophia (Unbridled's Song),...

In this continuing series, we examine the past winners of significant filly/mare races by the lasting influence they've had on the breed. Up today is Saratoga's GI Personal Ensign S., renamed in 1998 to honor the undefeated Hall of Fame Phipps mare. Originally known as the Firenze H. and then the John A. Morris H., the Personal Ensign dates to 1948. While members of the Phipps family have won six editions of the race which now holds one of the greatest names associated with the stable, Personal Ensign never actually...

In this continuing series, we examine the past winners of significant filly/mare races by the lasting influence they've had on the breed. Up today is the GI Longines Test S., a prestigious 3-year old filly event on the Saratoga calendar for the past century. Ah, the Test, the glorious Test. Remember the scintillating call--already 20 years ago--by Tom Durkin during the epic stretch battle between You and Carson Hollow? This race has been so good for so long. At seven furlongs since its second edition, it has delivered pulsating stretch...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY -- Just a mere mention that Clairiere (Curlin) might be underappreciated, brought a quick, robust reaction from Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. "Not by us," Asmussen said, shaking his head. Asmussen promptly made the case for the 4-year-old filly, a Stonestreet Stables homebred daughter of Cavorting (Bernardini), who will seek her third win in four starts this year in the GII Shuvee S. Saturday at Saratoga Race Course. "She's a multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire by one of the greatest horses of all time out of one...

La Crete (Medaglia d'Oro--Cavorting, by Bernardini), a half-sister to one of last year's 3-year-old filly stars in Clairiere (Curlin), threw her own hat into the ring with a dogged win in the Silverbulletday S. at Fair Grounds as the current sophomore filly embers begin to flare on the road to the GI Kentucky Oaks. Bumping with Sweet as Pie (Tapit) at the break, La Crete made the lead with Fannie and Freddie (Malibu Moon) tracking in second. La Crete stayed in front through :24.50 and :48.79 fractions, but drifted out...

7th-Churchill Downs, $119,047, Msw, 11-20, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:45.44, ft, 2 1/4 lengths. LA CRETE (f, 2, Medaglia d'Oro--Cavorting {MGISW, $2,063,000}, by Bernardini), a half-sister to Clairiere (Curlin), GISW, $1,290,992, took care of business impressively on debut going a tough, two-turn distance of 1 1/16 miles here. Facing only seven rivals, the 8-5 favorite caught a flyer beneath Joel Rosario and shot out to the front. The Stonestreet homebred showed the way while uncontested through fractions of :23.53 and :47.84. She let it out a notch rounding the far...

Barbara Banke has a lofty goal heading into this year's GI Kentucky Oaks. "I would love for there to be a Stonestreet trifecta," she said. "That would be my dream." It sounds like quite the feat, but a trio of sophomore fillies foaled and raised at Stonestreet Farm are shaking out to be some of the strongest contenders expected to be vying for the garland of stargazer lilies on the last Friday of April. GII Rachel Alexandra S. victress Clairiere (Curlin) and GIII Fantasy S. winner Pauline's Pearl (Tapit) both...

Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra carried the famed burgundy and gold silks of Stonestreet Farm to six victories, four of which were Grade Is, including the GI Preakness S. and GI Woodward S. So, it was only fitting that another filly carrying the colors of Barbara Banke's operation, Clairiere (Curlin), won that Horse of the Year's namesake Grade II race at the Fair Grounds Saturday. The event, which produced GI Kentucky Oaks winners in 2018 and 2019, offered 50 points towards this year's run for the lillies. Clairiere rallied strongly...