Con Lima

Con Lima (Commissioner), the multiple-graded stakes winning mare last seen winning the GIII Saratoga Oaks last August, suffered an injury in her stall at WinStar Farm in Lexington, Kentucky Wednesday night and was euthanized, according to a Tweet from her owners, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. Eclipse's Aron Wellman said that the 4-year-old filly was at WinStar preparing for a return to racing and to her trainer Todd Pletcher. "We're devastated to report Con Lima suffered a catastrophic injury in her stall last night and had to be euthanized," the Tweet read....

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph Graffeo, Erik Nikolaus Del Toro, and Troy Johnson's Con Lima (Commissioner) has been named the 2021 Texas Horse of the Year by the Texas Thoroughbred Association. She was also named Champion Three-Year-Old Texas-Bred Filly for 2021 following a season that included wins in the GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational S., GIII Wonder Again S. and GIII Herecomesthebride S. Bred by Lisa Kuhlmann, the dark bay also added wins in the Ginger Brew S. and Honey Ryder S. and runner-up efforts in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S....

The Florida HBPA held its annual General Nominating Meeting and Awards Dinner Saturday night at Gulfstream Park, with nearly 100 owners, trainers, jockeys, grooms and racing executives in attendance at Ten Palms. The guest speaker was the new President and CEO of the NTRA, Tom Rooney and the evening closed with the annual FHBPA Awards Ceremony. "Each year, the Florida HBPA recognizes the horses that shine not just during the Championship Meet, but year-round in South Florida," FHBPA President Stephen Screnci said. "All of our Champions competed at Gulfstream during...

It's the kind of tale that might prompt a listening barman to catch the eye of one of the regulars and give a wink. Sure you have, pal. A Texas-bred Commissioner filly? You hear that, folks? This guy has a $22,000 2-year-old RNA with a Hall of Fame trainer. And she's the top turf sophomore filly in America. Well I guess it must be your round, buddy. But nobody needs to tell Joseph F. Graffeo, himself the son of a bartender, the kind of odds being confounded by Con Lima,...

Sunday, Saratoga SARATOGA OAKS INVITATIONAL S.-GIII, $700,000, Saratoga, 8-8, 3yo, f, 1 3/16mT, 1:54.42, fm. 1--CON LIMA, 121, f, 3, by Commissioner 1st Dam: Second Street City (SW, $209,843), by Consolidator 2nd Dam: Trix City, by Carson City 3rd Dam: Always Nettie, by Vice Regent ($15,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV; $19,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP; $22,000 RNA 2yo '20 OBSMAR). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph F. Graffeo, Eric Nikolaus Del Toro & Troy Johnson; B-Lisa Kuhlmann (TX); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Flavien Prat. $375,000. Lifetime Record: 13-7-5-0, $884,865. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click...

Freshly minted Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher sends GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. runner-up Con Lima (Commissioner) to target the GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational S., the middle jewel of NYRA's Turf Tiara Series and upgraded in its third edition this year to graded status. At 1 3/16 miles, Sunday's Saratoga Oaks is just a hair shorter than the July 10 Belmont Oaks, in which Con Lima led but yielded in the final strides to Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who hailed from the powerful Aidan O'Brien barn with Group 1...

Every year the GI Belmont Oaks and Derby attract an intriguing mix of European invaders and America's best sophomore turf horses and this year is no exception. The Coolmore contingent, Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore have a strong shot at taking their second renewal of this race with 'TDN Rising Star' Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who enters this race of a narrow runner-up in Group 1 company. A debut winner at the Curragh in September, the bay was fourth in the G1 QIPCO One Thousand Guineas May 2 at...

Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher offers a two-pronged attack--Con Lima (Commisioner) and Jouster (Noble Mission {GB})--in Thursday's GIII Wonder Again S. at Belmont. Drawing the two hole in the nine-furlong event, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph Graffeo, Del Toro, Eric Nikolaus and Troy Johnson's Con Lima will attempt to collect her fourth stakes victory of the season after placing in a pair of blakc-type tests last term. The Texas-bred kicked off 2021 with a score in Gulfstream's one-mile Ginger Brew S. Jan. 2 before finishing runner-up to White Frost (Candy Ride...

Undefeated Tobys Heart (Jack Milton) returns to the races Saturday after six months on the sidelines in Gulfstream's GIII Herecomesthebride S. Tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' off a 6 3/4-length romp in her Churchill unveiling June 4, the dark bay rallied to victory in the Bolton Landing S. going 5 1/2 panels at Saratoga Aug. 19. The $45,000 OBSMAR buy navigates two turns for the first time in this return from the bench. Spanish Loveaffair (Karakontie {Jpn}) opened her account last season with a pair of victories going a mile...

Let go at a tempting 9-2, Gainesway Stables' homebred White Frost spent a good portion of Saturday's GIII Sweetest Chant S. hemmed away at the inside, but she saved her best for last, as she sprinted past pacesetting favorite Con Lima in the final furlong for a breakthrough graded stakes success. Con Lima, exiting a front-running defeat of Honey Pants (Cairo Prince) in the course-and-distance Ginger Brew S. Jan. 2, hit the ground running and had things very much her own way on the engine, as White Frost settled three...

Gainesway Stable's White Frost (Candy Ride {Arg}), impressive in winning her turf and two-turn debuts to close out her freshman campaign, rates a slight edge in what appears a wide-open renewal of the GIII Sweetest Chant S. Saturday at Gulfstream Park. A debut fourth to $1-million KEESEP yearling Zainalarab (War Front) at Belmont Sept. 18, the homebred was a distant second in the slop Oct. 31 before parlaying a perfect, ground-saving trip into a a 1 1/4-length graduation at Aqueduct Nov. 21. The form of that race was franked when...