Don Alberto Corporation

Maiden Winner Senza Parole's Performance Speaks Volumes At Spa

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--Appropriately enough, Senza Parole's (Gun Runner) name translates to "at a loss for words," which could describe the reaction to her jaw-dropping victory Friday in the first race at Saratoga Race Course. Not only did she finish 7 3/4 lengths ahead of 4-5 favorite Stunner (Girvin), Senza Parole completed the six furlongs in the $100,000 maiden special weight race for 2-year-old fillies in a sharp 1:09.84. She paid $9.40 as the 7-2 second choice in the field of seven. With Saratoga's leading rider, Irad Ortiz, Jr., pretty much...

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Liam In The Dust Left First Start Behind With Ellis Score

2nd-Ellis, $71,000, Msw, 8-11, 2yo, f, 7f, 1:25.32, ft, 2 1/4 lengths. LIAM IN THE DUST (f, 2, Liam's Map--Whisper Louise, by Bernardini) debuted at even-money here. The favorite clung to a tenuous lead nestled between a pair of rivals, which included to her outside up the backstretch Impulse Buy (Speightstown). The 2-year-old secured the top spot around the far turn and past the three-sixteenths pole her overdrive kicked in. Cruising along, the chestnut won by 2 1/4 lengths over Impulse Buy. The winner has a younger full-sister who is...

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Saratoga Sale a Record Smasher; $2.4-Million Into Mischief Tops Day 2

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, which opened Monday with figures on pace for a third year of records, concluded Tuesday with an electric session which demolished the sale's previous high for gross, average, and median. At the close of business Tuesday, 154 yearlings sold for $82,160,000--highest ever in the auction's 103-year history, surpassing the previous record of $75,055,000 set last year. The average of $533,506 also improved on the 2023 record figure of $487,370, while the median of $425,000 bettered the...

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Robert and Lawana Low Strike for $1.9-Million Curlin Filly

About two-thirds of the way through Monday night's boutique Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, it was Robert and Lawana Low, through West Bloodstock, agent, who successfully bid $1.9 million for a bay Curlin filly from a power-packed family. Don Alberto Corporation bred hip 85 in Kentucky after purchasing her dam, MSW & GSP Matera (Tapit), for $1.4 million as a 2018 Keeneland September yearling. The filly is the first foal out of Matera, whose dam, Taylor Made-based blue hen Miss Macy Sue (Trippi), produced sires Liam's Map and Not This Time. The...

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Muth Lays Siege To Arkansas, Delivers Win But No Derby Points

HOT SPRINGS, Arkansas--A pair of 'TDN Rising Stars' in Muth (Good Magic) and Timberlake (Into Mischief) squared off on an overcast but warm Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn Park to contest the 88th running of the GI Arkansas Derby. What the race turned out to be was a strong statement issued by Muth, as Zedan Racing's colt kicked for home, won by two lengths and collected the purse money. Of course--since the 3-year-old is a trainee in Bob Baffert's care--he will not receive his 100 Kentucky Derby points. A record-tying victory,...

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Sunday Insights: Well-Bred Son Of Tapit And Lady Take Charge Debuts At Oaklawn

5th-OP, $115K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 3:22 p.m. ET. A $700,000 Keeneland September purchase by Willis Horton Racing and trained by Eddie Milligan Jr., WILL TAKE IT (Tapit) is the first to the post out of unraced Lady Take Charge (War Front). The latter was the top-priced foal at the 2015 Keeneland November Sale when she was hammered down to Whisper Hill Farm for $3.2 million. Eclipse Award winner Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway), a daughter of Lady Take Charge's half-sister Charming (Seeking the Gold), was the overall topper when...

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Arcangelo to Lane's End on Retirement

Blue Rose Farm's Arcangelo (Arrogate--Modeling, by Tapit), a likely favorite for the upcoming GI Breeders' Cup Classic, will enter stud at Lane's End Farm at the conclusion of his racing career. The gray went to the head of the sophomore division with victories in the GI Belmont S. and GI Travers S. He also captured this year's GIII Peter Pan S. "It has been a surreal experience to own a horse of this magnitude," said owner Jon Ebbert. "The day I laid eyes on him at the yearling sale, I...

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Friday's Racing Insights: Not This Time Colt Tackles Two Turns in Spa Grass Debut

1st-SAR, $136K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:10 p.m. Purchased by St. Elias Stable, Repole Stable and breeder LNJ Foxwoods for $875,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, Tireless (Not This Time) will take on two turns in his first career start over the grass. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., the dark bay colt's dam Kitty Union (Union Rags) was purchased by Rosilyn Polan at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale for $160,000 carrying a colt by Improbable. His third dam Tizso (Cee's Tizzy) produced GI Haskell Invitational...

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Vino Rosso Colt Skips Home First at Saratoga

2nd-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 8-19, 2yo, 1m (off turf), 1:39.24, ft, 5 lengths. DANCING GROOM (c, 2, Vino Rosso--Snow Dancer, by Bernardini) skipped clear down the lane to become the sixth winner for his freshman sire (by Curlin). A 9-2 shot in this off-turf stretch-out to a mile, the chestnut colt was hustled to keep pace with the early leaders, but was shuffled back to midpack down the backstretch. He rolled into contention with a three-wide move on the far turn, took charge at the top of the lane and strolled...

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Dai Vernon Pulls an Appearing Act at Ellis Park

The team at Ben Leon's Besilu Stables had reason for optimism when 3-year-old Dai Vernon (Good Magic) went to the post for his debut over the Ellis Park turf in June, but while they came away disappointed that day, the handsome chestnut colt more than made up for it with a striking last-to-first victory over the main track at the Henderson oval Sunday afternoon. "This is going to be a serious horse," Leon's bloodstock advisor Fabricio Buffolo said when asked about his reaction to Dai Vernon's 5 1/4-length victory Monday....

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Curlin's Erna Just Holds On To Graduate At Second Asking

10th-Gulfstream, $60,000, Msw, 12-11, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:35.11, fm, neck. ERNA (f, 2, Curlin--Jumby Bay {MSP, $118,125}, by City Zip) just missed in her unveiling at Belmont's Aqueduct meeting Oct. 22, coming up a neck short to next out GIII Jimmy Durante S. winner Liguria (War Front) as an 11-1 longshot. No longer under the radar at 6-5, the $600,000 OBSAPR grad took contact from both sides at the break but was still able to settle forwardly placed in third as Shez Speightful (Speightster) paced the field through an opening...

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Reed Ringler Joins Don Alberto; Longtime Fasig Executive to Serve as COO

Reed Ringler, longtime client development executive and sales announcer at Fasig-Tipton, has joined Don Alberto Corporation as the new Chief Operating Officer of its U.S. Operations, effective July 1. "We are pleased to have Reed join our Don Alberto team, and to continue our tradition of producing top-class Thoroughbreds," said Carlos Heller, founder of Don Alberto Corporation. "His leadership and presence will be an asset to our operation for years to come and we look forward to what the future will bring." The Heller family's Don Alberto campaigned two-time champion...

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