Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners

Aron Wellman Talks Nest, Buying Strategies, HISA On Writers' Room

It's a busy time of year for Aron Wellman's Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, with yearling sale season now in full swing alongside the iconic Saratoga and Del Mar meets. But Wellman and his partners are full of energy these days thanks in large part to their Nest (Curlin)--co-owned with Repole Stable and Michael House--who likely sewed up an Eclipse Award for Champion 3-Year-Old Filly with a dominant victory in the GI Alabama S. Saturday at the Spa. Tuesday, Wellman sat down with the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland as the...

[ Read More ]
Aron Wellman Joins the TDN Writers' Room

Aron Wellman, the President and Founder of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, joined this week's TDN Writers' Room to continue the celebration after Nest's stunning victory in the GI Alabama S.

[ Read More ]
Friday Racing Insights: $535k Curlin Filly Unveiled At Ellis

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-ELP, $60K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1m, 4:28 p.m. A $535,000 KEESEP yearling purchase, SOLO ALBUM (Curlin) debuts Friday out of the Mark Casse barn for owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Gary Barber. Out of GISP Summer Solo (Arch), who has already produced three winners from as many to race, Solo Album is a half-sister to SW & GSP Maedean (Tapit), who herself brought $500,000 from Ever Union Shokai at last year's Keeneland November Sale while carrying to Nyquist. Her dam is a half-sister to a...

[ Read More ]
Practical Joke Filly Professional for Pletcher; Named 'Rising Star'

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Todd Pletcher were represented by Saturday's romping GI Coaching Club American Oaks winner Nest (Curlin), and wasted little time unveiling their next generation of potential stakes runners as juvenile filly Kaling (Practical Joke) turned in a promising and professional debut worthy of a 'TDN Rising Star' nod. Off at 3-1 with an upbeat tab on display, the $220,000 KEESEP yearling showed good cruising speed early to make the early lead down on the inside. Rarify (Justify), the $750,000 half-sister to champion sprinter Runhappy (Super Saver), split...

[ Read More ]
The Week in Review: Nest Belongs in the Travers

For Nest (Curlin), the easy route to the Breeders' Cup includes a stop in the GI Alabama Aug 20. It's a prestigious race, has a $600,000 purse and Nest would be an odds-on favorite against many of the same horses she thrashed Saturday in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks. But what fun is that? Owners Mike Repole, Michael House and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and trainer Todd Pletcher have already shown that they will think outside the box. They ran their filly in the GI Belmont S., where she finished...

[ Read More ]
Nest Romps in CCA Oaks

Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House's Nest (Curlin) found herself somewhat surprisingly on the lead early in Saturday's GI Coaching Club American Oaks, but still left little doubt as to who the top sophomore filly in the country is right now as she galloped home 12 1/4 lengths clear of main rival Secret Oath (Arrogate) in the Saratoga stretch. Having seen a three-race win streak snapped when she settled for second as the favorite to Secret Oath in the May 6 GI Longines Kentucky Oaks, Nest was coming...

[ Read More ]
July 2 Insights: Tapit Colt With Princely Price Tag Debuts at Belmont

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 5th-BEL, $90k, Msw, 3yo/up, 1 1/16mT, 3:03p.m. ET Carrying the weight of a princely $2 million KEESEP price tag as well as a host of well-known co-owners which includes breeders Stonestreet Farm, Capensis (Tapit) will be unveiled in this spot for trainer Todd Pletcher. Out of GI Santa Margarita S. winner Tara's Tango (Unbridled's Song), he's half to fellow multi-million purchase Alexander Valley (Medaglia d'Oro)--a $2,150,000 buy at KEESEP by Godolphin. Capensis comes into the race off a bullet four furlong move over Saratoga's turf...

[ Read More ]
Eclipse Thoroughbreds' Unbeaten Manhattan Jungle Untroubled On Black-Type Debut

Manhattan Jungle (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}--Skylight {Ire}, by Acclamation {GB}) annexed a five-furlong newcomers' heat at Chantilly in her Apr. 13 unveiling and doubled up, at the expense of the reopposing subsequent winner Sabya (Fr) (Pedro The Great), over the same distance at Lyon Parilly in her Apr. 26 return last time. Breaking sharply to race on the front end from flagfall in this black-type debut, she went clear when asked to stretch soon after passing the two pole and was pushed out in the closing stages to easily hold...

[ Read More ]
Two-Year-Old Colt Awesome Strong Tops F-T May Digital Selected Sale

Fasig-Tipton's May Digital Selected Sale closed Tuesday afternoon with impressive 2-year-old debut winner Awesome Strong (Awesome Slew) topping the sale, bringing $500,000 from Bill Childs. He was consigned as Hip 24 from the draft of Elena Racing, agent. The Florida-bred colt won by an eye-catching six lengths on debut for Elena Racing, Inc. and trainer Jorge Delgado at Gulfstream Park May 6 in an open maiden special weight. Awesome Strong is from the first crop of Awesome Slew out of the Pleasant Tap mare Pleasant Ring. That mare is a...

[ Read More ]
Con Lima Suffers Fatal Stall Injury

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....

[ Read More ]
Hidden Connection Must Overcome Draw in Rachel Alexandra

No fewer than three fillies (Untapable, 2014; Monomoy Girl, 2018; and Serengeti Empress, 2019) have used a victory in the GII Rachel Alexandra S. Presented by Fasig-Tipton as a springboard to success in the GI Kentucky Oaks, won so impressively by Rachel Alexandra in 2009. A field of 11 sophomore females will face the starter in Saturday's renewal looking to continue on the road to Louisville on the first Friday in May. Hidden Connection (Connect) has been made the 3-1 morning-line favorite, a starting price likely inflated by her draw...

[ Read More ]
Nest Takes Off with Suncoast Victory

With a third place effort in the Tempted S. Nov. 5 at Belmont Park the only blemish to her otherwise perfect four race record, Nest used her neck victory Dec. 4 in the GII Demoiselle S. as a springboard into the winner's circle here. Carrying great expectations as the 1-5 overwhelming favorite, Nest briefly drifted out after the break, but went into the first turn comfortably stalking from third to the outside of the field. Glued to Alittleloveandluck (Arrogate) as the pair tracked a frontrunner through a moderate pace in...

[ Read More ]
X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.