Gainesway

The 2-year-old filly Alyeska (Vekoma), an eye-catching, come-from-behind debut winner carrying the famed Marylou Whitney silks at Churchill Downs Sept. 20, brought a sale-topping $675,000 from bloodstock agent Steve Young at Keeneland's single-session November Horses of Racing Age sale Thursday, which produced substantial across-the-board increases. Fellow Marylou Whitney homebred and the once-raced 2-year-old colt Captain Cook (Practical Joke), a troubled sixth on debut beneath the Twin Spires Oct. 27, was also purchased by Young for $410,000, the second-most expensive lot of the day. The duo were both previously trained by...

If it stays like this, a single maiden winner might settle it. Because all that separates McKinzie ($2,294,679) from current leader Tiz the Law ($2,339,575) in the freshman table is $44,896. But wait, there's more. McKinzie isn't even second. Between the pair lurks Vekoma ($2,306,457), ensuring a desperate three-way contest for the prized laurels of champion first-season sire. It's even closer than this time last year, when four stallions were divided by barely $200,000. In the end, Mitole actually extended his lead down the stretch. But the fact that the...

The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale concluded its nine-day run in Lexington Wednesday with vibrant trade from a diverse buying bench leading to across-the-board increases where were highlighted by a new sales record median. "Overall, this was a very strong, fair market from start to finish," Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. "Book 1 gross jumped nearly 15% from last year with a much-improved clearance rate and that momentum powered the sale through the final days." For the nine days, 2,158 horses sold for $196,442,900. The average of...

by Jessica Martini, Christina Bossinakis, & Jill Williams LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale opened Tuesday in Lexington with a solid Book 1 session punctuated by nine million-dollar mares purchased by a diverse, international buying bench. Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm made the session's highest bid when purchasing graded-stakes winner Roses For Debra (Liam's Map) for $2.4 million from the Candy Meadows Sales consignment. "It was a very solid, vibrant marketplace," said Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin. "It was a really diverse buying bench. We had...

McKinzie (Street Sense), the sire of Grade I winners 'TDN Rising Star' Chancer McPatrick and Scottish Lassie from his first crop, will stand the 2025 breeding season at a fee of $75,000, according to Gainesway Farm, which announced additional stud fees on Tuesday. The first stallion since Mr. Prospector to account for the winners of the prestigious Champagne Stakes and Frizette Stakes in the same season, McKinzie has also proved successful in the sales arena, his yearlings having fetched as much as $975,000 while his first crop of 2-year-olds realized...

Tapit, North America's all-time leading sire by progeny earnings and the leading active sire by lifetime Grade I winners and graded stakes winners, will again lead the 2025 Gainesway stallion roster at a fee of $185,000, according to a press release from the farm Thursday. The son of Pulpit is represented this year on the racetrack by GI Whitney Stakes winner Arthur's Ride, GII Woodward Stakes winner Tapit Trice, and additional graded winners May Day Ready, Scylla, and Batten Down. He continues to be in demand in the auction ring,...

GI Blue Grass Stakes winner Tapit Trice (Tapit--Danzatrice, by Dunkirk) will return to his birthplace, Gainesway Farm, to enter stud upon his retirement from racing, the Central Kentucky nursery and stud farm announced Tuesday afternoon. Tapit Trice's next scheduled engagement is Saturday afternoon in the $7-million GI Breeders' Cup Classic, where he will break from post 10. He races for the partnership of Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm, LLC and Gainesway Stable. "Winning the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes in partnership with Gainesway has been a real highlight for our...

The breeding rights to MGISW Muth have been acquired by Gainesway and the son of Good Magic and out of Hoppa (Uncle Mo) will stand at the Lexington farm upon his retirement from racing. Bred by Don Alberto Corp., Muth was a $2-million OBS March 2-year-old purchase by Donato Lanni on behalf of Zedan Racing Stables, Inc. Muth, who earned TDN Rising Star status when breaking his maiden with a front-running 8 3/4-length victory in his debut at Santa Anita, returned to post a 3 3/4-length score in the GI...

Four years ago this week, McKinzie was retired to Gainesway after a stellar racing career that netted four Grade I wins and 11 triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures. While it may have been difficult at the time for many to see past the ravages of the COVID pandemic--it was 2020, after all--those far-sighted breeders who patronized McKinzie the next spring are looking positively clairvoyant in 2024. As is becoming blatantly obvious, McKinzie isn't just starting strong as a freshman sire. Instead, McKinzie's beginning as a young sire has been the stuff...

The Fasig-Tipton October Digital Sale, which was delayed by a day due to an unexpected service outage, concluded Wednesday evening with 224 horses sold for a combined gross of $3,466,300. With over 830 bidders registered for the sale, bidding had opened Thursday, Oct. 3, and was scheduled to close Tuesday, Oct. 8, until the technical issue forced officials at the sales company to pivot slightly and conclude a day later than scheduled. "I want to say a big thank you to all participants for working through some unexpected technical issues...

Eight horses have been supplemented to the Fasig-Tipton November Sale. The group, catalogued as hips 301-308, are: Kodiac Wintergreen (Ire) (Kodiac) (hip 301), a 3-year-old stakes-placed racing/broodmare prospect consigned by Gainesway, agent. Liquid Amber (Kitten's Joy) (hip 303), a group winner and stakes producer is offered in foal to Not This Time. Her 2024 No Nay Never colt is offered as hip 302. Both are consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent. Omaha Tapped (Omaha Beach) (hip 304), an unraced 3-year-old out of a full-sister to champion Untapable offered in...

Whisper Hill Farm's multiple graded stakes winner Charge It (Tapit--I'll Take Charge, by Indian Charlie) has been retired from racing and will begin his stud career next season at Gainesway. Charge It followed a 'TDN Rising Star' maiden victory with a runner-up effort in the 2022 GI Florida Derby. He demolished the field with a 23-length victory in the GIII Dwyer Stakes and returned as a 4-year-old to win the GII Suburban Stakes. "Winning any graded race by 23 lengths, as Charge It did in the Dwyer, takes an immensely...