Gainesway

LEXINGTON, KY - The yearling sales season kicks off Tuesday with the Fasig-Tipton July Sale of Selected Yearlings at Newtown Paddocks in Lexington. Bidding at the one-session auction begins at 10 a.m. "We're optimistic," Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said of expectations for the sale. "We've seen a very solid 2-year-old marketplace throughout the spring. There is demand for quality horses, certainly plenty of interest. Racing is pretty good right now." On a balmy Monday morning in Lexington, buyers were out in force and consignors were busy showing yearlings to a...

West Point Thoroughbreds and Lane's End Farm teamed up to purchase a colt by Tapit (hip 885) for $1.7 million Thursday at OBS. The gray, the auction's fourth seven-figure juvenile, was consigned by Eddie Woods on behalf of his breeder, Gainesway Farm. Out of Pension (Seeking the Gold), he is a full-brother to graded stakes winner Thoughtfully.

Gainesway homebred Spendarella maintained her perfect record with a 1 3/4-length victory in the GII Appalachian S. Presented by Japan Racing Association at Keeneland Saturday. Sent straight to the head of affairs, the bay was soon headed by Glenall (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}) to her inside and was content to perch in second turning into the backstretch. Well in hand under Tyler Gaffalione, the favorite still maintained her position as noses pointed for home. She took over just before the quarter pole and withstood the closing rally of Dolce Zel to...

Gainesway homebred Spendarella (Karakontie {Jpn}) looks to take her record to three-for-three in Saturday's GII Appalachian S. at Keeneland. A good-looking debut winner going two turns on the grass at Gulfstream Feb. 2, the $220,000 KEESEP buy wired the GIII Herecomesthebride S. in Hallandale Mar. 5, garnering a 90 Beyer Speed Figure. Chad Brown can never be ignored in a turf stake and he enters European import Dolce Zel (Fr) (Zelzal {Fr}). Graduating at second asking in France for her former connections, the bay was privately purchased by Michael Dubb,...

Saturday, Gulfstream Park HERECOMESTHEBRIDE S.-GIII, $125,000, Gulfstream, 3-5, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:34.38, fm. 1--SPENDARELLA, 118, f, 3, by Karakontie (Jpn)                 1st Dam: Spanish Bunny, by Unusual Heat                 2nd Dam: Spanish Beam, by El Gran Senor                 3rd Dam: Solar Beam, by Majestic Light    1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($220,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd. (NY); T-H. Graham Motion; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $72,850. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $104,650. *Full to Spanish Loveaffair, MSW & MGSP, $284,090; 1/2 to Spanish Queen (Tribal...

Multiple Grade I winner Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}--Rosa Bonheur, by Mr. Greeley) has had his first mare reported in foal, Gainesway said Monday. Ginger Kitty (Red Rocks {Ire}), a juvenile winner and now 5-year-old mare from the family of Grade I winner Tactical Cat (Storm Cat), scanned in foal to the former Chad Brown trainee. Raging Bull captured five stakes racing from ages three to six, taking the GI Hollywood Derby as a sophomore, the GI Shoemaker Mile S. as a 5-year-old in 2020 and the GI Maker's...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols 4th-AQU, $80k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 2:18 p.m. Trainer Jimmy Jerkens sends out firster CAPONE (Classic Empire) for the partnership of Gainesway, LNJ Foxwoods and NK Racing. The dark bay sold for $400,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale following an adventurous work in :10 2/5, accomplished despite the saddle slipping under rider Susan Montanye. TJCIS PPs  

Afleet Alex (Northern Afleet--Maggy Hawk, by Hawkster), perhaps best known for his dramatic win in the 2005 GI Preakness S. after he stumbled in the stretch, has been pensioned after 16 years of stud duty at Gainesway, the farm announced today. Afleet Alex, who went on to win the GI Belmont S. in the same year, turned 20 this year. "Gainesway has officially pensioned Afleet Alex from stallion duties," said Sean Tugel, Gainesway's director of stallion sales and recruitment. "He is in great health currently and will remain at Gainesway...

First foals for Gainesway stallions McKinzie (Street Sense) and Spun to Run (Hard Spun) were born earlier this week. Withholding Info (Midnight Lute), a winner of two of three career starts for Bob Baffert, foaled a filly by McKinzie on Jan. 11 in Kentucky at Hill 'n' Dale. Four-time GISW and GI Breeders' Cup Classic runner-up McKinzie stands the 2022 season at Gainesway for $30,000. Three-time winner L.A. Style (Scat Daddy) produced a filly by Spun to Run in Louisiana Jan. 11. Spun to Run, upset winner of the 2019...

If you are a student of pedigrees, you'll know of Franco Varola and Abram S. Hewitt. If not, take my word for it that they were two giants in the field of pedigree research, and both were excellent writers. Varola, an Italian whose first name was Francesco, is known for two iconic books, "Typology of the Racehorse" and "The Functional Development of the Thoroughbred," both of which examined influential stallions by aptitude and classified them as "chefs-de-race" within the dosage framework originally developed by Lt. Col. J.J. Vuillier at the...

Anchor Down (Tapit--Successful Outlook, by Orientate), a two-time graded winner at a mile and runner-up in the prestigious 2016 GI Mohegan Sun Metropolitan H., has been relocated to stand the 2022 season at Iowa State University. He began his career at stud at Gainesway in Kentucky. From two crops of racing age, Anchor Down, a $250,000 KEESEP yearling, is the sire of 22 winners and six stakes horses. Produced by GSW Successful Outlook, Anchor Down is a half-brother to GISW Sweet Lulu (Mr. Greeley) and a full-brother to GSW Iron...

Sherri Ivanovich, who has been with Gainesway Farm as yearling manager for two decades, has been named the Kentucky nursery's farm manager. "I have worked with Sherri for over 30 years and she is the epitome of hard work and dedication," said Brian Graves, Gainesway's general manager. "A great deal of any success we've had is a direct result of Sherri's support, and her commitment to excellence. I am very excited to promote her to this role at Gainesway." The farm said in a press release that her leadership has...