Gretzky the Great

Roadster (Quality Road--Ghost Dancing, by Silver Ghost),  Colonel Liam (Liam's Map--Amazement, by Bernardini), and Gretzky the Great (Nyquist--Pearl Turn, by Bernardini)--all first-year stallions at Ocala Stud--have had their first mares confirmed in foal, the farm announced Monday. Alotofappeal, a stakes-producing daughter of Trippi owned by Ocala Stud, has scanned in foal to 2019 GI Santa Anita Derby winner Roadster. Oakleaf Farm's Florida-bred Sainted Dancer, a seven-time winner by Saint Anddan, is confirmed in foal to Colonel Liam, a three-time Grade I winner and back-to-back winner of the GI Pegasus World...

As three newcomers acclimate to their surroundings in the historic stallion barn at Ocala Stud while the latest crop of 2-year-olds steadily progresses at the adjacent training facility, it's a time of hope and anticipation at Ocala Stud. David O'Farrell is outspoken in his belief that their Grade I-winning trio of new stallions makes for a special group. Two-time GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S. winner Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) recently joined the roster alongside newcomers Roadster (Quality Road), another eye-catching dappled gray who did his best work on...

Ocala Stud has set 2023 stud fees for its roster of 10 stallions for the upcoming breeding season, led by GI Santa Anita Derby winner Roadster, who will stand his initial season at stud for $7,500 S&N. Also new to the roster for 2023 is GISW Gretzky the Great, who will stand for $3,000 S&N. Awesome Slew, Florida's No. 1-ranked First Crop Sire, will once again stand for $4,000 S&N. Seeking the Soul, a Charles Fipke homebred, will stand for $5,000 S&N. He welcomed first foals in 2022. Win Win...

GISW Gretzky the Great (Nyquist) has been retired and will stand the upcoming breeding season at Ocala Stud, the farm announced today. Campaigned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber and trained by Mark Casse, Gretzky the Great took Woodbine's GI Summer S. as a 2-year-old. A $295,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling purchase, Gretzky the Great broke his maiden in his second career start at Woodbine. He then took the Soaring Free S. before his win in the GI Summer S., ending his season with a sixth-place run in the...

Dual Canadian Classic winner Mighty Heart (Dramedy), a homebred for Lawrence Cordes, was named Canadian Horse of the Year at the 46th Annual Sovereign Awards ceremony held Thursday evening. It marked the second year in a row Canada's championship awards were held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Trained by Josie Carroll, Mighty Heart began his sophomore campaign in July with a maiden special weight victory at Woodbine, then went on to capture the Sept. 12 Queen's Plate S. and the Sept. 29 Prince of Wales S. The one-eyed...

A field of 11, headed by Joseph Morey Jr.'s Hush of a Storm (Creative Cause), aim to take advantage of the Kentucky Derby points on the line in Saturday's GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park. Drawing the 2 hole, the William Morey trainee kicked off his career finishing eighth against $150,000 maidens on the dirt at Churchill last November, but rebounded in fine style to win with ease while trying the Tapeta for the first time going a mile a Turfway in December. A narrow winner facing optional claiming...

LEXINGTON, KY - While Into Mischief secured the top lots during Monday's first session of the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale, it was Quality Road in charge during Tuesday's second session as Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners went to a session-topping $560,000 to secure a son of the Lane's End stallion. The day kicked off with a daughter of Quality Road bringing what was ultimately the session's co-second-highest price of $230,000. Through two sessions, Fasig-Tipton has sold 489 yearlings for a gross of $16,390,500. The two-day average is $33,518, down 12.7% from...

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 1,553 yearlings for its Kentucky October Yearlings Sale, to be held Oct. 26-29, in Lexington, Kentucky. The catalog may be viewed online, and will also be available via the equineline sales catalogue app. Four continuous sessions, conducted Monday through Thursday, will begin each day at 10 a.m. "This is the strongest group of yearlings we have ever offered at Kentucky October," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. "This spring, a significant number of sellers decided that they would target October with many of their top yearlings.  Buyers will...

The 3-year-old pacing gelding Captain Barbossa didn't look that good on paper in Thursday's Little Brown Jug, one of harness racing's most prestigious races. He was 0 for 11 on the year and 3 for 25 lifetime and was facing some of the best horses in his division. Even co-owner David Anderson conceded that victory seemed unlikely. But Captain Barbossa came through, finishing second in the first heat and then winning the final by 1 1/2 lengths. He may not have been the best horse in the race, but he...

Gretzky the Great (Nyquist), who became freshman sire Nyquist (Uncle Mo)'s first stakes winner in August, became his second Grade I winner less than a month later with a victory in Sunday's GI Summer S. at Woodbine. The score in the "Win and You're In" event punched Gretzky the Great's ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and gave Japanese-born jockey Kazushi Kimura his first career Grade I triumph. Unveiled going five furlongs on the local turf July 12, the Ontario-bred was runner-up to re-opposing rival Ready to Repeat...

Gretzky the Great earned the first black-type win for his first-crop sire (by Uncle Mo) as he eventually wore down frontrunner Into the Sunrise to prevail in Woodbine's Soaring Free S. Sunday afternoon. Second to favored Ready to Repeat going five panels over the local lawn July 12, the bay broke through by daylight over a rained-off six furlongs Aug. 2. Away well from the outside five hole, Gretzky the Great skated along out in the clear in second as Into the Sunrise enjoyed a clear lead and Ready to...