Hit it a Bomb

There's nothing like giving up on a stallion, and offloading him overseas, to guarantee a sudden transformation in his fortunes. The latest exile to rebuke his vendors is Race Day, who was exported to Korea 18 months ago but last Saturday turned out to have left behind not only GI Florida Derby winner White Abarrio but also GI Arkansas Derby runner-up Barber Road. But if this industry is too unpredictable for even a team as alert as Spendthrift to win every time, their program will reliably even things out. And...

Tiz the Bomb broke through the gate before the start and had to overcome a wide post, but those obstacles proved no matter as the improving colt picked up his second straight stakes win in Sunday's GII Castle & Key Bourbon S. at Keeneland, punching his ticket for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Easily the most expensive progeny of his sire to sell in 2020 when hammering for $330,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling Sale, the bay only beat one horse home debuting over five furlongs on the Churchill...

KENTUCKY DOWNS JUVENILE MILE S., $497,500, Kentucky Downs, 9-6, 2yo, 1mT, 1:35.83, fm. 1--TIZ THE BOMB, 120, c, 2, by Hit It a Bomb                 1st Dam: Tiz the Key, by Tiznow                 2nd Dam: Cabbage Key, by A.P. Indy                 3rd Dam: Mayville's Magic, by Gone West ($330,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Phoenix Thoroughbred, LTD; B-Spendthrift Farm, LLC (KY); T-Kenneth McPeek; J-Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. $294,500. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $326,291. *Third stakes winner for second- crop sire (by War Front). 2--Kiss the Sky, 120, c, 2, Twirling...

This is the second half of the latest instalment in our ongoing survey of covering options for the new breeding season. The first part can be read here. UPSTART (Flatter--Party Silks, by Touch Gold) was cleverly named and I think him a very plausible type, likely to rise pretty quickly through the ranks. Certainly there were more than enough "nouveaux riches" among his first juveniles--only Not This Time exceeded his 19 winners (from 54 starters)--for him to be pegged at $10,000 by Airdrie. His principal earner was Reinvestment Risk, who...

Weston became his sire (by War Front)'s first winner at Santa Anita in June, and the Spendthrift freshman's first stakes and graded stakes winner Saturday, while also providing young trainer Ryan Hanson with his first graded trophy. The bay defied 21-1 odds to run away with a 4 1/2-furlong heat June 21 over the much pricier Ambivalent (Constitution), and was backed as the best local hope to defeat heavily favored Wesley Ward trainee Roderick (Into Mischief). Bouncing out abruptly, Weston was shuffled back in the early scramble for position but...

After a seven-day online bidding period, Argentina's Copa Bullrich Junio Sale came to a close with a live auction at Haras La Pasion that was streamed live online and via Zoom. Forty yearlings were sold from Argentine studs La Pasion, Firmamento, Santa Ines, Carampangue, El Mallin, Don Yayo and La Pomme. Topping trade was lot 53, a colt by Hurricane Cat out of the listed-placed Hawaian Sunset (Arg) (Hat Trick {Jpn}) and from the family of champion and three-time Group 1 winner Puerto Escondido (Arg) (Hurricane Cat). He made a...

Dismissed at 21-1 despite a flashy local tab, Chris Drakos and Ryan Hanson's Weston (Hit it a Bomb) blasted out of the gate and never looked back to become the first winner for his freshman sire (by War Front) at Santa Anita Sunday. Scrubbed along to seize a narrow advantage on the fence, the $7,000 KEESEP bargain buy headed for home with a clear advantage as only $550,000 OBSMAR purchase Ambivalent (Constitution) seemed to have any shot to catch him. Weston had no thoughts of stopping, however, and streaked home...