insights

1st-BAQ, $90k, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, post time: 1:05 p.m. ET SHINY LURE (Catalina Cruiser) was hammered down to Jonathan Thorne's Thorndale Farm for $320,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, making her the most expensive of her sire's 68 youngsters reported as sold that season (86 through the ring). Debuting with Lasix for the usually patient Danny Gargan barn, the chestnut is out of 2009 GII Forward Gal S. winner Frolic's Dream (Smoke Glacken), whose daughter Bode's Dream (Bodemeister) was a dual stakes winner as a juvenile. Frolic's Dream...

9th-TAM, $53k, Msw, 3yo, 1mT, post time: 4:37 p.m. ET Pennsylvania-bred JOYANT (Wootton Bassett {GB}) gets her career started here for owner/breeder Erdenheim Farm and trainer Arnaud Delacour. The filly's dam Cintra (Ire) (Camacho {GB}), an unraced daughter of European Broodmare of the Year Bordighera (Alysheba), was purchased by James Wigan's London Thoroughbred Services for 420,000gns ($570,730) on behalf of Erdenheim at the 2019 Tattersalls December Mare Sale and she produced a Kingman (GB) filly the following spring, visiting this outstanding stallion prior to her export. The listed-placed Bordighera was...

3rd-GP, $60k, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, post time: 2:14 p.m. ET In the name of her Whisper Hill Farm, Mandy Pope went to $1.3 million for a son of Tapit out of MSW & GSP Danzatrice (Dunkirk) at the 2021 Keeneland September, and that looked like money well spent when Tapit Trice went on to a victory in the 2023 GI Toyota Blue Grass S. while placing in the GI Belmont S. and GI Travers S. Pope was so enamored of her purchase that she went back to the well...

5th-GP, $89K, MSW, 4yo/up, 7 1/2fT, 2:09pm EST Trainer Todd Pletcher offers up a pair of seven-figure sales horses making their belated debuts. Victorious Racing LLC's SWORDOFHONOR (IRE) (Siyouni {Fr}) sports some pretty flashy credentials. The €1.5 million Arqana August yearling purchase is a half-brother to the year-older Angel Bleu (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}), a two-time Group 1 winner as a juvenile who subsequently won last summer's G2 Celebration Mile S. at Goodwood. Consigned by Ecurie des Monceaux and purchased by Oliver St Lawrence, the bay was the second highest-priced...

Charles Fipke homebred JUSTIFY PERFECTION (Justify) is a half-sister to four winners from six to the races, including three to have earned black-type, namely GI Natalma S. runner-up Stormy Perfection (Tale of the Cat)--the dam of the Irish stakes-placed Stormy Entry (Point of Entry)--SP Perfection Cat (Tale of the Cat) and MSP Perfect Silent Cat (Tale of the Cat). The unraced dam Silent Perfection (Perfect Soul {Ire}) is a daughter of the beautifully bred Silence Beauty (Jpn) (Sunday Silence), herself responsible for Fipke's GI Wood Memorial S. hero Tale of...

8th-TAM, $53K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 4:03 p.m. ET. Bred by Clearsky Farms, ACCLAIMED VICTOR (Omaha Beach) makes his first start for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The $725,000 Keeneland September grad, who was purchased by St. Elias, was the third highest selling yearling in 2022 by his top five first-crop sire. Out of Color Me Flying (Distorted Humor), the 3-year-old is a half-brother to MGSP Colorful Mischief (Into Mischief), who St. Elias acquired at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale for $300,000. Acclaimed Victor's extended female family includes his...

6th-GP, $89k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, post time: 2:39 p.m. ET TURN UP THE TREES (Liam's Map) cost $100,000 as a foal at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale before St. Elias Stable paid $500,000 for the bay at Keeneland September less than a year later, the fourth-priciest of 58 of his sire's yearlings sold in 2022. A son of the Grade III-placed Clearbrook (Smart Strike), Turn Up the Trees descends from the family of stallions Sky Mesa and Bernstein. Sicilian Defense (Uncle Mo) is a maternal grandson of GSW/GISP Molto Vita...

6th-GP, $91k, AOC, 3yo, f, 7f, post time 2:39 p.m. ET LESLIE'S ROSE (Into Mischief) cost Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm $1.15 million at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale, and despite going off at a somewhat lukewarm 9-2 facing five others at Aqueduct Nov. 19, graduated by better than nine lengths over 6 1/2 furlongs en route to 'TDN Rising Star' honors. The St. Patrick's Day foal is out of a daughter of SW & MGSP Wildwood Flower (Langfuhr), the dam of GI Florida Derby-winning 'Rising Star' Materiality (Afleet...

1st-AQU, $85K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 12:20 p.m. ET. Charles Matses homebred GATE SONG (Arrogate) makes her first start for trainer Ned Allard. Out of SW Shannanies Song, she counts as half-siblings GII Summertime Oaks runner-up Bellamentary (Bellamy Road), GII Swale S. hero Favorable Outcome (Flatter), Dubai Group 3 stakes winner Mouheeb (Flatter) and GIII Fantasy S. runner-up Beguine (Gun Runner). Also making her first start is Robert Evans homebred Reconcile (War Front) for trainer Linda Rice. The gray filly's dam is a half-sister to GIII Comely S. heroine Raging...

1st-AQU, $85K, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 6 1/2f, 12:20pm Godolphin's SPLIT SCREEN (Uncle Mo) gets her start for trainer Brad Cox, who strikes with 26% of his firsters. Having been working along the Kentucky circuit of late, she posted her latest trial at Turfway Dec. 2, covering five furlongs in 1:01 3/5 (34/62) over that oval's synthetic surface. The homebred is out of SW Divided Attention (A.P. Indy), a half-sister to Grade I winner Folklore.   TJCIS PPS

1st-DMR, $61K, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 6f, 3:30 p.m. ET. Bred by Bart Evans in partnership with Jeff and Chiquita Reddoch's Stonehaven Steadings, LLORONA (Mendelssohn) makes her first start for trainer Richard Mandella. The $750,000 KEESEP graduate is campaigned by Bart and Robert Evans. The MGSW & GISP Wasted Tears (Najran) is also responsible for champion 2-year-old colt Corniche (Quality Road). TJCIS PPS 5th-AQU, $85K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, 2:14 p.m. ET. Courtlandt Farms purchased Whocouldaskformo (Uncle Mo) for $450,000 at last year's Keeneland September Sale. She debuts for Shug McGaughey...

8th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 4:18 p.m. Expectations are understandably high for HALL OF FAME (Gun Runner) who brought a top-six price as a yearling at last year's Saratoga Sale with a final bid of $1.4m from Coolmore's M.V. Magnier. Unraced dam Flag Day, from the family of GSW Lady Diby (Grand Slam) and MGISW Diversify (Bellamy Road), also dropped Hall of Fame's yearling full-brother who RNA'd for $725,000 as a yearling at the same Saratoga Sale earlier this year. Racing for Steve Asmussen, Hall of Fame put up a...