insights

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...

12th-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, post time: 4:43 p.m. Rigney Racing acquired LEGADEMA (Arrogate) for $590,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September, the fourth most-expensive of her late sire's 61 final-crop youngsters sold (66 ring) last year and the second-priciest of his fillies. Rigney gave $600,000 for a daughter of Peggy May (Lemon Drop Kid) at the same sale. A half-sister to SP Cursor (Quality Road), Legadema is out of a winning half-sister to former 'TDN Rising Star' and Grade I winner Tara's Tango (Unbridled's Song)--the dam of GSW...

1st-AQU, $85k, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, post time: 12:20 p.m ET CORPORATE POWER (Curlin) is the second foal to race out of Road to Victory (Quality Road), winner of the GII Golden Rod S. at two and placed in the GII Mother Goose S. the next season. The mare was acquired by Stonestreet for $1.45 million in foal to War Front at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, and while that debut-winning colt Willakenzie was bought back for $575,000 at Keeneland September, Corporate Power was hammered down to Don Adam's Courtlandt...

3rd-DMR, $61K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1m, 4:30 p.m. At last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, trainer Bob Baffert with agent Donato Lanni bid to $1.8 million to secure NAFISA (Quality Road) on behalf of an undisclosed client who turned out to be Zedan Racing. Consigned by Lane's End (hip 213), the auction's overall third topper was bred by Greg Goodman's Mt. Brilliant Farm & Ranch and Lane's End's W. S. Farish. It was Goodman who purchased her SP dam Ithinkisawapudycat (Bluegrass Cat) for $2.2 million in-foal to Constitution at...

8th-CD, $127k, Alw, 3yo/up, f/m, post time: 4:33 p.m. ET Bass Stables' beautifully bred BANDITA (Gun Runner) could not have been more impressive in her lone racetrack appearance to date, as she led every step of the seven furlongs on Gulfstream debut Jan. 29 to score by nearly nine lengths en route to a 'TDN Rising Star' nod (video). The $350,000 Keeneland September grad is unraced since. The bay is out of a daughter of four-time stakes winner and Grade III-placed Simplify (Pulpit), the dam of Bandita's stakes-winning full-sister Optionality...

7th-AQU, $85K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, post time: 3:20 p.m. While the focus of the Thoroughbred world Saturday afternoon will rightly be on Santa Anita, SIERRA LEONE (Gun Runner), the $2.3-million topper out of the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, provides ample reason to click over to the Aqueduct feed between the running of the Filly and Mare Turf and Filly and Mare Sprint. The Mar. 31 foal was bred by Debby Oxley and is a son of her homebred 2017 GI Darley Alcibiades S. romper Heavenly Love (Malibu Moon). There was...

5th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 3:01 p.m. ET. After clocking :10 flat during the OBS March under-tack show, TENNESSEE (Justify) brought $1.2 million as the second topper when the dark bay colt was purchased by Maverick Racing and Siena Farms. Unveiled here, the Brad Cox trainee races for Siena and WinStar Farm, and was purchased by Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds for $250,000 at Keeneland September. Out of GSP Zinzay (Smart Strike), who went for $525,000 to Summer Wind Equine back in 2016 during Keeneland November when she carrying eventual SW &...

4th-KEE, $100K, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 6f, 2:36 p.m. ET. G. Watts Humphrey campaigned homebred Romantic Vision (Lemon Drop Kid), who won three out of her four tries at Keeneland, including the 2017 GI Juddmonte Spinster S. Now, her first offspring RARE AFFAIR (Medaglia d'Oro) debuts and like her dam, she's trained by Rusty Arnold. Romantic Vision is also responsible for a yearling colt by Nyquist, who just sold during Keeneland September for $700,000 to the Three Amigos, foaled a colt by Essential Quality Apr. 1 and she was bred to...

8th-KEE, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 4:44 p.m. ET. Hammering down for $1.5 million at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, juvenile STOP THE PRESS (Uncle Mo) makes his debut for the ownership group led by West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing. After a sharp work for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey at the Belmont Park training track (Oct. 20, 4f, :48.34, 1/55), the bay colt comes to Keeneland primed for his debut. Out of Secret Sigh (Tapit), Stop the Press is a half-brother to Summer Wind Equine's horse-in-training Pippi...

2nd-KEE, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:32 p.m. Drawn inside facing a field of 12, ROYAL SLIPPER (Uncle Mo) for Wesley Ward is out of $1.5m Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed Sale pick up Laffina (Arch), making her a full-sister to MGISW and $4.2m FTKNOV purchase Bast. The dam is a half to GSW/GISP Mananan Mclir (Royal Academy) and to the dam of GISW Fault (Blame), another FTKNOV spotlight at $1.2m. Lady Chai (Kantharos), a $570,000 Keeneland September buy, is a half-sister to GSW/GISP Shivaji (First Samurai) and to SW/MGISP Tarabi (First...

7th-IND, $34k, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 5:36 p.m. ET CODE OMAHA (Omaha Beach) debuts here for Lauren and Rene Woolcott and trainer Jonathan Thomas. The Feb. 15 foal is the first produce for his stakes-placed dam and was purchased by Bregman Family Stable for $185,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Sale. The bay breezed a quarter-mile in a slick :20 3/5 at this year's OBS April Sale and was originally led out unsold, but was subsequently acquired by the Woolcotts for $550,000 in a private transaction. The Complexity yearling...

4th-BAQ, $90K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 2:39 p.m. The most expensive of a trio of first-time starters in this slot, AUDACIOUS (Into Mischief) brought a final bid of $700,000 as a yearling at Keeneland last September. Dam Veracity, herself a $1.7m RNA at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed Sale, is a full sister to SW Cheery (Distorted Humor), the dam of MGISW Elate (Medaglia d'Oro). Veracity also produced GISP Chide (Blame) and the dam of MGSW Tax (Arch). Drawn inside as the first half of a coupled entry, Martingale...