Jack Milton

The Board of Directors of the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) unanimously named Gary Barber to fill the board vacancy created by the recent resignation of Bill Strauss. Barber is a long-time Thoroughbred owner, both on his own and in partnership with others, whose stars include Grade I-stakes winners/champions: War of Will, Got Stormy, Belvoir Bay, Salty, The Deputy, Wonder Gadot, Lexie Lou, Comma to the Top, Tourist, Catch a Glimpse, Becrux, Cost of Freedom, Jack Milton, Channel Maker, Get Her Number, Vequist, and Gretzky the Great. In addition to...

Unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Tobys Heart (Jack Milton) is aiming for a return to action in either the GIII Herecomesthebride S. at Gulfstream Park Feb. 27 or the GIII Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs Mar. 6. Both races are contested on grass at 1 1/16 miles. Co-owned by Terry Hamilton and trainer Brian Lynch, the 3-year-old filly was impressive in a pair of efforts sprinting on the lawn last term. After kicking off her career with a 'Rising Star' performance beneath the Twin Spires June 4--following a slow start,...

This is the second half of the latest instalment in our ongoing series examining stallion options for the new breeding season, featuring sires about to launch their third crop of juveniles. The first part, dealing with the likes of American Pharoah and Constitution, can be read here.  We wrapped up yesterday with the first two of three horses retired to Lane's End after filling the frame in an epic race for the GI Whitney S. in 2015. The third, Tonalist (Tapit--Settling Mist, by Pleasant Colony), has somehow always seemed to...

Bryan Hilliard's homebred Second of July (Jack Milton), who was a 68-1 outsider when he captured his debut at Belmont Park last month, came back to score another upset victory in the GIII Futurity S. in Elmont Sunday. The win earned the gelding an automatic berth in the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland Nov. 6. "I knew he was very fit and sharp and doing good, so I knew he would run his race, but I just wasn't sure if it was going to be good enough,...

Tobys Heart justified the 'TDN Rising Star' moniker she earned in her debut with a victory in Saratoga's Bolton Landing S., becoming the first black-type winner for her second-crop sire (by War Front). Overcoming a troubled trip to graduate by 6 3/4 lengths in her Churchill Downs unveiling June 4, she was heavily favored at 1-2 for this step up in class. Running off the fence, the bay bided her time back in sixth as Joy's Rocket zipped through a :22.21 zipped through an opening quarter. Swinging out four wide...

Tobys Heart (Jack Milton), broke last, made a sustained move from the rear of the field, steadied on the turn and ran greenly in the stretch, yet still romped by a distance to become the latest 'TDN Rising Star' Thursday at Churchill. Showing an upbeat worktab for trainer Brian Lynch highlighted by a half-mile breeze over the local main track in :47 1/5 (5/84) May 23, the $45,000 OBS March buy was supported at the windows throughout and ended up as a close 17-5 third choice behind firsters from the...

When this whole thing is over, some kind of reset seems inevitable: certain priorities renewed, others revised. And perhaps, with an abrupt end looming to the relentless bull run in the bloodstock market, commercial breeders might begin to dig slightly deeper foundations for their broodmares. In recent times, they have been increasingly prepared to risk a mare's long-term viability by choosing her mates according to short-term market fads. Once that market plunges, however, it's all downside. The far-sighted breeder, as such, will surely seek to ride out the storm by...