John Gunther

The outside post at Fair Grounds proved no issue for first-time starter Deep Manhattan (Justify) who put in a powerful stretch drive to become a Thanksgiving 'TDN Rising Star' for super-sire Justify. Away smartly from post 12, the 3-1 second choice had plenty of early pace past the wire the first time but was outrun by a handful of rivals along the fence into the first turn and opted to take back to rate off longshot frontrunner Sand Cast (The Factor). Shifting down to be three, then two wide into...

A pair of horses--a weanling colt by McKinzie and the broodmare Thrill (Candy Ride {Arg}), in foal to champion Up to the Mark--both sold for $200,000 to post the highest price of Sunday's sixth session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Offered his Hip 2050, the Apr. 13 foal was secured by Cherry Knoll Farm. Consigned by Nardelli Sales, agent, the bay colt is out of Social Gal (Pure Prize). A daughter of Society Gal (Linkage), the colt's 14-year-old granddam is responsible for Mona de Momma (Speightstown), dam of...

Stakes-winning Stage Raider (Pioneerof the Nile--Stage Magic, by Ghostzapper), a half-brother to Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy), has been retired from racing and will take up stud duties next year at Pope McLean's Crestwood Farm. Bred and campaigned by John Gunther, Stage Raider won last year's R.A. Cowboy Jones Stakes at Ellis Park and was third in the GIII Ack Ack Stakes at Churchill Downs. "My dad and I really believe in this horse and we are excited to start him on his new stallion career," said Tanya Gunther....

6th-SAR, $100k, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, post time: 4:02 p.m. ET GOOD CONDUCT (Without Parole {GB}), the sire of five individual winners to date, becomes the first American runner for her Newsells Park Stud-based freshman sire (by Frankel {GB}), who carried the silks of Glennwood Farm's John and Tanya Gunther to victory in the 2019 G1 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. He also finished a third in a trio of Grade I events in this country while under the care of Chad Brown, including the Breeders' Cup Mile...

The GI Kentucky Derby picture may seem polarized by two more charismatic talents, but any neutral who ekes a living from bloodstock now has an alternative rooting interest. For among the colts entering those 20 coveted gates, the first Saturday in May, there will be no better symbol than Stronghold (Ghostzapper) of what it takes to last the course in the appallingly expensive, demoralizing, perplexing, maddening and addictive vocation of Thoroughbred breeding. The GI Santa Anita Derby winner carries the silks of Eric and Sharon Waller, who bred his third...

Billed as a showdown between the top three finishers of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Keeneland's opening day GI Central Bank Ashland S.--worth not just $600,000 in purse money but also GI Kentucky Oaks points on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale--instead featured the blossoming of Whisper Hill Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' Leslie's Rose (f, 3, Into Mischief--Wildwood Rose {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), who left no doubt about the top filly on the day with a three-length tour de force. George Krikorian's Breeders' Cup winner and Eclipse champion Just F Y I...

6th-Gulfstream, $72,000, Alw (NW1X)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 1-11, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:23.36, gd, 1 length. LESLIE'S ROSE (f, 3, Into Mischief--Wildwood Rose {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) earned 'TDN Rising Star' honors when she won by 9 1/4 lengths in her first start at Aqueduct Nov. 19. Through the ring as one of the top ten prices, the Keeneland September graduate made her 3-year-old debut with Lasix and was well-backed as the heavy 1-5 favorite here. The filly allowed Gun Song (Gun Runner) to take the lead from her up the backstretch....

MGSW Eye of the Tiger (American Chance) was found dead in his paddock early March 18 at Old Friends in Georgetown, Ky. Necropsy results of the 23-year-old are pending. Following his racing career, Eye of the Tiger stood at John Gunther's Glennwood Farm in Versailles, Ky. until he was pensioned and retired to Old Friends in 2016. "Eye of the Tiger was the Garbo of Old Friends," said Michael Blowen at Old Friends. "Give me what I need and get lost. Handsome, self-reliant, and, now, missed."

With about a month and a half to go to the end of the year, Coolmore America's Justify (Scat Daddy) is in a three-way battle with Spendthrift's Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) and Hill 'n' Dale's Good Magic (Curlin) for the freshman sire championship, which is measured by progeny earnings. Through Monday, Bolt d'Oro led narrowly with $2,122,968 to Justify's $2,065,556 in second place and Good Magic's $1,984,069 in third. Within striking distance are Hill 'n' Dale's Army Mule (Friesan Fire) in fourth with $1,762,485 and Three Chimneys's Sharp Azteca (Freud)...

On the racetrack, News Carver (Curlin) did not meet the lofty expectations set by his talented full-brother Vino Rosso, but the 3-year-old gelding has all the potential to one day become a star in a different arena. After News Carver finished a distant sixth in his debut in May this year and showed little interest in pursing a racing career, his owner and breeder John Gunther decided to send the homebred to New Vocations. News Carver, who bears the same lustrous chestnut coat and blazed face as his older brother,...

A colt by Curlin (hip 60), who is a half-brother to Triple Crown winner Justify, will be heading to Japan after selling for $1.2 million to the bid of Hideyuki Mori Monday at Keeneland. Consigned by breeder John Gunther's Glennwood Farm, the yearling is out of Stage Magic (Ghostzapper), who, in addition to Justify, is also the dam of graded winner The Lieutenant (Street Sense).   🌟 @keenelandsales September: JUSTIFY's half-brother, a Curlin colt (Hip 60) consigned by Glennwood Farm, brings the hammer down at $1.2 million - sold to...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Sunday running at Fukushima and Kokura Racecourses: Sunday, July 17, 2022 1st-FKS, ¥9,900,000 ($71k), Maiden, 2yo, 1150m ADVANCE PHAROAH (c, 2, American Pharoah--Fair Huntress, by Tiznow) turned in a promising debut when runner-up going seven furlongs at Tokyo June 19 (see below, SC...