John Oxley

Dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse was coming off his first two Breeders' Cup wins just the year before when he entered Classic Empire in the Juvenile. Second choice on the board, Classic Empire made back-to-back Grade Is look easy following a powerful victory in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity. Casse indicated looks can be deceiving. "Any hair I had left, he made sure it was gone," said Casse recently with a laugh. "He was a pistol. A lot of people didn't know this, but six days before the...

One of the major highlights of the Keeneland September Sale, especially Book 1, is the ability to shop the first foals of some of the top racemares in recent years. This year, Book 1 features six yearlings who are the first offspring of Grade I-winning mares. It also includes four others who are not the first foals of top mares, but are the first foals out of Grade I winners to be offered at public auction, such as Hip 51, a Tapit filly out of champion Songbird. SEPARATIONOFPOWERS - Curlin...

by Jessica Martini and Christie DeBernardis SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - During an electrifying session of bidding Tuesday, the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearlings Sale produced 10 seven-figure yearlings--topped by a $2.3-million son of Gun Runner--and crashed records for gross, average and median. "Rarely do you find me speechless," Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said Tuesday night. "We are blown away by the results. The energy, the excitement, it just feels so good from an industry perspective. The statistics are phenomenal. We averaged over $500,000 tonight and had 10 horses over seven figures....

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 4th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 2:13 p.m. Heider Family Stables' STUNNINGLY (Gun Runner) makes her first trip to the post Monday for trainer Steve Asmussen. Out of stakes winner Happy Mesa (Sky Mesa), the chestnut filly was a $675,000 Keeneland September acquisition. Trainer Mark Casse sends outs firster Forever Dixie (Quality Road). The John Oxley homebred is a daughter of graded winner Dixie Strike (Dixie Union). Ken McPeek saddles the debuting Aunt Mischief (Into Mischief), a daughter of Grade I placed Motown Lady (Uncle...

The GII Wonder Again S., which grants a spot in the GI Belmont Oaks starting gate to the top three finishers, kicks off a race week loaded with stakes action Thursday in what NYRA refers to as the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Chad Brown has saddled the winners of three of the eight renewals of this event and it is of no surprise that he sends out the race favorite again this year in Klaravich Stables' two-time stakes winner Consumer Spending (More Than Ready). She is a deserving favorite after...

2nd-Churchill Downs, $71,943, Msw, 5-5, 2yo, f, 5f, :58.09, ft, 5 1/2 lengths. DEVIOUS DAME (f, 2, Girvin--The Shady Lady, by Quality Road) was sent off the 21-10 second choice just a handful of weeks after fetching $240,000 at the OBS March and became the first winner for her freshman sire (by Tale of Ekati) with a powerful 5 1/2-length debut success Thursday at Churchill Downs. The Florida-bred jumped away well and showed good early speed, but favored Empire of My Own (Classic Empire), herself a $170,000 OBSMAR purchase, speared...

Beautiful Empire (Classic Empire)'s furious kick carried the day for conditioner Mark Casse, rallying from last to lead home a 1-2-3 finish for the Mark Casse barn in a brisk rendition of the Star Shoot S. at Woodbine. The filly was far back in her first two starts over conventional dirt at Churchill Downs before breaking her maiden Dec. 10 over the synthetic at Turfway Park to conclude her juvenile season. The chestnut began her year with a close runner-up effort Jan. 8 at the venue on first-time Lasix and...

With Wednesday's Keeneland September Book 5 opener winding down, Maddie Matt Miller, agent, went to a session-topping $250,000 to secure a filly from the first crop of Army Mule. Consigned by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency, agent, as Hip 3158, the chestnut is out of six-time winner Henny's Hurricane (Henny Hughes), a daughter of GSW Amarillo (Crafty Prospector). Hip 3158 is a half-sister to Amynta (Atreides), a multiple stakes winner in Panama. She was bred in Kentucky by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings. The Hill 'n' Dale stallion, standing for...

John T. Ward Jr., whose many wins included a victory in the 2001 GI Kentucky Derby with Monarchos, passed away Saturday at age 75. His death was reported by Churchill Downs, which released a statement from track president Mike Anderson. "John Ward Jr. personified the phrase 'Kentucky hard-boot,'" Anderson said. "He was a third-generation horseman who worked tirelessly throughout his career, culminating with service as Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. The dedication to his craft as a trainer was amplified 20 years ago when he patiently prepared...

Friday's G1 bet365 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket was fought out by two elite TDN Rising Stars, with Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}) prevailing by half a length over Indigo Girl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) to claim the bragging rights. Runner-up in the Sept. 13 G1 Moyglare Stud S. at The Curragh, John Oxley's Pretty Gorgeous had been forced to miss Sunday's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac due to the well-documented feed contamination but confidence remained intact as she traded as the 5-2 favourite. Racing well off the honest tempo as Shane Crosse...

John C. Oxley homebred Beautiful Memories (Hard Spun) headlines a field of eight juvenile fillies set for Thursday's co-featured GIII Schuylerville S. at the Spa. Trained by Mark Casse, the chestnut aired by 10 lengths for 'TDN Rising Star' honors on debut at Churchill Downs May 28. She's registered a pair of bullet workouts in Louisville since, including a five-furlong spin in :59 1/5 (1/34) July 4. Beautiful Memories' third dam is champion older mare Beautiful Pleasure, who carried Oxley's gold-and-blue silks to six top-level victories, led by a win...

2nd-KEE, $70K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 1:39 p.m. ET John Oxley's PALAZZI (Pioneerof the Nile) makes his career debut for trainer Mark Casse. Out of the stakes-winning and multiple graded-placed sprinter Kindle (Indian Charlie), the $510,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling graduate is a half to two-time winner Made in America (Tiznow). A year earlier, Palazzi realized $375,000 at Keeneland in November, while his year-younger brother, by American Pharoah, brought $2.2. million at that venue in September. Also worthy of note is first-time starter SWILL (Munnings), trained by Brad Cox, who has a...