Kaleem Shah

Shah Bringing His 'Best' to Del Mar

Kaleem Shah went to $1.8 million to acquire a pair of powerful-looking :9 4/5 breezers from the OBS March 2-Year-Old Sale earlier this spring. Both are expected to be in action this summer at Del Mar. Arman (Bolt d'Oro), a $600,000 OBS March graduate and the first of the highly regarded duo to make the races, debuted with a visually impressive 'TDN Rising Star' performance at Churchill Downs June 23. Named after Shah's son, the bay is being aimed at the GIII Best Pal S. Aug. 14. Shah, ahem, clearly...

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Bolt d'Oro Colt Overcomes Wide Draw, Earns 'TDN Rising Star' Nod on Debut at Churchill

Arman (c, 2, Bolt d'Oro--Beautissimo, by Uncle Mo), a $600,000 OBS March purchase (:9 4/5) by Kaleem Shah, overcame a very wide draw in post 10 to earn 'TDN Rising Star' honors going five furlongs on debut at Churchill Downs Thursday evening. The 8-5 favorite wasn't off to a great beginning breaking toward the rear and rushed up on the outside to chase in fourth heading into the far turn. Four wide and on the move approaching the quarter pole, he gained a narrow advantage in the stretch and leveled...

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Wednesday Insights: Tapit Half to Dual GISW Debuts at KEE

4th-KEE, $80K, Msw, 2yo, 4.5f, Post Time: 2:36 p.m. The prolific team of Winchell Thoroughbreds and Steve Asmussen present $460,000 Keeneland September buy MAGIC TAP (Tapit) at Keeneland Wednesday. Out of Grade II-placed American Story (Ghostzapper), the grey is a half-brother to dual Grade I winner American Gal (Concord Point). Subsequent to her racing career, the Kaleem Shah homebred realized $3-million at Fasig-Tipton in the fall of 2018. The juvenile colt will be accompanied by Joel Rosario for this unveiling. Likely to get much of the play at the windows...

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Buyers 'More Than Ready' at OBS March

By Christie DeBernardis & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL--The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's grounds continued to buzz with activity during a second straight day of very strong trade as the March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale concluded Wednesday. Bidding was fast and furious right from the start with the top horse of the day--and the sale as a whole--coming in the second juvenile through the ring, Hip 318, a colt by More Than Ready, who summoned $1.2 million from Kaleem Shah. A daughter of American Pharoah (Hip 532) also achieved seven figures...

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Shah Fires Early with $1.2M Buy at OBSMAR

Fresh off a $600,000 purchase for a Bolt d'Oro colt on Day 1 at the OBS March sale Tuesday, Kaleem Shah came out firing Wednesday, securing Hip 318 for a cool $1.2 million moments after the start of the second day of the sale. Consigned by Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables, the son of More Than Ready worked an eighth in :9 4/5 during Sunday's final breeze session. Out of the Indian Charlie mare Broad Spectrum, the bay is a half-brother to SW Broad Approval (Carpe Diem).

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Fillies Bring the Graded Type to Keeneland January

When the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale opens its four-day run in Lexington next week, it will present buyers the opportunity to bid on fillies and mares, offered as racing or broodmare prospects, whose recent form had them hitting the board in graded company. Multiple stakes winner Bella Vita (Bayern) was second behind champion Gamine (Into Mischief) in the July 5 GII Great Lady M S. at Los Alamitos and comes into the Keeneland January sale off a runner-up effort in the Dec. 4 GIII Go For Wand...

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Friday Insights: $1.25M Quality Road Unveiled at Santa Anita

2nd-SAX, $61K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 4:31 p.m. Kaleem Shah's THALES (Quality Road) gets his start for Simon Callaghan Friday. The half to SW and MGISP Standard Deviation (Curlin), who sold for $240,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October sale, realized a $1.25 million final bid following a :20.3 quarter at the OBS Spring sale last season. The ridgling was the highest-priced colt and the second highest priced offspring by the Lane's End stallion last term. Pegram, Watson & Weitman's Essential Wager (Honor Code) also represents a sale's coup for his sire. One...

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Thursday's Insights: 1/2 to GISW American Gal Debuts at Churchill

Don Alberto Stable's ALMANZO (Tapit) kicks off his career for trainer Brad Cox on Churchill's opening card of the fall meet. Having registered his latest works at Ellis, including a recent four-furlong move in :49 4/5 Sept. 11, the homebred is out of GSP American Story, a $400,000 Fasig-Tipton juvenile purchase. Campaigned by Kaleem Shah and Bob Baffert, the daughter of Ghostzapper is also responsible for SW and MGSP Americanize (Concord Point) and MGISW American Gal (Concord Point), both of whom were also campaigned by Shah and trained by Simon...

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Bellafina and Donna Veloce Retired

MGISW Bellafina (Quality Road--Akron Moon, by Malibu Moon) was pre-entered for the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint Monday, but was scratched Tuesday and is now retired after developing a minor issue in her Oct. 24 breeze at Keeneland (five furlongs in 1:00.60), according to owner Kaleem Shah. Shah noted that 'TDN Rising Star' Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo--Coin Broker {Ire}, by Montjeu {Ire}) has been retired as well. Both mares will join Shah's broodmare band with Bellafina set to visit Uncle Mo and Donna Veloce booked to Justify. The news was...

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Vancouver Filly a Perfect Three-for-Three with Surfer Girl Win

Kaleem Shah's Madone made it a perfect three-for-three with a late-charging victory in the Surfer Girl S. at Santa Anita Sunday. Made the even-money favorite off of two wins going a mile over the Del Mar lawn, the dark bay filly settled well off a quick pace. She made rapid progress nearing the lane and pounced to the lead at midstretch before gamely holding off Tetragonal, who came from last to just miss. Purchased for $125,000 at this year's OBS March sale off a :10 1/5 breeze, Madone opened her...

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Vancouver Filly Remains Unbeaten in Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf

Kaleem Shah's Madone found running room late and surged to  victory in the Del Mar Juvenile FilliesTurf S. Sunday evening. The favorite was unhurried early and fell well back in the field. Racing keenly behind tepid splits, she took closer order but ran up on heels in the tightly bunched field. Full of run but with nowhere to go nearing the home stretch, the dark bay filly finally found a seam to run through and surged to the wire ahead of Nimbostratus (Fr) (Wooton Bassett {GB}) and Ivy League (Medaglia...

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Ghostzapper Colt Easily Makes Amends at Del Mar

6th-Del Mar, $55,500, Msw, 8-29, 2yo, 6f, 1:11.10, ft. VITTORIO (c, 2, Ghostzapper--Roberta Turner, by Smart Strike) was away slowly from a wide stall in his Aug. 1 debut, then traveled very awkwardly, covered ground on the turn and could do no better than fifth to the impressive odds-on favorite Freedom Fighter (Violence). But the betting public did not lose faith in the colt and made him the 11-10 favorite to make the requisite improvement at second asking. Much more smoothly away from gate six with Mike Smith back at...

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