Karakontie (Jpn)

Gainesway homebred Spendarella maintained her perfect record with a 1 3/4-length victory in the GII Appalachian S. Presented by Japan Racing Association at Keeneland Saturday. Sent straight to the head of affairs, the bay was soon headed by Glenall (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}) to her inside and was content to perch in second turning into the backstretch. Well in hand under Tyler Gaffalione, the favorite still maintained her position as noses pointed for home. She took over just before the quarter pole and withstood the closing rally of Dolce Zel to...

7th-GP, $55K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 3:10 p.m. ET BEARS WATCHING (Karakontie {Jpn}), a half-brother to MGISW Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}), looks to earn his diploma at second asking following a very good closing third on debut in the Gulfstream slop Feb. 6. The William S. Farish homebred, trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, finished two spots ahead of subsequent 'TDN Rising Star' Collaborate (Into Mischief) that day, who returned with a daylight maiden victory Feb. 27. The field of 12 also includes $510,000 KEESEP graduate Stainless Steel...

Lightly raced Princess Grace handled the main track best of this turf-meant group to make the grade in only her fourth lifetime start. A 5 1/2-length debut romper on the Colonial sod and over a next-out winner Aug. 2, the Moore homebred cleared her first-level allowance condition at Monmouth Sept. 5. She had last been seen splitting Stunning Sky (Declaration of War) and How Ironic when second in the GIII Pin Oak Valley View S. at Keeneland Oct. 16. Prompting the pace from second among a strung-out field, the dark...

A colt by Karakontie (Jpn) (Hip 2814) achieved a very rare feat in Keeneland September's Book 5 opener Tuesday, summoning a session-topping $500,000 from Marsha Naify. The Gainesway stallion had another yearling in the top five lots of the day with a full-sister to graded stakes-bound Spanish Loveaffair (Karakontie {Jpn}) (Hip 3161) bringing $220,000 from Ballyfair Bloodstock. A total of 253 yearlings brought $6,484,100 Tuesday with an average of $25,629 and a median of $15,000.Fifty-five horses failed to meet their reserves Tuesday. Throughout the first nine days of trade, 1,880...

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...

There is quite a convergence of different languages in the brilliant name of Gulfstream winner and Classic player Sole Volante--Italian for "Flying Sun". His sire's name Karakontie (Jpn) (whose dam is Sun Is Up) is Mohawk (American Indian) lingo for, voila'!, "Flying Sun". Great name: every horse tells a story, some even more so. 9th-Gulfstream, $46,000, Alw, Opt. Clm ($100,000), 6-10, 3yo, 1m, 1:34.80, ft. SOLE VOLANTE (g, 3, Karakontie {Jpn}--Light Blow, by Kingmambo) Sales history: $6,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $20,000 2yo '19 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-4-1-1, $293,310. *1/2...

While it seems that some trainers cannot have enough time off between races, Patrick Biancone will go against conventional wisdom Wednesday at Gulfstream. He has entered Sole Volante (Karakontie {Jpn}) in a $55,000 allowance race he will use as a prep for the GI Belmont S. run just 10 days later. "What, you never heard of Woody Stephens?" Biancone joked. Stephens was never shy about running horses back on short rest and in 1982 won the GI Metropolitan H. with Conquistador Cielo on a Monday and then the Belmont five...

Roger Teal is leaning towards making the G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on Saturday week the next target for his progressive sprinter Oxted (GB) (Mayson {GB}). The Lambourn handler favours keeping his new stable star at six furlongs for his first venture into Group 1 company rather than dropping him back to the minimum trip for the G1 King's Stand S. earlier in the meeting. Having signed off last season with victory in the Portland H. at Doncaster, the 4-year-old made a winning return with an impressive victory...

Sole Volante (Karakontie {Jpn}) wasn't an expensive yearling, but he announced his Classic aspirations impressively last weekend in an early Gl Kentucky Derby prep. He won the 1 1/16-mile Glll Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday, but sold for only $6,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling sale. He was resold by New Hope AB LLC for $20,000 at the OBS April sale as a 2-year-old to trainer Patrick Biancone, who knows a quality staying pedigree when he sees one. Of course, Biancone trained the great All...