Keeneland September Sale

The first yearlings from GISW Army Mule (Friesan Fire-Crafty Toast, by Crafty Prospector) may have surprised a few people when they proved to be a hot commodity at the first three major yearling sales of the year. Army Mule began his stud career in 2019 at Hill 'n' Dale Farms with a modest $10,000 stud fee after just three career starts, but at this year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, two representatives from his first book of mares brought $400,000-first a colt out of stakes winner Made Me Shiver (Maclean's Music) and...

With the Keeneland September Sale fast approaching, Gray Lyster of Ashview Farm is looking forward to showcasing his colt by Oscar Performance (Kitten's Joy-Devine Actress, by Theatrical {Ire}). Bred by Colts Neck Stables, the bay catalogued as Hip 892 is a half-brother to the talented MGSW Venetian Harbor (Munnings). The sibling duo is out of the stakes-placed mare Sounds of the City (Street Cry {Ire}), who hails from the family of champion sprinter Safely Kept (Horatius). "He's actually the fifth generation of the family that we've raised here at Ashview,"...

The 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale is just around the corner and soon, buyers from around the globe will be scouring the expansive sales grounds in search of their next star. Such intense scrutiny of the thousands of impressive yearlings at the annual auction is sure to work up an appetite, and thankfully the culinary scene in Lexington is vibrant with a diverse group of restaurants that can appeal to any palate. For many visitors, it will be their first time in town in two years, so we paid a...

How badly does New York native Mike Repole want to win the GI Belmont Stakes? Well, if the scene in the winner's circle following the eye-catching unveiling of 'TDN Rising Star' Wit (c, 2, Practical Joke--Numero d'Oro, by Medaglia d'Oro) after a tardy start in the blockbuster card's 11:35 a.m. lidlifter was any indication, NYRA may have to start constructing a larger enclosure. "I had six horses running on Belmont day and had 50 family and friends there," Repole said. "Here he is at 2-5 and eighth after spotting the...

When Bob Baffert won a record seventh GI Kentucky Derby May 1 with Medina Spirit (Protonico), I couldn't help but think back to the first time I met the conditioner. Walking through the Keeneland barn area one mid-April morning in 1990, Baffert asked if I knew where the clockers were located at the track. We introduced ourselves to each other and I offered to show him the route to the press box, where the clockers were situated during training hours. Baffert was in the process of switching from Quarter Horses...

He has bred a Triple Crown winner, but John Gunther has yet to have his first superstar as an owner. He's hoping that may soon change. Gunther is the owner and breeder of Stage Raider (Pioneerof the Nile), a half-brother to Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy), who will make his debut in Saturday's sixth race at Gulfstream. And while no one is predicting that Stage Raider will win the Triple Crown, both Gunther and trainer Chad Brown are optimistic that the 3-year-old colt has above average talent. "He seems...

9th-SA, $61K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 7:30p.m. Hronis Racing LLC and David Michael Talla's ROCK YOUR WORLD (CandyRide {Arg}) kicks off his career for John Sadler. Coming off a steady stream of breezes in preparation for this unveiling, the February foal was a $650,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, the co-second highest price for the stallion in 2019. Joel Rosario gets the call. TJCIS PPs

1st-Gulfstream Park, $50K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1mT, post time: 12:05 p.m. ET The rail-drawn Flaxman Holdings homebred PANGAEA PROXIMA (Temple City), a half-sister to millionaire and Gulfstream Park GIII Palm Beach S. hero A Thread of Blue (Hard Spun), gets her career started. Her worktab includes a pair of bullet breezes at Graham Motion's Fair Hill base. Amerman Racing homebred Caribe Bean Moka (Uncle Mo), a daughter of GI Longines Just a Game S. heroine Coffee Clique (Medaglia d'Oro), debuts for Brian Lynch. TJCIS PPs 8th-Tampa Bay Downs, $21K, Msw,...

There are many ways in which this 2020 Keeneland September Sale is different from previous editions, but to me one is the absence of Cris Caldwell, for sure. I still expect to see him quipping from the auctioneer's rostrum or happily strolling around the pavilion--memories that lead me to reflect on the mysterious, inexplicable power of presence and personality--something Cris had in spades. A smile, a joke, a friendly gesture, that is all we can ask from a person we do not know well in a public business place. Cris...

Beau Lane has been in the horse business for half a century. He came to Lexington 23 years ago with six broodmares in tow and $50 in his pocket. Not long after, three of those mares became stakes producers--a harbinger of things to come. Since then, the veteran horseman has grown his band of breeding stock and now has 30 broodmares at his Woodline Farm near Paris. While he's never been able to sign tickets on million-dollar broodmares, he said he doesn't find it necessary. "I usually don't spend over...

Minutes before the start of Book 2 of the annual Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell joins the TDN Writers' Room to recap Book 1 and discuss expectations for the remainder of the sale.

Three years ago, Darley's Sales Manager Darren Fox boarded a plane for Australia to see if  Astern (Aus), their highly-rated son of Medaglia d'Oro, could be a good fit for the American roster. "Upon making the trip to Australia to make sure he would work physically, it took all of about three seconds of looking at Astern to say, 'Yes, this horse will work in America,'" Fox recalled. "He has a lot of attributes that we look for and he was, in any jurisdiction, a high-level, high-performing racehorse. So it...