Keeneland September

With the ongoing Del Mar meet renamed a few years ago to honor Hollywood icon Bing Crosby, it seems only fitting that a colt named Spielberg (Union Rags) would take his shot in the GIII Bob Hope S., the race formerly known as the Hollywood Prevue S. The $1-millon Keeneland September graduate should jump a warm favorite for the seven-furlong affair, a race won by his trainer Bob Baffert no fewer than six times in its last nine runnings and 10 times dating back to 1996. Runner-up on debut and...

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 Saturday running at Tokyo and Hanshin Racecourses. Dual surface Group 1 winner Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}) goes around in Saturday's G3 Musashino S. at headquarters, while at Hanshin, debut winner Super Wooper (Overanalyze) tries stakes company off a debut victory last month. Sunday's horses...

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 Saturday, with all the US-bred and -sired activity confined to Tokyo Racecourse: Saturday, November 7, 2020 5th-TOK, ¥13,400,000 ($129k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600m SCATTER SEED (JPN) (f, 2, Uncle Mo--Scatladybdancing, by Scat Daddy) is out of a stakes-placed full-sister to SW Ultima D that...

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 Saturday running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses. Former Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) makes her first start since June in defense of her title in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn), a race connections will use as a springboard...

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 a busy Saturday running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourse, including a pair by American Pharoah and the stakes debut of the exciting Vanishing Point. Sunday's runners will feature in Saturday's TDN: Saturday, October 24, 2020 4th-KYO, ¥13,400,000 ($128k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m RUSSIAN SAMOVAR (f,...

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 weekend running at Niigata and Kyoto Racecourses, the latter of which plays host to Sunday's G1 Shuka Sho, the final leg of the Japanese Triple Tiara. Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) will go favored to become the sixth to complete the sweep, joining...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 5th-KEE, $70K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, post time: 3:18 p.m. ET MYSTIC NIGHT (Into Mischief) is the second foal to make the races for his dam, a $1.2m Keeneland September yearling whose GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf-winning half-sister Shared Account (Pleasantly Perfect) is the dam of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine and 'TDN Rising Star' Sharing (Speightstown) and SW Riley's Choice (Distorted Humor). Secret Jewel is also kin to GSW Colonial Flag (Pleasant Tap) and GSP Mark of Success (Mt. Livermore)....

'TDN Rising Star' Nadal (Blame--Ascending Angel, by Pulpit), whose four wins from as many trips to the races included the faster of two divisions of the GI Arkansas Derby, will enter stud in 2021 at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan, the organization confirmed in a release Wednesday upon the 3-year-old's arrival in the country. Bred in Kentucky by Sierra Farm, Nadal was purchased by Randy Bradshaw, agent, for $65,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September sale and was successfully resold for $700,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale after breezing an...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 4th-BEL, $63K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, post time: 2:30 p.m. ET The product of two of Stonestreet Farm's best, top and bottom, MALATHAAT (Curlin) gets her career underway for Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Stable and trainer Todd Pletcher. The Mar. 7 foal, a $1.05 million acquisition at Keeneland September last fall, is the first to race out of Dreaming of Julia (A.P. Indy), one of two 'TDN Rising Stars' produced by MGISW Dream Rush (Wild Rush), who was acquired by Stonestreet for $3.3 million at the...

While there were bright spots and plenty of successes, Keeneland's bellweather September Yearling Sale saw significant drop-offs in trade from last year's strong renewal as the Thoroughbred industry and world at large reel from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conducted over 12 days this year compared to 13 last term and with strict safety protocols in place, the 2020 September sale grossed $238,454,300 from 2,346 head sold. The gross 12 months ago was $359,789,700 from 2,850 sellers. This year's average dipped 19.49% from $126,242 to $101,643; the median dropped...

With a pandemic that's led to the loss of 200,000 lives, the loss of jobs, and overall economic instability that's affected most people except for the super wealthy that are heavily invested in the stock market, no one expected the Keeneland September yearling sale to be anything but down by gross and average versus last year. This was as predictable as saying that an egg dropped on concrete from six feet would break. So, what's the damage? Through the first 10 sessions that ended with Book 5 on Wednesday, 2,129...

A colt from the second-crop of young sire Not This Time (Hip 3839)  topped the penultimate session of Keeneland September Thursday, selling to Royal Flush Racing for $115,000. The dark bay is out of Race Hunter (Dixie Union), who is a half-sister to MGSW & MGISP Paid Up Subscriber (Candy Ride {Arg}). He was consigned by Trackside Farm for Tenlane Farm, who purchased the colt's dam for $180,000 with this yearling in utero. A total of 169 yearlings changed hands during Thursday's session for a gross of $2,086,800. The median...