Keeneland September

Desert Party (Street Cry {Ire}--Sage Cat, by Tabasco Cat), a graded/group winner at ages two, three and four, has been sold to continue his stud career in Saudi Arabia. The deal was brokered by Chad Schumer of Chad Schumer Bloodstock. Bred in Kentucky by David Smith and Steven Sinatra, Desert Party was purchased by Paul Pompa, Jr. for $425,000 at the 2007 Keeneland September sale, then watched as his pinhook prospect topped the Fasig-Tipton Calder Sale on John Ferguson's bid of $2.1 million less than six months later. Winner of...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. The highly regarded Spielberg (c, 2, Union Rags-Miss Squeal, by Smart Strike), runner-up on debut as the 4-5 favorite for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert in a quickly run maiden special weight at Del Mar Aug. 8 (video), is currently being aimed at the GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity Sept. 7. Campaigned in partnership by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm LLC...

6th-Saratoga, $72,000, Msw, 8-15, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 1:17.55, ft. CALIBRATE (c, 2, Distorted Humor--Glamour and Style, by Dynaformer) was backed from a morning line of 5-1 to be off as the 2-1 chalk in this salty-looking Saratoga maiden and galloped home a 4 1/2-length winner for the in-form Steve Asmussen barn. Ridden for speed by first-call jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr., the $340,000 Keeneland September purchase argued the pace to the inside of the once-raced Unitedandresolute (Violence) as Restored Order (Frosted) stalked that duo from the three path. Shaken up off...

The catalog for the world-renowned Keeneland September Yearling Sale, to be held Sept. 13-25, is now online and features 4,272 offerings. Book 1, which features 448 yearlings, will run Sept. 13 and 14 with each season beginning at noon, followed by a dark day Sept. 15. Selling resumes Sept. 16 with the first of two Book 2 sessions, beginning at 10 a.m. Books 3-6 will each be comprised of two sessions, also beginning at 10 a.m. Keeneland has enhanced its online catalog for buyers and sellers for the 2020 September...

Wooderson (Awesome Again--Lotta Kim, by Roar), a half-brother to Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro), will enter stud at Burdette Thoroughbred Farm in Arkansas in 2021. The deal was brokered by Chad Schumer of Schumer Bloodstock. Bred by Dede McGehee's Heaven Trees Farm, Wooderson was a $400,000 purchase out of the 2016 Keeneland September Sale, the co-highest priced yearling for his sire in 2016. Trained by Todd Pletcher for Let's Go Stable, the bay was a three-time winner from 10 starts, including a runner-up effort to future MGISW...

Runaway Belmont debut winner Roderick (Into Mischief), scratched out of Friday's deep GII Saratoga Special S., has been tabbed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite in Saturday's GII Best Pal S. at Del Mar. Roderick crushed a trio of rivals on debut for trainer Wesley Ward on Long Island June 21, including runner-up Zippy Baby (Cairo Prince), who returned to graduate next out at Saratoga. Purchased by Breeze Easy for $550,000 as a KEESEP yearling, Roderick is a full-brother to GIII Southwest S. winner One Liner and hails from the same...

Vanishing Point (Tapit), a full-brother to two-time Eclipse Award and three-time Grade I winner Unique Bella, was very green, but very good in his racecourse debut Sunday afternoon at Sapporo Racecourse, leading every step of the way en route to a seven-length tally. The mount of perennial leading jockey Christophe Lemaire, the son of GI Breeders' Cup Ladies' Distaff heroine Unrivaled Belle (Unbridled's Song) jumped alertly from the widest gate in the field of seven and was switching back and forth across his leads while establishing the front passing under...

Shannon Bishop Arvin, tabbed to replace Bill Thomason when he retires as Keeneland's President and CEO at the end of 2020, issued her first communique Wednesday evening. "First, I'd like to thank everyone who has been so kind and welcoming as I transition into my new role with Keeneland," Arvin said. "This is both a privilege and a responsibility that I do not take lightly, and I very much look forward to working alongside our team to support your needs as we move into the fall season and into the...

Heavily favored Authentic (Into Mischief) got surprisingly loose early and held on narrowly late in Saturday's GI TVG.com Haskell S., upping trainer Bob Baffert's record win total in the prestigious event to nine and earning an automatic spot in the starting gate for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. Off at 3-5 looking to atone for a second-place finish at 1-2 behind Honor A. P. (Honor Code) in the GI Santa Anita Derby last month, the bay broke on top and received only token pressure from Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic)...

Doug Cauthen is the managing partner at Doug Cauthen Thoroughbred Management LLC. As anyone not under a rock is noticing, COVID-19 hospitalizations and infections are on the rise across the country, and this tragedy is causing renewed shutdowns and concurrent economic damage to many businesses and families. As everyone is learning, a positive step towards avoiding rollbacks and future shutdowns is to wear a mask and socially distance, and to accept and follow protocols which are put in place to screen event attendees. In order to have a successful horse...

Keeneland announced slight format changes to its September yearling sale Friday via an email to participants from its Vice President of Racing and Sales Bob Elliston. "Many of you received session assignments for the September Sale earlier this week and received news that we've made a slight tweak to the sale schedule after finalizing entries and hip numbers," Elliston explained. "As we previously shared with you, the sale will begin on Sunday, Sept. 13, to accommodate the record number of entries to the sale for 2020." The adjusted Keeneland September...

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes 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 Tokyo and Hanshin Racecourses. Group 1 racing will recess in Japan, but not before this weekend's running of the Takarazuka Kinen, featuring Lucky Lilac (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), a daughter of 2011 GI Ashland S. winner Lilacs and Lace (Flower...