Keeneland September

No Nay Never Firster Runs to the Money at Gulfstream

5th-Gulfstream, $44,000, Msw,6-10, 2yo, f, 5fT, :56.65, fm. AMANZI YIMPILO (IRE) (f, 2, No Nay Never--Honourably {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), who amassed a concise, but promising worktab up at Palm Meadows, led past every pole for a popular debut success Wednesday at Gulfstream. Pounded into 3-5 favoritism, the $300,000 Keeneland September acquisition was not the quickest away from the inside stall, but mustered speed up the rail for Mario Pino to lead after a furlong. Prompted to her outside by 16-1 Tequa (Dialed In) for the run around the turn,...

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Breeders' Cup Classic Hero Pleasantly Perfect Dies in Turkey

Pleasantly Perfect (Pleasant Colony--Regal State, by Miswaki), who completed a historic Breeders' Cup four-timer for trainer Richard Mandella in the 2003 GI Classic and went on to sire a trio of top-level winners, passed away Wednesday in Turkey. He was 22 years old and died of natural causes. Bred in Kentucky by Clovelly Farms, Pleasantly Perfect was purchased by Gerald Ford's Diamond A Racing Corp. for $725,000 at the 1999 Keeneland September sale. Turned over to Mandella, the strapping bay won back-to-back runnings of the GII Goodwood Breeders' Cup H....

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If Not This Time, When?
If Not This Time, When?

Not his time yet, surely. Can't be. A son of two-turn titan Giant's Causeway; a half-brother to late-blooming Liam's Map. Yet there it is, in black and white: three starters, two winners. Hopeful Princess hurtling just 4 1/2 furlongs at Churchill last week; and Swaggy George at Gulfstream the next day, circling the field into the stretch and sprinting four lengths clear. So while these remain the very earliest of days, Not This Time could not have made a more auspicious start to his stud career. On the one hand,...

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Keeneland to Offer Digital Inspections

Keeneland will offer digital inspections for all Book 1 and Book 2 yearlings in the Keeneland September Sale. Footage will be captured at the farms during the yearling preparation period and will be available online for all remote buyers, including those whose travel will be prevented by COVID-19. Keeneland will also aid consignors and breeders with yearlings in Books 3-6, who would like to photograph or video their horses. "Keeneland's award-winning Broadcast Services team will coordinate "digital inspections" for all Book 1 and Book 2 yearlings as an enhanced service...

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Frankel's Mozu Ascot Back to Dirt in Valuable Kashiwa Kinen

Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}), winner on turf of the G1 Yasuda Kinen in 2018, returns to the dirt for the first time since winning the G1 February S. in Tuesday's ¥102 million (US$955k) Kashiwa Kinen (1600m) at Funabashi Racecourse. Bred by Summer Wind Farm, the 6-year-old son of MGSW India (Hennessy) was winless in eight starts following the Yasuda Kinen, but put pay to that streak when defeating the smart Copano Kicking (Spring At Last) at odds of 8-1 in the G3 Negishi S. (1400m) at Tokyo Feb. 2. The...

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Open Letter to the Industry: Bill Thomason, President & CEO, Keeneland

We hope this finds you and your family well. It's hard to believe that this is typically a week with so much buzz and excitement in our industry leading into the first Saturday of May. We look forward to the days when our industry is fully up and running again. Toward this goal, Keeneland is committed to doing everything possible to ensure a safe and secure environment for conducting Thoroughbred auctions this fall and to maintain market stability. As you saw yesterday, Fasig-Tipton has moved its July and Saratoga yearling...

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Europeans Applaud American Sales Decision

Everyone in the bloodstock industry can see the bump in the road ahead. It's just a case of getting across without causing lasting damage to the engine. As such, European horsemen Tuesday applauded the dovetailing of North America's premier yearling sales as the type of wholesome collaboration required to tackle a crisis that transcends borders and oceans, never mind commercial rivalries. True, one or two quibbles could be heard on the other side of the pond. On the whole, however, Monday's announcement by Fasig-Tipton—positioning a two-day sale in Lexington, as...

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Fasig To Hold July, Saratoga, NY Bred Sales In One Ky. September Sale

Fasig-Tipton will consolidate its July, Saratoga, and New York-Bred yearling sales into one selected yearling auction--the 2020 Selected Yearlings Showcase--to be held Wednesday and Thursday, September 9-10, at its Lexington, Kentucky facility. The company came to the decision after evaluating the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic for the last several weeks and it was made after consultation with Keeneland, whose September Yearling Sale begins Sept. 14. "We are excited to offer our buyers and sellers a selected yearling venue in Kentucky," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. "We envision this catalogue...

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Notable US-Breds in Japan: April 25, 2020
Notable US-Breds in Japan: April 25, 2020

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 Fukushima and Tokyo Racecourses and while Group 1 racing takes a break this weekend, the very promising Lecce Baroque (Uncle Mo) makes her second trip to the races. She'll attempt to follow up on a spectacular debut performance in early...

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Keeneland CEO Bill Thomason Joins TDN Writers' Room

As an organization with enormous interests in both the racing and sales worlds, Keeneland has been quick to act in response to the coronavirus pandemic, canceling its April 2-Year-Old Sale and Spring Meet in the early days of the sport's shutdown. They also were quick to reassure nervous buyers and sellers of yearlings that this year's marquee September Yearling Sale would proceed as scheduled, Sept. 14-26. President and CEO Bill Thomason joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland Wednesday, calling in via Zoom from his home as the Green...

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Letter to the Industry: Keeneland's Bill Thomason

To Our Customers: It goes without saying that we are in historic times. COVID-19 has disrupted our industry and changed the manner in which we conduct our businesses and our everyday lives. While we are all doing our part to protect against the spread of the virus, we must also provide stability and normalcy to our industry. The Keeneland September Yearling Sale serves as a barometer for the state of our industry and establishes certainty for our global marketplace. This is a responsibility which we do not take lightly. With...

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Feb. 27 Insights: Pricey Curlin Half to Hawkbill Debuts at Gulfstream

4th-GP, $50K, Msw, 4yo/up, 6 1/2f, 2:31 p.m. ET Albaugh Family Stables, which will start likely GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. favorite Dennis' Moment (Tiznow) this Saturday at Gulfstream, also has action Thursday in Hallandale Beach, as they debut the expensive and well-related COASTAL DEFENSE (Curlin) in the day's fourth event. Owned in partnership with Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust, the chestnut hammered for $800,000 at Keeneland September in 2017 and is a half-brother to MG1SW Hawkbill (Kitten's Joy), as well as the Albaughs' GISW Free Drop Billy (Union...

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