Keeneland September

Lack of clarity isn't the same as lack of quality. A crop that produces a standout sophomore will sometimes be weaker than those, like the current one, that rotate the laurels. Either way, however, we should as usual have a better sense of where we stand after the GI Runhappy Travers S.--where the Classic veterans will either prove themselves to have been too faintly praised, or allow a later developer to come along and pick up the pieces. Certainly the Aug. 24 showdown should help to identify who bears the...

The powerful ownership group involved with juvenile colt Eight Rings (Empire Maker) celebrated their first win as a team Sunday as the buzzed-about Bob Baffert trainee blitzed Del Mar maiden company to become a no-brainer 'TDN Rising Star'. A $520,000 Keeneland September yearling, the dark bay prepped for this with a bullet five-furlong drill from the gate in 1:00 flat here July 25 in company with unraced Garth (Into Mischief--Country Star) (Click for XBTV Video) and was crushed down to 3-5 favoritism despite the presence of several other well-bred and...

Trainer Simon Callaghan will be at Saratoga Saturday to saddle Bellafina (Quality Road) in the GI Longines Test S., and a short time later, the conditioner will be glued to the nearest television set to watch 'TDN Rising Star' Amalfi Sunrise (Constitution) give the barn consecutive victories in the GII Sorrento S. at Del Mar. A $40,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $185,000 OBS April purchase, the racy-looking dark bay was pounded into 11-10 favoritism for her June 23 debut at Santa Anita, and although she was beaten for speed by...

An idea at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale among the Lightner family members and colleagues blossomed into a 20-owner racing syndicate that's about to have its first- ever stakes starter in Saturday's Dr. Fager S. at Gulfstream Park. The fledgling syndicate was formed by Mary Lightner, a trainer of over nine years and the daughter of bloodstock agent and trainer Mike Lightner. On June 1, 2019, Shooting Star sent its debut runner Chance It (Currency Swap), trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., to the races and the colt finished a...

"Inside the Winner's Circle, Presented by Keeneland" is a series showcasing graduates of the Keeneland September sale who have gone on to achieve success on racing's biggest stages. Trainer John Sadler does a lot of things well. But give him a chance to get a feel for a horse, what it needs and let it develop at its own pace and there may be no one better. It's probably no coincidence that the two best horses he's ever trained, Accelerate (Lookin at Lucky) and Stellar Wind (Curlin) both had their...

Keeneland has released the catalogue for its upcoming September Yearling Sale. A total of 4,644 yearlings have been catalogued for the auction, which will run from Sept. 9-22. The sale begins with a three-session Book 1--190 yearlings have been catalogued for the first two sessions and 189 for the third session--beginning daily at noon. Book 1 will be followed by a dark day Thursday and the auction resumes with a two-session Book 2, with bidding beginning at 10 a.m. Friday and Saturday. A total of 569 yearlings are cataloged in...

Four yearlings by champion Frankel (GB) (Galileo {Ire}--Kind {Ire}, by Danehill) will highlight Book 1 of the Keeneland September sale, marking the first foals from the Juddmonte freshman sire to enter a North American sales ring. The Frankels will surely be some of the most intriguing offerings during the first four sessions of the sale, but the question remains: how much appeal does the unbeaten racehorses's offerings hold for an American audience? Frankel, a champion at two, three and four years old, was undefeated in 14 career starts with earnings...