Ken McPeek

Smile Happy (Runhappy) built on a monster 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy debut victory on closing day at Keeneland Oct. 29 with an equally eye-catching score in Saturday's GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. Saturday at Churchill Downs, establishing himself as one of the early favorites for the GI Kentucky Derby about six months down the road. Welcome to Fantasy Island, Lucky Seven Stable. A generous 24-5 third favorite despite the domination of that towering 5 1/2-length graduation, Smile Happy landed in about fifth spot, just ahead of centerfield, as Street Sense S....

Cocktail Moments (f, 2, Uncle Mo--River Maid, by Where's the Ring) turned in a powerful, come-from-behind victory for 'TDN Rising Star' honors on debut at Churchill Downs Saturday afternoon. The dark bay didn't offer many clues on her worktab and completed preparations for Kenny McPeek with a three-furlong spin in :37 1/5 (5/14) beneath the Twin Spires Nov. 24. Overlooked at odds of 26-1, the Dixiana Farms colorbearer, drawn wide in post 11, was outsprinted in 10th through an opening quarter in :22.37. She began to roll as they rounded...

'TDN Rising Star' Famed (Uncle Mo), currently best known as the half-sister to champion Essential Quality (Tapit), looks to forge her own path as she takes on stakes company in the GII Golden Rod S. at Churchill Downs Saturday. Runner-up in her six-panel debut at Churchill Sept. 26, the dark bay broke through next out with a 7 3/4-length decision going seven furlongs at Keeneland Oct. 30. Famed will have to contend with impressive Rags to Riches S. winner Sandstone (Street Sense). Third behind next-out Debutante S. winner and stablemate...

1st-AQU, $80k, Msw, 3yo/up, 1mT, post time: 11:50 a.m. ET Stone Farm homebred WAR FIGHTER (War Front), a full-brother to European champion 2-year-old and young Coolmore sire Air Force Blue, kicks off his career over the Aqueduct lawn for Graham Motion. The dark bay posted a pair of bullets at Fair Hill for this, including a four-furlong spin in :48 (1/6) over the all-weather Nov. 15. Chatham (Maria's Mon)'s 2020 War Front colt brought $1 million from Lynnhaven Racing at this year's Keeneland September Sale. TJCIS PPs 5th-AQU, $80k, Msw,...

   The New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) on Monday denied a request by trainer Ken McPeek to bring clarity to the process of how and when Thoroughbreds coming out of a quarantine can be allowed to enter races.    Back on July 15, another trainer's horse in the barn McPeek shared at Saratoga Race Course tested positive for equine herpesvirus (EHV-1). State agriculture officials, the New York Racing Association, and the NYSGC then imposed a 21-day quarantine of the entire barn retroactive to July 11, which is a common...

Smile Happy (c, 2, Runhappy--Pleasant Smile, by Pleasant Tap) became the second 'TDN Rising Star' for young sire Runhappy with this visually impressive debut score around two turns at Keeneland Friday. The dark bay fired a five-furlong bullet in :59 2/5 (1/57) for Ken McPeek at Churchill Downs Oct. 22 and was backed at 3-1 in this 1 1/16-mile affair. He raced in some traffic on the first turn and settled on the inside in sixth. Locked and loaded heading into the far turn, the Lucky Seven Stable colorbearer split...

Tiz the Bomb broke through the gate before the start and had to overcome a wide post, but those obstacles proved no matter as the improving colt picked up his second straight stakes win in Sunday's GII Castle & Key Bourbon S. at Keeneland, punching his ticket for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Easily the most expensive progeny of his sire to sell in 2020 when hammering for $330,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling Sale, the bay only beat one horse home debuting over five furlongs on the Churchill...

With Wednesday's Keeneland September Book 5 opener winding down, Maddie Matt Miller, agent, went to a session-topping $250,000 to secure a filly from the first crop of Army Mule. Consigned by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency, agent, as Hip 3158, the chestnut is out of six-time winner Henny's Hurricane (Henny Hughes), a daughter of GSW Amarillo (Crafty Prospector). Hip 3158 is a half-sister to Amynta (Atreides), a multiple stakes winner in Panama. She was bred in Kentucky by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings. The Hill 'n' Dale stallion, standing for...

KENTUCKY DOWNS JUVENILE MILE S., $497,500, Kentucky Downs, 9-6, 2yo, 1mT, 1:35.83, fm. 1--TIZ THE BOMB, 120, c, 2, by Hit It a Bomb                 1st Dam: Tiz the Key, by Tiznow                 2nd Dam: Cabbage Key, by A.P. Indy                 3rd Dam: Mayville's Magic, by Gone West ($330,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Phoenix Thoroughbred, LTD; B-Spendthrift Farm, LLC (KY); T-Kenneth McPeek; J-Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. $294,500. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $326,291. *Third stakes winner for second- crop sire (by War Front). 2--Kiss the Sky, 120, c, 2, Twirling...

With thousands of horses on offer from the top of the market and on down, Keeneland September is unlike any other yearling sale and requires serious hard work and focus to shop effectively. We've caught up with several prominent buyers to find out how they attack the auction from pre-sale preparations and into the two weeks of selling. This first installment features trainer Ken McPeek, whose prowess at finding top athletes for value--often with less fashionable pedigrees--is well documented. Among McPeek's long list of KEESEP finds are Hall of Famer...

Essential Quality (Tapit) drew post two of seven and was installed the 4-5 morning-line favorite when post positions were drawn Wednesday morning for Saturday's GI Runhappy Travers S. Last year's champion 2-year-old colt rebounded from his lone loss to date, a fourth in the GI Kentucky Derby, to win the June 5 GI Belmont S. and July 31 GII Jim Dandy S. Trainer Brad Cox said the Godolphin homebred has only improved since the Jim Dandy. "He's sharp, mentally," Cox said. "He's sharper this race than going into the Jim...

It was a busy morning at Saratoga for 3-year-olds headed towards next Saturday's $1.25-million GI Runhappy Travers S. at Saratoga, headed by GI Belmont S. hero and reigning champion juvenile Essential Quality (Tapit). The 'TDN Rising Star,' ridden by leading jockey Luis Saez, worked outside of stablemate Bonny South (Munnings) and the duo covered five furlongs in 1:01.58 (10/18). The Godolphin homebred was caught in fractions of :11.40, :23.22 and :47.81 before galloping out three-quarters of a mile in 1:15 flat. Juddmonte's enigmatic Bonny South is also scheduled to race...