Live Oak Plantation

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL - With a $1-million Authentic colt early in the session and a $1.8-million Win Win Win filly late in the day, the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds matched its 2023 number of five seven-figure juveniles and the auction concluded its three-day run Thursday with another strong renewal. "Overall, it was a terrific sale and we are looking forward to April," said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. Through three sessions, 446 horses sold for $66,437,600. The average of $148,963...

James "Jimmy" Alexander, a known and respected horseman, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Friday, Nov. 24. Born to Russell and Mattie Alexander in Lexington, Kentucky on Oct. 15, 1948, Alexander was a proud third generation horseman. He was raised on the prestigious Bwamazon Farm in Winchester, Kentucky where he thoroughly enjoyed learning from and working with his father as he grew up. The family later relocated to Ocala, Florida when Jimmy was in his teens. His love for working with horses continued in Ocala where he also enjoyed...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 11th-GP, $84K, Msw, 3yo, f, 5fT, post time: 5:51 p.m. ET The post-Derby program at Gulfstream concludes with this turf dash for sophomore fillies headed by 7-2 morning-line chance SHOOTOUTTHELIGHTS (City of Light) from the barn of Wesley Ward. A $525,000 purchase by the Breeze Easy braintrust at Keeneland September in 2021, the April foal looks to become the second winner for her stakes-placed dam, a half-sister to turf MGSW Clearly a Queen (Lucky North), who is also responsible for Bison City S. victress Mizzen...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 5th-BEL, $90k, Msw, 3yo/up, 1 1/16mT, 3:03p.m. ET Carrying the weight of a princely $2 million KEESEP price tag as well as a host of well-known co-owners which includes breeders Stonestreet Farm, Capensis (Tapit) will be unveiled in this spot for trainer Todd Pletcher. Out of GI Santa Margarita S. winner Tara's Tango (Unbridled's Song), he's half to fellow multi-million purchase Alexander Valley (Medaglia d'Oro)--a $2,150,000 buy at KEESEP by Godolphin. Capensis comes into the race off a bullet four furlong move over Saratoga's turf...

Canada's 2020 Horse of the Year Mighty Heart (Dramedy) took home the same honors for the 2021 season at the 47th Annual Sovereign Awards, hosted by The Jockey Club of Canada Thursday at the Universal Eventspace just outside of Toronto. A homebred for Larry Cordes, Mighty Heart won the GII Autumn S. and GIII Dominion Day S. in Canada, as well as the Blame S. at Churchill Downs. The popular one-eyed 4-year-old had won the same award last year on the strength of his victories in the Queen's Plate and...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 7th-GP, $60K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 4:07 p.m. ET A trio of Hall of Fame barns send out five of the eight entrants in this elongated sprint. Todd Pletcher saddles Repole Stable and St Elias Stable's $560,000 KEESEP buy Gate Runner (Arrogate). Out of stakes-placed turf router Nerfertiti (Speightstown), he's half to MGSW dirt sprinter Engage (Into Mischief). Second dam Clearly a Queen (Lucky North) was a hard-knocking MGSW on the lawn. Pletcher will also be represented by Days of Yore (Street Sense), who appears to...

Heavily favored on the morning line, Live Oak Plantation's GI Longines Test S. runner-up Souper Sensational (Curlin) will likely need to run that race or better as she faces an intriguing field of emerging sophomore filly sprinters in Saturday's GII Prioress S. at Saratoga. Named a 'TDN Rising Star' for an easy debut graduation last September at Woodbine, the $725,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga buy quickly backed that designation up with a four-length conquest of the Glorious Song S. Runner-up in the Silverbulletday S., she fell off the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks...

Win Approval, a Live Oak Stud foundation mare and the 2017 Broodmare of the Year, was euthanized July 19 due to the infirmities of old age, the farm announced Tuesday. She was 29 years old. By Canadian Horse of the Year With Approval out of the graded stakes-placed and stakes-producing Hoist the Flag mare Negotiator, Win Approval left an indelible mark on the industry as a producer of champions. The Live Oak homebred is the dam of eight winners from 10 foals, including a pair of champions--World Approval (Northern Afleet),...

'TDN Rising Star' Souper Sensational (Curlin), a jaw-dropping winner of her first two career starts last fall at Woodbine, got back on track in a big way with a dominating performance in Saturday's GIII Victory Ride S. at Belmont. Outfooted through fractions of :22.81 and :45.68, she was locked and loaded in fifth beneath Flavien Prat approaching the quarter pole, and exploded with a four/five-wide blitz from there to record a career high. The chestnut went winless in four previous starts at three after capping her 2-year-old campaign with a...

Dual Canadian Classic winner Mighty Heart (Dramedy), a homebred for Lawrence Cordes, was named Canadian Horse of the Year at the 46th Annual Sovereign Awards ceremony held Thursday evening. It marked the second year in a row Canada's championship awards were held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Trained by Josie Carroll, Mighty Heart began his sophomore campaign in July with a maiden special weight victory at Woodbine, then went on to capture the Sept. 12 Queen's Plate S. and the Sept. 29 Prince of Wales S. The one-eyed...

Live Oak Plantation's Souper Sensational (Curlin), a 'TDN Rising Star' and dominant last-out stakes winner, will take some beating as a likely prohibitive favorite making her graded stakes bow in Sunday's GIII Mazarine S. at Woodbine. Unveiled as a 6-5 favorite traveling seven furlongs here Sept. 26, the $725,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase notched a handy 2 1/4-length success over a runner-up who was another 9 3/4 lengths clear of third. Hammered down to 3-5 stepping up into stakes company in the Glorious Song S. Oct. 17, the chestnut did not...

Live Oak Plantation homebred Win Win Win (Hat Trick {Jpn}--Miss Smarty Pants, by Smarty Jones), who capped his career with a head-turning last-to-first victory in Saratoga's GI Forego S. Aug. 29, will take up stud duties next year at Ocala Stud for a fee of $5,000 LFSN. He will stand as property of a partnership between Live Oak, Ocala Stud and Airdrie Stud. "We are very excited to add Win Win Win to our roster," said Ocala Stud's David O'Farrell. "He's a big, grand-looking horse with a lot of presence....