Maclean's Music

Just a $95,000 Keeneland September yearling buy by J. Kirk and Judy Robison, MGISW juvenile Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) found his home around one turn in 2021 and garnered champion male sprinter honors off of the strength of his complete body of work. His signature win came when out-dueling fellow superstar Life is Good (Into Mischief) in Saratoga's GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S., and he followed that up with a smashing success in the GI Gallant Bob S. at Parx for trainer Steve Asmussen. Jackie's Warrior, whose breeding rights...

Represented by a pair of flashy 3-year-old maiden winners at Oaklawn Park, owners Alex and JoAnn Lieblong have been on quite a nice run at their hometown track the past two weekends. Favorite Outlaw (c, 3, Maclean's Music--Coco Belle, by Storm Boot) earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure--the highest rating of any sophomore so far this season--after airing at second asking by 3 1/2 lengths for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen going six furlongs Jan. 29 (video). "We're very pleased," said Alex Lieblong, who heads his own investment firm in...

With the 2022 breeding season right around the corner, we will feature a series of breeders' mating plans over the coming weeks. Today we have John Greathouse III of Glencrest Farm. INCREDIBLE YOU (m, 4, Uncle Mo--Zoftig, by Cozzene), to be bred to Charlatan Incredible You is one of my best-bred mares. She is out of Zoftig, who successfully raced under the Glencrest colors before being sold and having an even better career as a broodmare. Incredible You is currently in foal to Authentic due at the end of January....

Stonestreet Stables LLC's `TDN Rising Star' Beau Liam (Liam's Map--Belle of Perintown, by Dehere) has been retired from racing and will stand the upcoming breeding season at Brereton and Elizabeth Jones's Airdrie Stud as a partnership between Stonestreet, Spendthrift Farm and Airdrie. Trained by Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, Beau Liam won his first three starts this season. Beau Liam will stand his first season for a fee of $6,000 stands and nurses. Named a TDN Rising Star following his 7 1/2-length debut at Churchill Downs, Beau Liam's six-furlong...

Uncle Chuck (Uncle Mo--Forest Music, by Unbridled's Song), romping winner of last year's GIII Los Alamitos Derby, has been retired to Brent and Crystal Fernung's Journeyman Stud near Ocala, FL and will stand the 2022 season there for $6,500, LFSN. Campaigned by Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman and trainer by Bob Baffert, the $250,000 KEESEP yearling is out of MGSW/MGISP Forest Music (Unbridled's Song), making him a half to successful Kentucky-based sire Maclean's Music (Distorted Humor) and GSWs Kentuckian (Tiznow) and Electric Forest (Curlin). "I've seen Uncle Chuck...

J. Kirk and Judy Robison's talented sprinter/miler Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) underwent surgery last week to remove a bone chip in his left knee, Daily Racing Form reports. The procedure was performed by Dr. Larry Bramlage last Friday. "He is going to do rehab at Becky Maker's farm in Lexington," trainer Steve Asmussen told DRF. "We do plan on a 2022 campaign." A two-time Grade I winner at two, Jackie's Warrior annexed the GII Pat Day Mile S. in May and was second by a neck in the GI Woody...

1st-Del Mar, $71,500, Msw, 11-12, 2yo, f, 5fT, :57.37, fm, nose. UNBRIDLED MARY (f, 2, Maclean's Music--Bauble, by Tale of the Cat) amassed a very imposing worktab, capped by a strong half-mile gate move in :47 4/5 (3/37) at Santa Anita Nov. 7, and was off right at her morning-line odds of 4-1. Hustled along early by Joe Bravo, the bay traveled sweetly inside on the turn and was angled out sharply into the three path on the swing for home. Whether by design or not, Unbridled Mary dropped back...

8th-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 9-5, 2yo, f, 7f, 1:23.53, gd, 10 lengths. JESTER CALLS NOJOY (f, 2, Maclean's Music--Morning Star, by Sky Mesa), second at 9-5 in her six-furlong unveiling Aug. 15, went quickly to the front, carving out initial splits of :22.99 and :46.58. In the clear leaving the quarter pole, the 3-5 choice bounded away through the lane, crossing the wire 10 lengths ahead of Malibu Kendall (Curlin) at the wire. It was a length farther back to Handbelle (Tapit). The winner's dam, Morning Star, is also responsible for...

This year's GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. was billed as a match race between current divisional leader Jackie's Warrior and come-backing 'TDN Rising Star' Life is Good (Into Mischief). The race lived up to that and then some with Jackie's Warrior stubbornly holding off a determined and previously undefeated Life is Good for a narrow victory. The six-horse field moved as one through the opening strides, but 4-5 favorite Life is Good and 3-2 second-choice Jackie's Warrior quickly separated themselves with the former leading the latter by a length...

1st-Saratoga, $80,000, Msw, (R), 8-5, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:03.60, fm, 4 1/2 lengths. MYSTIC EYES (f, 2, Maclean's Music--Cloudburst {SW}, by Storm Cat) suggested an affinity for the turf with a five-furlong spin over the Oklahoma track in 1:02 (9/28) around the dogs July 31, and the money that poured in late for her proved smart. Off at 65 cents on the dollar, the $40,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase was not the quickest away from the inside stall, but was hustled up to grab command moving down the backstretch....

It may still turn out that we're living under a volcano. For now, however, the first major bloodstock cycle after the trauma of 2020 represents an almost symmetrical, V-shaped recovery--right back to the $200-million breakthrough made by the American 2-year-old market in 2019. Despite restocking with a diminished pool of horses, compared with then, this sector has resembled a giant stress ball in retrieving all its former buoyancy the moment the squeeze was released. It was the juvenile consignors, of course, that were first broadsided by the pandemic last year....

Last week, I stopped by John and Leslie Malone's 2,200-acre Bridlewood Farm in Ocala before attending the OBS June sale and got a good look at an intriguing freshman sire who'd topped the June sale six years earlier at a then-record price of $680,000. By Candy Ride (Arg) from the unraced Deputy Minister mare Spooky Minister, Valiant Minister was bred by John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale and had breezed a bullet eighth in :9 4/5 for consignor Eddie Woods. He was purchased on the advice of Donato Lanni by Charles...