Maclean's Music

Looking to atone for his first career defeat when he suffered an equipment malfunction in the Jean Lafitte S. at Delta Downs Nov. 30, Slam Dunk Racing's Drain the Clock (Maclean's Music) made light work of his rivals as the 9-5 chalk in Saturday's Limehouse S. at Gulfstream Park. Smoothly away beneath Edgard Zayas, the chestnut stalked a fast pace outside of front-running Warrior's Pride (Poseidon's Warrior), eased to the front approaching the stretch and kicked home smartly to defeat the blinkered Tiger by a handy margin. Runway Magic (Runhappy)...

As we approach the end of the calendar, we turn our attention to the incoming sire class of 2021. We asked several judges who their favorite incoming sire is for next year and if there are any other stallions, new or otherwise, that have caught their eye as under-the-radar picks ADRIAN REGAN, Hunter Valley Farm  War of Will (War Front), $25,000, Claiborne Farm I hate singling just one, but War of Will made a lot of sense for me. I was very impressed with his physical appearance when we went...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale opened Monday in Lexington with a day of steady trade and a pair of youngsters by Into Mischief leading the way. "It was a solid start," Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said Monday evening. "There was solid trade with plenty of activity. There were no dramatic surprises. Certainly lots of horses got traded and there was a legitimate, reasonable marketplace." During Monday's opening session of the October sale, 248 yearlings sold for $8,393,800. The average of $33,846 dipped 14.6% from the 2019...

Hall of Famer Curlin (Smart Strike) once again leads the 2021 roster at Hill 'n' Dale, which recently moved to their new Xalapa property outside of Paris. The leading stallion's 2021 fee remains unchanged at $175,000 LFS&N. "We are aware of the pressures on the market due to the uncertain climate we find ourselves in. Hill 'n' Dale will once again look to be an industry leader by offering exceptional value in its entire roster. We are all in this together and together we will grow stronger as an industry,"...

Both the dam of and weanling half-brother to unbeaten leading juvenile colt Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) have been supplemented to the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, it was announced Sunday--one day after the Steve Asmussen pupil further solidified himself as the favorite for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile with a 5 1/2-length romp in Saturday's GI Champagne S. at Belmont. Dam Unicorn Girl (A. P. Five Hundred) will be offered in foal to leading sire Into Mischief; her weanling colt is by American Pharoah. Both will be consigned by Beau...

Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) slammed the door on second choice Reinvestment Risk (Upstart) and spurted clear in Saturday's GI Champagne S. at Belmont to increase his perfect record to four-for-four. The race was a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile for which the Steve Asmussen pupil figures to go favored. A debut winner from next-out 'TDN Rising Star' Therideofalifetime (Candy Ride {Arg}) at Churchill June 19, he defeated the same foe in the GII Saratoga Special S. Aug. 7....

6th-Pimlico, $50,120, Msw, 9-24, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10.88, ft. WHISKEY AND RYE (f, 2, Maclean's Music--Ava G, by Afternoon Deelites) Sales history: $150,000 2yo '20 EASMAY. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $25,200. O-Mens Grille Racing; B-Alex Venneri Racing, LLC (KY); T-Hamilton A. Smith. The brave 2-year-old winning filly WHISKEY AND RYE carries another ingenious name derived from the famous song "American Pie" by Don McLean, an American singer-songwriter who had his very great day in the sun in the early '70s. "And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye/Singin' this'll...

The Keeneland September Yearling Sale opened its first of two Book 4 sessions with a workmanlike day of trade in Lexington Sunday. C.J. Johnsen made the day's highest bid, going to $210,000 to acquire a filly by Ghostzapper (hip 2342) for his CJ Thoroughbreds. Three yearlings tied for the day's second highest price of $190,000: a colt by Maclean's Music and a pair of colts by first-crop sire Unified. A total of 31 yearlings brought six figures on the day. In all, 237 yearlings sold Sunday for $11,516,500. The session...

J. Kirk Robison's Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music), the "other" Steve Asmussen runner signed on for Friday's GII Saratoga Special S., out-footed them all and never looked back en route to a powerful score at the Spa. The imposing bay took his Churchill debut by 2 1/2 lengths June 19, and was flattered when the runner-up that day, re-opposing Therideofalifetime (Candy Ride {Arg}) returned to romp at Keeneland and earn 'TDN Rising Star' status. He was less proven on paper than stablemate, GIII Bashford Manor S. winner and 'Rising Star' Cazadero...

"Bob's your uncle." It's one of those baffling British expressions, of no coherent origin. You use it much as the French would say: "et voila!" Typically, it rounds off some counsel so elementary that the dividends are almost mechanical. Do this simple thing, and "you're all set". For instance: go to a horse sale; buy a colt with Classic pedigree; put him into training with a silver-haired dude in California--and Bob's your uncle. Not that it can have been terribly easy for Bob Baffert to show his most avuncular side...

The flashy Uncle Chuck went from maiden winner to graded winner as he ran away from just three foes as the heavy favorite here. A seven-length romper going a flat mile at Santa Anita June 12, the half-brother to brilliant debut winner and sire Maclean's Music (Distorted Humor) was bet down to 13-1 in last week's GI Kentucky Derby future pool and gave his backers reason to feel good about their chances Saturday. With stablemate and MGSW Thousand Words the main danger on paper, the leggy dark bay chased the...

TIMONIUM, MD - The three-day under-tack preview ahead of next week's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale concluded Friday under glorious blue skies and temperatures in rising steadily into the 80s through seven sets of workers. "It was a terrific under-tack show. All of the credit goes to [Maryland State Fairgrounds maintenance director Don] Chief Denmeyer," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. "We had challenging weather at the beginning of the week and this racetrack was as good, from beginning to end, as any under-tack show we've ever conducted. The...