Orpen

Orpen (Lure--Bonita Francita, by Devil's Bag), a leading sire in South America since his arrival on the continent in the mid-2000s, passed away Jan. 26 following emergency colic surgery, Turf Diario reports. He was 25 years old. A $525,000 Keeneland November weanling purchase in 1996, around the same time his half-brother Jules (Forty Niner) won the GIII Nashua S. in New York, Orpen annexed the 1998 G1 Prix Morny in the colors of John Magnier and entered stud in Ireland for the 2000 breeding season. Also a half-brother to SW...

Argentine sale company Copa Bullrich staged its October sale of 2-year-olds on Oct. 6 and 8, with 16 stud farms offering members of their crops. The live auctions at La Pasion Stud Farm, which were also streamed live, followed a four-day online pre-sale. For the first time since lockdown began, a select group of buyers was welcomed in-person. Topping trade was La Leyenda's Orpen filly out of the Group 2-winning Suska (Arg) (Exchange Rate), who brought a price of $50,000. The top-priced colt was Santa Ines's Catcher In The Rye...

In the hallway of my house, there is a mirror and on it are the words "If things seem dark, focus on the brightest stars." For me, illumination generally takes the form of memories, recalled as sunlit spells on the grasses of Europe, prepared for the sake of racing horses. Everyone has their tonic and mine involves conjuring up moments of personal joy and celebration of this particular sport. It just seems that, looking back, the final year of the last century holds more of those than others. When I...