OXO Equine

By Christie DeBernardis and Jessica Martini A $1.4-million son of super sire Into Mischief (Hip 604) led a sextet of seven-figure sellers during the opening session of Book 2 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Wednesday. Consigned by Summerfield on behalf of Stonestreet Stables, the colt was purchased by Larry Best of OXO Equine. With six horses eclipsing the million-dollar mark Wednesday, the sale total now comes to 28. During the equivalent session last year, just two yearlings brought seven figures, including the $1.7-million sale topper. "It was a great...

A yearling filly by hot sire Quality Road brought a $1.3 million from Larry Best's OXO Equine Tuesday at the Keeneland September sale. Offered by Lane's End, acting as agent on behalf of Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Equine, Hip 302 is out of listed winner Key to My Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), out of GI Frizette heroine A Z Warrior (Bernardini).   🌟 @keenelandsales September Day 2: Hip 302, a Quality Road filly out of KEY TO MY HEART (IRE) - consigned by @LanesEndFarms, brings the hammer down at $1.3...

A filly by Munnings (hip 1174) joined the seven-figure club at OBS when selling for $1.6 million to Larry Best. Bloodstock agent Christina Jelm signed the ticket on the chestnut who worked a furlong in :9 4/5 last week. The filly is out of multiple stakes winner Tensas Harbor (Private Vow) and was purchased by Woods's Quarter Pole Enterprises pinhooking partnership for $250,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. She is the fifth seven-figure juvenile of the four-day auction, which had already surpassed its previous record gross during Thursday's third...

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 Taylor Made's Katie Taylor Whalen on behalf of Larry Best, owner of OXO Equine. Best retired two stallions to Taylor Made--GISW Instilled Regard (Arch) and GSW/GISP Instagrand (Into Mischief)--for their first seasons last year, with both represented by their first foals in 2022. A majority of his broodmare band, over 50 strong, will go to one of the two and are expecting foals by either...

The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale concluded its four-day run in Lexington Friday with steady figures which continued to show strength in the marketplace into the new year. "We are very, very pleased with the sale," said Keeneland's vice president of sales Tony Lacy. "Continued competitive trade, high clearance rate and high median price have solidified some confidence in people who were nervous before the beginning of the sales season. They feel positive about moving forward into the rest of 2022 and are investing as such. The market...

by Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - Following a bidless 2020, the sizzle was back at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion with a vibrant concluding session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearlings Sale Tuesday in upstate New York. The session was punctuated by three seven-figure transactions, led by a colt by Into Mischief who sold for $2.6 million to Coolmore's M.V. Magnier. "Whatever adjectives you want to use to describe it: fantastic, vibrant, energetic, dramatic," Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said Tuesday night. "You've heard me say it...

Shortly after selling an $800,000 Quality Road colt (hip 114), Larry Best's OXO Equine put those funds to good use, landing a Bolt d'Oro half-brother to none other than Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra for $1.4 million. The colt's MGISW sire is by Medaglia d'Oro--just like Rachel. The Mar. 2 foal was consigned to the sale by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency as hip 132 on behalf of Dr. Dede McGehee's Heaven Trees Farm.

7th-Ellis, $51,080, Msw, 7-3, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:10.05, ft, 1/2 length. PALM COTTAGE (f, 3, American Pharoah--Walkwithapurpose {MSW & GSP, $297,210}, by Candy Ride {Arg}), installed the 4-5 top choice in this first go, broke a step slow, but quickly put her self into a close-up third as Upandcomingstar (Into Mischief), prompted by Strong Silent (Wicked Strong), led through an opening quarter mile in :22.53. Hemmed in along the rail exiting the far turn, Palm Cottage swung out three wide turning for home, ground her way to the fore with...

'TDN Rising Star' Travel Column (Frosted) and the regally bred Clairiere (Curlin) have developed a competitive rivalry as they proceed down the GI Kentucky Oaks trail, with one apiece from their two prior meetings. Saturday's GII Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks was billed as another match race between the two and it was Travel Column who broke the tie with a decisive score over Clairiere. Awarded 2-1 favoritism over her familiar foe, Travel Column came away running from her outside post in this eight-horse affair, but was out-footed to the lead...

The fireworks at the annual Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton November sales are always a highlight of the year as seven-figure bids abound on some of racing's top broodmares and broodmare prospects. But after the dust settles, it can be years before words get out on the breeding careers of the sales' top offerings. We catch up with the connections of a few of these most recent million-dollar broodmares and learn of their mating plans for 2021 in our 'Million-Dollar Matings' series. [tdn_vimeo_embed title="Blue Prize at Taylor Made" admp4="https://player.vimeo.com/external/515489558.sd.mp4?s=c7e72749717e8d52cab5b5ce2ae192d51a7af636&profile_id=165" videomp4= "https://player.vimeo.com/external/522978900.sd.mp4?s=86df5ecc14e6d906dbebdf808f5c0ef9029e5cc0&profile_id=165" thumbnail=...

Three months after it was announced that Larry Best's OXO Equine would venture into the stallion business with 'TDN Rising Star' Instagrand (Into Mischief) at Taylor Made Stallions, a second addition was made to the farm's 2021 roster in Best's leading earner Instilled Regard (Arch). The 6-year-old will stand his first year at stud for a fee of $12,500 and Taylor Made's Frank Taylor said that demand has been high since his retirement was announced in December. "We are very excited about having Instilled Regard added to our roster at...

by Jessica Martini and Christie DeBernardis The four-day Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale opened with a workmanlike session in Lexington Monday as the industry continued to adjust to the market's new pandemic-induced reality. "I think it was a continuation of the November sale," said Keeneland's Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell. "I think people have adjusted to the marketplace and I think it was a good, steady start to the January sale. Consignors are very happy because they have adjusted to the new normal." From a catalogue of...