Phil Bauer

Churchill Downs will host two Grade III races to go with your turkey and gravy Thursday, while Del Mar will add its own graded event for dessert. The GIII Cardinal S. opens the holiday action in Louisville with a field of seven fillies and mares expected to go nine furlongs over the Churchill turf. CHP Racing's Saffron Moon (Malibu Moon), the 2-1 morning-line favorite, is making her first start against stakes company for trainer Chad Brown. The 4-year-old has three wins in four turf appearances and is coming off a...

Rigney Racing's Played Hard (Into Mischief--Well Lived, by Tiznow), winner of the GI La Troienne S. in May, has been retired from racing, trainer Phil Bauer confirmed the news first reported in Blood-Horse Thursday. "She had a summer that just nothing bounced her way," Bauer said. "We took her to Saratoga and missed the Shuvee with illness. We planned on bringing her back to Churchill, but in her last breeze up there, she got an injury in her right hind ankle. So we had the discussion with Mr. [Richard] Rigney...

Richard Rigney says that nothing in life gives him a bigger kick than his horses. To understand just what that means, it might help to know his idea of a vacation. A few years ago, for instance, he went on a shooting range in Russia. Not that startling, perhaps: this was obviously before the war in Ukraine. It's just the caliber of the ordnance that was a little unusual. "Shooting a bazooka is so fun," Rigney says. "My wife Tammy was like, 'You know what? I think it's okay that...

Twirling Good Time (f, 2, Twirling Candy--Celebrategoodtimes, by Harlan's Holiday), well-backed at 3-1 off a 12-1 morning-line quote while making her debut in a loaded maiden special weight at Churchill Downs Wednesday afternoon, graduated with honors to earn the 'TDN Rising Star' nod. Hung out wide in post 10, she wasn't off to the sharpest of beginnings but rushed up to force the issue from second through an opening quarter in :22.08. The Rigney Racing colorbearer took over with a flashy move while racing in hand beneath Rafael Bejarano approaching...

One short elevator ride from the top of the Churchill Downs grandstand down to the ground floor was all the time it took for Phil Bauer to officially become a Grade I-winning trainer. On Kentucky Oaks Friday, Bauer was watching from upstairs as his trainee Played Hard (Into Mischief) took the lead going into the stretch of the GI La Troienne S. and, with Johnny Velazquez aboard, fought off last year's Oaks victress Secret Oath (Arrogate) to win by a neck. When Bauer and an elated crew of Rigney Racing...

Making her first start since winning last fall's GIII Falls City S. at 45 cents on the dollar, Rigney Racing's Played Hard (Into Mischief) rewarded those that remained loyal to her from a pari-mutuel perspective with a near 9-1 upset in Friday's GI La Troienne S. at Churchill Downs. For the second time in as many races, Briland Farm's Secret Oath (Arrogate)--who won the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks on this program 12 months ago--took a dirty beat in Grade I company, having been pipped on the post in the Apple...

Horse racing fans will tuck in to a traditional helping of graded stakes on Thursday at both Churchill Downs and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. Coast-to-coast Grade III gatherings include a dirt and turf race in the GIII Falls City S. and the GIII Cardinal S. before swinging out west to the Jimmy Durante Turf Course for the GIII Red Carpet S. Into Mischief's Played Hard the Favorite in Falls City With only six drawn for the Falls City under the Twin Spires, there is no question that trainer Phil...

The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf looks like a tough spot for Xigera (Nyquist). She's 8-1 in the morning line, drew the 13 post, is facing a strong group of European challengers and her only win came in a maiden race. But she's not out of this, not as hot as her stable is. In their ninth year in the sport and after an inauspicious start, Richard and Tammy Rigney's Rigney Racing is enjoying a dream season. With seven wins, they were the leading owner at the spring meet...

by Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland September Yearling Sale continued to churn out strong results straight through to the conclusion of its Book 2 section Thursday night in Lexington with an additional two yearlings selling for seven figures, led by a $1.7-million son of Quality Road, bringing the four-day total for the auction to 30 seven-figure yearlings. Fifteen reached that mark last year. "It was an incredible week," said Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. Over the two Book 2 sessions, Keeneland sold 449...

1st-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 8-28, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:44.36, fm, 5 3/4 lengths. XIGERA (f, 2, Nyquist--Argent Affair {SW, $154,895}, by Black Tie Affair {Ire}) had to settle for second after getting run down late by 'TDN Rising Star' Pink Hue (Mendelssohn) when debuted over this same surface and distance Aug. 7 but returned at even-money Sunday for another chance. After flashing speed inside of Forever Dixie (Quality Road) early, she settled back off the pace into a stalking position up the backstretch. Put to a run into the far...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency WELL-BRED GHOSTZAPPER DEBUTS IN NY 2nd-AQU, $80K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1m, 12:20 p.m. Joe Allen went to $400,000 at FTFMAR for GLAMOROUS DAYS (Ghostzapper) after a :21 4/5 breeze and she debuts here for Shug McGaughey. She is a daughter of dual Grade I winner Life At Ten (Malibu Moon). TJCIS PPs   BAUER UNVEILS PRICEY INTO MISCHIEF 7th-OP, $84K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 4:19 p.m. Rigney Racing's LITTLE MOMBO (Into Mischief) makes his career bow in this spot for trainer Phil Bauer. The $500,000...

8th-Churchill Downs, $86,435, Msw, 10-31, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.33, ft, 3 1/2 lengths. MINUTE WALTZ (f, 2, Nyquist--Is It Safe, by Yes It's True) began to repay her $425,000 price tag at Keeneland September with a sharp debut score Saturday. Racing in a three-wide sixth off a blazing first quarter in :21.34, the 4-1 shot was at least four wide as she swept up to take on the leaders turning for home. The bay struck the front in early stretch and rolled clear to win by 3 1/2 lengths over...