Quality Road

by Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis LEXINGTON, KY -- The momentum from Monday's opening session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale continued into the first session of Book 2 Tuesday in Lexington with a pair of mares bringing seven figures. "I would describe it as a solid day," said Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin. "Overall, we are very happy with the gross, very happy with the median and average being up over last year." During Tuesday's session, 197 horses sold for $35,073,000. The average of $178,036 was up...

Park Avenue (Quality Road) (Hip 478) will join the elite broodmare band at Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Farm after hammering for $1.45 million during the opening session of KEENOV's Book 2 Tuesday. The 4-year-old was consigned by Lane's End for Hronis Racing, one of Lyon's partners on her homebred superstar Flightline (Tapit), who is one of the possible mates for this new acquisition. Park Avenue has several black-type placings to her credit, including a second in the GIII La Canada S.

Brilliant champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Gamine (Into Mischief) looks poised to top her second Fasig-Tipton Sale after sparking a furious bidding war in Newtown Paddocks just after 9:00 p.m. Sunday night. When the dust had settled, Coolmore's MV Magnier--who has been extremely active all night--was holding the $7-million ticket to take home the $1.8-million FTMMAY '19 topper and five-time Grade I winner. Gamine was consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, agent as hip 289. The Michael Lund Petersen colorbearer was offered carrying her first foal by Quality Road.

Quality Road will lead the pack at the Lane's End stallion barn for the 2023 breeding season, standing for $200,000. Up from $150,000 in 2022, the 16-year-old is responsible for 2022 GI New York S. winner Bleecker Street, GII Rebel S. runner-up Ethereal Road, GI American Pharoah S. runner-up National Treasure, as well as three new 'TDN Rising Stars.' In the sales ring, he had seven yearlings bring seven figures at the 2022 Keeneland September Sale, including the $2.5-million colt who topped the sale. At $75,000, the same fee he...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency  7th-KEE, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 4:12 p.m. Bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbreds and purchased for $1.6 million by Woodford Racing & West Point Thoroughbreds, WEYHILL ROAD (Quality Road) makes his debut Friday at Keeneland. Out of the Malibu Moon mare Catch the Moon, Weyhill Road is a half-brother to GSW & MGISP Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow), GISW and up-and-coming sire Girvin (Tale of Ekati), GSW Cocked and Loaded (Coloniall John), and GSW Pirate's Punch (Shanghai Bobby).Trained by Shug McGaughey, Weyhill Road enters off a four-furlong work...

John Velazquez wouldn't give a definitive answer on where Gamine (Into Mischief - Peggy Jane, Kafwain) ranks on the list of all-stars the Hall of Fame jockey has been associated with over the years, but he came pretty close. Asked how the champion sprinter stacks up against a long line of high-class fillies he has ridden to Grade I success, he responded, "She's definitely one of the top ones. Like definitely one or two, I would say." That answer is high praise coming from the two-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey, who...

Stepping up after suffering a defeat at the hands of the dynamic filly Spirit Gal (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in the Listed Star Appeal S. at Dundalk Sept. 30, Cairo (Ire) (Quality Road) mastered his rivals in Saturday's G3 Killavullan S. at Leopardstown to add another string to Ballydoyle's remarkable juvenile bow. Never far from the pace set by Bold Discovery (Bolt D'Oro), the 5-2 favourite took over from that rival approaching the furlong pole and stayed on strongly for a 2 3/4-length success from stablemate Sierra Blanca (Ire) (No...

2nd-KEE, $100k, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:31p.m. ET Conditioner Brendan Walsh sends out a blue-blooded filly here in HUMBLING (Quality Road), who lays claim to a stellar female family which includes 'TDN Rising Star', GISW (and eventual producer of 'Rising Stars') Hot Dixie Chick (Dixie Union) and GI Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming (Bodemeister). The former has a pair of talented offspring to her credit when counting GISW Pauline's Pearl (Tapit) and GSP Union Jackson (Curlin). Humbling, a $1 million FTSAUG purchase by Jeff Drown and Michael Ryan in 2021,...

Roadster (Quality Road--Ghost Dancing, by Silver Ghost), winner of the 2019 GI Santa Anita Derby and runner-up in the GI Malibu S., has been retired and will stand the 2023 breeding season at Ocala Stud. Racing in the colors of Speedway Stables, the $525,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase earned 'TDN Rising Star' status on debut for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert as a juvenile and was also third in the GI Del Mar Futurity. "Roadster is all class, and he was an exciting colt on the racetrack," said Ocala Stud's...

Five years ago, Aidan O'Meara left his position at Hill 'n' Dale Farm, where he served as Stallion Division Manager for 20 years, to join his wife Leah and her family in running Stonehaven Steadings. The decision was not an easy one. As Leah O'Meara recounts, John Sikura had seen something in Aidan when the native of Ireland was fresh out of college. Over the years, O'Meara worked his way to managing the likes of Curlin, Medaglia d'Oro and Candy Ride. The O'Mearas lived on site at Hill 'n' Dale...

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...

The Keeneland September sale continued to churn out million-dollar results into its fourth session Thursday when bloodstock agent Donato Lanni signed the ticket at $1.7 million to acquire a colt by Quality Road from the Nardelli Sales consignment on behalf of an undisclosed client. Mike Repole, sitting alongside bloodstock agent Jacob West and trainer Todd Pletcher, was underbidder on the yearling. Repole made a final bid of $1.65 million, but dramatically drew his hand across his neck after Lanni's $1.7-million bid, prompting Keeneland announcer Ryan Mahan to say, 'I think...