Rhyme Schemes

When the dust settled at the close of the Fasig-Tipton April Digital Sale Tuesday evening, the 15-year-old broodmare Eileen's Dream (Bernardini, hip 21) held the new record for a single offering on the digital platform when she sold for $660,000 to DJ Stable. Consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, Eileen's Dream sold with her 2024 colt by Curlin at her side. She was bred back to Charlatan Mar. 27. The sale closed with 87 horses sold for $4,274,300, an average of $49,130. The clearance rate was 92.5% with 670...

His friend Spider Duignan knew that the stakes were high. When the horse coasted past the wire in the GII Saratoga Special, Duignan turned and said, "You needed that bad, didn't you?" Deuce Greathouse was candid in his reply. "It was not an option," he said, "for that not to happen." Raised the way he was, Greathouse knows that there are never any guarantees with horses. Since taking his cue that day, indeed, Rhyme Schemes (Ghostzapper) has himself demonstrated as much by coming up with an ankle issue shortly before...

Rhyme Schemes (c, 3, Ghostzapper--Katherine, by Distorted Humor), sidelined since posting a jaw-dropping, 9 1/2-length victory for trainer Norm Casse in last summer's GII Saratoga Special S. Aug. 12, is being aimed at a late spring/early summer return to the races. The Pura Vida Investments LLC colorbearer is currently laid up with Gabriel "Spider" Duignan at Springhouse Farm in Kentucky and could resume light training in March. "He's doing great," Pura Vida's managing partner Deuce Greathouse said. "He wasn't going to make the Derby preps, so we decided to give...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - In an atypical move, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said that GIII Saratoga Special S. runner-up Market Street (Street Sense) will likely make his next start on grass in the Aug. 31 GIII With Anticipation S. Lukas, 87, built his exceptional career with dirt horses and most years saddles far fewer horses on the grass. So far in 2023, just six of his 193 starters (3%) have run on turf. Since the beginning of 2019, 11.9% of his starters have been on turf. His...

Pura Vida Investments' Rhyme Schemes (Ghostzapper), winner of Saturday's GII Saratoga Special S., exited his easy victory in good form Sunday, according to trainer Norm Casse, who charted a fall campaign for the colt. "Everything looks good [Sunday] morning and he seems happy; no complaints," said Casse, who celebrated his fifth career graded victory. "Overall, it's so rewarding. I've been doing this for a long time and Saratoga is an iconic place--the Saratoga Special is an iconic race. Just to be involved is humbling, and to win it is something...

Rhyme Schemes (Ghostzapper) backed up his big-figure Ellis Park maiden win with a dominating performance in Saturday's GII Saratoga Special S. After bumping into 'TDN Rising Star' Edified (Tapit) at the start, the even-money favorite sat in the garden spot in an outside joint third through an opening quarter in :22.18. He loomed up with authority while three wide approaching the quarter pole and blew the race apart from there, running up the score in the stretch to win by 9 1/2 lengths. Longshot Market Street (Street Boss) was second....

Pura Vida Investments celebrated a maiden-breaking win in style Thursday at Ellis Park when 2-year-old Rhyme Schemes (Ghostzapper--Katherine, by Distorted Humor) won second out in a gate-to-wire romp by 9 1/2 lengths and posted a 94 Beyer speed figure at the Pea Patch for trainer Norm Casse. In his debut May 18 at Churchill Downs, the chestnut colt finished a well-beaten sixth behind first-time starter Wilson Q (Constitution) and next-out Tremont S. victor Gold Sweep (Speightstown). "We've gone about training our 2-year-olds a little bit differently this year than previous...

2nd-Ellis, $120,000, Msw, 6-15, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:02.82, ft, 9 1/2 lengths. RHYME SCHEMES (c, 2, Ghostzapper--Katherine, by Distorted Humor) reported home a well-beaten sixth on debut going five furlongs at Churchill Downs May 18. Adding blinkers here, the 8-1 chance was hustled to the front from his inside draw and faced some pressure rounding the far turn. The chestnut began to shake clear approaching the quarter pole and dropped the hammer in the stretch to graduate by 9 1/2 lengths over Ponce de Leon (Copper Bullet) in a sharp...