Sham

Beach Faulkner was at Keeneland one day when John Williams called him over and pointed at a horse being led off a van a couple of barns down. "Look at this," Williams said. "Watch him walk. You might as well put your name on the side of that horse." Beach remembers the great horseman's compliment with a smile. He's been working on horses' feet for 57 years, more than half of that time with son Tyler alongside, until he too has come to share the same mastery. They are farriers,...

Walter "Buster" Gordon, the longtime head stallion groom at the `old' Spendthrift Farm formerly owned by the Combs family, passed away Oct. 25 after a long illness. A Gofundme page has been established for his family, and is accessible by clicking here. "Buster never met a stranger and all of us loved him during his many years as head stallion groom at Spendthrift Farm," reads his Gofundme page, set up by Gregory Clarke. "In addition to being a brilliant horseman, he could throw a mean snowball. :) He's a permanent...

With only a field of five newly turned 3-year-olds signed on, Hall of Famer Bob Baffert will saddle a pair of imposing runners in Saturday's GIII Sham S. going a two-turn mile at Santa Anita. Rockefeller (Medaglia d'Oro) returns to the West Coast for Baffert after securing a front-running victory in Belmont's one-turn mile GIII Nashua S. Nov. 7. The $750,000 KEESEP yearling was previously fourth behind his unbeaten GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile-winning stablemate Corniche (Quality Road) in the GI American Pharoah S. Oct 1. Rockefeller is the 8-5 morning-line...

Two-year-old sensation and 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief) will likely make his next start in the GIII Sham S. on Jan. 2 at Santa Anita, reports trainer Bob Baffert. The one-mile event carries a purse of $100,000. "If all is going well, it looks like the Sham will be his next race," Baffert said. "It will give me a chance to stretch him out. Then I will decide on what's next and look at races like the Rebel at Oaklawn." Owned by WinStar Farm and the China...

A $350,000 Keeneland September yearling, Authentic (Into Mischief) is the latest to make the races from his dam, the Mr. Greeley mare Flawless. The May foal was anything but that in Saturday's GIII Sham S. at Santa Anita, but raw ability saw him run up the score to the tune of 7 3/4 very green-but-good lengths as the 6-5 favorite. His well-backed stablemate Azul Coast (Super Saver) finished best of the rest in the one-mile test, which offered points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby on a 10-4-2-1 scale....

Bob Baffert has two strong chances to win his sixth edition of the GIII Sham S. Saturday with Authentic (Into Mischief) and Azul Coast (Super Saver). A $350,000 KEESEP buy, Authentic graduated at first asking sprinting at Del Mar Nov. 9, earning an 87 Beyer Speed Figure in the process. His stablemate Azul Coast also donned cap and gown at first asking, albeit going a mile at Los Alamitos Dec. 8. The Richard Baltas-trained Taishan (Twirling Candy) boasts the second highest Beyer in the field, registering an 81 for his...