Speightstown

Officials at Claiborne Farm announced Monday that multiple graded stakes winner Performer (Speightstown--Protesting, by A.P. Indy) has passed away. He was sent to the clinic Friday night and died early Saturday morning from a ruptured stomach. Bred by the Phipps Stable, Performer was a debut third, but commenced a five-raced winning streak thereafter over increasing distances and capped by a 1 3/4-length success in the 2019 GIII Discovery S. at Aqueduct. The chestnut, who bore a striking resemblance to former Phipps runner Easy Goer, returned victoriously from an 11-month layoff...

Flagstaff (Speightstown) will be retired after the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar Nov. 6. Owned by Lane's End Racing and Hronis Racing, the 7-year-old campaigner has earned $1,107,585 with a seven wins and six seconds from 22 starts, finishing in the top three in six of seven starts this season. Victorious in the GI Churchill Downs S. and GIII Commonwealth S. earlier this spring, the gelding was second last out in the Oct. 2 GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship. "This is his last year," said trainer John Sadler....

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency SON OF ROSALIND DEBUTS AT BELMONT 4th-BEL, $90K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 2:11 p.m. Harrell Ventures' CHANCEUX (Speightstown) makes his debut in this event for trainer Todd PLetcher. The chestnut is the second foal out of Grade I winner Rosalind (Broken Vow), a $1 million FTKNOV acquisition by SF Bloodstock. Rosalind also captured the GII Sheepshead Bay S. and placed in three more top-level events. TJCIS PPs

   'TDN Rising Star' Carribean Caper ran her record to five wins from as many starts with a first victory at the graded level in Saturday's GIII Dogwood S. at Churchill Downs. A midfield fourth through the opening exchanges, the $250,000 KEESEP grad was angled out into the clear with a bit less than a half-mile to race. Working her way into it nicely three wide approaching the quarter pole, Carribean Caper struck to the lead with a furlong and a half to go and sprinted home in complete command....

'TDN Rising Star' Carribean Caper took the next step Sunday to earn her first stakes win and fourth victory overall from as many trips to the post. An eight-length romper at Fair Grounds Feb. 13, the dark bay had an easy time with first-level optional claiming foes at Keeneland Apr. 2, and resurfaced from a freshening to clear another condition here July 10. Favored in the wagering over formidable foe Magic Quest--who had run faster than Carribean Caper in her last two, both wins--she tugged her way up in between...

Multiple Grade I winner Charlatan (Speightstown--Authenticity, by Quiet American) will stand the 2022 breeding season for a fee of $50,000 live foal stands and nurses, Hill 'n' Dale Farm announced Wednesday. Named a 'TDN Rising Star' after a tour-de-force debut victory, Charlatan went on to capture the GI Arkansas Derby and GI Runhappy Malibu S. before finishing second in the $20-million Saudi Cup in his career finale. "I have been looking forward to having this horse," said John Sikura, owner of Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa. "He is a brilliant...

Lexitonian (h, 5, Speightstown--Riviera Romper, by Tapit), beaten just a nose in last summer's GI Bing Crosby S. at Del Mar, got his Grade I victory with a shocking, 34-1 upset in Saturday's GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. at Saratoga. Drawn on the fence, he was hustled to the front by Jose Lezcano. The chestnut was pressed through an opening quarter of :22.04 and appeared to be in deep water as streaking former claimer and two back GIII Maryland Sprint Match Series S. winner Special Reserve (Midshipman) loomed large at...

Forza Di Oro (Speightstown), a stylish optional claiming winner for Hall of Famer Bill Mott in his seasonal debut at Saratoga July 21 (video), could target the newly positioned GI Jockey Club Gold Cup over closing weekend at the Spa Sept. 4. The lightly raced 4-year-old, a disappointing eighth in the GII Remsen S. in his juvenile finale, has been perfect in three starts since. The Don Alberto homebred was two-for-two in an abbreviated 2020 campaign, capped by a win with a career-high 101 Beyer Speed Figure in the GIII...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Hakodate and Niigata Racecourses: Saturday, July 24, 2021 1st-HAK, ¥9,680,000 ($88k), Maiden, 2yo, 1800mT FIFTY CHEVY (c, 2, Tapit--Stopchargingmaria, by Tale of the Cat), a debut fourth going this distance at Tokyo June 13 (video, gate 2), attracted a final...

Multiple Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Charlatan (Speightstown) has been retired from racing and will take up stud duty at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, Hill 'n' Dale announced Thursday. Bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, the imposing chestnut, out of GI Breeders' Cup Distaff-placed Authenticity (Quiet American), sold as the second-highest priced colt for his sire at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale at $700,000. Purchased by SF Bloodstock/Starlight West, the colt raced for owners SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Frederick Hertrich, III,...

Overbore benefitted from a key scratch in the morning and a pace duel in the afternoon to graduate and become his 23-year-old sire's 123rd stakes winner in this longstanding event. Third by a half-length behind Baytown Frosty (Frosted) after a rough start at even-money at Keeneland Apr. 18, the dark bay second by a nose on the Churchill turf May 21. He inherited the favorite's role when big-figure debut romper Little Drama (Dramedy) was withdrawn, and he was bothered at the start before moving up to sit third behind runaway...

6th-Churchill Downs, $100,000, Msw, 5-23, 3yo/up, f/m, 5 1/2fT, 1:04.51, fm, neck. TOWN AVENGER (f, 3, Speightstown--Unavenged, by Empire Maker) was crunched into 7-2 at post time from a morning line of 12-1 and was up in the shadow of the post for a good-looking victory at first asking. Settled behind midfield, but trapped out wide after departing the 10 hole, the $380,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase looped rivals four deep on the turn and carried a full head of steam into the lane despite the significant ground loss. The...