Tapit

Nobody in our community is more eligible than Ted Bassett to say that he has seen it all before, but something will be attempted Saturday that falls outside even the long experience encompassed by his 100th birthday in just a few days' time. For a Keeneland showpiece that Mr. Bassett helped to inaugurate in 1984, as host to the lady for whom it was named, could well present one of her subjects with the opportunity to complete a unique double. First, in the backyard of Windsor Castle, William Haggas saddles...

Blue Grass Farms Charities (BGFC), which provides health and human services to people working on Central Kentucky's Thoroughbred farms, will host both a virtual auction and an in-person gala event in October. The 2nd Annual Relics and Rarities from the Bluegrass Region Virtual Auction will begin Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. and end Nov. 1, also at 7 p.m. Anyone is welcome and encouraged to bid on unique, rare, and fun items from area farms and businesses. Text BGFC at 76278 to connect and be a part of the auction. "We...

4th-BEL, $90K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, post time: 2:20 p.m. ET Vegso Racing Stable homebred CELESTIAL (Quality Road), a full-sister to champion 2-year-old filly and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Caledonia Road, kicks off her career for Hall of Famer Bill Mott. She RNA'd for $700,000 as a FTKSEL yearling last year and is drawn widest of all in post nine. Magnier, Tabor, Smith and Westerberg's Sweet as Pie (Tapit), a $490,000 FTKSEL yearling produced by a full-sister to GISW Streaming (Smart Strike), debuts for Hall of Famer...

Grade I winner Valiance (Tapit--Last Full Measure, by Empire Maker) has been retired from racing and will be offered at Fasig-Tipton's upcoming November Sale Nov. 9 in Lexington, Kentucky. Bluewater Sales will consign the 5-year-old mare for owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Martin S. Schwartz, and CHC Inc. Valiance captured last year's GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at Keeneland in just her second dirt start and followed up that victory with a game second in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff to multiple champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar), finishing ahead of another four...

L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds' Stellar Tap (Tapit) wowed spectators with a TDN Rising Star-worthy performance at Saratoga Aug. 7 and will try to prove that it wasn't a fluke in Saturday's GIII Iroquois S. at Churchill Downs. Out of a half-sister to GISW Nereid (Rock Hard Ten), the $250,000 KEESEP graduate showed early speed for trainer Steve Asmussen navigating seven furlongs in his debut and turned on all boosters late, drawing away to score by 5 1/4 lengths over Keepcalmcarryon (Union Rags), who won at that venue...

A colt from the first crop of MGISW City of Light (Hip 612) became the new sale topper Wednesday when summoning $1.7m from Talla Racing, Woodford Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds, who also took home a $1.55m Justify colt about 30 minutes earlier. Bred & consigned by Rosilyn Polan, the bay is out of MSP Anchorage (Tapit), who is also responsible for GSP Chip Leader (Giant's Causeway).

Don Alberto Stable's ALMANZO (Tapit) kicks off his career for trainer Brad Cox on Churchill's opening card of the fall meet. Having registered his latest works at Ellis, including a recent four-furlong move in :49 4/5 Sept. 11, the homebred is out of GSP American Story, a $400,000 Fasig-Tipton juvenile purchase. Campaigned by Kaleem Shah and Bob Baffert, the daughter of Ghostzapper is also responsible for SW and MGSP Americanize (Concord Point) and MGISW American Gal (Concord Point), both of whom were also campaigned by Shah and trained by Simon...

by Brian DiDonato, Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis LEXINGTON, KY - If Monday's first session of the Keeneland September sale was solid, Tuesday's second day of selling and final Book 1 session was very strong. Three yearlings hit the seven-figure mark during the opener, and another eight brought that amount or more on Tuesday, led by the current sale-topping $1.6-million Quality Road colt. Consigned by Eaton Sales, agent for Stonestreet Bred & Raised, the well-related hip 300 was purchased by Woodford Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds. "It was a great...

Mandy Pope made her first big splash at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale, going to $1.3 million for Gainesway's hip 331. The Lexington nursery acquired the colt's dam Danzatrice (Dunkirk) for $105,000 at the 2014 OBS April Sale and raced her to seven victories, including a trio at black-type level and a third-place effort in the GIII Groupie Doll S. Danzatrice is a half-sister to Eclipse Award winner Jaywalk (Cross Traffic), who is a maternal granddaughter of the late Unbridled's Song the same as Danzatrice. Mandy Pope paid $3.8 million...

'TDN Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit), away since turning in one of the best debut performances of all time, a 13 1/4-length romp at Santa Anita Apr. 24 that earned him a 105 Beyer Speed Figure, showed that effort was far from a fluke Sunday as he demolished winners at Del Mar to remain unbeaten and completely untested. Reportedly given ample time so as not to react from his freakish first outing before then coming up with a foot abscess, the $1-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad had generated more buzz with his...

Coinage (c, 2, Tapit--Bar of Gold, by Medaglia d'Oro) switched to grass in style with a wire-to-wire upset victory at 6-1 in Wednesday's GIII With Anticipation S. at Saratoga. The chestnut, drawn widest of all in post six, was sent to the front by Junior Alvarado. The New York-bred showed the way through fractions of :25.66 and :50.65, and had plenty left for the stretch to win going away by two lengths. Saratoga debut winner Portfolio Company (Kitten's Joy), a handful for Irad Ortiz, Jr. throughout the 1 1/16-miles journey,...

Maximus Aurelius, a 3-year-old colt by Tapit out of champion Close Hatches, sold for $40,000 to Pewter Stable to top Tuesday's Keeneland August Digital Sale, held as part of Keeneland's Digital Sales Ring platform. Consigned by Juddmonte as a racing or stallion prospect, Maximus Aurelius is a full-brother to multiple graded stakes winner Tacitus. Captain Ginny B, a 4-year-old filly by Uncle Mo, brought the sale's second-highest price of $12,000 from JBS Stable. Consigned by Winchester Equine, agent for Michael Scardina, Captain Ginny B is out of the stakes-winning Big...