Uncle Mo

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis LEXINGTON, KY - With the very first horse through the ring bringing $1.3 million, the second session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale was off to the races Tuesday and the action didn't slow down throughout the day as the second-to-last offering brought $1.25 million. In between, 13 other yearlings sold for seven figures, including a colt by Into Mischief who brought top price of $3 million from the partnership of Chuck Sonson, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford. With eight million-dollar yearlings Monday, the...

An Uncle Mo half-sister to MGISW Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) crossed the seven-figure threshold Tuesday at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, fetching $2.5 million from Gavin O'Connor on behalf of John Stewart. The bay filly, consigned by Denali Stud, agent for WinStar Farm Bred & Raised, was bred by WinStar in Kentucky. The Apr. 4 filly joined a burgeoning list of top sellers by Coolmore America sire Uncle Mo, who had five of the top 11-priced yearlings Monday. Hip 337 is out of Starship Warpspeed (Congrats), who produced GSP Mojovation (Quality Road)...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis The Keeneland September Yearling Sale opened with a packed pavilion and plenty of bidding from a diverse buying bench ultimately producing eight seven-figure sales led by a $2.3-million daughter of Into Mischief. At the end of the session, numbers were largely in line with the figures from the opening session of last year's record-breaking auction. "We were all biting our nails a little bit thinking about being measured up to last year's sale which was so phenomenal," said Keeneland President Shannon Arvin. "But the...

Into Mischief was the undisputed star of the show on the first day of selling at Keeneland September, but Coolmore's Uncle Mo proved an able understudy, as his son of Helena Bay (GB) (Johannesburg) was knocked down to Donato Lanni, agent for Amr Zedan, for an even $2 million to become the day's top seller of his sex. Hip 154, a half-brother to 2014 KEESEP purchase and hot young sire Collected (City Zip), was bred by Runnymede Farm, Peter J. Callahan and Three Chimneys Farm. The Feb. 12 foal was...

M.V. Magnier stretched to $1.35 million to acquire hip 130, a colt by Uncle Mo--Forever for Now (War Front) as the first day of trade at the Keeneland September Sale rolled on Monday afternoon. The Feb. 7-foaled bay was consigned to the sale by Penn Sales, agent for Bar C Racing Stables and is out of an unraced half-sister to the Irish Group 3-placed Carlisle Bay (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who was purchased by Pam Christopherson for $210,000 with the Uncle Mo colt in utero at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale....

The opening session of the Keeneland September Sale picked up considerable steam at its midway stage when a filly by Into Mischief and a colt by Uncle Mo made seven-figure prices back-to-back. The Gainesway-consigned hip 92 is a daughter of Grade III winner Delightful Joy (Tapit), a $700,000 purchase by International Equities Holding at Keeneland January in 2017 and also the dam of Window Shopping (American Pharoah), winner of this year's GIII Summertime Oaks for Perry and Ramona Bass and Richard Mandella. Hip 92 was hammered down to Sheikha Hissa's...

One month ago, Archie St George hit one out of the park, striking with a colt by Into Mischief who snagged $1-million from Elliott Walden, bidding on behalf of the partnership of China Horse Club, Siena Farm and Maverick Racing at Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga Select Sale. In fact, the operation sold all five of the yearlings it brought upstate, averaging $529,000 while realizing $2,645,000 in gross revenue. Hoping to carry on that momentum into Lexington next week, St George offers seven yearlings in Book 1 of Keeneland's September Sale. "I go...

1st-KD, $150K, Msw, 2yo, 1mT, 1:30 p.m. ROCKETEIGHTYEIGHT (Into Mischief), a homebred for Frank Fletcher Racing, debuts for Riley Mott Sunday at Kentucky Downs. His dam is a half to the dam of successful young sire Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) along with GISW Global Campaign (Curlin) and SW/MGSP Sonic Mule (Distorted Humor). Under his third dam is MGISW Zensational (Unbridled's Song) and MGSW/GISP Departing (War Front). Making his second start, Hanalei Bay (Into Mischief) was a $500,000 yearling who just missed when debuted over the Colonial Downs turf Aug. 3....

3rd-Del Mar, $84,500, Msw, 9-2, 2yo, 6f, 1:11.43, ft, 1 1/2 lengths. WINE ME UP (c, 2, Vino Rosso--Deanaallen'skitten {SW, $374,246}, by Kitten's Joy) found his feet after bobbling a touch at the jump and took no time getting to the front, speeding through :22.01, and :45.44 early splits as D'Oro Dash (Bolt d'Oro) hounded him from second as part of the lead trio. Vying with challengers through the turn, Wine Me Up had to dig, but found more in the stretch to kick away from his longtime shadow and...

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at both Saratoga and Del Mar. Summer Breezes highlights debuting 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. To follow are the entries for Saturday at Saratoga and Del Mar: Saturday, September 2, 2023 Saratoga 1, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 12:40 p.m. ET Horse (Sire), Sale, Price ($), Breeze Echo Baybe (Ire) (Cable Bay {Ire}), FTMMAY, 115,000,...

10th-KD, $150K, Msw, 2yo, 1mT, 6:28 p.m. The European-style grass course situated on the Kentucky side of the southern border with Tennessee cards a maiden finale which draws $450,000 Keeneland September graduate from last year, PUBLIUS (Constitution). Bred by Twin Creeks Farm, the bay colt debuts out of Sharp Instinct (Awesome Again), who is the dam of seven winners from nine to race. The Brad Cox trainee, ridden by Florent Geroux, is a half-brother to GIII Excelsior S. hero Send It In (Big Brown). Also entered is the well-bred Tapitoro...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Insights features a relative to a multiple Grade I winner. 16.05 Curragh, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, c/g, 8fT ORTELIUS (Justify), a $1.1-million Keeneland September purchase by M V Magnier, is out of a half to the five-times Grade I-winning Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) and therefore a big deal...