Unified

6th-Ellis, $70,000, Msw, 7-31, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.17, ft, 7 3/4 lengths. CONDON CANDY (f, 2, Unified--Sweetness 'n Light, by Distorted Humor) broke well enough to go on and set the pace from two off the rail, drawing away from her rivals at the three furlong marker. Widening her advantage while being kept to her task, Condon Candy made the margin 7 3/4 lengths over Regal Humor (Kantharos), who would come on from midpack to claim second after bouncing off runners at the break. A half-sister to Stormy Sky (Sky...

MGSW Unified (Candy Ride {Arg}) will relocate to Lacer at Aztec Equine in Sunset, Louisiana after being acquired from Lane's End Farm, David Tillson and his partners said in a release Saturday. "Unified has settled in well, he is in wonderful shape and is acclimating to his new home," Tillson said. The stallion, who celebrated his fourth stakes winner on Friday at Saratoga when Unified Alliance won the Coronation Cup S., will join leading general sire in Louisiana, MGISW Carpe Diem (Giant's Causeway) and first-crop yearling sire GISP Bobby's Wicked...

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 three-day weekend, which features the resumption of racing at Tokyo and at Hanshin: Saturday, October 8, 2022 4th-TOK, ¥13,400,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1300m GRAN PHARAOH (c, 2, American Pharoah--Sweet Tooth Sweety, by Smarty Jones) was bought back on a bid of $120,000 at...

Churchill Downs, $80,418, Msw, 5-20, 2yo, 4 1/2f, :52.05, ft, 1/2 length. LATE SEPTEMBER (c, 2, Munnings--Hello Maggie May {MSW, $264,687}, by Lemon Drop Kid) O-Dew Sweepers LLC; B-Coteau Grove Farms, LLC (LA); T-George R. Arnold, II A number one song in America in the long hot summer of 1971 had these very first two lines: Wake up, Maggie, I think I got somethin' to say to you/It's late September and I really should be back at school. The song was called "Maggie May" and made mullet-haired, raspy-voiced co-author Rod...

So finally we come to a group of stallions that has at least offered some initial indication of their competence actually to produce a runner. Not that the market tends to enjoy this process! Its nervousness about sires at this stage of their career makes it easy to see why so much investment is instead concentrated in that period of grace when they haven't yet been exposed in such heartless fashion. Yes, the one or two that are prompt to seize their chance are instantly on their way: their second...

7th-Fair Grounds, $45,000, Msw, 11-26, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.57, ft, 3/4 length. UNDERHILL'S TAB (c, 2, Unified--Mykindasaint {MSW, $171,228}, by Saint Ballado), looking to become the 15th winner for his freshman sire (by Candy Ride {Arg}), was half of the 4-5 favored entry. The dark bay colt tracked pacesetting entrymate Prather (Into Mischief) from third while racing along the rail through fractions of :22.41 and :45.99. He ranged up three wide at the top of the stretch and collared a determined Boss' Dialin In (Dialed In) late despite drifting out to...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency PRICEY UNIFIED DEBUTS IN NOLA 7th-FG, $45K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 5:11 p.m. Spendthrift Farm's $400,000 OBSMAR purchase UNDERHILL'S TAB (Unified) makes his career bow in this spot for trainer Al Stall. A $10,000 KEENOV weanling and $19,000 FTKOCT yearling, the dark bay breezed in a snappy :9 4/5 at OBS. Out of MSW Mykindasaint (Saint Ballado), the colt is a half to SW Malibu Saint (Malibu Moon). Spendthrift and partners William and Corinne Heiligbrodt will be represented by second timer Prather (Into Mischief). The...

5th-Louisiana Downs, $22,000, (S), Msw, 8-30, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:06.90, ft, 9 1/2 lengths. DROP DEAD SEXY (f, 2, Unified--Half a Notion, by Half Ours) became the sixth winner for her freshman sire (by Candy Ride {Arg}) with a dominant debut display. Bet into 49-10 from a morning line of 6-1, the $15,000 KEESEP yearling was driven through by Alexander Castillo to take up the running after a furlong and led narrowly into the turn with three pursuing her from the outside. She began to assert five-sixteenths of a...

OBS March bullet breezer (:20.2) Roger McQueen (Unified) fended of all challengers Sunday to become the second stakes winner for his freshman sire (by Candy Ride {Arg}). Third as the favorite on debut at Churchill May 22--one slot behind GII Saratoga Special S. runner-up Gunite (Gun Runner)--the dark bay stepped forward to air by five lengths here July 17. Displaying ample zip once again to attend the pace through a :46.99 half, Roger McQueen took over approaching the stretch but was immediately tackled by Lucky Boss (Street Boss). He continued...

3rd-Ellis, $51,000, Msw, 7-17, 2yo, 5f, :57.94, gd, 5 lengths. ROGER MCQUEEN (c, 2, Unified--Promise Me a Cat {SW, $320,820}, by D'wildcat) was third in his five-furlong unveiling at Churchill May 22. The 3-5 favorite battled on the front end through a quarter in :22.29, took command after a half in :45.76 and pulled away to score by five lengths. Back to Normal (Liam's Map) issued a midstretch challenge before settling for second. Roger McQueen is the second winner for his freshman sire (by Candy Ride {Arg}). He was a...

I noted on Steve Byk's "At the Races" radio show last Wednesday that some stallions that enter stud for between $10,000 and $20,000 occasionally punch above their weight and find lasting success. The in-your-face examples of this are Into Mischief, Tapit, and War Front, three of the best and most expensive horses at stud, but others that have fit the profile through the years include Distorted Humor, Candy Ride (Arg), Elusive Quality, Munnings and Twirling Candy. Twirling Candy, a son of Candy Ride, was recently profiled in this space along...

Behave Virginia (Unified), the first winner for Unified when dueling free and airing on debut beneath the Twin Spires May 28, became her freshman sire's first stakes winner in Saturday's $150,000 Debutante S. at Churchill Downs. The 4-1 chance bobbled slightly at the start and sat behind the leaders in an inside fourth. She split horses as they turned for home and ran to the money to stay perfect. The winner's dam, a $25,000 purchase by Arif Kurtel at the 2019 KEENOV Sale, had a colt by Tamarkuz in 2020....