Upstart

Showing continued overall strength through the middle of the market, Keeneland's seventh day of the November Sale extended the upward trend that it had shown through much of the first six days of selling. At the conclusion of Monday's session, gross sales (through the ring) reached $181,460,500, surpassing last year's gross of $176.5 million for the entire nine-day run. Highlighting Monday's action, a weanling colt by Upstart (Hip 2680) drew a session-topping $155,000 bid from Margaret Duprey's Cherry Knoll Farm. A member of the Indian Creek consignment, the Jan. 15...

Airdrie Stud's 2025 stallion roster will be headlined by four young stallions all being offered for a fee of $25,000, according to a press release from Airdrie Friday. The quartet includes breakout freshman sire Complexity. Currently ranked fourth in earnings according to TDN's Sire List, Complexity has three stakes winners--including two graded winners--and five stakes horses from his first crop of 2-year-olds. The 8-year-old stallion joins GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic), as well as Girvin (Tale of Ekati) and Upstart (Flatter), who all come in at the price...

During the 11th session of the 2021 Keeneland September Sale, Kazakhstan-based bloodstock agent Nadir Khassanov paid $12,000 for a colt by California Chrome--Little Emily (Castledale {Ire}). After nearly running the table in Kazakhstan and Russia, the colt that came to be called Kabirkhan took his show on the road to Dubai over the winter, where he won the G1 Al Maktoum Classic in his second start for trainer Doug Watson. Khassanov was back in Lexington on the hunt for his next diamond in the rough during Friday's opening Book 6...

Off a visually-impressive 16 3/4-length win on debut at Lone Star June 29, Stilettos jumped up into stakes company to take the Ellis Park Debutante Sunday. The narrow 2-1 second choice  took on race favorite Rich City Girl right from the jump and the top pair opened up on the field into the backstretch run through a half in :45.51. Outside of her rivals off the turn, Stilettos had the most to offer late, just edging away in the later stages to keep Rich City Girl behind her to the...

As we approach the opening of the 2024 breeding season, the TDN staff is once again sitting down with leading breeders to find out what stallions they have chosen for their mares, and why. Today we caught up with Williams S. Sparks of Monroe, Louisiana. Originally from Arkansas where he grew up attending Oaklawn races with his grandfather, Sparks has assembled a band which reflects his philosophy of breeding to race. "I'm really deeply committed to breeding a sound racehorse who is going to do what they do best--run," said...

Now we're really entering nosebleed altitudes for most breeders, between $30,000 and $50,000: a zone where you should feel that you're improving the odds of coming up with an elite horse. It tells you a lot about our business that the majority of the two dozen stallions operating at this level can only do so because they have yet to send a single runner into the starting gate. A quarter of these we immediately set to one side, as absolute beginners, because those received separate consideration in the opening instalment...

Grade I winner Zandon (Upstart--Memories Prevail, by Creative Cause) has been retired and has arrived at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky ahead of stallion duty in 2024, the farm announced. The dark bay will stand for $12,500 stands and nurses and will participate in Spendthrift's "Share the Upside" program on a limited basis for a fee of $15,000 for two years. "We are excited about Zandon and the ability to offer a Grade I winner with his physical through our Share The Upside program. He's what they should look like," said...

Girvin (Tale of Ekati), the sire of three graded stakes winners including Grade I winner Faiza, and Upstart (Flatter), the sire of GI Toyota Blue Grass S. winner Zandon, will both stand for a stud fee of $30,000 at Airdrie Farm in Midway, Kentucky, for the 2024 season, Airdrie announced Wednesday. "We couldn't be looking more forward to the 2024 season as we continue to build momentum in our stallion barn," said Airdrie's Bret Jones. "We believe we have two very special stallions in Girvin and Upstart headlining our roster...

Grade I winners and 'TDN Rising Stars' Taiba (Gun Runner) and Arabian Lion (Justify) will join Zandon (Upstart) and stand at Spendthrift Farm for the 2024 breeding season. Spendthrift announced the news Saturday. "We are really excited to be bringing in three new stallion prospects of the caliber of Taiba, Arabian Lion and Zandon for the 2024 breeding season," said Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey. "All three are superior physicals, and all three displayed immense talent in winning some of America's biggest 3-year-old races on dirt. Obviously, the Breeders' Cup...

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 and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits. 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 Thursday at Saratoga and Del Mar: Thursday, August 24, 2023 Saratoga 2, $88k,...

Welcome back, Babe. Trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr., on the sidelines for more than 10 years after having his license suspended by New York State racing regulators, enjoyed by far his biggest win since returning in the spring courtesy of White Abarrio (Race Day), a jaw-dropping 6 1/4-length, stalk-and-pounce winner of Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Whitney S. at Saratoga. Zandon (Upstart) completed the exacta while the heavily favored Cody's Wish (Curlin), looking for his first career win beyond one mile while drawn widest of all in post six, had...

First Row Partners and Team Hanley's Prerequisite went wire-to-wire to take the rescheduled GII Wonder Again S. in just her third career start at Belmont Park Sunday. Sent off at 7-1, the bay filly rushed up to take the lead into the first turn and she was tracked by Spansive (Karakontie {Jpn}) through fractions of :23.67 and :47.94 in a strung-out field down the backstretch. She scampered away into the lane and was clear in upper stretch, but was all out to hold off the late-closing Be Your Best. "I...