Vekoma

Dream Team One Racing Stable's well-related Anakarina (f, 2, Vekoma--Tacit Approval, by Tapit) catapulted her boom freshman sire (by Candy Ride {Arg}) back into the lead for first-crop winners (with nine) after blitzing her rivals from the front Wednesday at Churchill Downs to become a 'TDN Rising Star'. Vekoma leapfrogs Complexity, who was represented by his eighth winner earlier on the program in the form of Sweet Mo B. A homebred half-sister to the globetrotting Grade II Cigar Mile Handicap hero Hoist the Gold (Mineshaft), MGSW & MGISP, $1,411,297, Anakarina...

When Jon Clay first got started in the Thoroughbred business, he launched Alpha Delta Stables with ambitious goals in mind. Step one: breed a stakes winner. Step two: breed something good enough to make it to either the Kentucky Derby or the Kentucky Oaks. Nearly two decades later, Clay has checked off every one of those goals, having bred both a Derby and an Oaks starter. Plus, his program has produced something he never could have dreamed up back when he was compiling that wish list of accomplishments. In world-class...

7th-Belmont The Big A, $90,000, Msw, 6-15, 2yo, 5f, :56.97, ft, nose. MENTEE (c, 2, City of Light--Nonna Bella, by Stay Thirsty), on the 'Insights' radar by virtue of his relationship to full brother, champion juvenile Fierceness, MGISW, $1,703,850, stepped up to lead the field in this unveiling. The 1-2 favorite cruised along through :22.37 and :44.80 opening splits and had built a noteworthy margin entering the final furlong. Under confident handling, his rider John Velazquez never seemed worried as Colloquial (Vekoma) rapidly closed the gap with a furious late...

4th-Churchill Downs, $120,000, Msw, 6-14, 2yo, f, 5f, :57.26, ft, 5 lengths. VIGGIEDAL (f, 2, Vekoma--Minnelli, by Unbridled's Song), the 8-5 second choice behind 6-5 favorite Aurelia's Mischief (Into Mischief), enjoyed a sharp break and was able to get over to the rail and open up into the turn as the favorite fell back in mid pack. Clear into the lane, Viggiedal was home free and finished up under a hand ride five lengths ahead of Kimchi Cat (Twirling Candy) in second. Aurelia's Mischief, a daughter of Lady Aurelia, tired...

4th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5f, 2:13 p.m. The second foal out of MG1SW and 'TDN Rising Star' Lady Aurelia, AURELIA'S MISCHIEF (Into Mischief) makes the races as a homebred for Stonestreet Stables who went to $7,500,000 to secure Lady Aurelia at FTKNOV in 2018. The mare, herself a daughter of Puerto Rican Horse of the Year D' Wildcat Speed, has already produced 'TDN Rising Star' and Zia Park Juvenile S. winner American Rascal (Curlin) as her first foal. Trainer Brad Cox and Florent Geroux team up for Aurelia's Mischief's...

Saturday's session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training included a son of Lord Nelson (hip 809) who put up the fastest quarter-mile time of the day. Consigned by Omar Ramirez Bloodstock, the colt worked in :20.4 and is the second foal out of Kodiak's Dancer, a half-sister to SP Baby Gray (Precise End). He'll make his third trip through the sales ring next week, having RNA'd at both KEENOV as a weanling for $9,500 and again as a yearling for $8,500 at FTKOCT last...

2nd-Delaware, $48,125, Msw, 6-5, 2yo, 5f, 1:00.84, ft, 8 lengths. IT'S HAMMERTIME (c, 2, Vekoma--Steady N Love {SW, $241,305}, by Not For Love), the 6-5 favorite, flew out of the gate to the early lead, but ceded his advantage to Fortheloveofrun (Runhappy) into the far turn and settled into second. He reeled in that foe approaching the stretch, took charge in midstretch and powered clear to graduate by eight lengths. Fortheloveofrun held off Hello Sunshine (Spun to Run) for second. It's Hammertime, the third winner for his freshman sire (by...

TIMONIUM, MD - The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale opened with a steady session which gained steam throughout the day Monday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. "It was a very good start to the May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. "The results were basically identical to last year, from a statistical standpoint. We were very encouraged." A total of 142 horses sold Monday for a gross of $13,162,000. Monday's average was $92,690, and the median was $48,500. Monday's figures where on...

TIMONIUM, MD - After an unexpected day off Wednesday and a two-hour delay, the under-tack show for the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale resumed for its second session at 10 a.m. Thursday with a lively surface and a significant tailwind which persisted throughout the day. The first horse to work Thursday matched the :10 flat bullet time of Tuesday's opening session of the three-day show and was followed in that first set by six more to hit that mark in the first set before a colt by Street...

4th-Horseshoe Indianapolis, $32,000, Msw, 5-13, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :53.60, ft, 4 lengths. FORTUNA MIA (f, 2, Vekoma--Windy Lane, by Cairo Prince), dispatched at 5-1, quickly hooked up with Run Camila Run (West Coast) to her inside. The top pair opened up on the field and worked through an opening quarter in :22.45 before Fortuna Mia began to gain an upper hand. Run Camila Run ducked to the outside to try to re-engage but the winner was already gone and hit the wire four lengths in front. An objection was...

So what happens when you keep pursuing the dream, keep persevering, only to find that it's taken you right to the cliff's edge? At some point you quit, right? Not if you're Ramon "R.J." Rangel, you don't. He was still working with yearlings at Dixiana when he leased his first 10 acres. His wife at the time had quit her own job at Dixiana to care for their little farm and he would come back in the afternoons to put in a second shift on the heavier work. Gradually they...

by Jessica Martini & Stefanie Grimm OCALA, FL - The action picked up noticeably during the second session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and, with the auction's first seven-figure offering leading the way, figures concluded above 2023 levels Wednesday evening. "It was an excellent day," OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski said at the close of business Wednesday. "As I said yesterday, there are plenty of good horses left to be sold and obviously that was borne out today. Quality horses sell well...