Vekoma

Rigney Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Jonathan's Way (Vekoma), seventh at a well-backed 5-1 in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar, is being aimed at the GII Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs Nov. 30. The previously unbeaten GIII Iroquois Stakes winner returned to trainer Phil Bauer's Louisville base with a five-furlong bullet in :58.80 (1/76) Nov. 16. "Hopefully, we'll put that behind us and run well in the Jockey Club," Bauer said. "He's shown great energy since he shipped home. That's the main reason why we even considered...

After taking home the Central Park Stakes trophy with Jack and Jim (Slumber {GB}) at the Big A on Saturday, trainer Graham Motion made it back to the winner's circle when Laurelin (Ire) (Zarak {Fr}) got up in time to take the Tepin Stakes on Sunday. The chestnut broke her maiden for the Maryland-based conditioner by 1 1/2 lengths over the same grass course Oct. 13, but that was not enough to install her as the favorite in the bettor's minds. As a 4-1 shot here, the filly settled mid-pack...

This past year marked a new record for Spendthrift Farm when they came just six short of covering 3,700 mares during an exceedingly busy breeding season. After adding three new recruits for 2025, they'll likely surpass that number next year with a growing roster of 29 stallions. It's the biggest sire lineup in Spendthrift's history since the farm was purchased by B. Wayne Hughes 20 years ago. With such a wide array of stallions, open house season is a busy time at Spendthrift. As the Keeneland November Sale transpired some...

If it stays like this, a single maiden winner might settle it. Because all that separates McKinzie ($2,294,679) from current leader Tiz the Law ($2,339,575) in the freshman table is $44,896. But wait, there's more. McKinzie isn't even second. Between the pair lurks Vekoma ($2,306,457), ensuring a desperate three-way contest for the prized laurels of champion first-season sire. It's even closer than this time last year, when four stallions were divided by barely $200,000. In the end, Mitole actually extended his lead down the stretch. But the fact that the...

Now undefeated in three starts, Echo Sound picked up her first stakes victory Friday when taking the Myrtlewood Stakes at Keeneland. A debut winner at Ellis Park in early August, the daughter of freshman sire Echo Town (by Speighstown) then wired an optional claiming field as the even-money favorite at Churchill Downs over this same six furlong distance Sept. 12. Friday's 3-1 second choice behind 5-2 favorite Trust Fund Philly Echo Sound enjoyed a near-perfect pace set up, stalking from third along the rail as a pair of leaders dueled several...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Fasig-Tipton October Yearlings Sale reached its halfway mark with a vibrant day of trade topped by a $550,000 son of Curlin who was one of the last horses through the ring Tuesday. "It was tremendous second session of the 2024 Kentucky October Yearling sale," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. "There was really spirited bidding from the very beginning of the sale to the very end of the sale. The level and consistency of the bidding throughout the day was truly encouraging." Through two sessions of...

Spendthrift Farm's unstoppable Into Mischief, the five-time leading sire who is on target for a sixth consecutive title in 2024, will again lead the farm's stallion roster for the upcoming breeding season. He will stand the 2025 season for $250,000 stands and nurses, the same fee he held in 2024. With more than two months remaining in 2024, Into Mischief's current earnings of $29,720,854 have already surpassed his previous record of $28,122,550, set in 2022. His five Grade I winners in 2024 include Dubai World Cup winner Laurel River, as...

When Jon Clay bought Strong Incentive for his Alpha Delta Stables for $2.15 million at last year's Fasig-Tipton November Sale, she had already produced Grade III winner and track-record holder Highly Motivated (Into Mischief), now a stallion at Airdrie Stud; two-time Grade III winner Surge Capacity (Flintshire {GB}); and an up-and-coming `TDN Rising Star' named Ways and Means (Practical Joke), who had run second in the Grade I Spinaway Stakes. Within a month of his purchase, Surge Capacity won the Grade I Matriarch, and by the following summer, Ways and...

Yaupon continued a strong run for his first crop of yearlings in the sales ring Monday when hip 78 topped the schedule-adjusted Day 1 of the Ocala Breeders' Sale October Yearling Sale. Consigned by Colin Brennan Bloodstock, Agent IX and purchased for $75,000 by Pick View LLC, the Florida-bred colt is a half to a two-time winner in Candy Caramel (Candy Ride {Arg}) and out of a half-sister to MGSW Conveyance (Indian Charlie). Dam Bride Street is also a half to Cashing Tickets (Indian Charlie) who produced GSW Leggs Galore...

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 Sunday running at Tokyo and Niigata Racecourses: Sunday, October 6, 2024 3rd-TOK, ¥13,720,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600m MALIBU ORANGE (f, 2, Vekoma--Malibu Pier, by Malibu Moon), whose dam won a trio of graded stakes on the turf and was runner-up in the GI...

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 Saturday running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses. Sunday's runners will appear in Saturday's TDN Saturday, October 5, 2024 4th-KYO, ¥13,720,000 ($93k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400m DRAGON WELDS (c, 2, Frosted--Little Dipper, by Eskendereya) fetched $72,000 as a Keeneland September yearling last fall and was...

The Jockey Club projects a North American registered Thoroughbred foal crop of 17,300 in 2025, which is some 700 fewer foals than the 2024 foal crop estimate of 18,000, the organization said in a press release early Wednesday. The foal crop projection is computed by using Reports of Mares Bred (RMBs) received to date for the 2024 breeding season. RMBs are to be filed by Aug. 1 of each breeding season. This year, The Jockey Club has published preliminary statistics regarding mares reported bred by state/province through the current date...