West Point Thoroughbreds

When bloodstock agent David Ingordo bought Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}) for just $60,000 out of the 2005 Keeneland September Sale he probably thought he had found that once-in-a-lifetime horse. Little did he know that the 2010 Horse of the Year, who was admitted to the Hall of Fame in 2016, might not be his very best purchase. Fourteen years after he discovered Zenyatta, he picked out Flightline (Tapit), paying $1 million for the future superstar. There was nothing coincidental about any of these selections. Over the years, Ingordo has solidified...

 Battle of Normandy (City of Light) put the final touches on a spectacular Saturday for West Point Thoroughbreds and partners with a stalk-and-pounce success in the GIII River City Stakes as night fell across Churchill Downs on Saturday. The partnership also campaigns Saturday's GIII Hill Prince Stakes runner-up Cugino (Twirling Candy) as well as GII Red Smith Stakes winner Integration (Quality Road). All three West Point gallopers are by Lane's End stallions. While Masteroffoxhounds (War Front) and Hades (Awesome Slew) were off slowly, Wonderful Justice (GB) (Justify) left there cleanly...

Integration's well-timed throttle management in the more than capable hands of jockey Flavien Prat worked to perfection as the 4-year-old swooped in late to take the featured GII Red Smith Stakes at Aqueduct on Saturday afternoon. After a stellar start to his career in 2023, which saw the $700,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale buy graduate on debut by 6 1/2 lengths over the turf at Colonial Downs, then score in the GIII Virginia Derby and the GII Hill Prince Stakes at the Big A, Integration hit the board in the...

The ninth installment in the 2024 OwnerView webinar series was held on Nov. 5 and discussion covered the various ways state incentive programs approach supporting the equine industry, especially when it comes to a declining foal crop, according to a Friday Jockey Club press release. The panel consisted of Cricket Goodall, executive director of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association Inc., the Maryland Million Ltd., and the Maryland Horse Foundation; Roger Heitzmann, secretary and executive director of the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association; Steve Koch, the associate vice president of operations for...

It was another banner weekend for Godolphin as the stable swept the two Grade I races for 2-year-olds at Keeneland. The filly Immersive (Nyquist) won Friday's GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes and finished things off with a very impressive win by the colt East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity. Both will appear next in the Breeders' Cup where they could garner favoritism in their respective races. Leading the cheering section for Godolphin was its Director of Bloodstock, Michael Banahan, whose duties include overseeing the U.S.-based Godolphin runners....

The scratching of Godolphin's morning-line favorite Legend of Time (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) deprived Saturday's GIII Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes of some of its luster, and Carson's Run (Cupid)--who was a strong winning chance Legend of Time or not--continued in his rich vein of form, rallying from sixth and last to lead home a 1-2 finish for the Christophe Clement stable over 'TDN Rising Star' Deterministic (Liam's Map). Favored at 3-2 when all was said and done, the $170,000 OBS April breezer was taken back to the tail...

The eighth installment in the 2024 OwnerView webinar series was held on Oct. 1 and discussed the benefits of owners having professional advisors and agents, The Jockey Club of America said in a release early Friday. The panel consisted of Braxton Lynch, co-founder and racing manager of BBN Racing; Clark Shepherd, founder of Shepherd Equine Advisers; and Jeffrey R. Bloom, founder of Bloom Racing. A Q&A was sponsored by West Point Thoroughbreds, and attendees were able to ask questions through a link, which were then answered at the end of...

As recently as 2015, it looked like Dylan Davis's career was stuck in neutral. He won just 57 races that year with earnings of $1,859,318. He was, at best, a middle-of-the-pack rider on the NYRA circuit. Fast forward to 2024 and a new Davis has emerged. With three months to go on the year he's already won 147 races and earned $11,318,656 and is on schedule to have the best year of his career. His win aboard Todd Pletcher trainee Tapit Trice (Tapit) in last Saturday's GII Woodward Stakes was...

Peter Rotondo picked a good time to go to work for 1/ST Racing. The company's new Senior Vice President of Racing and Wagering joined a team who is ready to put on an extravaganza this weekend at Santa Anita. It's called the California Crown and consists of three races, the GII $750,000 John Henry Turf Cup, the Grade II $750,000 Eddie D. Stakes and the $1 million GI California Crown Stakes. Meant to be Santa Anita's version of the Pegasus World Cup, the day will also include entertainment meant for...

Bidding returns to Fairplex for the one-session Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings Sale, which begins in Pomona at 11 a.m. PT Tuesday. "It got pretty busy throughout the day yesterday and it's really busy this morning," Fasig-Tipton California representative Mike Machowsky said from the sales grounds Monday morning. "We have a bunch of trainers and owners out here looking this morning, so that's a good sign. "I would expect anyone who races in California to be here. This is where you go to buy your premium Cal-breds, most likely, and if...

It's early, but maybe not too early to start dreaming of the GI Kentucky Derby. At least it's not for owner Richard Rigney. Rigney is the owner of 'TDN Rising Star' Jonathan's Way (Vekoma), the winner of last Saturday's GIII Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs, the first of many races that award Derby points to the top five finishers. Making his second career start after overcoming trouble to win a maiden at Saratoga, Jonathan's Way was an impressive winner, suggesting there could be bigger and better triumphs in his future....

Making her belated U.S. debut in Friday's opening-day Winter Memories Stakes at the Belmont at the Big A, French import Les Reys (Fr) (Kheleyf) split horses decisively with time ticking away and was home first to record a second consecutive victory at stakes level. Scratched down onto the rail, the gray filly was content to take back and raced just behind midfield while perhaps a fraction keen as Ori (Hard Spun) came across from her widest draw to cut out decent splits up front. Angled out into the clear at...