WinStar Farm

Fred Hart didn't own, train or breed Noble Indy (Take Charge Indy), the winner of the 2018 GII Louisiana Derby and the seventh-place finisher in that year's GI Kentucky Derby. But he did have a connection. An owner and breeder of modest means, he owned Noble Indy's dam, Noble Maz (Storm Boot), buying her for $9,000 at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic October Yearling Sale. He would later lose her in a $25,000 claimer, which turned out to be her last race. But even that minor role in the career of...

WinStar's Grade I-winning millionaire Paynter, whose story of perseverance captivated the racing world in 2012, had to be euthanized on Friday, Nov. 10, due to lameness, the farm said in a release Friday morning. The 2009 son of Awesome Again captured the 2012 GI Haskell Invitational S. and finished a close second in that year's GI Belmont S. en route to career earnings of $1,101,924 for owner Zayat Stables and trainer Bob Baffert. After nearly wiring the field in the 2012 GI Belmont S. and winning the GI Haskell Invitational,...

WinStar Farm will host an Open House for breeders each day from Nov. 8-15 between 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the farm's stallion complex on Paynes Mill Road in Versailles. Visitors are welcome without an appointment to view the WinStar roster for the 2024 breeding season, led by Constitution (Tapit) and Life Is Good (Into Mischief). Breeders will also be able to see WinStar's newest additions for 2024: Country Grammar (Tonalist) and Two Phil's (Hard Spun). The events will also include lite fare and refreshments for breeders in attendance....

5th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 3:01 p.m. ET. After clocking :10 flat during the OBS March under-tack show, TENNESSEE (Justify) brought $1.2 million as the second topper when the dark bay colt was purchased by Maverick Racing and Siena Farms. Unveiled here, the Brad Cox trainee races for Siena and WinStar Farm, and was purchased by Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds for $250,000 at Keeneland September. Out of GSP Zinzay (Smart Strike), who went for $525,000 to Summer Wind Equine back in 2016 during Keeneland November when she carrying eventual SW &...

Some horses never seem to set a foot wrong. Speightstown is one of those. From $2-million Keeneland July yearling to Breeders' Cup winner to champion to influential sire, he's not only done it all, but done it all extremely well. When WinStar's David Hanley was asked if he had a few words to say about the remarkable 25-year-old, he said with a laugh: "I've more than a few words. He's a wonderful horse. I've been very lucky and fortunate to be around him for the past 10 years. He's a...

Just a few days removed from his 70th birthday, Pat Day joined the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland to talk his career, what he's been up to since retiring in 2005 and, most of all, the Breeders' Cup. Day rode Wild Again to victory in the inaugural GI Breeders' Cup Classic in 1984 and it was an historic win that helped turn the future Hall of Famer into one of the biggest stars in the sport. Day was this week's Green Group Guest of the Week. "What that...

Winners were named across seven categories with a total of $122,000 awarded at the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards, now in its eighth year in the United States, which concluded Tuesday evening at Keeneland Racecourse's Entertainment Center, Godolphin said in a press release after the event. For the first time this year, in addition to the three finalists in each category, two alternates were also chosen and received monetary rewards. Todd Schrupp, FanDuel TV analyst, served as the master of ceremonies. Tom Law, Saratoga Special Managing Editor and this year's judging...

"The American Horse of the Year and the Arc winner are heads apart with a furlong to go in the Classic... Here's the wire, desperately close. Tiznow wins it for America!" Chances are you can actually hear Tom Durkin's legendary call as you read those words. And chances are listening to the call now will give you goosebumps all over again and bring you straight back to that amazing moment. Tiznow became an American hero that day at Belmont Park, just weeks after what would become known as 9/11. Still...

CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC's Americanrevolution (Constitution--Polly Freeze, by Super Saver) has been retired from racing and will stand in 2024 at Rockridge Stud in Hudson, NY, his connections announced in a release late Thursday afternoon. The Todd Pletcher trainee was a four-time stakes winner at three, culminating in the $750,000 GI Cigar Mile H. as he registered a Beyer Speed Figure of 105. "This is the best horse to retire in New York in a very long time," said Rockridge Stud's Lere Visagie. "We all know we need...

The blinkered Tourist ran into a scorching :21.81 and :44.61 pace in the 2016 GI Breeders' Cup Mile, split horses in a thriller, and emerged from battle not only with the win, but with the Mile record. In 39 years of Breeders' Cups and so many champions, no one has run the eight furlongs on the grass faster than his blistering 1:31.71. After standing his first few seasons at WinStar in Kentucky, Tourist relocated to Rockridge in New York for the 2023 season. "Tourist is the perfect blend of fire...

Siena Farm and WinStar Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' Timberlake (c, 2, Into Mischief--Pin Up {Ire}, by Lookin At Lucky), a bit of an unlucky second as the favorite in the GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga Sept. 4, got back, ahem, in sync with a stylish score in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Champagne S. at the Big A. "He ran good," winning trainer Brad Cox said. "I was very proud of him. He got a good, clean trip today. [Jockey] Florent [Geroux] did a great job. He got away...

4th-Churchill Downs, $120,000, Msw, 10-1, 2yo, 1m, 1:36.58, ft, 3 3/4 lengths. CATCHING FREEDOM (c, 2, Constitution--Catch My Drift {SW & GISP, $280,540}, by Pioneerof the Nile) was well-backed for this one-turn mile debut as the even-money favorite here. Situated midfield, the hooded bay colt chased the pace up set by Cash Only (Street Sense) up the backstretch, came under a ride by tipping to the outside around the far turn and showing steady progress at the eighth pole, Catching Freedom graduated by 3 3/4 lengths over the leader. The...