Ben McElroy

Sam's Treasure Switches to Dirt and Romps in Saratoga Maiden

by Bill Finley & Patrycja Szpyra As he often does with his 2-year-olds, trainer Wesley Ward started Sam's Treasure (Munnings) off in a grass race, in this case a five-furlong maiden on May 11 at Belmont. She finished second, 2 3/4 lengths behind the winner--Cynane (Omaha Beach) had the distinction of being her sire's first winner and made an unfruitful trip to Royal Ascot--but there was nothing about the performance to suggest that she could develop into a top horse. Maybe Ward should have been thinking dirt all along. In...

[ Read More ]
Gun Runner Filly Stars As Fasig-Tipton October Rewrites The Records Again

LEXINGTON, KY - With some 75 horses still to go through the ring, the 2022 Fasig-Tipton October Yearlings Sale overtook its record gross set just last year and, by the close of business Thursday, 1,100 yearlings had grossed $55,426,500. The 2021 gross was $52,607,500 for 1,153 yearlings sold. Also surpassing records set last year were the average of $50,388 and the median of $25,000. The previous marks were $45,627 and $22,000, respectively. "Another remarkable sale concluded tonight," said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning. "You are always thrilled when you set records...

[ Read More ]
Spirited Bidding As Fasig October Sale Opens with Into Mischief Yearlings on Top

LEXINGTON, KY - The Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale, looking to build on a record-setting 2021 renewal, opened with a day of competitive bidding Monday. A pair of yearlings by Into Mischief topped the day's activity, with a filly going the way of Ben McElroy for $425,000 and a colt selling to the Green family's DJ Stable for $400,000. "It was a very good opening session to the 2022 Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale," said Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning. "There was very good trade. The parking lot was jammed pack, we...

[ Read More ]
Queen Mary-bound 'Monster' Love Reigns Has Grogan Family in Dreamland

In winning her maiden by almost ten lengths on debut at Keeneland, Queen Mary favourite Love Reigns (Ire) (US Navy Flag) tore to shreds what many people thought possible for an unraced 2-year-old filly in the month of April. There would have been more competition had Real Madrid taken to the field against a bunch of schoolboys such was the authority of the display. Love Reigns burst into the lead from stall one, powered home to win unchallenged, and the clock backed up what filled the eye. Not even Golden...

[ Read More ]
Dark Angel's Chardy Party Makes the Grade in Soaring Softly

Stonestreet Stables has enjoyed a good bit of success over the last few years sourcing fillies from Europe and placing them with Wesley Ward, such as MG1SW and two-time Royal Ascot heroine Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}); GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint S. winner Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}); and SW Ruthin (GB) (Ribchester {Ire}). The latest success story from their European venture is Chardy Party (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who took her record to two-for-two Saturday in Belmont's GIII Soaring Softly S. Rallying from well back to take...

[ Read More ]
Queen Olly Yet Another Rising Star For No Nay Never

David Loughnane is firing on all cylinders with his juvenile band this term and added another string to his Royal Ascot bow, and  provided Coolmore sire No Nay Never with a fourth 'TDN Rising Star' of the campaign, when Amo Racing's €300,000 Goffs Orby yearling Queen Olly (Ire) (No Nay Never--Surprisingly {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) routed nine rivals in Friday's £20,000 Frank Whittle Partnership ebfstallions.com Maiden S. over York's straight six furlongs. The February-foaled bay was swiftly into stride and occupied a handy fifth, just behind the front rank, through...

[ Read More ]
Buyers 'More Than Ready' at OBS March

By Christie DeBernardis & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL--The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's grounds continued to buzz with activity during a second straight day of very strong trade as the March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale concluded Wednesday. Bidding was fast and furious right from the start with the top horse of the day--and the sale as a whole--coming in the second juvenile through the ring, Hip 318, a colt by More Than Ready, who summoned $1.2 million from Kaleem Shah. A daughter of American Pharoah (Hip 532) also achieved seven figures...

[ Read More ]
Sportsman's Sale Closes On A High

The conclusion of the two-day Goffs Sportsman's Sale on Friday marked the end of a strong four days of trade at Goffs's Kildare Paddocks, with both the Orby and Sportsman's Sales rebounding from difficult 2020 renewals--when forced to move to Doncaster--and posting significant gains. A shade over €3-million was added to the coffers on Friday when 150 of the 162 yearlings offered sold, bringing the two-day aggregate to €6,967,300. The cumulative average jumped 41% to €20,674, while the cumulative median rose 45% to €16,000. Last year at Doncaster, 67.7% of...

[ Read More ]
Midlantic Sale Opens With a Bang

TIMONIUM, MD - The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale returned to its traditional May spot on the calendar with an ebullient session topped by a $1.5-million son of Quality Road at the Maryland State Fairgrounds Monday. The seven-figure purchase was the co-highest priced colt ever sold at the Timonium auction, tying the price of a Curlin colt sold in 2017. "It was unbelievable," Midlantic Sales Director Paget Bennett said at the close of business Monday. "The activity in the barn area over the weekend was strong and all of...

[ Read More ]
Stonestreet, Agent McElroy Strike it Big With European Buys

When Napa Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) won Friday's first race at Keeneland, bloodstock agent Ben McElroy was more relieved than ecstatic. Some six months earlier, he purchased Napa Spirit at the Goffs Orby Yearling sale in Ireland with a set goal in mind. He was looking for a unique type of horse, one that could win in the U.S. and Europe, would be fast and precocious, like the grass and be a good fit for the Royal Ascot meet. Friday's win was the latest sign that he had more...

[ Read More ]
Stonestreet, Ward Strike Again at Keeneland

1st-Keeneland, $43,340, Msw, 4-23, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:04.17, gd, 1 1/2 lengths. NAPA SPIRIT (IRE) (c, 2, Invincible Spirit {Ire}--Aimhirgin Lass {Ire}, by Pivotal {GB}) validated 2-5 favoritism in the closing-day opener at Keeneland, giving Stonestreet and trainer Wesley Ward a maiden winner on the grass acquired overseas for the second consecutive afternoon. Not the fastest away, the bay raced in and among rivals early on as stablemate Magniloquent (American Pharoah) showed the way through an opening quarter in :21.78. Three wide and traveling well in hand on the turn,...

[ Read More ]
Million-Dollar Babies Pace OBS Wednesday

By Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis OCALA, FL - A pair of million-dollar juveniles punctuated a day of lively trade in Central Florida as the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds reached its midway point with a second session Wednesday. "We certainly picked up where we left off yesterday and the action was just as good, if not better, and we hope it continues to move forward into the next two days," said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. "We came into the sale with some expectations given...

[ Read More ]
X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.