Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt

Valentine Candy (Justify) put a sweet punctuation to his year with a dominant display in the Advent S. on Oaklawn's opening day. Victorious against a well-met field of Saratoga maidens in July, the chestnut tired badly in the GI Hopeful S. after a round of bumper cars soon after the break took him off the pace. He resurfaced at Keeneland in October with two starts--a second against first-level optional claimers on the seventh and then running third Oct. 28 in the Bowman Mill S. Sent away at 9-5 in good...

Members of the New York Gaming Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to uphold a recommendation from a hearing officer that Forte (Violence) be disqualified from his victory in the 2022 GI Hopeful S. In the Hopeful, Forte tested positive for the prohibited substance meloxicam, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication. The case has moved slowly since the Sept. 2022 race. It took a eight months for the New York Gaming Commission to make the finding public and when it did the stewards disqualified Forte, fined Pletcher $1,000 and suspended him for ten days....

It's hard for a horse to have a better season than Mitole did at four: his four Grade Is included the Sprint as well as the Met Mile and it's no small thing to set (and still hold) Saratoga's GI Forego stakes record of 1:20.80 for seven panels. "A long time ago somebody asked a groom what makes a good racehorse. He said speed and more speed. That always makes me think of Mitole," said Ned Toffey, general manager of Spendthrift Farm. "This was a horse that had an unbelievable...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL - The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale opened its three-day run Monday with a session which gained strength throughout the day, ultimately ending with increases in both average and median over the first session of last year's two-day auction. During Monday's session, 131 horses sold for $20,192,500 for an average of $154,141--up 10.1% from a year ago--and a median of $90,000--up 16.1% from 2022. Without the inclusion of post-sales transactions, the buy-back rate was 32.1%, up from 18.6%...

A colt by Uncle Mo (hip 95) lit up the OBS sales ring Monday when selling for $950,000 to Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt and Jackpot Farm's Terry Green during the first session of the March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. The juvenile, who worked a furlong in :10 flat during last week's under-tack show, was consigned by Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds. He is out of the unraced Sunshiny Day (Bernardini), a daughter of champion Storm Song. He sold for $360,000 to Baccari Bloodstock as a weanling at the 2021 Keeneland November sale...

Spendthrift Farm's Grade I winner Yaupon (Uncle Mo) sired a colt, his first reported foal, on Jan. 13 at Rockridge Stud in Hudson, New York. Bred by Rockridge Stud, Saratoga Glen Farm and Pete Beals, the dark bay is out of MSW Frost Giant mare Frostie Anne, an earner of $584,443. "This colt is good sized, born at around 122 pounds. He's very balanced and correct, and you can tell he's going to have a big hip," said Lere Visagie, owner of Rockridge Stud. "I've had three foals out of...

BASHFORD MANOR S., $173,000, Churchill Downs, 7-4, 2yo, 6f, 1:09.25, ft. 1--GULFPORT, 120, c, 2, by Uncle Mo 1st Dam: Fame and Fortune, by Unbridled's Song 2nd Dam: Stop Traffic, by Cure the Blues 3rd Dam: Save My Soul, by I'ma Hell Raiser 'TDN Rising Star' ($275,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-L. William & Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm & Whispering Oaks Farm LLC; B-Diamond Creek Farm (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. $107,070. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $176,530. *1/2 to Favor (Pioneerof the Nile), GSP, $116,500. 2--Owen's...

Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt and partners appear to have another potential monster on their hands, as Gulfport (c, 2, Uncle Mo--Fame and Fortune, by Unbridled's Song) ran away from his rivals to graduate by seven lengths at first asking at Churchill Downs to become the afternoon's second 'TDN Rising Star' and the 10th overall for his successful stallion. Pounded into 1-2 favoritism with a best-of-63 half-mile from the gate in :46 flat at Keeneland on display, the $275,000 Fasig-Tipton July acquisition by Joe Pickerrell and Courtney Roberts's Pick View LLC...

Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt's Yaupon (Uncle Mo--Modification, by Vindication), who became his sire's ninth Grade I winner with a tenacious victory in the Forego S. at Saratoga Aug. 28, suffered an injury while training towards the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita Friday morning and has been retired from racing. It was previously announced that the 4-year-old would be entering stud at Spendthrift Farm for the 2022 breeding season. Daily Racing Form was first to report the news. Bred in Kentucky by the partnership of Betz, Lamantia, CoCo Equine,...

Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt's Yaupon (Uncle Mo--Modification, by Vindication), who became his sire's ninth Grade I winner with a tenacious victory in the Forego S. at Saratoga Aug. 28, will enter stud at Spendthrift Farm for the 2022 breeding season. The 4-year-old has the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar as his long-term objective before retiring to the stallion barn. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Yaupon was victorious in his first four career trips to the post, including Saratoga's GII Amsterdam S., clocking 1:08.50 for the six furlongs, and the...

William and Corinne Heiligbrodt's Mighty Mischief came into the GIII Chick Lang S. riding a two-race win streak and added win number three while annexing his first at the graded level Saturday. Favored Jaxon Traveler broke fastest but it was Mighty Mischief who quickly hit the front, carving out a :23.16. Prompted by Willy Boi (Uncaptured) as Jaxon Traveler ranged up three-wide through a :45.97 half, the 9-5 second choice cornered in front and opened up a little cushion through early stretch. Given some right-handed encouragement by Ricardo Santana Jr....

L. William & Corinne Heiligbrodt's Yaupon (c, 3, Uncle Mo--Modification, by Vindication), an impressive last out winner of Saratoga's GII Amsterdam S. Aug. 29, made it a perfect four-for-four with a powerful, front-running victory while equaling the stakes record in Thursday's GIII Chick Lang S. at Pimlico. The 3-5 favorite blasted out to the front from his outside draw, and was ridden along by John Velazquez to hold a narrow advantage. He began to shake free as they straightened for home and wasn't for catching in the stretch, rolling to...