Candy Ride

LEXINGTON, KY - The Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale blazed through its penultimate session Wednesday in Lexington with frenetic bidding from start to finish producing a $72,127 average that was nearly 47% higher than the figure from the corresponding session a year ago. At the conclusion of the session, the three-day average of $64,772 is 24.1% ahead of the 2024 record figure of $52,206. And with a full session to go, the total gross of $53,177,500 is just $5.398 million off last year's total sale record gross of $58,575,500. "It...

With figures continuing to surpass the 2024 standard at the Keeneland September Sale, a colt by Maclean's Music was the most fancied yearling of the day, bringing $500,000 from Alex and JoAnn Lieblong. Offered as Hip 2263, the son of SW Athens Queen (Majestic Warrior) was consigned by Eaton Sales. A trio of colts realized $475,000, including Hip 2235, by Gun Runner and Hip 2281, by Epicenter. Both yearlings were purchased by Pedro Lanz, acting on behalf of KAS Stables. With five purchases for $1,345,000, Pedro Lanz, agent for KAS...

It's not often the winner of a global $12-million Group 1 event just four months ago gets his next victory in a listed black-type race in West Virginia, but that's exactly what happened with Hit Show (h, 5, Candy Ride {Arg}--Actress, by Tapit), who parlayed victory in the G1 Dubai World Cup in April into a repeat win in the West Virginia Governor's Stakes at Mountaineer Sunday evening. It may not have been the most conventional move, but it was a hard-fought return to the winner's circle for the gray,...

Peter Bradley, Bradley Thoroughbreds Gold: MCKINZIE Street Sense--Runway Model, by Petionville Gainesway Farm, $75,000 Even though his stud fee more than doubled, McKinzie may be the best bang for the buck at $75,000 this season. A Grade I winner at two, three and four, he completed his racing career at five with a Grade II win. His precocity, soundness and class are all evident in his first crop to race. Narrowly missing out on the Champion First-Crop Sire title, he has already produced four Grade I performers including Grade I...

6th-FG, 58K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6f, 4:15 p.m. The half-brother to MGISW Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile), DARROW (Uncle Mo) debuts at Fair Grounds Sunday as a Godolphin homebred for trainer Brad Cox. Out of GSW Innovative Idea who already has three winners from three runners, the colt goes back to third dam Caress who Godolphin picked up for $3.1m out of Keeneland November back in 2000. That Storm Cat mare produced GISW and sire Sky Mesa (Pulpit) as well as Velvety (Bernardini) who became the dam of MGISW and young stallion...

Class: an elusive concept, in horses as in people. That's because it refers to something inherent, something beyond external trappings. In this business, most of us will have observed how someone can be wealthy and still have no class; and also, more pleasingly, how material poverty need not diminish those human qualities that elevate a person from the mean (in every sense of that word). To whatever extent it may be heritable, then, one core indicator of class is perhaps durability itself. For that is the very opposite of the...

There were two Grade I races last weekend in North America, one at Saratoga and one at Del Mar. One was on the dirt and one was on the turf, one at 10 furlongs and the other at nine furlongs. Other than both being carded for 3-year-old fillies, what did they have in common? Each was won by a daughter of a Lane's End sire. Union Rags captured the GI Alabama Stakes with Power Squeeze, while Twirling Candy took the GI Del Mar Oaks with Iscreamuscream. To add to the...

With the connections of the well-reputed 'Grizzley' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) opting to wait another week to face the boys in the GI Travers S., Power Squeeze (Union Rags) took full advantage of the Kentucky Oaks winner's absence and stormed home a narrow winner in the 10-furlong GI Alabama Stakes at Saratoga Saturday. MGSW Chatalas (Gun Runner) broke quickly, going to the front with a host of pursuers at her heels. Meanwhile, Power Squeeze tried to establish a clear path from Post 3, but was squeezed back as America's Vow...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Much like he rides Thoroughbreds, jockey Joel Rosario turned in patient, thorough and well-timed remarks Friday during his induction into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame. Rosario was the closer of the nine-member Class of 2024 at the ceremony at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion. Dominican Republic diplomat and horse owner Jose Singer introduced Rosario, noting that he was the first jockey from their country to be elected to the Hall of Fame. After Singer helped him don his Hall of Fame blazer, Rosario stepped...

1st-Churchill Downs, $114,375, Msw, 6-6, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:05.77, ft, 1/2 length. CONQUERING CAT (c, 2, Game Winner--Coy Cat {MSW, $247,755}, by Hold That Tiger) had to settle for second on his debut over course and close to distance May 16 but came back Thursday to do one better, becoming the first winner for his freshman sire (by Candy Ride {Arg}). The 2-1 favorite raced mid pack from an outside draw but slowly began to reel in loose leader The Toner (Union Rags) around the far turn. With a strong...

by Jessica Martini & Stefanie Grimm LEXINGTON, KY - During a session dominated for much of the day by the short yearlings, the supplemented broodmare Sebago Lake (Tapit) jumped to the lead in the final hips when selling for $700,000 to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm. Overall, through two days of the four-day auction, 430 head have grossed $31,596,700 for an average of $73,481 and a median of $30,500. With continued strength at the top of the market, the Book 1 average dipped just 3.39% from a year ago, but...

Quality Road (Elusive Quality), the sire of 17 stakes winners in 2023 including GI Preakness S. hero National Treasure, will stand the 2024 breeding season for $200,000, the same fee he commanded in 2023. The 17-year-old stallion, is responsible for an additional five winners at the graded level this season, including 'TDN Rising Star' Agate Road, who makes his next appearance in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita Nov. 3. Accordingly, it has been a strong yearling sales season for Quality Road, who was represented at the...