Jack Christopher

Kentucky-based first-crop stallions Jack Christopher (Munnings) and Highly Motivated (Into Mischief) were represented by their first winners Friday and Saturday, May 8 and 9, respectively, at Hipodromo de las Americas in Mexico City. Bred in Kentucky by Rhineshire Farm LLC and campaigned by Cuadra Los Agaves, the filly Rhythm of Crown drew outside in a field of six for the Friday opener and made virtually all the running to graduate by a widening 2 3/4 lengths as the 5.35-1 fourth betting choice (video). Juvenile colts were in the spotlight in...

Finally held under sunny skies Friday, the penultimate under-tack preview at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training kept the momentum rolling with another slew of fast works. Distinguishing themselves with the quickest quarter-mile times of the sale thus far were a pair of fillies both consigned by Tom McCrocklin who worked in :20 2/5. "It feels so good [to have some sun]," McCrocklin said. "I'm tired of the rain and the horses were tired of the rain. So it was a good day." First up...

With the first major 2-year-old sale, OBS March, now in the books, and the next round, the OBS April sale, right around the corner, it's time for some predictions. We asked the experts who their pick is for leading freshman sire and also asked them for a "sleeper pick," or a stallion that will perform beyond expectations. Here's what they had to say: STEVE VENOSA Top Pick: Jackie's Warrior (Spendthrift Farm, $25,000) Training them this year, I think the obvious two horses are Jackie's Warrior and Drain the Clock. They...

With the first major 2-year-old sale, OBS March, now in the books, and the next round, the OBS April sale, right around the corner, it's time for some predictions. We asked the experts who their pick is for leading freshman sire and also asked them for a "sleeper pick," or a stallion that will perform beyond expectations. Here's what they had to say: NELSON ARROYO Top Pick: Life is Good, WinStar Farm, $60,000 This is one of the best years we've ever had when it comes to the freshman sire...

An already standout week for Gainesway stallion Drain the Clock finished on a high note Saturday when a chestnut colt (hip 748) by the first-season stallion consigned by Doble J Equine Sales became the second horse by the sire to equal the OBS track record this week, breezed a quarter-mile in :20 1/5 during the final day of under-tack shows. Out of the Exhi mare Exsqueeze Me, an OBS graduate who is a half sister to GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Wavell Avenue (Harlington), the colt made...

Canadian champion Dresden Row (Lord Nelson) is among the 248 entries for Fasig-Tipton's January Digital Sale with bidding now running through Tuesday, Jan. 20, beginning at 2 p.m. ET., the auction company said via a press release on Thursday. Named the top 3-year-old colt at the Sovereign Awards in 2024, Dresden Row has never been out of the money across 15 races and claims three graded stakes at Woodbine amid six wins. Last out, the chestnut captured the GIII Autumn Cup Stakes at Woodbine, which put him at nearly $450,000...

by Jessica Martini, Christina Bossinakis and Jill Williams LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland September Yearling Sale continued to churn out double-digit year-on-year gains as its second Book 2 session concluded Thursday night with yet another son of Gun Runner leading the way. Through four sessions of the 12-day auction, 671 yearlings have grossed $307,639,000. At this same point a year ago, 640 head had sold for $252,528,000. Asked about the gross surpassing the $300-million mark after day four, Keeneland Senior Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach laughed and said, "It's...

LEXINGTON, KY - The day, which began at Newtown Paddocks Tuesday with a steady renewal of the Fasig-Tipton July Selected Yearlings Sale, ended with a record-blasting edition of the Fasig-Tipton July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale and it was the very last horse through the ring who made the loudest noise when stakes-winning 2-year-old Romeo (Honor A. P.) sold for $1.7 million to the bid of Mahmud Mouni. The Horses of Racing Age catalogue, down to 70 entries from 123 a year ago, may have been small, but it...

This tier of the market, between $20,000 and $29,999, offers particular value through its more established names: horses that have walked the walk sufficiently to clear the basement level, while somehow failing to achieve due commercial prestige. Indeed, our podium is dominated by the two eldest of the eligible stallions, while the only candidates considered for the third step were all in the process of consolidating strong starts. That said, the case for the three young sires at the other end of the spectrum--whose first foals are about to slither...

Nearly two years ago, just prior to the 2023 breeding season, Ashford Stud's Robyn Murray spoke about Munnings on camera. At the time, she said: "Theoretically the best is still yet to come and we're so excited for him... We would expect all of this to elevate him over the next couple years." As the horses conceived that season, the year Munnings stood for $100,000, are currently just weanlings, her words seem prescient given the results of last weekend, when undefeated 2-year-olds by the Ashford Stud sire swept both divisions...

The managing partner of Arnmore Thoroughbreds, co-owner of 'TDN Rising Star' Complexion (Complexity) with Carl and Yurie Pascarella, Megan Jones signed for a now juvenile class of three, and all have hit the board at first-asking, including the one who ultimately landed on the TDN's radar. "This year we have three fillies that we purchased as yearlings. The first, [New York-bred] Phoebeinwonderland, beat the boys first out. Second was Complexion. Third was Magical Bette who ended up in a boys' race because [her other option] overfilled, and I was really...

Trainer Danny Gargan's stable is humming along at a nice clip in the wake of celebrating a little over a week ago his first Grade I win with Dornoch (Good Magic) in the Belmont S. and with Society Man (Good Magic) taking the GIII Matt Winn S. at Churchill Downs a day later. Gargan stopped by the TDN Writers' Room podcast for a conversation. Finally, to cap his stellar week, Complexion (Complexity) broke her maiden at first asking during the Belmont at the Big A meet on Friday, which earned...