Larry Hirsch

Paving (Gun Runner) conquered her first career race as an 8-1 shot at Ellis Park Aug. 23. Ready for tougher competition and an exceedingly sloppy surface in New Orleans here, the 'Insighted' 30 cents on the dollar chalk trailed the field up the backstretch. The filly was not in a mood to quit though and around the far turn she was splashing along with gusto as Jose Ortiz steered. Entering the lane towards the center of the course, the Tom Amoss trainee came with a big run and she passed...

7th-FG, $55k, Alw (N2L)/OC ($125k), 2yo, f, 6f, 4:45 p.m. ET PAVING (Gun Runner) was no better than an 8-1 chance when unveiled over this distance at Ellis Park Aug. 23, but she belied her inexperience with a very professional effort, coming away to score by 2 1/2 lengths. Among the vanquished that day was Sister Troienne (Munnings), who has since rattled off three straight, including the Nov. 27 Wait a While Stakes as the odds-on favorite. The filly's stakes-winning dam Point System (Broken Vow) is a daughter of GSW...

Coming late in the proceedings, Hip 353, a daughter of Bolt d'Oro, realized the top price of $135,000 during the opening session of the OBS October Yearling Sale in Ocala Tuesday. Offered by agent Richard Kent's Kaizen Sales, the half-sister to recently stakes placed Yatta (Yoshida {Jpn}) is out of Final Reward (Arch), a half-sister to MSW Leadem in Ken (Sky Mesa), SW Prissy (Unbridled's Song) and GSP Hint of Roses (Tapit). The filly was purchased by de Meric Sales, who also led the session as its leading buyer. An...

At 271 head, one of the largest catalogs in its history, the Texas Thoroughbred Association's (TTA) single-session Yearling Sale will be held Monday, Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. (CT) at Lone Star Park Sales Pavilion. The 2022 edition, which reported a buy-back rate of 24%, saw 161 yearlings out of 211 sell for a total of $3,416,000--up almost 6% from the previous year when 177 out of 228 grossed $3,229,600. Growth was also seen in last year's average of $21,217, an increase from $18,246 in 2021, while the median was...

SULPHUR SPRINGS, Texas — The head trainer is the guy who prepared 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra to be a racehorse. He and his two assistant trainers combine for more than 100 years of experience and the development of more than 300 stakes horses. Yearlings and weanlings romp in undulating pastures. Two-year-olds learning the fundamentals and older horses coming off layoffs gallop and work over a traditional training track as well as lope up a 1 3/8-mile turf gallop. The spacious barns have vaulted ceilings featuring skylights that...