Lexington

A colt by Practical Joke led the way Wednesday, kicking off Book 5 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in Lexington. Consigned by Bluewater Sales, Hip 2980 is out of Jetbird (Wildcat Heir), a half-sister to Group 1 winner X Y Jet (Kantharos). "We were prepared [for the $250,000 price] because of the entire package," said CJ Thoroughbred's Corey Johnson. "We felt between $200,000-$250,000 was what it was going to take to purchase him. We were expecting somewhere around that number." On Day 9, Ashford's Practical Joke was the second...

Keeneland Library has scheduled a number of events for the remainder of 2023 to expand the reach of its exhibit, The Heart of the Turf: Racing's Black Pioneers, the repository said in a release Friday. Due to demand, the Library's free exhibit and its on-site youth and adult programs have been extended through Dec. 8. Other events include: Now: Companion book available The companion book to The Heart of the Turf: Racing's Black Pioneers is available at the Library and The Keeneland Shop (in store and online) for $10. All...

Trading in horsepower is second nature to Nathan McCauley. For many years his father Ron owned a big Toyota franchise in Lexington, and McCauley showed a precocious flair for the same game when opening his own dealerships in Tennessee. And since quitting automobiles for Thoroughbreds, McCauley has discovered a couple of niches largely unexplored by those horsemen whose own transitions, from one generation to the next, tend merely to consolidate familiar commercial conventions. In fact, since opening River Oak Farm for business in 2019, he reckons to have bought and...

Amid the speed-filled tempo of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale this week, it's all about equine and human partnerships for Gandharvi Racing as they add Case Clay as a Business Consultant to their team. Mind you, this isn't about making a splash or just putting together some haphazard deal. No, the intent behind this organization's latest move tunnels much deeper into the recesses of history. As the saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day. Neither was a racing stable. Like city-planning in the ancient world or otherwise, success just...

Horse Country, who connects guests to tours that provide a behind-the-scenes look into Kentucky's equine industry, is forming a new partnership with leading national equine adoption program Second Stride, the organization said in a release late Friday afternoon. Tours of Second Stride will be offered six days a week, starting July 10, with both public and private options available. Guests will learn about the retraining and re-homing process and meet current trainees, as well as interact with the Thoroughbred ambassadors that reside at the farm. "We're thrilled to have Second...

A beloved father, grandfather, friend and horseman, Glenn Byron 'Gus' Bell passed away peacefully July 4 in the care of the Veteran's Administration Hospice in Lexington, Kentucky. With a sobriquet like the 'Working Agent' inscribed below his name on his business cards, Bell defined his craft and his outlook on life. He spent nearly a half century in the equine industry as a bloodstock agent based in the Bluegrass region. As a Lexington native, Bell was a graduate of Lafayette High School before heading out of state to Marshall University,...

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued an additional 39 entries to its July Selected Horses of Racing Age sale, the organization said in a release Friday. The auction will begin at 2 p.m. ET on Monday, July 10 in Lexington, Kentucky. The latest entries are catalogued as hips 598-636, which may now be viewed online. They include: Showgirl Lynne B (Constitution) (hip 598), Reflexivity (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) (hip 616), Nakatomi (Firing Line) (hip 617), Astonesthrowaway (Bustin Stones) (hip 618) and Devil's Bit (Daredevil) (hip 627). These entries will also be available...

Prominent owner/breeder Susan Moulton has made a $2-million donation to Town Branch Park in Lexington which will be used to fund the construction of a water play area named in honor of Moulton's son Will Naylor Smith, who passed away 16 years ago at the age of eight. Moulton, who for the last five years has been splitting her time between San Antonio, Texas, and her Versailles farm, has expressed an interest in becoming more involved in the community--especially with children. Town Branch Park is helping to transform acres of...

Officials at Keeneland have announced 18 supplemental entries to the April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale to be held Sunday, Apr. 30 at 4 p.m. ET. Among the newest additions to the catalog are: Commandperformance (c, 4, Union Rags), runner-up in the 2021 GI Champagne S. whose GII Cotillion S-winning third dam Snit (Fit to Fight) produced Grade III victress Blind Date (Not For Love), from Highgate Sales; 3-year-old filly Goodbye Kyle (Summer Front), a good-looking debut winner going six furlongs on dirt at the Fair Grounds Mar. 5....

An unintended consequence of moving all of the final, 100-point, nine-furlong preps for the GI Kentucky Derby to four weeks out is that there is now nearly a full month without any meaningful (to the general public) action in the lead-up to America's most historic and important horse race. When viewed alongside other professional sports, which have significantly expanded their playoff structures in recent seasons to capitalize on the immediacy (and bettability) of wild-card  and play-in games with last-chance qualifying berths on the line, the lead-up to the Derby has...

In an effort to encourage students to enter equine practice upon graduation, the Opportunities in Equine Practice Seminar (OEPS) will hold a professional forum Sept. 1-3 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Lexington, Kentucky. After a ten-year hiatus, the event was re-established to address the emerging crisis of the diminishing number of graduating veterinary students entering equine practice. The seminar will host third-year veterinary students (Class of 2025) with presentations by practitioners in various disciplines. The estimated 200 attendees will be able to engage in interactive discussions with industry partners,...

Bloodstock agents Sean Feld and Chris Brothers have plenty of experience flipping horses in the sales ring, but this spring they're trying their hand at flipping burgers as they venture into the restaurant business. Last month they took over Charlie Brown's Restaurant and Lounge, a beloved dining staple in Lexington for decades. Feld and Brothers are longstanding regulars at Charlie Brown's. The cozy, pub-like spot has been in the hands of David Fuller for almost 40 years. When Fuller decided to retire this year, he passed it on to longtime...