Mike Pegram

Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman's Weekend Princess (Vekoma), a $235,000 Keeneland November weanling turned $625,000 Keeneland September yearling, argued a good pace inside of firming favorite Confidentiality (Complexity) and found more in the final furlong and a half to graduate by a space en route to being named a 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard. The even-money choice, drawn widest of a field reduced to six by a couple of scratches, pinged the stalls and led them through the opening exchanges, but Florent Geroux was urging Weekend Princess...

4th-DMR, $100k, 2yo, 5 1/2f, post time: 6:05 p.m. ET Having unveiled the likes of 'TDN Rising Star' Buetane, a $1.15-million graduate of this year's OBS April Sale, earlier during the summer at Del Mar, trainer Bob Baffert sends out a promising daughter of Tiz the Law in the form of SOUNDS LUCKY on the penultimate day of the meet. The Apr. 22 foal is a maternal granddaughter of Caminadora (More Than Ready), a Grade III winner long on the grass, and first sold for $100,000 at the 2023 Keeneland...

Charting a course then declaring 'here be dragons' when she made land in the seaside oval winner's circle, Explora (Blame--Collections Choice, by Bernardini) set sail from the gate and never looked back in a maiden-breaking performance on Sunday which earned her a 'TDN Rising Star' flag for her top mast. The heavy favorite established her lead up the backstretch and tacked around the far turn like she had even pulled out her pocket handkerchiefs. With rider Juan Hernandez playing the role of bosun, Explora went easy en route to win...

Make it an even dozen. On Saturday afternoon under the usual beautiful skies of a Southern Californian summer, Desert Gate (c, 2, Omaha Beach--Theogony, by Curlin) gave Hall of Famer Bob Baffert his 12th career win in the GIII Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar, in addition to the fourth consecutive victory in the race for the Baffert team. To make it even sweeter, Desert Gate also marked the third winner in the Best Pal for the ownership trio of Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, as well as...

Mike Pegram, a horse owner and racing executive on the national scene for more than three decades, has been named the 21st recipient of the Laffit Pincay, Jr. Award, according to a press release from Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on Friday morning. Pegram will be honored at the track on Sunday, Aug. 10, which is the same afternoon as the 57th running of the GIII Sorrento Stakes. The race launched the Hall of Fame career of Pegram's filly Silverbulletday (Silver Deputy). A Kentucky native who first got into horses in...

From February 2024 to February 2025, Jockeys and Jeans raised a one-year record of $453,760 to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. The 10th annual Jockeys and Jeans fundraiser for PDJF at Gulfstream Park Jan. 11 raised $292,000, while the Jockeys and Jeans January 2024 Stallion Season Sale raised a record of $94,560, and the recently concluded Quarter Horse Season Sale, operated by committee member and Quarter Horse jockey legend, G.R. Carter, raised an additional $67,200. "The Gulfstream Park event was a total group effort and our committee worked at...

A six-time winner of the race in its days at Hollywood Park, including with future GI Kentucky Derby hero Real Quiet (Quiet American) in 1997, trainer Bob Baffert took the first seven runnings of the GII Los Alamitos Futurity after the relocation to Ocean County in 2014 and ran his overall total to 14 when Wnystock (Solomini) caused a 13-1 upset last year. Just five juvenile males have taken up the challenge this term, three of whom are trained by Baffert, and Gaming (Game Winner) is an all-the-way candidate at...

by Jessica Martini and Christina Bossinakis LEXINGTON, KY -- The momentum which began with a competitive Book 1 section rolled into Book 2 with a trio of yearlings bringing seven figures and continued increases over last year during the third session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in Lexington Wednesday. "We saw the same kind of momentum and trends just rolling over," said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. "There was a great positivity around the grounds. Consignors were invariably very pleased. And buyers found it tough and a...

Jim and Dana Bernhard's Pin Oak Stud acquired a colt by Charlatan (hip 509) with an internet bid of $1 million during Wednesday's third session of the Keeneland September sale. The colt, bred by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, Paul Weitman and Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, was consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa. He is out of multiple Grade I winner Midnight Lucky (Midnight Lute). After 31 yearlings sold for seven figures during the two-session Book 1 section of the September sale, hip 509 was the first to reach...

7th-LRC, $41K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 7:04 p.m. ET. The members of Three Amigos--Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman--went to $500,000 during Keeneland September to acquire RELATABLE (Arrogate), who is part of her sire's final 3-year-old crop. The filly is out of the Canadian bred GSP Aunt Els (Consolidator)--dam to a 2-year-old filly by Higher Power and a yearling filly by Silver State. The Bob Baffert trainee sports a strong set of works under her belt, which includes a final six panel drill (1:12.80, 1/4) alongside stablemate Normandy...

In a vote by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association board of directors, Speed Boat Beach (Bayern) has been crowned the 2023 Florida-bred Horse of the Year. The result was announced Monday night at the FTBOA Awards Gala. Bred by Richard Heysek's Caperlane Farm, who was also presented with the Needles Award recognizing the Small Thoroughbred Breeder of the Year in Florida, the Bob Baffert runner also took home the awards for champion 3-year-old colt and champion male sprinter. In 2023, Speed Boat Beach won the GI Malibu S....

   Amr Zedan, who owns several top 3-year-old colts, has informed TDN that his horses are staying with trainer Bob Baffert, which means they will be ineligible to run in the GI Kentucky Derby, barring any change in policy from Churchill Downs. Churchill set Monday as a deadline for owners to take their horses away from Baffert. Any horse remaining in his barn after the deadline will not be permitted to race at Churchill Downs. "No move," Zedan said in a text message. "Mr. Baffert (is) our man." Tuesday morning,...