Mike Ryan

Klaravich Stables's multiple track-record setter Highly Motivated (Into Mischief--Strong Incentive, by Warrior's Reward) will join the Airdrie Stud stallion roster for the upcoming 2023 breeding season, the farm announced Tuesday. He will stand for a fee of $7,500 LFSN. A son of perennial leading sire Into Mischief, Highly Motivated was purchased by Mike Ryan as a weanling on behalf of his owner for $240,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November Sale. Entrusted to trainer Chad Brown, Highly Motivated broke his maiden as the 3-5 favorite in September of his 2-year-old year...

Hip 126, a full-sister to MGSW and 'TDN Rising Star' First Captain (Curlin)--who shared the top spot at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale--outdid her big brother in the ring Tuesday when fetching $2 million from West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Racing and 3C Stable. West Point and Woodford, along with the breeder of both horses Bobby Flay, campaign the Shug McGaughey-trained First Captain, who was last seen finishing second in the July 9 GII Suburban S. after annexing the GIII Pimlico Special in May. Consigned by Stone Farm, hip 126 is...

Next week, the first yearlings by Darley's dual champion Too Darn Hot (GB) will be offered for sale at the Arqana August Yearling Sale. Expectations were always going to be high for Too Darn Hot--a son of sire of sires Dubawi (Ire), out of the triple Group 1-winning mare Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), from the deep family of the prodigious sire Darshaan (GB). An undefeated champion at two who repeated as champion at three, he also achieved the best foal sales average of 2021. But uniquely, it will...

In the same way which astronomical stars largely form in groups, so too did the 'TDN Rising Stars' this past Sunday. Not one, not two, but three leading ladies emerged from the nebulae of Del Mar and Saratoga, each with her own brand of brilliance. Chief among the splendor, and the last to show her shine, was Justique (Justify), whose brilliant turn of foot and effortless dismissal of rivals summoned forth comparisons to another glorious 'Rising Star' in her hayday--a John Shirreffs masterpiece, Hall of Famer Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire})....

Mike Ryan's Be Your Best (Ire) (Muharaar {GB}--Kamakura, by Medaglia d'Oro) came out swinging Sunday at Saratoga to garner the 'TDN Rising Star' moniker. Let go at 8-1 among a competitive-looking group of juvenile fillies, the Horacio De Paz trainee sat off the pace early and was hung a bit wide around the first bend. She traveled well down the backside, and caught the eye when making a three-wide move around the home bend into a six-furlong split of 1:14.29. Still going strongly out in the enter of the course...

From a stellar class, which freshman sire will emerge on top? And what sire currently flying under the radar will be the year's biggest surprise? With the first 2-year-old sale of the season, OBS March, now in the books, we thought it would be a good time to ask the experts: JUSTIN CASSE Top pick: Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy--Leslie's Lady, by Tricky Creek). 2022 fee: $35,000, Coolmore America. "I saw some very athletic two-turn horses by Mendelssohn with size, scope, strength, and balance. They were very athletic types and they breezed...

Nobody has missed the explosive impact of Not This Time's second crop of sophomores on the Classic trail this year. But the fact remains that it's actually another stallion in his own intake that we find flirting most plausibly with an elusive distinction, with a chance of joining King Alfonso (1885), McGee (1918), Bull Lea (1952) and Native Dancer (1966) in siring the winners of both the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks. Okay, so we're getting way ahead of ourselves here. With nearly two months to go, it...

by Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis LEXINGTON, KY - The two-session Book 2 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale concluded with another day of competitive bidding and two additional seven-figure yearlings Thursday in Lexington, bringing the total number of lots to surpass the million-dollar mark to 15. "Excellent," Keeneland's vice president of sales Tony Lacy said when asked to gauge the day's activity. "The median was up 48% and the average was up 37% [for the session] and we've just passed the $200,000,000 mark for gross sales for the first...

A colt by Into Mischief sold for $1 million to the bid of bloodstock agent Mike Ryan during Thursday's fourth session of the Keeneland September sale. Ryan, who was bidding on behalf of an undisclosed group of buyers, said the yearling will be trained by Chad Brown. Out of stakes winner and graded placed Secret Someone (A.P. Indy), the colt was bred and consigned by Greg Goodman's Mt. Brilliant Farm. He is from the family of multiple Grade I winner Dunbar Road (Quality Road).

A win by Sifting Sands (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) last Sunday in Saratoga in the Better Talk Now S. continued a pattern that has been hard to miss this year. He became the seventh horse sold at a Tattersalls October Yearling sale to win a stakes race at the meet. One, Technical Analysis (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), has won two graded stakes, the GII Lake Placid S. and the GIII Lake George S. Only one of the winners, State of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), is based in Europe. Five are trained by...

OCALA, FL - The three-day Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds more than bounced back from its 2020 pandemic-induced lull, ending Friday with its highest-ever gross and average and with a record-tying median. In all, 560 juveniles grossed $24,492,950 for an average of $43,737--besting the previous record figures of $23,475,500 and $39,722, respectively, set in 2015. The cumulative median was $20,000. With 125 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 18.2%. "The June sale is all grown up now," said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. "I...

A 475,000gns Tattersalls October yearling purchase by Mike Ryan on behalf of owner Peter Brant, In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was bet into 7-5 favoritism for her Mar. 28 bow at Tampa, but found trouble enough at the quarter pole and again 100 yards later to cost her a debut graduation. Kicked immediately into the lead here by Irad Ortiz, Jr., In Italian enjoyed a fairly soft time of things on the engine, clocking unpressured fractions of :24.03 and :49.39. Challenged briefly approaching the stretch, In Italian rebroke and coasted...