Mo Town

Tanya Gunther was thrilled to watch the latest 'TDN Rising Star' Justique (Justify) trounce the competition in her breathtaking debut, but the horsewoman admitted that a few thoughts of what could have been flashed through her head as she remembered the promising filly's early days spent at Glennwood Farm. "I didn't really want to sell her," Gunther said with an acquiescing smile. "Most of our yearlings do go to the sale, but I was a bit sad when we let her go." Bred by Tanya's father John Gunther in partnership...

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})....

A half-sister by Mo Town to the GI Champagne winner Jack Christopher (Munnings), a recent winner of the GII Pat Day Mile S. at Churchill, highlights 12 entries for Fasig-Tipton's June Digital Sale, now online at digital.fasigtipton.com. Bidding is officially open and will close this Thursday, June 9, at 2 p.m. EDT. "We have several attractive offerings for this Belmont week sale, including a two-year-old half-sister to undefeated GI winner Jack Christopher,  who is expected to run in the GI Woody Stephens on Belmont Stakes day," said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton...

1st-Keeneland, $75,320, Msw, 4-13, 2yo, 4 1/2f, :53.09, gd, 1 3/4 lengths. MR. GORDY (c, 2, Mo Town--Sky Trail, by Congrats), dismissed at odds of 21-1 for his career bow, broke straight to the lead from the rail and raced just off the inside path around the turn. His lead increased turning for home and he had something left in reserve to hold off a fast-closing Ryvit (Competitive Edge) and win by 1 3/4 lengths to become the first winner for his freshman sire (by Uncle Mo), who stands at...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-KEE, $80K, MSW, 2yo, 4 1/2f, 1:00 p.m. The opening day of the 2022 Keeneland Spring Meet features the first 2-year-old races of the year and the first opportunity for freshman sires to get their second careers off to a winning start. Success as a new stallion is of no concern for Uncle Mo, the sire of first-time starter DOMINICANA. A daughter of the SP Speightstown mare Chattertown, Dominicana is a full-sister to GSW and late sire Laoban. Purchased for $300,000 from the 2021 Keeneland...

6th-GP, $60K, Msw, 4yo/up, 7f, 3:05 p.m. Fresh off a big win in last weekend's Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf, Robert and Lawana Lowe are represented here by PIGOTT (Curlin), who makes his belated debut for trainer Todd Pletcher. A $1.2 million KEESEP yearling purchase, the chestnut is a half-brother to GI Hollywood Derby winner Mo Town, who showed versatility winning the GII Remsen S. on the dirt. The trainer-jockey combo of Pletcher and Luis Saez have been deadly at the meet, connecting at...

All good things must come to an end, they say, so on Friday Sabrina Moore, who co-bred the horse recently named the 2021 Longines World's Best Racehorse, boarded one last flight to watch Knicks Go (Paynter) make his final career start in the GI Pegasus World Cup before he begins stud duty at Taylor Made Farm. Foaled at the Moores' GreenMount Farm in Reisterstown, Maryland, Knicks Go has taken his doting breeder to winner's circles most only dream of reaching. The story of a young horsewoman breeding a champion racehorse...

Though the first three installments of this series have featured the stallions with most to prove, we know that they will collectively be dominating commercial traffic in the new covering season. But today we come to the group that has just completed that first, critical market cycle--and finally stands on the brink of testing their stock where it really counts. Or should count, anyway. The sad reality is that they have already exhausted their usefulness to a lot of breeders, many of whom will meanwhile have ridden the carousel through...

When 2020 came to a close, Ashford Stud's GISW Mo Town (Uncle Mo - Grazie Mille, by Bernardini) sat in prime position to see his best book yet as his first crop became yearlings and he began his third year at stud. Sons of Uncle Mo were at the forefront of breeders' minds as esteemed young stallions Nyquist and Laoban finished one-two in the freshman sire standings and were both represented by Grade I winners, while another Uncle Mo prodigy in Outwork ended up a close fourth on the same...

Thursday, Chris McGrath covered the first half of the Kentucky stallions with first yearlings. Click here to read about Justify, City of Light, West Coast, Mendelssohn, Good Magic, Bolt d'Oro, and Always Dreaming. The second part appears below. ACCELERATE (Lookin At Lucky--Issues, by Awesome Again) has also been trimmed to $17,500, at Lane's End, having already been our "gold" value pick of the intake at an opening $20,000. Whatever made him attractive then has scarcely diminished in the meantime, given that he was never going to appeal to those fast-buck...

A total of 265 head changed hands for gross receipts of $6,278,400 Saturday during the first of two Book 4 sessions of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. The average price was $23,692 and median was $15,000. The RNA rate was a notably low 16.4%. While year-to-year comparisons are perhaps slightly inexact due to a smaller KEENOV catalog this year, during last year's corresponding sixth session the average was $29,426 and median was $20,000 with a 24.7% buyback rate. Topping the day's trade Saturday was hip 1913, a colt from...

A colt out of Dark Dolores (Strong Hope) became the first foal sired by Coolmore's Mo Town (Uncle Mo--Grazie Mille, by Bernardini) when he hit the ground Jan. 14 at Stonegate Stables in New York. The 13-year-old Dark Dolores is a daughter of Esprit d'Escalier (Diesis {GB}), the dam of GSW & MGISP Gastronomical (Sunshine Forever) and SW/GSP Spanish John (Dynaformer). She is also a half-sister to the dams of three other black-type performers. "Conformationally, this colt is a great representation for the young sire Mo Town," said Bill Johnson...