Sibelius

Before bidding commenced for the second and final session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, a share in leading Taylor Made stallion Not This Time (Giant's Causeway--Miss Macy Sue, by Trippi) was hammered down for an even $2 million. The share was purchased by D. J. Stable, BlackRidge Stables, Barry Fowler and John Cummins, according to Taylor Made's Mark Taylor. The sale of the share was coordinated by Taylor Made Sales and is subject to a 10-day match from the syndicate. Not This Time stands at Taylor Made Stallions in Nicholasville,...

A share in leading sire Not This Time figures to provide some fireworks when it kicks off the action Tuesday night at Saratoga. The sale of the share is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Not This Time is the sire of five Grade I winners from three crops to race, and is the leading fourth-crop sire of 2023. The share includes all projected income from the 2023 breeding season. Shareholders receive one nomination annually, plus their proportional share of the excess book. (See complete details here.) Not This Time is governed...

Ever since she was a young girl, Chelsie Raabe had dreamed of reaching the pinnacle moment in her career as an equestrian, where she envisioned one day standing atop the Olympic podium or making the victorious walk out following a clear cross-country round at the Land Rover Three-Day event. But it wasn't until the evening of March 25 at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, as she looked up at a bustling grandstand that echoed with the crescendo of excited fans awaiting the start of the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen on...

Jun Park and Delia Nash's Sibelius (Not This Time), last seen posting a thrilling victory in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen at Meydan Racecourse Mar. 25, will bypass the GII True North S. at Belmont Park June 10 in favor of next weekend's $225,000 Listed Aristides S. at Churchill Downs, trainer Jeremiah O'Dwyer said Monday. "He's stabled here at Keeneland and it's only up the road," the conditioner told the NYRA press office. "We'll have a look at the race and see what post position we get and how the...

  When Saint Ballado came to the farm, Duncan Taylor recalls Les Brinsfield telling him to try Mari's Book mares. "Mari's Book!" he exclaims now. "It's not like there were Mari's Book mares all around, out there in the population. But Les was a smart guy, very analytical." And it was easy to see the logic: Mari's Book was by Northern Dancer out of a Maribeau mare; and Maribeau, like Saint Ballado's sire Halo, was out of Cosmah--whose half-sister Natalma, of course, gave us the sire of Mari's Book. Plenty of...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- It would be difficult to imagine that anyone has embraced and enjoyed their time in the Emirates more than trainer Jeremiah O'Dwyer, his wife Alison and exercise rider Chelsie Raabe. From the perspective of the 130 or so horses taking part on World Cup Night, the same could perhaps be said for Sibelius (Not This Time), who would make his way to the Meydan main track about the same time the sun was peeking over the horizon, then would just stand there, like class horses...

There are American pedigrees galore that feature in the 73-strong catalogue for the Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up Sale, which takes place Tuesday afternoon in the saddling enclosure at Meydan Racecourse. With the lowering of COVID-related travel restrictions in 2022, European-based resellers were a noted presence at this country's yearling auctions last summer and fall, and with the increased focus on dirt racing in the Gulf region--not only at the racetracks of the Emirates Racing Association, but also in Saudi Arabia and, to a lesser extent, Qatar--it stands to reason that American-bred...

WinStar Farm, Commonwealth Thoroughbreds and Zedan Racing's defending G1 Dubai World Cup champion Country Grammer (Tonalist) tops a dozen North American entries for the Dubai World Cup program at Meydan Racecourse Saturday, Mar. 25. The prospective fields were revealed overnight by the Dubai Racing Club. The 6-year-old is one of 13 in the field for the $12-million centerpiece of the meeting, including no fewer than eight runners from Japan topped by Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who registered a half-length defeat of Country Grammer in the G1 Saudi Cup last...

Jun Park and Delia Nash's Sibelius (Not This Time), winner of his last two Florida starts including Gulfstream's GIII Mr. Prospector S., is headed to Dubai to run in the G1 Golden Shaheen Mar. 25 at Meydan Racecourse. "We have accepted an invitation to go to Dubai," trainer Jerry O'Dwyer said. "He came out of his last race good and is doing really well." Sibelius, the winner of the Lite the Fuse S. at Pimlico last fall, followed up his New Year's Eve Mr. Prospector score with another victory in...

Keeneland opens its highly anticipated fall meet Friday with a trio of graded stakes that each provide the winners with a spot in the gate for the Breeders' Cup World Championships to be held in Lexington the first weekend of November. The highlight of the day will be the GI Darley Alcibiades S., a qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Ken McPeek and Brad Cox have taken turns the last few years, each winning two of the last four, and McPeek has the morning-line favorite in last-out GIII...

After airing in front-running fashion in Pimlico's Lite the Fuse S. with a career-high 105 Beyer Speed Figure earlier this month--his second straight triple digit rating--progressive 4-year-old sprinter Sibelius (Not This Time) is getting good at the right time. Just how good, exactly? That question will be answered in Keeneland's 'Win and You're In' GII Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. on opening day Oct. 7. "I'm a big believer in horses getting confident when they win," trainer Jerry O'Dwyer said. "When they back it up, back-to-back like he has, he's...