St. Elias Stables

The first mare bred to 2023 GI Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Bright Future (Curlin--Sophia's Song, by Bellamy Road) has checked in foal, Claiborne Farm announced Monday. The mare, My Way (Unbridled's Song), is the dam of nine winners from 10 to race, and is a half-sister to graded winners Academy Award (Secretariat), Good Mood (Devil's Bag), and Statuette (Pancho Villa). Bright Future won five of 11 career starts and earned $947,940 for owners Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables and trainer Todd Pletcher. In addition to the Jockey Club...

After starting his career with two daylight wins at Gulfstream Park and Churchill Downs last year on GI Florida Derby Day and GI Kentucky Derby Day, respectively, 'TDN Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution) nearly pulled off victory in the GI Belmont Stakes in only his third career start, finishing just a half-length behind Dornoch (Good Magic), and then finishing second to that same rival in the GI Haskell Stakes. Sent to the sidelines with bone bruising after those four scintillating starts, the Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables runner made his...

1st-GP, $94K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 12:50 p.m. ET. FRIO TOWN (Curlin) is set to be unveiled for Mike Rutherford who went to $675,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale to acquire the filly. Sent to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, the chestnut is out of the unraced full-sister of sire Frost Giant (Giant's Causeway). Also set for her first start is Protective Custody (Ghostzapper). The Stuart Janney homebred's dam, Hold Harmless (Blame), is responsible for SW & MGSP Limited Liability (Kitten's Joy), and her full-sister is GSW Onus....

St. Elias Stables homebred Rated by Merit (c, 2, Battalion Runner--Banner Waving, by Speightstown), featured in TDN nearly six weeks ago as Vinnie Viola's "unlikely Derby contender," showed again why he ranks at or near the top of the promising 2-year-olds for the powerful stable. The undefeated colt won Saturday's FTBOA Florida Sire In Reality Stakes at Gulfstream to sweep the Florida Sires series. With the In Reality his first try around two turns, Rated by Merit broke smoothly from the rail to set an easy :24.13 and :48.92 pace....

LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale continued to produce strong results as the nine-day auction continued into its Book 3 section Friday with double-digit gains over last year's corresponding session. During Friday's session, 244 head grossed $18,195,500 for an average of $74,572 and a median of $60,000. The average increased 20.71% and the median was up 20.00% from last year's Book 3 opener when 243 horses sold for $15,012,500 for an average of $61,780 and a median of $50,000. With 417 head catalogued Friday, 314 went through...

Rated by Merit, yet to be headed in two prior starts including a last-out win in the Florida Sire Series Dr. Fager Stakes Sept. 7, stepped up to seven furlongs Saturday and kept his perfect record in tact with yet another gate-to-wire victory in the Affirmed Stakes at Gulfstream. Bet down to 1-5 off two wins by more than 10 combined lengths, the favorite again jumped to the lead but took pressure from Neoequos through the half in :45.45. Finally turning that rival away off the turn, Rated by Merit...

Bright Future (Curlin), the winner of the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at the Spa, has been retired to Claiborne Farm with a stud fee of $12,500 LFSN for the 2025 breeding season, the farm said via a press release on Wednesday. Currently available for inspection at Claiborne, the 5-year-old son of Curlin won five of 11 career starts and earned $947,940 for owners Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables. The Todd Pletcher trainee won the Gold Cup at four and took home the GIII Salvator Mile Stakes at Monmouth...

7th-BAQ, $90K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 3:40 p.m. ET. An $800,000 Keeneland September Sale grad, DAKTO (Quality Road) makes his first start for the ownership group of St. Elias, West Point, Woodford and CJ Stables. Trained by Shug McGaughey, the debut runner is out of Bolton Landing Stakes heroine March X Press (Shanghai Bobby). This dam went to the Parks Investment Group for $560,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale while Dakto was in-utero, and is also responsible for GIII Dwyer Stakes victor Fort Bragg (Tapit). TJCIS PPS

A Curlin full-brother to MGISW Clairiere and an Into Mischief half-brother to GISW Girvin (Tale of Ekati)--both Stonestreet-breds--sold in a matter of minutes Tuesday afternoon at the Keeneland September sale for the two highest prices of the day thus far. Causing the biggest stir was hip 347, a Mar. 11-foaled chestnut colt by Curlin out of MGISW Cavorting (Bernardini), brought by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm for $5 million after a protracted bidding battle. Cavorting has three foals to race: MGISW Clairiere, SW La Crete (Medaglia d'Oro), and MGSP Judge...

Some say the Boy Scout bugle merit badge is one of the toughest to collect. In Thoroughbred racing it is winning a dirt race from way off the pace. In his Sunday debut at Del Mar, the 'TDN Insighted' Bullard (Gun Runner--Reve d'Amour, by Warrior's Reward) sounded his bugle and charged home to graduate, which earned the 2-year-old a 'TDN Rising Star' merit badge for his effort. Trailing from the bell, the $675,000 Keeneland September grad watched from the rear of the field as 60 cents on the dollar favorite...

2nd-SAR, $100k, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 12:37p.m. ET Breaking from the rail for owner/breeder St. Elias Stable is COMPLEX AGENDA (Quality Road), who brings with him a loaded pedigree and a bullet work over the grass at Saratoga. Said move was three works back over the training track Aug. 2, where he went seven panels with the dogs up in 1:29 flat (1/4). His dam, GSW Nonna Mela (Arch), won the GII Adirondack and ran second in the GII Prioress Stakes. That mare is a half-sister to multiple Listed winner,...

4th-DMR, $75K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5f, 6:36 p.m. ET. CASALU (Caracaro) was taken home for $775,000 by the Three Amigos--Pegram, Watson and Weitman--at this year's OBS April Sale. Sent to Bob Baffert, the filly posted a four-furlong bullet drill of :46.40 (1/54) at Santa Anita July 8. Out of Key d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), the juvenile has a 4-year-old half-sister in SP Twirled (Twirling Candy) and a yearling half-brother by Vekoma. Casalu's second dam is herself a full-sister to sire Yankee Gentleman (Storm Cat). TJCIS PPS 7th-ELP, $71K, Msw, 2yo, f,...