Union Rags

In reaching the penultimate instalment of our series, once again we are obliged by the steepening commercial gradient to combine different intakes--this time, those who have now launched between four and six juvenile crops--to ensure a suitably competitive podium. For by this stage of their career the majority of Kentucky start-ups will already have packed their bags for regional or overseas programs. One or two are still barely clinging on, their books plummeting, but overall we're now looking at those few who have bravely consolidated to the brink of inclusion...

1st-DMR, $100K, Opt. Cl. ($40k), 3yo/up, 6f, 2:55 p.m. ET Summer Wind Equine's TRIPLE TAP (Tapit) marks his return to the races for the first time since his impressive 4 1/4-length TDN Rising Star-earning win at Santa Anita Mar. 13. The chestnut is a half-brother to Triple Crown hero and Horse of the Year American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile). His prolific dam, Litteprincessemma (Yankee Gentleman), was purchased by Jane Lyon's Summer Wind for $2.1 million carrying a full sibling to Pharoah--the subsequently Group 3-placed St Patricks Day--at Fasig-Tipton November in...

Caramel Swirl got just the better of an enervating final-furlong tussle in Saturday's GII Lexus Raven Run S. at Keeneland, dropping her nose down on the line just ahead of the over-achieving Joy's Rocket to earn her first stakes and graded stakes victory. The 33-10 second betting choice behind her Bill Mott stablemate Obligatory (Curlin), Caramel Swirl settled just behind midfield and raced three off the inside beneath Junior Alvarado before committing to a wide run around the turn. In hand approaching the quarter pole, she was angled six deep...

TIMONIUM, MD - Buyers had every right to expect competitive bidding during Monday's first session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale--with normal Maryland shoppers joined by bidders shut out at previous sales--and the arena did not disappoint. By the close of business Monday, 149 yearlings grossed $4,577,300. The average was $30,720 and the median was $20,000. During the sale's first session in 2020, 122 yearlings sold for a total of $2,983,600. The session average was $24,456, the median was $15,000, and the buy-back rate was 24.7%. "It was a...

Dynamic One earned his black-type badge with an upset of previously undefeated and heavily favored First Captain in the Curlin S. at Saratoga Friday, one of two local preps for the Aug. 28 GI Runhappy Travers S. Trailing the field early as longshot Snow House (Twirling Candy) clocked an opening splits of :23.63 and :47.34 with Beren (Weigelia) pressing from his outside hip and First Captain leading the second flight in fifth. Splitting rivals four wide turning for home with the field fanned out across the track, the chestnut moved...

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued an additional entry to its July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale, and an additional two entries to its July Breeding Stock Sale. July Selected Horses of Racing Age: Flags Up (Honor Code) (Hip 675): Three-year-old son of Honor Code set new personal bests for Beyer and Ragozin figures when second, beaten just a head, in an allowance race at Ellis Park July 9. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent. July Breeding Stock: Royal Rags (Union Rags) (Hip 454): Three-year-old daughter of Union Rags is out...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency  6th-LRC, $45K, Msw, 2yo, 5f, post time: 6:28 p.m. ET The stallion-making syndicate nicknamed "The Avengers" will be represented by a pricey pair of yearling buys here conditioned by Bob Baffert. Favored at 6-5 on the morning line is Messier (Empire Maker), who was the most expensive buy by his late sire last year when he brought $470,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Select Yearlings Showcase. The bay is out of two-turn stakes winner Checkered Past (Smart Strike) from a Sam-Son family that includes Canadian champions Catch...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-BEL, $90K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 11:35 a.m. Juvenile colts kick off the festivities on GI Belmont S. day. Trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle three for the big one, and two members of the next generation in here. Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Gainesway Stable's Wit (Practical Joke) was a $575,000 Keeneland September buy. He is a half brother to the talented Washington-based GSW Barkley (Munnings). Wit's stablemate Keepcalmcarryon (Union Rags) cost $75,000 at the same auction. His dam Lavender Chrissie (Scat Daddy) was...

A deep field of eight--headed by 5-2 morning-line favorite and Southern Californian invader Express Train (Union Rags)--will line up for Saturday's $1-million GII Oaklawn H. The well-built bay, second in last term's GI Runhappy Malibu S., followed a breakthrough victory with a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure in the GII San Pasqual S. Jan. 30 with a second-place finish after leading in the stretch in the GI Santa Anita H. Mar. 6. John Shirreffs trains the C R K Stables colorbearer. The rail-drawn Silver State (Hard Spun), second and third...

NEWMARKET, UK—"That's what I love about this place," one shopper complained on Tuesday afternoon as a consignor extolled the virtues of the horse being paraded before him. "There's never any bad news." Well, he must have spent the last year under a rock. Pretty universally, all that anyone in the European industry sought from the new breeze-up cycle at Newmarket this week was a renewed sense of stability. And, while the closing session of the Craven Sale at Tattersalls proved somewhat tougher going for vendors than the first day, there...

SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stable LLC, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm LLC and Robert Masterson's Spielberg (Union Rags) has been confirmed to contest the GI Curlin Florida Derby Mar. 27 at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the 3-year-old is expected to face GIII Holy Bull S. and GI Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. winner Greatest Honour (Tapit) in the nine-furlong test that has produced the winners of 60 Triple Crown events. "We'll see how he stacks up," Baffert said Friday. Spielberg, who is scheduled to...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 6th-GP, $55K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1m, post time: 3:41 p.m. EDT Hall of Famer Bill Mott will unveil a big ticket in ZURI (Union Rags), a $1 million graduate of the 2019 Keeneland September sale who is looking to add to the monumental success already achieved by her dam, Zayanna (Bernardini). The mare's previous four foals are all stakes performers and include GISW Wicked Whisper (Liam's Map), as well as GSW & MGISP Point of Honor (Curlin). Zuri goes to post in the Godolphin colors...