War Front

Keeneland has cataloged 73 horses for its April Horses of Racing Age Sale, to be held Friday, Apr. 29 following the races on closing day of the Spring Meet. The sale, which will begin at approximately 6:30 p.m. ET and be livestreamed on Keeneland.com, will be conducted as an integrated event, with live auctioneers at Keeneland and with horses presented for sale both physically at Keeneland and at off-site locations. Keeneland also will provide online and phone bidding for buyers who wish to participate remotely. "We're really excited about hosting...

NEWMARKET, UK—We know that these breeze-up consignors have nerves of steel: otherwise they simply couldn't do the job. As such, the bloodstock industry could not have appointed a better echelon to test the stormy waters of the last couple of years, when they were first to be broadsided by the pandemic and then tried to put things back on an even keel last year. The opening session of the opening sale of the European circuit, then, gave them a chance to put their world back on its axis—even as they...

A filly by War Front (hip 276) zipped a quarter-mile in a bullet :20 1/5, while a daughter of Street Boss (hip 346) claimed the fastest furlong work of :9 3/5 during the second session of the under-tack show for next week's Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training Monday in Central Florida. Hip 276 is consigned by Eddie Woods on behalf of her breeder, Oussama Aboughazale's International Equities Holding. "We were expecting her to be quick, but we didn't know she was that quick," International Equities...

Tattersalls has released a catalogue of 163 juveniles for its Craven Breeze Up Sale, which takes place on Apr. 12 and 13 with the breeze happening on the Rowley Mile on Apr. 11. This year's graduates will have big shoes to fill, as last year's sale produced not only the champion 2-year-old and unbeaten G1 Dewhurst S. and G1 National S. winner Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), but also Group 2 winners Asymmetric (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) and Go Bears Go (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}). Among the Group 1 siblings...

4th-Gulfstream, $53,000, Msw, 2-13, 3yo, f, 1m 70y (AWT) (off turf), 1:45.10, ft, head. AMERICAN HEROINE (f, 3, War Front--Chatham {MSP, $156,431}, by Maria's Mon) debuted on the turf at this venue Jan. 2 without Lasix, producing a closing kick which carried her five wide into the lane but also to third place within a length of winning. With this race coming off the turf, she broke well and secured a forward position as the 8-5 chalk. The $1.05 million KEESEP score glued herself to the early lead from second...

Hidden Lake Farm's Fog of War (War Front), winner of the GI Summer S. at Woodbine, sired his first reported foal when a filly out of the Tapit mare Kitty Foyle was born for breeder 3C Stables Monday, Jan. 31 at Hidden Lake Farm in Stillwater, N.Y. Kitty Foyle, a $575,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Crupi's Newcastle Farm in 2016, is produced from the multiple graded stakes-placed Mt. Livermore mare Lavender Sky, a half-sister to multiple GISW and millionaire Alpha and to multiple graded stakes-placed Mystic Melody. Fog of...

4th-Tampa Bay Downs, $25,000, Msw, 1-26, 4yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:12.62, sy, 7 3/4 lengths. NETTE NETTE (f, 4, Empire Maker--Vaulcluse {SW}, by A.P. Indy), a $950,000 Keeneland September graduate, made the trip up from South Florida and splashed home to debut as a much-the-best winner. Away in mid-division as the even-money pick, the a half-sister to Lukes Alley (Flower Alley), Ch. Older Horse-Can, GISW-US, MGSW-Can, $795,122; and to once-beaten 'TDN Rising Star' Arrifana (Curlin), SW & GSP, $230,400, tugged Pablo Morales to the front after the completion of a quarter-mile....

Halladay (War Front--Hightap, by Tapit), winner of the 2020 GI Fourstardave H., has been retired from racing and will stand the 2022 breeding season at Harris Farms in California as the property of a syndicate led by Adrian Gonzalez of Checkmate Thoroughbreds. He will stand for an introductory fee of $7,500, live foal stand and nurse guarantee, with shares available. Racing for Harrell Ventures and trainer Todd Pletcher, Halladay also won the 2019 Tropical Park Derby and 2020 Sunshine Forever S. On the board in 12 of 17 starts, the...

Call it the Japan factor. We've already seen it creating opportunities for breeders, after all, with Hard Spun--a still more direct conduit of Danzig blood, and arguably underpriced ever since his relaunch in Kentucky after a sojourn in Hokkaido. The Factor, however, is four years further behind in that process, and right now finds himself at an intriguing crossroads in his rehabilitation. Having spent 2018 at Shizunai Stallion Station, the son of War Front had no American juveniles last year and will accordingly have no sophomore representation in 2022. That...

1st-GP, $60k, Msw, 3yo, f, 7 1/2fT, 12:30 p.m. ET As two of the most expensive auction purchases on the entire card, newly turned 3-year-old fillies SIEMPRE ELEGANTE (American Pharoah) and AMERICAN HEROINE (War Front) will be turning heads for more reasons than one. The former clicked through her paces at the 2021 OBS March sale (:21 1/5) well, impressing owner Sean Flanagan enough to put down a healthy $550,000 for her; one of a six-way tie for fourth most expensive of the sale. While the first dam is devoid...

European champion 2-year-old Air Force Blue (War Front--Chatham, by Maria's Mon) has been acquired by Pegasus Farm in South Korea, according to a report in the Blood-Horse. From two crops of racing age, Air Force Blue is responsible for five black-type winners, including Astronomer, who won Del Mar's Qatar Golden Mile S. on the Breeders' Cup Friday undercard; and Canadian Classic winner Haddassah, who captured Fort Erie's Prince of Wales S. Air Force Blue, bred in Kentucky by Stone Farm, brought $490,000 from Magnier, Tabor and Smith at the 2014...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Observations features a son of Oaks winner Talent (GB) (New Approach {GB}). 14.25 Deauville, Mdn, €27,000, unraced 2yo, c/g, 9 1/2f (AWT) Juddmonte's unraced FRACTION (GB) (War Front), a Francis-Henri Graffard trainee, is a half-brother to Listed Finale S. victrix Variable (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) out of...