West Point

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) will recognize all service members past and present on Military Appreciation Day at Saratoga Race Course next Thursday, Aug. 14, it was announced via press release Friday afternoon. Gates open at 11:00 a.m. with first post scheduled for 1:10 p.m. during the annual event. All veterans and service members will receive free admission with proper military identification. NYRA will also make complimentary tickets available through VetTix, which provides tickets to events for veterans and active-duty personnel. The day's fifth race is named in honor...

A Flightline half-sister (hip 34) to GSW Barnes (Into Mischief) brought $1,100,000 from West Point Thoroughbreds as the first offering by the Horse of the Year to come through the ring Monday at Saratoga from the Indian Creek consignment. First dam All American Dream is a half to English MGSP Wind Fire (Distorted Humor).   Hip 34 f. FLIGHTLINE o/o All American Dream sells for $1,100,000 at The Saratoga Sale! Congrats to the connections: B: @westpointtbred, L.E.B., agt C: @IndianCreekKy, agt Br: Jeff Brown & Don Rachel#FasigSaratoga @LanesEndFarms pic.twitter.com/vsa1jXZimX —...

'TDN Rising Star' Jaxon Traveler (Munnings--Listen Boy, by After Market), winner of both the GIII Maryland Sprint Stakes and the GIII Whitmore Stakes, has been retired sound at the age of seven, West Point Thoroughbreds announced Wednesday. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the son of Munnings  earned more than $1,131,643 from 37 career starts between the ages of two and seven and was twice named a Maryland-bred champion as both a 2 and 3-year-old. "Jaxon Traveler has been an absolute dream to have in the barn," said President...

Fresh off a spectacular four-timer during the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting, Wathnan Racing--the horse racing operation of the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Al-Thani--saw its blue-and-tan colors cross the line first and second, respectively, in Sunday's Hanshin Stakes by the progressive Cagliostro (Upstart) and Tumbarumba (Oscar Performance), each acquired by Wathnan over the last several months. Placed in last year's GIII Indiana Derby and GIII Smarty Jones S. and fifth in the GIII Oklahoma Derby for a partnership including West Point and David Ingordo, Cagliostro narrowly annexed a two-turn Keeneland...

2nd-BAQ, $100k, Alw, 3yo/up, 1m, post time: 2:06 p.m. EDT The word was out on DONEGAL MOMENTUM (Uncle Mo) for his local debut over six muddy furlongs May 16, and he ran to the money, shooting clear in the stretch to graduate by a whopping 8 1/4 lengths and earning a strong 92 Beyer Speed Figure to become a no-brainer 'TDN Rising Star'. A $375,000 Keeneland September purchase in 2022, the dark bay colt looks to negotiate a mile from the inside gate Thursday afternoon. Javier Castellano has a return...

Cugino has been knocking on the door of a stakes win for Shug McGaughey since breaking his maiden at first asking at Aqueduct last November. In three starts earlier this year, he's been beaten by a length, a neck and a nose to take second in the Colonel Liam S. at Gulfstream in March and the GIII Transylvania S. at Keeneland in April. Caught way back last time out, he still rallied in first-time blinkers to be fourth in the GII American Turf S. on Derby Day last month. Adding...

1st-SA, $65K, MSW, 3yo, 6fT, 4:00 p.m. The partnership of Stonehaven Steading, Talla Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Racing and Charles Sonson went to a sales-topping $2,500,000 at Keeneland September in 2022 to secure METRO (Quality Road). A son of GIII Schuylerville S. third True Feelings, he is a half to SW Feeling Mischief (Into Mischief) and GSP Royal Act (American Pharoah). True Feelings is herself a half to the dam of champion 3-year-old filly Wait A While (Maria's Mon) and this is also the family of dual champion and...

After receiving a seven-day suspension and a $1,000 fine after a horse he trained tested positive for a metabolite of Tramadol, trainer Rusty Arnold went on the offensive. While he did not argue the fact that the horse tested positive, he has said that it is grossly unfair that the HISA/HIWU continues to suspended trainers for minute amounts of drugs that aren't considered performance-enhancing. Advocating for a major change in how these infractions are dealt with, Arnold was this week's guest on the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland....

It was 12 years ago this week that a young bloodstock agent found a mare for one of his first clients, deep in the November Sale at Keeneland. Mesa Fresca (Sky Mesa) had won a Belmont maiden in a light career, and Larkin Armstrong knew her family inside out. In fact, her own bloodlines ran almost parallel to his own, his father being a cousin of her dam's breeder Emory Hamilton. Raised the way he was, Armstrong could not fail to recognize this mare as King Ranch royalty, and was...

A June 1-foaled colt by Into Mischief was the first yearling to cross the seven-figure barrier Wednesday at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale when he fetched $1.1 million from West Point. Bred and consigned by Clearsky Farms, the son of GSW Ever So Clever (Medaglia d'Oro) sold as Hip 521. The mare has had two previous sons by Into Mischief go through the September ring, with her 2020 colt bringing $600,000 from China Horse Club/Gandharvi Racing and her 2021 colt a $400,000 RNA last year. The 2020 colt, now a...

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis LEXINGTON, KY - With the very first horse through the ring bringing $1.3 million, the second session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale was off to the races Tuesday and the action didn't slow down throughout the day as the second-to-last offering brought $1.25 million. In between, 13 other yearlings sold for seven figures, including a colt by Into Mischief who brought top price of $3 million from the partnership of Chuck Sonson, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford. With eight million-dollar yearlings Monday, the...

2nd-Del Mar, $84,500, Msw, 9-8, 2yo, f, 5fT, :57.22, fm, 1 1/4 lengths. SOHO (f, 2, City of Light--Keri Belle {GSW, $323,140}, by Empire Maker) lacked racing room in the opening jumps and took back to split the field from fifth as Feisty Mitole (Mitole) surged from the inside gate to the lead. Always traveling well, the 4-1 shot took a ground-saving track around the far turn before tipping out to kick for home. Charging past favored Avoir (More Than Ready) and a fading pacesetter, Soho went clear close to...