Winstar

It's a tough game, selling nominations; and, except for those sparkly new stallions, getting tougher all the time. So we should have every sympathy with the farms trying to drum up custom. True, WinStar doesn't hold back in introducing Paynter on his homepage as "one of the most popular and courageous runners in racing history." But if that's a pretty heady claim, even for a horse whose recovery from desperate illness so captured the hearts of the racing public, then the son of Awesome Again has certainly moved the conversation...

The brilliantly talented Nashville, who had been under consideration for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, kicked off Saturday's action with a jaw-dropping performance that smashed a track record posted by MGISW A. P. Indian (Indian Charlie) in the 2016 GII Still Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. The bay garnered the 'TDN Rising Star' distinction when he cruised home by 11 1/2 lengths in the Saratoga slop first out Sept. 2, and he crushed allowance foes by 9 3/4 lengths over track and trip Oct. 10, good for a 101 Beyer Speed...

Trainer Bob Baffert, plus the owners and two jockeys who rode the undefeated 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify and the MGISW Hoppertunity, filed a legal petition against the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) Oct. 13, alleging that the CHRB's recent decision to reopen hearings on two scopolamine positives from those horses in 2018 amounts to "arbitrary, capricious, and unlawful conduct" that purportedly targets Baffert and his clients unfairly while supposedly damaging the horses' reputations as stallions. The petition, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, seeks a judgment, injunction,...

WinStar Farm and China Horse Club's 'TDN Rising Star' Nashville (Speightstown), who took his record to two-for-two with a towering allowance success at Keeneland Oct. 10, could make his next start in the Nov. 7 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint over the same track and distance, WinStar General Manager David Hanley said Monday. "It's a bit too early for a final decision, but I would say the nothing has been ruled out at this point," Hanley said. "I haven't discussed it with [WinStar President/CEO and Racing Manager] Elliott [Walden] or [trainer]...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency PRICEY SPEIGHTSTOWN DEBUTS AT THE SPA 3rd-SAR, $72K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:49  p.m. China Horse Club and WinStar's NASHVILLE (Speightstown) makes his career bow in this five-horse affair. The $460,000 KEESEP purchase hails from the family of GI Kentucky Derby upsetter Giacomo (Holy Bull); MGISW Tiago (Pleasant Tap); and GSW & MGISP Stanwyck (Empire Maker). TJCIS PPs

WinStar's Speightstown continues to prove himself as an accomplished sire of sires. Already, he's had four sons go on to produce Grade I winners and just in the last two years, he's seen eight additional sons, including GISW Force the Pass and the multiple graded stakes-winning Qurbaan, begin their stud careers. In 2017, WinStar welcomed their graded stakes-winning homebred Speightster into the same stud barn as his prodigious sire. With an initial stud fee set at $10,000, a price that has stayed in place since, Speightster has been supported with...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 8th-GP, $60K, Msw, 3yo, f, 7f, 4:25 p.m. Bill Mott sends out first-timer and WinStar homebred PARIS LIGHTS (Curlin) in this test. Her dam Paris Bikini (Bernardini), a $425,000 purchase at Keeneland January in 2016, is a three-quarter sister to Grade III winner and dual Grade I-placed America (A.P. Indy). The latter is the dam of the now 2-year-old colt Virtuous Intention (Curlin), who fetched $1.5 million from West Point, Woodford, Siena, Valdes, Singleton, Sandbrook & Freeman at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. This is...

I think that in terms of number of winners in 2020, the leading first-crop sire will by Speightster. I could name at least half a dozen off the top of my head that the consignors in Ocala like. They are "win first out," early types that will likely be hard to out-sprint. That being said, in terms of progeny earnings by the end of 2020, my choice would be Frosted. I've seen plenty of quality individuals throughout Ocala by this son of Tapit (who has started to show signs of...

EXTRAORDINARY (c, 3, Speightstown--Fiftyshadesofhay, by Pulpit) finished fourth on debut in what proved to be a live race at Tampa Feb. 8, which has produced a trio of other next-out winners. Bet down to 2-1 from a 6-1 morning-line quote, the $750,000 KEESEP purchase dueled for early control through a :23.55 first quarter and a :46.29 half-mile. Taking control approaching the far turn, Extraordinary rolled clear in the lane to win for fun in 1:36.88. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0. O-WinStar Farm, China Horse Club & Stonestreet Stables; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings (KY);...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency EXPENSIVE SPEIGHTSTOWN DEBUTS AT TAMPA 4th-TAM, $27K, Msw, 3yo, 1m 40yds, 1:46p.m. WinStar and China Horse Club signed the $750,000 ticket on EXTRAORDINARY (Speightstown) at Keeneland September and breeder Stonestreet Stables stayed in as a partner on the colt, who debuts in this spot for Rodolphe Brisset. The chestnut is out of four-time graded winner and MGISP millionaire Fiftyshadesofhay (Pulpit), a $1.3-million purchase by Stonestreet at the 2014 KEENOV sale. Let's Go Stable and Repole Stables also send out a Stonestreet homebred for his career...

Always Dreaming (Bodemeister-Above Perfection, by In Excess {Ire}), the 2017 GI Kentucky Derby winner, was represented by his first foal Monday, Jan. 6, when Lemon Liqueur (Exchange Rate) delivered a filly at Delia Nash's Dromingrove Farm. Bred by Nash, the filly is the third produce from Lemon Liqueur, a multiple stakes-placed half-sister to GISP Nan (High Yield), dam of Grade III winner Power Gal (Jpn) (Empire Maker). "She is very attractive just like her daddy," Nash said. "We are very pleased with her. She has all the attributes you hope...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Kyoto and Nakayama Racecourses as the JRA ushers in the new year with Sunday and Monday racing this week: Sunday, January 5, 2020 1st-KYO, ¥9,680,000 ($90k), Maiden, 3yo, 1200m ASTER HORN (c, 3, Speightstown--Arania, by Dynaformer), a half-brother to MGSW...