Thoroughbred Daily News

Four additional yearlings, including fillies by Flightline, Gun Runner and Into Mischief along with a colt by Golden Pal, have been supplemented to Book 1 of the September Yearling Sale on Sept. 8-9, Keeneland announced Thursday.

Opening day of the sale will include these supplements:

Hip 181 is a filly from the first crop of Horse of the Year Flightline who is out of stakes winner Call On Mischief, by Into Mischief. Call On Mischief is a half-sister to Grade I winner and millionaire Power Squeeze. The filly is consigned by Thorostock, agent.

Hip 182, a colt from the first crop of two-time Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal, is a half-brother to Grade III winner Becky's Joker. Consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent, he is out of the Elusive Quality mare Becky's Best and from the family of Grade II winner Vertical Oak and stakes winners Vertical Vision and Giant Mischief.

Yearlings supplemented to the second day are:

Hip 372 is a filly by Into Mischief out of multiple graded stakes winner Keertana, by Johar. A half-sister to Grade III winner Ticonderoga, she is consigned by St George Sales, agent. The filly is from the family of Grade II winner Diversy Harbor; Grade III winners Snow Top Mountain, Greyvitos and Parochial; and Italian highweight Knifebox.

Hip 373 is a filly by Gun Runner who is the first foal out of multiple stakes winner Hear My Prayer, by The Big Beast. From the family of stakes winner Additional Prayer, she is consigned by Mulholland Springs, agent.

The post Four Yearlings Supplemented To Keeneland September Book 1 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

First-time starter Setting Sun (Caravaggio), who was pulled up during the running of the ninth race at Saratoga Wednesday, has been euthanized according to a press release from NYRA Thursday.

The note reads: “During the running of Race 9 on Wednesday, August 6 at Saratoga Race Course, the Miguel Clement-trained Setting Sun was pulled up by jockey Flavien Prat in the stretch run with an injury to the left front. The filly was immediately attended to by on-track veterinarians, who transported Setting Sun to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital for further evaluation.

Radiographs performed at Rood & Riddle showed severe fractures to the left knee, which were deemed to be inoperable. As a result, and upon recommendation of the attending veterinarians, Setting Sun was humanely euthanized on Wednesday evening.”

Additionally, NYRA noted that Setting Sun's death marked the fourth total with two equine fatalities occurring during racing and two more occurring during morning training.

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The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation will host its final fundraiser of the year, the Backyard BBQ, at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Saratoga Springs on Tuesday, August 19, the organization announced Thursday.

The event, held from 5:30-8:30pm, includes a full BBQ dinner, a drink ticket, live music, a silent auction and an opportunity to hear from graduates of the TRF Second Chances Program. All proceeds from the event benefit the TRF's herd of nearly 400 retired race horses and the Second Chances Program which pairs incarcerated individuals with horses to teach skills through horsemanship.

“Rood & Riddle's generosity in hosting this event and serving as our presenting sponsor is a tremendous gift to the TRF,” said Maggie Sweet, executive director of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. “Their commitment to the health and welfare of Thoroughbreds mirrors our mission, and we are deeply grateful for their partnership in making this celebration possible for our community and our horses.”

More information and tickets for the Backyard BBQ can be found here.

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The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. will play host to 'Casino Night' on Monday, Aug. 18 from 6 p.m. ET to 9:30 p.m. ET., and the evening will serve as a fundraiser for the museum and the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, the repository said in a press release on Wednesday.

The event, which is sponsored by Live Oak Plantation and the Jockeys' Guild, will be catered by Mama Mia's. Along with will some high-stakes fun, the fundraiser will include a lively atmosphere throughout the museum as well.

Click here for tickets.

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BLACKOUT TIME, ELP, 8/2, 1 mile, 'TDN Rising Star'
Beyer Speed Figure- 83
(c, 2, by Not This Time–Beauty Parlor, by Elusive Quality)
O-Brookdale Racing and Lance Gasaway. B-Newstead Corp (Ky). T-Kenny McPeek. J-Brian Hernandez Jr.
McPeek has another promising juvenile and he's already gone a mile. Blackout Time–out of a Joe Allen owned-and-bred graded turf winner – debuted with a strong 2nd behind Dazzle d'Oro at Churchill and Saturday he sped 9 3/4 lengths ahead of a full field of juveniles that included two Asmussens, two Coxes, two Casses and a Walsh.

BUETANE, DMR, 8/3, 5 furlongs, 'TDN Rising Star' (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 83
(c, 2, by Tiz The Law–Taboo, by Forestry)
O-Zedan Racing Stables. B-Merriebelle Stable (Ky). T-Bob Baffert. J-Juan Hernandez.
Amr Zedan topped this list last week thanks to Brant's 101 Beyer. One month after shelling out an OBS record $3 million for Brant, Zedan took home Buetane for $1.15 million and now he has a nice one-two punch for upcoming Del Mar 2-year-old stakes. Buetane had 3 1/2 lengths on fellow Baffert firster Falcon Jet, who was 7 1/4 ahead of the others.

ITS BOURBON THIRTY, ELP, 8/1, 5 1/2 furlongs (turf)
Beyer Speed Figure- 84
(g, 4, by Outwork–Seattle Artist, by Stormy Atlantic)
O-Howling Pigeon Farms. B-Paul King (Ky). T-Jeremiah O'Dwyer. J-Luan Machado.
He started his career 0-for-5 in races on turf and Tapeta, all around two turns. But O'Dwyer cut him back from 9 furlongs to 5 1/2, added blinkers, and watched him lead from start to finish at 6-1 odds. Its Bourbon Thirty is a fitting name for a Kentucky-bred, and those who hit this $1,389 dime superfecta Friday were probably knocking back a few.

GLORIOUS LIFE, DMR, 8/2, 5 furlongs (turf) (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 88
(g, 5, by Vronsky–Glorious Luck, by Lucky J.H.)
O/B-Harris Farms (Cal). T-Carla Gaines. J-Kazushi Kimura.
He's from one of the most productive female families nurtured by California breeding legend John Harris, who passed away July 2. The 5-year-old had only four previous races, hadn't started in 10 months and also had been gelded in the interim. Gaines had already hit the board three times at Del Mar with long-layoff runners and had this one primed for a lifetime best off the bench.

DELIGHTFUL CLAIRE, SAR, 8/2, 7 furlongs, 'TDN Rising Star' (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 95
(f, 3, by Thousand Words–Izshelegal, by Maria's Mon)
O-Rigney Racing.  B-Gmbracstables, Mr. and Mrs. Ramon Rangel and Mr. and Mrs. Zachary Mad (Ky). T-Phil Bauer. J-Joel Rosario.
She was bet down to 8-5 in her June debut at Churchill but was done in by wickedly fast fractions and a talented Mott filly. Then she stepped up her game Saturday in a huge way, putting a 9 1/4-length bruising on a decent field strung out a quarter-mile behind her. Her half-brother Crazy Mason came from the clouds to win the Carter four months back, but she has plenty of speed.

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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – For now, it looks like Baeza (McKinzie) is going to stay put in California.

Trainer John Shirreffs said Wednesday that a cross-country trip to Saratoga and another shot at Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in the $1.25 million GI DraftKings Travers Stakes is unlikely.

“I would say there is not a really good chance of doing that,” Shirreffs said by phone from his summer base at Del Mar.

Shirreffs said the reason for skipping the Aug. 23 Midsummer Derby has everything to do with getting to Saratoga. Baeza has already shipped twice to the Spa; he was here for the GI Belmont Stakes and finished third, 6 1/2 lengths behind Sovereignty. He returned home after that.

Then he returned for the July 26 GII Jim Dandy Stakes and was beaten a length by Sovereignty

“It's just such a tough ship from Del Mar to over there,” Shirreffs said.

To get here, Baeza, owned by Robert Clay's Grandview Stable and Lee Searing's C R K Stable, would have to van to either Los Angeles or Ontario [two-hours] and then fly to Newark, N.J. and take another van 190 miles to Saratoga.

Baeza at Saratoga | Sarah Andrew

Baeza also flew from Los Angeles to Louisville when he ran in the GI Kentucky Derby.

That's three cross-country ships in as many months.

Shirreffs said when Baeza shipped to the Derby and the Belmont, it affected the horse, and took him a couple days to get over it. When he came out of the Jim Dandy, Baeza handled it much better.

Shirreffs said the plans for Baeza's next race have not yet been finalized. The two most appealing options are to stay home for the $1 million GI Pacific Classic Aug. 30 against older horses or the $1 million GI Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Sept. 20 against 3-year-olds.

“We have discussed the Pacific Classic and Pennsylvania Derby,” Shirreffs said, acknowledging that the Travers would be third on the depth chart. “We have not made up our minds yet. We would have a little more time to the other races and time is valuable in these situations.”

Baeza, a $1.2 million purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, has one win, three seconds and two thirds in his seven-race career.

Baeza is scheduled to work at Del Mar on Thursday, according to Shirreffs.

On August 1, trainer Kenny McPeek put 2024 GI Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (Goldencents) on the grass for the first time. This was not done on a lark; McPeek had been thinking about doing it for at least a year.

Here's the proof as to how serious McPeek is about Mystik Dan being a thoroughbred lawn mower: he is running him in Saturday's GI Arlington Million at Colonial Downs. All of Mystik Dan's prior 14 starts have been on dirt.

“It was kind of an audible at the line of scrimmage,” McPeek said Wednesday morning at his barn at the annex across from the Oklahoma Training Track. “He was doing really well and the [Million] seems to be modest in depth. We decided to put him in.”

Mystik Dan working over the Spa turf | Sarha Andrew

A field of eight has been entered for the Million and Mystik Dan, who will be ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., drew the rail and is the 9-2 fourth choice in the 1 1/4-mile race. Integration (Quality Road) is the 8-5 morning line favorite for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.

McPeek worked Mystik Dan on the grass for the first time last week and he responded with a five-furlong work in 1:02.17 (5/10).

“He does everything easy, he is Mr. Workmanlike,” McPeek said. “If he were a student, he would be in the middle of the classroom, he would be getting straight As, he would never make a sound, and you would not even know he is there. He just goes about his business very quietly, professionally. That is him. There is nothing loud about him. Very smart.”

McPeek said he did not ever think about running him in the GI Whitney Stakes last week. Mystik Dan was eighth in last year's GI Belmont Stakes, which was run at Saratoga. When Hernandez jumped off him that day, he told McPeek that Mystik Dan didn't like the surface.

“Why run in the Whitney on a racetrack I don't know if he is going to like?” McPeek said. “We know where he fits against the older horses. He is within a few lengths, one side or the other, against the Sierra Leones, Fiercenesss of the world. If the Derby winner wins the Arlington Million, I think it adds to the dynamic of him as a stallion prospect.”

Owned by Lance Gasaway, 4 G Racing LLC, Daniel Hamby III and Valley View Farm LLC, Mystik Dan is scheduled to leave Saratoga Thursday morning.

“Good horses will run on anything,” McPeek said, and then added, with a smile, “we are going to prove it Saturday.”

Louisville, Ky. is home for trainer Dale Romans. A lot of his best work has been under the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs.

So far at the Saratoga meet, he hasn't been too bad, either.

Romans brought just eight horses up for the summer–he has 55 down in Kentucky–and, after five starts, he has three wins, a second and a third.

The latest win came Sunday when Jack's Promise (Promises Fulfilled) rallied to win a claiming race at odds of 7-1 under Junior Alvarado.

Romans became the all-time leading trainer at Churchill Nov. 12, 2017 when he won his 703rd race. He held the top spot until June 13, 2020 when he was overtaken by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen when he won his 738th Churchill Race.

Dale Romans with Irad Oritz and Bobrovsky at the Spa | Sarah Andrew

Romans has won or shared 10 training titles at the historic track.

“I know how to win,” Romans said outside his barn on the Saratoga backstretch Wednesday morning.

Jack's Promise is owned by Bob Baron, who is also a close friend of Romans. The horse is named for one of Baron's grandchildren. Baron and Romans also teamed up with the sire, Promises Fulfilled (by Shackleford), who won the 2018 GI H. Allen Jerkens Stakes and GIII Amsterdam Stakes.

“It makes the losses harder, but the wins sweeter,” Romans said of training for friends.

Even though Jack's Promise's victory came in the claiming ranks, it did not go unnoticed.

At Saratoga, everyone is watching. Or so it seems.

“If you win an allowance race at other tracks, nobody knows it,” Romans said. “I got 20 text messages after winning a claiming race!”

Earlier in the meet, 2-year-old Bobrovsky (Daredevil), co-owned by Romans and Steve Berg, broke his maiden on dirt at 4-5 by 10 1/2 lengths.

Bobrovsky is scheduled to work on the grass Friday and, if all goes well, will be pointed to the $150,000 Skidmore at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf Aug. 16.

“When you don't win up here, it's a grind,” Romans said. “When you do, it promotes your business, pays the bills and just makes you feel better. Makes your golf game a lot better, too.”

The post Saratoga Notebook, Presented By NYRA Bets: Baeza’s Next Race Won’t Be The Travers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

After this past spring's failed attempt to get a controversial bill passed in the Florida legislature that would have stripped a 40-days-minimum live racing requirement from its casino licensure, the owners of Gulfstream Park have filed a lawsuit against the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC), alleging that the 2021 statute that allowed all classes of pari-mutuel licensees except Thoroughbreds to “decouple” from live racing as a condition of operating slot machines is an “unconstitutional special law and violates the equal protection clause of the Florida Constitution.”

Daniel Wallach, a Florida-based attorney who specializes in gaming law, was first to break the news of the litigation via a Wednesday posting on the X social media platform.

Wallach wrote that the lawsuit is a “buzzer-beater” because “the deadline for asserting these claims was set to expire on Aug. 11, 2025–the four-year anniversary of the 'effective' date of the 2021 compact between the Seminole Tribe and the State of Florida to which the decoupling law's effectiveness was linked.”

The Aug. 5 lawsuit in the Second Judicial Circuit for Leon County stated that Gulfstream “is encumbered by the requirement to conduct live racing, and the only pari-mutuel permitholder who faces criminal prosecution if it fails to maintain live racing while continuing the conduct of slot machine gaming.”

The lawsuit stated that “Gulfstream alone bears the statutory burden to sustain one particular industry–Thoroughbred horseracing–in order to participate in another industry–slot machines. No other competitor suffers that legislatively imposed burden on its constitutional right to operate slot machines.”

The lawsuit continued: “This differential treatment destroys Gulfstream's ability to compete with other similarly situated entities and puts Gulfstream at a severe disadvantage as compared to other similarly situated entities.

“There is no rational basis for treating Gulfstream differently than other similarly situated entities,” the lawsuit stated.

“This differential treatment inflicts irreparable injury on Gulfstream, which includes its ability to continue to exercise its state constitutional rights,” the lawsuit stated.

In addition to the unconstitutionality declarations that Gulfstream is seeking to nullify the live racing mandate, the lawsuit also wants the court to enjoin the FGCC from requiring Gulfstream to have “written binding agreements” with the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (FHBPA) and Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA) as a condition of obtaining its slots license.

Lonny Powell, the chief executive officer of the FTBOA, described the court filing as “deeply troubling” in an Aug. 6 press release.

“Let's be clear: this is a casino-first move, not a racing-first one,” Powell said. “The courts should recognize it for what it is–a direct threat to our industry's integrity and Florida agriculture's future.”

Lonnie Powell | Serita Hult

Powell said that “after benefiting for decades from the prestige and profits of Florida's Thoroughbred industry, they're now asking the courts to let them abandon it entirely.”

Powell said Gulfstream's authorization to operate slot machines is “a privilege they obtained specifically from their involvement with Thoroughbred racing.”

The website Florida Politics quoted Marie Long, the general counsel for Gulfstream's parent company, 1/ST Racing and Gaming, as saying that, “The law on its face is anti-free markets, with the government picking winners and losers with its legislation.”

Long continued: “This is a matter of fair and equal treatment under the law, which the Decoupling Act clearly and intentionally violates. This is not about racing–we are committed to a sustainable future for racing. It's about our inability to compete with the private slot operators who don't have to meet the same obligations we must meet to run our business because they receive special treatment at our expense.”

Powell disagreed.

“This lawsuit isn't about fairness; it's about Gulfstream Park wanting to operate a casino without fulfilling their racing responsibilities. They're turning their back on the very industry that built their brand and bottom line,” Powell said.

“The 2021 decoupling law was designed to preserve Florida's core horse racing institutions. Gulfstream Park's attempt to overturn it would open the floodgates; eroding Thoroughbred racing statewide, threatening family farms, rural jobs, and a multi-billion-dollar agricultural economy,” Powell said.

Messages seeking comment left with the FHBPA and FGCC did not yield replies prior to deadline for this story.

The post ‘Encumbered’ By ‘Statutory Burden’ Of Live Racing To Operate Slots, Gulfstream Files Lawsuit To Overturn Law appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) has re-elected David O'Farrell as chairman of its board of trustees, along with new members serving three-year terms Jonathan Green, Walker Hancock, Dean Reeves and Adrian Wallace, the organization said via a press release on Wednesday.

Re-elected to three-year terms were current trustees Billy Koch, Braxton Lynch, David O'Farrell and Francis Vanlangendonck.

Following its annual members meeting, trustees met to elect officers for the association. Officers named for 2025-2026 are: David O'Farrell, chairman, Garrett O'Rourke, vice-chairman, Dan Metzger, president; Brant Laue, secretary; and Jonathan Green, treasurer.

Brant Laue was re-elected chair of the American Graded Stakes Committee. Also, the board approved the appointment of Bret Jones and the reappointment of David O'Farrell to the American Graded Stakes Committee.

The 2025-2026 committee is comprised of TOBA members Brant Laue (chair), Walker Hancock, Bret Jones, Billy Koch, David O'Farrell, and Alex Solis II and racing officials Gatewood Bell (Keeneland), Dan Bork (Churchill Downs and Colonial Downs), Rick Hammerle (Kentucky Downs and 1ST Racing), Andrew Offerman (NYRA), and Tora Yamaguchi (Del Mar).

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Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country.

The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) “pending” and “resolved” cases portals.

Among this week's rulings, trainer Daniel Harvey was suspended five days and fined $500 for a caffeine overage determined to have come from contaminated feed supplements.

The Harvey-trained Leopardi, who finished second at Tampa Bay on April 16, subsequently tested positive for caffeine, a Class B controlled substance.

According to the case resolution, numerous supplements the trainer had given his horse were sent to the University of California at Davis for analysis. Caffeine was detected in two of the supplements, despite not being listed on the label of “any of the supplements collected by HIWU.”

The case resolution goes on to say that Harvey was given until Aug. 1 to either accept the charges or request a hearing before the Internal Adjudication Panel. On July 31, Harvey “submitted his signed Admission of Equine Controlled Medication Violation and Acceptance of Consequences to HIWU.”

The case resolution lists several rules under which Harvey could have been issued lesser consequences than a suspension and fine, including a reprimand.

Despite finding that Harvey was guilty of “No Significant Fault or Negligence,” HIWU decided the five-day suspension–which began Aug. 2–and the $500 fine were the “appropriate” consequences in this case.

“While there is no evidence that Mr. Harvey had reason to know or suspect that the supplement products at issue contained Caffeine, the fact that two products contained Caffeine results in the conclusion that Mr. Harvey did not act in a manner that illustrates a level of care that would result in further reduced Consequences such as only a written Reprimand and no fine,” the case resolution states.

Resolved ADMC Violations
Date: 08/06/2025
Licensee: Kieron Magee, trainer
Penalty: A written Reprimand (per 9/26/23 HISA Guidance). Final decision of HIWU.
Explainer: Vet's list medication violation for the presence of Omeprazole (Gastrogard)–a Class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Love to Eat on 6/17/25.

Date: 08/05/2025
Licensee: Ralph D'Alessandro, trainer
Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on Aug. 6, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. The following treated as one violation. Admission.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol–a Class C controlled substance–in samples taken from Signifying Nothing, who won at Finger Lakes on 6/17/25; and after she finished second at Finger Lakes on 7/1/25

Date: 08/01/2025
Licensee: Daniel Steve Harvey, trainer
Penalty: 5-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on Aug. 2, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 2 Penalty Points. Resolved by HIWU without a hearing.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Caffeine–a Class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Leopardi, who finished second at Tampa Bay on 4/16/25.

Date: 08/01/2025
Licensee: Gene Jacquot, trainer
Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission.
Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Dantrolene–a Class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Annie One Sock on 6/23/25.

Date: 07/31/2025
Licensee: William Martin, trainer
Penalty: 15-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning Aug. 1, 2025, with partial credit given for the period of Ineligibility served in connection with the 07/03/23 violation involving Covered Horse Wild Irish; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $2,500; imposition of 3 Penalty Points. Admission.
Explainer: Violation of Rule 3313, concerning the “Use of a controlled medication method during the race period.” More specifically, violation of Rule 4221, concerning the “alkalinization or use/administration of an alkalinizing agent (TCO2).”

According to the case resolution with no hearing, the blood sample collected from Martin-trainee Pittsburgh prior to winning at Oaklawn Park on 2/28/25 had excess TCO2 levels. High total carbon dioxide (TCO2) levels could be an indication of bicarbonate loading–otherwise known as milkshaking–which can neutralize the buildup of lactic acid in muscles, thereby helping the horse's performance.

Date: 07/30/2025
Licensee: Patrick Ashton, trainer
Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning July 31, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone–a Class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Max Forward Speed, who won at Parx Racing on 6/7/25.

Pending ADMC Violations
08/04/2025, Jesus Esquival, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Methamphetamine–a Class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Sis Boom Bob, who finished second at Belterra Park on 5/30/25.

08/05/2025, Angel Sanchez-Pinero, trainer: Pending out-of-competition medication violations for the presence of Clenbuterol–a banned substance permitted for use in specific circumstances–in a sample taken from Miss Hard to Get on 4/24/25; and for the presence of bronchodilator Albuterol–a banned substance–in a sample taken from Surprise Boss to Get on 4/24/25

08/04/2025, Jorge Delgado, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine–a Class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Spider Belle on 6/8/25.

07/31/2025, Howard R. Brown Jr., trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a Class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Aegean Sea, who won at Parx Racing on 6/9/25.

Violations of Crop Rule
Fanduel Sportsbook and Horse Racing
Javier Tavares–violation date July 31; $250 fine, one-day suspension.

Prairie Meadows
Jon Glenn Arnett–violation date August 6; Prohibited device or item, no other details yet available.

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The Christophe Clement stable was among the top barns in New York for over 30 years. Everything changed when Clement died of a rare form of cancer May 25. It was a tough time for his son, Miguel, who took over as the head trainer for the stable. But he has done a remarkable job as the Clement stable has not missed a beat. As of Aug. 6, Miguel Clement's record is 26-for-115 and he has won eight stakes races, four of them graded, two of them Grade I's.

To talk about his success, his plans for the future and much more, Clement was this week's Gainesway Guest of the Week on the TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland.

The star of the stable has been Deterministic (Liam's Map), who has won the GI Manhattan Stakes and the GI Fourstardave Stakes. The Manhattan win came just 14 days after his father passed away.

“Winning the Manhattan was overwhelming, to say the least,” Clement said. “I started the week as a winless trainer and ended the week as a Grade I-winning trainer. There was a lot going on that week. Winning that race was great, very rewarding. It was very meaningful for many, many, many reasons, and it was a big welcome distraction for both the stable and my family. I was very grateful for that.”

Was there a lot of pressure on him to start winning right away?

“The pressure was unbearable sometimes, but it's okay,” he said.  “You just have to deliver and winning takes care of a lot of things. Unfortunately, especially in our industry, you could be doing a great job and your horses could be running well and you've been placing your horses in the right spots and doing a great job looking after them. But in this industry, we're very much judged by the final result, so there is an added emphasis on winning.”

Christophe Clement's specialty was the turf. For the most part, the barn is still grass oriented, but Clement said he would like to get more dirt horses.

“I would love to have more dirt horses in the barn,” he said. “So, if anyone's watching and they have good dirt horses, we will always have a stall for them. Truthfully, it's a bit tough to say that. The truth is, when my dad first came over from Europe, the overwhelming majority of the stable was from European ownership and a clientele. So in that regard, you can understand how he started off with mostly grass horses.”

In our “Fastest Horse of the Week,” segment which is sponsored by WinStar, the team went over the many reasons there are breed to Win Star stallion Life Is Good. The fastest horse of the week was Seismic Beauty (Uncle Mo), who got a 110 Beyer in her win in the GI Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar.

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by 1/st Racing, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders' Association, West Point Thoroughbreds, the KTOB and XBTV.com, the team of Zoe Cadman, Bill Finley and Randy Moss reviewed the Whitney Stakes and the other Grade I races on the Saturday card at Saratoga.

The controversial disqualification of Zulu Kingdom (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) in the GII Hall of Fame Stakes was a topic of discussion, and the trio previewed the big card Saturday at Colonial Downs, which is topped by the GI Arlington Million Stakes.

To watch the Writers' Room, click here. To view the show as a podcast, click here.

The post Miguel Clement Joins the TDN Writers’ Room Podcast Presented by Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Yet New Mexico Commission Asserts Neither Drug Allowed at State Level, Either

by T.D. Thornton

A federal lawsuit filed last month by a Sunland Park-based veterinarian against the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) is alleging anti-constitutionality claims similar to a number of other cases that have been swirling at various levels of the federal court system for the past four years.

But the civil complaint initiated July 3 in United States District Court (District of New Mexico) by Jason Scott, DVM, does involve one new legal question that has yet to be litigated:

What happens at a mixed meet where both Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses race, and a veterinarian who is a HISA “covered person” is found in possession of medications that are prohibited for use in Thoroughbreds, but the vet claims those substances were solely intended for Quarter Horses, whose regulation is outside of HISA's jurisdiction?

Scott's lawsuit stems from a Feb. 13, 2025 search of his truck at Sunland, during which HIWU agents found bottles of the injectables Sarapin (also known as Pitcher plant extract) and Adenosine Monophosphate (commonly referred to as “AMP”).

Sarapin is an analgesic that is used to manage muscle or joint pain. AMP is a vasodilator.

Both are listed under HISA rules as “banned” substances that are never to be found in any covered Thoroughbred or possessed on any HISA-regulated grounds.

Since 2023, HIWU has suspended and fined three veterinarians and one other covered person for possession of Sarapin. All were in Ohio, and several of those cases were related.

In all four cases, Sarapin was found with other banned substances, so the penalties varied, from just a three-month suspension and no fine (in two cases) to a six-year suspension and $75,000 fine (for the case deemed most egregious).

There are no recorded violations for possession of AMP listed on the HIWU resolutions portal.

Scott's lawsuit described the two substances from the perspective of a veterinarian claiming he used them just to treat Quarter Horses.

“Like Sarapin, AMP is authorized for use in Quarter Horses and is commonly used to treat rhabdomyolysis, sometimes called 'tying up,' which is a physiological response to intense exercise,” the lawsuit stated. “Because it is a naturally occurring substance, AMP is thought to be a more conservative aid to the recovery process than some other medications.”

Scott continued: “In New Mexico, both medications are understood to be authorized for use in Quarter Horses. The New Mexico Racing Commission [NMRC] has adopted the model rules of the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI), which do not identify either substance as a 'Banned Substance.'

“The use of both AMP and Sarapin on Quarter Horses in New Mexico is widespread, notorious, and expressly permitted by regulatory authorities in New Mexico,” Scott's lawsuit stated.

Yet HISA, in an Aug. 4 court filing that opposed Scott's motion for a preliminary injunction, attached as an exhibit a letter dated Aug. 1 from NMRC executive director Izzy Trejo that stated pretty much the opposite was true.

“Under the NMRC Rules, compounded Sarapin and AMP are not permitted for use in Quarter Horses at New Mexico racetracks,” Trejo wrote.

“Neither Sarapin nor AMP are listed on ARCI's Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances,” Trejo wrote.

Trejo explained that an NMRC rule requires veterinarians to submit to the Commission the name of any medication that the veterinarian would like to use on a Quarter Horse at a New Mexico track when that medication is not listed by the ARCI so that the substance may be submitted to ARCI for consideration of classification.

“The NMRC has not received any request to submit Sarapin or AMP to ARCI for consideration of classification,” Trejo wrote.

Beyond the disputed issue of whether the state of New Mexico condoned Sarapin and AMP usage in Quarter Horses, Scott's complaint alleged that in order to defend against the HIWU charges, “the Authority (erroneously) requires that Dr. Scott establish a 'compelling justification' for his possession of these substances.”

Scott's lawsuit stated that “The Authority's published rules and decisions never clarify what this term means, what factors an adjudicator should consider, or how practicing veterinarians with a Mixed Practice must adjust their day-to-day business to comply with federal law.

“Worse, [Scott] is expressly barred from asking a jury of his peers whether his proffered justifications are compelling. Instead, that decision is left solely to the discretion of an unaccountable arbitrator and, later, an administrative law judge,” the lawsuit stated.

HISA's legal filing on Tuesday asked the judge to view Scott's position this way:

“Plaintiff, a licensed veterinarian registered under HISA, filed this suit shortly after he was charged with violating an Federal Trade Commission (FTC)-approved health-and-safety rule that bans possession of certain harmful substances. He now seeks a preliminary injunction based on kitchen-sink claims that the Act and its implementing rules are invalid under the public and private nondelegation doctrines, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Seventh Amendment.

“But no emergency warrants that extraordinary relief,” HISA's court filing continued. “The only imminent inconvenience Plaintiff alleges is having to participate in private arbitration on the banned-substances charge. The arbitration hearing (scheduled for Sept. 15) will allow Plaintiff to build a factual record and try to establish that he is not liable at all (as he argues here).”

“In the meantime, Plaintiff remains free to continue treating covered horses or otherwise engage in horseracing activities without limitation,” HISA's filing stated.

“If any sanction were imposed after completion of the initial arbitration, it would be subject to further FTC review under the Act and ultimately judicial review in federal court,” the HISA filing stated.

“As [a legal precedent] makes clear, Plaintiff thus faces no irreparable harm—'the single most important prerequisite for the issuance of a preliminary injunction,'” the HISA filing stated.

“The Court can stop there,” HISA's court filing stated.

The post Facing Banned Substance Charges, Mixed Meet Vet Says HISA Rules Don’t Cover Meds Meant for Quarter Horses appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Benefitting from dominant wins in the GI Kentucky Derby, GI Belmont Stakes and the GII Jim Dandy Stakes, Godolphin homebred Sovereignty (Into Mischief) leads the first week of tabulated votes for the 2025 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, which are a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic.

Sovereignty, a 3-year-old, earned 383 votes. Defending Longines Breeders' Cup Classic winner, recent GI Whitney Stakes winner, and 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) is in second place with 365 votes. Sierra Leone is followed in third place by 3-year-old Journalism (Curlin), winner of the GI Preakness Stakes and the GI Haskell Stakes, with 289 votes.

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables LLC's 4-year-old 'TDN Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution), undefeated in three starts this year, including the GI Churchill Downs Stakes and the GI Stephen Foster Stakes, is in fourth place with 286 votes for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Baoma Corp's 4-year-old 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist), recent winner of the GII San Diego Handicap, is in fifth place with 197 votes for trainer Bob Baffert.

Repole Stable, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith and Mrs. John Magnier's 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), runner-up in last year's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic and fifth in Saturday's Whitney, is in sixth place with 186 votes.

Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}), third in last year's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, and winner of this year's G1 Saudi Cup, is in seventh place with 143 votes.

C R K Stable LLC and Grandview Equine's 3-year-old Baeza (McKinzie) is eighth place with 109 votes. Third in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Belmont Stakes, Baeza is trained by John Shirreffs.

The 5-year-old Highland Falls (Curlin), runner-up in the Whitney Stakes, is in ninth place with 107 votes for owner/breeder Godolphin and trainer Brad Cox.

Completing the top 10 is C2 Racing Stable, Gary Barber, and La Milagrosa Stable LLC's 6-year-old White Abarrio (Race Day), who won the 2023 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. Winner of this year's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes, and fourth in the Whitney for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., White Abarrio earned 64 votes.

Journalism (Haskell), Mindframe (Stephen Foster), Sierra Leone (Whitney), and Forever Young (Saudi Cup) have each earned automatic starting positions, and fees paid, into this year's Longines Breeders' Cup Classic through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.

The post Sovereignty Leads First Week Of Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic Rankings appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Flavien Prat has been suspended by the Saratoga stewards for three days as a result of his ride aboard race favorite Zulu Kingdom (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) in Friday's GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes.

Though Prat crossed the line 1 1/2-lengths in front of runner up Luther (GB) (Frankel {GB}), he was ultimately disqualified from the win for causing what the stewards deemed as interference on the first turn of the one-mile race. Joel Rosario, the jockey aboard Luther, lodged an objection following the race and the stewards demoted Zulu Kingdom from first to fourth.

Prat will serve his suspension Aug. 13-15.

LUTHER and Joel Rosario had a not-fun time heading into the first turn of today's National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. (G2) at Saratoga.

Things got better for the Charlie Fellowes' trainee when LUTHER (GB), who finished 2nd to Zulu Kingdom, was moved up to the win via DQ. pic.twitter.com/LpFc2h23zn

— Barbara D. Livingston (@DRFLivingston) August 1, 2025

The post Prat Faces Three-Day Suspension For Ride Aboard Zulu Kingdom In Hall Of Fame appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

The 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale has cataloged 4,686 horses to be offered over 12 sessions from Monday, Sept. 8 through Saturday, Sept. 20, Keeneland announced Tuesday. Click here for the online catalog of yearlings. Print catalogs are scheduled to start arriving in the mail the week of Aug. 18.

Last year, the September Sale was the world's highest-grossing Thoroughbred auction in history with more than $428 million in sales for 2,894 horses. A total of 36 yearlings sold for $1 million or more, marking the highest number since 2006. The average of $147,926 and the median of $70,000 both were records.

“The September Sale is the largest and most important auction of its kind, and Keeneland feels a great responsibility to ensure its success,” said Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin. “The strength of this year's catalog and the increased number of entries are a direct reflection of the industry's confidence in the marketplace. We welcome buyers from around the world who come to Keeneland September in search of racing excellence–and they find it. Recent graduates like Mindframe, the top older horse in the U.S.; Ruling Court, winner of the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in England, and more Grade I winners than all North American auction houses combined are proof the next star can be purchased here.”

For the fifth consecutive year, Books 1 and 2 during the first four days of the September Sale have cataloged more than 1,000 yearlings judged to be the auction's finest individuals based on conformation and on such pedigree factors as family sales history, distaff pedigree and sire power. This placement enables major domestic and international buyers to inspect the largest number of exceptional horses possible before the “dark day” on Friday, Sept. 12 when no sale will be held.

The auction will resume Saturday, Sept. 13 and again follow its original 12-day schedule but will have a two-part Book 5. Horses in Book 5A will sell Wednesday, Sept. 17 and Thursday, Sept. 18. Yearlings in Book 5B will sell Friday, Sept. 19 and Saturday, Sept. 20.

“While this shift in terminology is subtle, we believe it more accurately reflects the quality of these sessions and drives the right buyer engagement–ensuring these yearlings receive the buyers and attention they deserve,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “Several encouraging developments have driven this decision: the strength of the individuals, the continued growth of the catalog and the evolving commercial breeding practices that continue to raise the overall standard on offer. This has resulted in a depth and consistency of quality across all 12 days of the sale unlike anything we've seen before.”

Strategic placement of all the yearlings throughout the catalog is intended to ensure visibility and to allow buyers to encounter diversity at every stage of the sale. In recent years, Keeneland has seen sustained interest from leading buyers all the way through the final day, a powerful indicator of the sale's strength.

“The September Sale continues to attract more buyers than any other yearling sale in the world, and we are committed to structuring the sale in a way that supports the success of our sellers across every level of the market,” Keeneland Senior Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said.

Below is the September Sale schedule in its entirety:

• Book 1–Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 8-9. Sessions begin at 1 p.m. ET. Monday's catalog has 180 horses. Tuesday's catalog has 181 horses.
• Book 2–Wednesday-Thursday, Sept. 10-11. Sessions begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday's catalog has 392 horses. Thursday's catalog has 382 horses.
• Dark Day–Friday, Sept. 12. No sale will be conducted.
• Book 3–Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 13-14. Sessions begin at 10 a.m. Saturday's catalog has 424 horses. Sunday's catalog has 423 horses.
• Book 4–Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 15-16. Sessions begin at 10 a.m. Monday's catalog has 420 horses. Tuesday's catalog has 419 horses.
• Book 5A–Wednesday-Thursday, Sept. 17-18. Sessions begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday's catalog has 425 horses. Thursday's catalog has 426 horses.
• Book 5B–Friday-Saturday, Sept. 19-20. Sessions begin at 10 a.m. The catalog for each session has 507 horses.

Keeneland will livestream the entire September Sale at Keeneland.com. As always, online and phone bidding will be available.

Yearlings in the September Sale catalog–2,398 colts and 2,288 fillies–represent 189 established stallions and exciting young sires. Notably, more than 1,400 yearlings are by stallions with their initial sales yearlings, including Horse of the Year Flightline. He is the sire of 63 horses in the catalog.

“This year's catalog features nearly double the number of yearlings by first-crop sires compared to last year, including 11 stallions that stood for $25,000 or more,” Breathnach said. “This speaks to the exceptional depth of this year's sale and the level of quality that buyers can expect to find when they come to Keeneland in September.”

Additional sires represented by their first crops of September Sale yearlings include champions Corniche, Epicenter and Jackie's Warrior; GI Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun; GI Preakness winner Early Voting; GI Belmont winners Mo Donegal and Sir Winston; Breeders' Cup winners Aloha West, Golden Pal and Life Is Good; additional Grade/Group 1 winners Cyberknife, Drain the Clock, Happy Saver, Idol, Jack Christopher, Mystic Guide, Olympiad, Pinehurst and Speaker's Corner; and successful runners Greatest Honour, Highly Motivated, Nashville, Sacred Life (FR), Tale of Silence and Title Ready.

This group joins such popular sires as American Pharoah, Candy Ride (ARG), Charlatan, City of Light, Complexity, Constitution, Curlin, Essential Quality, Ghostzapper, Girvin, Good Magic, Gun Runner, Hard Spun, Into Mischief, Justify, Kingman (GB), Liam's Map, Maclean's Music, Maxfield, McKinzie, Medaglia d'Oro, Munnings, Night of Thunder (IRE), No Nay Never, Not This Time, Nyquist, Oscar Performance, Practical Joke, Quality Road, Speightstown, Street Sense, Tapit, Tiz the Law, Twirling Candy, Uncle Mo, Upstart, Vekoma, Violence, War Front, Wootton Bassett (GB) and Yaupon.

The post Keeneland Catalogs 4,686 Yearlings For 2025 September Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

With 13 fewer races days compared to the same month last year, July saw most of its economic indicators down month over month. Some of the biggest changes occurred in available purses (-4.96%) and U.S. starts (-6.35%) with only average wagering per race day seeing a positive trend (+2.25%). The numbers were much the same when compared year-to-date with wagering (-2.56%), paid purses (-3.65%), race days (-4.19%), total races (-4.39%) and starts (-3.53%) all down while field size (+0.89%), average wagering per race day (+1.70%) and average available purses per race day (+0.78%) all trending positively in 2025. Heat and wet weather have taken their toll on tracks along the East Coast with race days down to 370 in July 2025 from 383 a year ago (-3.39%).

The post Fewer Race Days In July Lead To Lower Economic Indicators appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale had its first million-dollar yearling when the two-day auction was just 13 hips old Monday evening and bidding stayed strong throughout the session, with the very last horse through the ring bringing $1 million. In all, nine yearlings reached seven figures Monday, led by a colt by Gun Runner, bred by Bobby Flay and consigned by Stone Farm, who sold for $2.7 million to Winchell Thoroughbreds. Twelve hit the million-dollar mark during the entire 2024 auction.

“It was a tremendous start to the 2025 Saratoga Yearling Sale tonight,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “There was competitive bidding literally from start to finish. There was tremendous activity across the board.”

During Monday's session, a total of 77 yearlings grossed $39,975,000 for an average of $519,156 and a median of $400,000. Those figures are similar to last year's opening session when 77 horses grossed $38,910,000 for an average of $505,325 and a median of $400,000.

The cumulative average at the 2024 auction was a sale record $533,506 and the cumulative median was a record $425,000.

From a catalogue of 109 head, 88 yearlings went through the ring Monday with 11 failing to meet their reserves for a buy-back rate of just 12.5%.

“The most encouraging stat really to me at an uber-select sale, the buy-back rate was less than 15% tonight and I promise you there will be some of those horses that get sold tomorrow,” Browning said. “It's a tribute to our selection team who did a great job of identifying the horses that were going to be marketable. It's a tribute to our consignors and the owners of those horses who entrust us with some of their very best yearlings year in and year out. And it's a tribute to the buyers who consistently support this sale.”

Hip 37 prior to the Saratoga sale | Fasig-Tipton

Browning said the Fasig-Tipton staff had every indication that demand would be high even before the first yearling went through the ring Monday.

“One of the key indicators that we know, that nobody else really knows, is the repository activity,” Browning said. “We can compare the number of repository hits from year to year and this year, before the sale started tonight, we had exceeded the total number of repository hits that we had last year. And there will be a signifcant number of vettings that take place tomorrow because half the catalogue hasn't been sold yet.”

The second and final session of the Saratoga sale begins Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m.

When Gun Runner retired to stud following a victory in the 2018 GI Pegasus World Cup, his connections could have hardly imagined that the chestnut would be able to surpass his racetrack accomplishments in the breeding shed. With six Grade Is and a staggering $15 million under his belt, the son of Candy Ride (Arg) retired to Three Chimneys with a tremendous amount of expectation on his broad shoulders.

Fast forward to 2025, a son by the 2017 Horse of the Year led the proceedings with a session-topping $2.7 million on Day 1 of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale.

Hip 37 c. GUN RUNNER o/o America sells for $2,700,000 at The Saratoga Sale! Congrats to the connections:

B: Winchell Thoroughbreds
C: @stonefarmky
Br: B. Flay Thoroughbreds#FasigSaratoga @Three_Chimneys @bflay pic.twitter.com/HvrAScncqM

— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) August 5, 2025

Offered as Hip 37 from the Stone Farm consignment, the bay colt caught the eye of the same team that was instrumental in the racetrack success of his sire, Ron Winchell and trainer Steve Asmussen.

What was it that drew the team to the colt?

“The sire,” said Asmussen succinctly. “That is exactly who we thought we saw when we looked at him.”

“You don't try to make sense out of it, you just try to acquire what you like most.”

Winchell, who signed the ticket on Monday's session topper, added, “There are 10 or 12 in the catalogue, and we are pretty sure one of them will be a Grade I winner. We like to stick with what we know.”

The Apr. 12 foal is out of GSW and GISP America (A.P. Indy), who won over $500,000 on the racetrack. As a broodmare, the mare produced dual graded stakes winner and 'TDN Rising Star' First Captain (Curlin). She hails from the extended family of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Blush With Pride.

“She gives a really athletic-looking yearling,” said Lynn Hancock, Stone Farm's Director of Racing and Sales. “The mare has been a real producer both at the track and at the sale.”

Regarding Monday's topper, she said, “This colt came up here and never stopped showing himself. He's been super straight forward since the day he was born. He has a huge walk on him and he's so well bred.”

America has been heaping the rewards on celebrity chef Bobby Flay, who also bred the daughter of Lacadena (Fasliyev {Ire}). Flay purchased Lacadena in 2005 for $290,000 at the Keeneland November Sale.

“[The mare] has been unreal,” said Flay. “I would say the day that I got her named America was an accomplishment in itself. People always ask how I got that name and I say I don't know. It was three in the morning and I just tried. And it was one of those things. She's been very special. Her family is one of the best in the stud book. And I would say at some point, the good blood really shows up and she's proven that.”

“I've had so much luck at The Saratoga Sale with her babies.”

Hear from @bflay, breeder of Hip 37, on his Gun Runner colt out of America bringing $2,700,000 at #FasigSaratoga! pic.twitter.com/14VhVGnatN

— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) August 5, 2025

Asked about what made the colt so special, Flay added, “He was very popular over the last few days, so we knew there were a chance that he would bring some money. Great pedigree, great family, all those things. But you never know until they go in the ring. As they say, you just need a couple of people who want him. And that's basically what happened tonight. It was a very special night for me. You can never expect something like that to happen.”-CBoss

Andrew Hudson, bidding on behalf of his family's Hoolie Racing Stable, admitted the operation was making its biggest purchase–by far–when accepting the $1.6-million to acquire a colt by Good Magic (hip 36) from the Warrendale Sales consignment.

“Yeah. It's the highest by about two times,” Hudson, who was flanked by the Legion Bloodstock team, said when asked about the price. “We started buying horses here 10 years ago, and the first horse I bought up here was $100,000. But they don't make those any more.”

Hip 36 c. GOOD MAGIC o/o Alpha Zulu sells for $1,600,000 at The Saratoga Sale! Congrats to the connections:

B: @LegionBldstk, agt for Hoolie Racing
C: @WarrendaleSales, agt
Br: Mesingw Farm#FasigSaratoga @HillnDaleFarm pic.twitter.com/hL9hkhYJUV

— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) August 5, 2025

The dark bay colt is the first foal out of Alpha Zulu (Shanghai Bobby), a half-sister to graded winner Recapturetheglory (Cherokee Run). He was bred by Mesingw Farm.

“We thought he was the best-looking colt here,” Hudson said. “You always take a risk at this price range, but that was the colt we wanted to get. Just like everybody else, we are trying to get a nice two-turn colt. We want to go to the Breeders' Cup. We want to go to the Kentucky Derby. That's the price you've got to pay now.”

Hoolie Racing, which campaigned graded winner Dream It Is (Shackleford), came back later in Monday's session to purchase a colt by Omaha Beach (hip 71) for $425,000 from the Mulholland Springs consignment. @JessMartiniTDN

Sheikh Fahad of Qatar Racing went to $1.4 million to acquire a colt by Justify (hip 29) from the Hunter Valley Farm consignment early in Monday's first session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. Out of Zeezee Zoomzoom (Congrats), the colt is a half-brother to Caravel (Mizzen Mast), who won the 2022 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint for a partnership that included Qatar Racing.

“I've known him since he was a foal and he was the one we wanted,” Sheikh Fahad said after signing the ticket on the bay colt. “I am very, very happy to get him.”

Hip 29 c. JUSTIFY o/o Zeezee Zoomzoom sells for $1,400,000 at The Saratoga Sale! Colt is 1/2 to @BreedersCup champion Caravel. Congrats to the connections:

B: @Qatar_Racing
C: @HunterValleyKY, agt
Br: Elizabeth M. Merryman #FasigSaratoga @coolmoreamerica @PA_HBPA #PAbred pic.twitter.com/qKuB22avBC

— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) August 4, 2025

Of plans for the yearling, Sheikh Fahad added, “He will go back to Hunter Valley now and will most likely go to [trainer] Brad Cox. He knows the family well, too.”

Cox trained Caravel after the partnership of Qatar Racing, Madaket Stables and Marc Detampel purchased her for $500,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November sale. She was acquired privately by John Stewart's Resolute Racing after RNA'ing for $2.4 million at the 2023 Keeneland November sale.

Sheikh Fahad was already looking forward to the yearling colt's post-racing career.

“He reminds me a lot of Justify and we've done well with Justify,” he said. “We had [2024 GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes runner-up] Just a Touch. Hopefully, he is our stallion.”

“We had to dig a bit deeper than we thought, but he's worth it.”

Hear more about the purchase of Hip 29, a half-brother to G1 winner Caravel, for $1,400,000 at #FasigSaratoga. @Qatar_Racing pic.twitter.com/4ZDLFtQNqW

— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) August 5, 2025

Hunter Valley consigned the yearling on behalf of breeder Elizabeth Merryman, who also bred Caravel.

“Any time you get that sort of price for a horse, you have to be thrilled,” said Hunter Valley's Adrian Regan. “Elizabeth Merryman did a fantastic job with this horse. We only got him 90 days ago. He behaved himself at home like he did here. Champion stock. We are delighted.”

Of the yearling, Regan said, “His temperament was unbelievable. Any time somebody came by to see him, he marched out every time. He made it look good.

“We are thrilled Prince Fahd can get his hands on this horse with the success he's had [with Caravel]. He's as good as anything we've ever had.” @JessMartiniTDN

Kjell Andersen may be a new face on the Thoroughbred scene, but he certainly knows horses. A Switzerland resident, Andersen has made a significant investment in harness racing for over 25 years, however, Thoroughbreds hadn't been part of his equine portfolio. That is, until he was introduced to the Sport of Kings through the Netflix show 'Race for the Crown.'

With his principal business interests in shipping, Andersen reached out to trainer Kenny McPeek, who was featured on the Netflix show, with a desire to dip his toe into the world of Thoroughbreds. After a brief introductory period to the industry, Andersen, who was accompanied by his two young sons at the Saratoga Sale Monday, jumped in with both feet, extending to $1.4 million for Hip 66, a colt by Not This Time.

Hip 66 c. NOT THIS TIME o/o Classic Strike sells for $1,400,000 at The Saratoga Sale! Colt is 1/2 to G1 winner Union Strike. Congrats to the connections:

B: Kjell Andersen
C: @TaylorMadeSales, agt
Br: @ClearskyFarm & @Three_Chimneys #FasigSaratoga @TMStallions pic.twitter.com/TOa38MxXKr

— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) August 5, 2025

“I thought this colt was an exceptional individual,” said McPeek. “This colt really stood out to me today. We thought it was a horse that could win at any level, and [Andersen] wants to win at a high level, so we thought this one could do it.”

Consigned by Taylor Made Sales, the Apr. 11 foal is out of Classic Strike (Smart Strike), the dam of GI Del Mar Debutante winner Union Strike (Union Rags), who sold for $1.65 million at Keeneland November in 2018. Classic Strike is also responsible for MGSW Handsome Mike (Scat Daddy) and SW Pretty Lady (Scat Daddy).

The Kentucky-bred colt was bred by Clearsky Farms and Three Chimneys Farm.

“We have harness horses in Lexington, Kentucky and [McPeek] is down there too, and it seemed a good fit for me,” said Andersen, whose Maximus Mearas S finished seventh in the Hambletonian at The Meadowlands last weekend. “I look forward to being part of this as well.”-CBoss

The Castleton Way pinhooking partnership founded by Marshall Taylor began its fourth year of selling with a home run Monday in Saratoga, selling a colt by Constitution (hip 72) for $525,000 to MyRacehorse and Wesley Ward/Louis DuBois, agent. The colt, who was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, was acquired by Castleton Way for $250,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

“He's by Constitution and I knew he had Mindframe who was going to have a big year this year,” Taylor said of the colt's appeal last fall. “And he had a really good physical. He had a great neck and shoulder and a really good hip from the sire. And I really liked the family. It's a really deep family. Arch is down there in the family, it's a stallion pedigree.”

The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale | Fasig-Tipton

Bred by LNJ Foxwoods and Helen Alexander, the yearling is the first foal out of the unraced Confetti (Mendelssohn). The colt's third dam, Antics (Unbridled), produced LNJ Foxwoods' champion Covfefe (Into Mischief).

“He's just gone the right way,” Taylor said of the chestnut. “He vetted well when we bought him. He had the look when we bought him. He just developed the way we hoped he would.”

Of Monday's result, Taylor said, “Coming into the sale, I thought he would bring $350,000 to $500,000, so I was very happy with what we got.”

Hip 72 was the first of five yearlings in the Castleton Way package this year.

“This is the fourth year,” Taylor said of the partnership. “The first year, we had a great year. And just like anything, you have a hiccup, and not everything goes the right way. But I have great partners who have been very loyal and great supporters. I am really grateful to them. Without them, we couldn't do this.”

Later in the evening, Castleton Way sold a colt by Vekoma (hip 96) for $300,000 to Spendthrift Farm. The yearling had been acquired for $150,000 at the Keeneland January sale.

“We've got to keep it going,” Taylor said, adding the group has three yearlings scheduled to sell at Keeneland in September. @JessMartiniTDN

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Hip 109, a Constitution colt out of a half-sister to Horse of the Year Flightline (Tapit), brought down the curtain during Monday's opening session at Saratoga when selling to Mike Repole's Repole Stable for $1,000,000. Second dam Feathered, a graded stakes winner and twice placed at the top level, produced the undefeated Flightline as one of her five winners which include first dam Good on Paper, a daughter of War Front. The colt was consigned by Lane's End and was the second to the million-dollar mark for Constitution in the session.

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Colts continued to rule the night as a son of the late Uncle Mo (hip 101) out of the Tapit mare Full Tap brought $1,000,000 from the partnership of M V Magnier and White Birch Farm. Consigned by Anderson Farms, Agent, the colt is a half to GSP Cafe Society (Empire Maker) along with two additional winners.

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A colt by Constitution (hip 97), consigned by Warrendale Sales, Agent for Stonestreet Bred for Brilliance, brought an even $1,000,000 from Pedro Lanz who signed on the ticket on behalf of KAS Stables to become the seventh horse to break the million-dollar barrier during Monday's opening session at Saratoga. The colt is out of a full-sister to GSW Ballet Dancing (Medaglia d'Oro) who has already produced two winners from two to race.

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The Justify half-brother (hip 29) to GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Caravel (Mizzen Mast) set a new high-water mark Monday when selling at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale for $1,400,000 to Sheikh Fahad. Out of Zeezee Zoomzoom, the colt was consigned by Hunter Valley Farm and is also a half to MSW/GSP Witty (Great Notion).

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