I first met Mill Reef the day men first landed on the moon. An afternoon outing from graduate school in Baltimore to Paul Mellon’s Rokeby Stud near Upperville, Va., turned into a master class in what a top-class yearling looked like, tutored by a delightful little bay colt by Never Bend out of Milan Mill, by Princequillo.
The well-bred Carrie served up an upset against high-ticket Tap It All in a maiden special weight May 12 at Santa Anita, defeating the more expensive filly by 2 ¾ lengths.
Bodemeister, one of the most exciting stallions in an exciting class of freshman sires for 2016, was represented by his first winner on May 11 when Bode's Dream won a maiden special weight at Gulfstream by 3 3/4 lengths on the front end.
Unbeaten European champion Frankel got his first winner with his first starter when Cunco rallied from midpack in a six-furlong maiden race on May 13 at Newbury in England, winning by about three-quarters of a length.
European star and first-crop sire Frankel got his first winner with his first starter when Cunco rallied from midpack in a 6-furlong maiden race worth $14,377 for 2-year-olds at Newbury to win by about three-quarters of a length over Isomer in the 7-horse field.
The R.A.C.E. Fund, a non-profit organization, launches its 2016 fund drive with an online auction on eBay starting May 27 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and ending on June 3 to help raise funds for racehorse retirement and rescue. R.A.C.E. Fund – Retirement Assistance and Care for Equines – is an approved organization of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.
Wallenda, a Grade 1 winner, sire, and resident of Old Friends Equine Retirement in Georgetown, Ky., was euthanized Monday afternoon after long-running hoof and suspensory issues rapidly worsened.
The small-scale but quality operation Hinkle Farms pulled off a Grade 1 double on Saturday at Churchill Downs, with Nyquist taking the Kentucky Derby and Divisidero winning the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic. The dams of both horses reside in the farm's broodmare band of about 30.
Two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, who had already established himself as a prominent source of classic stamina, put another feather in his cap last Saturday with Kentucky Derby runner-up Exaggerator.
Nyquist, the Kentucky Derby winner and champion juvenile, could have been had by anyone willing to be the highest bidder on three separate occasions.
