Skellig Michael was denied at 4-5 odds in his second maiden attempt in August, but he may come back even tougher in a maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park on Sunday. Trainer Victor Barboza Jr. is doing very little to get in the 3-year-old gelding’s way.

“Skellig Michael ran good races in his last two races,” Barboza said. “In the last race, he finished second in a good performance and he has a very good jockey [Emisael Jaramillo] for this positional try. Very good chance in the race.”

Among this year’s first-crop yearling sires, the obvious headliner has been unbeaten Horse of the Year Flightline, who garnered a stellar book of mares in his first season at stud and is already garnering strong commercial results. But he is by no means the only accomplished racehorse in this class.

There are some things that never change, even in times of upheaval and transformation in the world around them. In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic upended the juvenile and yearling sale seasons, the Keeneland September yearling sale still took place on its usual dates – which turned out to be shortly after the rescheduled Kentucky Derby.

Fasig-Tipton has already hosted three yearling sales to start the season, including its marquee Saratoga selected sale. The highly anticipated Keeneland September yearling sale has cataloged 4,692 yearlings, accounting for supplements through Aug. 18, and accounts for more than 28 percent of the foal crop, according to estimates from The Jockey Club. However, the season will by no means be over when the hammer falls on Sept. 20. Among the nation’s major auction houses, Fasig-Tipton will host three more yearling sales and the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.

The 12-session Keeneland September yearling sale kicks off with two intensely focused days. The Book 1 portion of the auction consists of yearlings the sales company’s inspections teams have judged to be the finest, based on their pedigrees and physical conformation.

While a seven-figure bidding war could easily erupt on any of the yearlings in this book, here are a few to watch based on their pedigrees, compelling storylines, and page updates, or the commercial histories of their families. This list of horses to watch accounts for catalog updates and sale outs through Sept. 4.

Although the seven-figure horses emerging in Books 1 and 2 during the first days of the Keeneland September yearling sale will garner the majority of headlines, stellar racehorses can, and do, come out of the second week of the marathon auction.

Arthur Boyd Hancock III was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame last month as a Pillar of the Turf, honoring those who have made extraordinary contributions to the Thoroughbred industry. He called the event a “profound and humbling experience.”

As is customary on closing day at Emerald Downs, the year of racing will end with a glimpse into the future.

While there are two marquee stakes, the Muckleshoot Tribal Classic and the Muckleshoot Tribal Distaff, for older horses at a mile and a sixteenth on Sunday’s card, they will be bracketed by babies in the Muckleshoot Juvenile Filly Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs and the Gottstein Futurity at a mile and 70 yards. All four races have purses of $50,000.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Even though the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity ranks among the most significant stakes of the summer season, the 2-year-old sprint race is well hidden on Sunday, closing day.

The $300,000 Futurity is buried early on the card in race 4, with no place and show wagering.

The Del Mar Futurity may be squirreled away, but the race favorite is front and center. Brant became instantly famous after he was purchased in spring for $3 million. When he popped a 101 Beyer Speed Figure first time out, the highest this season by a 2-year-old, his reputation grew.

Two wins in two starts, the latest a sprint stakes at Monmouth Park last month, has left high hopes surrounding the 2-year-old colt Hey Nay Nay.

Is he good enough to start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar on Oct. 31? The result of Sunday’s Grade 3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf at a mile will provide clues.

“He’s a pretty straightforward horse,” trainer John Sadler said last weekend, conveying a reserved tone.

“He seems mature. He’s done what we’ve asked of him.”