ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Live Lucky and Little Teddy will try to continue their winning ways in their respective second legs of the Ontario Sired Heritage Series on Sunday at Woodbine. The races are six-furlong sprints on the main turf.

The unbeaten Live Lucky will be favored with Lasix added in the $100,000 Lake Superior Stakes for Ontario-sired male sophomores. He won a pair of five-furlong inner-turf dashes using different running styles, taking the opening race of this series most recently in front-running style under Rafael Hernandez in the Lake Huron Stakes.

Dragoon Guard looks to continue his ascent in the 3-year-old division on Sunday in the Grade 3, $500,000 West Virginia Derby. The 1 1/8-mile race is the top offering of the Mountaineer Park season.

Dragoon Guard has captured his last three starts in pace-pressing fashion, including a gate-to-wire victory in last month’s Grade 3 Indiana Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

DEL MAR, Calif. – While the top 3-year-old turf horse in California has elected to skip the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap on Sunday at Del Mar, six others will pick up the slack.

Endlessly was assigned high weight of 124 pounds for the La Jolla, but he will pass. Trainer Michael McCarthy said Endlessly is under consideration for the Grade 3, $3 million Nashville Derby Invitational on Aug. 31 at Kentucky Downs. He did not rule out the Grade 2, $300,000 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 1.

Fasig-Tipton president and CEO Boyd Browning Jr. stood in Fasig-Tipton’s sale pavilion in Lexington, Ky., on a July evening, already anticipating a trip north.

“Can’t wait to get to Saratoga,” Browning said, emphasizing his words. “Can. Not. Wait. For Monday and Tuesday night!”

The 103rd edition of the boutique Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale takes place on the evenings of Monday, Aug. 5, and Tuesday, Aug. 6, at the auction company’s Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion just down the block from Saratoga Race Course. A catalog of 240 yearlings has been assembled.

The New York-bred program is considered one of the best regional program in the nation, with a flourishing incentive program to encourage and reward in-state breeding activity, and Thoroughbreds born in the state going on to success at the highest levels in the U.S. and worldwide.

Last year, six individual New York-breds won graded stakes in the U.S., highlighted by Grade 1 winners Red Knight and Therapist, and Eclipse Award finalist Maple Leaf Mel. Through July 20, three individual New York-breds are graded stakes winners in 2024 – Kinza, Mo Plex, and My Mane Squeeze.

Yaupon was unbeaten at Saratoga and earned the biggest victory of his career there. The young stallion, off a solid reception for his first yearlings through the auction ring, looks to continue his local success with a good group headed for the sales stage.

Grade 1 winner Yaupon, who stands at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Ky., had seven yearlings chosen for the boutique Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale on Aug. 5-6, the second most of any first-crop sire. He will follow that up with 11 in the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale on Aug. 11-12.

A chance to invest in breakout freshman sire Complexity adds intrigue to Fasig-Tipton’s upcoming Saratoga selected yearling sale.

Fasig-Tipton announced in late July that a share in Complexity, who stands at Airdrie Stud, will be offered at public auction during the selected sale. The offering will take place at the start of the sale’s second and final session, at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6. Airdrie will handle consigning duties.

Fasig-Tipton is one of three major auction houses in the United States, along with Keeneland and the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. Between them, those companies will host eight yearling sales in 2024. Fasig-Tipton kicked off the activity with its July yearling sale in Kentucky last month, and continues with its Saratoga selected yearling sale and New York-bred preferred yearling sale in August. Here is a look at the calendar for those three major companies after this month’s sales.

Keeneland September yearling sale

Sept. 9-21, Lexington, Ky.

Trainer Victor Barboza Jr. believes Grand Mo the First ran one of his best races in his lone start on the grass and so the horse’s first out since the Kentucky Derby will come on turf Saturday in the $95,000 Bear’s Den at Gulfstream Park.

The one-mile race for 3-year-olds is one of two stakes on the card. The Barboza-trained Majestic Venezuela will start as a chief contender in the $95,000 Miss Gracie.

Lakota Spirit, Leisurewear, and Turnerloose, all trained at Del Mar by Phil D’Amato, represent half the field in Saturday’s $75,000 Luther Burbank Stakes for fillies and mares on turf at the Sonoma county fair in Santa Rosa, Calif.

D’Amato may need strength in numbers to win the 1 1/16-mile Burbank. Each runner starts after a series of losses at Santa Anita earlier this year.