LEXINGTON, Ky. – John Stewart, who made his first Thoroughbred purchase last year, was among the top-spending buyers at the Keeneland September yearling sale. He has continued to buy through the fall, purchasing a number of yearlings and weanlings who will one day carry his colors. But while scouting young prospects in the draft, so to speak, Stewart, who will soon acquire a farm near Lexington, also wanted a race-ready prospect for the near future.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The hard-knocking Tito’s Calling goes back to Ontario-sired company in Friday’s $100,000 Ashbridges Bay Stakes going 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta for 3-year-old fillies.

Trained by Mike DePaulo, Tito’s Calling has contested six consecutive stakes since landing an Ontario-sired allowance in her May 5 season opener. Three weeks after ending up fourth in the Fury on June 10, she earned valuable Grade 3 black type when third in the Selene.

The Keeneland November breeding stock sale, much like the company’s September yearling sale, is something of a bellwether for the North American marketplace as it tests a number of different levels of the market through its longer run that begins Nov. 8 and continues through Nov. 16.

Flightline, the unbeaten 2022 Horse of the Year, was a special type of racehorse. And it took a special mare to come to his court in his first season at stud.

The broodmares and broodmare prospects assembled for Fasig-Tipton’s Kentucky fall selected mixed sale need no introduction.

This Nov. 7 sale is billed as the “Night of the Stars,” and this year’s catalog again lives up to that billing, with major names including Eclipse Award champions Goodnight Olive, Nest, and Wonder Wheel; Canadian champions Moira and Munnyfor Ro; Argentinian champions Didia and Dona Bruja; Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath; Breeders’ Cup winner Pizza Bianca; and a host of other Grade/Group 1 winners.

Strong family ties, on both sides, have come together for one of the most exciting offerings at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale for a new consignment. Case Clay Thoroughbred Management will hang its shingle out for its first Keeneland consignment, which consists of Puca, the dam of Kentucky Derby winner Mage and carrying a full sibling to that colt, and Grade 1 winner Dalika, carrying a foal from the first crop of Horse of the Year Flightline.

The late Arrogate, inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, made the most of his limited opportunities at stud. The Eclipse Award champion and all-time North American leading money-winner stood just three seasons at Juddmonte Farm in Kentucky before an illness leading to neurological symptoms resulted in his death in 2020. Of those three crops – the youngest are current 2-year-olds – Arrogate is represented by graded stakes winners from each, led by Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath in his first crop and Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo in his second.

Last-out graded stakes winner Private Creed looks to get the better of familiar foe Gaslight Dancer when the two meet again as part of a strong field of 3-year-olds in the $141,000 turf-sprint allowance feature on Thursday at Churchill Downs.

Autumn Glory was coming off a 461-day layoff when she split rivals late and got up to win a New York-bred first-level allowance on turf on Oct. 26 at Aqueduct.

Thursday, Autumn Glory will be wheeling back in two weeks when she tries to clear the next condition in a New York-bred second-level allowance/optional $45,000 claiming race at 1 1/16 miles on turf that constitutes the feature on the nine-race program.

In a unique family accomplishment, full brothers Frankel and Noble Mission, both European champions, each sired a Breeders’ Cup winner last Saturday on the Santa Anita turf.

Unbeaten two-time European Horse of the Year Frankel has been an international sensation for owner-breeder Juddmonte’s Banstead Manor Stud in England, with Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Alpinista, Epsom Derby winner Adayar, and Irish Derby winner Westover among his 95 career graded/group stakes winners, including champions in four countries.