Mon, 03/27/2017 - 11:21

Sparkman: Spice of variety in the desert

Mathea Kelley/Dubai Racing Club
Jack Hobbs, by Halling, wins the Group 1 Sheema Classic on Saturday at Meydan.

The Northern Dancer and Mr. Prospector male lines completely dominate worldwide group and graded stakes results, but the eight races at the Dubai World Cup meeting produced a remarkable variety of winners from relatively rare male lines.

Male-line descendants of Northern Dancer captured the Group 2 UAE Derby (Thunder Snow), Group 1 Golden Shaheen (Mind Your Biscuits), and Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint, while Mr. Prospector’s descendants won the Group 1 Dubai World Cup (Arrogate) and Group 2 Godolphin Mile (Second Summer), but they accounted for only five of the eight races.

Fri, 03/24/2017 - 10:30

New Mexico: A & A Ranch dominant in 2016 sire standings

Horsephotos
Attila's Storm, winning the Fall Highweight, cuts back to six furlongs in the Palos Verdes 'Cap.

The road to the top of New Mexico’s sire list took a long sweep through A & A Ranch in 2016, with the farm’s stallions taking up four of the top five spots on the state’s general earnings list.

It was the latest milepost in an extended run of success for the Anthony, N.M., operation of Fred and Linda Alexander. A member of the farm’s stallion roster has occupied the top spot six times in the past decade, including each of the past five seasons.

Thu, 03/23/2017 - 12:57

Grade 1 winner Tamarando retired to stand in California

Benoit & Associates
Tamarando will sprint for the first time since winning the Del Mar Futurity 13 months ago in Saturday's California Flag Handicap.

Grade 1 winner Tamarando will enter stud at Harris Farms in Coalinga, Calif., for the 2017 breeding season and will stand for an advertised fee of $2,500.

The 6-year-old son of Bertrando retires with four wins in 31 starts over five seasons of racing for earnings of $722,652, highlighted by wins in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity, Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby, and the listed Real Quiet Stakes. His seven stakes placings include third-place efforts in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity and Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes.

Thu, 03/23/2017 - 09:40

Thoroughbred Incentive Program honors top performers

The Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Incentive Program, designed to encourage the retraining of off-the-track racehorses, recently announced the winners of its 2016 performance awards program.

The awards recognize Thoroughbreds who accumulated points at horse shows in various disciplines throughout the year.

Wed, 03/22/2017 - 15:33

Fantastic Style retired to become broodmare

Barbara D. Livingston
The 5-year-old mare Fantastic Style won 5 of 12 starts and earned $427,358.

Fantastic Style, a Grade 2 winner in Southern California who last raced at Oaklawn, has been retired and is to be bred, trainer Doug O’Neill said Tuesday. A 5-year-old mare by Harlan’s Holiday, Fantastic Style won 5 of 12 starts and earned $427,358.

“She’s been retired,” O’Neill said. “Her owner, Kaleem Shah, decided to retire her, and she was sent to Kentucky.”

Wed, 03/22/2017 - 10:50

Kentucky Derby pedigree analysis: Malagacy

Coady Photography
The 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby on April 15 would be the next logical step for Rebel winner Malagacy.

Malagacy

Shackleford-Classiest Gem, by Dehere

(Bred in Kentucky by John Trumbulovic; $190,000 purchase by Steven W. Young, as agent, at 2016 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training)

Tue, 03/21/2017 - 10:03

Mastery to stand at Claiborne Farm when racing career is over

Barbara D. Livingston
Mastery's ankle began to swell after he returned to the barn following Saturday's San Felipe Stakes.

Although a decision has yet to be reached on the future of unbeaten Mastery’s racing career, a deal has been inked to stand him at historic Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky., upon his eventual retirement.

Mastery, a Grade 1 winner as a juvenile, improved his career mark to 4 for 4 by winning the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes by 6 3/4 lengths on March 11 at Santa Anita. However, the post-race celebration was short lived, as he was pulled up past the wire and vanned off. Radiographs revealed a condylar fracture to his left front leg, and he underwent surgery two days later.

Tue, 03/21/2017 - 07:51

Frosted to Darley Australia for Southern Hemisphere season

Barbara D. Livingston
Frosted stands in the U.S. at Darley's Jonabell Farm in Lexington, Ky.

Multiple Grade 1 winner Frosted will shuttle to Darley Australia for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season.

A Southern Hemisphere fee for the 5-year-old son of Tapit will be announced at a later time. He currently stands at Darley’s Jonabell Farm location in Lexington, Ky. for $50,000.

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Mon, 03/20/2017 - 13:56

Siblings square off in Dubai World Cup

Mathea Kelley/Dubai Racing Club
Lani ran in all three Triple Crown races last year, finishing a close third in the Belmont.

A pair of globetrotting half-siblings are set to meet once again on a major world stage Saturday, as Lani and Awardee contest the $10 million Dubai World Cup.

The two previously met in the Group 1 Champions Cup, formerly the Japan Cup Dirt, in December. Sound Wave defeated the favored Awardee by a neck in the prestigious event; back in ninth was Awardee’s younger half-brother, Lani. Awardee comes into the World Cup having not raced since December, when he was second in the Group 1 Tokyo Daishoten. Lani was unplaced in a local prep this month.

Mon, 03/20/2017 - 13:50

New stallions well represented on Derby trail

Adam Coglianese/Coglianese Photos
Gunnevera will try to emulate his sire, Dialed In, by winning the Florida Derby on April 1.

A solid group of stallions with high hopes entered stud in 2013, lending the possibility of some new blood on this year’s Triple Crown trail. So far, the group has delivered. Four stallions have first-crop representatives in the top 20 of the Kentucky Derby point standings, with others knocking on the door.