Fri, 05/13/2016 - 09:26

Frankel sires first winner from first starter in England

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.

Cunco, a bay colt, is an Irish homebred for the international operation of Don Alberto, which is based in Chile. He is trained by John Gosden and ridden by Robert Havlin. Cunco was a narrow 5-2 favorite over Oceanus, who finished third. All seven starters were making their racing debut.

Thu, 05/12/2016 - 11:22

R.A.C.E. Fund online auction fundraiser starts May 27

Edited press release

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.

Mon, 05/09/2016 - 19:41

Wallenda euthanized at Old Friends

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 26-year-old was the most successful runner from the first crop of his sire Gulch, who was himself a longtime Old Friends pensioner and died in January. Wallenda had resided at Old Friends since April 2007.

Mon, 05/09/2016 - 13:56

Grade 1 double for Hinkle Farms

The small-scale but quality operation Hinkle Farms pulled off a Grade 1 double 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.

Mon, 05/09/2016 - 13:56

Curlin has big Kentucky Derby weekend

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.

Mon, 05/09/2016 - 13:50

At $400k, Nyquist was a bargain

Nyquist, the Kentucky Derby winner and 2015 champion juvenile male, could have been had by anyone willing to be the highest bidder on three separate occasions.

Mon, 05/09/2016 - 12:30

Sparkman: How good is Uncle Mo?

Barbara D. Livingston
Uncle Mo finished 10th in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Classic in his final career start.

Uncle Mo was already the hottest young sire on the planet before the first Saturday in May, but just how much hotter will he get after Nyquist’s victory in the 142nd Kentucky Derby? Does any doubt remain that Uncle Mo is the real deal?

Mon, 05/09/2016 - 11:56

Darley scores big in Derby and Oaks

Barbara D. Livingston
Cathryn Sophia and jockey Javier Castellano win the Kentucky Oaks by 2 3/4 lengths Friday.

One of the biggest winners of the Kentucky Derby and Oaks weekend didn’t run a horse in either of the marquee races.

Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum’s Darley America picked up another big win for its stallion roster Friday when Cathryn Sophia, a daughter of Street Boss, drew away to win the Kentucky Oaks. The following day, future Darley resident Nyquist took home the roses as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby.

Mon, 05/09/2016 - 11:46

Even after death, Street Cry continues to leave his mark

Barbara D. Livingston
Cathryn Sophia and jockey Javier Castellano win the Kentucky Oaks by 2 3/4 lengths Friday.

One of the earliest and best racehorses based in the United States for the sprawling international operation of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum was Street Cry. The Irish-bred son of Machiavellian (by Mr. Prospector) started his career in California with Eoin Harty, running third in the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile before being turned over to Saeed bin Suroor and developing into one of the best older horses in the world, taking the Dubai World Cup in 2002 and following with a tour-de-force win in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap.

Mon, 05/09/2016 - 11:36

Led by Nyquist, Uncle Mo's first crop is one for the ages

Barbara D. Livingston
Uncle Mo, the champion 2-year-old male of 2010, has big shoes to fill after the December death of his sire, Indian Charlie. Uncle Mo stands at Ashford Stud for $35,000.

Nyquist was an unbeaten juvenile champion, just like his sire, and was made the morning-line favorite for the Kentucky Derby, just like his sire. The question was, could he go the classic distance, something his sire had never done?

The answer was a resounding yes. Nyquist remained undefeated in eight starts with an emphatic victory in the Kentucky Derby last Saturday at Churchill Downs, giving the outstanding young sire Uncle Mo a classic winner from his first crop.