Conquest Two Step, from the first crop of Group 2 winner Two Step Salsa and a  $420,000 purchase earlier this year, became the first winner for his sire as he scored a two-length victory in his career debut Friday at Churchill Downs.

Grade 2 winner St. John’s River, who was second by a neck in the 2011 running of the Kentucky Oaks, was bred to Tapit earlier this year and is due to have her first foal in 2014, trainer Andrew Leggio Jr. said Friday.

St. John’s River, who spent some of her career based in Louisiana, was retired last season following a second-place finish in an allowance at Saratoga. Leggio said St. John’s River now resides at Heaven Trees Farm, the Lexington, Ky., operation of her owner and breeder, Dede McGehee.

Although she never competed at Royal Ascot herself, few mares have enjoyed a more successful run of influence at the famed race meeting than Rainbow Lake has in recent years.

Central Kentucky breeder and owner Scott Ricker died of cancer on June 20. He was 59.

A native of St. Charles, Ill. Ricker and his wife, Carol, owned Sunny Oak Farm near Paris, Ky., which they founded in 1979. Ricker entered the Thoroughbred industry through his father-in-law, Dr. William Harris, a horse owner for over four decades.

As an awareness and fundraising event with a humorous twist, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation will put on the inaugural "Mr. TRF" Second Chances Stakes on June 29 at Colonial Downs, allowing fans to vote on their favorite ex-racehorse.

From the 1920s through the 1950s, the male line of Son-in-Law thrived by producing generations of winners of Europe’s two-mile-plus Cup races, while the male line descending from Gold Bridge dominated European sprint races from the 1930s into the 1960s. Both of those male lines are long dead, basically because they failed to diversify in a racing and breeding culture that moved dramatically away from specialization and toward versatility after World War II.

Untapable, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Paddy O’Prado, looked the part in her career debut Thursday afternoon at Churchill Downs, vying for the lead through the first three furlongs before drawing clear to win by a length under Rosie Napravnik.

The 2-year-old Tapit filly, a Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred trained by Steve Asmussen, covered 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.35 on a fast main track and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 75.

American-based sires continued a solid run at Royal Ascot on Thursday, as Kentucky-bred and trained No Nay Never turned in a record-setting performance in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes on the famed meeting's third day.

The 2-year-old colt by Scat Daddy overcame a slow start to complete the five furlongs in :58.80 under red-hot jockey Joel Rosario, winning by one length and establishing a new record for the course distance by a juvenile.

Joy Gilbert photo/courtesy Ramsey FarmKitten's Joy

Prominent Thoroughbred partnerships Dogwood Stables and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, which have a working relationship dating to last year, will officially merge effective July 1, Dogwood president W. Cothran “Cot” Campbell and Eclipse president Aron Wellman announced Thursday.

All new yearling, 2-year-old, and older horse purchases will be made and managed by Eclipse in the name of Eclipse/Dogwood. Horses will race in that name, with racing colors alternating.