The young stallion Liam’s Map is poised to have strong representatives in two of the biggest stakes in the coming week at Churchill Downs. The Unbridled’s Song stallion, who stands at Lane’s End Farm, will be represented by his daughter Crazy Beautiful in the Kentucky Oaks. The filly earned her way in by capturing one of the final major prep races, the Gulfstream Park Oaks.

Into Mischief keeps finding higher bars for himself to clear. The two-time reigning leading sire established a single-season earnings record in 2020, led by his first Kentucky Derby winner, Authentic. The stallion will now have multiple chances to sire an unprecedented second consecutive Derby winner.

Recent years have seen the rise of micro-share partnerships in the Thoroughbred marketplace, with these platforms offering a behind-the-scenes window into the Thoroughbred world and a taste of the ownership experience, particularly for novices to the game, without extravagant or ongoing expenses.

Bourbonic

Bernardini - Dancing Afleet, by Afleet Alex

Bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm

The biggest upset during this Kentucky Derby prep season was recorded by Bourbonic, who triggered a $146.50 return when he rallied to win the Wood Memorial. Approaching the Derby, he is likely to again be double-digit odds. However, what wouldn’t be an upset is continued success for the A.P. Indy sireline in classic events.

A number of Thoroughbred ex-racehorses are set to contest North America’s most prestigious three-day event, the Land Rover Kentucky CCI five-star, beginning Thursday at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The Kentucky five-star is returning in 2021 after being canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. With the pandemic ongoing, this year’s event is closed to spectators under United States Equestrian Federation rules.

Tampa Bay Derby winner Helium, from a sireline with proven classic success, is among the 3-year-olds looking to give their first-crop sires a major boost in this Kentucky Derby.

The pre-sale under-tack show for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s spring sale of 2-year-olds in training showcased the parity of the juveniles in the catalog, and of the sire power represented in that book. On a crowded leaderboard, 20 juveniles by 19 different sires shared the bullet work for a furlong at the breeze show, all going in 9 4/5 seconds.

Super Stock

Dialed In – Super Girlie, by Closing Argument

Bred in Kentucky by Pedro Gonzalez and P.J. Gonzalez ($70,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Keith Asmussen and Erv Woolsey)

Super Stock put himself into the Kentucky Derby field by winning the final major points race, the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. In the process, he also gave the sireline of the late, great A.P. Indy another representative in the race.

Top breeders in Uruguay have formed a partnership to buy Kentucky Derby winner Orb, who will begin his career there with the upcoming Southern Hemisphere breeding season.

Orb has spent his stud career at Claiborne Farm, where he was born and raised, for Stuart Janney and the Phipps Stable, longtime clients of the operation. The son of Malibu Moon was standing for a private fee this Northern Hemisphere season. He covered just seven mares in 2020 at Claiborne, according to The Jockey Club’s Report of Mares Bred, after covering 28 in 2019 and 70 in 2018.

Trainer Ken McPeek went to $57,000 to acquire a Smart Strike colt at the 2005 Keeneland September yearling sale. That colt turned out to be Curlin, who went on to win two Horse of the Year titles while trained by Steve Asmussen.