Dynazaper, a three-year-old filly by Horse of the Year Ghostzapper held off Grade I winner Negligee to win the Edgewood Stakes (8.5F, Turf) at Churchill Downs on April 29.

Bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Dynazaper races for Lewis G. Lakin. The Edgewood was her second win from six starts and she continues a hot streak for her sire, who was represented by Grade I Blue Grass Stakes winner Stately Victor just 19 days earlier.

Ghostzapper is also the sire of the first crop stakes winner Golden Ghost who is also a stakes performer in 2010 and he is the #5 Second Crop Sire this year.

Last year Millionaire Fort Prado ran second in the Kentucky Cup Turf Dash. It was a different story this year as the eight-year-old son of El Prado showed his customary gameness, surging between horses in the final strides to win the event on September 19.

It was the 18th career win for Fort Prado who increased his bankroll to $1,204,541. A multiple graded winner earlier in his career, Fort Prado races for Team Block and is trained by Chris Block.

Fort Prado is one of 18 stake horses for Champion Sire El Prado in 2009, including stakes winner Quiet Meadow who ran second in the Grade 3 Noble Damsel S. the same day.

El Prado is also the sire of leading second crop sire Medaglia d’Oro and leading first crop sire Kitten’s Joy.

With victories in four of the weekend’s five Group 1 events, we were reminded once again of the rare brilliance of the Sadler’s Wells male line in general, and of the El Prado branch in particular.

El Prado, Adena Springs’s former champion sire, has been in good form this year, even if he has been rather overshadowed by his own son Medaglia d’Oro, sire of the irrepressible Rachel Alexandra. Once again, the opposition barely saw which way this exceptional filly
went when she added the GI Mother Goose S. to her GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Preakness successes. A day later, El Prado finally recorded his first Group 1 victory in Europe when his son Spanish Moon proved too strong for the opposition in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. That Group 1 victory might have come a lot sooner had Spanish Moon not suffered a pelvic injury when a leading Derby fancy, following his impressive debut victory at two. A year off the track represents a major obstacle for any horse, but fortunately Spanish Moon is now fulfilling his early promise and his form keeps getting better and better, to the extent that Sir Michael Stoute now describes him
as ‘a serious horse’.

Medaglia d’Oro is the first American-based grandson of Sadler’s Wells to hit the headlines, but one of his European counterparts, Singspiel, has been making his mark for some time now. In narrowly defeating Sadler’s Wells’s granddaughter Beach Bunny in The Curragh’s G1 Pretty Polly S., the four-year-old Da Re Mi became no less than Singspiel’s 10th Northern Hemisphere Group 1 winner from his first eight crops aged three or more. It is worth noting that Da Re Mi is out of a Top Ville mare and so is Sadler’s Wells’s exceptional son Montjeu, who added to his tremendous record in The Curragh’s other Group 1 event, the Irish Derby. When Fame and Glory powered away for a five-length victory, he became Montjeu’s third winner of this Classic from his first five crops, which, remarkably, also contain two winners of the Derby. There is consequently every chance that the influence of the Sadler’s Wells male line is going to extend still further.

Last November, I was asked if I was willing to provide a comment on the Sadler’s Wells line for use in promotional material for Medaglia d’Oro. I am often loath to comply with such requests, but in this instance I was happy to preach to any unconverted Americans
about the virtues of the 14-time champion sire. I therefore offered the following recommendation:

‘Sadler's Wells’s sons and grandsons are exerting a profound impact on the breed in Europe, with the champion stallions Galileo and Montjeu leading the way. And the same could happen in the changing American industry, with the help of El Prado. This classically bred horse became Sadler’s Wells’s first champion sire when he topped the North American table in 2002, with plenty of help from Medaglia d'Oro. And now Medaglia d'Oro is shaping up as another leading torch-bearer for this exceptional male line, which is noted for its soundness.’

Despite my considerable faith in this line, I have to admit that Medaglia d’Oro is proving more effective than I ever imagined. Not only has he achieved a top-five position on the general sires’ list, but he has also proved the dominant second-crop sire, both by
cumulative and by 2009 earnings, even though the opposition includes such talents as Birdstone, Tapit, Candy Ride and Speightstown. Of course, Rachel Alexandra deserves much of the credit for Medaglia d’Oro’s rankings, but he is a long way from being a one-horse sire. The wisdom of Darley’s recent move to acquire Medaglia d’Oro was quickly underlined when he came up with his second Grade I winner in the shape of Gabby’s Golden Gal, who led throughout to take the Acorn S. That victory made her the fourth graded stakes winner from her sire’s 140-strong first crop, the others being C. S. Silk and Payton d'Oro. There are also further talented performers in the stakes winners Renda and Retraceable.

A striking aspect of Medaglia d’Oro’s rise is that all seven of his stakes winners are fillies, as are several of his stakes-placed performers. However, these sex biases have a habit of evening themselves out to some extent and there have been some recent signs that this may be about to happen for the Darley recruit. It was only by a head that Warrior’s Reward failed to become his sire’s first male stakes winner when second in the GIII Northern Dancer S. June 13, and then Arcodoro was a length second in the GIII Cinema H. eight days later. Anaan, another colt, was also second at stakes level in June. Interestingly, these three stakes seconds were gained on dirt, turf and all-weather, to underline further that Medaglia d’Oro’s pedigree will allow him to sire winners on all surfaces. Turf performers, so far, are in a minority, but he has shown he can get European turf winners, thanks to Al Marmoom, Elmfield Boy and last week’s juvenile winner Emma Dora. The move to Darley is also likely to result in more of Medaglia d’Oro’s stock eventually being given a chance in Europe…

Andrew Caufiled, Thoroughbred Daily News, June 30, 2009

Cynthia McGinnes’ All Smiles closed with a rush to win the $50,000 Dahlia Stakes contested over the sloppy main track this afternoon at Laurel Park. The race had been carded for the turf but it was switched to the dirt after steady rain.

Under jockey Jeremy Rose, All Smiles dropped back to last and was still last starting for home when she split horses and angled to the far outside for the run to the finish line. British Event was the leader at the furlong marker, but First Ascent was rallying quickly along the rail and All Smiles was winging on the far outside. All Smiles finished fastest of all and won by a length.

“The pace wasn’t fast but they were all bunched up and nobody got a breather,” said Rose, who won five stakes races during the Laurel winter meet, which ended this afternoon. “I was told to go outside. I got in between horses. She kind of hesitated but went to the outside and finished up strong.”

The Dahlia was the second stakes win of 2009 for All Smiles. She won the Nellie Morse Stakes earlier this year on the Maryland circuit. She has now earned $184,020.

-edited from laurelpark.com

Dulce Agar is the latest stakes winner for Grade 1 winner Sligo Bay after his 1 ¼ length victory in the Ramon Llobet Junior S. on March 8.

Previously Grade 1-placed, Dulce Agar upped his lifetime earnings to $106,456. The 3YO colt has now won three of nine starts for owner Establo Estrada and trainer Moises Diaz and has finished off the board only twice in his career. Dulce Agar is out of the Kipper Kelly mare House Keeper and was bred by Jorge Jimenez.

Awesome I Am ran third to Music Note in the GI Gazelle S. last September, and notched the first black-type win of her career with a 1 3/4-length decision in the Restored Hope S. Jan. 2. Looking for her second straight stakes score, Awesome I Am saved ground while racing about four lengths off the freewheeling pacesetter Devil House. In behind horses turning for home, she angled wide for running room at the 3/16th pole and closed resolutely to best Devil House going away.

Bred by Ocala Stud Farm, out of the Known Fact mare Facts of Winning, Awesome I Am has now earned over $190,000 for owner Sovereign Stable and trainer John Terranova. The filly is one of 14 stakes horses sired by Awesome Again out of mares carrying the influence of In Reality. Among the others is Awesome Again’s best runner, Horse of the Year Ghostzapper.

-edited from Thoroughbred Daily News

Cynthia McGinnes’ All Smiles ran down 2-5 favorite Fascinatin’ Rhythm to capture the $50,000 Nellie Morse Stakes at Laurel Park on January 24.

All Smiles carried jockey Dale Beckner for trainer Fran Campitelli. The daughter of Awesome Again settled comfortably into fifth place in the one turn, one mile event, while tracking odds-on favorite Fascinatin’ Rhythm into the stretch. She moved outside of the favorite, fought her tooth and nail the rest of the way and won by a neck.

“He (trainer Campitelli) told me don’t let her fall to far out of it, just keep her off the pace and it worked out,” said Beckner. “She was game. I felt I had a chance. They ran down the lane and she finished up nice.”

All Smiles is Awesome Again’s 2nd new stakes winner already in 2009 after Awesome I Am, winner of the Restored Hope Stakes on January 2.

-edited from laurelpark.com press release

Awesome I Am, stalked the pace set by the stakes-winning Spritely (by Touch Gold) and ran down that rival to take the Restored Hope Stakes at Aqueduct on January 2. It was a well-deserved win for the newly turned four-year-old filly who had placed in three stakes during her sophomore campaign. Among her blacktype performances was a third place run to 3-time Grade 1 winner Music Note in the Grade 1 Gazelle Stakes last fall.

Awesome I Am is the latest stakes winner for her sire, Awesome Again, who is coming off one of his finest seasons at stud in 2008. Last year, Deputy Minister’s leading sire son was represented by 10 stakes winners, half of them Graded winners, and 22 total stakes performers.

Milwaukee Brew’s 2YO daughter Dr. Zic scored a wire-to-wire victory in the Sandpiper Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on December 27. The attractive chestnut has never been headed in two starts, after wiring a Keeneland maiden special event in her debut on October 12. 

Dr. Zic is the third juvenile stakes winner and sixth overall stakes winner in 2008 for multiple Grade 1 winner Milwaukee Brew. He is the leading second crop sire in Florida and the #4 second crop sire in North America. Only Sky Mesa has more Northern Hemisphere stakes winners among this continent’s second crop sires

Milwaukee Appeal notched her first career stakes win in Woodbine's $122,351 Ontario Lassie Stakes Nov. 30, defeating the 2-5 favorite Retraceable by 1 1/4 lengths.

The daughter of Milwaukee Brew sat just off the pace and opened up a comfortable lead mid-stretch to capture the 1 1/16-mile contest for Ontario-foaled 2-year-old fillies at odds of nearly 8-1.

Owned by C. E. C. Farms, Milwaukee Appeal was ridden by Na Somsanith. She traveled the 1 1/16-mile distance on Polytrack in 1:45.43 on a snowy, windy afternoon. The bay filly raced in third, within two lengths, for the first half-mile, which D' Country carved out in :50.19. On the second turn, Milwaukee Appeal advanced on the leader and took charge in upper stretch.

"This filly has improved from day one. She's matured and always gotten better with each race," said winning trainer Scott Fairlie, "Milwaukee Brew stamps his foals pretty well.”

The homebred filly, who is out of Appealing Forum, is now 3-for-6 lifetime with $190,466 in earnings.
                                                                            -edited from Bloodhorse.com

Canadian invader Springside rallied from last on the final turn and overpowered her rivals by 9 1/2 lengths in the $200,000 Demoiselle Stakes (gr. II) at Aqueduct Nov. 29.
Springside, who won her third straight race while making her stakes debut for (trainer Josie) Carroll, completed the 1 1/8-mile test in 1:51.71 on a fast main track.

(Jockey Garrett) Gomez allowed Springside to drop off the pace as front-runner Ain’t Love Grand set the pace of :24.09, 48.20, and 1:12.65 while being shadowed by Sky Diva. Sky Diva, ridden by Ramon Dominguez, put Ain't Love Grand to the test on the turn as Springside moved up while racing four wide.

The 2YO daughter of Awesome Again made her move coming off the turn for home, and surged past the leaders, including the struggling Sky Diva. Gomez kept her busy on the lead as her advantage swelled in the final eighth of a mile.

“All the way around, she was very willing,” Gomez said.“When I moved her to the outside, she was really impressive.”

Springside, bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, is out of the Digression mare Folly Dollar and was purchased for $335,000 at the 2007 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. She earned $120,000 for the victory, boosting her career bankroll to $190,163.
                                        -edited from Bloodhorse.com

Here we go again. It didn’t take long after second-time starter Well Positioned (by Awesome Again) crossed the finish line 14 1/4 lengths in front in the sixth race at Aqueduct Nov. 22 for owner Paul Pompa to begin getting phone calls from prospective buyers. It was déjà vu for Pompa and trainer Pat Reynolds after playing out the same scene last year with Big Brown.
 
But this time, Pompa has a greater foundation to lean back on. This time, he has a lifetime of what might have beens, having to watch Big Brown’s mercurial rise to stardom in the background as 25% owner.
 
Pompa, according to Reynolds, has received a dozen phone calls, including two from IEAH Stables, who purchased majority interest in Big Brown from him after the colt’s maiden victory on grass last summer for a reported $3.5 million. But this time he is not rushing into selling him.
 
Well Positioned put on a dazzling exhibition Saturday, battling briefly for the lead under Javier Castellano and then drawing away under a hand ride to demolish a solid field of highly touted maidens. He covered the mile in 1:38 3/5, while stakes horses ran their mile in 1:40 in the Discovery Handicap (gr. III) the following race en route to a 1 1/8-mile time of 1:53 1/5. The effort earned Well Positioned ‘TDN Rising Star’ status from the Thoroughbred Daily News.
 
“A horse like this always stirs interest, especially with people wondering if history can repeat itself,” Reynolds said. “After the race, Paul said to me, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to win one of those big races in my colors?’ I told him tomorrow we’ll check on the horse and see how he is and then we can sit down and start discussing plans. Paul’s got a taste for the game now and he loves the business, and he’s become a little more experienced.
 
“I don’t rush horses, and my 2-year-old record is less than resplendent, by choice. I don’t get that many well-bred horses, and the ones I do get I take my time with them. I try to protect them as much as I can, because I don’t like having to make those calls to owners. So, this horse has got a great foundation under him, and he didn’t turn a hair after the race. He decimated a field of well-like maidens. Shug McGaughey’s horse was coming off an 84 Beyer and Bruce Levine told me they had a runner. There were seven tips in the race.
 
Well Positioned is bred to run all day, being by Awesome Again, out of a Holy Bull mare, and his second dam is by the Galbreath family’s Hail the Pirates, winner of the Gulfstream Park Handicap (gr. I) and numerous other stakes in the U.S. and Ireland.
 
“He’s just coming around,” Reynolds said. “He ate all his food last night and he’s hollering for his feed right now, so he’s definitely the goods. I think we can keep on developing him. There were mixed messages after his first race, but sometimes they just need experience.”
 
Well Positioned was purchased for Pompa by Hidden Brook, agent, who also picked out Big Brown, at the Adena Springs sale for $340,000.
 
“Paul said to me, ‘I’m well positioned to stay in this business for a while,’ because of the way things have been planned out, and that’s how the horse got his name,” Reynolds said. “He doesn’t just throw a lot of oatmeal around the kitchen and hope some of it lands in his bowl.”
 
So, will Well Positioned follow Big Brown and head to IEAH or some other owner? That is for Pompa to decide.
 
“You can always use the bread, and I’ve never made any money in this business until we started selling them,” Reynolds said. “Paul is a real guy and he’s always taken care of me. He gave me my 10% with Big Brown. If he does sell I’m sure he’ll take care of me again, but maybe the chips will fall my way this time. Who knows, maybe he’ll sell half of him and the new owner will leave the horse here. I don’t know what’s going to happen. We’ve only had a couple of preliminary discussions.”

                                                                      -edited from Bloodhorse.com

On Sunday November 16, Macho Uno was represented by a pair of new stakes winners.

At Philadelphia Park, the two-year-old filly Oh So Clever lead nearly all the way in the Donna Freyer Stakes. It was the second career start and first victory for the Larry Jones-trained filly. She races for owner/breeder Diane Harrington.

Less than 20 minutes after Oh So Clever got her picture taken, the three-year-old colt National Pride scored in the Pass the Tab Stakes at Aqueduct. Picked as a TDN Rising Star after his impressive maiden romp last fall was, he was sold to Godolphin soon after that victory.

National Pride makes it 7% first crop stakes winners for Macho Uno so far.

Ginger Brew recorded her first victory going past a mile for the first time on the grass at Gulfstream Mar. 15 before scoring in the nine-furlong Calder Oaks
Apr. 26. A stylish six-length winner on the Polytrack in the Woodbine Oaks against Canadian-bred fillies June 8, the chestnut was sent off the 9-5 choice for Canada's premier event, the Queen's Plate, but had to settle for second--beaten only a head by winner Not
Bourbon--in the restricted event June 22 last out. Favored once again for this one, the Adena homebred held a narrow advantage throughout, and when challenged at the head of the stretch by Authenicat, the filly hit another gear and cruised home the easy winner.
                                                                        
                                                                      -Thoroughbred Daily News

Spritely began her career with two straight wins in Kentucky last season... She hit the board in each of three prior attempts this term, including a pair of third-place finishes in the Miss Woodford S. at Monmouth Aug. 24 and the Missile Belle S. at Belmont last out Sept. 20. Making her first start around two turns since the Hollywood Starlet, she was sent to the lead by Mike Luzzi and splashed her way home to an easy victory in the Honey Bee Stakes. She is Touch Gold's 8th stakes winner of 2008. The following day in California, Brushed Gold earned blacktype for the first time with a second place run in the 1 1/2 mile Hermosa Beach S. at Hollywood Park.
         
-edited from Thoroughbred Daily News

John Henry set the standard for geldings in American racing, winning four Grade 1 races at age nine and retiring as the all-time leading money earner in North America. So it was only fitting that Awesome Again’s 8-year-old gelded son Hotstufandthensome won the John Henry Stakes at The Meadowlands on November 1. He dominated the 1 3/8 turf contest by 6 lengths, increasing his earnings to over $720,000.

Already a multiple graded stakes winner, Hotstufandthensome is among the 9 stakes winners and 20 total stakes runners for Awesome Again in 2008.

Peach Brew surged to the lead in the final yards to win the Oklahoma Classics Lassie Stakes at Remington Park on September 27.  Winner of a maiden special event in late June, Peach Brew has now finished first or second in all but one of her four career starts. The juvenile filly races for her breeder Robert H. Zoellner.

Peach Brew is among the four 2008 stakes winners sired by Milwaukee Brew, Florida’s leading second crop sire. In fact, no U. S. second crop sire has more North American stakes winners this year than the two-time Santa Anita Handicap (G1) winner.

A $400,000 colt by Macho Uno topped the first Sunday session of the 2008 Keeneland September Sale on September 14. Consigned by Hidden Brook, agent for the colt’s breeder Adena Springs, he was purchased by Venezuelan businessman Jose Castro’s Paula C Racing Stable.

“We’ve been here all week trying to buy this sort of horse for Mr. Castro,” explained agent Joe Applebaum. “but they kept going for $3 million and $1 million, but we were finally able to do it. We’re excited for him.”

The colt is not the first sales success for Macho Uno in 2008. He is also the sire of a $200,000 sales-topping filly at the OBS August Selected Yearling sale.

Epsom Derby winner North Light made a great first impression on the buyers at the Keeneland September sale. The very first North Light yearling offered at the historic venue was purchased for $450,000.

John Ferguson signed the ticket for Hip #411, a colt out multiple graded stakes winner Critikola (Arg), who is also the dam of Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Lemons Forever.

Yearlings by Horse of the Year Ghostzapper were in high demand during the first two days of the Keeneland September Yearling sale. Southern Equine Stables went to $925,000 for a Ghostzapper colt out of graded stakes winner Victory Ride. 

Ghostzapper yearlings also brought $450,000, $425,000, $400,000, $350,000, $350,000, etc. His overall Book 1 average of $310,227 was by far the best among the stallions in his sire crop

Bear’s Artiste coasted to an easy 2 ¼ length score in the Three Year Old Filly Sales Stakes on September 5. The sophomore filly increased her earnings to nearly $140,000 while taking her second stakes event.

She also capped off a big week for Alphabet Soup, who was represented by the new stakes winner Media Play just four days earlier. The four-year-old gelding surged to victory in the $75,000 Labor Day Stakes at Mountaineer Park, becoming Alphabet Soup’s 34th lifetime stakes winners.

Bear Stables’ Fatal Bullet is quickly emerging as one of the North America’s top three-year-old sprinters after another easy stakes victory in the $100,000 Tom Ridge Labor Day Stakes at Presque Isle Downs on September 1.

The 3YO son of Preakness winner Red Bullet coasted to a facile wire-to-wire win in the Labor Day feature yet still stopped the timer at 1:08 3/5, just two ticks off the track record. Fatal Bullet has set a track record in his previous start, the $150,000 Bold Venture Stakes at Woodbine, where he earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure.

Bred by Adena Springs and trained by Sovereign Award winner Reade Baker, Fatal Bullet has now earned in excess of $300,000.

Phil the Power cruised to a wire-to-wire victory in the $100,000 Kelso Stakes at Delaware Park on August 23. The four-year-old gelding is the newest stakes winner for Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Red Bullet and his second new stakes winner in the past month.

Out of the Deputy Minister mare Miss Amy R, Phil the Power is quickly becoming a major contender for the inaugural Breeders' Cup Marathon for owner John R. Perrota and trainer Joe Orseno. Before his easy win in the mile and one half Kelso, he ran a strong second to Grade 1 winner Black Tie Affair in the Greenwood Cup Stakes, also at 12 furlongs.

Phil the Power has now finished first or second in 10 of his 19 starts and has earned $215,550.

There were many who questioned whether champion mare Ginger Punch would be able to stretch out to 10 furlongs—something she had never done before. In the $400,000 Personal Ensign Stakes (gr. I) Aug. 22 at Saratoga, the 5-year-old daughter of Awesome Again was grateful for the added distance, as she needed every last stride to pass Lemon Drop Mom, getting up in the final head bob to win by the narrowest of margins.

Coming four-wide into the stretch under Rafael Bejarano, Ginger Punch came to take on Lemon Drop Mom and Jose Caraballo, who, after receiving a perfect ground-saving trip, struck the lead at the eighth-pole. Those two began their fierce stretch duel at the top of the lane, but Lemon Drop Mom always kept a narrow advantage. It wasn’t until the final stride that Ginger Punch nailed the 10-1 longshot, as she put her head down perfectly at the wire.

“For me, she is a super filly," Bejarano said. "She tries all the time. As soon as I got to the turn, she was kind of tired, but as soon as she saw the other filly pass me in the final furlong, she kept coming back again. This race was very close and very scary. The other horse tried hard, too, but my horse doesn’t quit. She runs ’til the end.”    

Going off as the 4-5 choice in a field of six, Ginger Punch won for the fourth consecutive time and recorded her sixth career grade I victory. She stayed a perfect 3-for-3 on the Saratoga dirt, as she entered off a 1 1/4-length triumph in the Go for Wand (gr. I), a race she also won in 2007. Owned and bred by Frank Stronach, Ginger Punch is now a remarkable 12-5-2 from 20 lifetime starts and has earned $2,945,603.

-from Bloodhorse.com

A filly by Macho Uno sold for $200,000 as the top-selling hip at the OBS August Selected Sale of Yearlings on August 18. The filly, consigned by Hidden Brook, agent for Adena Springs, was purchased by veteran owner Dr. Robert Fishman.

"I was looking for this one particular jewel," said Dr. Fishman after the sale. "I’ve looked at the Keeneland September (yearling sale) catalog, and none of the horses in there raised my eyebrow like this one did.”

The sale topper is out of the winning Lite the Fuse mare Top of the League. The same Macho Uno-Lite the Fuse cross has already produced the stakes winner Swifty Victress.

Macho Uno is also the sire of a $300,000 yearling filly at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select sale earlier in August.

High Mist, picked up for just $22,000 at the Adena Springs March Two-Year-Old sale earlier this year, went postward as the 7-5 chalk on the strength of several sharp drills. The Ontario-bred bay quickly sprinted to the lead and never looked back as she was hand-ridden to a 5 3/4-length score.

High Mist marks the fifth winner for her freshman sire Olmodavor (by A.P. Indy). Among Olmodavor's other winners is Miss Dixie Dreamer, who set a track record in her debut in California.

-edited from the TDN

The connections of Ready Set were rewarded for their patience Aug. 2 when the colt earned his first career stakes victory in a big way—the $750,000 West Virginia Derby (gr. III) at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort.

Ready Set, owned by Roy and Gretchen Jackson’s Lael Stables, had banked $146,040 in his previous 10 starts. In the West Virginia Derby, the colt, an $800,000 purchase by the Jacksons at the 2006 Keeneland September yearling sale, earned $450,000.

Gretchen Jackson said she and her husband always were high on Ready Set, who raced in the Breeders’ Futurity (gr. I) last year in his third career start. They had to wait a while for him to begin to reach his potential, as did trainer Michael Matz.

“Michael always encouraged us to think like that,” Gretchen Jackson said. “It took a while, but he’s starting to put the pieces together. He’s such a natural mover.”

Ready Set, in his Mountaineer debut, settled early in the 1 1/8-mile Derby as a host of horses committed to the early pace in the 11-horse field. Jockey Julien Leparoux asked Ready Set to pick up the pace from between horses on the far turn and steered the colt toward the rail when a hole opened up.

Ready Set gradually took over near the top of the stretch, opened up by a half-length, and had enough to hold off Web Gem, who flew home after encountering some traffic on the far turn. Ready Set appeared to re-break near the wire and finished a head in front of Web Gem, who had three lengths on Real Appeal, who rallied from last to third.

 “I was expecting a lot of pace, which we got,” said Leparoux, who rode Ready Set for the first time. “The only spot I had to move was at the three-eighths pole, so I made him move earlier than I wanted. If he really ran as much as he could, he would have won by 10 lengths. Hopefully, he’ll improve a lot off of this race.”

Ready Set paid $11.20 to win. It was his fourth career victory; in his previous two starts, he fell just short in stakes at Delaware Park.

Matz said he recommended a break for Ready Set after a troubled trip in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) in February, and the Jacksons agreed. The rest was productive, Matz said.

“These are the results of him maturing,” Matz said. “He’s a big colt, and I think he’ll get even better as a 4-year-old. He should run all day.”

Kentucky-bred Ready Set is by Touch Gold out of the Alleged mare Party Cited. Matz said the colt could race next in the $1-million Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) at Philadelphia Park Casino & Racetrack Sept. 1.

-edited from Bloodhorse.com

The winners of the last three renewals of the Jim Dandy Stakes have all gone on to capture the prestigious Travers four weeks later. Trainer Dallas Stewart is hoping that trend will continue for at least one more summer after his Macho Again outgamed 3-2 favorite Pyro to register a half-length victory in Sunday's Grade 2 Jim Dandy before a crowd of 38,748 at Saratoga.

Macho Again, winner of the Derby Trial and runner-up to division leader Big Brown in the Preakness, had not started since finishing 11 lengths behind Da' Tara in the Belmont Stakes. But the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Jim Dandy and a contentious pace that compromised Da' Tara's chances in Sunday's rematch played right into the hands of Stewart and Macho Again, a son of Macho Uno owned by West Point Thoroughbreds.
Jockey Julien Leparoux reserved Macho Again within easy striking distance of the leaders while saving ground, but found himself blocked in briefly behind horses when trying to launch his bid leaving the quarter pole.

Macho Again finally extricated himself from traffic at the top of the stretch but had to alter course momentarily behind Tiz Now Tiz Then near the eighth pole. He eventually overtook that rival to gain the lead at midstretch, then had enough left to withstand a final surge from Pyro.

“He's a game little horse, and that was a pretty good field,” said Stewart. “He beat the Belmont winner and the Louisiana Derby winner. The race developed just like it looked on paper, but he had a tough go from the quarter pole in. Once he got free he kicked in and it looked like he was going to win convincingly and then here comes Pyro with that late run. Fortunately he had enough left to hold him off.”

Stewart said that as long as Macho Again comes out of the Jim Dandy in good order he'll point for the Travers on Aug. 23.

-edited from DRF.com

On Sunday July 20, Fatal Bullet became Preakness winner Red Bullet’s latest stakes winner when he set a new track record in the $150,836 Bold Venture Stakes at Woodbine.  Owned by Bear Stables and trained by Sovereign Award-winning trainer Reade Baker, Fatal Bullet won the Bold Venture by an easy three lengths, upping his career earnings to nearly $250,000. The three-year-old is also the latest stakes winner bred and sold by Adena Springs.

The previous day, Red Bullet was represented by two new promising stakes runners. Phil the Power placed second to Grade 1 winner Evening Attire in the $250,000 Greenwood Cup, at Philadelphia Park. The Greenwood Cup is a designated ‘Win And You’re In’ race for the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Marathon.

At Louisiana Downs that same afternoon, the Red Bullet juvenile Takin’ the Bullet ran third in the Minstrel Stakes on the turf. The race was won by the Congaree colt Zigaree.

Sugar Swirl returned to competition after a short vacation and went over the $750,000 mark in career earnings with her win in the Scotzanna Stakes at Woodbine on July 18.

Earlier this year, the daughter of Touch Gold established herself as one of the best female sprinters in the country. She became the first horse to sweep all three stakes for distaff sprinters at the Gulfstream Park meeting: the Shirley Jones (G2), the First Lady (G3) and the Hurricane Bertie (G3).

The Scotzanna victory was Sugar Swirl's fourth stakes win of the year and she is now the third-highest earner for her sire behind the Japanese stakes winner Ferrari Pisa and the Grade 1 winner Seek Gold.

Harlem Rocker seized the lead at the top of the stretch and outfought the surprising East End Tap to win the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, the second leg of Canada's Triple Crown series, for owner Frank Stronach and trainer Todd Pletcher.

Ridden by Eibar Coa, the gray Ontario-bred colt remained unbeaten in four starts on dirt and atoned for the only loss of his career, a well-beaten fourth-place finish in the Queen's Plate Trial Stakes on Woodbine's Polytrack surface June 10.

Harlem Rocker tracked the pace in fifth under Coa, who has ridden the son of Macho Uno in all of his starts. Harlem Rocker made his bid three wide into the far turn and took the lead into the stretch. East End Tap, circling the field for Elvis Trujillo coming off the turn, drew nearly even with Harlem Rocker but could get no closer as Harlem Rocker, driving from the rail, pushed back to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

Harlem Rocker earned $297,240 for his connections and has now banked $445,799 in his career. The Adena Springs homebred is out of Freedom Come, by Lit de Justice.

-Edited from Bloodhorse.com

IEAH Stables, WinStar Farm & Pegasus Holdings Group LLC’s Sharp Susan drew closer to the $500,000 mark in career earnings with her handy score in the $200,000 Dr. James Penny Memorial Handicap at Philadelphia Park on July 7.

Winner of a pair of Graded races in 2007, including the Grade 2 Lake Placid Stakes at Saratoga last summer, Sharp Susan won the Penny Memorial by 2 ¾ lengths. Left in her wake was the multiple Graded stakes winner and multiple Grade 1-placed Val Benny.

Touch Gold is now the sire of 6 stakes winners in North America, Japan and Italy this year and 11 total stakes horses worldwide.

Alpha Charmer overcame a troubled trip to capture the $75,000 Georgia Oaks at Calder on Sunday June 15.

Alpha Charmer appeared to lose all chance after hitting the gate at the start of the 1 1/16 mile turf feature for sophomore fillies. But jockey Manoel Cruz patiently saved ground until the field hit the stretch. He then called upon Alpha Charmer, who responded with a powerful burst of speed. Despite her difficult start, she won by an easy 3 3/4 lengths.

Trained by Phil Gleaves, Alpha Charmer is the 33rd stakes winner sired by Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Alphabet Soup.

Graded stakes winner Olmodavor was represented by his first winner when his daughter Miss Dixie Dancer set a track-record of :52.31 June 11 at Golden Gate Fields in her first start. She captured the 4 1/2-furlong race by eight lengths for a partnership that includes Firsthome T-breds.

Bred in Kentucky by Gerald Ford’s Diamond A Racing Corp., Miss Dixie Dancer is the second winner from two foals of racing age from theDixieland Band mare Dixieland Dancer. - Bloodhorse.com

In search of her third straight victory, Frank Stronach's homebred Ginger Brew unleashed a rousing turn of foot in the final eighth of a mile to capture the first leg of Canada's Triple Tiara by six lengths.

Never worse than second in five starts coming into the Oaks, Ginger Brew beat Gulfstream NW1X foes on the grass Mar. 15 before a popular victory in the grassy Calder Oaks Apr. 26. Returning to Woodbine, where she won her maiden at first asking sprinting on the main track last October, Ginger Brew was settled near the back of the pack under jockey Javier Castellano. She began to make up ground on the turn, came through an opening in upper stretch... giving Stronach his second Oaks win after taking the 1999 edition with Touch Dial.

"If you own the stallion, the mare and you breed the filly, and you win the Oaks, that's very nice," said Stronach. - Thoroughbred Daily News

ALPHABET SOUP sired one of the top two-year-olds at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May Sale, when Hip 377 sold for $275,000 to Kaleem Shah. The Adena Springs-bred colt was also a $185,000 OBS August yearling. A day later, his Grade I daughter SILVER SWALLOW won a $58,000 Hollywood allowance under a hand ride, boosting her record to 11 wins/placings in 12 starts and $229,038 in earnings.

ALPHABET SOUP sired his fifth stakes horse of the past nine weeks, when BEAU'S VALENTINE ran third in the $100,000 Adena Springs Miss Preakness S.-G3 on May 16th. A graduate of the Adena Springs 2YOs Sale, Beau's Valentine has 6 wins in 12 starts for owner Sonia Chapman.

ALPHABET SOUP sired his fourth stakes horse of 2008 on May 4th, when 3-year-old BEARS ARTISTE placed in the Mount Royal H. This filly was a stakes winner at two, and now has career earnings of $93,111.

In 2008, ALPHABET SOUP sired three new stakes horses in 5 1/2 weeks. On April 12, MOUJANE ran third in the Santa Lucia Handicap at Santa Anita; March 30th, SOUPY was runner-up in the March Madness H. at Santa Anita; and February 28, SERENITY LAKE placed in the Benanken S. at Fair Grounds.

In 2007, ALPHABET SOUP had $2,500,000 in earnings. M B SEA became his sire's third stakes winner in four days, when he won the Fall Stakes. The Graded stakes winner has now earned $744,471.

MACHO UNO has now sired a Classic colt in his first crop, as MACHO AGAIN rallied strongly to run second to Big Brown in the Preakness S.-G1. This was as close as any competitor has been to Big Brown at the finish. Macho Again has 3 wins, 3 seconds, and earnings of $343,761 for owner West Point Thoroughbreds. Macho Again will run next in the Classic Belmont S.-G1 on June 7th.

MACHO UNO sired two new stakes winners April 26th, the fifth and sixth stakes horses from his freshman crop.

HARLEM ROCKER, a member of the Adena Racing Venture II, now has three wins in three starts and earnings of $139,500 for trainer Todd Pletcher. Daily Racing Form's Mike Watchmaker noted: "With the way Harlem Rocker inhaled the very capable J Be K, he could have a significant impact in the 3-year-old male division in the not-too-distant future." Harlem Rocker is being pointed toward the Classic Queen's Plate in June. Click here for full story. MACHO AGAIN, a $150,000 OBS Select juvenile, was a game winner of the Derby Trial, defeating eight Classic prospects, led by a champion two-year-old and a Hopeful-G1 winner. Click here for full story. Macho Again faces the starter in Saturday's Preakness S.-G1.

MACHO UNO sired the session topper opening day of the OBS April Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training. Hip 273, a colt out of Enterprizing Cat, sold for $250,000 to Klaravich Stable. Earlier in the month at the Keeneland April Sale, Hip 157, a colt out of Royal Confection, sold for $210,000 to Malih Albasti.

Two sons of Macho Uno are among the favorites for the Queen's Plate. Along with Harlem Rocker, COOL GATOR, a Graded stakes colt from the first crop by MACHO UNO, has been installed winter book favorite for the Plate. Woodbine handicapper Jennifer Morrison pegged Cool Gator at 4-1 for the June 22nd Classic. The chestnut is owned by Garland Williamson and trained by Danny Vella, who gave the early conditioning to Champion Macho Uno.

MACHO UNO sired his 19th winner on March 1st, 3-length maiden special debut winner UNO RED BIRD. On February 28th, MACHO AGAIN won a $40,500 Fair Grounds allowance as the even money favorite.

MACHO UNO's second crop of two-year-olds are averaging $131,667 at the 2008 Sales. He has had three in the ring and three sold this year, including a $150,000 filly at FT Calder and a $150,000 colt at OBS February.

On January 5th MACHO UNO sired his 17th winner, debut starter UNO MAS PROMESA. This filly blew the break in a maiden special event over 5 1/2 furlongs, but shot past 12 rivals to win going away by 3 3/4 lengths.

MACHO UNO finished 2007 as America's #5 Freshman Sire, with 16 winners, four stakes horses, and $1,146,037. Nearly half of his progeny earnings came on Polytrack.

PURSUE A DREAM became the fourth stakes horse from the first crop of MACHO UNO when he ran a strong second in the Centennial S. on December 1st.

MACHO UNO debuted a star on November 17, when NATIONAL PRIDE won his first career start at Aqueduct in a very quick 1:09 1/5. This was the 16th first crop winner for champion Macho Uno, who is America's #4 Freshman Sire.

Stakes winner SLY BUTTERFLY, in foal to MACHO UNO, topped the sixth session of the Keeneland November Sale, selling for $410,000. Consigned by Hidden Brook, agent for Adena Springs, she was purchased by Stonerside Stable. Click here for details. The same day, MACHO UNO also had another repeat winner, when Pursue a Dream won a $35,000 allowance for his second win in four starts.

Standing in Kentucky for 2008, MACHO UNO is America's #5 Freshman Sire, with 15 winners and progeny earnings in excess of $1,000,000. On November 9 he sired two new winners coast coast to coast--CHINA UNO at Hollywood and MACHO KID at Calder.

On November 4, his Graded stakes placed son Cool Gator ran second in the $250,000 Coronation Futurity, and his 13th winner, Adena Two-Year-Old graduate SHAMATEUR, broke his miaden first time out in Italy.

MACHO UNO sired his 12th two-year-old winner on October 28, when $150,000 auction two-year-old MACHO AGAIN romped by 5 1/2 lengths going seven furlongs at Churchill. The gray colt is owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and trained by Dallas Stewart.

Two days after siring his first Grade I winner, MACHO UNO just missed siring his third $100,000 stakes winner by a short head. Making his third career start, COOL GATOR battled the entire last furlong in the $250,000 Grey S.-G3 at Woodbine, before succombing by a diminishing head. A jump past the wire he was in front.

On October 6, undefeated WICKED STYLE was sensational start to finish winning the $500,000 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. Breaking from the 12 hole, far outside his rivals, WICKED STYLE went right to the lead and increased his advantage, winning by 3 1/2 lengths at the wire. Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens told a national television audience: "I like his style and I like his acceleration." Click here for full story. The handsome chestnut from the first crop by Macho Uno heads next to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, a race his sire won en route to the two-year-old championship.

On September 29, MACHO UNO sired his ninth first-crop winner, wire-to-wire victress and Adena Springs Two-Year-Old Sale graduate HEARTLAND SONG. The bay filly was making her second career start.

September 22-23 MACHO UNO sired his seventh and eighth winners, Macho Tough in the U.S. and Cosmo Gyro in Japan. MACHO UNO is Florida's Leading Freshman Sire, #5 nationwide, with more than $515,000 in progeny earnings.

At Keeneland September, MACHO UNO sired six-figure yearlings four days in a row, including the third highest-priced yearling Sept. 17, when Hip 2409 sold to Zayat Stables for $280,000. The colt out of Song of Royalty was bred by Donald Ming, and sold in the Denali Stud consignment. The other six-figure yearlings are Hip 3557 ($150,000 to Scott & Evan Dilworth), Hip 3101 ($120,000 to Jim Barry), Hip 2686 ($100,000 to M/M J.S. Moss).