Blood-Horse

The first day of Book 3 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale proved to be as competitive as Books 1 and 2. Nine horses brought above $500,000 from in-demand sires in City of Light, Curlin, Good Magic, Gun Runner, and Practical Joke. 

Major General battled for a close victory in the $300,000 Iroquois Stakes (G3) while Hidden Connection powered away in the $299,700 Pocahontas Stakes (G3) in front of a crowd of 20,204 Sept. 18 at Churchill Downs.

As much as trainer Brad Cox's arsenal for the Breeders' Cup will not include two-time Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) winner Monomoy Girl, he still figures to have one of the top contenders in the year's richest dirt race for fillies and mares.

Anyone who has followed the evolution of the New York Racing Association's Turf Triple for 3-year-olds should not be surprised by the Sept. 18 results in the series' final legs at Belmont Park.

Jalen Journey picked up his first career stakes victory Sept. 18 at Laurel Park following the disqualification of first-place finisher and 4-5 favorite Wondrwherecraigis in the $200,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3).

The Woodbine Mile (G1T) trophy will stay local this year after Ontario-bred Town Cruise rolled to a front-running score with a comfortable lead throughout Woodbine's CA$1,120,800 (US$877,517) feature Sept. 18.

Locally Owned, sent to post at 18-1 under Dylan Davis, upset 1-9 favorite Lone Rock in the $291,000 Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational Stakes Sept. 18 at Belmont Park.

The Breeders' Cup board has commenced a review process as to whether Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will be permitted to participate in this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships, the organization said Sept. 18.

There will be no daytime Thoroughbred racing Thursday, Sept. 23, at Los Alamitos.

Godolphin's Walton Street made the trip overseas well worth it, running away with the victory in the CA$600,000 Canadian International Stakes (G1T) Sept. 18 at Woodbine.

La Dragontea, under a confident Joel Rosario, notched her first stakes crown with an impressive score in the CA$263,000 (US$205,913) Canadian Stakes (G2T) Sept. 18 at Woodbine. 

Owner of Stonestreet Farms near Lexington, Barbara Banke becomes the first woman to chair Breeders' Cup Limited. She succeeds Fred Hertrich III, who served as chairman from 2017 until Sept. 17.

Essential Quality returned to the work tab Sept. 18 for the first time since his Travers Stakes (G1) victory while Knicks Go cruised six furlongs in 1:12.80 at Churchill Downs in preparation for the $400,000 Lukas Classic (G3) on Oct. 2.

The Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (G1) was arguably as much about the winning jockey, Victorian journeyman Daniel Moor, as it was about the horse, a rapidly improving 5-year-old mare by Darci Brahma in Sierra Sue.

Italian breeding has received a fascinating addition to its ranks with the news that the 2013 Epsom Derby (G1) winner Ruler of The World will be standing there next year.

Fasig-Tipton has cataloged 284 entries for The Saratoga Fall Sale, the company's New York breeding stock sale, to be held Oct. 18 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.  The sale will be held in the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion and begin at 10:00 a.m. ET.

Six months after taking a dispute over delinquent payments to court, trainer Mike Maker reached a settlement with owner/breeder Ken Ramsey. A separate lawsuit between Ramsey and trainer Wesley Ward is proceeding to depositions.

The California Horse Racing Board voted Sept. 15 to dismiss a complaint against trainer Jeff Metz for a positive bisphosphonate test nearly a year ago in one of his starters at Santa Anita Park, Camino de Estrella.

Racing on the newly constructed Tapeta track at Gulfstream Park has been pushed back for approximately a week due to an unexpected delay in the delivery of the inner rail, which is currently held up in U.S. Customs in Miami.

Mishriff, the joint top-rated horse in Europe, is to bypass a crack at next month's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) for another tilt at the Qipco Champion Stakes (G1) at Ascot on Oct. 16, it has been revealed.