Bridgetown surged past favored Stormy Lord in the stretch and held sway to win the $286,891 Summer Stakes (Can-IIIT) on the Woodbine lawn Sept. 19, locking up a berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf with the victory.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Agent John Ferguson, accompanied by client Sheikh Mohammed, went to $700,000 to purchase Hip No. 39, a Speightstown colt consigned by Dromoland Farm, at the first session of the Keeneland September yearling sale Sept. 14.
Monday, September 14, 2009
PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter
The weekend brought a couple of new players to the 3-year-old scene and also underlined just how strong the second-crop sires are. Thursday, August 06, 2009
BC3 Thoroughbreds, an Australian-based pinhooking operation went to $335,000 to acquire a Speightstown colt during the July 21 final session of the Fasig-Tipton July yearling sale in Lexington.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter
Holiday weekend racing featured 3-year-old sprinters Munnings and Zensational, who both captured prestigious graded wins over older horses.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Lord Shanakill held off the late charge of Oiseau de Feu by a stubborn head to score his first group I victory in the Prix Jean Prat (Fr-I) at Chantilly July 5.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Everything went Munning's way in the $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap (gr. II) at Belmont Park July 5. First, top sprinter Fabulous Strike, the heavy favorite, was scratched by trainer Todd Beattie. Then came a perfect trip for jockey John Velazquez, who drove the sharp 3-year-old colt through an inside gap at the top of the stretch on their way to a comfortable win.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Munnings ran the race his connections always thought he was capable of, impressively winning the Woody Stephens (gr. II) June 6 at Belmont Park.
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Bigger things await Haynesfield after the 3-year-old colt outclassed five rivals in the $107,600 Whirlaway Stakes Feb. 7 for his third consecutive win on Aqueduct's inner track.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter
Speightstown's sophomores are off to a quick start with Haynesfield taking the Count Fleet Stakes and Gemswick Park scoring a game victory in the Old Hat Stakes (gr. III) in the first weekend of the new year. Friday, January 09, 2009
Gemswick Park, sandwiched between two undefeated fillies as they lurched toward the wire, got her nose in front at the line to win an exciting renewal of the $100,000 Old Hat Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 4.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Haynesfield picked up his third consecutive victory Jan. 3, warding off a stiff mid-stretch challenge from Mike From Queens and drawing off to a 3 1/2-length victory in the 34th running of the $69.700 Count Fleet Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile and 70 yards on Aqueduct's fast inner dirt track.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
The 2009 stud fees for WinStar and Taylor Made/WinStar Venture stallions standing at WinStar Farm, near Versailles, Ky., were announced Nov. 6. In a departure from the general trend of declining stud fees, the fee for Tiznow will rise from $30,000 to $75,000 for 2009.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter
Speightstown is one of seven freshmen sires that have already been represented by a group/graded stakes winner so far this year. Lord Shanakill, winner of the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes (Eng-I) is one of Speightstown's top runners and the second group winner sired by a son of Gone West out of a Theatrical mare. Wednesday, October 01, 2008
A day after the stock market dropped more than 700 points, California held its major yearling sale of 2008, making a tough market even more difficult.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Grade I winners Panty Raid and Honey Ryder, along with La Comete, the dam of grade I-placed Munnings, will be offered during the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky select mixed sale Nov. 2 in Lexington.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Fifth Third Bank is asking a federal bankruptcy court for assistance in taking possession of certain assets held by ClassicStar LLC, including stallion shares and income from other sires.
Friday, July 18, 2008
A filly from the first crop of Horse of the Year Ghostzapper is among the yearlings in the opening session of the Fasig-Tipton July select yearling auction.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Fasig-Tipton has cataloged 195 horses for its Saratoga select yearling sale, which will be conducted Aug. 4 and 5 in New York.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Freshman sire Speightstown (Gone West-Silken Cat, by Storm Cat) was represented by his first winner May 15 at York in England.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
A federal bankruptcy judge has signed an order to convert the Chapter 11 business reorganization of ClassicStar LLC to Chapter 7 liquidation, paving the way for creditors to pursue whatever assets they can find linked to the former broodmare-lease operator.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Offspring by Speightstown attracting attention at Fasig-Tipton juvenile sale.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Agents, owners, and trainers are purchasing yearlings by first-crop sires at the Keeneland September yearling sale because there is more upside than downside. Afterall, with no horses yet to race, each still has unlimited potential.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
A son of Lion Heart fetched a bid of $440,000 to top the sixth session and the close of the third catalog of the 15-day Keeneland September yearling sale. Once again, the sale company realized increases in gross, average, and median despite a slight drop in the number of horses sold.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Senior staff writer Ron Mitchell identifies the top ten offerings on the first day of the 2007 Keeneland Yearling Sale.
Sunday, September 09, 2007
First-crop yearling sires always add an element of intrigue to any sale, but the class of 2007 adds an extra amount of interest to the Keeneland September sale due to fewer stallions sporting top-racing credentials and pedigrees with commercial appeal compared to the 2006 class.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Is history destined to repeat itself at this year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale when it comes to first-crop sire power?
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Star Dabbler, a grade II winner from the female family of sprint champion and promising young stallion Speightstown, has been retired for stallion duty at Nathan Fox' Richland Hills near Midway, Ky.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
A breeding to multiple grade I winner Bernardini has been added to the stellar roster of seasons to be included in the Thoroughbred Charities of America's stallion season auction beginning on Nov. 27.
Friday, November 24, 2006
WinStar Farm, which already has released 2007 fees for Distorted Humor ($225,000) and incoming stallion Bluegrass Cat ($50,000), will keep sprint champion Speightstown (Gone West--Silken Cat, by Storm Cat) at $40,000 live foal.
Friday, October 27, 2006
The first foal by champion sprinter Speightstown is a colt born Jan. 28 at Windfields Farm near Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
While we'll have to wait until Wednesday morning for the post position draw for the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships, the connections of the runners in the TVG Sprint (gr. I) may be thrilled if their horse pulls the number five post.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Kela, a grade I-winning sprinter who ran second in last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) to champion Speightstown, has been retired and will stand at Margaux Farm near Midway, Ky., in 2006.
Friday, August 26, 2005
The first two mares have been confirmed in foal to Speightstown, the champion son of Gone West who is standing his first season at stud this year.
Friday, March 04, 2005
Champion sprinter Speightstown, who experienced colic problems in mid-December, is fully recovered from his ordeal and covered his first mare Feb. 14 at WinStar Farm near Versailles, Ky.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
In the days leading up to the Oct. 30 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships, trainer Todd Pletcher would only say that Speightstown would have to win the six-furlong Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) to be considered divisional champion. Speightstown won the race and now has garnered champion sprinter honors. Pletcher took home the Eclipse Award for outstanding trainer.
Monday, January 24, 2005
The Eclipse Award finalists, announced Jan. 5, reveal many familiar names in the human categories, with several big-name horses appearing in more than one category. Although most of the winners look like sure things, there are still some potential drag-out battles in the Sprint and 4-Year-Old and Up Female categories.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association and Breeders' Cup Ltd., in conjunction with the Thoroughbred Club of America, will honor the breeders of the 2004 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships race winners Jan. 8 at its 11th annual dinner at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington .
Monday, January 03, 2005
Speightstown, winner of the Oct. 30 Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I), will stand in 2005 for $40,000.
Thursday, November 04, 2004
In the days prior to the Oct. 30 Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) trainer Todd Pletcher was dogged with questions about Speightstown's chances of being named champion sprinter. The soft-spoken Texas native would only say that Speightstown would have to win the six-furlong race in order to be considered a champion.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Three Members of the female set who won races on the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships card at Lone Star Park Saturday.
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Eugene and Laura Melnyk's Speightstown roared to the front in early stretch, opened up a commanding lead, then held off the late run of Kela to win the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) by 1 ΒΌ lengths. The son of Gone West covered the six furlongs in 1:08.11.
Saturday, October 30, 2004
The Todd Pletcher-trained Speightstown will enter the gate for Saturday's $1-million Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) at Lone Star Park as one of the heavy favorites to win the six-furlong race, but a win could almost guarantee end of the year divisional honors.
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Trainer Mike Mitchell said he was pleased with drawing the five post for Kela after post positions were drawn for Saturday's $1-million Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I). Kela is among the 13 entered for the six-furlong affair at Lone Star Park.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Gary Tanaka's Pico Central disposed of Cajun Beat and early leader Speightstown with less than a furlong left and drew away to an easy four-length victory in the $500,000 Vosburgh (gr. I) for top sprinters at Belmont Park.
Saturday, October 02, 2004
Three of the nation's top sprinters will vie for supremacy in the 65th edition of the Vosburgh Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park Saturday, Oct.2. What looked like a true Breeders' Cup field before the defection of grade I winner Midas Eyes, still has major implications for the Lone Star affair, just over four weeks away.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Speightstown, winner of the recent Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (gr. II), will stand next year at Bill Casner and Kenny Troutt's WinStar Farm near Versailles, Ky.
Friday, September 17, 2004
Speightstown remained undefeated in four starts in 2004 with a track record-equaling victory in the $200,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (gr. II) Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.
Saturday, August 14, 2004
Eugene and Laura Melnyk's Speightstown, who has managed to avoid the sort of injuries this year that have plagued him during his career, is the horse to beat in the $200,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (gr. II) at six furlongs Saturday at Saratoga.
Thursday, August 12, 2004
Speightstown, a lightly raced multiple graded stakes winning son of Gone West, will be retired at the end of 2004.
Friday, July 16, 2004
