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Essence Hit Man Takes Jacques Cartier Again

Essence Hit Man won the $166,408 Jacques Cartier Stakes for the third year in a row with a powerful front-running performance under Jesse Campbell April 27 at Woodbine.

Pedigree Analysis: Sires of Sires

by Anne Peters
Who will be next to join Storm Cat, Mr. Prospector, and A.P. Indy?

Dance to Bristol Waltzes Home in Sugar Maple

Dance to Bristol, giving the biggest effort of her career, waltzed to a nine-length romp in the $200,000 Sugar Maple Stakes at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races April 20.

Reynaldothewizard Shines in Golden Shaheen

Racing wide into the turn, Reynaldothewizard got the jump on his competition heading for home and held on to win the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen sponsored by Gulf News on Saturday, March 30 at Meydan.

Speightstown Fulfills His Promise

by John P. Sparkman
It took five years for that hope to be fulfilled.

Melnyk Mares to be Offered at Fasig-Tipton

Twenty-eight selected offerings from Eugene Melnyk's Winding Oaks Farm have been added to the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale and will be sold Feb. 11 by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

Hal's Hope Could Springboard Csaba to Donn

Csaba is the best he's ever been, and if he sails through the Hal's Hope Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 13, he'll punch his ticket to his first grade I stakes attempt in the $500,000 Donn Handicap on Feb. 9.

Slideshow: Progeny of Speightstown

Trainers comment on the offspring of Speightstown they have raced. Read the full feature in the Jan. 12, 2013, issue of The Blood-Horse.

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Late Cappuccitti's Runner Heads Kennedy Road

Essence Hit Man is set to defend his title in the $150,000 Kennedy Road Stakes (gr. III) Nov. 25 at Woodbine; his start will come just days after the passing of his trainer and owner, Audre Cappuccitti.

Speightstown Recovering From Colic Surgery

Major sire Speightstown is recovering well after undergoing colic surgery for a nephrosplenic entrapment Saturday morning at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington.

Golden Ticket to Bypass Breeders' Cup

Golden Ticket, dead-heat winner of the Travers Stakes (gr. I), was not pre-entered in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) and will be out for an undetermined period of time, trainer Ken McPeek said Oct. 23.

Lunar Victory Hangs Tough in Empire Classic

Lunar Victory and Saratoga Snacks were the favorite and second choice, respectively, in the $250,000 Empire Classic at Belmont Park Oct. 20--and they ran that way.

Bridgetown Grinds Out Woodford Win

Bridgetown earned his first graded stakes win since 2009 when he ground out a one-length advantage in the $150,000 Woodford Stakes (gr. IIIT) Oct. 6 at Keeneland.

Travers Tie a Golden Ticket to Stud Future

MAHUBAH'S CORNER
Montana-based Magic City Thoroughbreds cashed in a Golden Ticket of its own Aug. 25 when its colt of that name dead-heated with favored Alpha for the historic Travers Stakes.

Alpha, Golden Ticket Dead-Heat in Travers

Golden Ticket, a 33-1 shot, and 2-1 favorite Alpha made history with the first dead heat in the modern history of the $1 million Travers Stakes (gr. I).

Wise Dan Flies in Turf Work; Others Breeze

Fourstardave Handicap (gr. IIT) winner Wise Dan blazed four furlongs in :45.89 Aug. 24 at Saratoga, while Alfred G. Vanderbilt (gr. I) winner Poseidon's Warrior and maiden winner Craving Carats turned in more sedate moves.

Poseidon's Warrior Spears Vanderbilt Upset

Surging Poseidon's Warrior produced a 36-1 upset in the $400,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (gr. I) when heavy favorite Shackleford failed to handle a muddy track at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 5.

Essence Hit Man Handles Bold Venture Assault

Essence Hit Man showed what champions are made of when he staved off the equally determined challenger Eternal Rule through the long Woodbine homestretch to win the $172,801 Bold Venture Stakes (Can-III) July 18.

Sum of the Parts Adds Up to Red Legend Win

Sum of the Parts, taking the lead shortly after the start, led at every pole to capture the $400,000 Red Legend Stakes by 3 3/4 lengths in an upset at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races on the night of June 30.

Island Bound Rallies for Winning Colors Win

Island Bound picked up the first added-money victory of her career when she came from off the pace to take the $110,100 Winning Colors Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Downs June 2.

Essence Hit Man On Target in Vigil Victory

Champion Canadian sprinter Essence Hit Man earned his second victory of the 2012 Woodbine campaign when he led every step of the way to take the $168,790 Vigil Stakes (Can-III) by three-quarters of a length May 6.

Porter Buys Speightstown Colt for $560,000

Rick Porter's Fox Hill Farms went to $560,000 to acquire a colt by Speightstown at the 2012 Keeneland April sale of 2-year-olds in training.

Haskin's Derby Trail: Ride the Wild Surf

Going strictly by the numbers, Windsurfer would appear to have little or no shot to win the Louisiana Derby. But sometimes, numbers do lie, which is why racing has a steady stream of longshot winners.

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Grade I Winner Haynesfield to Airdrie

Haynesfield, winner of the 2010 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (gr. I), will stand at Brereton and Elizabeth Jones' Airdrie Stud near Midway, Ky.

WinStar Sets 2012 Fees for Expanded Roster

WinStar Farm announced 2012 fees for its expanded roster of stallions, led by North America's leading sire Distorted Humor, who will stand for $100,000 (stands and nurses) and will breed an exclusive book of 100 mares.

Pair Work in :10 at Barretts Under-Tack Show

A son of Congrats and a filly by Speightstown work a quarter-mile in :10 during the under tack show for the May 16 Barretts May 2-year-old sale.

Essence Hit Man Breaks Woodbine Track Record

Essence Hit Man launched his 2011 campaign in blistering style, setting a track record of 1:08.16 for six furlongs while taking the US$174,973 Jacques Cartier Stakes by two lengths April 17 at Woodbine.

Top Seasons Spice Up FTK Winter Mixed Sale

Seeking to add a little bit spice to their Kentucky winter mixed sale, Fasig-Tipton officials decided to devote a portion of the Feb. 7 auction in Lexington to no guarantee seasons to prominent stallions.

Jersey Town Scores 34-1 Cigar Mile Upset

In a star-studded field that included four Breeders' Cup starters, it was the longest shot on the board, Jersey Town, who pulled a 34-1 shocker in the Hill 'N' Dale Cigar Mile (gr. I) Nov. 27 at Aqueduct.

WinStar Stud Fees Announced

WinStar Farm Nov. 16 announced 2011 fees for its roster of stallions, led by leading Sire Distorted Humor, who will stand for $90,000 if paid by Nov. 1, 2011, or $100,000 live foal stands and nurses.

Sprint Specialist Munnings to Ashford

Munnings, a seven-furlong sprint specialist with three grade II wins to his credit, has been retired and will stand the 2011 breeding season at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky.

Poseidon's Warrior, Soundwave Win NATC Stakes

Poseidon's Warrior and Soundwave cruised to easy victories in their respective divisions of the Monmouth Park NATC Futurity in New Jersey Sept. 26.

Four Go For Six Figures at NY-Bred Sale

Fasig-Tipton New York-bred sale posts 'similar' numbers as last year during two-day sale.

Mona de Momma Charges to Humana Win

Speightstown filly upsets last year's winner and favorite, champion Informed Decision.

Speightstown Recovering After Colic Surgery

Champion Speightstown had colic surgery April 1, and WinStar Farm, where the stallion stands, reported April 2 he's "recovering well" after successful surgery.

Distorted Humor's Fee Reduced to $100,000

Distorted Humor, who ranks second on this year's leading sire's list, has undergone a cut in his stud fee. He will stand in 2010 for $100,000, down from $150,000 in 2009.

Brilliant Bridgetown Scores in Summer Stakes

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.

Speightstown Yearling Colt Brings $700,000

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.

Second-Crop Standouts

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.

Australian Pinhookers Buy Speightstown Colt

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.

Sophomore Standouts Best Elder Rivals

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.

Lord Shanakill too Tough in Prix Jean Prat

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.

Munnings Brushes Off His Tom Fool Foes

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.

Munnings Wins First Stakes in Woody Stephens

Munnings ran the race his connections always thought he was capable of, impressively winning the Woody Stephens (gr. II) June 6 at Belmont Park.

Gotham Next for Romping Haynesfield

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.

Just for Speight

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.

Gemswick Park Captures Old Hat Thriller

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.

Haynesfield Scores in Count Fleet

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.

WinStar Announces 2009 Stud Fees

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.

Lord Shanakill Adds to Sire's Tally

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.