Thunder Gulch, champion 3-year-old male of 1995 and leading sire of 2001, has been retired from stallion duty at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky. The 23-year-old is the sire of 96 stakes winners.
Mr. Besilu, a $4.2 million yearling by A.P. Indy out of three-time grade I winner Balance, has been retired and will stand at Mike Grossman's Eureka Thoroughbred Farm in Texas for $2,000 in 2015.
A weanling colt by hot sire War Front out of a half sister to Horse of the Year Zenyatta sold to John Magnier's Coolmore for $800,000 Tuesday, Nov. 5 at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale in Lexington.
They say patience is a virtue, and in the case of the sales topper now named Mr. Besilu, time will soon tell if the adage rings true. read blog
Champion Royal Delta will seek a title defense in the June 15 Fleur de Lis Handicap (gr. II) at Churchill Downs. She is expected to be joined in her trip to the Louisville oval by sales-topping stablemate Mr. Besilu.
Eric Kronfeld, who made his mark in both the music and racing inudstries, died May 15 of cancer in New York. Kronfeld, under his Maverick Productions, bred Zenyatta, one of the most popular racehorses in history.
Rick Jamieson of Gilgai Farm in Australia sold a weanling half sister to Zenyatta for $1.5 million during the opening session of the Keeneland November breeding stock auction Nov. 7 in Lexington.
A weanling Henrythenavigator half sister to 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta (by Street Cry) commanded $1.5 million early during the Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Frank Stronach buys her.
Zenyatta's weanling half sister by Henrythenavigator will be offered at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale by Select Sales.
A member of Team Zenyatta reveals what went into the decision to send the superstar mare to Bernardini for her first foray into motherhood.
There are some popular names in the bloodlines of a number of the yearlings being sold at the most recent Keeneland September Yearling sale. I have been fortunate to photograph a number of them over the years. Read Blog
Mill Ridge Sales, agent for John and Jerry Amerman, sold the first foal out of Balance by A.P. Indy to Besilu Stables for $4.2 million.
Balance, a grade I winner and half-sister to unbeaten champion Zenyatta, foaled her first offspring, an A.P. Indy colt, Jan. 18.
Three-time grade I winner Balance has been retired and will be sent to Mill Ridge Farm in Kentucky, trainer David Hofmans said Nov. 1.
David Hofmans, who will send out two horses in this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships, is convinced the advantages will outweigh the obstacles facing his runners in the Oct. 27 races at Monmouth Park.
Jack and Laurie Wolf and John and Jerry Amerman will all be looking for their second victory in the Breeders' Cup Distaff when they send out Octave and Balance, respectively, Saturday at Monmouth Park.
Undefeated Nashoba's Key had to overcome an anxious moment in Sunday's $294,000 Clement L. Hirsch Handicap (gr. II) for fillies and mares on the Del Mar Polytrack, but she came thundering home under Joe Talamo for her sixth successive victory.
Although beaten in back-to-back graded stakes starts by the undefeated Nashoba's Key, Balance still brings a beaming smile from her trainer, David Hofmans, as he prepares the 4-year-old filly for the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Handicap (gr. II) for fillies and mares Aug. 5.
The rail opened up for favored Nashoba's Key at the top of the stretch and the undefeated filly kicked through to defeat a determined Balance by three-quarters of a length in the $294,000 Vanity Handicap (gr. I) for her first grade I stakes win Saturday at Hollywood Park.
The multiple grade I winner Balance, well beaten by undefeated California bred Nashoba's Key when they met a month ago, will get another chance against her rival in Saturday's $300,000 Vanity Invitational Handicap (gr. I) at Hollywood Park.
Undefeated Nashoba's Key stepped into some high caliber company for Sunday's $186,100 Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) and came away with a convincing win over grade I winners Hystericalady and Balance on the Hollywood Park all-weather track.
Balance, perfect in two starts this year and a winner of six of 11 lifetime starts, heads a field of seven fillies and mares in Sunday's $175,000 Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) at Hollywood Park.
Balance, the nation's leading 3-year-old filly last year before going off kilter, continued her ascent toward the top of the older female division on Saturday while overcoming obstacles to win Santa Anita's $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (gr. I) at 1 1/8 miles.
Balance should be considered a solid favorite among seven entrants in Saturday's 70th running of Santa Anita's $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (gr. I) for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles.
John Amerman's Balance, a two-time grade I winner last year, resembled her old self while winning the $200,000 La Canada Stakes (gr. II) for 4-year-old fillies by 4 1/4 lengths over Bai and Bai Sunday at Santa Anita.
Balance, winner of last year's Las Virgenes Stakes (gr. I) and Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I), could be sitting on a big effort in Sunday's $200,000 La Canada (gr. II) at Santa Anita with her second start following a lengthy layoff for trainer David Hofmans.
Downthedustyroad left the field covered in dirt to register her first stakes victory in the $250,000 La Brea (gr. I) for 3-year-old fillies, the final grade I race of 2006.
Multiple grade I stakes winner Balance, sidelined since May while undergoing ankle surgery, returns to action at her favorite racetrack on Saturday in Santa Anita's $250,000 La Brea Stakes (gr. I) at seven furlongs.
Last year there was a 50-1 shot that won the Kentucky Derby (gr. I). This year, a 47-1 shot captured the $755,900 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), the longest winning odds in the 132-year history of the race.
A full field of 14 fillies, headed by dual grade I winner Balance, is set to run for the lilies in Friday's Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) at Churchill Downs. If all 14 fillies start, the purse for the 1 1/8-mile race will swell to $685,900.
Likely Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) favorite Balance turned in a six-furlong work in 1:11.60 at her Hollywood Park base Friday. She is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs April 29.
Ermine and Press Camp both turned in Thursday works for a start in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) May 5. Ermine worked at Churchill Downs while Press Camp worked at her Bay Meadows base.
The Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) field is beginning to take shape with leading contender Balance scheduled to ship from Southern California to Kentucky April 29.
Amerman Racing Stables' Balance sharpened up for her May 5 engagement in the $500,000 added Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) with a five-furlong work in :59 3/5 on Saturday morning at Hollywood Park.
Oxbow Racing's Ermine, one of 15 runners pointed toward the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) May 5 at Churchill Down, tuned up for a run in the 1 1/8-mile race with a six-furlong work in 1:13.40 April 18 at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Patrick Biancone said Wild Fit is out of consideration for the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) May 5 at Churchill Downs due to a lung infection.
Amerman Racing's Balance remained the favorite as the final Kentucky Oaks Future Wager pool of 2006 closed on Sunday in spite of her upset loss a day earlier to Bushfire in the Ashland Stakes (gr I) at Keeneland.
Bushfire, winner of the Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay in her previous start, led from start to finish to post a convincing upset victory Saturday in the Ashland Stakes (gr. I) before 21,342 fans at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Ky. as heavily favored Balance finished third.
Amerman Racing's Balance, a two-time grade I stakes winner who looms as a strong favorite in Saturday's Ashland Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland, emerged as a strong 2-1 favorite on the opening day of betting in Pool 3 of Churchill Downs' 2006 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager.
Amerman Racing Stables' Balance heads a field of eight 3-year-old fillies entered for Saturday's $500,000 Ashland Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland.
Amerman Racing's Balance, the favorite for Saturday's $500,000 Ashland Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland following grade I victories in the Las Virgenes and Santa Anita Oaks at Santa Anita, looms as a solid favorite when the final pool of Churchill Downs' Kentucky Oaks Future Wager (KOFW) launches its four-day run April 6.
Amerman Racing's Balance overpowered her eight rivals in Sunday's $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I) to make it back-to-back grade I victories for trainer David Hofmans and established herself as Southern California's leading contender for the May 5 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I).
Wild Fit attempts to square the score with Balance on Sunday when the co-favorites for this year's Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) head a field of nine 3-year-old fillies set to contest Santa Anita's $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I) at 1 1/16 miles.
Champion juvenile filly Folklore tops a list of 80 nominees for the $500,000 Ashland Stakes (gr. I) April 8, at Keeneland.
Beverly Lewis' Folklore, the 2-year-old filly champion of 2005, and Amerman Racing Stable's Balance, winner of the Las Virgenes (gr. I) at Santa Anita in her most recent start, are 6-1 co-favorites as the four-day second pool of Churchill Downs' Kentucky Oaks Future Wager reached its midway point on Friday.
Balance and Wild Fit, the top two finishers in the recent Las Virgenes (gr. I) at Santa Anita, and Misty Rosette, winner of Gulfstream Park's Old Hat (gr. III), were the betting choices at the end of Thursday's opening day of betting in Pool 2 of Churchill Downs' Kentucky Oaks Future Wager.
Folklore, winner of the Alberto V05 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) and the champion 2-year-old filly of 2005, heads a list of 160 fillies nominated to the 132nd running of the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) on Friday, May 5, at Churchill Downs.
Beaten by just a half-length in her first try for a grade I victory in December, Amerman Racing's Balance got the job done in fine fashion Saturday, winning the $250,000 Las Virgenes (gr. I) for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita Park.
Wild Fit figures to be a solid choice in the $250,000 Las Virgenes (gr. I) for 3-year-old fillies, one of two grade I races on Santa Anita's Saturday program.
The first of three pools of betting in Churchill Downs' 2006 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager drew to a close Sunday evening with the mutuel field standing as a solid 7-2 favorite over individual 3-year-old filly stars Folklore and Wild Fit.
| Trainer | David E. Hofmans |
|---|---|
| Jockey | Victor Espinoza |
| Owner | Amerman Racing Stables, LLC |
| Breeder | Maverick Production, Limited |
| Balance View Five-Cross Pedigree | Thunder Gulch | Gulch |
| Line of Thunder | ||
| Vertigineux | Kris S. | |
| For the Flag |
| Sale / Hip | Type | Buyer | Consignor | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KEESEP2004 Hip 796 |
Yearling | Amerman Racing | Winter Quarter Farm, agent for Maverick Productions | $260,000 |
| Upstart |
| California Chrome |
| Rachel Alexandra |
| Texas Red |
| Bodemeister |
| International Star |
| Far Right |
| Buddy's Saint |
| Dortmund |
| Main Sequence |
