While Book One of the 2013 Keeneland September sale concluded Sept. 12, the world's largest yearling sale will continue to offer youngsters from mares who have excelled on the track and as broodmares.
Mutakddim, who stands at John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farms near Lexington, reached a major milestone this month when he sired his 100th stakes winner.
Lady Tak, a two-time grade I winner at Saratoga, produced her first foal, a filly, born Feb. 4.
Lucky North, a 26-year-old son of Northern Dancer, was pensioned at Cam and Sherisse Ziprick's Ziprick Thoroughbreds near Russell, Manitoba, Canada, after failing to impregnate a mare the past breeding season.
Ashado, a seven-time grade I winner who was champion 3-year-old filly of 2004 and champion older female of 2005, is just one of many grade I winners that will be bred this year for the first time.
Pikepass, a stakes-winning son of Forty Niner will stand the 2006 breeding season at Margaux Farm near Midway, Ky., it was announced Friday by Steve Johnson, co-owner and general manager of Margaux.
Lady Tak, a millionaire and multiple grade I winner, has been retired from racing with a record of 10 wins from 19 starts.
There was plenty of news Wednesday as Saratoga Race Course opened for the 2005 season, both in the racing secretary's office and on the backstretch.
Hill 'n' Dale announced Wednesday that the farm has purchased a majority interest in Lady Tak, a multiple grade I-winning 5-year-old mare from Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt.
It was a big night for the connections of Southern Image at the March 20 Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association annual awards dinner. Southern Image was named Florida-bred horse of the year and champion older horse, while his sire, Halo's Image, who stands at Arthur I. Appleton's Bridlewood Farm, was named sire of the year.
The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association has announced the eight divisional Florida-bred champions for 2004. The award winners will be honored at the 45th Annual FTBOA awards dinner March 20, at Hilton Ocala in Ocala, Fla. The Florida breeder, horse, stallion and broodmare of the year award recipients will be announced March 20.
Favored Lady Tak dictated the pace and led well into the stretch but the standout sprinter was unable to hold off surging outsider Halory Leigh, who scored an impressive win in the $230,400 Churchill Downs Distaff Handicap (gr. II) for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs Sunday.
Trainer Carl Nafzger will have a two-for-one shot when he saddles My Boston Gal and Mayo on the Side for Sunday's $200,000 Churchill Downs Distaff (gr. II).
The brilliant sprinter Lady Tak, with a confident John Velazquez in the saddle, disposed of pacesetter Molto Vita coming off the turn and cruised to a two-length victory as the heavy favorite in the $150,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap (gr. II) for fillies and mares.
Cuvee, one of the top juveniles of 2003, is on track for a start in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint, trainer Steve Asmussen said Saturday. Asmussen said 4-year-old filly Lady Tak also remains an outside possibility for the Sprint.
Lady Tak is the obvious class in the field for Sunday's $150,000-added Gallant Bloom Handicap (gr. II) at Belmont Park.
Starlight Stable's Purge, the fourth-place finisher in Saturday's Travers Stakes (gr. I), came out of the race with a slight injury, but it is not expected to impact the colt's training.
Returning to the scene of her greatest success, Lady Tak won Sunday's Ballerina Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course, barely holding off My Trusty Cat by a head in the final strides.
The Chilean-bred Ema Bovary captured the 10th win in her past 11 starts in the $500,000 Princess Rooney Handicap (gr. II) at Calder Race Course Saturday with a patient stalking ride from Northern California-based rider Roberto Gonzalez.
Probably the strongest field of filly and mare sprinters assembled in the country this year will meet in the $500,000 Princess Rooney Handicap (gr. II) at six furlongs Saturday at Calder Race Course in the headline event in the 2004 "Summit of Speed."
Lady Tak, ridden by Shane Sellers, surged to the lead on the turn and held off a stretch challenge by Put Me In to score a three-quarters of a length victory in Saturday's first running of the $108,600 Winning Colors Handicap for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs.
Heiligbrodt Racing Stable's Lady Tak, winner of Saratoga's prestigious Test (gr. I), looms as the heavy favorite as she faces six rivals in Saturday's first running of the $100,000-added Winning Colors Handicap at Churchill Downs.
Favored Sir Shackleton, making his stakes debut, repelled the challenge of Courageous Act in the stretch and went on to post a convincing victory in Saturday's $110,800 Derby Trial (gr. III) on opening day at Churchill Downs.
The Allen Paulson Living Trust's Azeri, the 2002 "Horse of the Year" and champion older mare in 2003, will be pointed to the $250,000-added Humana Distaff (gr. I) at seven furlongs on Kentucky Derby Day May 1 at Churchill Downs, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Thursday.
Ema Bovary, going past 6 1/2 furlongs for the first time since arriving in the United States from her native Chile, won the seven-furlong Vinery Madison Stakes at Keeneland Wednesday.
Ema Bovary goes after her ninth consecutive victory, facing a field that includes grade I winners Lady Tak and Harmony Lodge, in Wednesday's $175,000 Vinery Madison at Keenland.
The first horse Bill Heiligbrodt owned ran in the 1989 Breeders' Cup. It was a memorable experience, but not a good memory. On Saturday, Heiligbrodt and his wife, Corrine, hope for better memories.
Trainer Steve Asmussen's powerful trio of contenders for the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships --Cuvee, Lady Tak, and Posse -- were all busy with pre-dawn works on Monday at Churchill Downs in preparation for their runs Oct. 25.
Buy the Sport, sent off at 48-1 with jockey Pat Day, stormed home through the stretch to defeat tiring favorite Lady Tak in the $250,000 Gazelle Handicap (gr. I) for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park Saturday.
The grade I, $250,000 Gazelle Handicap at 1 1/8 miles features a rematch between Island Fashion and Spoken Fur, the 1-3 finishers in the Alabama Stakes (gr. I), and has also attracted Test Stakes (gr. I) winner Lady Tak.
Mineshaft's trainer Neil Howard will be paying close attention Saturday when the Whitney Handicap (gr.I) is run at Saratoga Race Course.
Heiligbrodt Racing Stable's Lady Tak hit the stretch in front with jockey Jerry Bailey in the saddle and kicked away from Bird Town for a convincing 4 1/2-length victory in the $250,000 Test Stakes (gr. I) for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga Race Course Saturday.
Winchell Thoroughbreds' Cuvee, who looms as a heavy favorite in Sunday's 102nd running of the $125,000-added Bashford Manor Stakes (gr. III) for 2-year-olds, finished his major preparation for the six furlong race with a Monday work at Churchill Downs.
Bird Town made the lead as they came out of the turn, and then held off a late charge from Lady Tak to win the Acorn Stakes (gr. I) Friday at Belmont Park. It was the second straight grade I win for Bird Town, who won the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) the day before the Kentucky Derby (gr. I).
Storm Flag Flying, seeking to get back to her championship form from a year ago, will break from post 1 for Friday's Acorn Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park. The Ogden Mills Phipps' homebred daughter of Storm Cat out of My Flag will face six 3-year-old fillies in the one-turn mile contest.
Storm Flag Flying, last year's Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old filly, will likely face six challengers next Friday in the Acorn Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park, according to New York Racing Association racing secretary Mike Lakow.
A pair of Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) competitors, Santa Catarina and Lady Tak, returned to the Churchill Downs track for workouts on Sunday.
A field of 12 has been entered for the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) Friday at Churchill Downs.
Lady Tak, the Fair Grounds Oaks winner who will probably be second choice in Friday's Kentucky Oaks, worked a half-mile in :49 under jockey Lonnie Meche at Churchill Downs Monday.
The Thoroughbred Corporation's Atlantic Ocean worked five furlongs under exercise rider Dana Barnes in :59 3/5 according to Churchill Downs clockers. Also on Monday, three-time stakes winner Lady Tak worked six furlongs in 1:13 1/5 in company after the renovation break.
Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) hopeful Lady Tak, winner of the Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II) and runner-up in the Ashland, breezed five furlongs in 1:01 Monday for trainer Steve Asmussen.
Reigning juvenile filly champion Storm Flag Flying has yet to race in 2003, but that did not stop racing fans across the United States from making the unbeaten filly a solid favorite in Churchill Downs' inaugural Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, which ended its four-day run on April 6.
Elloluv, who ran away from previously undefeated Lady Tak and the remainder of the Ashland Stakes (gr. I) field in an impressive display at Keeneland Saturday, is still a good price in Kentucky Oaks Future Wager at 12-1.
J. Paul Reddam's Elloluv, the second-best filly on the West Coast, shipped into Keeneland on Saturday to post a mild upset over previously undefeated Lady Tak in the grade I, $551,750 Ashland Stakes (gr. I).
Undefeated Storm Flag Flying is a lukewarm favorite at 5-1 in the first-ever Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) Future Wager as the betting closed on Friday.
Seven of the best 3-year-old fillies in North America were entered Thursday morning for the 66th running of the $500,000 Ashland Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Saturday.
Fair Grounds Race Course concluded its 131st season of racing March 31 with attendance up slightly and handle downs both on-track and from all sources.
Grade I winners Storm Flag Flying and Elloluv and undefeated Lady Tak are among the 67 fillies nominated for the April 5 Ashland Stakes.
Peace Rules jumps into the Kentucky Derby picture with a convincing win in Louisiana.
Lady Tak proved her class and determination and extended her record to a perfect 5-for-5 in winning the $350,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II) in New Orleans Saturday.
