Grindstone was an unheralded colt who never grabbed the public's attention. He served notice, however, that 3-year-olds capable of a strong run down the longest stretch in the nation should not be disregarded.
Grindstone, the first Kentucky Derby winner to stand in the state of Oregon, will see several of his 2-year-olds make their debuts on Oregon Championship Day Nov. 17 at Portland Meadows.
Banbury Cross was represented by his first winner Sept. 28 as River Crossing captured his debut Sept. 28 in the eighth race at Zia Park.
Son of Unbridled's Song out of graded stakes winner Summer Raven (by Summer Squall) retired, will stand at Brent and Crytal Fernung's Journeyman Stud near Ocala, Fla.
Dr. William Lockridge, a veterinarian who served in key management positions at some of Central Kentucky's leading Thoroughbred farms, died June 8. He was 81.
With a surge through the stretch under Joe Talamo, 9-1 shot Open Water upset the field in the $150,000 Marjorie L. Everett Handicap (gr. II) for her first stakes victory May 18 at Betfair Hollywood Park.
He managed the stallion career for Storm Cat for W.T. Young's Overbrook Farm. Storm Cat was euthanized April 24 due to the infirmities of old age at 30.
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A chance to meet Storm Cat is among the Thoroughbred-related items up for bid in the annual online auction to benefit the YMCA of Central Kentucky's High Street branch in Lexington.
Jer-Mar Stable's Win Willy, a fan favorite at Oaklawn Park since winning the 2009 Rebel Stakes (gr. II) at odds of 56-1, is preparing to kick off his 7-year-old season with a start in the $75,000 Fifth Season Stakes Jan. 11.
Favored Russian Greek rallied from last on the far turn to register a one-length victory in the $100,520 California Derby at Golden Gate Fields Jan. 14.
Russian Greek overcame a stumbling start to capture the $75,260 Gold Rush Stakes with a late surge by a neck in a 7-1 surprise at Golden Gate Fields Dec. 10.
This was nothing like the 56-1 stunner he pulled off in the 2009 Rebel (gr. II), but Win Willy's one-length victory over odds-on favorite Misremembered in the Oaklawn Handicap (gr. II) April 9 still qualifies as a major upset
Harbor Springs, dam of 1996 champion 2-year-old male Boston Harbor, was euthanized Wednesday, Jan. 26, at Craig and Carrie Brogden's Machmer Hall near Paris, Ky., due to infirmities from old age.
Early Return, who set the pace in the F. W. Gaudin Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds Jan. 22, became the 100th stakes winner by deceased stallion Carson City when he captured the six-furlong stakes in 1:09.51.
Odds-on choice Win Willy unleashed his terrific stretch kick to win the $75,000 Fifth Season Stakes by a neck over Stachys with a well-timed ride from Cliff Berry at Oaklawn Park Jan. 16.
For Ric Waldman, the bloodstock adviser who managed most of Storm Cat's breeding career, the sale of the stallion's last yearling was another in a series of finalities relating to Storm Cat.
The Keeneland September yearling sale's select sessions will be memorable because two of the last three foals sired by the great stallion Storm Cat are scheduled to be offered.
La Rocca, ridden by James McAleney, dictated an easy pace and then repelled odds-on choice Simply Splendid to win the $144,780 Ontario Matron Stakes by a half-length at Woodbine July 25.
Battle Plan, a grade II winner for the Young family's Overbrook Farm, has been sold to a group of Japanese breeders representing J.S. Company in Japan.
The impeccably bred Battle Plan lived up to his billing in the $300,000 New Orleans Handicap (gr. II), taking the field all the way in his stakes debut to defeat General Quarters by 1 1/2 lengths March 27 at Fair Grounds.
With a big charge through the homestretch, Win Willy picked up his first stakes win since last spring's Rebel Stakes (gr. II) when he drew away to easily take the $150,000 Razorback Handicap (gr. III) at Oaklawn Park March 6.
Flanders, whose hard fought victory in the 1994 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) was chosen by readers of The Blood-Horse as the race of the year, was euthanized in mid-February.
Fox Hill Farm's Winslow Homer, winner of the Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III), has been sidelined with a stress fracture.
Overbrook's dispersal is the second-largest in Keeneland history.
Eduardo Terrazas' Terrazas Thoroughbreds will be relocating from Elmer Whitaker's Whitaker Farm on Paris Pike near Lexington to the Young family's Overbrook Farm, which ceased operations this year and is nearly finished dispersing its horses.
A globally diverse group of buyers, robust trade, and the highly prized pedigrees available through the Overbrook Farm dispersal combined to produce promising results at Keeneland's November Breeding Stock Sale, which concluded Nov. 22.
Two Empire Maker fillies -- Clear Sailing and Passiflora -- commanded the highest prices during the Nov. 17 session of Keeneland's November breeding stock sale.
The numbers weren't dramatically different from a year ago during the third session of the Keeneland November breeding stock sale, and that was good news for the Central Kentucky auction, which had experienced major declines.
High quality stock from the Overbrook Farm dispersal and stronger participation by American buyers at the top of the market boosted the results for the second session of the Keeneland November breeding stock sale.
Cotton Blossom, winner of the 2007 Acorn Stakes (gr. I), became the most expensive horse sold so far at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale when she brought $2.3 million during the auction's second session Nov. 11 in Lexington.
Summer Raven, winner of the 2004 Tempted Stakes (gr. III) and in foal to Unbridled's Song, became the first horse to bring seven figures Nov. 11 during the second session of the Keeneland November breeding stock auction in Lexington. Offered around noon (EST), she sold for $1.7 million to Kentucky bloodstock agent Reynolds Bell.
Mary Delaney, winner of the 2007 Vinery Madison Stakes (gr. II) at Keeneland, kicked off the Overbrook Farm dispersal at the Keeneland November breeding stock auction in Lexington by selling for $850,000. She was the second horse in the sale ring during the auction's second session Nov. 11. Kentucky bloodstock agent Reynolds Bell purchased her from Eaton Sales' consignment.
With the Keeneland September yearling sale behind him, Ric Waldman of Overbrook Farm is concentrating all his efforts on promoting the 157 mares, weanlings, racing, and stallion prospects that will go through the ring Nov. 10-11 as part the operation's final dispersal at Keeneland's November breeding stock sale.
Keeneland announced Oct. 5 that 4,702 horses have been cataloged for its November breeding stock sale, a decline of 17.6% from the record 5,709 cataloged for the Lexington sale in 2008.
An Unbridled's Song colt brought $185,000 to top the ninth session of the struggling Keeneland September yearling sale. While the number of horses sold Sept. 23 in Lexington rose 5.6% from a year ago, the gross revenue declined 26.2%. The average price dropped 30.1%, and the median price plunged 40%. The buy-back rate fell from 24.6% in 2008 to 19.3% this year.
The Overbrook Farm dispersal, which began at the Keeneland September yearling sale, will not mark the end of the Young family's involvement in the Thoroughbred business. Chris Young, the 34-year-old grandson of Overbrook founder W.T. Young, is making plans for his own venture that probably will emphasize racing.
While the Thoroughbred market has been in a continual slump over the last year due to the downturn of the overall economy, the royally bred horses in Overbrook Farm's yearling dispersal could boost business at this year's Keeneland September sale.
Overbrook Farm stallion Grindstone will continue his stallion career at veterinarian Jack Root's Oakhurst Equine Farm near Newberg, Ore., according to Ric Waldman, Overbrook's advisor and manager of stallion operations.
Bloodhorse.com introduces a new feature, Blood-Horse Retrospective. Step back into the pages of The Blood-Horse to remember important people and events from Thoroughbred history. Our first retrospective features William T. Young, the founder and driving force behind Overbrook Farm's successful breeding and racing programs.
Storm Cat has been a titan among North America's commercial sires, and he added to his considerable reputation in 2008, leading all stallions based on the average price of their yearlings sold at public auction for the sixth time in his breeding career. He returned to the top following a two-year break during which he fell to second behind Danzig in 2006 and ranked third behind A.P. Indy and Kingmambo in 2007.
Clearly Foxy, the third-place finisher in the American Oaks (gr. IT) at Hollywood Park July 5, has been sidelined with a hind ankle injury and will not race again this year, according to Overbrook Farm racing manager Chris Young.
Going into the $100,000 Miss Preakness Stakes (gr. III), the question for Palanka City was whether the black-type winner could step up to graded competition. At odds of 1-2, it was a question the Terry Gestes trainee answered with an emphatic "yes" at muddy Pimlico May 16.
Trainer Dallas Stewart said the morning of May 9 that West Point Thoroughbreds' Macho Again would bypass the May 17 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) and instead point to the $300,000 Ohio Derby (gr. II) at Thistledown May 31.
Storm Cat, whose fee of $500,000 from 2002-07 was North America's highest, will stand for $300,000 in 2008 at the Young family's Overbrook Farm near Lexington. His new fee is equaled to that of Lane's End stallion A.P. Indy. The $300,000 is the highest fee announced so far this year for 2008.
Storm Cat covered 96 mares this past breeding season and more than 70% got in foal.
A son of Storm Cat will be the first horse in the sale ring during Tuesday's second session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling auction.
Fiery Pursuit shot to the lead and kept on rolling, holding off a hard-charging Asi Siempre by a head in the $328,200 Louisville Breeders' Cup Stakes Friday over a sloppy track at Churchill Downs.
Multiple grade I winner Fleet Indian, who was injured during the stretch run of the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I), has been booked to Overbrook Farm stallion Storm Cat.
The fireworks sparked by seven-figure prices ended Wednesday at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale in Lexington. But the third session increased in gross revenue and median price from a year ago while maintaining the average price and decreasing the buy-back rate.
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