Funny Yarns

Robert N. Clay has been selected by the Board of Directors of the Thoroughbred Club of America (TCA) as the 2025 Honor Guest, the organization said via a Friday press release. A former president of the TCA, Clay will be feted at the 94th Testimonial Dinner, which will be held at Keeneland on Saturday, Nov. 15. Current TCA President W. Chapman Hopkins said, “Mr. Clay's impact on the Thoroughbred industry has spanned decades. From managing influential stallions, to owning and breeding multiple graded stakes winners and most recently leading Grandview Equine, Mr. Clay's career exemplifies vision, determination, and enduring influence.” The post Clay Named As Thoroughbred Club Of America’s 2025 Honor Guest appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Mike Pegram, a horse owner and racing executive on the national scene for more than three decades, has been named the 21st recipient of the Laffit Pincay, Jr. Award, according to a press release from Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on Friday morning. Pegram will be honored at the track on Sunday, Aug. 10, which is the same afternoon as the 57th running of the GIII Sorrento Stakes. The race launched the Hall of Fame career of Pegram's filly Silverbulletday (Silver Deputy). A Kentucky native who first got into horses in the 1970s when he and his father raced Thoroughbreds, Pegram has partnered with Karl Watson and Paul Weitman on several successful Bob Baffert trainees, including Lookin at Lucky (Smart Strike), Midnight Lute (Real Quiet) and McKinzie (Street Sense). The Pincay Award, named for, and presented by, the Hall of Fame rider, goes to those who have served the sport of racing “with integrity, extraordinary dedication, determination and distinction.” The post Owner Mike Pegram Named 2025 Winner Of Pincay Award appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After nearly breaking Cogburn's course record in the Harvey Pack Stakes, Bring Theband Home rolls into the $300,000 Troy Stakes (G2T) on a wave of momentum for owner-breeder Live Oak Plantation and trainer Mark Casse.View the full article

5th-SAR, 100K, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 7f, 2:13 p.m. Shadwell's now 3-year-old METFARDEH (Into Mischief) makes her debut two years after the operation picked her up as a yearling at Keeneland September for a Book One-topping $2,300,000. Bred by International Equities Holding, the filly is out of GIII Monmouth Oaks winner Delightful Joy who retired to IEH for $700,000 at KEEJAN in 2017. Herself a half to SW/MGISP Quickick (McKinzie), she's produced three winners from three to race led by GII Summertime Oaks winner Window Shopping (American Pharoah). TJCIS PPS 6th-SAR, 100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 2:45 p.m. The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May Sale topper, Ornellaia (Girvin) worked a quick :10.1 furlong over a sloppy surface in Maryland before bringing $1,100,000 from Memo Racing and Amo Racing USA. First dam Scarlet Dixie, who sold for just $18,000 at KEENOV in 2023, has two winners from as many to race. Trainer Todd Pletcher sends out Steer Clear (Street Sense), a $575,000 FTSAUG grad for the partnership of Repole Stable and Spendthrift Farm. The filly is a half to G3 Masdar U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas winner Fore Left (Twirling Candy) who was also a stakes winner and graded stakes-placed in the United States. TJCIS PPS 1st-SAR, 100K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 12:05 p.m. Kicking off the Saratoga card, the coupled entry of Abrigado (Yaupon) and Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) debut out of different barns for Spendthrift Farm. Abrigado, a $875,000 OBS March grad, is a Brad Cox runner and also races in partnership for James Schurman, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables while the cleverly-named Ted Noffey comes from the Todd Pletcher barn and cost Spendthrift $650,000 at KEESEP last year. $1,400,000 OBS April grad Tagermeen (Into Mischief) makes his second start for Steve Asmussen Saturday after running a well-beaten second behind 'TDN Rising Star' Curtain Call (Tiz the Law) on debut over a sloppy track July 12. Pletcher sends out another runner in Repole Stables entry Grittiness (Curlin) who cost owner Mike Repole $575,000 at KEESEP and is the first to the races for GSW Coach Rocks, a mare purchased by WinStar for $450,000 at FTKNOV in 2019. TJCIS PPS 2nd-SAR, 100K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 12:37 p.m. Rounding things out at Saratoga, $500,000 FTSAUG buy Souper Caliber (Gun Runner), a half to GSW Dennis' Moment (Tiznow), debuts for Live Oak Plantation. He draws inside of British Invasion (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), a Miguel Clemente runner who is a full-brother to English MGSW Max Vega (Ire) and a half to Irish GSP Camphor (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). He was a 325,000gns buy out of Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and now runs for a partnership that includes Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds, Tony Weintraub and Brandon Dalinka. TJCIS PPS 4th-ELP, 100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 2:16 p.m. In Kentucky, Bella Ballerina (Street Sense) is a Godolphin homebred who is a half-sister to champion 3-year-old filly and GI Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief). First dam Pretty City Dancer, herself a Grade I winner in the Spinaway and a half to another Grade I winner in Lear's Princess (Lear Fan), sold to Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for $3.5m at FTKNOV in 2018. She faces rail-drawn Morning Menace (Curlin), a $525,000 KEESEP purchase for Jeffrey Drown who is out of SW/MGISP Dawn the Destroyer. Further outside, Quality Ami (Essential Quality) is a half-sister to Canadian champion 3-year-old colt Ami's Gizmo (Giant Gizmo) along with MGISW Kopion (Omaha Beach), GSW/GISP Ami's Flatter (Flatter) and SW Aragorn Ami (Aragorn {Ire}). TJCIS PPS 6th-DMR, 100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 7:33 p.m. Del Mar closes out the day in style with Don Alberto Stable sending out homebred runner Umbralle (Into Mischief), a daughter of his dual Eclipse winner Unique Bella who was named champion female sprinter in 2017 and champion older dirt female in 2018. Don Alberto purchased her for just $400,000 as a yearling at Keeneland in 2015 while second dam Unrivaled Belle went the way of Whisper Hill Farm for $3.8m at Keeneland in 2016. TJCIS PPS The post Saturday Insights: Quality Start To Finish At The Spa appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

When you think of Lodge Park Stud, horses like Derby winner New Approach and Oaks heroine Was spring to mind. Time to add bullet sprinter Jm Jungle (Bungle Inthejungle) to that illustrious roll of honour with John and Sean Quinn's speedster flying the flag for the famous County Kilkenny nursery with a Group 2 success in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood on Friday. The win represented a career-best for Jm Jungle, who had cut his teeth in handicaps and stakes races before Friday's career-best performance. But that's not to say such a result came as a surprise to his breeders. Damian Burns commented, “He's a bit of a legend. I can remember meeting Richard Knight, who bought the horse off us a yearling, in the May of Jm Jungle's two-year-old career. He said, 'John Quinn tells me, whatever ability he has, he is going to win an awful lot of races.' “That was before the horse ever raced. That's quite the mark of the trainer that he was able to call it. And it is the mark on how himself and his son Sean train the horses, too. They let their horses progress and progress. The horse is so tough, to be fair.” Jm Jungle was sold by Lodge Park Stud to Knight and the Quinns for £46,000 at the 2021 Goffs Premier Yearling Sale. Now a five-year-old, Jm Jungle has amassed almost £500,000 in prize-money and Friday's success suggests there are even bigger days to come from the progressive sprinter. Burns said, “When American Affair won the King's Stand I thought this fella might have a chance of winning a big race. There wasn't much between them when they bumped into each other earlier in the year. The other thing is, fast or slow, the ground doesn't appear to matter to Jm Jungle and of course he had won at Goodwood before. He's just so tough. You can set your clock by him. I am delighted for the horse but I am also delighted for the connections.”  Jm Jungle put the cherry on top of what has been a memorable Goodwood Festival for Lodge Park Stud given fellow graduate Principality (Calyx) won there on Thursday.  Burns concluded, “It was the second one of the week, which was nice. Jm Jungle's dam, The Shrew (Dansili), is based with my uncle Anthony Phelan [Glashare House Stud] now. She had a Coulsty filly, which Anthony got €18,000 for as a foal. She is in foal to King Of Steel now. The mare was a bit of a slow burn and eventually we got her right with Bungle. It's very important as a consignor to produce these Stakes winners so we're delighted.” The post ‘He’s A Bit Of A Legend’ – Celebration Time For Lodge Park Stud With Jm Jungle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article