The following appeared in The Paulick Report August 30th. Trainer John Thomas is the son of Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA) Track Superintendent John Dale Thomas.

Catholic Boy navigated a tough break and late traffic to win the Grade 3 With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga on Wednesday, giving Jonathan Thomas his first graded stakes win as trainer. Jockey Manuel Franco kept the colt tucked along the inside rail in mid-pack for much of the 1 1/16-mile contest after being… Continue reading →

Since Virginia Day at Laurel Park August 5th, action among Virginia-bred horses has produced some upset victories for some and a first ever graded stakes win for another. And, we are less than a month away from the September 30th “Commonwealth Day” card at Laurel which features five $60,000 Virginia-bred restricted stakes and a trio of open graded ones.

Free Union scored his fourth career win on opening day of the 2017 Timonium meet. Photo by… Continue reading →

ABL Stable, Bassone, Cahill & Donnelly’s Just Call Kenny sat comfortably along the backstretch before making his move on the far turn, taking the lead at the top of the stretch and pulling away to a four-length score in the Grade 3 $100,000 Phillip H. Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday.

Just Call Kenny #2 with Eddie Castro riding won the $100,00 Philip H. Iselin Stakes Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey on Saturday August 26, 2017.… Continue reading →

Champion sprinter Drefong returned to the scene where he wired the field in last year’s Grade 1 Kings Bishop, and repeated that effort against nine others in the Grade 1, $600,000 Forego on Saturday, Travers Day, at Saratoga Race Course.

Drefrong cut through seven furlongs in a final time of 1:21.12. His four-length victory will earned him a trip to California for the Grade 1, $1.5 million TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup Sprint on November 4 at Del Mar. 

Sent… Continue reading →

Virginia-bred Just Call Kenny, winner of over $373,000 in purse monies, will compete in Saturday’s Grade 3 Philip Iselin Stakes at Monmouth. The 6 year old Jump Start horse was third most recently in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup Stakes July 30th.

Just Call Kenny, bred by Althea Richards, won by 1 1/4 lengths over Double Whammy April 21st at Laurel. Photo courtesy of Jim McCue.

Out of the Green Dancer mare, Green Jeans, Just Call Kenny was bred by… Continue reading →

The following article appeared in The Paulick Report on August 22nd. 

On Tuesday, jockey Nik Juarez officially announced the retirement of multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Valid. The 24-year-old Maryland native spent his own money to track down the 7-year-old gelded son of Medaglia d’Oro, and had him shipped back to a farm in Maryland to live out the rest of his days eating grass and occasionally as Juarez’ personal riding horse.

Valid is shown with jockey Nik Juarez.

Valid… Continue reading →

Virginia-Bred & Raised Yearlings Attract Interest At Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale

The Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling sale was held at Saratoga August 7th & 8th and a number of Virginia-breds sold well. An Audley Farms Scat Daddy filly topped the list of Commonwealth-breds at $600,000.

Hip 140 is a Scat Daddy filly that was consigned by Brookdale sales agent for Audley Farm Equine. She sold for $600,000.

A Smitten Farms Violence filly sold for $270,000 along with a… Continue reading →