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The Sept. 9 Presque Isle Masters Stakes (gr. II) for fillies and mares was an example of how looks can sometimes be deceiving. With former $4,000 claimer Purely Hot in front past six furlongs in a sizzling 1:08.36 on the Tapeta surface at Presque Isle Downs & Casino, it appeared the rallying Groupie Doll would blow past in mid-stretch and win by ...

By Nicole Sauer Over the past three years (2010-12), 458 yearlings have been sold through the Keeneland September sale that were the produce of either grade I-winning or grade I-producing dams, or the rare dams that are both. Buyers have responded similarly to the first two groups, averaging $206,994 for progeny of grade I-winning dams and ...

Another Keeneland September sale, and another tweaked format. This year, the first catalog encompasses the first four days of the sale, with the whole catalog being of hypothetically relatively even merit and sorted alphabetically by dam as one continuous group. With only 875 cataloged, each session has just over 200 yearlings, which means ...

The Grade 2 Bowling Green Handicap, Saturday at Belmont (Race 8), Inner Turf, Three-Year Olds and Up, One Mile and One Quarter Get Free PP's for the Bowling Green Handicap The hard-hitting six-year-old Boisterous has been installed as the 7/5 morning line favorite even though he finished a disappointing eighth as the 9/5 favorite in the ...

It goes without saying that it takes an exceptional individual to win Eclipse Awards in three successive years. Among fillies and mares, the feat has only been achieved twice, by Zenyatta (2008-10) and Azeri (2002-04), although Susan's Girl was champion 3-year-old filly of 1972 and then champion older mare in 1973 and 1975. Looking back to the ...

Racing fans over the past several years have held extended vigils, some lasting for months, for stricken horses such as Barbaro, Paynter, and most recently Rachel Alexandra. During those times, the internet was inundated with prayers for these courageous equine heroes who fought for life as hard as they fought for victory on the ...

While Redoute's Choice (AUS) (TrueNicks,SRO) has rapidly stamped himself as a sire of sires, his fellow Danehill son and erstwhile stud companion Flying Spur has been awaiting an heir. It now appears as if one may arrived in the shape of Casino Prince (AUS) (TrueNicks), who heads the Australia second-season sires list. He already has a star in the ...

(Originally published in the September 7, 2013 issue of The Blood-Horse magazine. Feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions at the bottom of the column.) By Eric Mitchell - @BH_EMitchell on Twitter As Saratoga Race Course wrapped up a successful 40-day meet, residents of this upstate New York community began questioning ...