Blood-Horse

Quidura (GB) backed up a confident ride at the hands of jockey Junior Alvarado Sept. 16 when she used every inch of the Woodbine stretch to showcase her class in a one-length victory in the $250,000 Canadian Stakes (G2T).

Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. expertly guided Romantic Vision along the rail to victory in the $100,000 Locust Grove Stakes (G3) Sept. 16 at Churchill Downs. 

Yearlings by Violence, the second-leading freshman sire of 2017, are selling big at the Keeneland September yearling sale. Through the first day of Book 3, he's sold 16 yearlings for an average of $285,625.

Tapit, the runaway leading sire of the 2017 Keeneland September sale, saw his last yearling of the auction go through the ring Sept. 16. Mike Ryan paid $300,000 for a colt that is a half brother to grade 1 winner Pyro.

Girvin will get a bit of class relief. Next on tap for the three-time graded stakes winner is the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby (G3) Sept. 24 at Remington Park.

Wise Gal, bred and owned by Eric Wirth and trained by Dove Houghton, drove away from her opponents impressively to win the $100,000 Selima Stakes Sept. 16 at Laurel Park. She is the first black-type winner for her sire, Einstein.

Within 90 minutes of picking himself up off the turf, jockey Damien Lane would win the group 2 Let's Elope Stakes before coming from last on Humidor to take the group 1 PFD Food Services Makybe Diva Stakes.

Capri worked to the lead late in the William Hill St. Leger Stakes (G1) at Doncaster Sept. 16 and held on gamely to win by a half length over Crystal Ocean.

After a few anxious moments where jockey Hugh Bowman was uncharacteristically getting to work on Australia's superstar mare, Winx responded with her usual kick to score a victory in the Colgate Optic White Stakes Sept. 16, her 20th straight win.

Consider this your weekly guide to the best stakes races in North America. This week there are three races with Breeders' Cup implications on the Woodbine grass and two at Churchill Downs in the juvenile ranks.

Trainer Louie Roussel III, who conditioned 1988 Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner Risen Star, earned his 1,000th victory when a horse he owns, Heavens Whisper, won the fourth race at Arlington International Sept. 15 on debut.

The Breeders' Cup Board of Directors unanimously elected Fred W. Hertrich III as board chairman Sept. 15.

Breed association executives say more live racing is desperately needed.

If Mondialiste's history is any indication, now is not the time to jump off his bandwagon.

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 298 entries for The Saratoga Fall Sale, the company's mixed sale to be held on Monday, October 16 in Saratoga Springs, New York.  The sale will be conducted in the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion and begin at 10 am.

With all due respect to the Triple Crown trail, Saratoga Race Course and Del Mar, nothing beats autumn racing, when championships are decided and the juveniles begin to stretch out from the sprints of summer.

After three straight clear victories on the synthetic surface at Woodbine, Ami's Mesa will try to add to that winning stretch Sept. 18 in the $400,000 Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes (G2).

Tower of Texas, who has fought niggling issues throughout his 23-race career, will aim to give Roger Attfield his first Woodbine Mile (G1T) win when he breaks from post 2 in the 12-horse field on Sept. 16.

The Jockey Club issued a statement from its New York Racing Association steward Sept. 15 opposing the eligibility of trainer Jorge Navarro to race in the state.

Justice Farms' grade 3 placed stallion Harry's Holiday will move to Dr. Amy Youngblood's Southern Indiana Equine for the 2018 season to participate in the Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Program.