Moonlight d’Oro, who turned heads Feb. 6 with an impressive victory in the Las Virgenes Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park, has been sidelined with a knee chip that will require surgery, co-owner Michael Behrens confirmed Feb. 9.

The final moments of the Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale Feb. 9 were passed in a flurry of activity as horses in the addendum drove the buyers indoors and the prices into the six figures. 

Gulfstream Park will once again provide equine owners and enthusiasts a unique experience to walk, trot or canter their horse across the legendary track when it plays host to the second Canter for the Cause Monday, March 15.

The first reported foal is a bay colt out of Sparkling Beauty born Jan. 12.

Mother Nature is creating some consternation for track officials and horsemen over the status of the upcoming holiday weekend racing at Oaklawn Park that includes three graded stakes and a pair of champions in Essential Quality and Monomoy Girl.

An injury discovered Feb. 9 will take the 3-year-old Lothenbach Stables homebred out of training for several months but she is expected to make a full recovery.

Trainer Kathy Walsh has entered into a settlement agreement with the CHRB in which she has been fined $3,000 and suspended 30 days after one of her horses tested positive for a metabolite of acepromazine, after a summer race at Los Alamitos.

With supporters noting the importance of protecting jobs in Thoroughbred racing as well as agriculture jobs and others tied to the industry, the Kentucky Senate approved a bill Feb. 9 that protects historical horse racing in the state.

Commentary from industry figures

Champion Essential Quality and Sham Stakes (G3) winner Life Is Good were made the 8-1 individual morning-line favorites in pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager that runs from Feb. 12-14.

With few remaining gaps on Hello Beautiful’s resume, trainer Brittany Russell will seek to achieve a significant milestone for both herself and her stable star in the $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie Stakes (G3) Feb. 13 at Laurel Park.

Times have changed somewhat since the world’s oldest bloodstock agency was founded, so Bert Kerr was happy to laugh along with the well-worn proverb about dogs and tricks as he claimed the top lot at the opening session of the Goffs February Sale.

Lightly raced Maxfield is scheduled to begin his 2021 season at the same track where he ended his 2020: Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Bruce Mackenzie’s determination to take home the highest-priced filly ever sold at an Inglis Classic Yearling Sale led him to deliver a deliberate “knockout punch” for a daughter of Zoustar who also helped create a new benchmark for her breeder.

Canterbury Park announced Feb. 9 that 27 Thoroughbred stakes races with purses totaling $2.06 million will be run during the 65-day race meet that begins May 18 and continues through Sept. 16.

The Texas Summer Yearling Sale will be held Aug. 30 at Lone Star Park, the Texas Thoroughbred Association and Dallas-area track announced Feb. 9. Entries are now being accepted with a deadline of June 21.