News

CASTLETON'S CHI TOWN LADY DOMINATES SARATOGA'S BOLTON LANDING S.

on 08/19/2021 7:56 AM
  Neither a yielding Saratoga turf course nor a stumbling start could prevent Castleton and Gavin Tierney's homebred, Chi Town Lady, from keeping her record unblemished and becoming a first-time stakes winner in only her second start. The promising juvenile filly by Verrazano overcame early adversity and rallied from last to first to post a 1 3/4 length victory in the $120,000...
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GIO PONTI'S OLYMPIC RUNNER SETS NEW TRACK RECORD AT WOODBINE!

on 08/17/2021 8:27 AM
Gio Ponti's OLYMPIC RUNNER reigned supreme in the G2 King Edward Stakes at Woodbine last weekend while setting a new track record for one mile on the turf in 1:31.73. The 5yo son of triple Eclipse Award winner Gio Ponti saved ground early then swept to the lead to win impressively raising his record to 23-5-7-2, $419,450. Congratulations to his owner Gary Barber and trainer Mark ...
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Crump Bio wins the 15th Annual Dr. Tony RYan Book Award

on 05/13/2021 9:15 AM
Veteran turf writer Mark Shrager has won the 15th Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, presented by Castleton Lyons, for Diane Crump, A Horse-Racing Pioneer’s Life in the Saddle. The winner was announced on May 10 via Zoom conference for the second straight year due to pandemic concerns. Previously, the by-invitation winner’s reception had been held on-site at the Ryan family’s Lexington-ba...
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PROTONICO GETS DERBY WINNER FROM FIRST CROP

on 05/03/2021 7:50 AM
  Hailing from the first crop of MGSW Protonico, Medina Spirit flew into the 147th Kentucky Derby like a stealth bomber and emerged victorious over a much heralded field of 19 top three-year-old colts. Let go at 12-1, the dark bay with a beautifully efficient running style, made the lead with John Velazquez on board and controlled the pace of the entire race, digging in ...
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2020 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award Finalists Announced

on 04/22/2021 11:28 AM
Three finalists have been selected for the 15th annual Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award from more than a dozen quality submissions published in 2020. These include two comprehensive biographies about barrier-breaking women and an engaging novel of hope and heartbreak. “This was the year of debut authors, including the fiction finalist," said judge Kay Coyte, a former Washington Post and rac...
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2020 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award Semi-Finalists Announced

on 04/08/2021 12:28 PM
2020 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award Semi-Finalists Announced   Even as a deadly pandemic stopped the world in its tracks, the business of horse racing continued—and thankfully, so too did the art of writing about it. The year 2021 brings with it the 15th annual Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, once again recognizing the best long-form writing the world of racing has to offer. Despite the draco...
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GIO PONTI's GRAY'S FABLE MAKES ALL IN G3 APPLETON H.

on 04/02/2021 10:23 AM
Gio Ponti’s Gray’s Fable went wire to wire in a commanding performance winning the G3 Kitten’s Joy Appleton S. at Gulfstream last Saturday. The gray won easily by 2 going away in an impressive 1:32.64 for the mile on the turf. See replay here   https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/race/usa/gp/2021/3/27/6/kittens-joy-appleton-s-g3t       ...
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PROTONICO'S MEDINA SPIRIT LANDS G3 ROBERT B. LEWIS S.

on 02/04/2021 11:31 AM
  MEDINA SPIRIT went wire to wire in the G3 Robert B. Lewis S. at Santa Anita on 1/30/21 in a gutsy performance turning back challengers Roman Centurian and Hot Rod Charlie. MEDINA SPIRIT ran a closing 2nd to LIFE IS GOOD in the Sham S. last out which was his 2nd lifetime start. The win in the Robert B. Lewis S. moved MEDINA SPIRIT into 4th place on the current Kentucky ...
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PROTONICO'S MEDINA SPIRIT JUST MISSES IN THE G3 SHAM S.

on 01/07/2021 3:14 PM
  Baffert trained MEDINA SPIRIT closed fiercely on his heavily favored stablemate LIFE IF GOOD to just miss by 3/4 lengths in the G3 Sham S. at Santa Anita January 2, 2021. The colt from Protonico's first crop to race broke his maiden easily at first asking and was making his second start in the Sham earning a 99 Beyer. (Authentic ran a 90 Beyer when he won the 2020 Sham S.) ...
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BAFFERT FIRSTER AIRS FOR FRESHMAN SIRE PROTONICO

on 12/14/2020 11:07 AM
  MEDINA SPIRIT (2018 Protonico - Mongolian Changa colt) kicked clear for a dominating 3 length victory in Maiden Special Weight company at Los Alamitos on 12/11/20 in his career debut posting fractions of 22.2, 45.14, 56.8 and 1:02.93 for the 5 1/2 furlongs. Bred in Florida by Gail Rice, MEDINA SPIRIT is campaigned by Zedan Racing Stables. He is the third winner from 8 sta...
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BAFFERT FIRSTER AIRS FOR FRESHMAN SIRE PROTONICO

on 12/14/2020 10:50 AM
  MEDINA SPIRIT (2018 Protonico - Mongolian Changa colt) kicked clear for a dominating 3 length victory in Maiden Special Weight company at Los Alamitos on 12/11/20 in his career debut posting fractions of 22.2, 45.14, 56.8 and 1:02.93 for the 5 1/2 furlongs. Bred in Florida by Gail Rice, MEDINA SPIRIT is campaigned by Zedan Racing Stables. He is the third winner from 8 starters for PR...
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GROUP EFFORT WINS 2019 BOOK AWARD

on 11/21/2020 6:57 AM
For the first time in its fourteen-year history, the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award has gone to a multi-collaborative effort, as opposed to one written by a single author, or two working in tandem. The 2019 winner is “Better Lucky Than Good: Tall Tales and Straight Talk from the Backside of the Track,” published through the Louisville Story Program and edited by Joe Manning. In this work, a ...
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PROTONICO GETS ANOTHER TWO-YEAR-OLD WINNER!

on 11/03/2020 9:48 AM
El Sobreviviente came from off the pace in a five wide sweeping move to collar the field in a maiden special weight at Indiana Grand yesterday.  
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FRESHMAN SIRE PROTONICO GETS FIRST WINNER!

on 09/17/2020 3:53 PM
                        Sent off as the 3/5 favorite in only his second lifetime start, Aktulgali (Protonico - Audacious Chloe by More Than Ready) laid off the pace with a rail hugging trip and took command at the top of the stretch to win a maiden special weight at Indiana Grand today for his ...
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2019 DR. TONY RYAN BOOK AWARD FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

on 09/09/2020 9:59 AM
  Three wonderful but very different books have been selected by a panel of industry judges as finalists for the 14th annual Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, honoring titles published in 2019. These include a unique collaboration of stories told by members of the racing community; an insider’s look at the career of America’s most recent Triple Crown winner; and the roller-coaster life...
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2019 DR. TONY RYAN BOOK AWARD SEMI-FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

on 06/04/2020 8:54 AM
Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award Semi-finalists Announced   From among 15 submissions representing multiple genres, six semi-finalists for the 2020 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award have been selected by a panel of racing industry and literary judges. This year’s semi-finalists include a pair of equine biographies; the story of a legendary trainer; a history of one of America’s most importan...
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2019 DR. TONY RYAN BOOK AWARD ENTRIES

on 05/04/2020 12:14 PM
  As with just about every sport, horse racing has all but disappeared in this year of the Great Pandemic. Meetings have been canceled, the Kentucky Derby re-scheduled for next fall, and we have little notion as to when racing may return in front of live, on-site audiences. But life goes on, and so too will the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, now in its 14th year of honoring the best long-form w...
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GRAY'S FABLE TELLS ALL AT GULFSTREAM PARK

on 04/21/2020 3:54 PM
GRAY'S FABLE (Gio Ponti - Myrtle's Gray) went gate-to-wire in a Maiden Special Weight at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.   Congratulations to his owners Steve Goldfine, Kari Provost and Jeff Zlonis and his trainer Roger Attfield.   View the race replay below   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFj9giPlGow
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TOWER SERVES AS SYMBOL OF HOPE AND COMPASSION

on 04/13/2020 1:09 PM
    On Friday and Saturday of Easter weekend, the Irish round tower at Castleton Lyons was lit in all white as part of Ireland's "Shine Your Light" campaign which was launched by RTE and saw people across Ireland light up their homes and businesses with torches, candles and Christmas lights in a moment of solidarity for those who have lost their lives amid the...
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GUCCI FACTOR CROWNED 2019 NYBRED CHAMPION MALE TURF HORSE AFTER DESIGNER SEASON

on 04/07/2020 12:28 PM
    Castleton Lyons owned Gucci Factor was crowned 2019 New York Bred Champion Male Turf Horse last night. Sired by three time Eclipse Award Winner and current Castleton stallion, Gio Ponti ,who was also bred and raced by the same connections, the seven year old gelding put together a record in 2019 of 4-3-0-0 and $345,625 bringing his overall stats to 1...
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