Spendthrift Farm’s Further Ado (Gun Runner- Sky Dreamer, by Sky Mesa) drew away late to win the Grade 2, $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs by 1 ¾ lengths Nov. 29 and lead the slate of stakes-winning OBS grads for the week.
at Churchill Downs. (Churchill Downs photo)
Further Ado verified his 20-length, two-turn maiden win 50 days ago at Keeneland. He earned $242,470 and collected 10 points as part of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series, which offered points on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1 to the top five finishers.
“This was a really good test for him,” trainer Brad Cox told Churchill Downs publicity. “He won very impressively last time. Today he had to show a different dimension and really dig down late to get by. It’s very important to get a horse like this started early on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Hopefully he can bring us right back here in the spring.”
Further Ado was purchased by Spendthrift at the 2025 OBS April Sale for $550,000 from the Six K’s Training & Sales consignment after breezing in :21 1/5.
At Churchill Downs Nov. 30, Moonlight (Audible- Sundown, by Tapit) rallied past 6-5 pacesetting favorite Dragoon Guard in deep stretch to win the second running of the $249,835 Cherokee Mile by 1 ½ lengths.
Moonlight, a 4-year-old son of Audible, earned his first stakes win and third win in five starts at Churchill Downs for trainer Chris Block and owner Kiki Courtelis’ Town and Country Racing LLC.
Moonlight was purchased at the 2023 OBS April Sale by his owners for $285,000 from the Eddie Woods consignment after breezing in :21.
At Zia Park on Nov. 25, Lookinforbargains (Practical Joke-Mixed Up Kid, by Lemon Drop Kid) won the $100,000 Zia Park Distaff Stakes in her second stakes attempt.
Owned by Paul Jenson and trained by Todd Fincher, Lookinforbargains was purchased by H & R Bloodstock for $85,000 at the 2022 OBS April Sale from the Scanlon Training & Sales consignment after breezing in :10.
The Nov. 25 Zia Park card also saw Bryon Seymore’s A Thousand Miles (Thousand Words – Swiss Army Wife, by Colonel John) take the $300,000 Zia Park Oaks for trainer Bart G. Hone. The daughter of Thousand Words was purchased for $27,000 by Dennis O’Neill out of the Pick View consignment at the 2024 OBS March sale after breezing in :10 3/5.