Gainesway Stable and Andrew Rosen's Emphatic enters the $650,000 Alcibiades Stakes (G1) Oct. 2 at Keeneland with her head held high. As the undefeated 2-year-old filly looks toward a bright future, her success honors the many hands that built her foundation long before she showcased her talent on the racetrack.
Bred in Pennsylvania by Jon Marshall, Emphatic first made waves at the 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where she sold for $260,000 to Ben Gowans, agent for Young Squirrel Stables, out of the Four Star Sales consignment.
For Kerry Cauthen, managing partner of Four Star Sales, Emphatic represents the deep connections surrounding a horse that begins long before it enters an auction ring.
"We enjoy selling horses for people that appreciate what we're trying to do, and the effort that it takes to get the ball across the finish line," Cauthen said. "We can't do this without our breeders, and we can't do this without the farms that live with these horses for a year and a half before we even get our hands on them."
A long-time client of Four Star Sales, Marshall has carried his humility and life's work within the industry through all the highs and lows, according to Cauthen.
"He always looks at the bright side, and that's what it takes to stay in this game over decades and decades," Cauthen said. "His best traits without a doubt are his extreme loyalty and his humility in the face of a very tough game."
That foundation has carried Emphatic to a flying start in her racing career. The daughter of Nyquist is 2-for-2, with her most recent win in the Sorority Stakes Aug. 29 at Monmouth Park. She now faces her first graded test in the Alcibiades as one of the favorites, for trainer Brendan Walsh.
Marshall's steadfast support of the Pennsylvania-bred program speaks to his commitment to help expand the industry's regional markets.
"Just as it takes a team to get a horse out there, it takes a team of everybody pulling in the right direction, so we need multiple marketplaces to race our horses," Cauthen said.
Emphatic is out of the unraced Tiznow mare, Convinced, who has produced four winners from five foals to race. These winners include stakes-placed Wesawtaylorinparis, a full sister to Emphatic. Convinced's most recent foal is a yearling colt by Gunite , who Four Star Sales sold for $325,000 during the Keeneland September sale to Harrell Ventures.
