Robin Goodfellow’s Racing Tips: Best bets for Tuesday, October 27
Sportsmail's racing expert Robin Goodfellow dishes out his tips for Tuesday's meetings at Bangor-on-dee, Catterick, Chepstow and Southwell.
Month: October 2020
Steady Trade As October Sale Opens
LEXINGTON, KY – The Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale opened Monday in Lexington with a day of steady trade and a pair of youngsters by Into Mischief leading the way.
“It was a solid start,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said Monday evening. “There was solid trade with plenty of activity. There were no dramatic surprises. Certainly lots of horses got traded and there was a legitimate, reasonable marketplace.”
During Monday’s opening session of the October sale, 248 yearlings sold for $8,393,800. The average of $33,846 dipped 14.6% from the 2019 opening session, while the median held steady at $15,000. With 71 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 22.3%. It was 29.3% a year ago.
“The average was down slightly today compared to the overall sale last year, however the median was up and there was a very respectable RNA rate today of 22%, compared to 29% the first day last year,” Browning said. “We hope those same factors continue for the next three days.”
The 2019 October sale cumulative average was $37,955 and the cumulative median was $13,000.
Into Mischief continued to be in demand in the sales ring this fall, with a filly by the Spendthrift stallion topping Monday’s action when selling for $300,000 to Willis Horton Racing.
Juddmonte Farm purchased the day’s second highest offering when going to $260,000 for an Into Mischief colt. The two yearlings were among six to sell for $200,000 or over during the session. Eleven reached that mark at last year’s opener.
With economic and pandemic uncertainties looming across the globe, Archie St. George admitted he had kept expectations for his St. George Sales consignment in check, but he felt the market was weathering the storm.
“It seems solid,” St. George said. “We put good horses through the ring and we’ve sold them at all levels. It’s like everywhere, for a nice horse, there is money. Just because of everything that’s going on, I came in with low expectations. So certainly the Maclean’s Music exceeded our expectations. But we just tried to be as realistic as we could. The name of the game is selling horses, so we seemed to be doing that today. And it seemed to hold solid.”
St. George Sales sent the third highest-priced offering of the day through the ring, with a colt by Maclean’s Music bringing a final bid of $240,000 from bloodstock agent Mike Ryan.
The October sale continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.
Into Mischief Filly for Horton
Willis Horton added a filly by Into Mischief to his racing stable when Case Clay signed the ticket at $300,000 to secure hip 202 on behalf of the owner who campaigned champion Will Take Charge. Bred by Allen Poindexter, the filly is out of Kid Majic (Lemon Drop Kid) and is a full-sister to Canadian champion Miss Mischief and a half to stakes-placed Mind Out (Tapit), who sold for $850,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. Kid Majic is also the dam of Rosemonde (Indian Charlie), who produced multiple Grade I placed Rowayton (Into Mischief). The yearling was consigned by Wynnstay Sales.
“She is a lovely filly and from good breeders,” Clay said of the filly’s appeal. “She has a good walk and a good physical. The whole Horton family has a real love and a passion for racing. So they saw her and they liked her and they took a swing at her.”
While the plan is to race the filly, Clay said the Horton family is also thinking long-term with the yearling.
“They were thinking of her potential as a broodmare,” Clay confirmed. “They will give her a try at the racetrack and, even if things don’t go well there, she has great blood and a great family. So it’s a long-term play for racing and then breeding.”
Allen Poindexter purchased Kid Majic as a 2-year-old as part of a racing partnership in 2006.
“I always want more,” Poindexter said with a laugh when asked about the result. “She had a tremendous pedigree and was a very nice filly. I really wouldn’t have been too sad if she hadn’t sold and I would have kept her myself. But hopefully we will have a bunch more out of that mare and I’ll get to keep one eventually. I really didn’t want to sell her, but in this day and time, we have to sell horses.”
The 16-year-old Kid Majic and her 8-year-old daughter Rosemonde were both bred to Tapit this spring.
Poindexter enjoyed another strong result at Fasig-Tipton this year with the $500,000 sale of a colt by Giant’s Causeway at the Selected Yearlings Showcase in September.
Juddmonte Gets Into Mischief
Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farm got involved in the Into Mischief mania when manager Garrett O’Rourke went to $260,0000 to acquire a colt (hip 24) by the Spendthrift stallion early in Monday’s first session of the Fasig-Tipton October sale. The yearling is out of Golden Cropper (Aus) (More Than Ready), a half-sister to ‘TDN Rising Star’ Rubick (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}), a multiple group winner and successful young sire at Coolmore Australia. Her third dam, Shantha’s Choice (Aus) (Canny Lad {Aus}), produced Redoute’s Choice (Aus) (Danehill).
The yearling was bred by Greg Goodman’s Mt. Brilliant Farm, which purchased Golden Cropper for A$650,000 at the 2016 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale. He RNA’d for $375,000 at last month’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale and was consigned Monday by Lane’s End.
“We saw him in September and really liked him, as did a lot of other people,” O’Rourke said. “He just had an issue or two and they dropped the reserve for this sale and we decided to take a chance. He’s a lovely colt; looks fast. He has a stallion’s pedigree and just has a lot of upside. We hope he runs to his pedigree and to his looks. Obviously we have had success with Into Mischief, as many other people have as well. You don’t go buy anything blind, but sometimes you have faith in what the stallion gives you and we think Into Mischief has earned that kind of faith.”
Juddmonte has campaigned three Into Mischief ‘TDN Rising Stars’ to date, including the ill-fated two-time stakes winner Taraz, SW & GSP Honest Mischief–a son of Juddmonte standout Honest Lady–and Mandaloun, who earned his ‘Rising Star’ at first asking at Keeneland Oct. 24.
Maclean’s Music Colt Pays for St. George
Archie St. George’s Brookstone Farm pinhooking partnership purchased a colt by Maclean’s Music for $80,000 at last year’s Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. With the sire’s status on the rise thanks to the Grade I exploits of speedy juvenile Jackie’s Warrior (Maclean’s Music), the yearling (hip 342) was well-received in the Fasig-Tipton sales ring Monday, ultimately selling for $240,000 to bloodstock agent Mike Ryan.
“We bought him in November as a weanling and we aimed him for this sale,” St. George said. “The sire has really done well with Jackie’s Warrior and the family makes sense with Complexity in the second dam. I’d like to thank Mike Ryan and wish Chad Brown and his team the best of luck with him. Hopefully, most importantly, we see him down the road running in big races.”
Hip 342 is the first foal out of Microburst (Awesome Again), a half-sister to Grade I winner Complexity (Maclean’s Music) and to graded winner Valadorna (Curlin), who was second in the 2016 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. He was bred by Susan Moulton, who purchased Microburst with this foal in utero for $275,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November sale.
Microburst has a weanling colt by Super Saver and was bred back to Vino Rosso.
Tacher Stays Busy at Fasig
Puerto Rican owner Marc Tacher, who is represented by runners across the U.S., purchased four yearlings during Monday’s first session of the October sale, led by a $200,000 son of the late Arrogate (hip 91). Consigned by Peter O’Callaghan’s Woods Edge Farm, the dark bay colt is out of multiple stakes winner Hero’s Amor (Street Hero).
“I liked everything. I liked the conformation. He’s a beautiful horse to look at,” Tacher said of the colt. “He’s obviously by Arrogate, so I really liked his pedigree. He looked like a two-turn horse, a Classic-distance horse. We came to see him quite a few times and to vet him. We were really high on that horse.”
Tacher, part owner of Hipodromo Camarero, also purchased a colt by Keen Ice (hip 252) and a filly by Daredevil (hip 351) both for $100,000 and a colt by Practical Joke (hip 127) for $70,000 Monday.
“This year has been different and it’s hard to gauge,” Tacher said of the market. “So far, the prices I’ve seen are fair for the buyer and the seller. I think, more or less, we are experiencing a solid market. I do think it’s a fair market, but of course it’s not as strong as last year.”
Also this year, Tacher purchased a filly by Frosted (hip 366) for $250,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Now named Paradise Song, the filly is working regularly at Fair Hill. He purchased five juveniles at the OBS Spring sale, led by a colt by Not This Time (hip 953) who was acquired for $575,000. Debuting for Tacher’s Sonata Stable, the juvenile now named Arzak was fifth on debut at Delaware Park Oct. 7 for trainer Mike Trombetta.
In Puerto Rico this year, Tacher has been represented by G1 Puerto Rican Derby winner Persistente (PR) (Console).
Point of Entry Filly Pays for Partners
Ocala horsewoman Michelle Redding partnered with Reiley McDonald and Stori Atchison to acquire a filly by Point of Entry for $13,000 at last year’s Keeneland November sale and the investment paid dividends Monday at Fasig-Tipton when the yearling (hip 60) sold for $160,000 to Selective LLC.
“She’s always been a really nice filly,” Redding said. “She has always had a tremendous, beautiful, catlike walk. She is just a big, physically well-developed filly. She’s very smart with a lot of class about her.”
Of the youngster’s weanling price tag, Redding said, “We were able to get her bought just in a soft time in the market. Sometimes horses slide through the cracks. She was definitely one that was sliding through and we were lucky enough to be standing there and got her bought.”
The yearling is out of Gypsy Princess (Unbridled’s Song), a daughter of multiple graded stakes winner Buffythecenterfold (Capote). She was consigned by McDonald’s Eaton Sales.
Redding said she aims to pinhook about 15 yearlings a year, but admitted this year’s results have been mixed.
“The market was a little rough on us this year,” Redding said. “We had some horses who sold well and some we were quite disappointed in that we felt fell through the cracks this year. It was a bit of a tougher year, so it was good to end it on a good note.”
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Maryland Could Crack Down On Clenbuterol Administration, Eliminating Any Threshold On Race Day
Clenbuterol restrictions in Maryland may be about to get tighter. According to a report from Thoroughbred Daily News, the Maryland Racing Commission has voted unanimously to propose a new rule that would take away any race-day threshold for the bronchodilator.
The current rules do not permit race day administration of the drug, but rather set a threshold under which its presence would not be a violation. Generally this is done to allow a drug to be given within a set period of days prior to race day.
Clenbuterol is an effective bronchodilator but can also have side effects similar to anabolic steroids, particularly if used in small doses over a period of time. Under the proposed regulation, veterinarians could still prescribe the drug to horses with a specific diagnosis, but would be required to report the horse's diagnosis and treatment plan. The horse receiving the medication would not be permitted to race until urine or blood tests came back with no clenbuterol in the horse's system. The drug could also be added to the commission's battery of out-of-competition tests.
The TDN notes however, that current restrictions in Maryland still do not permit the commission to perform out-of-competition tests on horses stabled away from commission-sanctioned grounds.
Read more at Thoroughbred Daily News
The post Maryland Could Crack Down On Clenbuterol Administration, Eliminating Any Threshold On Race Day appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Labor Shortage Could Be The Next Big Challenge For Racing, Industry Experts Say
The racing industry had a number of hurdles ahead of it before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Reducing fatal breakdowns, creating a national regulatory body, attracting new owners and horseplayers, along with many other challenges, were all at the forefront of discussions before March 2020. Speaking at this week's American Horse Council National Issues Forum, industry experts say 2020 may have worsened the next big problem facing racing — the labor shortage.
In the short term, the pandemic made it difficult for people to travel to work in the United States on a short-term basis, but that problem may have been solved. Earlier this year, President Trump issued three proclamations that suspended the entry of aliens from certain countries due to concerns about the novel coronavirus. Several groups, including Breeders' Cup, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Keeneland, Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, and Fasig-Tipton, worked with the Department of Homeland Security to get exemptions for people traveling into the United States to buy horses at the autumn sales or to run at the Breeders' Cup. The president's restrictions allowed for exemptions that were in “the national interest” and through a very specific and detailed explanation of Thoroughbred economics, the industry groups were able to get exemptions for certain key players in both events. That discussion could ultimately prove helpful down the road.
“We were happy we were able to get that done,” said NTRA President and CEO Alex Waldrop. “I think it's a good story to tell. At this point in time, I think the Department of Homeland Security is very familiar with our industry, the international nature of our industry, and they're supportive of the national interest exemption where it's appropriate.”
That doesn't mean that when the pandemic is over, the horse racing industry will no longer face restrictions on international movement that impact its bottom line. It's no secret that trainers and farms have had difficulty in recent years accessing H-2A and H-2B visa workers to fill seasonal needs for grooms, hotwalkers, exercise riders, and farm workers. Those restrictions have only gotten tighter under the current administration, according to the Bryan Brendle, director of policy and legislative affairs for the American Horse Council.
The Department of Homeland Security has discretion to allow visas above the statutory cap, and while it did authorize supplemental H-2B visas in March, it only released 35,000 and not the 60,000 it could have released. (Trainers have previously said even with supplemental visas released they struggled to find staff.)
The issuance of new H-2B visas was put on hold in June. In August, the U.S. State Department, which handles the visa process in the home countries of guest workers, did create an exemption for caretakers of non-farm animals, which is how horses are classified in the visa system. That only freed up people who had been granted visas prior to the freeze and then been told not to travel to the United States, so the State Department's action didn't result in many additional workers coming into the States.
Eric Hamelback, CEO of the National HBPA, said he still regularly hears from trainers, including high-profile operations like Chad Brown, Todd Pletcher, and Dale Romans, who are unable to find enough help despite high unemployment figures in the States this year. Hamelback said he knew of operations at smaller tracks that had to close altogether because they couldn't find employees to take care of horses.
“While we are all on different pages with some items in this industry we can't be on different pages as we push for our workforce shortages, whether it's developing new programs here in the States or continuing to push for H-2B visas,” said Hamelback.
Waldrop said the “elephant in the room” is the potential impact of the upcoming national election on this issue.
“You have to ask yourself — is there a difference between a Trump presidency and a Biden presidency?” he said. “My sense is, we've got an uphill battle, we've got tough sledding if we continue to work with the Trump administration. I think you're going to see difficult times ahead, certainly no talk of comprehensive immigration reform.
“I think you cannot say Trump will not develop a comprehensive policy and Biden will, but I do think you'll see some additional conversation taking place [if Biden wins].”
Of course, one solution would be to try to create a better pipeline for domestic workers to fill the jobs on the racetrack. Remi Bellocq, executive director of Equine Programs at Bluegrass Community and Technical College, said that progress could be on the horizon on this issue, but it's not going to be an easy one to solve. Bellocq recently collaborated with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and KEEP to create a one-year apprenticeship program for horse trainers. He also suggested Godolphin may soon launch an international educational initiative to help those interested in racing find the appropriate pathway to industry jobs in their country.
“On a greater scale, we need to look at what we do nationally,” Bellocq said. “My strong feeling is that until we approach the workforce issue the same way we approach unwanted horses or racing medication, this will continue to be a bigger and bigger challenge. One of the things I've found personally is you have a guest worker immigration issue you have to deal with, but the labor issue, which is a domestic training issue, is just as critical. Until we can incentivize and recruit domestic workers into our industry, pay them what they ought to be paid, find work/life balance, it's going to be a growing problem.
“What I find with a lot of our graduates is they'll go to work for a trainer but very quickly they'll want to move up, become an assistant trainer or a foreman, and we have to very quickly fill those lower skilled jobs again. That's one of the things we continue to try to find solutions for.”
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