Month: August 2021

Knicks Go Gets 111 Beyer Speed Figure For Whitney Win

Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go continued to flaunt his winning ways, defeating a compact but talented group of all graded stakes-winning millionaires in Saturday's $1 million Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Brad Cox, the now four-time Grade 1 winner arrived at the nine-furlong Whitney, which offered a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic, off a sharp in-hand victory in the Grade 3 Cornhusker on July 2 at Prairie Meadows.

Knicks Go captured the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in November at Keeneland and the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup in January at Gulfstream Park.

Piloted by Joel Rosario on Saturday, Knicks Go led the field at every point of call and drew away in the stretch to a 4 ½-length win, garnering a 111 Beyer Speed Figure.

Cox said he has not yet made plans for the next start for his talented son of Paynter, but he would like to race him once before the $6 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic on November 6 at Del Mar.

“We'll let the dust settle, but my thoughts would be to give him a race five to six weeks out [from the Breeders' Cup Classic],” Cox said. “I haven't really dug into it yet, the biggest thing is how he came out of yesterday's race. It would be nice to get a race into him between now and then, but where that might be I don't know.

“I was really pleased with how he looked this morning,” Cox added. “He ate up well, so everything is really positive.”

Knicks Go made his first start for Cox in February 2020 with an allowance optional claiming triumph at Oaklawn Park. Following an eight-month hiatus, Knicks Go burst back onto the scene with a Keeneland allowance optional claiming score ahead of a victory in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at the Lexington oval.

Cox said Knicks Go has taken big leaps forward in his 2021 campaign.

“He was a very good horse last year and he's a better horse now,” Cox said. “Last year, he was able to win the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile against a great group of horses. He had one prep going into that about five weeks out. This year, he's been able to race throughout the winter and rebounded well. He's had three races this summer, so he's been campaigned with more foundation this year, so I just have to think he's a better horse. He's a more accomplished horse and built a nice foundation.”

Boasting a record of 22-8-3-1, Knicks Go has lifetime earnings of $5,368,995.

The post Knicks Go Gets 111 Beyer Speed Figure For Whitney Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Asmussen’s Next Target: Juan Suarez

The Week in Review by Bill Finley

Steve Asmussen moved past Dale Baird Saturday to become North America's all-time leading trainer in wins with 9,446. But for such a goal-oriented individual, it's no time to rest. To be number one in the world, Asmussen still has to catch Peruvian trainer Juan Suarez. And it won't be easy.

Suarez, as of Saturday, had 9,886 wins–or 440 more than Asmussen. On the same day that Asmussen won one race from 13 starters spread across four racetracks, Suarez had three wins on the Saturday card at Peru's only racetrack, the Hipodromo de Monterrico, which is in Lima.

Over the last five years, Suarez, 71, is averaging 315 wins a year, while Asmussen is averaging 390. That means he will likely chip away at Suarez's lead but could spend years trying to catch him. The main advantage Asmussen has is his age. He is 16 years younger than Suarez and will surely outlast him.

Suarez was born in Santiago, Chile and moved to Peru in 1963 at the age of 13. The family moved because Suarez's father, Juan Suarez, Sr., was hired as the trainer for Haras Barlovento, then among the leading stables in the country. The elder Suarez won the most prestigious race in Peru, the G1 Derby Nacional, eight times. Suarez worked as an assistant to his father before going out on his own in 1980 and won 116 races that year.

Much like Asmussen, he built up a huge stable that delivered year after year. From 2001 on, he has not had fewer than 200 winners in a year. He had a personal best 368 in 2013. He currently trains 210 horses and has had as many as 300 at times.

Asmussen enjoys advantages Suarez will never have. Not only does he have more horses than Suarez, but he has the ability to race at four or five tracks at a time. Suarez is restricted to running at Hipodromo de Monterrico.

Through an interpreter, Suarez said that his numbers are down because the stable is still dealing with COVID-19 issues. Though in his seventies, he shows no signs of slowing down and he is not contemplating retirement.

“I live for this activity and I do not have any plans for retirement,” he said. “I am still active in the field here in Peru and many horse owners still look to me because of my experience and our friendship.”

It seems that Asmussen and Suarez share many of the same attributes and both believe the key to success is hard work, putting together a good team and paying attention to every last detail.

“The most important thing is having a dedicated work team,” Suarez said. “You must also have support from your family because the job takes up so much of your time.”

“I was reading about Steve Asmussen and his having such a great memory,” said Suarez's nephew, Lexington-based bloodstock agent Dante Zanelli, Jr. “My uncle is just like that. He has a photographic memory. He has had as many as 300 horses at a time and he knows everything about every horse. He knows his horses and he remembers everything about them. That has a lot to do with his success. He is also an extremely good trainer and has great people working for him. It's very similar to what Steve Asmussen has.”

While Suarez wants to win, he is not consumed with winning.

“I don't focus too much on the wins,” he said. “I pay more attention to the work. I want everything to be OK, and then to see the result of the hard work done by my team and I.”

Suarez has had just one starter in the U.S. For the 2012 GII Breeders' Cup Marathon at Santa Anita, he brought over the Peruvian-bred mare Almudena (Per) (Silver Planet {Arg}). A Group 1 winner in her native country, she finished 10th with Jose Valdivia, Jr. aboard. Valdivia is Suarez's nephew. He is also related to retired jockey Fernando Toro, who is his brother-in-law.

“That was a great experience,” Suarez said. “We did not have much luck in that race but the experience and being able to celebrate the experience was amazing. I love how in the USA they make the experience even greater with the Breeders' Cup organization and all the attention to detail.”

He has also exported horses to the U.S., including a stakes winner at Hialeah. He trained Tomcito (Street Cry {Ire}) before sending him to Zanelli, then a trainer, for the 2008 GI Florida Derby, where he was third.

Zanelli said that his uncle has considered opening up a small stable at Del Mar.

“We have talked about that and the logistics involved and how to make it work,” Zanelli said “He's been talking to his owners about this and has been trying to get permission from the Jockey Club of Peru to open a stable at Del Mar. He'll explore that again for next year. He has a couple of pretty good horses that could win there. He'd like to have a stable with six to nine horses.”

With 12 horses entered Saturday at the Hipodromo de Monterrico, Suarez didn't have time to watch Asmussen move past Dale Baird, but he is well aware of Asmussen's accomplishments and he is an admirer.

“I know that Mr. Steve Asmussen is one of the top-tier horse trainers in the USA,” he said. “I also know that he has a lot of horses and a great work team and family. That shows why he is so successful. His breaking the record in the USA shows the great work ethic that he has. I know the sacrifices you must make to train horses, for the trainer, the family and the team that works with him. It is particularly difficult in such a competitive horse racing country as it is in the USA. I wish the best to Mr. Asmussen and congratulate him for the enormous achievement he has accomplished.”

Panza Left His Mark on Saratoga and NYRA

The paid attendance Saturday at Saratoga for the card topped by the GI Whitney S. was 38,525 and the all-sources handle was $36,820,234. Yes, Saratoga sells itself, but those numbers may not have been possible without NYRA Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Martin Panza. Panza announced his resignation last week. He will work through the end of the Belmont fall meet.

Panza “got it.” He loves racing and is always happy to roll his sleeves up and get to work to make it better. Two of his primary innovations were on display Saturday and contributed to the card's success. He put together the successful turf series for 3-year-old males and fillies that includes the $1-million GI Saratoga Derby Invitational run Saturday. He's also an advocate of creating “Super Saturdays” at the NYRA tracks. Saturday's card didn't include just the Whitney, it had five stakes races and three Grade I's. He turned the card for the GI Belmont S. into a day that goes well beyond the Belmont itself. Next to the two Breeders' Cup Days, it is the best card on the year.

His successor will have big shoes to fill.

The post Asmussen’s Next Target: Juan Suarez appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Fasig-Tipton Marks 100 Years in Saratoga

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearlings Sale, swept away by the pandemic last summer, marks its 100th anniversary when bidding on the two-day boutique auction starts Monday evening at 6:30 p.m. in the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion.

“We are thrilled to be back,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said while overseeing action at the sales barns on a brilliantly sunny Sunday morning in upstate New York. “It's wonderful to be here and to feel the excitement and the energy on the sales grounds. And there is that same energy and excitement on the racetrack and on the backside and when you walk around town. People feel so upbeat and positive. There is a bounce in their steps. I think the year's absence has made us all appreciate Saratoga even more.”

While uncertainty kept much of the market in check in 2020, Browning said he is expecting plenty of competition this week in Saratoga.

“There are a lot of positive things happening in our business right now,” he said. “People feel good about the economy and the racing industry and there is vibrancy which I think is pervasive now.

He continued, “I think there was certainly some scale back at the top of the market last year–I think there was less competition for the really expensive horses overall. Lack of certainty in any aspect of life is tough and I think last year people didn't know how long the pandemic was going to go on and what was going to be the outcome. I think that psychologically changed some buying habits or limits. I think the top end was compressed last year and I would expect it to be more vibrant this year. To me, the top end is $500,000 and up. I don't think we are going to see the return of crazy, expensive yearlings, but I think there will be increased competition at the upper level of the market this year.”

Consignors were kept busy at the sales barns Sunday, with a strong contingent of pinhookers making the rounds alongside trainers and end-users.

“I think everybody is delighted to be back,” said Hunter Valley Farm's Adrian Regan. “There is a great buzz around the place. The action at the barn has been good. It was steady yesterday and very busy today. As usual, Fasig has done a great job creating the atmosphere and attracting the people. So we are very hopeful of a good sale.”

The Saratoga sale comes on the heels of an exciting weekend of racing at the track across the street and the energy permeates throughout the town.

“I think there are a lot of people around town and I think everybody is happy to be back here,” said Paramount Sales' Gabriel Duignan. “The racing is very good at the moment. The town seems to be hopping and it's been very busy here at the sales grounds. I am optimistic it will be a good sale–everything is pretty healthy in our business at the moment. The 2-year-old game was good, the racing is good. So I am optimistic.”

With travel between countries still difficult because of the ongoing pandemic, foreign participation will likely be lighter than in recent years, according to Browning.

“There is a reasonable representation of foreign buyers here,” Browning said. “There are still some restrictions, both getting into the United States and returning to some countries. The Japanese have a really hard time going back to Japan. And certainly there are some initial barriers for folks coming from Europe. We've been able to work with various representatives to accommodate some travel requests. But I would expect less international participation than we have had in recent years–obviously not 2020–but the North American buyer bench will be very, very strong and very enthusiastic.”

Fasig-Tipton will again be offering internet bidding for buyers unable to make it to the auction and, already positioning itself for the next 100 years, is unveiling an option to buy horses with cryptocurrency.

“It will be interesting to see what happens,” Browning said of the company's first foray into cryptocurrency. “I don't think it will dramatically change the impact of this sale or the immediate future. But we are always open to new ideas. We should be forward looking. I think if a lot of people before us hadn't been innovative and creative, this company wouldn't be here for 100 years. I think we have a responsibility to position the company moving forward to be successful. Not everything you try is going to be successful, but you certainly have to be looking for new ideas and new ways to attract new people to the business. And we think this is a possibility, so we are going to see where it goes. We are not going to measure success based solely on the activity of this one sale. That's certainly not our intent.”

Of overseeing the Saratoga sale's centenary celebration, Browning said, “It feels like an awesome responsibility. There is a lot of pride. I am proud of the way we do business. And I think we continue, as the organization has done for a long time, to provide a high level of customer service. We are going to strive to do that and do an even better job of it when possible. It's an honor, but it's also a responsibility to make sure you position the company, not only for the company's success, but there is a responsibility to the industry as well.

“I have believed for years that there is no better place in the world to introduce people to Thoroughbred racing and Thoroughbred sales than Saratoga,” Browning said. “If somebody is interested in the business and they can't come here and enjoy the experience and get an adrenaline rush, whether it be at the racetrack or the sales grounds, then this game is probably not for them. So we have a responsibility to the industry to continue to make this place–and this place is Saratoga in its totality, with the racetrack and with us and with the local community–to take this opportunity to let people see the passion and the enthusiasm that we have for what we do in our sport. And we take that seriously because we love it.”

At the 2019 sale, four horses sold for seven figures, with a pair of colts by Curlin sharing top price of $1.5 million A total of 135 yearlings sold in 2019 for $55,547,000. The average was $411,459 and the median was $350,000.

A total of 210 yearlings have been catalogued for this year's Saratoga sale, which will be held Monday and Tuesday evenings with bidding beginning each day at 6:30 p.m.

The post Fasig-Tipton Marks 100 Years in Saratoga appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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