Hollie Doyle delivers grand success on-board favourite Nashwa in the Goodwood Nassau Stakes
John Gosden showered praise on Hollie Doyle after she swooped on Nashwa to land her second Group One race of the season in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.
Month: July 2022
Contents of Arlington Up for Online Auction
The first items in a massive online-only auction of the contents of Arlington International Racecourse have been listed for bidding.
The sales process, which is scheduled to take place over the next few months in up to 15 separate “events” grouped by asset type, is beginning with food-service and kitchen items.
The coveted big-ticket racing-related offerings–marker poles, finish lines, signage, artworks, and even starting gates–will be among the last batches of items to be sold.
“We're going to be targeting nostalgia and memorabilia items mid-September,” said Judd Grafe, who runs the Minnesota-based Grafe Auction Company, in a Thursday phone interview.
“I don't have a date for the memorabilia yet. My team is on site. We're actually physically photographing and creating catalogues, and we will update the website weekly with times and dates of upcoming sales,” Grafe said.
Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), the gaming corporation that previously shuttered Hollywood Park and Calder Race Course, is in the process of completing a $197-million sale of the 326-acre Arlington property to the Chicago Bears football team. Arlington's final races under the CDI regime were last September.
When CDI issued a proposal request seeking an auctioneer back in February, it listed the likely revenue from the complete sale of the track's contents at approximately $2.5 million.
Although organizing a sale of such magnitude seems like a difficult endeavor from a “Where do you start?” perspective, Grafe's family has been in the auction business for more than 60 years and has liquidated the contents of numerous large facilities, like resort hotels and even a drag-racing auto track. But never a horse track.
“How do you eat a big apple? One bite at a time,” Grafe said. “We are literally eating our first bite and getting everybody introduced to the process.”
Still, the behind-the-scenes prep work is largely the same, regardless of the venue, Grafe said. The initial goal is to clear space by selling large, cumbersome pieces of equipment. Then they work towards memorabilia items, and eventually office equipment.
“I don't want to over-simplify it, but It's a bit like Sesame Street,” Grafe said, referring to how his team organizes assets by class, size and use.
All bidding will take place online.
A catalogued item will enter an online sales ring according to a posted schedule. If that item receives active bidding within 20 seconds, a timer will reset for 20 seconds and keep resetting until there are no active bids on the item. Then the bidding for that item will close, deeming that item sold, and the next consecutive item will enter the ring. Grafe explained there will be a way for bidders to place limits on what they might bid in case they can't remain in front of the computer screen for the duration of the auction.
In-person preview days at Arlington will also be scheduled.
“And an important note, because everybody will hope that they can come to the preview and just wander around the building: That's just not going to be possible. One, it's not safe, and two it's not secure. But people will be able to come in and look at the items that will be sold the next day,” Grafe said.
The question everyone has been asking Grafe is whether or not Arlington's iconic “Against All Odds” bronze sculpture featuring John Henry and The Bart will be among the artwork sold by CDI.
“I don't know. I have yet to be told about the Arlington bronzes. I believe the ownership is deciding whether they should be moved to a different [CDI] location or if they should be offered. As soon as ownership lets us know, we'll create a catalogue and tell the world,” Grafe said.
Grafe admitted that Chicago's once-grand Thoroughbred showcase has a bit of a spooky vibe considering how the building is full of history but now sits empty.
“As a professional who works with large facilities–we've done shopping malls and the Minnesota Vikings stadium when it was rebuilt–I'm relatively familiar with walking through empty buildings. It's always a little eerie,” Grafe said.
Grafe explained how the presence of auctioneers cataloguing a beloved civic entity can sometimes arouse feelings of sadness in the people who once enjoyed that venue in its heyday, and his team tries to respect those public sentiments.
“Part of what we do as auctioneers is a natural function of society, a part of any life cycle, whether it's personal or business,” Grafe said. “With any large property, the community always has a level of history when those properties get transformed into something new.
“So for us, it's cool to respect and memorialize the history and the past at Arlington, and we hope people look for the good in this event. That's what we do as professionals. It's an honor to be here, and an honor to represent the history,” Grafe said.
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‘Back On Track’: Kimari Headed To Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint
Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, Westerberg and Jonathan Poulin's Kimari secured a stakes victory for the fourth straight year when capturing Wednesday's Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss at Saratoga Race Course.
The 5-year-old daughter of Munnings earned a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure for her closing half-length victory over Frank's Rockette for trainer Wesley Ward. The triumph was a sixth overall stakes win for Kimari, and second at the graded level. Last year, she captured the seven-furlong Grade 1 Madison at Keeneland, defeating graded stakes-winner Estilo Talentoso and Grade 1-winner Bell's the One.
A dual-surface stakes winner, Kimari captured the Bolton Landing over the Saratoga turf in August 2019 following a narrow second in the Group 2 Queen Mary at Royal Ascot. She returned to Royal Ascot the following year, finishing second in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup.
Kimari will likely return to Keeneland for her next start, which Ward said would take place in the Grade 2, $350,000 Thoroughbred Club of America on October 8 with the ultimate goal being the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on November 5 going seven furlongs over the same surface.
“I just wanted her to get back on track and now we'll get her back to our home track at Keeneland,” Ward said. “She'll have around 60 days until the next one and that will lead her right into the Breeders' Cup.”
Ward said seven-furlongs is with Kimari's scope when racing at Keeneland.
“I think she's a little vulnerable at seven [furlongs], and she can get to seven at her home track, but anywhere else might be a bit of a stretch. She ran such a big race, we kind of want to give her a little bit of extra time,” Ward said.
Lightly raced for a mare her age, Kimari boasts a consistent lifetime record of 15-8-2-2 and earnings of $981,327.
“She's a very tranquil filly, but she's had some problems that have kept her from starting as much,” Ward said. “This is where you want them heading right into the fall. The big dance is coming up.”
Bred in Kentucky by China Horse Club, Kimari is out of the graded stakes-winning Cozzene mare Cozze Up Lady. Initially owned by Ten Broeck Farm, Kimari was purchased by Coolmore's M.V. Magnier for $2.7 million at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November Breeding Stock Sale following a seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeder's Cup Sprint at Del Mar.
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Fearless ‘All Heart’ To Deny Lone Rock In Thursday’s Birdstone Marathon
The dirt marathon division appears to have a new leader as Repole Stable's Fearless bested defending race winner and notable dirt stayer Lone Rock in Thursday's 12th running of the $200,000 Birdstone at Saratoga Race Course.
Fearless, trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, was a last out winner of the Grade 2 Brooklyn going 12 furlongs at Belmont Park, where Lone Rock finished third. The 6-year-old son of Ghostzapper persevered to the wire on Thursday, capturing the 1 3/4-mile test by three-quarters of a length and earned his third stakes triumph this year.
Breaking sharply from his inside post, Fearless took back to third as Lone Rock flashed his usual frontrunning style with Shooger Ray Too just to his outside in second through a quarter-mile in 24.94 seconds and a half-mile in 50.06 over the good and harrowed main track.
As the compact field passed the stands for the first time, Original Intent appeared keen to join the top flight of runners and matched strides with Lone Rock and Shooger Ray Too. Fearless, who angled a path wide, took to the rear with stablemate Portos to his inside. With not even two full lengths covering the field, Lone Rock maintained a narrow advantage through three-quarters in 1:15.40.
Shooger Ray Too dropped out of contention down the backstretch with Original Intent moving right up to even terms with Lone Rock through 1 1/4 miles in 2:06.14 as Fearless advanced into third under an all-out drive from Saez from 1 1/2 lengths off the pace.
Rounding the far turn, Lone Rock was 1 1/2 lengths in front of Original Intent, with both horses drifting out approaching the quarter-pole. With the inside wide open, Fearless wasted no time pursuing the front as Lone Rock attempted to keep him and Original Intent, to his outside, at bay. As Lone Rock's lead dwindled, Fearless captured command passing the eighth pole and drew off to victory in a final time of 2:59.88.
Original Intent finished one length ahead of Lone Rock, who rounded out the trifecta. Portos and Shooger Ray Too completed the order of finish.
Pletcher, who has won 6-of-12 editions of the Birdstone, admitted he was concerned when the field passed the grandstand for the first time.
“It didn't seem like he was loving the track. He was off the bridle pretty early for him,” said Pletcher, who collaborated with Repole to win the Birdstone with Micromanage [2014] and Moretti [2020]. “I was worried until he made a little spurt down the backside where he picked up a couple lengths and I thought maybe we were OK, but then he came off the bridle again. Luis just stayed with him – a really courageous effort for a horse that I don't really think was loving the going out there.”
Saez also said there were some anxious moments for Fearless.
“At one point when we hit the half-mile, I thought it was over. But we cut the corner and he switched leads and gave me another gear,” Saez said. “It was great and he came on time. His style is to be in the clear and he doesn't like to be squeezed in the middle of horses, so when I saw everyone was stopping front of me. I saw [Lone Rock] was supposed to be on the rail, so I went back in and cut the corner. It was a great finish. He always tries hard.”
The consistent Fearless now boasts a ledger of 17-8-6-1 and has not finished worse than third in his past 11 starts, dating to a victory in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile in February 2021. The well-traveled 6-year-old gelding captured his sire's Grade 3 namesake race at Gulfstream Park two starts prior to the Brooklyn. He has now won or placed at stakes level over five different racetracks.
“You have to give him credit. That win was all heart,” Pletcher said. “Luis never gave up on him. It was a good ride from him to stay with him and keep asking.”
Banking $110,000 in victory, Fearless boosted his lifetime earnings to $1,236,450. He returned $3.90 for a $2 win wager as the post-time favorite.
Runner-up Original Intent, trained by Bentley Combs, entered the Birdstone unbeaten in two starts at the grueling 14-furlong distance, and jockey Joel Rosario said he rode the horse like one that can handle the long trip.
“Everybody's going the long way and the strategy is if the horse can take the distance,” Rosario said. “He did everything right. With the humidity and the weather in these long races, they're definitely going to get tired at the end, but they hung in there and it was a good race.”
Gallant in defeat, Lone Rock's trainer Robertino Diodoro said his 16-time winner and earner of over $1.3 million didn't get the trip he was hoping for.
“He put the five [Shooger Ray Too] away and as soon as he put him away, the three [Original Intent] was on him, so he never really got a breather. He tried, but going a mile and three quarters he needs a breather,” Diodoro said.
Claimed for $40,000 by Diodoro in November 2020, Lone Rock has won nine races for his current trainer, seven at stakes level.
“He's awesome and a one-of-a-kind horse for a $40,000 claim,” Diodoro said. “I'm not disappointed in him. He tried and had to do all the dirty work today. We'll give him a little time and think about [a next start] in a week or so.”
Live racing resumes on Friday at Saratoga with a 10-race card, featuring the nine-furlong $135,000 Curlin in Race 7. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.
Saratoga Live will present daily coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.
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