September, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

$125,000 Lord Nelson Filly Tops Penultimate Session Of Keeneland September Sale

Michael Wallace, agent for St. Elias Stables, paid $125,000 for a filly by Lord Nelson, who is a full sister to 2022 Grade 2 Saratoga Special third-place finisher Super Chow, to lead Friday's 11th of 12 sessions of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Consigned by Legacy Bloodstock, agent for Spendthrift Farm, the filly is out of Bonita Mia, by Warrior's Reward. She is from the family of Grade/Group 1 winners Miss Match, Carina Mia and Miss Linda (ARG).

With the purchase, Wallace, agent for St. Elias, was the session's leading buyer.

With one day remaining in the September Sale, a total of 2,663 yearlings have sold through the ring for $402,977,700, for an average of $151,325 and a median of $80,000. The gross is 14.22 percent higher than the total from last year's 11-day sale when 2,671 horses sold through the ring for $352,815,500. The average price is up 14.56 percent from $132,091 in 2021, while the median is 23.08 percent above $65,000 last year.

The gross of this year's sale is a record for a Keeneland auction. The mark officially was passed during Thursday's 10th day of selling.

On Friday, Keeneland recorded sales of $3,037,700 for 175 yearlings, for an average of $17,358 and a median of $15,000. The total is below the corresponding session in 2021 when 243 horses sold for $3,930,000. This year's average price increased 7.33 percent from $16,173 in 2021, while the median was 25 percent higher than $12,000 last year.

Canuck Racing Club paid $70,000 for the session's second high seller, Curlquest, a colt by Exaggerator from the family of champion Blind Luck. Consigned by Castle Park Farm (Noel Murphy), agent, he is out of I'm the Reason, by Bernardini.

A colt by Karakontie (JPN) consigned by Lane's End, agent, sold to MC Bloodstock for $62,000. Out of the winning Dansili (GB) mare Shall We (IRE), he is from the family of Group 1 winner Dolphin Street and Group 2 winner Insight (FR).

Nicola Barron purchased a colt by Mor Spirit from Elm Tree Farm (Mr. and Mrs. Jody Huckabay), agent, for $52,000. A half-brother to stakes winner Dirty Dangle, he is from the family of Grade 3 winner Pataky Kid.

Consigned by Castle Park Farm (Noel Murphy), agent, a colt by Goldencents sold to K.O.I.D. for $50,000. Out of the Tale of the Cat mare Abounding Love, he is from the family of Grade 2 winner Sweet Vendetta.

The session's leading consignor was Taylor Made Sales Agency, which sold 20 horses for $413,500.

The 12th and final session of September Sale begins Saturday at 10 a.m. ET.

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Goldstein Honored by HRWS

Jane Goldstein will be recognized with a special award at the inaugural edition of the Horse Racing Women's Summit (HRWS) at its luncheon Thursday, Sept. 29. The presentation will honor Goldstein for her role as a groundbreaking leader and inspirational example to women in racing.

A native of New Orleans, Goldstein had an early introduction to the racetrack through her father, a writer and reporter with the Times-Picayune newspaper. She attended the University of Kentucky and Louisiana State University. Following graduation, she was hired to work in the publicity department at the Fair Grounds. She later worked in the publicity departments at Laurel, Pimlico, Monmouth Park, Hialeah, and Keeneland racetracks, as well as serving on the special Kentucky Derby “notes team” at Churchill Downs from 1970 to 1976. She also wrote freelance articles for various racing publications.

In 1972, Goldstein met Alan Balch, who was then director of public relations at Santa Anita Park. In 1975, Balch hired her as assistant news director at Santa Anita, promoting her to director of publicity in 1976. The first woman in the country to head a track publicity department, she continued to run the publicity and communications arm of Santa Anita until her retirement in 1998.

“Since Jane first joined Santa Anita, what has stood out most to me is her commitment to excellence in all things, both journalistically and in the sport,” said Balch. “Her unceasingly high standards serve as an exemplar for all of us.”

In 1984, Goldstein was named the venue press chief for the equestrian sports of the Olympics Games at Santa Anita and Fairbanks Ranch. She was also the first woman to serve on the selection committee of the Thoroughbred Racing Association's Grantland Rice Memorial Scholarship at Vanderbilt University, granted to a young man or woman interested in sports journalism. In 1985 she was inducted into the Fair Grounds press box hall of fame. Goldstein currently serves as a trustee of the California Thoroughbred Foundation, a non-profit corporation dedicated to the advancement of equine research and education.

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Jumps Training Brings ‘Spark’ Back To Cross Border; Gelding Entered In Flat Race At Aqueduct Saturday

Saturday's Ashley T. Cole field is bolstered by a fan-favorite New York-bred in Three Diamonds Farm's Cross Border, who makes his first start for trainer Keri Brion. The 8-year-old English Channel gelding's claim to fame is securing back-to-back wins in the Grade 2 Bowling Green at Saratoga in 2020-21.

Cross Border brags field high earnings of $1,171,479 through a 44-11-8-5 record, but has been unplaced in five starts this season, three of which came against graded stakes company. He will seek his first triumph since December, when capturing the Prairie Bayou over the all-weather surface at Turfway Park.

Brion, who conditioned last year's Champion Steeplechaser The Mean Queen, said Cross Broder will make the transition over the jumps following Saturday's race.

“He came to me to make him a steeplechase horse. I took him after the Sword Dancer when I was up there with my jumpers,” Brion said. “We brought him back to Fair Hill and there was this race, so it seemed like a logical spot. He's taken to the jumping great, but horses can do both steeplechase and flat racing. His hurdle debut will be pushed back to later this fall and we're going to take a shot here with him. Any time you get a million-dollar earner in your barn, it's exciting.”

Brion said Cross Border could return to the Spa next year as a jumper.

“Hopefully, he can go back to Saratoga next year over hurdles,” Brion said. “He really loves the jumping. Even in general, he seems a lot more eager to train and do things. He's 8-years-old and has been doing the same thing his whole life, so it might just be enough to really spark him up again. He's doing great, he's a class old horse.”

Cross Border was bred in the Empire State by Berkshire Stud and B.D. Gibbs and is out of the Empire Maker mare Empress Josephine.

Jose Ortiz, aboard for two of his stakes victories, will reunite with Cross Border from post 4. Saturday's 35th running of the $125,000 Ashley T. Cole is for New York-breds 3-years-olds and upward going nine furlongs on the outer turf at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

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Colin Brennan Gets Fast Start at Keeneland September

Colin Brennan hit a home run with the first horse to represent his consignment during its inaugural appearance at the Keeneland September Sale when he sold a $55,000 pinhook for $100,000 during the eighth session of the sale.

Brennan purchased the Flatter filly out of stakes-placed Summer Reading (Hard Spun) at last year's Keeneland November Sale.

Before the yearling went through the ring on Tuesday, Brennan walked alongside his pinhook prospect for the long trek to the sales pavilion and discussed how he was first drawn to the filly after working with her half-sister at his father Niall's training operation.

“Dad and I pinhooked her sister Very Scary (Connect) last year and she had quite a bit of ability,” Brennan explained. “Then I saw this one at Keeneland November and she fell within our price range. She was a bit immature and narrow at the time, but looked like she had the potential to grow into a pretty filly. She has really blossomed and of course you can't go wrong with Flatter.”

Brennan was greeted by a chorus of well-wishes from fellow horsemen as the filly entered the back walking ring. The consignor has already sold at various auctions in the past two years, but he didn't deny that there is something special about offering his first horse at Keeneland September.

“We're in the big leagues now,” he said with a smile before the filly stepped into the sales ring. “It's always on a young consignor's to-do list to be able to sell at Keeneland, so this is pretty cool”

Hoping to get within a target range of $75,000 to $100,000, Brennan was more than content when the filly hit six figures and sold to Granpollo Stables. Later in the sale, Colin Brennan Bloodstock sent four additional yearlings through the ring including an Audible filly that Brennan pinhooked at Keeneland November for $35,000 and sold during Book 4 for $95,000.

Establishing a consignment of his own has been a dream come true for Brennan, who can pinpoint the exact moment when he decided he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps by making his career in racing.

Three generations of Brennans on the job | photo courtesy Colin Brennan

“I remember working the Miami Calder sale with my dad when I was 13 and I told him that this is what I wanted to do for a living,” Brennan recalled. “Growing up, it has always been a family affair. My mom [Jolane Weeks] was a large Florida breeder and we would foal out 100 to 150 head of mares each year. I grew up working a lot with her, but also at my dad's farm doing the 2-year-old sales. I learned a lot from both of them.”

After graduating from the Godolphin Flying Start program a decade later, Brennan joined Stonestreet Stables as a traveling assistant trainer for several years and then returned home to Ocala to be an assistant trainer at Niall Brennan Stables.

While working for his father, Brennan began pinhooking a few weanlings to yearlings of his own. On top of helping develop the 2-year-olds each day, he would hand walk all of his yearlings himself, often putting in over 30 miles on foot under the Florida sun every day.

“It was exhausting,” he said with an easy laugh. “There weren't enough hours in the day. Eventually when my son was born, that was the ultimate deciding factor. I had started buying more and more weanlings to yearlings and I thought that this was more of a conducive lifestyle to be with my family.”

While focusing on his own operation does allow Brennan a touch more flexibility, he said he has always been drawn to the yearlings in particular.

“I enjoy raising horses and seeing the changes that they go through,” he said. “I like being able to shape them physically and mentally and have an impact on their development. This was always something that I thought I would like to give a try, and I'm still able to go visit at Dad's and have some useful input at the 2-year-old sales.”

Brennan credits his father and Mike Ryan for the eye he has developed for scoping out future stars.

“I think of all the influences I've had, they would be the two biggest in terms of sales and selecting horses,” he explained. “It's about [looking for] an overall quality in their mindset and their demeanor. I look for an active, fluid mover that gives you a good energy. Of course you also have to understand who your end user will be and envision where they would fit in the market, but ultimately I'm looking for a big mover with a real athletic feel to them.”

With his first Keeneland September consignment under his belt, Brennan said he hopes his operation continues to grow from here.

“Long term, I would like to increase the quality,” he said. “I don't ever want to be a very large consignment. I would like to keep my numbers well under control and be able to offer quality over quantity at the major sales. I hope to be able to provide people with confidence that we've raised and prep a good horse.”

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