NYRA officials scratched a pair of horses from the third race at Saratoga Friday because their last start, the GIII Robert G. Dick Memorial S. at Delaware, has seen four horses encounter problems in their next starts back. The Daily Racing Formwas the first to report the story.
Both of the top two finishers, winner Sopran Basilea (Night of Thunder {Ire}) and runner up Ever Summer (Summer Front) suffered fatal injuries over the Saratoga turf in the last week. Sopran Basilea finished fourth in the GII Glens Falls S. Aug. 3 but injured her left foreleg on the gallop out and was humanely euthanized. Ever Summer sustained her injury in an allowance race Aug. 6 which also saw Frivole (Fr) (Anodin {Ire}), the last-place finisher in the Robert Dick, get pulled up after a misstep early in the race. Delaware's fourth-place runner, Talbeyah (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) was a vet scratch out of that same allowance race the morning of Aug. 6.
The two scratched runners affected Friday, Parnac (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) and Lady Rockstar (GB) (Frankel {GB}) were both reported to be fine.
“Of the seven starters exiting the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park [7/1/23], two have suffered fatal injuries at Saratoga Race Course during the 2023 summer meet, one was eased and vanned off, and another was scratched out of a race at Saratoga based on the recommendation of the NYRA veterinarian,” said NYRA Vice President of Communications Patrick McKenna. “This highly unusual confluence cannot be ignored, which is why NYRA asked the trainers of Lady Rockstar and Parnac, the respective third and fifth-place finishers in the Robert G. Dick, to scratch from Race 3 today to allow for additional information to be gathered. To that end, PET scans will be performed on Lady Rockstar and Parnac at clinics chosen by their respective connections. The results will be evaluated by NYRA regulatory veterinarians and New York State Equine Medical Director Dr. Scott Palmer.”
“Should the PET scans and further examinations reveal nothing out of the ordinary, then those horses will be permitted to enter races during the summer meet,” McKenna continued. “While we understand this decision may be frustrating to the connections of Lady Rockstar and Parnac, the application of an extra level of scrutiny is appropriate in this instance. The health and safety of horses and jockeys competing at NYRA tracks is paramount. NYRA will apply the same requirements to all horses who started in the Robert G. Dick. NYRA will cover all costs associated with the PET scans.”
The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale might not feature the largest catalog of the major North American auctions, but for weanling-to-yearling pinhookers, making the book in upstate New York can mean a big payday.
The fireworks in Saratoga led to some major shifts in the Pinhook Power Rankings, including a new sire occupying the top spot after a near seven-figure return on investment.
Stallions in the pinhook power rankings will be measured by two factors:
1) Gross revenue from every pinhooked yearling by a sire during the 2023 major sale season over the combined purchase price of those horses during the weanling/short yearling season of fall 2022/winter 2023. Because pinhooks comprise a smaller percentage of the yearling market's total offerings, compared with yearling-to-juvenile pinhooks, there is no minimum number of horses sold to qualify for the list.
2) Percent change of gross yearling sales over combined weanling/short yearling purchase price. If a horse sells for $10,000 as a weanling and brings $200,000 as a yearling, that's a 1,900 percent improvement. If a $200,000 yearling goes on to sell for $390,000, that's a 95 percent improvement. Both net you $190,000, but the entry point and expectations are very different.
Stallions are ranked in each category, and their combined ranks are totaled into a combined score. The lower the score, the better the horse is performing.
Let's get a look at those rankings…
#1 – Tapit, Gainesway
Tapit at Gainesway Farm 8.14.14
A seven figure horse can do a lot for a stallion in these rankings, and Tapit proved that with authority during the second session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale when a colt purchased as a weanling for $275,000 sold to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm for $1.2 million.
You can read more about that transaction, and the weanling-to-yearling pinhook operation of Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds here.
The transaction marked a gross revenue of $925,000, which by itself put Tapit on top among sires with pinhooks in that category. It also marked a 336.36 percent increase, which put him third.
The colt, offered as Hip 129 from the consignment of Taylor Made Sales Agency, is out of the winning Tiznow mare Plenty O'Toole, whose three winners from five foals to race include multiple Grade 3 winner Mr. Money and stakes-placed Tiz Plenty. He hails from the family of Grade 1 winners Well Armed, American Patriot, and Cyberknife.
Tapit has been a pantheon-level commercial sire for a decade, and the Saratoga sale has been his playground for just as long. This colt was one of his two seven-figure yearlings at this year's renewal, and his notable Saratoga sale alumni include Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit, who sold for $1.2 million in 2015.
Expectations were sky-high for Authentic's debut yearlings after buyers made him last year's leading first-crop sire of weanlings by both average ($242,692) and median sale prices ($230,000). Both figures put him in the top 10 among all North American weanling sires in those respective categories last season.
Pinhook buyers have been rewarded nicely for investing early in the 2020 Horse of the Year, with two offerings selling as weanlings for a combined $410,000, then selling as yearlings for $1,125,000. The difference of $715,000 was third-best among pinhook sires, while the 174.39 percent rise was 12th highest in the class.
Both of Authentic's pinhooked yearlings thus far came at the Saratoga sale, led by Hip 139, a filly who commanded $260,000 from Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds as a weanling, then sold to BC Stables for $800,000 in Saratoga.
Consigned by Summerfield, agent, the filly is out of the placed Hard Spun mare Rebelle, from the family of Broodmare of the Year Stage Magic, who produced Triple Crown winner Justify and Grade 3 winner The Lieutenant.
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The Fasig-Tipton July sale is a big momentum-setter for first-crop sires, and rookie Thousand Words was one of the early standouts at this year's renewal.
Thousand Words' lone pinhooked yearling started as a $65,000 weanling purchase by Stella Stables at last year's Fasig-Tipton November Sale, and he sold to Stanley Stables for $250,000 at this year's July sale. He ranked 15th by gross and fourth by percent gains, at $185,000 and 284.62 percent, respectively.
Offered as Hip 351, the filly is out of Grade 3-placed Maria's Mon mare Izshelegal, and she was consigned at the July Sale by Gainesway, agent.
Thousand Words, a Grade 2-winning son of Pioneerof the Nile, was himself a $1-million yearling during his own time in the sales ring, offering a positive bit of past performance when projecting the fortunes of his foals at auction.
He's had two pinhooked yearlings change hands this season, with gross gains of $280,000 (13th place) and percentage gains of 214.43 percent (sixth)
Among them was a colt who was a $20,000 short yearling secured by Cece Stables at this year's Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, before selling to Legion Bloodstock, agent, for $130,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale.
Consigned by Gainesway, agent, the colt offered as Hip 149 is the first foal out of the unraced Giant's Causeway mare Pipistrella, from the family of champion High Chaparral.
Omaha Beach has proven a versatile sire with his first crop of runners in the early months of their juvenile season, getting stakes-placed runners on both dirt and turf. His runners figure to get better as time rolls on, and it appears he has managed to maintain the attention of the marketplace while those early runners do the work to prove out their sire.
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#5 – Good Magic, Hill 'n' Dale Farms
Good Magic
What a 2023 it's been for Good Magic, who was represented by a Kentucky Derby winner from his first crop in Mage before nearly taking the Preakness Stakes with Blazing Sevens. It was a near-certainty that buyers would pounce on the Good Magics when the yearling season came around, and investors in his young stock would be rewarded for their perfect timing.
Good Magic has had five pinhooked yearlings through the first two major North American sales for a total of $1.97 million off an initial investment of $659,000. The gross increase of $1,311,000 was the greatest season-to-season jump by any qualifying stallion thus far, and he had the ninth-highest gain by percentage at 198.94 percent.
The most dramatic jump among the pinhooked Good Magics came from Hip 175 of the July sale, a colt who sold as a weanling to Three Counties Bloodstock for $49,000 at last year's Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale and later sold to Boardshorts Stables for $370,000. The first foal out of the winning Carpe Diem mare Scolding, the colt was consigned at the July Sale by Blandford Stud, agent.
The Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association Summer Sale, which will be held Tuesday, Aug. 22, began at Longacres in 1968. The WTBOA Sales Pavilion, located at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Wash., has been its home since 1998. As of today's date, 77 yearlings, one 2-year-old and 17 broodmares will be up for bid.
The August auction will commence at 1 p.m. and is led by a trip to the 2023 Breeders' Cup World Championships in Santa Anita (Hip 1A). Proceeds will benefit the benevolence of Washington Thoroughbred Foundation.
Past sale graduates have also been impressing race fans up and down the West Coast and at Monmouth, Laurel and Canterbury parks.
Ship Cadet – an impressive Belmont maiden special weight winner in his first start, was next runner-up in both the Tremont and Tyro stakes.
On Aug. 10, the 2022 sale topper Impeachalot made his first start. From the first North American crop of top international sire Sir Prancealot (Ire), he is his sire's second Del Mar maiden special weight winner in the last two weeks. Both of the colts – their sire's first two starters – took their initial outings by over three lengths. Impeachalot is half-brother to 3-time stakes winner Slack Tide. Their half-brother by Outwork is in this year's catalog.
Multiple Maryland allowance winner Zabracadabra (Harbor the Gold) has increased his lifetime totals to over $360,000 with the addition of his $154,000 2023 earnings; and former Washington horse of the year Bodenheimer (Atta Boy Roy) is unbeaten in three quick turf sprints this season, pushing his total to $262,075.
Just a week ago, 2-year-old Freightline (Coast Guard) scored an impressive 3 1/4-length victory in the $65,000 WTBOA Lads Stakes. His half-sister is being offered this year. She is one of five yearlings from the first crop of the sensational Grade 3 Longacres Mile winner Barkley, a son of the impressive Munnings. Another in Barkley's pivotal first crop is a half-brother to state juvenile champion Dutton.
Coast Guard, who has led the Washington juvenile sire rankings in four of the last five years – including 2023 – has eight yearlings in the sale, led by a full brother to state champion Coastal Kid.
Though not a WTBOA Sale graduate, 2-year-old Yo Yo Candy won the July 15 G3 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga by 2 1/4 lengths. A full brother to the $141,250 earner is being offered. Both are sons of G2 San Felipe Stakes winner Danzing Candy and out of the graded stakes mare Yolanda B Too.
Conveyance – the leading Washington sire of 2021, 2022, and the current leader of 2023 – is represented by a dozen yearlings in his first Washington crop, including a half-sister to Washington champion Cobra Jet, and a half-brother to Washington champions Elliott Bay and Pyscho Sister. The graded stakes-winning son of Indian Charlie has sired the earners of nearly $4-million from just 67 starters who average $59,469 in earnings.
WTBOA star graduate Smiling Tiger has five yearlings in the sale, led by a half-brother to 2022 Washington Horse of the Year Slew's Tiz Whiz.
The sale also features five yearlings from the last crop of perennial leading Pacific Northwest sire Harbor the Gold. The all-time leading sire at Emerald Downs, with 30 state champions among his 47 stakes winners, his offspring have topped four previous WTBOA summer sales.
Also cataloged is a half-sister to Longacres Mile winner Gold Rush Dancer sired by G1 Carter Handicap winner Warrior's Reward; and a Dynamic Impact half-brother to Washington Horse of the Year Mach One Rules.
Other top sires represented include Grazen (California's 2023 leading sire), Tapiture, Collected, Dialed In, Sky Mesa, Speightster, Stanford, Vronsky and Paynter.
Grade 1 winners Bodexpress, Higher Power and Tom's d'Etat are represented by yearlings in their initial crops.
Other exciting prospects include a filly from freshman sire Om who is a half-sister to Washington champion Miss Prospector; and a half-sister to juvenile filly champion Koron sired by Grade 1 winner Hit It a Bomb.
Washington champion racemare No Talking Back – a fourth generation Washington champion racemare – is represented by her first foal, a colt by G1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner Brody's Cause.
Daughters of Awesome Again, English Channel, Fusaichi Pegasus, Ghostzapper, Grazen, Songandaprayer, Southern Image, Stormy Atlantic, Street Sense and Unusual Heat are among the broodmares offered this year. They are carrying foals by Bodexpress, Dads Caps, Jess Mo, One Bad Boy and Tap Back.
