Horse Racing News | Horse Racing Free Tips

Ghostzapper Colt Tops Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December Mixed, Horses of Racing Age Sale

A weanling colt by Ghostzapper topped a variety of offerings at the 2023 Midlantic December Mixed and Horses of Racing Age sale, held Tuesday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Md. The sale's top five hips included two weanlings, a broodmare prospect, and in-foal mare, and a horse of racing age.

A late May colt by Ghostzapper (Hip 29) topped the sale when sold for $82,000 to Machmer Hall from the consignment of Northview Stallion Station (David Wade), agent. The bay colt is first foal out of the unraced Exaggerator mare Dance All Day, a half-sister to graded stakes placed Queen's Plate winner Safe Conduct and to Dancing Duchess, a two-year-old stakes winner this year. Hip 29 hails from the immediate family of Canadian Horses of the Year Fatal Bullet and Pink Lloyd and was bred in Maryland by Owen Kiernan.

Truancy (Hip 127) was the sale's top broodmare prospect, sold for $55,000 to Country Life Farm, agent, from the consignment of Bill Reightler, agent. A two-time winner by Run Away and Hide out of the stakes winning Successful Appeal mare Successfully Sweet, Truancy is a half-sister four other winners, including graded stakes winner Confrontation and stakes placed Catch a Thrill. The 4-year-old filly hails from the immediate family of Grade 1 winner Mo Town.

Abracadabra (Hip 2), in foal to Practical Joke, sold for $52,000 to Cash Is King from the consignment of Northview Stallion Station (David Wade), agent for James F. Thames (Horse Play Racing). A winning daughter of Speightstown, the sale's top broodmare has already produced one winner from two foals of racing age; her two-year-old of this year has not yet started. Abracadabra is one of five winners out of the winning Ghostzapper mare Wicked Charm, who also produced graded stakes winner Bobby's Wicked One and graded stakes placed Wicked Fast. She hails from the immediate family of champion and multiple Grade 1 winner English Channel.

The top-priced horse of racing age was Paynter's Prodigy (Hip 200), sold for $40,000 to Flatbird Stable from the consignment of Marshall W. Silverman, agent. A 2-year-old son of Paynter, Paynter's Prodigy was a winner on November 11 at Laurel Park in his debut and only start to date. Out of the unraced Midnight Lute mare English Chocolate, Paynter's Prodigy is a half-brother to Kupp, a four-time winner this year of nearly $150,000. He hails from the immediate family of Grade 1 winners Manistique and Unbridled Command.

Overall, 148 offerings changed hands for $1,518,000. The RNA rate was 21%.

Full results are available online.

The post Ghostzapper Colt Tops Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December Mixed, Horses of Racing Age Sale appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

2024 Charity Calendar Honors Secretariat’s Daughter Secrettame

There's big news with the release of the 2024 Secretariat's Legacy calendar, which celebrates Secretariat's daughter Secrettame and her notable descendants. While it's the seventh calendar in a series that has already raised more than $33,000 for equine charities through six editions, it's the first one with The Secretariat Center as the primary beneficiary.

“I've always wanted to work with The Secretariat Center, the only aftercare organization carrying the Triple Crown winner's name,” says writer/photographer Patricia McQueen, whose creative project is part of her research work on Secretariat as a sire. Her book Secretariat's Legacy was published in earlier this year. “With this calendar series likely winding down soon, it was important to make the change now. I'm thrilled that the previous calendars raised considerable funds for Bright Futures Farm, Old Friends, LongRun Thoroughbred Retirement Society, and Victory Alliance Ranch, all very worthy organizations.” Old Friends returns as a beneficiary of the 2024 edition along with The Secretariat Center.

“The Secretariat Center believes all horses deserve care, kindness and a purpose beyond the racetrack, and the Secretariat's Legacy calendar is such a fun way to remember all that Secretariat has done, and continues to do, for the racing industry,” adds Shelley Mann, Executive Director of The Secretariat Center. “We look forward to celebrating his legacy with his fans, both old and new. Thank you to Patricia for generously supporting horses, as they transition into loving homes, through proceeds from her beautiful calendars.”

The calendar series started in 2018 with the Living Legends theme honoring the last living Secretariats, and then transitioned to descendants of Secretariat's important broodmares in 2022. “I owe big thanks to all the racing fans – especially Secretariat fans – who have supported both the Living Legends and Secretariat's Legacy series,” says McQueen. “Their loyalty has been remarkable, and they know that every dollar of profit has gone to the supported equine charities.”

The 2024 calendar is all about Secrettame, and her important descendants included in the calendar are:

Gone West, her grade 1-winning son who became an important sire;
Lion Cavern, another graded stakes-winning son;
Elusive Quality, Gone West's record-setting son who was also a leading sire;
Speightstown, a champion son of Gone West who has been a consistent sire of top horses for two decades;
Da Hoss, Gone West's two-time Breeders' Cup Mile winner;
Came Home, a son of Gone West who was one of the best runners of his generation;
Quality Road, Elusive Quality's son who is a strong carrier of the Gone West line today;
Smarty Jones, a champion son of Elusive Quality;
Union Rags, a Belmont Stakes winner out of a Gone West mare; and
Authentic, the only Horse of the Year descendant of Gone West to date.

As in previous calendars, the Tony Leonard Collection continues to generously support the series with a beautiful photo of Secretariat and Ron Turcotte after the Kentucky Derby. Mr. Turcotte has generously autographed a limited number of calendars to help raise even more funds.

The new calendars are available for $22 each, plus shipping, at www.SecretariatCalendar.com, which links directly to The Secretariat Center's online store offering other products benefiting the Center.

The post 2024 Charity Calendar Honors Secretariat’s Daughter Secrettame appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

P. Val Eyeing Comeback

He's 61, hasn't ridden since 2016 and recently had a knee replaced. For most, this would be the time to enjoy retirement and look back on a career that carried him to the heights of his profession. But Pat Valenzuela doesn't see it that way. He's been working horses at Del Mar and Santa Anita, says he feels good and is seriously contemplating making a comeback.

“I'm a little heavy now, so I don't know if I'll be able to do the weight,” he said. “But I'm sure going to try. I'll ride somewhere, whether it's in New Mexico, Louisiana, wherever. I'll give it my best shot.”

Valenzuela last rode on Dec. 8, 2016 at Fair Grounds. He then tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and after surgery he still didn't feel right.

“The surgery came out ok, but there was still a lot of pain and it kept bothering me over the last four, five years,” he said.

He would try to get back on horses but the pain kept resurfacing.

“Last year, I was getting on horses for Neil Drysdale and I couldn't take the pain anymore. I couldn't tolerate it,” he said.

Knowing that he had to try something different to combat the pain, he decided to have his knee replaced, which took place in May.

He returned to the track after the operation and worked as a hotwalker for trainer Antonio Saavedra. Each day, his knee started to feel a little better.

“It feels really good. I can't believe how good it feels,” he said. “There's no pain. Before it was painful to get on any horses. It's not like I have a brand-new knee, but it's a lot better than it was.”

He took the next step and started galloping horses at Santa Anita and Del Mar. In addition to Saavedra, he said he has been working horses for several trainers, including Peter Eurton and Peter Miller.

“I'm getting a good response,” Valenzuela said. “I'm just grateful to be able to get on any horses. Most everybody has been encouraging. I'm not hearing anything negative from anybody. I'm just trying to keep it simple and moving forward. As far as the physical fitness part of it, I think it'll will take me another month to 45 days to get ready. The weight is the most important thing. When you get older it's harder to lose weight. I weigh 128 now. I am working hard and eating light meals. Usually one meal a day. Just trying to stay away from fats and saturated fats.”

Valenzuela, whose career was repeatedly interrupted by substance abuse issues, said those problems are a thing of the past and have had nothing to do with his prolonged absence from the track.

Should he make it back, he'll have to answer a lot of questions, namely can a 61-year-old who hasn't ridden in more than seven years overcome all those obstacles and be successful?

“We'll have to see,” he said. “I will give it my best shot. I feel really good. I feel like I'm in a La-Z-Boy with a remote control when I'm on a horse. I feel like I'm at home. Who knows? I might be better. Gary Stevens came back after having a knee replacement and look how good he did. I don't think the age will matter that much. I think it will be more about physical fitness and the horses I get to ride.”

While eager to ride again, Valenzuela is not taking anything for granted. Considering his age, his lengthy absence and his checkered past, he understands that some racing commissions may have reservations about re-licensing him. He said his preference is to ride in California, but if that opportunity isn't available to him he will look elsewhere.

“I've ridden all over the country but I'd love to start back in my home state in California,” he said. “That would be the ultimate. But if I can't ride in California I'll ride anywhere I can. Maybe Louisiana or New Mexico. I know I can still get a horse to the wire.”

The post P. Val Eyeing Comeback appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Ghostzapper Weanling Tops Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale

A weanling colt by Ghostzapper (hip 29) brought the top price of the Fasig-Tipton December Mixed Sale Tuesday in Timonium when selling for $82,000 to Machmer Hall. The bay colt, bred in Maryland by Owen Kiernan and consigned by Northview Stallion Station, is the first foal out of the unraced Dance All Day (Exaggerator). The mare is a half-sister to 2021 Queen's Plate winner Safe Conduct (Bodemeister) and to stakes winner Dancing Duchess (Munnings). She RNA'd for $21,000 with this foal in utero at the 2023 Keeneland January sale. The weanling's third dam, Sararegal (Regal Classic), is the dam of Canadian champion Fatal Bullet.

During the one-session auction, 148 horses sold for $1,518,100. The average was $10,257 and the median was $5,000. With 39 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 20.9%.

A year ago, 172 horses grossed $3,233,600 for an average of $18,800 and a median of $10,000. The buy-back rate was 24.6%.

The post Ghostzapper Weanling Tops Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post