Horse Racing Free Tips

Grade I Producer Sophia Mia Among 10 Final Supplements Added to Keeneland January

Keeneland will begin a new year Jan. 8 with the first of four sessions of the 67th January Horses of All Ages Sale. A total of 1,477 horses–broodmares and broodmare prospects, recently turned yearlings, horses of racing age, stallions and stallion prospects–have been cataloged to the auction.

Offerings include 10 additional supplements highlighted by Sophia Mia (Pioneerof the Nile), whose first foal is recent GI Malibu S. winner Speed Boat Beach (Bayern). In foal to leading young sire Not This Time, the 9-year-old mare is consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

Each session of the January Sale will start at 10 a.m. ET. The entire auction will be livestreamed at Keeneland.com and aired on the FanDuel TV+ OTT app. FanDuel TV will have live hits throughout Book 1.

Joining Sophia Mia in the latest round of additions to the January Sale are:

Angel Nadeshiko, who won the Dec. 30 GIII Robert J. Frankel S. at Santa Anita. From the family of champion Proud Spell, the Carpe Diem mare is consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent, as a racing or broodmare prospect.

Areuhavingfunyet, a daughter of Mucho Macho Man who was runner-up in her most recent race at Churchill Downs Nov. 12. She is consigned by Lane's End, agent, as a racing or broodmare prospect.

Coastal Charm, a Ghostzapper mare whose four wins in 2023 include the Dig A Diamond S. at Oaklawn Park and the Iowa Distaff S. at Prairie Meadows. From the family of Grade II winner Alpha Kitten and two-time 2023 stakes winner Downtown Mischief, she is consigned as a broodmare prospect by Lane's End, agent.

Happy Valentine, a daughter of Runhappy who was a three-length allowance winner at Woodbine Dec. 16. She is consigned by Highgate Sales, agent, as a racing or broodmare prospect.

Juniper's Moon, a graded stakes-placed, winning daughter of Galileo (Ire) and multiple Grade I winner I'm a Chatterbox who was third in the 2023 GIII Florida Oaks. A racing or broodmare prospect, Juniper's Moon is consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

Leslie's Loot, who won the Dec. 23 Letellier Memorial S. at Fair Grounds to cap her three victories at two. By Fast Anna and from the family Grade II winner Paid Up Subscriber, she is consigned by Warrendale Sales, agent, as a racing or broodmare prospect.

Meow Meow Hiss, a filly by Creative Cause who is a half-sister to Wine Me Up, runner-up in the 2023 GI American Pharoah S. Highgate Sales, agent, consigns her as a racing or broodmare prospect.

Saddle Up Jessie, a daughter of More Than Ready whose four wins in 2023 include the Dec. 23 Carousel S. at Laurel Park. A half-sister to King's Gamble, third in the 2023 G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack S. at York in England, she is consigned by Indian Creek, agent, as a racing or broodmare prospect.

Saffron Moon, a daughter of Malibu Moon who was second in the Nov. 23 GIII Cardinal S. at Churchill. A three-time winner, she is from the family of Grade I winner Vacare. Saffron Moon is consigned by Indian Creek, agent, as a broodmare prospect.

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Palace Malice Colt Makes Stakes Debut at Kyoto

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this extended holiday weekend running at Nakayama and Kyoto Racecourses:

Saturday, January 6, 2024
4th-NKY, ¥11,850,000 ($82k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m
KITSUNENO YOMEIRI (f, 3, Justify–Aloof {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) looks to become the fifth winner from six to race from her dam, a Group 3 winner in Ireland who was purchased by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm for a sales-topping $3.9 million in foal to War Front at the 2014 Keeneland November Sale. A daughter of Group 1-winning juvenile Airwave (GB) (Air Express {Ire}), Aloof is a full-sister to SW & MGSP Keats (Ire) and SW Orator (Ire) and a half-to Broodmare of the Year Meow (Ire) (Storm Cat), the dam of champion MG1SW Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) G1SW Clemmie (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and GSW Blenheim Palace (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Aloof sold for $75,000 in foal to Olympiad at KEENOV this past fall. The cross of Justify over Galileo is responsible for undefeated G1 Dewhurst S. winner City of Troy and the additional graded/group winners Buchu and Red Riding Hood (Ire). B-Whisper Hill Farm LLC (KY)

ECORO BLADE (JPN) (c, 3, Mendelssohn–Entropia {Arg}, by Mount Nelson {GB}) is the first foal out of his G1 Criadores-winning dam, who was bred to this sire before being exported to Japan. A Mar. 6 foal, Ecoro Blade was knocked down for the equivalent of $235,606 at the JRHA Select Sale a few months later, and his now-yearling half-brother by Equinox's sire Kitasan Black (Jpn) was purchased for better than $1 million at the same event last summer. B-Grand Stud

Sunday, January 7, 2024
7th-NKY, ¥14,880,000 ($103k), Allowance, 3yo, 1800m
COSMO GIN BUCK (c, 3, Good Magic–Disposablepleasure, by Holy Bull) belied debut odds of 9-1 to graduate by a half-length going this track and distance Dec. 9 and will try to put them back-to-back here. The May foal's dam won the 2011 GII Demoiselle S., was runner-up in the GI Mother Goose S. the following season and was purchased by Big Red Farm for $35,000 carrying this colt at Keeneland November in 2020. Disposablepleasure is a half-sister to SW & GSP Romantic Hideaway (City Zip). B-Big Red Farm

Monday, January 8, 2024
11th-KYO, Shinzan Kinen-G3, ¥77.3m ($535k), 3yo, 1600mT
NOBLE ROGER (c, 3, Palace Malice–Noble Ready, by More Than Ready), a $70,000 OBS April breezer, was bet into even-money favoritism for his Nov. 12 debut going a mile over the Tokyo turf course and did not disappoint in graduating by a handy 1 3/4 lengths (see below, SC 5). Noble Ready, who was placed three times in stakes company on the turf, is a full-sister to GSW Zindaya, the dam of MGSW 'TDN Rising Star' Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and a half to Grade I winner Western Aristocrat (Mr. Greeley). Adding to the intrigue is the presence of 2023 second-leading jockey Yuga Kawada. B-Candy Meadows LLC (KY)

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Kinga Consignment a Day One Affair at Keeneland January

Nina Gueorguieva's Kinga Farm will offer seven horses at next week's Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale and the entire group will be offered during the four-day auction's first session Monday in Lexington.

“I was surprised they gave me the first day of the sale. I asked them if something went wrong,” Gueorguieva said with a laugh. “They said no, nothing is wrong.”

A native of Bulgaria, Gueorguieva first came to the U.S. in 1995 as an exchange student. She had participated in show jumping and dressage in Bulgaria and, as part of the exchange program, she was expected to work at a horse farm in Kentucky.

“I was kind of disappointed when I came to Kentucky, they didn't have any show jumpers here at that time,” Gueorguieva explained. “At that point, they only had Thoroughbreds. So since then, I have been all in Thoroughbreds. Although, I do have a couple of Standardbreds that we breed and race.”

Gueorguieva spent 20 years as manager at Considine Farm, but when the operation changed locations, it also changed the course of her career.

“I am a bird fanatic,” Gueorguieva said. “I have peacocks, I have ducks, and what really breaks my heart when we moved from the old Considine Farm to the new place, they didn't let me have any of my birds, which just broke my heart. But I got a lot of experience from there.”

The change prompted Gueorguieva to search for her own place.

“To tell you the truth, in my dreams, I always wanted to have my own place,” she said. “I have seven acres here in Winchester. It's not a fancy place, but it's pretty good land. And it's my place.”

Gueorguieva purchased her farm in 2015 and began operations in 2016. Searching for a name for the new endeavor, she ultimately landed on the patron saint of Poland and Lithuania.

“Kinga is a saint from the 12th century,” Gueorguieva said. “That's how the name came about. It's a woman saint–I wanted to make the farm name kind of girly because I am the one, it's my farm. A king is a king and if you put a, it sounds a little more girly. That's how it came about.”

The new operation had quick success in the sales ring, purchasing the mare Gingham and Lace (Kris S.), in foal to Street Boss, for $7,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November sale and selling that Street Boss foal for $180,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton July sale.

Six-figure results from moderately priced mares continued when a colt by Munnings, purchased by major client Rebecca Farms for $27,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale, sold for $145,000 under the Kinga Farm banner at the 2022 Keeneland January sale. While a Mineshaft colt purchased in utero by Rebecca Farms for $20,000 in November sold for $110,000 at that same sale.

Gueorguieva will hope the formula continues to prove profitable with a pair of homebred short yearlings she will be offering at Keeneland next Monday.

Hip 74 is a filly by Upstart. Since Gueorguieva purchased Post Script (Quality Road), with the filly in utero, for $7,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November sale, the mare's son Act a Fool (Oscar Performance) won the Hawthorne Derby last June and her daughter Bette Davis (Oscar Performance) broke her maiden just days before her third birthday. The mare's colt by Oscar Performance sold for $180,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“She is a pretty nice filly,” Gueorguieva said. “Hopefully she sells good. If she doesn't, we will keep her and we will see how it goes.”

Another Kinga homebred is hip 181, a son of Runhappy. Gueorguieva purchased the unraced Timetotime (Not This Time) with the colt in utero for $20,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November sale.

The Kinga consignment to the January sale also includes three yearlings bred by Allan Savoie's Rebecca Farms.

“[Savoie] gives me a lot of horses,” Gueorguieva said. “He is the one who sponsored me all of these years. I knew him from where I used to work at the old farm when I was talking to him all the time.”

The Rebecca Farms offerings include a colt by Volatile (hip 130) out of Simple Addition (Connect), a half-sister to Grade I winner No Parole (Violence). Hip 237 is a filly by Sky Mesa out of Backside Blackie (Yes It's True) and hip 377 is a colt by Midshipman out of Hopeful Union (Dixie Union), a mare purchased by Savoie for $14,000 at last year's Keeneland January sale.

“I think they are all pretty nice babies that I have this time,” Gueorguieva said of her January consignment. “I am really happy with them. They all have clean X-rays and they look good. I think this is the right time to sell them. I am sure people will like them.”

In addition to managing her own seven-head broodmare band and the mares of her clients, Gueorguieva also represents several clients from Russia, and Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan at the Kentucky sales. Kinga Farm signed for Great Winner (Karakontie {Jpn}) for $10,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September sale. The colt went on to win a Russian Group 1 the following year.

It may not have been a straight line from Bulgaria, to managing Considine Farm to owning her own farm, but Gueorguieva is enjoying the ride.

“I am really happy, to tell you the truth,” she said. “I am happy with my life right now.”

Of the future, she added, “Of course, my goals are to breed a better racehorse or a mare that turns out to be big time. We are still hoping. But it's not going to happen if you don't try.”

The Keeneland January sale will be held next Monday through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

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Trainer Cormac Farrell Buys Famous Copper Beech Stables

There is a new name over the door at Copper Beech Stables, one of the finest training establishments in Ireland, with trainer Cormac Farrell confirming that he has taken over the yard from Michael Halford.

It was last February when Halford, who had sent out almost 500 winners from Copper Beech Stables in 16 full seasons, including Group 1 scorer Casamento (Ire), announced that he had taken the decision to combine forces with Tracey Collins under the banner of Conyngham Lodge.

Farrell, a respected trainer in his own right but perhaps best known for trading horses at the point-to-point and breeze-up sales, bought the property alongside business partner and well-known owner Douglas Taylor shortly after that announcement.

The new owners are already up-and-running at Copper Beech Stables after Farrell sent out two winners on the track in recent months. However, the trainer explained that he will be concentrating predominantly on trading at the point-to-point and breeze-up sales rather than running horses from the famous yard for the foreseeable future.

He said, “Douglas and I are lucky that we were able to come in and buy Copper Beech Stables. It's an incredibly exciting venture and the facilities here are second to none. We have put our own stamp on the place and upgraded some of the facilities further with a schooling strip and a Wexford sand gallop to train the point-to-point horses. It's hugely exciting for us.”

Farrell, who used to form part of Leamore Horses alongside Anna Calder, enjoyed something of a banner first year when consigning under his own name as CF Bloodstock in 2023. He topped the Tattersalls Guineas Sale when his Zoffany (Ire) colt, later named Bracken's Laugh (Ire), sold for 200,000gns to Ted Durcan and Richard Hughes on behalf of Bernadine and Sean Mulryan.

Bracken's Laugh: sold for 200,000gns | Tattersalls

Along with Bracken's Laugh, who was a stylish winner of his maiden on debut at Newbury and wasn't beaten far in a Group 1 on his only other start, Farrell secured some notable results at the Tattersalls Craven Sale when three horses sold for a combined figure of 510,000gns.

“We've had some good horses through our hands and topped the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale last year,” he said. “That was my first year operating under my own name as CF Bloodstock so that meant a lot. Bracken's Laugh was bought by Ted Durcan and Richard Hughes and he could be a very nice horse going forward for connections.”

He added, “When Anna [Calder] and I had Leamore Horses, we met Douglas and have just been very lucky together. Douglas is rowing in alongside me on this venture and has invested in Copper Beech Stables. We've had some nice Jet Aways (GB) together and, the first one we bought, Jet Plane (Ire), has gone on to win plenty of races. Jet Powered (Ire) is another and, while he has had his issues, he could be a nice horse for Nicky Henderson.”

Farrell is said to have almost 60 horses fully moved into Copper Beech Stables, with the lion's share of those being prepared for the breeze-ups and the remainder for point-to-points. There are just a handful of horses to run on the track, but that is not to say the trainer would be against adding more numbers for that sphere in time.

He explained, “It's working well and, as I said, last year was my first operating under CF Bloodstock so hopefully we can build on it in 2024. Douglas is involved in many of our horses but we have lots of other investors, too.

“We have a mixture of point-to-point and breeze-up horses here and, while we do run a few on the track, invariably they would be horses that either missed a sale or failed to sell for whatever reason.

“I like to trade horses, predominantly, and, while we'd be open to taking more horses to train for the track, we're always looking at those who have some upside and might be traded on at some point. You have to do that in Ireland in order to survive.”

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