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Mike And Penny Lauer Named Top Indiana Breeder For Fifth Year

For the fifth year in a row, Michael and Penny Lauer have been named the Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Program's Breeder of the Year, an award based solely on Indiana Breeder's Awards payments.

The couple bred 16 horses in the Indiana program that raced in 2019, earning them a total of $183,243 in Breeder's Awards alone. The two most notable 2019 starters include Drinkatthecreek (Itsmyluckyday – Mizzen My Momma) and Twobirdsonestone (Birdstone – Dreamin Big).

Working as a team, the Lauers have been breeding and training horses for more than 40 years, and have participated in the Indiana program since its inception. Michael has more than 1,100 training wins and more than $9.1 million in earnings throughout his career, with his main stable based at Indiana Grand Racing and Casino and Churchill Downs. He is Indiana Grand's all-time learning stakes-winning trainer with more than 35 stakes wins.

A retired teacher, Penny manages the bookkeeping and daily operations of the breeding and racing side of Michael Lauer Stables. Penny is among Indiana Grand's all-time top five leading owners in wins and leads with more than $5 million in earnings, the most of any other owner in Indiana Grand history. The couple's three daughters, Elizabeth, Sara and Abby, pitch in around the farm.

While their farm is based in Finchville, Ky., the Lauers work closely with breeding farms in Indiana such as Springcliff Farm, Ledgerwood Farm, Nicks Farm and Swifty Farm.

“We've always thought the Indiana program was a good one,” says Penny. “We breed a lot, but we're not the top of the heap. We try to keep some decent mares, breed to decent stallions and go from there.

“I'd love for some of our Indiana breds to win some big races outside of the state, because I want to show that Indiana breds can win anywhere,” she continued. “I don't feel we get a lot of respect outside of the state and I hope we can help with that with our horses.”

The Lauers recently started standing the stallion Ready's Image in Indiana, who will stand at Swifty Farm for his third year in the program for 2021.

“We started standing Ready's Image in Indiana the last few years because we like him and we're trying to help the program in Indiana more with his quality bloodlines,” says Penny. “He's done pretty well these last couple of years and we look forward to seeing his Indiana babies on the track soon.”

Over the past seven years, the Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Program has distributed more than $23 million to Indiana breeders. Horses produced out of the Indiana bred program have gone on to win multiple graded stakes races and even competed internationally in the Breeders' Cup and at the Royal Ascot meet. Currently, breeders are awarded up to 20 percent of the purse in awards for winners.

The 2019 Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development and Indiana Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association award winners were recognized during the first ever Indiana Breeders Day held at Indiana Grand on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

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Authentic Retired, To Stand For $75,000 At Spendthrift

Authentic, the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic and G1 Kentucky Derby winner, has been retired to B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, KY where he will stand in 2021 for a fee of $75,000 S&N.

“Authentic is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of horse, and Mr. Hughes is very proud that we are able to share him with 5,300-plus MyRacehorse owners through what has been an incredible run. That alone made this decision different and very difficult. Ultimately, we just felt there wasn't a lot more to accomplish for a Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic winner, so we have made the decision to retire Authentic to stand alongside his champion sire Into Mischief,” said Ned Toffey, general manager at Spendthrift. “We believe in the sire line and feel Authentic is a big part of its future. It is very rare that you come across a 3-year-old as well-bred, talented and accomplished as Authentic. We cannot wait to see his contributions to the breed, and we're thrilled to continue his journey with all of the 5,300 MyRacehorse owners from the racetrack to the breeding shed.”

Trained by Bob Baffert, Authentic punctuated a likely championship 3-year-old campaign with a decisive 2 ¼-length victory in Saturday's $6,000,000 Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland under jockey John Velazquez, defeating six Grade 1 winners 1:59.19 – the fastest time in the prestigious race since Ghostzapper in 2004.

By reigning champion sire Into Mischief, Authentic became his sire's most accomplished horse to date, moving his earnings to $6,191,200 with his sixth win from eight starts. Along with the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic, Authentic scored victories in the G1 Haskell, G2 San Felipe, and G3 Sham, and was runner-up in the G1 Preakness and G1 Santa Anita Derby in his only defeats in 2020. Authentic captured his lone start at two at Del Mar nearly a year ago to the date.

Bred in Kentucky by Peter Blum, Authentic is out of the Mr. Greeley mare Flawless. He was campaigned by Spendthrift, MyRacehorse, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables.

Due to gathering restrictions brought on by COVID-19, Authentic will be available for inspection by appointment only. For more information, please contact Des, Mark or Brian at 859-294-0030, or visit SpendthriftFarm.com.

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City of Light Weanlings Clear The Path At Fasig-Tipton November Sale

The first major commercial test for North America's first-crop weanling sires is the Fasig-Tipton November sale, and City of Light has come out fast from the gate, responsible for two of the evening's top three-priced weanlings.

Larry Best's OXO Equine went to $600,000 to secure Hip 129, a City of Light colt who is the first foal out of the winning Into Mischief mare Breaking Beauty.

Bred in Kentucky by Camas Park Stud, the bay colt's second dam is the German Oaks winner Que Belle, whose runners include Grade/Group 3 winners Osidy and Quetsche. Looking further down the page, one will find European champion Bakharoff, among other international graded and group stakes winners.

Hunter Valley Farm consigned the colt, as agent.

The weanling-to-yearling pinhook contingent showed up at the top of market on Sunday as well, with the Brian Graves-led Blue Sky Stables landing a first-crop City of Light colt for $380,000.

The gray or roan colt, offered as Hip 82, is out of the unplaced Unbridled's Song mare Stormy Rhapsody, whose runners include the stakes-placed Arkaan. He was bred in Kentucky by Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Fielding, and his extended family includes French Horse of the Year Allez France, Grade 1 winner Al Mamoon, La Gueriere, and Icon Project, as well as Grade 2 winners Master Command and Lasting Approval.

Taylor Made Sales Agency consigned the colt, as agent for Hertrich's Watercress Farm.

City of Light, by Quality Road, stands at Lane's End in Versailles, Ky. He has a busy couple weeks ahead of him at the fall mixed sales, with five weanlings cataloged in the Fasig-Tipton November sale and 15 in the book at Keeneland.

The first weanlings by Triple Crown winner Justify were expected to make an impact during their debut mixed sale season this fall, and those high-level returns have already started to roll in on Sunday at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale, led by a $400,000 filly.

Offered as Hip 30, the filly sold to Breeze Easy, and she is out of the placed Sky Mesa mare Lastofthsummerwine, whose five foals to race includes four winners, all of them black type earners. She is a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Conquest Panthera, Grade 3 winner Happy Like a Fool, stakes winner Hawaiian Noises, and Grade 2-placed Maniacal.

Bred in Kentucky by Magnolia Bloodstock and Lynch Bages LTD, the filly hails from the family of Grade 1 winners Nine Keys, French Colonial and Silver Voice, Grade 2 winner Clef d'Argent.

Four Star Sales consigned the filly, as agent.

Justify, a son of Scat Daddy who stands at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky., will also have an busy November sale season ahead of him. He had nine foals cataloged to the Fasig-Tipton November sale to lead all first-crop sires, and he has 16 entered in the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, 11 of which are in the select Book 1.

To view the auction's full results, click here.

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Grade 1 Winner Vekoma Retired To Spendthrift Farm For 2021

Multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Vekoma has been retired from racing and arrived at B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm, where the 4-year-old son of Candy Ride will take up stud duty in 2021. His fee has been set at $20,000 S&N.

This year's impressive winner of the Grade 1 Carter Handicap and G1 Met Mile, Vekoma was scratched as the morning-line favorite in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Sprint after spiking a fever upon arrival at Keeneland. He will be given a few days to settle in at Spendthrift before being available for inspection.

“Precocious, brilliantly fast, carried his speed around two turns – you name it, Vekoma could do it. On top of that, he is a Grade 1 winner by a Grade 1 winner and out of a Grade 1 winner, so he's truly a rare package in the breeding world. You won't find a more brilliant or better-bred son of Candy Ride. We are extremely excited about his future at stud and look forward to showing him off to breeders after he's been allowed a few days to settle in here,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “Any time a horse as good and as deserving as Vekoma does not get the opportunity to run in the Breeders' Cup, you are obviously disappointed for the horse and for the connections. There's so much hard work that gets put in. Ultimately, you have to credit George Weaver and his team for having an incredible season and always doing right by Vekoma through some hard luck at the end.”

Trained by George Weaver for owners R. A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables, Vekoma was one of the top racehorses in his crop, capturing graded stakes wins at two, three and four. After breaking his maiden at first asking in 1:08 4/5 at Belmont, the talented chestnut stretched out to win the one-mile G3 Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct to complete an undefeated juvenile campaign.

At three, Vekoma jumped onto the Triple Crown trail, finishing third to Code of Honor in the G2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream in his seasonal debut. He went on to score a dominant 3 1/2-length win in the 1 1/8-mile G2 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, earning a berth into the Kentucky Derby.

This year, Vekoma was perfect with wins at three different racetracks, kicking off his 4-year-old season with a 3 3/4-length victory in Gulfstream's Sir Shackleton Stakes in March. Vekoma earned his first Grade 1 triumph in the form of a dazzling 7 1/4-length win in the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct, earning a career-high 110 Beyer Speed Figure. He validated his Carter performance with a front-running win in the prestigious Met Mile, defeating Grade 1 winners Code of Honor and McKinzie, among others, while stopping the clock in 1:32 4/5 – just .15 seconds off the stakes record for the 129-year-old fixture in New York.

An earner of $1,245,525, Vekoma was bred in Kentucky by Alpha Delta Stables. He is out of the Speightstown mare Mona de Momma who scored her biggest win as a racehorse in the G1 Humana Distaff on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill. Vekoma's second dam, Society Gal, is a half-sister to successful sire Mr. Greeley.

Vekoma becomes the third Met Mile winner in the last four years to take up stud duty at Spendthrift. Mor Spirit, the 2017 winner, and Mitole, the 2019 winner, both stand at the historic Lexington-based farm.

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