Bob Lothenbach | Horse Racing Free Tips

Bidding Opens on Fasig-Tipton April Digital Sale

Bidding on the 109 entries in the Fasig-Tipton April Digital Sale is now open and will close Apr. 9, beginning at 2 p.m. ET. The sale includes the final phase of the Lothenbach dispersal and phase two of the Ruis dispersal.

The catalogue features 69 horses of racing age, a graded stakes winner off the track, multiple stakes performers, and breeding stock with current updates. These include the broodmare Star of Shanghai (Shanghai Bobby) (hip 23), a half-sister to 'TDN Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution), who debuted with a 13-length victory at Gulfstream Park last Saturday. Two-year olds and yearlings are also on offer.

Both the Lothenbach and Ruis entries are consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency and will be sold without reserve.

The Lothenbach offerings are horses of racing age, while the Ruis entries consist of horses of racing age, racing/broodmare prospects and yearlings.

To view the entire catalogue, visit digital.fasigtipton.com.

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After Lothenbach Dispersal, Pessin Looks To Regroup

For nearly 20 years, trainer Neil Pessin didn't have to worry about filling up his barn. His principal owner, Bob Lothenbach, kept sending horses his way. That included a Grade I winner in Bell's the One (Majesticperfection) and several useful allowance horses. Pessin was training a 22-horse stable and 19 of them were owned by Lothenbach.

“Bob was an excellent owner,” Pessin said. “He knew our field of expertise was training horses and his was the paper business. Anytime I asked for anything that involved the welfare of the horse he was on board for it.”

Everything changed in November when Lothenbach died suddenly at the age of 64. With the Lothenbach horses headed to a dispersal sale, Pessin was down to three horses and faced with the task of having to rebuild his stable, practically from scratch.

The only thing he knew for certain was that panicking was not the answer.

“I'm not nervous about my future,” Pessin said. “You can't worry about stuff you can't control. You just do what you can and hope for the best. I've learned that worrying doesn't do a whole lot except give me ulcers. Just take it in stride and see what happens. More people are worried about this than I am. We'll just see what happens. If an opportunity arises we'll take it. If it doesn't we'll see what the future holds. I'm not sure at the moment. Hopefully, we can survive. If not, we'll do something else.”

It doesn't look like Pessin will have to “do something else.” Out of the dispersal sale, which was done digitally by Fasig-Tipton, Pessin signed for five horses. They ranged in price from the $340,000 paid for Grade III stakes winner Happy American (Runhappy) to the $18,000 paid for maiden Hogslayers R I P (Union Rags). The horses will be owned by a five-member syndicate that Pessin put together in order to buy some horses out of the dispersal sale.

“Buying Happy American was pretty self explanatory,” he said. “There's a race coming up here at the Fair Grounds, the Mineshaft Stakes. The purse is $250,000 and the winner gets $150,000. He'll be one of the favorites. The $150,000 the winner will get would pay for almost half of him. He's worth it. He can compete in all the stakes around here. He can't beat the top horses, but if you spot him around he can be a very useful horse all year long.”

He also retained the gelding Kiss The Moon (Malibu Moon), who was bought by Anthony Spinazzola, who decided to keep the horse with Pessin.

That has left Pessin with nine horses.

The Lothenbach 2-year-olds will sell at OBS March.

“It's possible that I might buy some of the 2-year-olds,” he said. “If anyone is interested I'll go take a look at them. I bought 14 of them myself at the yearling sales. But if I don't have the money behind me to do it then I'm not going to be able to buy anything.”

He's had some feelers from owners interested in giving him horses and hopes some new horses will come his way from owners looking to compete at the Keeneland spring meet. But he's not going to go begging.

“I've never asked anybody for any horses and I'm not going to start now,” Pessin said. “Right now we have these five horses that we bought and three others in barn. I'll just have to go forward and see what happens. One way or another I'll be fine. You can't worry about what you can't change.”

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Over $600,000 Paid Out In Minnesota Breeders’ Awards For 2021

Over $600,000 was awarded to horse breeders in 2021 by the Minnesota Breeders' Fund for the achievements of Minnesota-bred horses in 2021, continuing the decades-long tradition of reward and recognition.

The Minnesota Racing Commission (“MRC”) administers the Minnesota Breeders' Fund, which pays awards to the breeders of Minnesota-bred horses who are registered with the MRC. Awards are based on qualified purse earnings during the 2021 racing season. In appreciation of those who contribute to the horse racing and breeding industry in Minnesota, the Minnesota Breeders' Fund was established in 1983 alongside the MRC and has paid awards every year since.

The 2021 Minnesota Breeders' Fund Awards have now been processed and paid to the earning breeders in the categories of Thoroughbred Breeders' Awards, Thoroughbred Stallion Awards, Quarter Horse Breeders' Awards, Quarter Horse Stallion Awards, and Standardbred Breeders' Awards.

The top-earning Thoroughbred breeder was Bob Lothenbach of Lothenbach Stables, earning nearly $30,000. Twelve other Thoroughbred breeders earned over $10,000 in awards, and a total of over $400,000 was earned between all breeders. Kela Minnesota, LLC topped the Thoroughbred Stallion Awards with almost $20,000 earned in awards. The Minnesota Breeders' Fund paid a total of $53,564 in Stallion Awards.

Quarter Horse Breeders' Awards winners earned $68,268, with Lunderborg LLC earning the most at nearly $10,000. Darin Meyers, Jessica Meyers, and Dale Borchers received over half of the $1,776 paid out to Quarter Horse Stallion Awards winners for their efforts.

With respect to the Standardbred Breeders' Fund Awards, Set the Pace Racing LLC topped the earner's list with over $8,000 awarded for horses who raced at Running Aces Casino, Hotel, and Racetrack.

For 2021, most breeders in each of the categories of Thoroughbred Breeders, Thoroughbred Stallions, Quarter Horse Breeders, and Standardbred Breeders earned at least $1,000.

Reflecting on the past two years, the Minnesota Racing Commission's Breeders' Fund coordinators Nicole Edstrom and Stephanie Jenson thank all the award recipients.

“I greatly appreciate the commitment and resiliency of our Minnesota breeders and stallion owners – the unwavering support during these historic times is truly incredible,” Edstrom said. “The Minnesota Breeders' Fund is pleased to be able to thank those who have assisted Minnesota agriculture and business via these awards, no matter their location in the United States.”

For information on participating in the Minnesota Breeders' Fund, contact Nicole Edstrom at nicole.m.edstrom@state.mn.us, visit mnbreedersfund.com, or call the Minnesota Racing Commission at 952-496-7950 during open business hours.

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Thoroughbred Club Win Gives Bell’s The One Chance At Breeders’ Cup Return Engagement

Third behind Gamine in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in 2020, Lothenbach Stables Inc.'s Bell's the One received an automatic fees-paid entry to this year's edition of the race with a hard-fought come-from-behind neck victory in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. Yet her trainer, Neil Pessin, said she seems to get no respect.

Patiently ridden by Corey Lanerie, the 5-year-old mare by Majesticperfection rallied from last with a four-wide move into the stretch, hit the front inside the eighth pole, then held off a fast closing Club Car. Estilo Talentoso finished a head behind the runner-up, followed 1 1/2 lengths farther back by Inthemidstofbiz, Frank's Rockette and Miss Mosaic.

The Thoroughbred Club of America is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series Win and You're In race for the Filly & Mare Sprint division, giving the winner a fees-paid berth and a travel allowance.

Bell's the One ran the six furlongs in 1:08.63 on a fast main track after getting a good set-up with quick fractions of :21.57, :44.80 and :56.60 from pacesetter Inthemidstofbiz. She paid $3 to win as the heavy favorite.

“When I ride her, I just let her gather her feet underneath her and be comfortable wherever she needs to be,” said Lanerie. “Today I actually tried to keep her a little closer because I was afraid if they got away from me I wouldn't be able to make up the ground, going six furlongs, and she gives everything she's got every time. I could tell from about the five-sixteenths pole, I'm in contention where, if she gives me her kick, I'm going to catch them. She has the fastest turn of foot (of any horse) I've ever been on.”

Bell's the One gave veteran horseman Pessin his first career Grade 1 win last year when she scored in the Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs on Sept. 5. She finished a good third behind Gamine – beaten 6 1/4 lengths – in the Filly & Mare Sprint, but Pessin wouldn't immediately commit to this year's Breeders' Cup, to be held at Del Mar in California Nov. 5-6.

“It will still depend on how she comes out of it,” said Pessin. “The plane reservations are still tough, the way they've got it—I know it's the best they can do—but we'll try to make a go of it if she comes out of it well.”

Pessin was referring to the absence of the Tex Sutton Equine Air Transportation aircraft that horsemen have depended on for a number of years. The company's lease expired on the plane expired and it has not been able to acquire a replacement to date. Breeders' Cup officials have arranged for charter flights using Fed Ex.

Bred in Kentucky by Bret Jones, Bell's the One was produced from the Street Cry mare, Street Mate. She was a $150,000 purchase by Bob Lothenbach at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by Brereton C. Jones.

Bell's the One has now won 10 of 21 starts and has been a graded stakes winner at ages 3, 4 and 5, with victories in the G2 Raven Run Stakes in 2019, the G3 Winning Colors and G1 Derby City Distaff in 2020, and the G2 Honorable Miss Handicap and Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes in 2021.

“She's one of the best mares, if not the best horse, I've ever had,” said Pessin. “The only thing I regret with her is she never gets the respect she deserves. Even in this race, people weren't even picking her on top, which made absolutely zero sense to me. The Breeders' Cup, they got Ce Ce picked in front of her on the program and I've beat her every time I've run against her. So I don't what this mare has to do to earn respect, but she's definitely got mine.”

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