Tag: Book 1

End of an Era as Newsells Park Stud Offers Shastye’s Last Colt

“We're in the home straight,” says Julian Dollar and, though the long-term manager of Newsells Park Stud is all too aware that the home straights that matter are those on racecourses around the world, for his team it's all about getting the crop of 2022 to the yearling sales in great shape. So, as the wagons roll to transport those youngsters from Royston to Newmarket, it's a home straight of a kind, with the winning post this week being that famous ring at Tattersalls.

No matter the experience of the folk behind the yearlings for sale, there is always a degree of trepidation in the build-up, and at Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale the stakes are perhaps higher than anywhere else. For the last five years straight, and for a number of other editions of the sale before that, Newsells Park Stud has been the leading vendor at Book 1, with that success maintained throughout the sale of the stud in 2021 to Graham Smith-Bernal by the Jacobs family. This year's draft of 31 looks as strong as ever.

A chapter will be closed on Tuesday on an extraordinary run at Tattersalls for the great mare Shastye (Ire) (Danehill), the dam of Group 1 winners Japan (Ire) and Mogul (Ire), Group 2 winner Secret Gesture (Ire) and Group 3 winner Sir Isaac Newton (Ire), all of whom are by Galileo (Ire). Shastye died last year after at the age of 21 foaling a colt by Dubawi (Ire), who sells as lot 96. A May foal, he will have plenty of hopes resting on his bay shoulders considering not just the racecourse performances of his half-siblings but also their sale-ring records: eight of Shastye's offspring have previously sold at Tattersalls for a collective 14,430,000gns.

“I don't think we'll ever find another one like her,” says Dollar of Shastye. “Obviously that was quite emotional for all of us last year when she produced the Dubawi colt. It was just great to see them both out in the nursery paddock on that first day, and they looked so happy. And then suddenly we got a call that all was not well. She was haemorrhaging and we lost her, and it was a really sad day.

He adds, “But she left us with a lovely Dubawi colt, and he was always the apple of Graham's eye. He actually did some hand-feeding, giving him a bottle for a few sessions. So he quickly made a bond with the colt and I never thought actually he could bear to part with him, but sensibly, he's a businessman, and we are taking him to the sales.”

Newsells Park's flagship stallion Nathaniel (Ire) is represented by three yearlings in Book 1, with the colt in the Newsells draft being a brother to the 2022 Derby winner Desert Crown (GB), bred by Gary Robinson, and consigned as lot 316 on Wednesday.

“We've got a couple of very nice fillies by Nathaniel in Book 2 that could arguably be in Book 1,” Dollar says. “But this colt is a very good-looking horse, very good mover. I like him a lot and he's been entrusted to us through Gary Robinson's Strawberry Fields Stud, who asked us if we'd take him on in January. So we've had him with us for a while, and he's a nice person, and nice to do anything with. Hopefully he'll be well received.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the stud will offer a Kingman (GB) half-brother to another of its resident stallions, Without Parole (GB), on behalf of breeders John and Tanya Gunther. Without Parole himself has his first yearlings for sale this year, including three in Book 1, while Newsells Park will offer two by him in Book 2, both of whom are half-brothers to stakes winners.

“The Without Parole foals were very well received and we hope the yearlings will be as well. Those that we've got have really developed well from foals to yearlings. They're very much like their dad, which is good. They've got great minds and they're really easy to work with and very trainable,” he says.

“Sadly, it was a tough year for us last year, because not only did we lose Shastye, but we also lost [Without Parole's dam] Without You Babe. So both Shastye's and Without You Babe's foals were brought up by foster mares and I don't know if it's a result of that, but they've both got the most incredible temperaments.”

Despite Andreas Jacobs of Gestut Fahrhof no longer being directly involved with Newsells Park Stud, he still has an association in that he is selling two smart yearlings in the farm's draft in Book 1.

“The vast majority of the yearlings are born and bred here,” Dollar says. “We always have a couple of guests, if you like. It's nice to keep a strong relationship with Andreas Jacobs, and he's entrusted us with two yearlings this year, a colt by Wootton Bassett [lot 179], who's very classy, and a very well-bred Mehmas filly [lot 520] whose two half-siblings, the only two other foals that the mare has had, are stakes winner. She's hit the board in spectacular style twice.”

He continues, “We've also always had a link with Al Shahania, and they've selling a cracking Siyouni colt out of Vorda [lot 178]. He's everything you'd want a Siyouni to look like, for me. And then there's Sea The Moon colt out of Teppal [lot 147] is what who is a big, strong, scopey horse with a lot of class.

“But otherwise, pretty much everything else is bred on the farm. And we have that confidence that we know the mares. We know their other progeny. We know these progeny from day one. And when people ask us about them, we can tell them with confidence what they're like. It helps.”

On that theme, Dollar admits that, although almost the entire Newsells Park yearling crop is at the sales over the next few weeks, there is the potential for the operation to race more homebreds in future.

He says, “We always had to make a profit if we possibly could, and look after our bottom line. And we still do have to do that, of course we do. Graham expects us to do that as much as we possibly can but I think there is more scope for Newsells to race fillies especially. We're prepared to put confidence behind them and race them. I'm not saying what we've done in the past has been wrong, because we've been lucky enough to buy some nice mares, Shastye among them, Yummy Mummy and others. But there is a big advantage in understanding families, and putting those horses into training with the right trainers. Obviously, operations like Juddmonte are brilliant. Having those families going back generations, understanding those families, putting them with trainers who also trained that family for generations, has a big advantage. And I'd like to see us developing a few more of our families. I know Graham very much feels that way.”

Despite admitting to being a “pessimist at heart”, Dollar has drawn some encouragement from results from the first half of the European yearling sales.

“Arqana read like a very strong sale,” he says. “Donny was okay, Baden-Baden was okay. We sold a couple of horses in Somerville, which I'd never done before, but the traffic through Somerville was extraordinary. Over the years, we've always seen that the prices at the top remain strong, and we've always felt that if we want to play in this business, commercially, we've got to be playing at the top level because that's where the big money is.”

He continues, “But this is the most amazing business, isn't it? You sort of scratch your head and think, well, how is this happening? A year ago we'd just lost Her Majesty the Queen, and I always felt that our business was almost held together by a 90-odd-year-old lady. But you turn it around, nine months later, and the King and Queen are at Royal Ascot and they have a winner, and there's huge warmth for them both, and then they turned up at Doncaster for the St Leger, and had a live contender who ran a great race, and they seemed to be really enjoying it. And suddenly you think, well, we're still going strong, and everybody still loves and appreciates racing in this country.

“We still have the best racing, and we still seem to breeding some extraordinary good horses. So long may it continue. And while it does, I think we're going to be the focus of buyers from all over the globe. I'd love us not to be such an export market. In the long run, I don't think that's good. But it is where we are at the moment, and I'd rather have that than nobody be interested in buying our stock.

“But as long as we've got top-class stallions, and as long as we've got fellow breeders of the quality of Juddmonte, Cheveley Park, et cetera, we're in pretty good shape.”

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Showtime as Wraps Come Off the October Yearlings

One doesn't need to delve too far into the Group 1 results to find a graduate of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, and come Saturday afternoon another may be added to the list, with the G2 Coventry S. winner River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and G2 Gimcrack S. winner Lake Forest (GB) (No Nay Never) among those favoured to go well in the G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. at Newmarket.

By that stage, there will be frenetic action of a different kind just a mile up the road at Park Paddocks where several days of Book 1 inspections will be underway ahead of the start of the nine-session October Sale on Tuesday. The first three days are devoted to Book 1, the profile of which continues to rise to ever dizzier heights. A 200,000gns median last year tells its own story, that figure having doubled in a decade. The average meanwhile settled at its own record high, just shy of 300,000gns and, at the final ringing of the tills, more than 126 million gns was spent across three days in 2022 for 424 fledgling racehorses. Looking ahead to this year's sale, it is hard not to envisage more of the same, or perhaps just more. 

Jimmy George, the marketing director for Tattersalls, says, “It's an outstanding catalogue. Book 1 seems to collect the cream of the British and Irish, and perhaps wider European yearling crop year after year. And it's not only a catalogue of real quality, it has diversity as well. In simple terms, it's probably fair to say that it represents the biggest collection of yearlings by the best turf stallions in the world that you'll find anywhere.”

In the bloodstock world's version of chicken-and-egg, the fact that Britain and Ireland continue to enjoy a golden age of stallions no doubt influences the fact that there is a growing throng of international breeders keeping mares in those countries, or indeed transporting them to be covered. We cannot forget, however, the importance of those blue hens and classy matrons in making these stallions what they are in the first place. 

“The consistency of these top stallions at the moment, the seamless movement on from the Galileo era, it's just amazing,” George says. 

“I'm not ranking them in any particular order, but you have Frankel, Dubawi, Kingman, Lope De Vega, Wootton Bassett, Sea the Stars, and there's the thick end of 200 yearlings by those six stallions in Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale.

“And I think that tells prospective buyers all they really want to know, these are game-changing stallions on their own, but that collection together is pretty mighty.”

From Program Trading (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) landing the GI Saratoga Derby on only his third start to the victory of Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) claiming his third Group 1 – one for each season of racing – in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and Good Guess (GB) dominating the G1 Prix Jean Prat for a Japanese owner in France, the broad international success of the October Sale, and Book 1 in particular, remains a strong theme.

“It gives [owners and breeders] access to these top stallions; they recognise the quality of the horses standing in Britain, Ireland and also France at the moment,” George continues. “And if they're going to have regular access to these sort of horses, they come here and buy them as yearlings, and in the case of yearling fillies, perhaps leave them over here [to race] and breed from them in the future.

“One of the aspects of Book 1 that strikes me year after year, is that the top owner-breeders will also target Book 1 for their broodmare bands. They're racing these beautifully-bred fillies and they can go on to have a huge impact on their own broodmare bands later down the line.

“In the Juddmonte International this year, which was won by Mostahdaf, and Nashwa was second, both of them are raced by owner-breeders, and both of them are out of mares who those owner-breeders have bought as yearlings at Book 1.”

The sale dovetails nicely with two weekends of Group 1 action on the Rowley Mile, making a trip to East Anglia in October an extra draw.

“Newmarket is the hub, not only in the British racing and breeding industry, but really the European racing and breeding industry,” says George.

“We've got two racecourses here, we've got numerous stud farms in and around the area standing some of the best stallions in the world, we've got all the top veterinary facilities, we've got 70 to 80 different racehorse trainers here, the most fantastic training grounds, and we've got Tattersalls.”

He adds, “The owner-breeders feel comfortable here, they come to Newmarket, whether it's to race or whether it's to see their broodmare bands and their young stock, or to buy. Which is obviously why they come to Tattersalls.”

Some 500 Book 1 yearlings will usher in a fortnight of action at Park Paddocks, where the newly refurbished and levelled yards at Somerville R, S, T have just been unveiled. Naturally there are some swanky pedigrees to digest. 

The brother (lot 316) to 2022 Derby hero Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) – himself a 280,000gns Book 2 gradate in 2020 – features among the Newsells Park draft, while a Dubawi half-brother to Imad Al Sagar's treble Group 1 winner Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) heads a select consignment from Blue Diamond Stud and, catalogued as lot 35, may well prove to be one of the early highlights on Tuesday.

The McCartan family's Ballyphilip Stud brings lot 240, a half-brother to that brilliant sprinter Battaash (Ire) who is by another brilliant sprinter and budding young stallion, Blue Point (Ire). Meanwhile, Blue Point's own immediate family is represented by his three-part-brother [lot 81] from the first crop of fellow Darley stallion Earthlight (Ire) and consigned by Hillwood Stud. 

From the same Shamardal sireline, and with a typically strong female family behind him, comes the Lope De Vega (Ire) half-brother to St Leger and Irish St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), the colt having been pinhooked for 300,000gns from Kirsten Rausing's St Simon Stud draft at the December Foal Sale. He is reoffered by Eugene Daly's Longview Stud as lot 226.

Among the colts on offer from Cheveley Park Stud is a three-quarter-brother to the farm's champion filly Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}). The son of Ulysses (Ire) features on the first day of Book 1 as lot 127 and is one of eight yearlings to be offered by the Thompson family, along with a Kingman (GB) colt out of the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Queen's Trust (GB) (Dansili {GB}).

The above is just a taster. It's easy to make a case for pretty much every yearling in the opening book, and for agents and trainers tasked with doing just that for potential purchasers, it is made a little easier by the existence of the Book 1 Bonus. It's a scheme which is now well established and has over recent years pumped almost £8 million in additional prize-money to owners with more than 340 bonuses now having been won. From next year, that individual bonus is set to rise from £20,000 to £25,000, with all yearlings catalogued for Book 1 of this year's sale eligible for the scheme.

George says, “I think people are unnecessarily negative about the sport in Britain at times. There's so much to be positive about. One, it is the most magnificent sport.

But two, there are aspects of British prize-money that need to be recognised, and Britain is the most lucrative place to own a horse in Europe, if it's a decent horse. British prize-money for group and listed races is superior to anywhere else in Europe, and that's a fact. And it isn't always a fact that is put out there often or loudly enough, in my humble opinion, but you only just have to look through the Pattern book and look at the prize-money available for British group and listed races and compare it with France and Ireland, who are the obvious main competitors in that respect. Britain is comfortably number one. The average prize-money for a Group 3 race, a Group 2 race, a Group 1 race in Britain is significantly higher than anywhere else in Europe.”

What is often grumbled about of course is the lower levels on offer for maiden races and handicaps, but a significant number of maiden and novice races for two- and three-year-olds have been boosted this year by extra sponsorship from Juddmonte, Darley and the British EBF. On top of that, a Book 1 graduate has a chance of scooping an extra pot, and that is not restricted to British races, but also includes Ireland.

“We know the impact it's having,” he continues. “We've distributed directly to racehorse owners in Britain and Ireland the thick end of £8 million in prize-money, with no deductions, just directly to the owners, since the inception of that scheme.

“That is a lot of money to win for winning your maiden. The average price, or the average win prize-money next year for a Book 1 Bonus winner, will be I'd say comfortably over £30,000, which is significant. It's not headline prize-money, it doesn't show up in statistics, but it is significant.”

George adds, “I think it's so important for us not to talk ourselves into thinking that there isn't opportunity out there, because there is. Whether it's our bonuses for Book 1, or whether it's Great British Bonuses, or certain sales races, or other angles that are out there, there's more there than sometimes we're led to believe.”

Traditionally, the October Sale, under its various guises over the years, brought the curtain up on the autumn season at Tattersalls, but since a reshuffling of venues, which brought the Ascot Yearling Sale, now known as the Somerville, to Tattersalls, the sale grounds have already been busy in Newmarket since the yearling season began, and we head into a frenetic fortnight on the back of encouraging results not just at the Somerville, but pretty much across the board in Europe and America. 

“The sales calendar bears no resemblance to how it once was, and we've had the addition of the August Sale and Somerville Yearling Sale in recent years just at Park Paddocks alone. Under the Tattersalls umbrella it's grown out of all recognition, with Cheltenham and Tattersalls Ireland and the online sales,” George says. 

“But it still remains that the Tattersalls sales season really kicks off with the October Yearling Sale. That's when we become the focal point and it's pretty intense for those two weeks of Books 1 through to 4.

“It's a busy time, but it's an exciting time, and there's a lot riding on it for everybody. It's very busy for the trainers and the agents, but the owners enjoy their time at the sales as well. And long may that last, it's very much part of the ownership experience.”

 

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With $3M Into Mischief Topper, Keeneland September Sizzles from Start to Finish Tuesday

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis

LEXINGTON, KY – With the very first horse through the ring bringing $1.3 million, the second session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale was off to the races Tuesday and the action didn't slow down throughout the day as the second-to-last offering brought $1.25 million. In between, 13 other yearlings sold for seven figures, including a colt by Into Mischief who brought top price of $3 million from the partnership of Chuck Sonson, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford.

With eight million-dollar yearlings Monday, the two-session Book 1 section concluded with 23 yearlings bringing $1 million or more.

“It was a great day with lots and lots of different buyers, the partnerships were active, it was active from the domestic side as well as the international side,” said Keeneland President Shannon Arvin. “The 15 top prices were bought by 13 different buyers. And there was also a real diversity among the consignors, which was really nice to see. There were a lot of consignors who had a lot of success today.”

Figures for the marathon auction continue to track very closely with its record-setting 2022 renewal. In all, 221 yearlings sold during Book 1 this year for a total of $116,925,000. During last year's Book 1 section, 220 yearlings grossed $113,660,000 as the auction was well on its way to recording its first-ever gross over $400,000,000.

“Going in, I didn't think it would be fair for us to expect that we could replicate last year,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “But I think when you look at the numbers–obviously the median is down a little, the average is up a little bit–but overall the fact that the gross is up over $3.5 million from last year is incredible. When you look at the numbers through the ring that got sold, it's very, very comparable.”

The Book 1 average of $529,072 is up 2.41% from a year ago, while the median dipped 11.11% to $400,000.

From a catalogue of 392 yearlings, 302 went through the ring with 81 failing to meet their reserves for a buy-back rate of 26.82%. It was 21.99% a year ago.

“A lot of people don't have to sell,” Lacy said. “When you have a purse structure and people are enjoying it so much, they are happy to race.”

Gainesway was the book's leading consignor with 29 horses sold for $20,920,000. The farm sold eight of the book's 23 million-dollar yearlings, with five coming from Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm broodmare band.

“We had high expectations coming in,” Gainesway's Brian Graves said. “I wasn't sure we had as many million-dollar horses to sell as we actually did. The market proved to be really strong. But we knew we had a really good group of horses for our clients. The market is alive and well.”

Mike Repole continued to lead all buyers at the auction. On his own, the New Yorker purchased 21 yearlings for $8,135,000, while in partnership with Spendthrift Partners, he acquired an additional two yearlings for $1.2 million.

In addition to his activity buying, Repole also bred and sold the section's $3-million topper through the Lane's End consignment.

Into Mischief continued to dominate the top of the market. The Spendthrift stallion had 11 seven-figure yearlings and a total of 31 head grossing $27,910,000. Coolmore's Uncle Mo, with four seven-figure yearlings, had 17 Book 1 horses sell for $12,495,000. The duo were represented by nine of the book's top 10 yearlings.

The Keeneland September sale continues with Book 2 sessions Wednesday and Thursday beginning at 11 a.m. Following a dark day Friday, the auction continues through Sept. 23 with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

$3M Into Mischief Colt Heads Day 2

Continuing to underscore the sheer sire power of Into Mischief on this year's yearling market, Hip 261, a colt by the Spendthrift sire out GISP Nonna Mia (Empire Maker) landed a $3-million final bid from the partnership of West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Racing and Chuck Sonson.

“This is a beautiful colt. This is a young family [and] with Into Mischief, you don't have to say much. He was always in the hands of Lane's End, so we knew a little about his upbringing,” said Terry Finley, who handled the signing duties from inside the pavilion. “We are really excited and have a new group of partners who are in on him. We will try to get to the Derby in 2025.”

Terry Finley & Chuck Sonson | Keeneland

Of the session-topping yearling, Finley added, “I thought he'd bring a significant amount of money. You never know. After they bring $1.5-$2 million, you never really know where you're going to stop. I was just glad that we got to a point where I thought it was a 'reasonable' amount of money, if you can in fact call $3 million reasonable for a racehorse that has never had a saddle on his back.”

The buying partnership also combined to purchase Hip 220 and Hip 225, a pair of $800,000 colts by Candy Ride (Arg) and Quality Road.

The Feb. 11 foal was consigned by agent, Lane's End.

“When you bring an individual like him to this sale, you hope to be rewarded and that's what happened today,” said Lane's End's Allaire Ryan. “Over the past decade, of the horses we've raised at the farm, he is right up there. He's always been a forward individual from Day 1. He's been a special horse for us.”

She continued, “All the top players you think would be interested in a future stallion prospect like him. I'm just thrilled for everybody on the farm. To be entrusted to a mare like this for Mr. Repole means a lot in and of itself but to be able to raise a horse and bring him to an auction is rewarding for everybody.”

While showing moderate ability on the track, Nonna Mia has already proved her mettle in the breeding shed, producing GI Wood Memorial winner Outwork (Uncle Mo), in addition to SP Nonna's Boy (Distorted Humor).

Day 1 Leading Buyer Repole Returns Tuesday with Breeding Score

Mike Repole was busy spending through Book 1, purchasing 11 yearlings, alone or in partnership, for just a tick under $3.945 million. Recouping some of that cash during Tuesday's session, Repole sat front and center with his team when a homebred colt out of a horse he campaigned, Nonna Mia, lit up the board.

“She was named after my grandmother,” he said. “I named the horse in 2009. My grandmother passed away in 2020. So she's very special to me.”

A half-sister to MGSW Cairo Prince (Pioneerof the Nile), Nonna Mia was a $200,000 purchase by Repole from the Mill Ridge consignment at the 2008 renewal of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale.

According to Repole, the 16-year-old mare currently resides at Lane's End.

“Nonna Mia is getting up in age, maybe she has one more in her, maybe not,” he said.

The pedigree received a significant bump at Saratoga when Repole homebred Fierceness (City of Light), a son out of Nonna Mia's daughter Nonna Bella (Stay Thirsty), blew the doors off to earn 'TDN Rising Star' status Aug. 25.

“She also gave me Outwork and a horse I think is the best 2-year-old, Fierceness, who is going to the GI Champagne S.,” he confirmed. “So, we're lucky to have her.”

Underscoring the importance of the recent update to the colt's catalog page, Finley added, “I was up at Saratoga when Fierceness ran. I was awestruck by that performance.”

During Tuesday's session, Repole was also an active buyer, securing an additional 12 yearlings, 11 alone and one in partnership, for a gross of $5,390,000.

“I want to be the leading buyer and leading seller one day,” he quipped. “But I am passionate about all aspects of this game. Stallions, stallion shares, broodmares, buying, selling, weanlings, yearlings, even claiming horses for $12,500.

“I just enjoy the game. I like to play it at every single level I can and try to as well as we can do. I enjoy winning.”

Asked whether he will be back for Book 2 and 3, Repole laughed, “We'll be buying today, tomorrow, and the next day. Don't forget, we bought [juvenile champion] Forte in [Keeneland's] Book 4. Winners can come from anywhere.”–@CbossTDN

Stewart Strikes for Uncle Mo Filly

John Stewart, who made a big splash during Monday's first session of the Keeneland September sale, took his biggest swing of the week when going to $2.5 million to acquire a filly by Uncle Mo (hip 337). While Stewart was at the sale in person during the first session, he left bidding Tuesday to agent Gavin O'Connor and farm manager Chelsey Stone.

“She's an unbelievable filly,” O'Connor said after signing the ticket on the yearling who was consigned by Denali Stud as agent for breeder, WinStar Farm. “Uncle Mo is the sire of incredible fillies.”

The yearling is out of Starship Warpspeed (Congrats) and is a half-sister to GI Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil).

“I know the family personally,” O'Connor said. “I used to work for WinStar. I spent five years under Dave [Hanley] and Elliott [Walden]. So I have had babies out of the mare. They have a full-brother in training and he looks very promising as well.”

O'Connor, who was on the phone with Stewart during the bidding, admitted they had to stretch to get the filly.

“It was a little bit more than we wanted to go, but like we've said, John is a buyer,” he said. “I thought we were going to have her at $2.2 there, and then it went 3, 4, 5, and I thought, 'How far can we go here?'”

He added, “She's just an unbelievable broodmare prospect. She's an incredible filly. And the residual value is there. We just feel we have a safe asset at that price.”

Stewart purchased 10 yearlings during Book 1 for a total of $7,750,000. In addition to his $2.5-million acquisition, the Lexington financier also paid $1 million for a colt by Into Mischief (hip 147), a colt by Constitution (hip 135) for $850,000 and another son of Into Mischief (hip 83) for $800,000.

“We are done now,” O'Connor said. “We've got a really exciting stable of horses to go on with.” @JessMartiniTDN

Into Mischief Colt Rewards St George Team

Archie and Michelle St George, along with pinhooking partners Tony and Roger O'Callaghan of Tally-Ho Stud, hit a home run Tuesday at Keeneland when selling a colt by Into Mischief (hip 283) for $1.8 million to Coolmore's M.V. Magnier. The team had acquired the dark bay for $550,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

“I'm kind of speechless at the moment,” Archie St George admitted as Magnier signed the ticket on the yearling. “We're just very fortunate to have a horse as good as him. It's a huge team effort, with everyone at home, Roger and his dad and my wife Michelle and all the lads. A lot of work has gone into the horse and this is a huge thrill.”

Arthur St George | Keeneland

The yearling is out of Princess Haya (Street Cry {Ire}) and is a half-brother to stakes winner and Grade I placed Lady Kate (Bernardini).

Asked about the nerves associated with buying a pinhook prospect for $550,000, St George said, “It's nerve-wracking, but it's high risk-high reward. It's the quality of the horse. It's a huge team effort. I'd like to thank Coolmore and their partners and wish them the best of luck.”

Magnier, who purchased a son of Uncle Mo for $1.35 million Monday, was making his second purchase of the Keeneland sale. Magnier later added a $1.25-million Gun Runner colt late in the session.

“He is a very good mover and Into Mischief is a very good sire and [his son] Practical Joke is doing really well [as a sire] at the moment,” Magnier said of hip 283. @JessMartiniTDN

$1.35M Not This Time Colt Gives Airdrie Sentimental Score

Offering a small but select group of yearlings in this year's Book 1, Airdrie Stud once again showed quality over quantity often wins the day when it comes to the sales. Underscoring that point this week, Hip 344, a colt by Not This Time, drew a tidy $1.35 million final bid from Jacob West, who was bidding on behalf of Robert and Lawana Low. Over the course of two days, Airdrie sold all three of the yearlings it offered, amassing $2,475,000 in gross receipts while averaging $825,000. Airdrie also sold a Nyquist filly (Hip 31) for $750,000 on Day 1 and a $375,000 colt (Hip 356) by Complexity Tuesday.

After selling its priciest yearling so far this season, Airdrie's Bret Jones, who also bred the colt, said, “Special is the right word. A little overwhelming. I'm feeling a little sentimental right now, thinking about dad [Brereton C. Jones] and thinking how many memories we get from these great horses, these horse sales, horse races.”

Bret Jones | Keeneland

The Mar. 8 foal is out of Street Mate (Street Cry {Ire}), dam of Grade I winner Bell's The One (Majesticperfection) and GSW King Cause (Creative Cause). The 15-year-old mare, who was a $35,000 purchase at Keeneland November in 2012, is a half-sister to GSW and GISP Tap Day (Pleasant Tap)

Jones continued, “The colt has always been beautiful. He is by the right stallion. And the mare has been incredible to us. It's a really special family. He has always lived up to that family. He is just so good looking and makes you think he can be a special horse on the racetrack. The horse vetted perfectly clean which is always nice.”

When asked about the reserve, Jones didn't miss a beat.

“[The bidding] went past his reserve as fast as I hope he passes horses in a Grade I.”–@CbossTDN

Best Packs $1.3M Punch to Land Constitution Colt

The name Into Mischief seemed to be on nearly everyone's lips following a buying blitz of the sire's offspring during the first two days of selling. And while not generating the same headlines, at least not by sheer volume, WinStar's Constitution paved a slightly more subtle road while still packing a punch with five yearlings realizing $2,980,000, yielding a robust $596,000 average on Day 2. Leading the fray Tuesday was Hip 324, a bay colt who realized a $1.3 million final bid from Larry Best's OXO Equine. The purchase was Best's sole purchase on the afternoon.

“I thought he was one of the best colts in the sale,” said Best. “I paid more than I would want to. This particular auction I've never seen one quite this strong. I knew he was going be around $1 million to get him. But he's a beautiful specimen of a Constitution. He looks very racey, very athletic.”

Bred by Kindred Stables, the Mar. 26 foal was consigned by Indian Creek. The bay is out of the unraced Solo Uno (Medaglia d'Oro), a half-sister to MGSW and GISP Tom's Ready (More Than Ready).

“When you buy colts it's a high risk game,” Best said. “And when you saw some of the other colts that I liked in the sale they went for $2-million plus. There is only so much money I want to invest in a colt. This was a good shot. We'll see how it works out.”

@CbossTDN

Serengeti Empress's First Foal in Demand

The first foal out of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress (Alternation), a son of the omnipresent Into Mischief, was scooped up by the partnership of WinStar Farm's Maverick Racing, Siena Farm and CHC, Inc. for $1.2 million Tuesday at Keeneland.

“If he didn't break his ribs as a foal, he might have topped the sale,” said WinStar Farm's Elliott Walden. “We saw him on the farm and David [Hanley] and I both loved him. He's out of an Oaks winner on a Distorted Humor cross. Hopefully he can do some great things on the racetrack.”

Serengeti Empress was one of the first yearlings Joel Politi purchased when he decided to purchase young fillies with the goal of raising his own broodmare band from scratch. Politi and trainer Todd Amoss purchased the future Oaks winner for $70,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September sale.

After watching the mare's first foal go through the ring Tuesday, Politi admitted, “It was emotional watching him go through the ring. I had a lot of second thoughts in the back ring. I was thinking, 'My goodness, he is so good-looking.' But we set a price that we would be ok with him moving on. I am being practical about the whole thing. So you can't argue with it really. He's going to a great place. WinStar is a first-class operation. They will take good care of him and they will have him here in Kentucky and we can come visit him, so it's a win-win.” @JessMartiniTDN

A Racing Prospect for Hartley/DeRenzo

Randy Hartley and Dean DeRenzo are typically active in the pinhooking sphere, but with new partner Rich Mendez expanding his footprint in the industry, the Ocala horsemen acquired a racing prospect in a $1.2-million daughter of Into Mischief (hip 316). Also partnering on the yearling is John Bellinger and Brian Coelho's BC Stables.

Bred and consigned by Gainesway, the gray filly is out of Silver Colors (Mr. Greeley) and is a half to GI Alabama S. winner Eskimo Kisses (To Honor and Serve) and a granddaughter of GI Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors.

Hip 316 Into Mischief–Silver Colors filly | ThoroStride

“For us, she was the pick filly of this book,” Hartley said. “It's just such a great female family and we just felt like if we put enough guys together, we could get her. To have a half-sister to a Grade I Alabama winner and the grandmother a Kentucky Derby winner, you just don't get those pedigrees that often. So she was a filly we thought we really needed to have in the barn.”

A Miami music titan, Mendez has been on both sides of seven-figure transactions this year. He purchased an Into Mischief colt for $1.3 million at the OBS April Sale. Now named Urban Legend, the juvenile is in training out west with Bob Baffert. Mendez was also involved in seven-figure pinhooks with Hartley/DeRenzo at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale and at last month's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale.

Asked if the purchase of this well-bred filly indicated Mendez would consider getting into the breeding side of the business, Hartley said, “We are thinking about it for sure. This would obviously be one you'd want in your barn. My favorite saying is black cats have black kittens and she's a beautiful filly, so I think she would definitely have beautiful babies. It was just a pedigree that you very rarely get and we felt like we really had to stretch to get her. But we were taking her home.” @JessMartiniTDN

All Into Mischief, All The Time

Continuing the feeding frenzy for colts, specifically those by Into Mischief, a son of the Spendthrift sire joined the millionaire's club when reeling in a $1.2-million final bid from Team Coolmore at Keeneland Tuesday. Led by M.V. Magnier, the group held their customary spot out back, picking up their fourth purchase, also the fourth seven-figure buy, of Book 1. Offered as Hip 331, the flashy grey was consigned by Machmer Hall, who also bred the colt.

“I'm overwhelmed,” said Carrie Brogden, standing alongside her mother, Sandy Fubini. “I had no idea he was going to bring that much money. Personally, that is our most expensive yearling. We've sold 2-year-olds for more, but that is our most expensive yearling. We are overjoyed.”

Commenting on the price, she admitted, “Our reserve was well below $500,000. We're sellers and breeders. We're here to sell our horses.”

Sandy Fubini & Carrie Brogden | Keeneland

The Feb. 26 foal is out of Special Me (Unbridled's Song), who failed to distinguish herself on the racetrack, allowing Craig and Carrie Brogden to swoop in to secure the mare for a mere $6,000 at Keeneland January in 2009. Subsequent to that most fortuitous purchase, the mare produced GI Santa Anita H. winner Gift Box (Twirling Candy), MGSW and GISP Stonetastic and MGSW Special Forces. She is also responsible for GI QEII Challenge Cup S. heroine Gina Romantica (Into Mischief), herself a $1.025 million purchase at Keeneland September in 2020.

“We're never going to get another mare like her,” Brogden said. “We have a Twirling Candy filly for 2023 and it'll be a hard decision whether she comes up here or not because we can buy a lot of new broodmares for a million dollars. She is tough as nails. She is in foal to Flightline right now, but we might have to send her back to Into Mischief after this.”

Armed with both top-class runners on both the dirt and turf, Brogden admitted she doesn't see any limitations to what this colt will be able to do.

“I wouldn't be surprised if he is a great dirt horse or if he is a great turf horse,” she said.

Seeming to have the knack for coming up with pricey sales prospects out of inexpensive mares, Brogden explained Machmer Hall's overall breeding philosophy.

“We just try to go with the families we like and understand what we can afford,” she explained. “For example, I bought Stonetastic's daughter for $400,000 because I can afford that. I can't afford Stonetastic even though we bred her. You have to know the families you are dealing with.”

“And I have to thank Unbridled's Song once again. [Monday] we sold six yearlings, three of them out of Unbridled's Song mares.”

While the Machmer Hall team can credit hard work, commitment and diligence to much of their success, Brogden is quick to point out that sometimes the intangibles can also come into play.

“We had two yearlings struck and killed this year and [the Into Mischief colt] was in the same field with them,” she said. “And there were only 14 of them. We got lucky it wasn't him.”–@CbossTDN

Volatile Filly Sparks Three Chimneys' Day 

Three Chimneys Farm, which hit it out of the park with the fast-starting stallion career of Gun Runner, could have another stallion success in the making after a first-crop daughter of Volatile (hip 215) sold for $1.15 million to the bid of Mike Rutherford Tuesday at Keeneland.

“I don't think you could write it out any better than to have a $1.15-million filly in the first crop, but those are the kind of mares that we bred to him,” said Three Chimneys' Chris Baker. “That's the kind of confidence that we have in him.”

The filly, consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, was bred by Three Chimneys and is out of multiple Grade I winner Love and Pride (A.P. Indy).

“She was a spectacular filly,” Baker said of the yearling. “She deserved that kind of recognition. She is that special. We wish Mr. Rutherford all the luck in the world with her.”

Three Chimneys purchased Volatile (Violence) in partnership for $850,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September sale. The gray won the 2020 GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. and stood this season at Three Chimneys for $12,500.

“Volatile has consistently produced great physicals, horses with scope and substance that look fast,” Baker said. “And he was fast. It's really been pleasant to see how consistently he has race horse physical types. So we are as excited as we can be right now.”

Of the stallion's first seven-figure yearling, Baker said, “With a horse that started at his initial stud fee, it is a pleasant surprise–it's not shocking, but it's a pleasant surprise.”

Three Chimneys came right back with another seven-figure yearling when a colt by Into Mischief (hip 218), co-bred with Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm, sold for $1.1 million to the SF/Starlight/Madaket partnership.

Consigned by Gainesway, the yearling is out of Magical World (Distorted Humor) and is a half-brother to multiple Grade I winner Guarana (Ghostzapper). Guarana's Into Mischief colt sold for $1.4 million during Monday's first session of the September sale.

“Nothing would have surprised me with him,” Baker said. “I think he is an exceptional colt. He's a great-moving colt with a great pedigree–by a top sire out of a top mare. So I think he is well sold and I expect to hear more about him in the future.”

Also Tuesday, Three Chimneys sold a filly by Munnings (hip 280) for $700,000 to Shadwell. The yearling is out of Princesa Carolina (Tapit). @JessMartiniTDN

Gun Runner Filly to Speedway

Marette Farrell, bidding on behalf of Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner's Speedway Stable, went to $1.2 million to acquire a filly by Gun Runner (hip 222) from Jody and Michelle Huckabay's Elm Tree Farm consignment. The Huckabays were selling the youngster on behalf of Dell Ennis, who purchased the filly for $625,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale.

“She is so athletic and so light on her feet and has an amazing demeanor,” Farrell said. “I believe she is a runner and I hope Peter and K.C. are lucky with her.”

The bay is out of Mama Yay (Mineshaft), an unraced full-sister to Dialed In and a half to Broadway Gold (Seeking the Gold). The yearling is a half-sister to stakes winner Empire House (Empire Maker).

“It is a pedigree that Peter Fluor himself loved,” Farrell said. “We now have three stallions–Collected, Roadster and Corniche–so we are trying to do things with a view towards buying fillies [to breed to them]. We were the underbidder on this filly when she sold as a weanling. So we followed her and saw her here.”

Ennis said the filly's pedigree was what attracted him to her at Fasig-Tipton last November.

“I loved her,” Ennis said. “I loved the pedigree. I love Miss Doolittle and I love Mama Yay.”

The filly was Ennis's lone pinhook of the year and the Virginian admitted to some pre-sale jitters.

“I woke up at 2:22 this morning and couldn't sleep,” he said. “She is so classy and confident in herself. You are going to be writing about her again.”

Tuesday's seven-figure transaction was an emotional one for veteran horseman Jody Huckabay.

“I've been doing this for 35 years and this was my first million-dollar horse,” a visibly moved Huckabay said after watching the filly sell. “We thought she was a very, very good filly and obviously a lot of people thought she was nice. But you never know.”

Huckabay and Ennis were enjoying their first collaboration at the Keeneland sale.

“Dell bought this filly and called me and said, 'I hear you raise a good horse,' and he sent her to me. I met him yesterday [for the first time]. So I didn't know him. But things worked out. It's a very exciting day.”

Of the decision to send the weanling to Elm Tree last November, Ennis said, “I interviewed several farms and at the time, [Huckabay] checked the boxes for us. He could take the filly right from the sale, so he checked the boxes. I have a very good rapport with several other farms in Kentucky and I love them as well. Jody and Michelle are very hands on and they pay attention to detail. And that's what it takes to get a horse in that ring from a weanling.”

This is not the first time the bay filly has rewarded her connections in the sales ring. She was bred by Mark Erlandson, who purchased Mama Yay for $20,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale. Erlandson sent the Gun Runner filly through the sales ring at Fasig-Tipton last year through the New Hill Farm consignment. @JessMartiniTDN

Into Mischief Continues Powerful Run Into Day 2

Picking up where he left off Monday, Into Mischief was represented by his first seven-figure yearling of the session when Hip 218 reeled in $1.1 million from agent Donato Lanni. Tom Ryan signed the ticket on behalf of prolific partnership of SF Bloodstock, Starlight and Madaket.

“There is no mystery about the stallion,” Ryan said. “It's a very unique pedigree. Just a fantastic piece of paper. And it's rare you have the opportunity to buy into that sort of bloodline. So we're glad to be involved.”

According to Ryan, the colt will go to Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

“Donato loved him and so did Bob. Our own team, John Moynihan was involved too. We're excited to have him.”

Whisper Hill Farm and Three Chimneys Farm bred the colt in partnership. The Apr. 20 foal is out of Magical World (Distorted Humor), most notably the dam of GI Acorn S. winner Guarana (Ghostzapper). The colt is also half to SW Beatbox (Pioneerof the Nile) and SW and GSP Magic Dance (More Than Ready). The family includes GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Pleasant Home (Seeking the Gold).

Following a lucrative streak, Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill, in partnership with Three Chimneys Farm, extended to $5.2 million to secure Magic World while carrying this foal at Fasig-Tipton November in 2021. Last term, the partnership dipped into the family again to purchase Magical World's colt by Quality Road for $1.1 million. Guarana herself was a $4.4-million purchase at Fasig-Tipton November in 2021.

The family had its desirability in full display Monday when a son of Guarana, also by Into Mischief, brought $1.4 million.

During Tuesday's session, Lanni also secured Hip 207, a colt by Into Mischief out of Late Night Pow Wow (Fiber Sonde) for $900,000 and Hip 243, a colt by Justify ($625,000) for the same partnership. —@CbossTDN

Seven-Figure Book 1 Parade for Pope

Mandy Pope, who has steadily been building a high-octane broodmare band, reaped the benefits of her investments during Book 1, selling five seven-figure yearlings over the two sessions. Leading the way was a $1.7-million son of Into Mischief (hip 162) who sold Monday. Pope got Tuesday's second session of the auction off to a quick start when the first horse through the ring, a daughter of Tapit (hip 202), sold for $1.3 million to the internet bid of Sinandigan Stable. Also Tuesday, Pope, in partnership with Three Chimneys Farm, sold a colt by Into Mischief (hip 218) for $1.1 million to the SF/Starlight/Madaket partnership; and a colt by Curlin out of champion Songbird (hip 325) for $1 million to Grandview Equine.

Mandy Pope | Keeneland

“It's been a lot of hard working buying the right mares,” Pope said. “We worked hard buying excellent race mares and trying to reproduce them. This has been an awesome day for us.”

Asked how the results in the sales ring matched up to her expectations, Pope said, “We thought a couple of them would sell that well. A couple of them were surprises for the better and one or two were not. The usual thing.”

Pope's Book 1 yearlings were at the forefront of a big two days for the Gainesway consignment.

“Mandy has invested a lot of time and a lot of money and it's starting to yield dividends,” said Gainesway's Brian Graves. @JessMartiniTDN

The post With $3M Into Mischief Topper, Keeneland September Sizzles from Start to Finish Tuesday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Celebrating 10 Years in U.S., Don Alberto Sends Star-Studded Lineup to Keeneland

It's a summer of firsts for Don Alberto.

In June, the international operation owned by Liliana Solari and her son Carlos Heller celebrated the first Grade I winner in the United States bred by their American base when Arcangelo (Arrogate) scored in a historic edition of the GI Belmont S. Now, they are preparing to send 50 homebreds to the Keeneland September Sale. The contingent is led by an Into Mischief colt out of champion racemare Unique Bella (Tapit) who will be the first of their prized mare's progeny to sell at auction.

Ten years ago, Don Alberto expanded from its successful breeding and racing base in Chile when they purchased the former Vinery Farm in Kentucky and then went on a shopping spree at the fall breeding stock sales, grossing $10.64 million in purchases at the Keeneland November Sale alone. Since then, the operation has emerged in the headlines from a different perspective as a commercial breeder. Recent highlights include their sale of the highest-priced yearling sold in North America in 2021–a $2.6 million Into Mischief colt out of GI Test S. winner Paola Queen (Flatter).

Next week at Keeneland, the farm will offer nine yearlings in Book 1. With six fillies and three colts in the lineup, each member of the assembly hails from a dam that claimed blacktype on the racetrack and four are out of Grade I winners.

“I would say this is as strong as we've ever been coming into Keeneland Book 1,” said Reed Ringler, the COO of Don Alberto's U.S. operation. “Just an incredible depth, great sire power and out of fantastic mares that we've been procuring for the last ten years here in Kentucky.”

Selling with Taylor Made Sales, Unique Bella's colt may share the same flashy coloring as his dam, but the eye-catching gray seems to have inherited the physical of his sire.

“I think this horse is more like Into Mischief,” Ringler explained. “He's got some stretch to him and he is medium-sized, a very well-balanced colt. He has a big walk on him. He's a May foal, so there is a lot of room for growth. We're very excited about him and we have high hopes for this horse on the big night.”

Unique Bella was the first horse to claim a Grade I on American soil for Don Alberto's racing stable back in 2017. She would go on to earn Eclipse honors for top female sprinter that year and was then named champion older dirt female the following season.

The mare's first two foals were retained by the farm. Her 3-year-old unraced daughter Una Bella d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) is now carrying her first foal by Mandaloun and her 2-year-old colt Ultra Power (Curlin) is in training with Bob Baffert. The juvenile ran sixth at Del Mar on debut on Aug. 25, but Ringler said the colt is expected to thrive later this season going two turns.

Salty's Tapit filly at the Gainesway consignment | Sara Gordon

Ringler also noted that their team believes they have found the right match for Unique Bella in Into Mischief, explaining that the mare's foal of this year by the Spendthrift supersire is just as impressive as her older brother.

“Unique Bella is a big, strong mare and I think what we found with Into Mischief is that we really hit the bull's-eye as we were looking for that racey athlete,” he said.

Ringler added that because the operation now has a colt and a filly from their star mare, they believed this was the right time to offer one of her progeny to the market. Selling as Hip 382, the yearling will be one of the final hips to go through the ring during the second session of Book 1.

Earlier in the second day of the sale, another high-profile Don Alberto mare will be represented by her first foal to go to auction. Salty (Quality Road), who claimed the GI La Troienne S. in 2018, was purchased by Don Alberto later that year for $3 million. Her first foal Safiri, an unraced filly by Tapit, was retained by Don Alberto and bred to Mandaloun this year. Salty's second daughter by Tapit will sell as Hip 301 with Gainesway.

Hip 220, by Candy Ride (Arg), is the first foal out of Grade III winner Magic Star and sells with Denali Stud | Sara Gordon

“She looks a lot like her daddy,” Ringler noted. “She's going to turn a lot of heads when she walks out. She's a beautiful, early type and out of a Grade I-winning mare, so we're very hopeful and very blessed.”

Don Alberto's legion of Book 1-bound fillies also includes Hip 19–an Into Mischief half-sister to MGISW American Gal (Concord Point), Hip 20–a daughter of Uncle Mo out of GI Chandelier S. winner Angela Renee (Bernardini), Hip 69–a Quality Road filly out of GI La Brea S. victress Constellation (Bellamy Road), Hip 217–another Tapit whose dam Luminance (Tale of the Cat) was second in the GI Santa Anita Oaks, and finally Hip 297–an American Pharoah half-sister to stakes winner Rubilinda (Frankel).

With a majority of fillies coming out of this year's crop of yearlings, Ringler said the decision regarding which youngsters would go to auction was not an easy one.

“This year is exceptionally hard with the fillies coming out of these pedigrees,” he admitted. “Carlos [Heller Solari] and I just had a meeting about how hard this game is and it gets harder the bigger the decisions get. We are commercial and we do bring most of our horses to market, but when we identify horses that are maybe undervalued, we're going to keep them and race them. We're strong judges, but Carlos knows it's a business. We were filly heavy this crop and we thought it was the right thing to bring them to market to let other people see what we're building at Don Alberto.”

Don Alberto's Book 1 group is rounded out by two additional colts. Hip 220, a Candy Ride (Arg) colt consigned with Denali Stud, is the first foal out of Grade III victress Magic Star (Scat Daddy). Hip 377 by Curlin is a son of Grade III winner Touching Beauty (Tapit) and will sell with Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa.

Hip 19, a half-sister to GISW American Gal, by Into Mischief | Sara Gordon

Don Alberto will be represented well on past Book 1, but the breeding operation has proven that they can produce a top-level horse in the later books.

Dual Grade I winner Arcangelo (Arrogate) slipped through the September Sale in 2021 when he sold for just $35,000 to Jon Ebbert in Book 3. His dam Modeling (Tapit), who hails from influential Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour, was a $2.85 million purchase for Don Alberto in 2014, but Arcangelo's immaturity and smaller stature as a May foal kept him off most lists.

“The great thing about Keeneland is that there is value everywhere,” Ringler explained. “You never know where you're going to find an Arcangelo and that's why you come here to shop. The dam of Arcangelo was one of our foundation mares so to get our first Classic winner with a horse that is this special for his connections, it's just been a wonderful year.”

While health issues have prevented Modeling from producing another foal since Arcangelo, Don Alberto does have his half-sister Madison Square (Medaglia d'Oro) in their broodmare band.

With just over 100 mares on their farm in Lexington, the Don Alberto product may continue to evolve, but their philosophy stays the same.

“When Ms. Liliana and Carlos came here, their passion for racing and pedigrees was already globally known,” said Ringler. “They came here with a plan. We've adapted a bit to American commercial appeal and I think we're seeing that on the racetrack now. Carlos has big goals. He wants to win the Kentucky Derby. He wants to compete in all the big Classics. But I think more importantly, we want to further the breed, be a good steward of the industry and continue to develop relationships.”

“Ms. Liliana lights up around all of her horses,” he continued. “You can see her love and passion for all of her horses and it really flows through to our entire staff. You can see the love they give to every horse and I hope that when the world sees our horses at Keeneland, they see that love and that care coming through with all of our yearlings.”

The post Celebrating 10 Years in U.S., Don Alberto Sends Star-Studded Lineup to Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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