Keeneland September Establishes All-Time Record Gross

At the conclusion of Thursday's 10th session, the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale became the highest-grossing auction in Keeneland's history with total sales weighing in at $399,940,000. The previous record of $399,791,800 was set during the 2006 September Sale.

With two sessions remaining, a total of 2,488 yearlings (through the ring) have sold for $399,940,000, an increase of 14.63% over the same period last year when 2,428 horses sold grossed $348,885,500. Average price of $160,748 is up 11.87% from $143,693, while the median of $85,000 is 13.33% above $75,000 in 2021. RNA rate was down a tick from 20.21% to 19.32%.

Heading yesterday's action, a colt by red-hot young sire Girvin (Hip 3504), who has his first runners this year, topped the second of two Book 5 sessions of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Thursday when hammering for $290,000. Bred and consigned by Brookdale Sales, he was bought my Mick Wallace, agent for St. Elias Stables.

The Seitz family purchased Hip 3504's dam, SP Into Summer (Into Mischief), for $60,000 at last year's Keeneland January Sale with this colt in utero.

“He has developed really well,” said Brookdale's Joe Seitz. “My brother Freddy [Seitz] bought that mare down at OBS carrying this colt and brought her back home, so that is why he is a Kentucky-bred. He has been really nice all along. Girvin started to take off here with his 2-year-olds, which was nice. It was great watching him develop all summer and fill out just as those horses were running. The sire moved up to Kentucky, which gave the yearling even more profile. When we got up here, he stood out. People on the sales grounds started talking, word spread and everyone came for him.”

The horseman continued, “He was very exciting. He had a whole lot of vetting. He was shown 92 times in one day of showing. In Book 5, that is incredible. He handled it like a champ. He walked really great and covered a lot of ground. He never got tired.”

Keeneland ringman DeJuan Smith, profiled in Thursday's TDN, successfully pinhooked his $23,000 Palace Malice colt for $50,000 (Hip 3452).

For Thursday's session, 308 yearlings summoned $10,335,000 compared to the equivalent 2021 session when 303 youngsters grossed $9,194,000. Average was up from $30,343 to $33,555 and median was up from $23,000 to $25,000. RNA rate was about even at 12.75% compared to 12.17% in 2021.

“It has been non-stop at the barn,” Seitz said. “When I go up to the ring with a horse, all of the people in the back ring are all over me for information. It feels good.”

The two-day Book 6 begins Friday at 10 a.m.

The post Keeneland September Establishes All-Time Record Gross appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Godolphin’s ‘Blue Sky’ Sophs at F-T July HORA

The Godolphin racing team has been the envy of many so far in 2021, headed by reigning juvenile champion Essential Quality (Tapit), who took the GI Belmont S. last month. And while the organization can usually be counted on to turn out top-tier performers year after year, some of the hopefuls don't quite make it to the highest levels. As is generally the case with many of the largest players on the racing scene, decisions must be made and as a result, the racing division pared down. Case in point, 10 prospects previously raced by the operation have been earmarked for Monday's Fasig-Tipton July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale in Lexington.

“A new wave of 100 2-year-olds recently joined their program,” explained Brookdale's Joe Seitz, consignor of the Godolphin draft of horses. “They have also retained more horses over the past few years than they normally have. At this time of year, it is ideal for them to make some decisions, because if they're not going to be top-end stakes horses, then they can be very useful for someone else. They have no problem with these horses going on to be successful racehorses for somebody else. They have very high parameters that they need to meet for their stable and this is an ideal time to thin out some numbers. These horses are very useful quality horses that some people are going to have fun with.”

And while no stranger to the July sale's HORA session, Godolphin is tweaking the product on offer for the 2021 renewal.

“They sold some last year at this sale, but those were mostly older horses,” Seitz said. “This year, they are offering 3-year-olds which is a nice addition, because these horses that have plenty of conditions left and a lot of 'blue sky' in front of them.”

Heading the group is Cave Hill (Frosted), winner of Turfway's Rushaway S. Mar. 27. A winner on all three racing surfaces, Hip 613 broke his maiden going a mile in the Indiana slop last October before adding a victory in a Tampa optional claimer on the sod in December. This season, the Brendan Walsh trainee hit the board in half of his starts, including a third in the Dania Beach S. at Gulfstream in January.

“He's been training really well,” affirmed Seitz. “He is definitely a listed caliber individual.”

A half-brother to dual Grade II scorer Skylighter (Sky Mesa), the gelding is a grandson of the Grade I-winning mare, Nastique (Naskra). He is from the first crop of Godolphin's GI Whitney winner Frosted (Tapit).

“What buyer wouldn't want to have a three-weapon arsenal,” said Seitz, explaining the allure of the gelding's ability dirt, turf and all-weather. “You can take him north, you can take him south, you can really run him just about anywhere you like.”

Hailing from the same family is Hip 648, a winning son of Ghostzapper named Ghostlighter. Out of the aforementioned Skylighter, the half-brother to graded-placed Sky Painter (Street Cry {Ire}) is the winner of two career starts, including the most recent registered going a mile at Indiana in April. In his latest start, he finished runner-up in a main track Arlington optional claimer July 4.

The page doesn't get much better than that of Tapwood, cataloged as Hip 564. By leading sire Tapit, the sophomore is out of dual Grade I-winning Better Lucky (Ghostzapper), who is a granddaughter of GI Breeders' Cup Sprint heroine Desert Stormer (Storm Cat). Stakes placed in Monmouth's Sapling S. at two, the gelding broke through for Mike Stidham a Tampa in January before hitting the board in three of his next four starts, including the most recent a second-place effort in a Delaware allowance June 24.

“He is a very good-looking son of Tapit who was second in his two latest starts,” he said. “He is a maiden winner, so he still has all his conditions and we think he's sitting on a win.”

Also sporting upside is National Road (Quality Road), a half-brother to a trio of stakes performing siblings, including German listed winner Clear Water (Hard Spun). Cataloged as Hip 526, the son of Storm Lily (Storm Cat) was second going 8 1/2 furlongs over the Churchill turf June 13 before finishing third at Ellis June 27.

“He was a 'top 15 horse' among [Godolphin's] 2-year-old class last year coming out of their leg-up farm,” offered Seitz. “The horse has a lot of ability. He's been competitive on the Kentucky circuit, so there is a lot of potential there. This could be a good opportunity for someone to have some fun with especially with all the KTDF money available right now because he's Kentucky bred. And he has all his conditions.”

Representing one of the leading stallions in the nation, Hip 598, Atone (Into Mischief), annexed a trio of races in 2020 before finishing seventh in the GIII Tampa Bay S. in February. Gelded thereafter, he finished third in his two most recent starts an Arlington optional claimer June 19.

With already a win under his belt this season, Commandeer (Street Boss) hit the board in four of five starts in 2021, including a victory for trainer Eoin Harty at Tampa in April. Hip 619, who  is out of Gozlan (Tiznow), a full-sister to dual Grade II winner and Grade I placed Tizaqueena, finished third on Arlington's all-weather last weekend.

Summarizing his overall assessment of the consignment's physical appeal as a whole, Seitz said, “These horses have been in the best of hands and have sensational pedigrees. Think of the broodmare band they are coming out of. And all of the horses really look the part, they really do. I know it sounds like a party line, but physically any one of them would knock your socks off. Each one is prettier than the next.”

The post Godolphin’s ‘Blue Sky’ Sophs at F-T July HORA appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

INQUIRY Presented By Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders And Owners Association: Favorite Road Music?

Working in the Thoroughbred industry means spending a lot of time on the road.

The logistics between racetracks, training centers, auctions, farms, and breeding sheds can give a person a lot of time behind the wheel, which leads to a lot of time listening to the radio.

In this edition of INQUIRY, we ask folks on the sales grounds what they're listening to while traveling from place to place with the question, “What is your favorite music for the road?”

Seth Gregory – Seth Gregory Bloodstock

“Country. I like a little bit of everything from old school guys like Hank Williams Sr. to '90s country, and some of the new stuff.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ron Blake – Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services

“I listen to Bachata music. It's a Latin dance originated in the Dominican Republic. I Bachata myself, it's a dance. I go to the Dominican Republic three or four times a year, and it makes me feel like I'm down there.”

 

 

 

Mike Recio – South Point Sales Agency

“R&B and hip hop. I like Drake, Tupac, and I've always been a Notorious B.I.G. fan from back in the day. It's good party music, it's got a good feel and beat, and that's what the kids are listening to.”

 

 

 

 

Joe McMahon – McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds

“'60s on 6 on Sirius Radio. All the great bands were in the '60s – There were the Beatles of course, and Elvis had some great songs in the '60s. Herman and the Hermits, Tommy James and the Shondells.”

 

 

 

 

 

Freddie Seitz – Brookdale Sales

“Wilco. I've liked them ever since I was 20 years old, and they come out with great music all the time.”

 

 

 

 

Chris Bernhard – Hidden Lake Farm

“Probably corny 1990s pop music. I usually listen to the news or something else, so I rarely listen to music, but if I had to pop a CD out of the case, it's probably something that's been sitting in there for 15 years.”

The post INQUIRY Presented By Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders And Owners Association: Favorite Road Music? appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Honor Roll Presented By The Runhappy Meet At Kentucky Downs: Social Paranoia’s Road From The Sale Ring To The Dueling Grounds Derby

Joe Seitz remembers $75,000 being a “fair price” when the now 4-year-old Social Paranoia sold as part of the Brookdale Sales consignment at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Yearling Sale in 2017.

Street Boss, the colt's sire, was standing for $10,000 live foal at Darley when Social Paranoia was conceived, so 7.5 times the stud fee was a profitable multiple for his breeders, Mineola Farm and Silent Grove Farm.

Social Paranoia's buyer and current owner, Stuart Grant's The Elkstone Group, has enjoyed an even higher multiple off the purchase price. After 15 career starts for trainer Todd Pletcher, Social Paranoia has earned $929,710, more than one-third of that coming from his 2019 victory at Kentucky Downs in the $600,000 Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Derby.

Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Social Paranoia raced closed to the lead on the European-style turf layout at Kentucky Downs, moved to the lead inside the furlong pole and edged clear late to win by a half-length. His time of 2:08.50 for 1 5/16 miles established a new course record.

“I remember him clearly when he was at Fasig-Tipton,” Seitz said recently. “He was very popular, an awesome sale horse. We got $75,000, which was a fine price, but I had hoped he would do more.

“Fortunately, he got in the right hands, with Stuart Grant and Todd Pletcher.”

Slow to leave the maiden ranks (though he was third in the Grade 3 Pilgrim in the last of five starts at two), Social Paranoia scored his initial career win in his first start at three at Gulfstream Park and has exclusively competed in stakes competition ever since.

His big score at Kentucky Downs was the final start of 2019 for Social Paranoia, who began his 2020 campaign with a victory in the G3 Appleton Stakes at Gulfstream. Most recently he unleashed a furious stretch rally to win the G3 Poker Stakes at Belmont on July 4. He's just resumed training after a minor setback following the Poker and was not nominated for any stakes at the upcoming Runhappy Kentucky Downs meet, according to Pletcher.

Brookdale will be offering a full-brother to Social Paranoia in Book 2 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

The post Honor Roll Presented By The Runhappy Meet At Kentucky Downs: Social Paranoia’s Road From The Sale Ring To The Dueling Grounds Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights