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Shoppers Out in Force Ahead of Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – A day after a well-attended breeze show and a day ahead of sale time, shoppers were out in force at the Fasig-Tipton sales barns at Gulfstream Park on a brilliantly sunny Tuesday morning.

“It's been very steady,” consignor Steve Venosa of SGV Thoroughbreds said as he watched his popular Practical Joke filly (hip 63) head out for another show Tuesday morning. “We started with our first show roughly around 8 a.m. and it's been non-stop for the last three hours. The usual faces are here and there are a few new ones, which is always pleasant to see.”

Venosa said the Gulfstream sale, which will be held in the track's paddock beginning at 2 p.m. Wednesday, is always a major stop on the calendar for his consignment.

“I think this is the best place to sell a 2-year-old in the world,” Venosa said. “It's a great surface and Fasig-Tipton is a world-class company. The weather is beautiful and I think the sale has been well-received with the amount of people that are here. This is the most important horse sale that I go to. Every year.”

Of the absence of some key consignors, Venosa added, “I am surprised. Because I think, by the amount of people who were here at the breeze show yesterday, and with the state of the market, people want to buy and it's unfortunate they didn't show up. But hopefully the people who are here are going to be rewarded for their efforts.”

Torie and Jimbo Gladwell, whose Top Line Sales had a seven-figure sale at the OBS March sale two weeks ago, will look to keep the momentum going with a three-horse consignment at Gulfstream.

“We always try to bring five or six to Gulfstream,” Torie Gladwell said. “A couple of clients had a few cross-entered into March and April and we lost one or two. And we ended up with three down here. So it's a typical consignment for us.”

Following Monday's breeze show, consignor Ciaran Dunne of Wavertree Stables described the importance of the Gulfstream sale with its South Florida backdrop and proximity to high-class racing both encouraging buyers to dream big.

“We're selling the dream,” Dunne said.

Gladwell echoed those sentiments Tuesday.

“I think we definitely need to continue this sale down here,” she said. “It's such a great market. A lot of these buyers that come from overseas just really like the atmosphere here and come down with big clients and big owners. It's a sale that we need to continue. Boyd and the Fasig team do a great job entertaining and offering all the hospitality.”

Top Line Sales was represented during Monday's breeze show with a colt by City of Light (hip 100) who worked the furlong in a co-second fastest :9 4/5.

“The track was great yesterday,” Gladwell said. “Horses seemed to go a little faster. They were getting across it a little easier than in previous years. The gallop-outs were faster and they came back not blowing and not as tired.”

Of activity at the barns Tuesday, Gladwell said, “It's been steady. The majority of the big buyers are here. There are some middle-market buyers who are showing up, so I think it's going to be a good market overall. The trainers haven't shown up yet, but I expect they'll come after training hours later today.”

Among the trainers at the barns late Tuesday morning were Bob Baffert, along with bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, as well as Simon Callaghan and agent Ben McElroy, Dale Romans and Gustavo Delgado. Representatives from Stonestreet, Spendthrift and WinStar Farms and major buyer Larry Best were busy shopping, as were agents Pete Bradley, Deuce Greathouse, Fabricio Buffolo, John Dowd, Dennis O'Neill, Jaime Hill, Conor Foley, Justin Casse, Raime Lightner, Joe Brocklebank and Patrick Lawley-Wakelin.

Hoby Kight was enjoying the view from the Hartley/de Renzo Thoroughbreds consignment as a Medaglia d'Oro colt (hip 88) he purchased for $225,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale made repeated trips from the barn to shows Tuesday morning.

“According to my consignors, they said he's been very popular and he's been out all morning,” Kight said with a smile.

Of the colt's appeal as a yearling, Kight said, “I loved his angles. As a 2-year-old guy, you want to buy a horse that you are able to see something that in the future is going to be good, something that for whatever reason, the big guys didn't go for. That's what we do. Everybody sees the obvious horse, but we have to buy the potential.”

The dark bay colt, who worked a furlong in :10 flat Monday, is the second horse Kight has bought for clients Marvin Boyd and Charlie Allen.

“They bought one a couple of years ago and it turned out good,” Kight said. “So this is the second horse they've had with me to do this. I bought the horse [hip 88] and they bought him from me within five minutes.”

Kight agreed the Gulfstream sale was an important stop on the juvenile sales season, particularly because of the Hallandale oval's dirt track.

“It's phenomenal,” he said of the sales results. “You look at all the great horses who have come out of this sale, per number, it's unbelievable.

He continued, “First of all, it's the dirt. There isn't any faking it. They are what they are. It separates them out. I have a couple of other horses for people scattered around because I am a full-fledged supporter of a good dirt horse sale. I believe in it. For what I do, I buy a horse who is always going to be a Corvette. At OBS, they all go fast. On the dirt, you can't do that.”

Danzel Brendemuehl's Classic Bloodstock consignment at Gulfstream includes a colt by Nyquist (hip 62) who worked a furlong in :9 4/5.

“It's been pretty busy,” Brendemuehl said of activity at her sales barn Tuesday. “Especially with just two horses, it's been steady and I've gone through most of my cards already. All of the right people are here. This sale has been a good sale and Boyd and Fasig have taken care of us over the years. We come because of that. The right buyers are always here. They did a great job on the breeze show. They kept the track in great shape. We were lucky the wind died down and we didn't have to deal with that like we did last year.”

Susan Montanye of SBM Training and Sales saw plenty to be optimistic about ahead of Wednesday's sale.

“It looks like there are a lot of people here,” she said. “I think everybody who needs to be here is here. It's beautiful weather and it looked like it was a great breeze show. The track was great. So I think it will be a successful sale for a lot of people. Just from the looks of it, people are here to buy.”

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First-Time Pinhookers Hoping Nyquist Colt Pays at Gulfstream

When Danzel Brendemuehl purchased a colt by Nyquist for $275,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings Sale, she lay the groundwork for a pair of first-time pinhookers who will be hoping the move hits pay dirt when the youngster returns to the sales ring as hip 62 next Wednesday at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale. Brendemuehl signed the ticket on the yearling in the name of Don Cox's Sausalito Partners and Colleen Smith's Breckenridge Bloodstock, but pretty soon another name was added to the partnership when Dr. Bramdeo Singh joined the group.

Cox, who has been involved in horse racing on and off since the 1980s, has a handful of racehorses and broodmares, but his first foray into pinhooking came almost by accident when he was attending the California yearling sale last fall.

“This is my first time pinhooking,” Cox confirmed. “This opportunity just came up over at Pomona. I don't know, you get over there and you might have a cocktail or two and you're talking to everybody and you meet more and more people in the horse industry and it's an auction–sometimes you do things you wouldn't normally do. I jumped in with Danzel and Colleen and I guess somehow after that there was a fourth partner who wanted in, but I own one-third of him.”

While the Nyquist colt will be Cox's first official pinhook, the California resident did come close a few years ago.

“Danzel has been breaking horses for me for a few years and she bought a couple to pinhook a few years ago,” he explained. “We bought a Ghostzapper filly and a Goldencents colt and we were going to pinhook those. But, long story short, I said, 'Why pinhook them? I will just keep them and race them.' I bought both of those. I haven't had much luck with them yet, they both got hurt, but they are getting back to the track soon.”

Moderate to bad luck seems to be a theme for Cox's racing stable.

“One of my friends had a horse ranch, that's kind of how I got into it back in 1985,” Cox said. “I was working at the ranch and I just loved the animals. So they sold me one for $500 and I went down to Caliente with him and he won the race by 11 lengths. But they told me he would never be able to race again. I was a novice, I said, 'What do I do?' We gave him to a kid from the area to use as a riding horse. That was my first experience.

“Ever since then, unfortunately, we have given five or six horses away,” Cox said. “One of them went to Huntington Beach Equestrian Center and the people love him. One of them went to a little girl who sent us a nice letter about how much she loves him. We always get them re-purposed for a good cause. I don't like to hurt anything or put anything down. Of course we'd like to make some money, but so far we've mostly been donating.”

Cox is a vendor for the Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions chain of stores.

“My business is going great guns and that pays for all of my vets. The disposable income pays for my horse fun,” he explained.

Dr. Bramdeo Singh, who serves as medical director of Montefiore Nyack Hospital in New York, has been active in the Standardbred industry over the years, but jumped at the chance to return to Thoroughbred racing when he met Brendemuehl through a mutual friend.

A native of British Guyana, Singh's roots in Thoroughbred racing run deep.

“My grandpa had one of the most famous horses in that country, so that gives me goose bumps hearing the stories,” Singh said. “That's why my first love is the Thoroughbreds. There is just a thrill about being around the horses and watching them go fast.”

But when the family relocated to the U.S., Singh's love of racing took a slight detour.

“I came to this country when I was seven years old,” Singh said. “My dad took me to Yonkers Raceway. I've lived in Yonkers all my life pretty much. And I was a Standardbred fan. But I was always a fan of the Kentucky Derby, so this was my chance to get into the Thoroughbred business.”

Brendemuehl made several purchases at the California sale last September and Singh eventually invested in a package of three pinhooking prospects–one for each of his children–but he said the Nyquist colt was always at the top of his list.

“I noticed Danzel had bought a few in the California sale and on paper the Nyquist was the best looking,” Singh said. “I was a big Nyquist fan because he was undefeated when he won the Derby and I liked him in the Derby. So when I had a chance to own one of his offspring, I was all in. I asked her if I could get a share and she said of course. In the videos that she sends me of the three yearlings, this one stands out by far.”

The bay colt, who sells under Brendemuehl's Classic Bloodstock banner, is out of Soul Crusader (Fusaichi Pegasus) and is a half-brother to stakes-placed There Goes Harvard (Will Take Charge). He is from the family of Grade I winner Killer Graces and graded winner Chocolate Ride.

So far, Singh has only seen the 2-year-old from afar and his schedule is unlikely to allow him to travel to South Florida for the Gulfstream sale next week.

“I've just seen the videos,” he said. “I haven't had the chance yet to see him in Florida. I'm a medical director by day with three kids. So with my schedule I probably won't make it to the sale. But with my other two, one is selling in Maryland and I may try to go there.”

Singh has been getting positive reports on the colt.

“Danzel told me he is the best horse she's had by far. And that speaks volumes,” he said. “And the videos are like poetry in motion. He just looks so fluid.”

Both Cox and Singh make it clear that Brendemuehl is the lynchpin to their involvement in the pinhooking venture.

“In this business, trust is a big factor and she is one of the most honest people I know,” Singh said of Brendemuehl.

Cox agreed.

“I don't think I would do it with anybody other than Danzel,” he said. “I really like her and she's as honest as the day is long.”

Nyquist has already developed quite a resume for himself at the Gulfstream sale. Bloodstock agent Dennis O'Neill purchased the future Derby winner for $400,000 at the 2015 auction. The stallion was represented by the sale topper a year ago when his colt out of Spinning Wheel (Smart Strike) sold for $2.6 million.

In addition to hip 62, the 2022 Gulfstream catalogue also includes a daughter of Nyquist (hip 15) who sells with the Wavertree Stables consignment responsible for the 2021 sale topper and a son of the Derby winner (hip 31) who sells with Cary Frommer.

The under-tack show for the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale will be held Monday beginning at 9 a.m. The auction will be held Wednesday in the track's paddock with bidding scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.

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Uncle Mo Colt Tops Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Opener At $1.1 Million

The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale saw healthy returns during its opening session on Monday, including a seven-figure sale to the connections of last year's record-setting sale topper.

A colt by Uncle Mo topped the session when sold for $1.1 million to Donato Lanni, agent for Michael Lund Petersen. Offered as Hip 118 by Pike Racing, agent, the colt worked an eighth in :10-flat during last week's under tack show. Out of Miss Ocean City, the dark bay or brown colt is a half-brother to Grade 2 winner Azar from the immediate family of Grade 1 winning millionaire Twilight Agenda. The session-topper was bred in Virginia.

Last year, Petersen went to $1.8 million to secure a sale record-setting Into Mischief filly. Now named Gamine, that filly is undefeated in three starts, and won last weekend's Grade 1 Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park in stakes-record time.

While the top colt was sired by a record-breaking champion freshman sire in Uncle Mo, the session's next-highest price went to a son of current first-crop sire Not This Time.

Lauren Carlisle, agent went to $650,000 to secure Hip 213, a colt by the speedy G3 Iroquois Stakes winner and first foal out of the winning Indian Charlie mare Sanctissima. The chestnut colt was consigned by Classic Bloodstock LLC, agent, and worked an eighth in :10 1/5 seconds during the under tack show. Hip 213 was bred in Maryland.

Carlisle also purchased the session's top filly, a daughter of 2019 leading sire into Mischief, for $500,000 earlier in the day. Consigned as Hip 4 by Hoby and Layna Kight, agent, the bay filly is out of the graded stakes placed Dixie Chatter mare Global Hottie, from the immediate family of Horse of the Year Alysheba. The Kentucky-bred filly worked a quarter in :21 3/5 seconds during the under tack show.

Overall, 152 horses sold for $12,632,500, good for an average of $83,109 and a median of $40,000. The RNA rate was 20 percent.

The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale continues tomorrow at 11 a.m. Eastern. Session 1 results are available online.

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Delayed Midlantic Sale Starts Monday

TIMONIUM, MD – The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, postponed from its traditional May date due to the coronavirus pandemic, kicks off its two-day run at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium Monday morning with bidding scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. A total of 563 juveniles were catalogued for the auction, with 154 listed outs as of Sunday afternoon.

Buyers were out in force on a steamy morning at the sales barns Sunday, with trainers like Barclay Tagg, John Servis, Ron Moquette, Mike Trombetta and Mark Hennig all making the rounds along with bloodstock agents David Ingordo, Dennis O’Neill, Joe Miller, Josh Stevens, Phil Hager, Patrick Lawley Wakelin, Alistair Roden and Patti Miller.

Donato Lanni and owner Michael Lund Petersen who bought the $1.8-million future GI Acorn S. winner Gamine (Into Mischief) at last year’s sale, were out shopping Sunday morning and stopped by the consignment of Bobby Dodd, who sold the record-setting filly in 2019.

Dodd, who returns with a five-horse consignment this year, is hoping for solid sales results despite uncertain conditions around the globe.

“Yesterday traffic [at the barn] was pretty good and today is better,” Dodd said. “I am seeing people today that I didn’t see yesterday, so that’s encouraging. I am hoping and praying it’s going to be good for everybody, but down at OBS [Spring Sale], it was tough. It was either you are all in or not at all. We sold our horses at OBS and just basically got out of the trap, but we didn’t get any cheese. Under the circumstances and the way the world is right now, I think that’s what a person needs to do, unless you are planning on going racing.”

Gamine’s seven-figure price tag was the most ever paid for a horse out of the Midlantic sales ring and highlighted an auction which set records for both gross and average.

“We sold a really nice horse a year ago and everyone is coming back and congratulating us,” Dodd said. “Last year, I really thought that filly was special. Obviously, I didn’t know she was going to bring $1.8 million and I didn’t really know how special she was, but I thought she was a really nice filly. I have some nice horses this year, I don’t honestly think I have one like her. But you never know what’s going to happen-how one is going to bloom.”

Action was constant at Danzel Brendemuehl’s Classic Bloodstock consignment Sunday morning.

“Obviously we are in very difficult times, so it’s very encouraging to see this many people here. We’ve been run off our feet,” Brendemuehl said.

Classic Bloodstock’s main pre-sale attraction is a colt from the first crop of red-hot freshman sire Not This Time (hip 213) who worked in :10 1/5 during last week’s under-tack preview.

“Yesterday we had 60 shows on 213 and probably more–I didn’t record them all because I can’t keep up,” Brendemuehl said.

Asked what she liked about the handsome chestnut, she said simply, “Everything,” before adding, “If you don’t like him, you don’t like horses.”

Brendemuehl purchased the colt for Robert Lambe for $40,000 from Sally Thomas’s consignment at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic October Yearling Sale.

“I keep my mares with Sally in Kentucky, so when Sally tells me she likes a horse, I listen,” Brendemuehl said. “My client and I went to get lunch at Ryleigh’s Oyster Bar and all of a sudden there were a bunch of outs and he was coming up, so I called Peter Penny at the Fasig office and told him he had to bid on the horse for me. So we bought him and we named him Mr. Penny. He’s been my favorite horse all year long.”

While declining to speculate on what the strength of the market will be in Timonium, Kip Elser said there were plenty of shoppers around his Kirkwood Stables consignment this weekend.

“Traffic is right about normal-certainly no less,” Elser said. “What that translates to for tomorrow and the next day, I couldn’t begin to say, but so far we are right on par with the last couple of years as far as traffic.”

Elser had planned to offer a group of horses who would gallop at the under-tack show ahead of the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale in March, but with that boutique auction cancelled, the group all turned in quarter-mile works last week in Timonium.

“The [Gulfstream] sale was cancelled and the normal progression is that those horses would be breezing by this time of year,” Elser said. “So that’s what we did. We put more bottom in them. We were actually considering going three-eighths here with all of them and just showing the logical progression to get to the races. But the way the track is laid out here, I didn’t think coming right out of the paddock where it is gave them enough of a warm-up to go three-eighths. So we went quarters and galloped out. They were very consistent and did what they were supposed to do. And I hope that people see it as one more step on the way to getting to the races. This would have been our third year doing it. I still like the idea and the program just as much.”

While the recent OBS Spring Sale suffered declines, consignor David Scanlon is looking for increased action in Maryland as buyers adapt to market conditions and take advantage of the geography of an auction held within a few hours drive of several racetracks.

“I am highly optimistic [about the sale],” Scanlon said. “We brought more up here, I thought maybe with the little bit later start, it would give everyone time to get going. After seeing one sale already happen, I think people are going to see it’s a buyers market. Plus, I think because of the location of the sale, people have been able to drive here. So I think it’s going to be ok-as good as it can be everything considered.”

During last year’s Midlantic sale, 326 horses sold for $29,374,000 for an average of $90,104 and a median of $43,000.

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