The sale closed with 87 horses sold for $4,274,300, an average of $49,130. The clearance rate was 92.5% with 670 registered bidders. A total of 20 horses sold for $50,000 or more.

“We had extremely spirited bidding throughout the sale, especially as it closed this afternoon,” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton's Director of Digital Sales. “The clearance rate was over 90% again. We're very happy with the results for our buyers and sellers.”

Eileen's Dream has a 2-year-old filly by War Front and a yearling colt by Curlin, who sold for $600,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale to John Stewart and has since been named Stable Boy. She is also the granddam of 2023 GII Saratoga Special S. winner Rhyme Schemes (Ghostzapper). The Fasig-Tipton Digital topper is a half-sister to MGISW Dream Rush (Wild Rush), dam of Broodmare of the Year Dreaming of Julia (A.P. Indy). The latter has produced dual champion Malathaat (Curlin) and GSW Julia Shining.

“Anytime you have the opportunity to secure a nice-looking mare from this family, you have to seriously consider it,” said DJ Stable's Jon Green. “She's got the looks, conformation, female family, broodmare sire, and foal pipeline to be a 'foundation mare' for our program. This is a mare that my dad [Leonard Green] particularly wanted. He loves the family and is excited to have a mare and foal like this.”

Prior to Tuesday's sale, Fasig-Tipton Digital's previous record was held by the broodmare Amazonian (Malibu Moon), who was purchased for $420,000 by KatieRich Farms from the consignment of Ballysax Bloodstock, agent for the Estate of Glen Todd, during the Glen Todd Dispersal Final Phase in September of 2022. The Fasig-Tipton Digital platform launched in March of 2022.

Rounding out the top five sold Tuesday were:

• Gray Lightning (Social Inclusion, hip 6), a racing/broodmare prospect sold for $370,000 to NRCLUB LLC from the consignment of Full Servis Equine, agent. A lightly raced 3-year-old Pennsylvania-bred, Gray Lightning has a record of two wins and one second from three starts at two and three and earnings of $76,720.
• Secret Love (Not This Time, hip 22), a broodmare prospect sold for $310,000 to Steven W. Young, agent, from the consignment of Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent. Secret Love is a stakes winner from her sire's first crop.
• Charlie's Penny (Race Day, hip 20), a racing/broodmare prospect sold for $260,000 to Steven W. Young, agent, from the consignment of Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Lothenbach Stables Complete Dispersal. Minnesota-bred Charlie's Penny is a multiple stakes winner with a record of seven wins, two seconds, and two thirds from 15 career starts and earnings of $413,272 to date.
• R Calli Kim (Revolutionary, hip 11), a broodmare prospect sold for $220,000 to Resolute Bloodstock from the consignment of Gainesway, agent. A multiple graded stakes winner, R Calli Kim won GIII The Very One S. at Gulfstream Park in her most recent start. She earned $635,640 in her career, with nine wins from 15 starts.

Full results for the April Digital Sale can be seen here.

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The evening will also include numerous items in live and silent auctions, including a Knicks Go package, a Not This Time halter, horseshoes from Medina Spirit and Arabian Knight, and a California Chrome saddle towel. Bidding on silent auction items begins Wednesday. For more information, click here.

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Veteran bloodstock agent Alistair Roden has found success buying for clients at all ranges of the market. Among his stakes-winning acquisitions already this year are Riley Allison Derby winner Lucky Jeremy (Lookin at Lucky) and Turfway Prevue S. winner Vote No (Divisidero), both of whom were purchased for $50,000 at last year's OBS June 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. He was also responsible for the acquisition of subsequent graded stakes winners Abeliefinthislivin (Arrogate) and Anothertwistafate (Scat Daddy), as well as multiple graded stakes placed Tobys Heart (Jack Milton) and Ajourneytofreedom (Hard Spun). All were purchased at the 2-year-old sales.

“Some of the soundest horses I have bought in my career and who have gone on to race as 5-, 6-, 7-year-olds have come from the 2-year-old sales,” Roden said.

Asked what he looks for in potential juvenile purchases, Roden has a simple answer.

“You want an athlete, obviously,” he said. “Sometimes at the 2-year-old sales we are inclined to give up on conformation a little bit, whereas at the yearling sales we are not because we get the advantage of seeing them come down the lane and seeing how they perform going fast.”

Speed has become the name of the game at the 2-year-old sales and Roden said it is difficult to take the clock out of the buying equation.

“It's gotten to be these times are unbelievable,” he said. “I bought Lucky Jeremy last year and he went in :21 1/5. But if they go in :24 or :11, it's kind of hard to get your head around it. If you call a guy up and say, 'Listen, I found this lovely horse. I really like him.' The first thing they are going to ask you when you are at the 2-year-old sale is, 'What did he work in?' If you say :11 or :22, you can feel the enthusiasm just dying in the conversation. Am I a big proponent of the speed? Probably not. But at the end of the day, that's what sells horses. That's why they are doing it. If they could sell them for $1 million and go :11 and change, they would probably do that. But obviously, they can't.”

Having a vet whose work you trust is another big component of buying at the sales.

“I usually find the horse and then part of the process of buying the horse is doing the vetting,” Roden said. “Sometimes I will have a little sneak at the vet report at the barn just to see if there is anything significant. I don't want to call a guy up and say I have a really nice horse and then we vet them and he flunks the vet. I have a look at the vet report just to see that there is nothing major there, or from what I can interpret, there is nothing major. And then we go through the vetting.”

Lucky Jeremy | Coady Photography

Roden continued, “At the end of the day, I put a lot of faith in the vets. The one vet I use, I've been using him for probably close to 20 years. You have to have faith in them, you know. And if he sends something back and says, well this horse is OK or something in the throat, but otherwise ok, or something in the knee, but he's ok with it, I will call him up and question it. That spur in the knee, do we need to worry about that? Rather than just going by what he said. I question things. I have faith in him. He has maybe been wrong a couple of times, I am sure I have been wrong a couple of times, numerous times, but that's the horse business. But I am not going to go buy a horse that has a major vet issue. I am not going to argue with the vet. Because if you're going to argue with the vet, why are you hiring him in the first place?”

With three decades of experience in the industry, Roden agreed he has developed trusted relationships with many sellers, but a consignor's say-so at the sales only goes so far.

“I know most of those guys down there and you always ask, 'Is this horse ok? Have you had any issues? Does he train OK?' I have that trust factor, but I am not just going to buy the horse because of that,” he explained. “I am going to do my homework. They may be friends, but they are still there to sell horses. They have to make a living selling horses and they've had those horses since last fall and they have been around them a long time. They know what's what. If they send you a horse that has a major issue, as far as training or doesn't want to train, or has a major issue and they pull the wool over your eyes, it's obviously going to come back on them. I am not going to keep it to myself. If someone is screwing me, there will be other people knowing about it. You can have it go the wrong way, it can always happen. But if someone blatantly screws you, it's a small world.”

It is a buyer's prerogative to have his newest acquisition drug tested at the sale and, while he hasn't done that in the past, Roden said he is considering doing it in the future in the wake of increased scrutiny with the implementation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's Anti-Doping and Medication rules.

“I haven't done testing because you always think, 'Will I open a whole can of worms?' The guy gave the horse two grams of bute and it's going to beat you,” Roden said. “From an agent's perspective, now, I think you almost have to do it. You have to cover yourself. If you go out and spend a couple hundred thousand dollars on a horse and he ends up testing for Clenbuterol or something, the guys on the track–like in the case off Jeff Englehart and they are going to rule the trainer off–well who is the trainer going to blame? Who is the idiot who bought the horse?”

Anothertwistafate | Benoit

Roden said it seemed like there was increased testing at the OBS March sale, but he questions when such testing should start.

“The 2-year-old guys will say, 'Well, I didn't give the horse anything.' Maybe it came from the yearling sale. What do you do? Do you do it when the horse first goes through a sale? I am not saying that it is the right thing to do. I don't know, but you think the sales company will want to take care of buyers as well. I think [additional testing] is probably a good thing because if there is anybody doing anything at the sale, it makes them a little wary of it, maybe make them think twice.”

Finding a trusted agent is important for any buyer thinking of entering the sales arena, according to Roden.

“You have got to have an agent you can trust who is going to guide you in the right direction and not just go out and buy a horse just for the sake of making a commission,” he said. “You have to have somebody that you trust to start with and if you have somebody you trust, you are hoping that he has a team around him that he trusts.”

To read the first installment of the 2024 X-Files season with David Scanlon, click here. To search the 2023 season, click here.

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

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

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

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

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“To be honest, when we came here, we thought he would be one of the better ones,” said consignor Al Pike. “You never know if you're going to top the sale or not, but we thought he would be one of the better horses because he's shown that he was a pretty special horse at the farm.”

Of the colt's final price, Pike admitted, “I wasn't expecting that kind of price. At any market, when you bring a horse who looks like he's the real deal, they usually bring some money. So I was very pleased that he showed up and did his job. And there were some very good judges of horseflesh here and they appreciated what we brought.”

The dark bay colt was purchased for $72,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton July Sale.

“[Trainer] Scottie Gelner picked him out as a yearling and he did a great job of picking him out,” Pike said.

Pike Racing, which was bringing its first group of horses to sale from its new base at Highlander Training Center, sent eight horses through the ring Wednesday. The consignment was represented by four of the six horses to work the bullet furlong Monday.

“This is our first year partnering with Highlander Training Center,” Pike said. “The facility has been good to us and, by the breeze show, you can tell they came from a good place. We broke all of these horses there and they came in here and did a good job. I'm very proud of our team at Highlander and all of the people involved there.”

Pike continued, “I am from Texas and we try to bring a nice group here every year because this is home. We try to bring horses who fit this market and we think we did a pretty good job. These are all client horses, but luckily they sent us some nice horses and they performed well. And for the most part, they sold pretty well.”

Hip 28 was one of three at the one-session auction to bring six figures Wednesday. Whispering Oaks Farm, Coteau Grove Farms, Jackpot Farm and Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt teamed up to purchase a filly by Vino Rosso (hip 26) for $170,000 from AsmussenEquine.com and the same partnership returned later in the session to acquire a filly by Cinco Charlie (hip 49) for $100,000 from Asmussen Horse Center.

From a catalogue of 130 horses, 64 horses sold for a total of $2,199,500. The average was $34,367 and the median was $24,500. With 49 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 43.4%.

At last year's Texas sale, 107 head sold for $3,470,500. The average was $32,435 and the median was $17,500. The buy-back rate was 35.9%.

“It's like everything else, it is kind of hit or miss,” Pike said of the market at Lone Star Park Wednesday. “There were some new people here–there was some money for good horses. We were fielding calls from as far away as Kentucky and California on horses and they were watching their breezes. When you've got a good horse, it's hard to keep it a secret.”

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The new rules enhance current medication policies, reducing the number of permitted therapeutic medications while increasing the number of prohibited medications to include all substances currently banned under HISA's Anti-Doping and Medication Control program. The penalties for violation of rules will also be increased.

Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin, Fasig-Tipton President Boyd T. Browning Jr. and OBS President Tom Ventura said in a joint statement:

“We continue to refine our policies with the goals of protecting the well-being of the horse and providing our customers with transparency and the best opportunity for success at the race track. Horse safety and welfare must be a collaborative effort across our sport, which includes the sales ring. We take our leadership roles toward that mission seriously and remain united in our advocacy to serve the best interest of the horse.”

Among the listed highlights of the new medication reforms: no non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be administered to a horse within 48 hours of an under-tack performance; no NSAID may be administered to a horse after 6 p.m. the day prior to sale; NSAIDs permitted for use on the sales grounds are Phenylbutazone (Bute), Flunixin Meglumine (Banamine) and Ketoprofen (Ketofen), at or below manufacturer's recommended dosage (MRD). Only one such NSAID can be administered at any one time (stacking is prohibited).

No corticosteroid may be administered to a horse within 48 hours of an under-tack performance. No corticosteroid may be administered to a horse within 24 hours of the start of the session in which that horse is scheduled to sell.

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Here's a look at the fourth installment of our Kentucky Oaks Top 10:

1) TARIFA (f, Bernardini–Kite Beach, by Awesome Again) O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: 'TDN Rising Star', GSW, 4-3-0-0, $278,925. Last start: WON Feb. 17 GII Rachel Alexandra S. Ky Oaks Points: 50. Next Start: GII Fair Grounds Oaks, FG, Mar. 23 or GI Ashland S., Kee, Apr. 5

Tarifa will have one more prep before the Kentucky Oaks and if she passes that test she will likely be the favorite come the first Friday in May. Trainer Brad Cox still hasn't decided between the GII Fair Grounds Oaks or the GI Ashland S. She has had her first workout since her win in the GII Rachel Alexandra S. presented by Fasig-Tipton, breezing a half-mile at the Fair Grounds Mar. 3 in :49.80. Considering that the Rachel Alexandra was her stakes debut, this filly is good now and figures to only get better for Cox.

2) JODY'S PRIDE (f, American Pharoah–Jody's Song, by Scat Daddy) O-Parkland Tbreds & Sportsmen Stable; B-Mr. Steve Weston (Ky); T-J Abreu. Lifetime Record: MSW & GISP, 4-3-1-0, $590,250. Last start: WON Mar. 2 Busher S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 65. Next Start: GIII Gazelle S., AQU, Apr. 6.

The connections of Jody's Pride, the runner-up in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, called an audible at the line of scrimmage and withdrew from the Davona Dale in order to run in the Busher S. at Aqueduct. It was a smart move. They knew they'd be the headliner against a weak field of competitors and that it was a good spot to pick up easy Oaks points. It worked out perfectly as she splashed her way over a sloppy track to win by 2 1/4 lengths with Jose Lezcano aboard. It was the third win in the race over a five-year span for trainer Jorge Abreu. She didn't have particularly good Beyer numbers coming into the race and, though she did improve, her Beyer was an 80. That means she's going to have to run faster in upcoming races. They will stay in New York and run next in the GIII Gazelle S. Her 65 Oaks points puts her at No. 1 on that list.

3) JUST F Y I (f, Justify–Star Act, by Street Cry {Ire}) O/B-George Krikorian (Ky); T-Bill Mott. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo filly, GISW, 3-3-0-0, $1,317,750. Last start: WON Nov. 3 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Kentucky Oaks Points: 40. Next Start: TBD.

Things had gone perfectly for this daughter of Justify through her championship campaign in 2023 and early 2024. She was primed for her return in the Davona Dale, but came down with a fever, forcing trainer Bill Mott to scratch her. Normally, that would be a minor setback, but Just F Y I will now likely go into the Kentucky Oaks with just one prep. That could be a problem. “Her temperature is back to normal,” Mott said. “She looks bright and is eating well. Three races are possible if she recovers well, the Gulfstream Park Oaks, the Fantasy or the Ashland.” A high-quality filly, but she can't afford to have another setback.

4) KOPION (f, Omaha Beach–Galloping Ami, by Victory Gallop) O-Spendthrift Farm; B-Tall Oaks Farm (Ky); T-Richard Mandella. Sales history: $270,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-1-0, $116,600. Last start: 2nd Feb. 10 GIII Las Virgenes S. Ky Oaks Points: 20. Next Start:GIII Santa Ysabel S., SA, Mar. 9

Kopion is in an odd spot. She's not the best 3-year-old filly based in Southern California. Kinza is. But Kopion is California's top threat for the Kentucky Oaks. That's because Kinza is trained by Bob Baffert and will not be allowed to start in the Oaks. She's also not the best 3-year-old filly in the Richard Mandella barn. Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) is. But she has been sidelined and won't be making it to Churchill Downs. According to the Santa Anita notes team, Kopion, a daughter of Omaha Beach will, face off against Kinza again in Saturday's Santa Ysabel S. In some respects, a second-place finish will seem like a win.

5) POWER SQUEEZE (f, Union Rags–Callmethesqueeze, by Awesome Again) O-Lea Farms, LLC; B-Forging Oaks Farm (KY); T-Jorge Delgado. Sales history: $50,000 yrl '22 KEESEP; $90,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: MSW, 5-3-1-0, $188,650. Last start: WON Feb. 10 Suncoast S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 20. Next Start: GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, GP, Mar. 30.

The real test for this filly will come in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, the final Kentucky Oaks prep run in Florida. The connections have been running her in non-graded races and she has come through, winning the Cash Run S. at Gulfstream and the Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs. How good is she? We don't know yet. Sold for just $90,000 at last year's OBS June sale. She is trained by Jorge Delgado, who is not well known on the national scene, but is winning at a 30% clip on the year. For his career, his winning percentage is 22%.

6) INTRICATE (f, Gun Runner–Complex Analysis, by Distorted Humor) O-Bradley Thoroughbreds, Laura Leigh Stable, Scot Estes & Cambron Equine, LLC; B-LBD Stable, LLC (Ky); T-Brendan Walsh. Sales history: $200,000 yrl '22 KEESEP; $280,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-2-1-0, $362,180. Last start: 2nd GII Rachel Alexandra S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 35. Next Start: GII Fair Grounds Oaks, FG, Mar. 23

Brendan Walsh will be looking to become the first trainer to win back-to-back runnings of the Kentucky Oaks since Wayne Lukas. Lukas won the 1990 Oaks with Seaside Attraction and the 1989 Oaks with Open Mind. Walsh enjoyed a terrific year last year with Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), who raised her profile in her Oaks win and went on to win the 3-year-old filly championship. Intricate has more to prove before she can be compared to her illustrious stablemate, but there's no reason why she won't have a similar year. Took a bit of a hit when second behind Tarifa in the Rachel Alexandra, but she ran well and was beaten by a top-class filly.

7) LESLIE'S ROSE (f, Into Mischief–Wildwood Rose {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Whisper Hill Farm; B-John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock Services (Ky); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $1,150,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 'TDN Rising Star', GSP, 3-2-0-1, $89,950. Last start: 3rd Mar. 2 GII Davona Dale S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 15. Next Start: TBD.

A $1.15-million purchase at Keeneland September, this daughter of Into Mischief faced her biggest challenge to date in the Davona Dale S. The results were mixed. She didn't run terribly in what was her stakes debut. She finished third as the 3-10 favorite and was beaten 2 1/4 lengths. The race came after she posted big Beyer numbers in her maiden win and in an allowance race. Trainer Todd Pletcher reports that her next start will either be in the Ashland or the Gulfstream Park Oaks. She deserves one more chance, but a defeat in her next start would mean the bloom is off this rose.

8) WEST OMAHA (f, West Coast–Birthday Bash, by Medaglia d'Oro) O/B-Gary & Mary West Stables (Ky); T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: SW, 4-2-2-0, $203,000. Last start: 3rd in Feb. 24 GIII Honeybee S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 40. Next Start: TBD.

Brad Cox is always loaded with talent in the 3-year-old filly division. It looks like Tarifa is his best prospect, but her stablemate West Omaha is still in the mix. After a win in the Silverbulletday S. presented by Fasig-Tipton, she disappointed when third in the GIII Honeybee. S. at Oaklawn as the 11-10 favorite. A little bit on the erratic side, she wins every other race. There can't be any excuses next time…she needs a major win to prove she has what it takes to win the Kentucky Oaks.

9) LEMON MUFFIN (f, Collected–Pelt, by Canadian Frontier)

O-Aaron Sones; B-Mr & Mrs Theodore R Kuster & Collected Syndicate (KY); T-D Wayne Lukas. Sales history: $20,000 yrl '22 KEESEP; $140,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-1-4-0, $305,250. Last start: WON Feb. 24 GIII Honeybee S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 50. Next Start: GIII Fantasy S., OP, Mar. 30.

The remarkable story of Hall of Famer Wayne Lukas just keeps going and going. He's now 88, but has shown the world he's still more than capable of competing at the highest levels of the sport and against the very best trainers. He's also bold enough to do what few other trainers would. Prior to her win in the Honeybee, Lemon Muffin was still a maiden after five starts and had never run beyond six furlongs. On paper, she looked to be up against it in the Honeybee but scored the upset at 28-1. Was it a fluke? We'll find out in her next start. Having won the 2022 Oaks with Secret Oath (Arrogate), Lukas will be out to win his second Oaks in three years.

10) FIONA'S MAGIC (f, St Patrick's Day–Mollie's Magic, by Factum) O/B-Stonehedge, LLC (FL); T-Michael Yates. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-3-2-0, $250,910. Last start: WON Mar. 2 GII Davona Dale S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 60. Next start: GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, GP, Mar. 30.

When the entries came out for the Davona Dale, Fiona's Magic was completely overshadowed by Just F Y I and Leslie's Rose. But when the dust cleared, Just F Y I had been scratched and Leslie's Rose didn't live up to her billing. That left a void and it was filled by this Florida-bred daughter of St. Patrick's Day (Pioneerof the Nile). She was bred by and is owned by Marilyn Campbell's Stonehedge Farm South, the Florida Breeder of the Year in 1997, 2013, and 2016. Trainer Michael Yates is not well known outside of Florida, but he has won the Davona Dale in back-to-back years. His 2023 winner was Dorth Vader (Girvin).

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With no luck at the draw yet again, Pounce was wisely taken hold of by Javier Castellano and angled over to the inside to caboose the field–led by Mystic Lake (Mo Town)–into the first turn. Content to trail down the back, Pounce was quietly ridden through the middle furlongs as market leaders Life's an Audible (Audible) and Ozara (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) raced handier to the speed.

Pounce began to thread the needle three furlongs out, splitting horses on a couple of occasions before angling out for the drive under a full head of steam. Life's an Audible also kicked nicely as Ozara failed to go on, but Pounce sprinted slightly the better of the two and was home narrowly best.

“Last time she broke good and I sent her to the lead, wire-to- wire,” Castellano said. “It was a different ballgame today the way I handicapped the race. I was way outside with a lot of speed in the race. My goal was to save ground on the first turn but he didn't break good out of the gate and I used my best judgment to drop in and save all the ground I could on the first turn because in my mind I'd have to lose ground turning for home. It was a beautiful trip. [Life's an Audible] came out a little bit and my horse hesitated a little bit to go past, but I encouraged her and she responded really well.”

Pedigree Notes:

Pounce is the first foal and only starter for her winning dam, a $170,000 OBS April breezer, who was purchased by Joshua Deets for $37,000 with this filly in utero at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale.

A half-sister to a pair of black-type performers, including GIII Providencia S. third Gold Dragon Queen (Goldencents), Bouncy produced a filly by Hard Spun Feb. 25.

Pounce is the 50th worldwide graded/group winner for Lookin At Lucky and his 76th black-type winner overall. She is a sixth stakes winner and second graded winner out of a mare by Twirling Candy.

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
HERECOMESTHEBRIDE S.-GIII, $200,000, Gulfstream, 3-2, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:33.17, fm.
1–POUNCE, 121, f, 3, by Lookin At Lucky
1st Dam: Bouncy, by Twirling Candy
2nd Dam: Water Park, by Strodes Creek
3rd Dam: Hope She's Bold, by Bold Forbes
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($22,000
RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP; $370,000 3yo '24 FTDFEB). O-Resolute
Racing; B-Bell, Rankin, VanMeter & Hancock (KY); T-Mark E.
Casse; J-Javier Castellano. $120,280. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0,
$216,324. Werk Nick Rating: First SW this cross. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com
catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Life's an Audible, 123, f, 3, Audible–Catkins, by Data Link.
($25,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $90,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $200,000
2yo '23 OBSMAR). O-Repole Stable; B-Susan Moulton (KY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher. $38,800.
3–Ozara (Ire), 121, f, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Cercle d'Or (Ire), by
Acclamation (GB). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. (350,000gns Ylg
'22 TATOCT). O-Cheyenne Stable LLC; B-Fleche D'Or
Partnership (IRE); T-Christophe Clement. $19,400.
Margins: NK, 1 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 9.00, 2.20, 1.10.
Also Ran: Crown Imperial, Mystic Lake, Time to Dazzle, Macanga, Show Off. Scratched: Agra, Dancing N Dixie, Irish Maxima. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

Just weeks after topping the @FasigTiptonCo Digital sale last month, POUNCE comes from the clouds to land straight back in the winners circle in the G3 Herecomesthebride @GulfstreamPark for new owner Resolute Racing & trainer @markecasse! https://t.co/TM00AZzgQU

— Highgate Sales (@Highgate_Sales) March 2, 2024

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“There is a little bit of a misunderstanding about what HISA's authority is in this regard,” she said. “We can only do what the statute allows us to do and right now the statute specifically provides that a horse becomes a covered horse upon its first workout. We would have to ask for a legislative change if we wanted to change the scope of that jurisdiction, which would be a heavy lift and not something we'd probably go to Congress and try to do right now.”

Lazarus stresses that the sales companies should use every resource available to them to make sure that sellers are not using drugs that might enhance the value of a horse being sold.

Lazarus said she has had discussions with the heads of the sport's three largest sales companies–Keeneland, OBS and Fasig-Tipton–and asked that they work together to come up with unified rules that mirror those already in place by HISA for covered horses.

“HISA did convene a meeting with all the sales companies in October,” she said. “We all got together in a room and discussed the fact that it made sense to get on the same page. We would hope that there would be was a logical protective flow from weanling to retirement that makes sense. It doesn't have to be the same program for every stage of a horse's life, but it needs to be sensible and consistent and all fit together. There was wide agreement with all the sales companies that this was an important initiative and they said they would work towards it. They've been working really hard on coming up with an aligned agreement.”

Lazarus said that if there is still a reason to suspect that some horses are slipping through the cracks at the sales, HISA might take another look at getting legislation that would allow it to categorize a horse as covered at some time prior to its first official workout.

“I trust that the sales companies are going to be able to do this on their own and that we won't need to take a stricter view,” she said. “If for some reason that doesn't happen, we would definitely, over time, look at that and consider our options. Once a horse comes into the HISA program and is our responsibility we do everything we possibly can to protect it. But not having a window into what has happened with the horse before they become a covered horse can be challenging. That's why we are working towards this aligned system where everything is really clear and the sales companies are all doing the same thing. If that is a fit with HISA's program, that would be really beneficial for the industry.

“The way to move the sport forward is to have more consistent and stricter regulations throughout a horse's life. Based on my experience since HISA's inception, that is most effectively done when the stakeholders come to the table and are willing participants. You come up with a much stronger program when you have everyone buy in. I am working every day to earn the trust of horsemen and earn the trust of the racetracks. If I could get sales companies on board and make changes that make a lot of sense, that would mean we would have a much better chance of being successful right out of the gate. I really believe that's where we need to end up. But I also believe that given where we are and given the commitments I have received from the sales companies, we'll be able to do that without having to legislate or change HISA's jurisdiction.”

Englehart was notified that a horse under his care had been found to have Clenbuterol in its system when it was tested by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) after it broke down in a workout at Finger Lakes in November. The positive was the result of a hair test and the infraction was made public on the HIWU website. Englehart faced a suspension of up to two years.

Englehart insisted he never gave the horse the drug and that it had to be given to the horse before he bought it at Ocala. The original HIWU test was a standard hair test. Tests known as segmented hair test can pinpoint when a drug was given to a horse and Englehart pushed for the horse to undergo that type of test. HIWU had the Kenneth L. Maddy Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory at the University of California, Davis perform the segmented test and it revealed that the Clenbuterol was in fact administered before Englehart became the trainer. All charges against Englehart were then dropped.

Lazarus admitted that the Englehart matter could have been handled better.

“There was an initial matter that we had to flag because something was found in the horse,” she said. “But we should not be holding the trainer responsible if that substance went into the horse before he or she was responsible for it. One thing we are going to change, we are not going to make a positive test from hair public until a B sample comes back.

“The only way we failed Mr. Englehart in this case was the public announcement of his violation. He didn't have any suspension and there were no repercussions from a sanctions standpoint. There was nothing in place until the system concluded, but the public did know about it. It would be different if Clenbuterol were found in the blood or urine. We know how long Clenbuterol can stay in blood and urine. So if there is a Clenbuterol finding in blood or urine there would be no ambiguity unless the trainer got the horse the day before or within a week. With hair testing we can find things going back six months and even a year sometimes.”

“What I really hope is that this situation shows the public and the racing industry that HISA is always going to do what's right. We are going to follow the science and we are going to follow the facts. We are giving Mr. Englehart the money back that he spent for the B sample. He is going to be made entirely whole. As I said, the one thing I would do differently is not to have made this public from the outset. This is the first case we've had of this nature and I've always said there will be things that we learn along the way that we didn't foresee and that we have to adjust.”

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The initial public forum for Light Up Racing at Fasig-Tipton in Lexington Monday night kicked off the most encouraging effort I've seen in my 44 years in horse racing. Vicky Leonard, the Kiwi PR pro who spearheaded a similar effort in Australia after a spate of tragic accidents in the Melbourne Cup, cogently outlined this grass roots campaign to a packed house and was greeted with thunderous applause.

I taught the capstone course in public relations for several years at the University of Kentucky with a systems approach stressing internal publics are just as important as external publics and PR is not simply spin, it is an agent for positive change. Light Up Racing is an exemplar.

In meetings like the ones being held in Lexington, through seminars planned in person and on-line, and through the resources provided by the excellent website up and running at lightupracing.com, the people who make our industry run can seize the day and transform tragedy into transcendence to build a sustainable sport that demonstrates daily our love for the horse.

Monday's meeting was standing room only with a broad spectrum of grizzled industry insiders and enthusiastic young up-and-comers ready to be the change our sport needs. Thank you Price Bell and Jason Litt for your efforts to get this off the ground. I can't wait for the Mar. 5 meeting at Keeneland so we can get started.

Brian Malloy, who is the former managing editor of Thoroughbred Times and ran the Lexington, Ky., office of Shandwick, Intl., then the world's largest PR firm, is now a Thoroughbred breeder in Central Kentucky.

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