Elite to Enter Yearling Consignment Business

Elite Sales, the Thoroughbred consignment business of Liz Crow and Bradley Weisbord, will begin selling yearlings in 2023, adding to their existing business of breeding and racing stock, according to the pair.

“Elite Sales launched in 2017 with the goal of being the number-one consignor of horses of racing age and broodmares/broodmare prospects,” said Weisbord. “With six years under our belts, we have experienced a wide range of success including selling 21 off-the-track broodmare or racing prospects for $1 million or more.”

The addition of yearlings to their lineup is the latest news from Elite, who sold their first two weanlings at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale, including a Gun Runner filly for $675,000. They also were represented with a consignment at Tattersalls December for the first time in 2022.

“Since launching Elite, our team has enjoyed building relationships with the most prominent buyers and sellers of bloodstock around the world. We believe that these relationships along with our boutique model, top client support, and ambitious marketing have led to our success,” Weisbord said, “The move into yearlings has been long-planned. Liz and I have some of our own homebreds we will sell, we will sell for our existing clients, and we hope to add some large breeding farms into the mix.”

Elite has hired Beth Bayer, the former director of sales for Woodford Thoroughbreds, who has 20 years of experience in the industry, to run the day-to-day consignment, leaving Liz Crow free to continue her scrutiny of yearlings on the sales grounds.

“Liz is one of the leading agents purchasing yearlings each year and we feel her knowledge of the market along with her great eye will be a huge asset to our clients. She will be available for farm inspections as we lead into yearling prep and sales time. We also feel that since our team sees every single horse on the sales grounds at every single yearling sale, she will have a great understanding of where yearlings most appropriately fit in each catalogue and sale.”

Fasig-Tipton July would be the first sale the company will target, followed by Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, Keeneland September, and Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings.

Weisbord said he would continue to handle client and buyer relationships on and off the sales grounds. Katelyn Jackson, Samantha Bussanich and Jake Memolo will remain with Elite as well, and that the company would continue to be run as a boutique consignment operation.

In its six-year history, Elite has sold over $135 million in horses, averaging over $295,000 per horse. Those sales include Monomoy Girl for Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stables, who brought $9.5 million at Fasig-Tipton November 2020; and Paris Lights for WinStar Farm, who topped the 2021 Keeneland November Sale at $3.1 million.

“Elite Sales has done an outstanding job in the mixed sale and horses-of-racing-age marketplace and I'm sure that they will do an excellent job as they enter the yearling sales marketplace,” said Fasig-Tipton President and CEO Boyd Browning. “They have an excellent group of people on their team and Beth Bayer has great knowledge and will be a valuable addition.”

“It's always good to welcome consignors that have great connections like they do,” said Keeneland's Vice President of Sales, Tony Lacy. “They've done a wonderful job over the past few years with their mixed sales business, and it's a natural evolution for them to move into the yearling market.”

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Mozu Akabosu Going For Two Straight at Tokyo

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Tokyo and Hanshin Racecourses. Click here for our preview of Sunday's first Group 1 of the new year, the February S., featuring US-breds Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid), Shirl's Speight (Speightstown) and Jasper Prince (Violence):

Saturday, February 18, 2023
7th-HSN, ¥15,200,000, Allowance, 4yo/up, 2000mT
AIR ANEMOI (c, 4, Point of Entry–Nokaze, by Empire Maker) broke his maiden on debut over this course and distance in December 2021 (video, SC 9) and went missing after finishing down the field in Group 3 company early last season. The homebred is one of five winners from five to race from his ultra-productive dam, who also boasts GSW Air Almas (Majestic Warrior), SW Air Fanditha (Hat Trick {Jpn}), three-time winner Air Sage (Point of Entry) and the promising 3-year-old colt Air Meteora (Goldencents). Nokaze is a half-sister to the stakes-winning dam of GSW Yuugiri (Shackleford). B-Sekie & Tsunebumi Yoshihara (KY)

 

 

8th-HSN, ¥14,880,000, Allowance, 3yo, 1800m
KISS ON THE CHEEK (JPN) (f, 3, Curlin–Eskimo Kisses, by To Honor and Serve), whose GI Alabama S.-winning dam was sold to Shadai Farm for $2.3 million with this filly in utero at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale, got her career off on a high note with a two-length victory in a nine-furlong newcomers' event at Chukyo Jan. 15 (video, SC 4). Eskimo Kisses, who was also second in the GI Central Bank Ashland S. and GII Fair Grounds Oaks in 2018, is a granddaughter of GI Kentucky Derby heroine Winning Colors (Caro {Ire}). B-Shadai Farm

 

 

Sunday, February 19, 2023
3rd-TOK, ¥14,880,000, Allowance, 3yo, 1400m
MOZU AKABOSU (c, 3, Quality Road–India, by Hennessy), a half-brother to connections' February S. and G1 Yasuda Kinen winner Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}), broke his maiden at first asking going this distance at Chukyo Jan. 28 (video, SC 5) and was given an entry for Sunday's Listed Hyacinth S., but opts for this one-win allowance test. A $200,000 Keeneland September purchase, Mozu Akabosu is out of a half-sister to the dam of MGISW To Honor and Serve (Bernardini) and GISW Angela Renee (Bernardini). B-Summer Wind Equine LLC (KY)

 

 

5th-TOK, ¥11,850,000, Newcomers, 3yo, 1600m
GIUOCO PIANO (c, 3, Justify–Haddie Be Good, by Silver Deputy), a $400,000 OBS March acquisition by Katsumi Yoshida, is the latest foal to make the races out of a two-time stakes-winning dam who has already accounted for SW Story To Tell (Bluegrass Cat) and was bought back on a bid of $290,000 with this colt in utero at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. The Feb. 17 foal, whose female family also includes GI La Brea S. winner Sam's Sister (Brother Derek), will carry the silks of Kazumi Yoshida and is to be ridden by the visiting Theo Bachelot. B-Craig B Singer (KY)

 

 

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Champion Caledonia Road’s First Foal Debuts at Tokyo

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Saturday running at Tokyo Racecourse:

Saturday, February 11, 2023
2nd-TOK, ¥11,850,000 ($90,463), Newcomers, 3yo, 1400m
ERIKA BONITA (f, 3, Justify–Caledonia Road, by Quality Road) is the first foal out of her dam, whose upset victory in the 2017 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies propelled her to Eclipse Awards honors that season. Purchased by Narvick International, agent, for $2.3 million at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, Caledonia Road–a half-sister to MGSW Officiating (Blame) and SW One of a Kind (Lemon Drop Kid)–was bred to this Triple Crown winner on an early cover and foaled this filly in Kentucky on Jan. 20, 2020. Put back in foal to Justify soon after, she was exported to Japan and the colt that she produced Jan. 27, 2021 fetched ¥135 million ($1,223,338) at the JHRA Select Sales less than six months later. The current yearling out of Caledonia Road sold for $800,000 at the same event last July. B-Grand Stud (KY)

FUJIMASA GOOD (c, 3, Good Samaritan–Beverage Queen, by Indygo Shiner), a $45,000 in-utero purchase by JS Company at Keeneland November in 2019, is out of half-sister to US champion Ria Antonia (Rockport Harbor), herself a $1.8-million FTKNOV graduate and the dam of Japanese Group 3 victress Ria Amelia (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). B-Beverage Queen Syndicate (KY)

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$400,000 Lemieux Provides Icing on Steady Fasig-Tipton Winter Sale

LEXINGTON, KY-The Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale went through its supplemental catalogue and into its addendum to finally find its top-priced offering when Lemieux (Nyquist) sold to Nice Guys Stable for $400,000 just hips before the auction concluded its two-day run Tuesday in Lexington with steady results.

“We saw a continuation of the marketplace that we experienced yesterday and that we saw in January and we saw in November, October, September and July,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. said at the sale's close Tuesday. “I think it's a very fair marketplace. I think that if you are trying to buy horses, the horses that you want to buy, you generally have to pay more than you wanted to. When you are selling horses, if you've got quality, you are probably getting around what you thought, maybe a little more. But there is no euphoria. If you are trying to sell on the lower end, it's tough. It's been tough the last 10 years. And the reality is that that's the marketplace. But if we had 50 more good ones to lead through in here right now, they'd be lined up in here to bid on them and buy them.”

Through two sessions, 402 head sold for $14,105,200. The average of $35,088 was down 12.3% from last year's figure, while the median of $15,000 was down 6.3%. With 65 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 13.9%. It was 11.5% a year ago.

An initial catalogue of 465 lots was bolstered by a supplemental catalogue of 121 head, to which was added eight additional entries in an addendum. Stakes-winner Lemieux sold seven hips from the end of the auction, with bloodstock agent John Williams making a final bid of $400,000 to acquire the 4-year-old filly on behalf of Nice Guys Stable.

The filly, whose half-sister Brilliant Cut (Speightstown) topped the 2022 Winter Mixed sale, was one of 15 horses to sell for $200,000 or over during the auction. Fourteen hit that mark in 2022.

“If you look at a global, or big picture standpoint, the ability to create liquidity helps every marketplace,” Browning said of the importance of being able to add horses with current form as supplements to a catalogue. “It allows people to turn assets into dollars and then hopefully reinvest those dollars into similar or like kind of assets along the way.”

Lemieux Keeps the Family Tradition Going

Stakes-winner Lemieux (Nyquist) (hip 588), whose half-sister Brilliant Cut (Speightstown) topped the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale, brought the highest price of the 2023 renewal of the auction when selling for $400,000 to the bid of John Williams, acting as agent for Steve Spielman's Nice Guys Stables. The 4-year-old broodmare prospect was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.

“She is a lovely mare and quite a standout in this catalogue,” Williams said. “The man I bought her for is continuing to improve his broodmare band and this is the kind of filly that could do that.”

Racing for D J Stable and trainer Mark Casse, Lemieux won the 2021 Brethren Juvenile Fillies S. She won twice from 10 starts and earned $140,216 before RNA'ing for $300,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale.

Lemieux is out of Polish a Diamond, a half-sister to multiple Grade I winner Diamondrella (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) and multiple Grade I placed Bonnie Blue Flag (Mineshaft), and from the family of Life is Good (Into Mischief). The 8-year-old mare produced a colt by Essential Quality last week.

Lemieux's half-sister, GI La Brea S. runner-up Brilliant Cut (Speightstown), sold for $750,000 to Katsumi Yoshida at last year's Winter Mixed Sale and was bred to Gun Runner in 2022 before being shipped to Japan last fall.

Williams said there was plenty of blue sky in the family.

“There are great possibilities with her dam being young and her half-sister being bred to the likes of Gun Runner,” he said. “Her dam had an Essential Quality just last week and the second dam is still active. And there is a pretty nice sire prospect under there. So she had a lot of things going for her. And she is by Nyquist, who we very much are still a fan of.”

Of the filly's sale-topping price tag, Williams said, “I thought we would have to spend that kind of money. The market says that that's what quality costs. Is she worth that? I'm so old school, I can't get my head around those kind of numbers. But that's the market and you have to adjust to it.”

Established in 2016, the Nice Guys Stables partnership spearheaded by Spielman has already had success on the racetrack, where their first horse, Piedi Bianchi (Overnalyze), took them to the Breeders' Cup in 2017, as well as in the pinhooking arena, where they sold an Arrogate filly for $1 million at the 2021 OBS April sale.

“One of the great things about Nice Guys Stables is that they are both commercial and he races,” Williams said. “So he will do both. And boy do we need those. Because it's about racing.”

Nice Guys Stables had graded success last fall when King Cause (Creative Cause) won the GIII Knickerbocker S. The gelding was sixth in last week's GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational.

“He's got 14 2-year-olds that he's breaking now,” Williams said of Spielman. “He's just a great young guy. And I think Nice Guys Stables has a terrific future if he keeps buying this kind of mare.”

Curlin Blessing Joins Repole Band

Curlin Blessing (Curlin) (hip 545) will be joining the broodmare band of Mike Repole after bloodstock agent Jacob West made a final bid of $230,000 to acquire the 4-year-old daughter of champion Indian Blessing (Indian Charlie).

“She's by a stallion that we've had a lot of luck with and she's out of a champion mare,” West said. “So it was pretty easy. She's by a champion out of a champion. She stood out here to us from a pedigree standpoint and a physical standpoint. Mike is trying to play the high-end breeding game a little bit now. So she was a mare that fit the bill.”

The broodmare prospect, who was consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, was a two-time winner at Turf Paradise while racing for her owner/breeder Patti and Hal Earnhardt. The couple also bred and campaigned Indian Blessing, who was a five-time Grade I winner and was named champion 2-year-old filly in 2007 and champion female sprinter in 2008.

Of potential mating plans for Curlin Blessing, West said, “Eddie Rosen will decide who we will breed her to. My vote is Life is Good–that's what I hope we do. But it's 100% up to Ed. Mike will let Ed make that decision.”

Good Magic Filly Sets Early Pace

A short yearling by Good Magic (hip 350) led early returns during Tuesday's second session of the Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale when bringing a final bid of $225,000 from bloodstock agent Catherine Hudson, acting on behalf of Michael Sucher's Champion Equine. The bay was consigned by Vinery Sales.

“She was a gorgeous, leggy daughter of Good Magic, who has four horses on the Kentucky Derby trail,” Hudson said of the filly's appeal. “She just had a great outlook with a beautiful eye. Everything seemed great and I think there is some improvement in her. She seemed to get better as the days went by at the sales grounds. She showed a lot of class.”

The filly is out of Rich Love (Not For Love) and her half-sister Ruby Nell (Bolt d'Oro) topped last year's Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale when purchased by Spendthrift Farm for $1.2 million. The now 3-year-old debuted with a runner-up effort at Santa Anita Jan. 22.

“She was second with a bad trip,” Hudson said of the half-sister. “And she's breezed back. So we like that, too.”

Bred by Theta Holdings, the yearling RNA'd for $115,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale. Her dam, carrying a full-sibling, sold for $140,000 at that same sale.

“I'm not quite sure what the client wants to do with her at this time, but we will just get her home and figure it out,” Hudson said.

Vinery Sales and Theta Holdings was responsible for another

yearling by Good Magic who sold for six figures Tuesday at Fasig-Tipton. The consignor/breeder duo sold a colt by the champion (hip 355) for $100,000 to Davant Latham. The dark bay had RNA'd for $70,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

Kirkwood Consignment Comes to a Close

South Carolina horseman Kip Elser, who has shifted his focus to public and private bloodstock purchases, evaluations and racing stable management, sent the final three horses through the ring under his Kirkwood consignment banner Tuesday at Fasig-Tipton.

“I feel excited to change leads and roll on down the stretch,” Elser said after watching his final horse go through the ring. “Sure, I will miss consigning. And I love training horses. But I have done it a long time and now it's time to change.”

Tuesday's offerings were bittersweet as two belonged to Elser's longtime friend and client, the late Steve Schwartz.

“It was emotional because Steve was a 25-year friend, client, and partner,” Elser said. “And he was just a wonderful guy. So of course there were some emotions, because were together for a long time.”

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