Tag: fasig-tipton

US-Breds Dot Sunday Newcomers’ Events at Niigata

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 is a quartet of horses of interest for this Sunday running in consecutive newcomers' events at Niigata Racecourse:

Sunday, August 7, 2022
5th-NII, ¥13,400,000 ($99k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600mT
WINE WINE RED (c, 2, Justify–Streaming, by Smart Strike), a half-brother to SP Soaring (Tapit), cost owner Susumu Fujita $650,000 at last year's Keeneland September and the early April foal gets the endorsement of leading rider Yuichi Fukunaga for the debut. The chestnut is the fourth foal to the races for his dam, winner of the 2013 GI Hollywood Starlet S., whose stakes-winning full-sister Treasuring is the dam of Sweet as Pie (Tapit), third in the Leslie's Lady Overnight S. in June. Streaming is also a half-sister to SW Cascading (A.P. Indy) and to the dam of MGSW and $3.65-million juvenile Cezanne (Curlin). The colt's third dam is $14-million mare Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister), herself responsible for a pair of GI Belmont S. winners and the granddam of MGSW Greatest Honour (Tapit). A Justify colt out of Streaming's daughter Shadowing (Tapit) is cataloged as hip 70 at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Monday evening. B-Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings & Stretch Run Ventures LLC (KY)

ESPERANZA FLAG (f, 2, Point of Entry–Place of Honor, by First Samurai) is a full-sister to the dual stakes-placed Hierarchy and was purchased in utero for $70,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale. The filly's second dam is the outstanding My Flag (Easy Goer), whose daughter Storm Flag Flying (Storm Cat) won the 2002 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies en route to champion 2-year-old filly honors. This is also the family of dual-surface GSW Parading (Pulpit) as well as SW & GISP Miles D (Curlin). This sire's eight winners from nine to race in Japan includes MGSW/G1SP Lotus Land. B-Crown Farm USA (KY)

6th-NII, ¥13,400,000 ($99k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m
ELEGANT MAIDEN (f, 2, American Pharoah–Sunshine for Life, by Giant's Causeway) is the latest foal of racing age from his Grade III-winning dam, a half-sister to GSW Tubrok (Rahy) and to the dam of Big Trouble (Tiz Wonderful), winner at two of the GIII Sanford S. Elegant Maiden, a $110,000 KEESEP yearling, looks to become the 26th Japanese winner from 31 starters for American Pharoah. She is joined in the field by fellow U.S.-bred filly Modernize Queen (Distorted Humor), purchased for $180,000 at KEESEP last fall and a maternal granddaughter of G1 Chilean Derby heroine and U.S. GISW Noches de Rosa (Chi) (Stagecraft {GB}). B-Jane Schosberg (KY)

 

 

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Leading Ladies Inducted Into Hall of Fame

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – By far, the most enthusiastic applause during the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame induction ceremony Friday morning was for a video clip of race that everyone in the audience likely had seen many times.

Beholder's (Henny Hughes) career-capping victory by a nose over the previously unbeaten champion Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro) in the 2016 GI Breeder's Cup Distaff was nearly as gripping on the big screen at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion as it was live at Santa Anita Park. For sheer drama it ranks with the finish of the 1988 Distaff when Personal Ensign (Private Account) rallied to overtake Goodbye Halo (Halo) and GI Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors (Caro) to complete her career unbeaten.

With a slew of impressive statistics, Beholder and the seven other members of the Class of 2022 joined Personal Ensign in the Hall of Fame, which fittingly is located across Union Ave. from historic Saratoga Race Course. Beholder and Tepin (Bernstein) were elected by Hall of Fame voters in the contemporary division; Hillsdale (Take Away), Royal Heroine (Ire) (Lypheor {GB}) and trainer Oscar White were selected by the Historic Review Committee; three were honored in the Pillar of the Turf category: James Cox Brady, Marshall Cassidy and James Ben Ali Haggin.

This year's event had a smaller crowd than usual, possibly because there were no contemporary trainers or jockeys inducted. All four of the people who received racing's highest honor for their distinguished careers, have been dead for decades. Haggin, a remarkable owner and breeder, who at one time owned 1,500 broodmares, was born 200 years ago.

Beholder, owned by the late B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm and trained by Richard Mandella, completed her brilliant career with a record of 18-6-0 from 26 starts and earnings of $6,156,600. She was a four-time champion, won three Breeders' Cup races and a total of 11 Grade I races. She won at least one Grade I in each of her five seasons on the track.

“It's an amazing and humbling honor for us to see our greatest race-mare, our once-in-a-lifetime horse enshrined next to the many others that came before her,” said Eric Gustavson, Hughes's son-in-law and the president of Spendthrift. “Beholder is already in the Hall of Fame now, so what you're getting feels like I'm lobbying for her to get in.”

Gustavson cited some of the high points of Beholder's career and acknowledged by name the people who worked with her, starting with the breeders, Fred and Nancy Mitchell of Clarkland Farm. He said Mandella, who had to miss the ceremony because he had tested positive for Covid-19, deserved credit for Beholder's success, “for his masterful horsemanship, patience and judgment, and managing Beholder's incredible career. Thank you, Richard.”

“I once heard Richard say, 'I can't get out of the horses what God didn't put in,'” Gustavson said. “Well, thank you God for giving Beholder so much talent. And thank you Richard for getting it all out of her.”

As he began to talk about Hughes, who died in August 2021, Gustavson paused for nine seconds to regain his composure.

“You should be standing here right now instead of me,” Gustavson said. “And while we're sorry, he didn't get to see Beholder win her final honor. We take solace in remembering how much Beholder meant to Wayne. You see, Wayne never got too attached to his race horses. They meant a lot to him, but he just wasn't the type to allow his emotions to come along for the ride. Until Beholder that is. She changed him in that regard. Following Beholder's impressive win against the boys in the 2015 [GI] Pacific Classic, Wayne said 'I've had a few good horses in the past, but she's the first horse that makes me feel lucky to be the owner. I've never had that feeling before. I think it's called pride.'”

Owner Robert Masterson saluted Tepin's Hall of Fame induction at the venue where he purchased her for $140,000 just over a decade ago. She emerged as a champion turf horse as a 4-year-old, winning 11 of her last 15 races, including the G1 Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, the second of her three victories over males, and won two division titles.

“The one thing about Tepin that I really admired was the more she raced and the more success she had, the greater the following she seemed to get from the people,” Masterson said. “The fans seemed to start to really love her. The first time I recognized it was when she overcame a 13-length deficit to win a Grade II [Hillsborough S.] at Tampa Bay Downs. When she crossed the finish line, there was just as an eruption of applause. It was like a crescendo at the end of a concert that was so good. And when she won up in Woodbine in Canada when she beat the boys in the Grade I [Woodbine Mile S.], we're having the trophy presentation, and we stopped the trophy presentation to recognize the fans who shouted loudly, 'Tepin. Tepin. Tepin.' It was such an appreciation from the Canadian fans.”

He continued, “Then again when she finished second in the Grade I at Santa Anita at the Breeders Cup [2016 Mile], when she was leaving, to go back to the barn, the grandstand started going, 'Tepin. Tepin. Tepin.' I think that was because she finished the last quarter of that Breeders Cup, the fastest quarter ever recorded on the grass at Santa Anita. And the fans really appreciated that even though she came up half a length short.”

Masterson told a story about seeing a family at Saratoga wearing homemade Tepin shirts and said she had a bar named for her at the track after her score at Royal Ascot.

“On behalf of Tepin and myself, I want to thank all the fans who came out and reacted positively to her and loved to watch her race,” Masterson said. “I want to thank Mark Casse and his son Norm for the excellent training job they did on her. I want to thank Julien Leparoux for the rides. I want to thank [David] Greathouse for helping me find her right here at the Fasig-Tipton yearling sale. And I want to thank the Hall of Fame committee for recognizing her accomplishments and voting her into the Hall of Fame. It's such an honor.”

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Summer Breezes: Aug. 6, 2022

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at both Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attracts its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes highlights debuting 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. Already this year at Saratoga, City Man (Mucho Macho Man), Mo Strike (Uncle Mo) and Empress Tigress (Classic Empire)–each a graduate of the 2-year-old sales–have already struck at stakes level, while the likes of juvenile purchases and 'TDN Rising Stars' Taiba (Gun Runner), We The People (Constitution) and Onesto (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) have also left their mark on graded/group competition this season. To follow are the horses entered for Saturday:

Saturday, August 6, 2022
Saratoga 1, 12:35 p.m. ET
Horse (Sire), Sale, Price, Breeze
Moonflyer (Good Magic), FTMMAY, $45,000, click
C-Scanlon Training & Sales, agent; B-Rudy Rodriguez (PS)

Ellis 3, 2:46 p.m. ET
Happy Is a Choice (Runhappy), OBSAPR, $160,000, click
C-de Meric Sales, agent; B-Hooties Racing LLC
Level Up (Uncle Mo), OBSMAR, $210,000, click
C-de Meric Sales, agent; B-Tropical Racing Inc
Pace (Dialed In), OBSAPR, $90,000, click
C-Niall Brennan Stables, agent; B-Calumet Farm
Webslinger (Constitution), OBSJUN, $50,000, click
C-Blue River Bloodstock Inc, agent; B-D J Stable LLC

Del Mar 5, 7:04 p.m.
Air Kenney (Goldencents), FTMMAY, $60,000, click
C-Grassroots Training & Sales, agent; B-Meah/Lloyd, agent
Dr. Soulfire (West Coast), FTMMAY, $300,000, see below
C-Wavertree Stables Inc (C Dunne), agent; B-Dennis O'Neill
Heartbreak Kid (Good Samaritan), OBSMAR, $65,000, click
C-Little Farm Equine, agent; B-Bob Feld Bloodstock
Mucino (Nyquist) (AE), OBSAPR, $115,000, click
C-Wavertree Stables Inc (Ciaran Dunne), agent;
B-Doug O'Neill, agent for Alejandro Mercado
Storm the Night (Midnight Storm), OBSAPR, $70,000, click
C-S G V T'breds (Steven Venosa), agent; B-G Papaprodromou

 

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GMP Stable Takes Next Step Towards Big Dreams at the Spa

When Gary Gullo retired from training in September of 2020 after 40 years on the Belmont backside, it was with big goals in mind. Gullo teamed up with longtime owner Anthony Melfi to start GMP Stable, an operation focused on breeding, selling, racing and now an equine rehabilitation farm. Gullo and Melfi's main goal has always been to acquire and breed top- quality horses and the first member of their new-and-improved breeding program will be offered at the prestigious Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale next week.

“It's our first time upgrading our mares,” Gullo said. “This is the first time we are actually putting them through the sale and running it as a breeding business. We have one in the Select Sale and two in the [Fasig-Tipton] New York-Bred Sale.”

The horseman continued, “Anthony is a great guy, great to work for. He has the same vision as I have, just trying to be first class with everything. It takes time to do. It is a process. It's not going to happen overnight. We are trying to buy top quality mares in foals to nice stallions. We have them at WinStar Farm. Now we are looking to sell some of the babies to offset some cost and keep it running like a business. We might start to keep a few down the road, but our goal is to breed top-quality horses.”

The GMP team will offer Hip 151, a Curlin filly out of MGISP Cassies Dreamer (Flatter), during the second session of Fasig's Select Sale Tuesday. Consigned by Taylor Made, the bay is the first foal out of Cassies Dreamer, who completed the trifecta in both the GI Frizette S. and GI Spinaway S. GMP Stable purchased the now 6-year-old mare for $435,000 with this filly in utero at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

“It is exciting,” Melfi said of selling a horse in the Saratoga Select Sale. “We can't wait to see how it goes and what she brings. She is a beautiful filly by Curlin. We just love her.”

Just six days later, GMP Stable has a pair of More Than Ready yearlings bred in partnership with Dutchess Views Farm and Robert Valeri set to sell during the second session of Fasig's New York-Bred Sale Aug. 15.

The first to go through the ring will be Hip 523, a filly out of Cinderella Time (Stephen Got Even). A $245,000 acquisition at the 2019 KEENOV sale in foal to Twirling Candy, the 11-year-old mare is already the dam of MGSW & MGISP Horologist (Gemologist).

Their other NY-bred offering is Hip 574, a More Than Ready colt out of Giant Blossom (Giant's Causeway). Picked up for $100,000 in foal to Frosted at the same KEENOV renewal, Giant Blossom is a half-sister to GISW Cotton Blossom (Broken Vow).

“We feel good about our New York-breds as well,” Gullo said. “We are getting our feet wet. We are relying on Fasig-Tipton, WinStar and Taylor Made. We are with the right people.”

Breeding and selling is just one area that GMP Stable dabbles in. They also have 25 horses in training across the country with conditioners such as Todd Pletcher, Linda Rice, Gary Sciacca, Robertino Diodoro and Doug O'Neill. The racing stable is a mix of homebreds, 2-year-old purchases and horses claimed at Churchill with an eye on the Del Mar meet.

“We would like to expand eventually,” Gullo said. “We bought some 2-year-olds and will buy more next year. We will also buy another three of four mares in November. Right now we are claiming horses for some action for us, but we are focusing on the higher quality over quantity.”

Gullo and Melfi's main focus at the moment is their farm, which is geared towards racehorse rehabilitation. Previously the Stone Bridge Farm training center, the Schuylerville, New York facility is an equine oasis with a training track, saltwater spas, Theraplates, magnawave and much more.

“We have a beautiful farm that is set up like a rehab, like Fair Hill,” Gullo said. “We are bringing in a hyperbaric chamber. We have saltwater spas, the vibrating plates, lasers, magnawave, thermal imaging. We have a seven-eighths Tapeta track. We redid the base and put a new cushion on it. We had the guy from Keeneland come and redo it all. We are going to have 50 stalls. We have horses here for Linda [Rice], [Todd] Pletcher and Bill Mott. Wesley Ward came out and loved it.”

The GMP farm also houses a spa for humans, offering a wide variety of services. Additionally, Melfi owns two bed and breakfasts on Union Ave. in Saratoga and plans to tie all of the facilities together.

“The spa is called Sacred Spa and Wellness,” said Melfi, who operated an environmental contracting company, which he sold in 2019. “We offer massage, facials, infrared saunas, chiropractic, acupuncture, body sculpting and basically anything you'd find at a high-end spa or wellness center.”

He added, “I also own Union Gables and the Brunswick. We are in the process of incorporating all the properties together to make it more of a destination.”

Between what they already have in the works and their future plans, Gullo and Melfi have a lot to look forward to with their new operation.

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