Tag: Jane Lyon

Brisk Trade At Keeneland November Book 2 Opener

by Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis

LEXINGTON, KY — The momentum from Monday's opening session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale continued into the first session of Book 2 Tuesday in Lexington with a pair of mares bringing seven figures.

“I would describe it as a solid day,” said Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin. “Overall, we are very happy with the gross, very happy with the median and average being up over last year.”

During Tuesday's session, 197 horses sold for $35,073,000. The average of $178,036 was up 6.26% from a year ago and the median, which dipped slightly during Monday's session, was up 7.69% to $140,000.

“We continue to use the median and the RNA rate as our measures of the depth and health of the market overall,” said Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach. “The averages are great and are great for headlines, but we look at the depth of the market as well and the median is a good indicator of that. Today, in that sense, was a strong day. Yesterday was a good day, too, we had a lot of seven figure offerings which made the average really strong. But overall, our median is up from last year and that's how we hope to see that continue.”

The session's buy-back rate was 27.84%, up from last year's corresponding figure of 22.07%, but that increase could be a reflection of the strong market, according to Breathnach.

“The RNA's are up a little bit, but people are probably being a bit more selective because replacement costs are high,” he said. “And you are going to roll on for another year if you don't feel like you can replace with the same quality.”

Jane Lyon of Summer Wind Farm made the day's highest bid, going to $1.45 million to acquire the 4-year-old racing/broodmare prospect Park Avenue (Quality Road). Jim and Dana Bernhard, stocking their broodmare band at their recently acquired Pin Oak Stud, made the session's other seven-figure bid when going to $1 million for Sweet Sami D (First Samurai), who sold in foal to red-hot Gun Runner. It was the first time Book 2 of the November sale had produced a million-dollar transaction since 2017.

Pin Oak Stud purchased four mares Tuesday and was the session's leading buyer as the domestic buying bench gained strength into Book 2.

“We had a really strong buying bench,” Arvin said. “We had much more domestic activity today than we did yesterday. We saw Jane Lyon, Determined Stud, and the Winchells and Jim and Dana Bernhard adding to their bloodstock. It was nice to see them active.”

With two positive sessions in the books already, the November sale will have plenty of momentum to carry it through its final eight sessions.

“We are off on the right foot,” said Breathnach. “We have the first day of Book 2 behind us and we have eight more sessions in the Breeding Stock Sale and then the racehorse sale to come, but it feels really good and the energy is good. There are a lot of buyers here and a lot of people talking about the shows in the barn area for tomorrow and beyond. We know we have a long way to go, but we are very pleased with this beginning.”

The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale continues through Nov. 16 and is followed by a Horses of Racing Age Sale on Nov. 17. Bidding begins daily at 10 a.m.

Park Avenue Leads to Summer Wind

Jane Lyon of Summer Wind Farm had been outbid on some of her top picks earlier on the sale, so she was bidding with determination when she acquired Park Avenue (Quality Road) (hip 478) for $1.45 million Tuesday at Keeneland.

“I need some good mares,” Lyon said after signing the ticket on the 4-year-old filly. “I've been outbid on several I wanted–the sale topper yesterday and a couple of others along the way–so I was pretty determined not to get outbid on her.”

Park Avenue, a $450,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, won this year's Ouija Board Distaff S. and was second in the GIII La Canada S. for Hronis Racing and trainer John Sadler. She retires from racing with four wins from 14 starts and earnings of $330,887.

Lyon is breeder and co-owner of recently retired superstar Flightline (Tapit) and Park Avenue could be visiting that stallion next year.

“We are going to debate it,” Lyon said of possible mating plans. “Because there is a close connection pedigree-wise [to Flightline]. But we will debate that with people who know–certainly not me.”

Park Avenue is out of Remarkable, who, like Flightline's dam Feathered, is by Indian Charlie.

Asked if she was surprised by Park Avenue's seven-figure price tag, Lyon said, “Oh yes. I am always surprised.”

During Monday's first session of the November sale, Lyon acquired the racing/broodmare prospect Edgeway (Competitive Edge) (hip 156)–also trained by Sadler for Hronis Racing–for $1.7 million.

“I am looking for good, quality mares, preferably if they had raced and been successful,” Lyon said. “I came here saying I was going to buy mares in foal and so far I've bought two who aren't. I am going to have to sit down and rethink it.”

Park Avenue was consigned Tuesday by Lane's End and the farm's Allaire Ryan thought she was a standout in Book 2.

“When two people want them, anything can happen,” Ryan said. “In this group, she was a standout for us. That was beyond our expectations and a super sale all the way around. She was a beautiful filly who obviously had plenty of talent and ability on the track. Her looks just surpassed that. She took your breath away when you saw her. She's a classy filly. She was popular at the barn and people kept coming back to look at her multiple times. We knew we had the right players on her. It's nice to see everyone get rewarded.” @JessMartiniTDN

 

 

 

Bernhards Assembling Broodmare Band For Their 'New' Farm

With their recent purchase or the historic Pin Oak Stud near Versailles, Jim and Dana Bernhard were busy at Keeneland purchasing mares for their new property. They purchased 10 yearlings at the Keeneland September sale under the name of their Lynnhaven Racing, but signed under the name of Pin Oak Stud Tuesday.

“We have plenty of stall space out there, so we figured we might as well get as many good ones as we can,” Matt Weinmann, the Bernhards' advisor, said. “We are looking for top quality, good pedigrees with really good physiology. You can't put a number on how many of those are in this sale. We will see.”

Their first purchase under their new moniker was Broadway Lady (Constitution) (Hip 283) for $500,000. A $125,000 FTKJUL yearling buy, the dark bay won four of her 21 starts and hit the board in seven others. She had a timely update coming into the sale, finishing third in the GIII Ontario Matron S. Oct. 22.

Out of SW Livi Makenzie (Macho Uno), Broadway Lady is a half to dual Grade III-winning sophomore colt Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile). She was consigned by Bluewater Sales on behalf of owner Gary Barber.

“We are going to breed her next year,” said Weinmann. “She is a lovely filly and checked all the boxes for us. Being Grade III-placed in her last race gave her that black-type, which is very important. After the sale, we will go over matings and see who she fits and go from there. We really liked her. She's beautiful.”

The new Pin Oak crew was back in action later in the session, taking home Cyrielle (Animal Kingdom) (Hip 313) for $160,000 and going to $700,000 for Querelle (Violence) (Hip 497) from the Grovendale consignment. The GSP mare, who sold in foal to Constitution, was acquired by Glendalough at Dromoland for $220,000 at the KEEJAN sale earlier this year.

They made their biggest purchase of the day late in the session, going to a cool $1 million for Sweet Sami D (First Samurai) (Hip 573), who sold in foal to red-hot sire Gun Runner.

“She was probably my favorite physical of the day,” said Weinmann. “She is really high-quality mare in foal to one of the best stallions on the planet. We are just extremely excited to have her.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

 

 

 

Stonehaven's Stellar Season Continues at KEENOV

The Reddoch's Stonehaven Steadings had an exceptional Keeneland September Sale and their hot streak continued in the November sales ring Tuesday with the $1-million sale of Sweet Sami D (First Samurai) (Hip 573), who was offered in foal to sensational young sire Gun Runner.

“I'm speechless,” said a clearly emotional Leah O'Meara, who owned the mare in partnership with her parents operation and her husband Aidan O'Meara. “I didn't want to bring her out here, but I'm glad we did. I'm really glad we did.”

Aidan O'Meara added, “We bought her last year and she just blossomed ever since she's been at the farm. We put her in foal to Gun Runner last year with the thoughts of coming this way. Then Gun Runner did what he did last year, so we decided we'd take a chance and bring her out here and see what the market would do. There is an obvious attachment there, so it is a little bittersweet.”

A $65,000 claim last August, Sweet Sami D was withdrawn from last year's November sale and was mated to Gun Runner. She was a talented racehorse with a record of 21-4-4-4 and multiple stakes placings, including the GIII Monmouth Oaks for trainer Pat McBurney.

“We were talking ourselves in and out of bringing her out here,” Aidan O'Meara said. “But, this was just an incredible result. We are delighted to have made the decision we did to come out here with her.”

The Stonehaven Steadings team sold a total of 18 yearlings for $8.188 million during Keeneland's September Sale, including the sale-topping $2.5-million Quality Road colt now named Metro.

“We are lost for words,” said Aidan O'Meara. “We were lost for words in September here, but this is even more incredible. It is hard to even fathom the type of year we've had. We've been so blessed. So many things have gone our way in an industry which is renowned for things being difficult. It has just been an incredible year for us and hopefully we can use this as a catalyst to build off and keep it moving forward bit by bit.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

CHC Collecting Mares For Life Is Good

The China Horse Club kept busy Tuesday, acquiring mares to send to their new stallion Life Is Good, topped by the $750,000 Ragged Rose (Union Rags) (Hip 500), who is in foal to Quality Road.

“She is a beautiful mare from a great family and in foal to Quality Road, who is nearly the best stallion in America,” said CHC's Michael Smith. “She is very clean, strong, good limbs, great action. She is very straight forward, everything you look for in a mare. She will complement him beautifully.”

A $200,000 KEESEP buy, Ragged Rose is out of SW & GSP Cat Charmer (Storm Cat), making her a half-sister to MGSW Strike Charmer (Smart Strike) and MSP Sweet Dreams (Candy Ride {Arg}), the dam of GSW & GISP Subconscious (Tapit). She was consigned by Grovendale Sales.

China Horse Club, signing as CHC INC, also purchased Summer Solo (Arch) (Hip 566) for $400,000 in foal to champion Essential Quality, Coastana (Kitten's Joy) (Hip 304) for $290,000, Lady Aces (Constitution) (Hip 419) for $200,000 and Pythoness (Liam's Map) for $110,000. Smith indicated that all four of those mares would go to Life Is Good.

CHC purchased five mares in total for $1.75 million and an average of $350,000. They also bought Princess Grace (Karakontie {Jpn}) for $1.7 million at Fasig Tipton Sunday and intend to race her in Australia next year.

“The market is strong, but if you do your homework and keep sifting through them, you can find a bit of value as well,” Smith said. “I think we bought well today. We got some really nice race fillies with stakes form as well as this mare with the big cover.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

Song of Mine to West Point

Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds signed the ticket at $700,000 to acquire Song of Mine (Ghostzapper) (hip 550) while standing out back alongside David Ingordo, but when it was time to talk to the press, Finley and Ingordo left the talking to Will Farish, son of Lane's End's Bill Farish.

“She was a beautiful mare,” Farish said. “We were excited to get her and to get her at the price we got her.”

Consigned by Buckland Sales, the 7-year-old Song of Mine sold in foal to Curlin. The half-sister to champion Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro) was purchased by the Haughey family's PTK for $800,000 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. She made five starts in the PTK colors, hitting the board twice.

While the West Point/Lane's End partners have been buying mares to send to the recently retired Flightline, plans for Song of Mine have yet to be finalized.

“We have no immediate plans,” Farish said. “We're still talking about it, but we are excited to have her.”

Asked how he was finding the competition this week in Lexington, Farish said, “The market is really strong. It's tough to buy. But it's great for the business.”

With the arrival of superstar Flightline, the 24-year-old Farish has picked an exciting time to get more involved in the family business.

“I am working for David Ingordo, I just started this year,” Farish said. “It's been a fun start. I hope to keep working with David for the foreseeable future. I've been going to all these sales and learning a lot. I am going to try to keep learning.”

It was easy for Farish to pinpoint the highlight of his year so far.

“Well this past weekend was pretty fun,” he said with a smile, referring to Flightline's romp in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. @JessMartiniTDN

 

 

 

Schoenthal Determined to Get Don'tforgetaboutme

With a page laden with black-type, Don'tforgetaboutme (Malibu Moon) (Hip 334) proved quite popular Tuesday and it was trainer Phil Schoenthal, acting on behalf of Matt Dorman's Determined Stud, who won out at $550,000. Consigned by Claiborn Farm, she sold in foal to Blame.

“Anytime you get a mare, where the first dam fills the page with a bunch of graded stakes winners and black-type, it is very commercial,” Schoenthal said. “All of her foals have sold very well. She's a good producer, so it is all the boxes we are trying to check to put together an elite broodmare band. We are also big fans of Blame. I just told Mr. Hancock that we were trying to find some mares to breed to him, so the fact she was in foal to Blame was a bonus for us. She was the whole package.”

As for who she will visit next, Schoenthal said, “Mr. Dorman has a lot of stallion shares that he has purchased, so we will sort all of that out later. We have a lot of options with her.”

Don'tforgetaboutme is a half-sister to GSW Mo Tom (Uncle Mo), MGSW Red Ruby (Tiznow), SW & MGISP Beautician (Dehere) and SW Bella Castani (Big Brown). Claiborne purchased her for $675,000 at the 2015 KEENOV sale and she produced five foals for them, including GSP Royal Spirit (Into Mischief). All of them fetched six figures at their respective yearling sales, topped by her 2021 Candy Ride (Arg) colt, who brought $575,000 from WinStar and Siena Farm at the recent KEEESEP sale. —@CDeBernardisTDN

Quality Road Colt Destined for Resale

A colt by Quality Road (hip 315) was the top-priced weanling Tuesday at Keeneland when selling for $425,000 to Archie and Michelle St. George. Consigned by Lane's End, agent, the gray is out of the unraced Daisy Miller (GB) (Smart Strike), a half-sister to graded winner Mrs. Danvers (Tapit) and from the family of War Front.

“The sire is very good and the physical is very good, so he just made sense,” said Archie St. George, while confirming the colt was purchased to pinhook next year. “He has a good hind end to him and he walks really well. He ticks a lot of boxes.”

The weanling was bred by W.S. Farish, Greathouse Equine, David Greathouse, Kerry Cauthen and Tony Lacy. Deuce Greathouse purchased Daisy Miller for €60,000 at the 2017 Arqana December sale. Her colt by American Pharoah sold to Hideyuki Mori for $175,000 at this year's Keeneland September sale. The 8-year-old mare was bred to Yaupon this year.

Asked how he was finding the foal market in the early days of the November sale, St. George smiled and said, “Too strong.” @JessMartiniTDN

Good Day For Grovendale

James Keogh's Grovendale Sales, now operated in partnership with Chance Timm, made a strong showing during the Book 2 opener with the successful pinhook of a pair of mares.

First up was Querelle (Violence) (Hip 497), who sold in foal to Constitution for $700,000. The Grade III-placed mare from the family of GISW Declassify (Orientate) was purchased by Keogh and partner Chip Muth of Glendalough at Dromoland for $220,000 at this year's KEEJAN sale.

“Myself and my friend Chip Muth bought her together,” Keogh said. “We bred her to Constitution and it worked out really, really well. I think she was the second -or third-last mare through the ring during the January Sale.”

Just three hips later, another Keogh pinhook, Ragged Rose (Union Rags), brought $750,000 carrying a foal by Quality Road.

“She is a beautiful mare,” said Keogh. “A couple of my friends got together. She was in California last year and a friend of ours was able to arrange the purchase. We were fortunate enough to get to Quality Road and obviously Quality Road is the magic.”

Overall, Grovendale sold 14 head for $3,752,000 for average of $268,000.

“We have sold 11 out of 12 so far,” Keogh said three-quarters of the way through the session “It is very, very important to get your reserves correct. We have been on the reserve or a little were obviously the exception. It's always a good market at Keeneland.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

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Quality Road’s Park Avenue Headed to Summer Wind

Park Avenue (Quality Road) (Hip 478) will join the elite broodmare band at Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Farm after hammering for $1.45 million during the opening session of KEENOV's Book 2 Tuesday. The 4-year-old was consigned by Lane's End for Hronis Racing, one of Lyon's partners on her homebred superstar Flightline (Tapit), who is one of the possible mates for this new acquisition. Park Avenue has several black-type placings to her credit, including a second in the GIII La Canada S.

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Please Don’t Retire This Horse

“We need a hero,” owner Kosta Hronis said, overcome with emotion standing in the winner's circle following the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, where Flightline (Tapit) ran one of the greatest races in the long history of the sport.

“We need a champion,” he continued. “We need an undefeated horse. Someone who can go out and do this and that's Flightline.”

In those four short sentences Hronis captured the moment, the sentiment and all the reasons why Flightline needs to be brought back for a 2023 campaign. It's because the sport and everyone who loves it needs and deserves more of the magic that this very special horse delivers every time. To the owners, please put horse racing first and your bank accounts second and give the game what would be nothing less than a precious and cherished gift. Please.

Flightline can make a staggering amount next year as a stallion, far more than he ever could make on the racetrack. His five owners all say they are racing fans first, but they are also businesspeople and racing Flightline next year is just not economically practical. The insurance policy alone that they would have to take out would cost millions. He probably will be retired.

I'm trying not to be naive.

But neither will I give up hope.

The NBC cameras closed in on another owner, Terry Finley, after the race and there was a river of tears rushing down his cheeks. He was experiencing what we all hope to experience in our lives, a feeling of pure exhilaration, pure joy. I am sure the other owners, Hronis, Bill Farish, Jane Lyon and Anthony Manganaro all felt the same way. Perhaps other than the birth of a child, there is nothing else in life that can match this. It is indeed priceless.

Money is nice. Money is important. But Finley is never going to weep for joy after viewing the balance in his bank account. That feeling, those tears, what Terry Finley experienced Saturday, can be replicated maybe four or five times next year with what would no doubt be four or five more sensational performances. Does he or any of the other owners really want to let that go?

I wouldn't be saying that if this weren't a once-in-a-lifetime horse. I wouldn't have said that even with American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) or Justify (Scat Daddy). They were wonderful horses, Triple Crown winners, but Flightine has gone to a place where those horses never went. He doesn't live up to the hype. He smashes it. He makes the impossible seem ordinary.

After he won the GI Pacific Classic by 19 1/4 lengths it seemed Flightline could never surpass that performance. But he did. If ever he was going to be in a fight, this was it. The Classic was loaded and the seven opponents presented a far more difficult challenge than the one he faced out at Del Mar. But it was not a fight. It wasn't even a skirmish. Under his passenger, Flavien Prat, he couldn't have been more dominant. Flightline won by

8 1/4 lengths, turning the final two furlongs into a one-horse race. Once again, Prat never had to shift out of cruise control.

“How do you describe greatness?” trainer John Sadler said. “This is a rare horse. It happens every 20 or 30 years. One of the best American racehorses we've seen in a long, long time. And I'm talking back to Secretariat, Seattle Slew. You go through the list.”

It's hard to compare Flightline to Secretariat because they are horses from two very different eras and Flightline has raced only six times. But Secretariat, it should be remembered, lost twice after his other-worldly performance in the 1973 GI Belmont S. and none of his races after the Belmont quite matched what he did that day when he redefined greatness in the Thoroughbred. Flightline somehow seems to get better with every race.

Who is the greatest ever, Flightline or Secretariat? Let's just say this: they both belong in the conversation.

This sport can get you down. There have been the drug scandals with Jorge Navarro and Jason Servis and the rest. You have far too many groups and individuals trying to submarine the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority. The safety and well-being of the animal, both during and after their careers, remains a constant worry. The struggle to get mainstream attention for the game seems like a never-ending, losing battle. On too many days at too many racetracks the grandstands are empty.

But Saturday, it was like those problems had vanished. In the moment, this was indeed the greatest game that there is and we all remembered why we fell in love with it in the first place. Thank you, Flightline.

“This is really good for the business,” Finley said.

Exactly.

So bring him back. While you're at it, plan out a campaign that doesn't include trips to the Middle East. If this isn't going to be about the money then don't make it about money. Make 2023 a celebration and a celebration of American racing. Put the fans first. Run in the GI Pegasus World Cup, the GI Santa Anita H. Come back in the Pacific Classic. End the year back at Santa Anita in the Classic and let's see if he can win this time by a dozen lengths or more.

Then cash in and send him off to stud.

To ask the connections to run him next year is asking a lot. I understand that. It's just that I don't want to see this end and neither should his owners.

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Taking Stock: David Ingordo and Flightline

David Ingordo of Lane's End Bloodstock doesn't smile much, and when he does, it's usually a half-smile. But he does have a sense of humor. On Sunday afternoon, he was spotted at Keeneland outside the Lane's End consignment wearing a gray vest with the name “David DeVaux” embroidered on the chest, a nod and a wink to his trainer wife Cherie DeVaux.

Ingordo likes to be incognito and shuns the spotlight whenever he can, but he's very much in that spotlight at the moment, thanks to Flightline (Tapit), who first caught Ingordo's eye as a short yearling on breeder Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Farm. Flightline is under the care of another trainer, John Sadler, with whom he has a longstanding relationship. Sadler has known Ingordo since Ingordo, 46, was in a crib–Ingordo's father, Jerry Ingordo, a well-known jock's agent who handled Laffit Pincay Jr., among others, had been a mentor to the young Sadler when he was 21 and starting out.

Relationships are important to Ingordo. Seventeen years ago at this same sale at Keeneland, Ingordo was behind the $60,000 purchase of Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moss's Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}). That iconic mare was trained by John Shirreffs, who's married to Ingordo's mother, Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs, and Zenyatta's success made Ingordo one of the most sought-after bloodstock agents in the business. Will and Bill Farish of Lane's End were quick to hire Ingordo after Zenyatta, and he's been with Lane's End ever since, developing a particularly close relationship with Bill Farish, whose Woodford Racing is one of the partners in Flightline, along with Summer Wind, Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, and West Point Thoroughbreds. On Monday, it was officially announced that Flightline would stand at stud at Lane's End upon the conclusion of his racing career.

Ingordo's Eye

A strongly made bay colt by Medaglia d'Oro from the Distorted Humor mare Pauline Revere, a half-sister to the 2022 American Pharoah Grade I winner American Theorem, was the first horse through the ring Monday. Consigned by Lane's End, the colt was bred by the partnership of Gage Hill Stables and W.S. Farish and was purchased by Talla Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds for $850,000.

A day earlier, Ingordo had the colt out for inspection for one more look before the sale. Bill Farish, wearing a Lane's End vest, was under the shedrow observing from a distance.

“At Lane's End, I've seen a lot of these horses growing up, so it's a little unfair to other horses. This horse has gotten better and better and better. I've probably seen this horse every 60 days his whole life. I like the horses that come forward each time I see them. This is my kind of horse. He's got substance,” Ingordo said.

“Medaglia d'Oro was probably one of the most beautiful horses I ever laid eyes on,” said Ingordo as he walked around the colt, looking him up and down before patting him on the shoulder. Medaglia d'Oro, a son of El Prado (Ire), stands at Darley and was trained by Bobby Frankel, for whom Ingordo worked as a teenager. He was one of the first Sadler's Wells-line horses to succeed at top level on dirt in N. America, and from his first crop he got Rachel Alexandra, who was produced from a Forty Niner-line mare like the yearling Ingordo was critiquing.

“[Medaglia d'Oro] is probably in my top 10 of all time physicals. This horse has got the right blend of Medaglia and Distorted Humor with the strength. The pasterns aren't too long. He's got a big forearm and gaskins–I hate a light forearm and light gaskin on studs; fillies, I can give them a pass. This colt has good bone. One of the biggest problems we have in our breed is that we're breeding the bone out of these horses. This horse could stand training for my taste.”

Ingordo dropped down and pointed to a large vein running down the upper part of the colt's inside hind leg. “All these other guys do heart scans and everything, but see that vein inside? That big vein is something that I always look for. I like to see it be very prominent.”

Ingordo has great knowledge of pedigrees–some are judges of pure physical specimens only–and he wants what's in front of him to match closely to what he sees on the catalog page. “It's like a BMW, to use an example. It's got the symbol on the front. You might have different designs of BMWs, different models, but the models fit a spec.”

Ingordo asked the handler to walk the colt. “It's not a walking contest,” he said, “but if they're a little close behind or something, it doesn't bother me. I don't mind if they're a little choppy or this or that, but I want them to use their hindquarters and reach with their shoulders. This colt is nice. He's wide. A nice swing to his tail. It looks like he'd push off and go. He's a nice moving horse, he uses himself. That's what I like to see.”

Like most judges, Ingordo prefers a well-defined shoulder set at the right angle, a beautiful neck, ample girth, short cannon bones, and overall balance, but he also looks for good length on a line from the point of hip to the tip of the hock–“That's the lever,” he said.

And he's a stickler for rear-end construction. “I always stand behind them. I want to see like a beam, a big, broad beam, when you draw this line. It's a flat square. You got the big gaskins and you drop down with these two pillars being the hind legs. This horse has a nice square hind end on him. It's actually not dissimilar to a horse like Flightline. Everything is defined and nice and strong.”

Flightline

Before Flightline became Flightline, an undefeated winner of five starts who won his last race by an astonishing 19 1/4 lengths in 1:59.28, eased up in the 10 furlongs of the Gl Pacific Classic S., he was bay yearling gamboling in a paddock in early 2019 with another chestnut Tapit colt at Summer Wind named Triple Tap, a half-brother to American Pharoah who's now won two of six starts for Bob Baffert and owner/breeder Summer Wind.

“In January of Flightline's yearling year, shortly after the holidays, Bill Farish told me we have to go out to Ms. Lyon's place to look at a Tapit half to American Pharoah,” Ingordo said. “The impetus was that Jane [Lyon] had talked to Bill Farish on wanting to stay in on Triple Tap and putting a partnership together to race him. We got in the car and drive out, and they bring out two colts by Tapit. The first one was Flightline, but he was the paddock buddy of the one we're supposed to look at. So, after we're looking at them, I kind of say out loud, I like this brown one better. Bill's like, shut up and look at the other horse. That's who we're here to see. You know, don't be rude kind of thing.”

Over the next few months, Ingordo would see both colts on a regular basis, and he made a mental note about Flightline.

As chance would have it, months later Ingordo ended up catching a ride on a Tex Sutton flight taking Lane's End-consigned yearlings to Saratoga for the yearling sale. “One of the guys on the flight who knows my wife said, 'David, you care to snap a shank on a couple of them yearlings? It's getting ready to be bumpy.' I said, 'Yeah, I'll do that.' So I get up and see this brown horse and I'm petting him–I like horses–and snap a shank on him. I look down at the halter and it says 'Flightline.' I say, 'Oh shoot, it's that horse.' Later on, I'm shortlisting and I look at all our Lane's End yearlings, and I said to Bill, 'That's the horse. He's the horse we liked on the farm when we were out looking at Triple Tap.'”

Ingordo said Farish spoke to Lyon about the colt. “Bill said she wants a lot of money for the horse but would stay in for a leg, but we have to put a deal together around the horse. So we sat down and penciled who we could call.”

The rest is history. The colt sold for $1 million to West Point at Saratoga.

Ingordo is quick to point out that the partners in the horse–“the best group of owners”–are instrumental in his success, because each owner was 100-percent behind giving the colt the time he needed to realize his potential at every step in the process. And, Ingordo noted, there were several hiccups along with way before the horse even got to Sadler that would have tested the patience of others.

“When he had the freak injury to his hindquarter in February of his 2-year-old year–it was a freak thing, and these things happen–we did the right thing and gave him the time, and nobody panicked,” Ingordo said. “And then when he was getting ready to ship to California–I literally had him booked on the plane–a little odd thing happened. Just tweaked something. Never had surgery, nothing like that. We had to give him more time, sent him to Kentucky, had him checked out, gave him the time again. There was no hesitation on anyone's part. It was just, do the right thing. Then he ran, and after that, later, he stepped on a rock and got a deep foot bruise that popped out. That took more time.

“But this is a textbook case of, if you want to run a top-level horse that puts everything into his races and has been unlucky with a couple of bull-crappy things, this is how you do it from an ownership standpoint.”

Ingordo never went to California to see Flightline race in the Pacific Classic, but he'll have a front row seat at Keeneland for the Gl Breeders' Cup Classic. He'll be in the spotlight there whether he likes it or not.

Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks.

The post Taking Stock: David Ingordo and Flightline appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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