Striving to Illuminate the Path to Transparency, Light Up Racing Launched

'Light Up Racing', an initiative led by a group of industry participants, striving to illuminate the path to transparency, awareness, and accountability in horse racing, has been launched, according to a press release.

Light Up is spearheaded by a group of industry participants, including Price Bell, Roderick Wachman, Jason Litt, and Dr. Jeff Berk. Kick Collective, the marketing agency behind the Australian-based initiative Kick Up for Racing, is driving the marketing and communications.

“We have been inspired by the impactful work of Kick Up in Australia and believe we have a similar opportunity in the US,” said Price Bell, one of the founding directors of Light Up.

“Kick Up informs the public conversation about horse racing in Australia through grassroots education and engagement. Fundamental to its success is using data and factual information to provide transparency, and accessibility to our horses. This has created a culture of accountability to the horse. We believe we have similar opportunity, to support and inspire the collective voice of our industry participants.”

Established in 2022, Kick Up has quickly become a valuable resource for the Australian racing industry with content focused on addressing the common concerns surrounding horse racing. In addition to a digital presence via its website and social channels, Kick Up has fostered a community who are empowered to address misinformation about horse racing and share positive stories to their networks.

Vin Cox, Managing Director of Godolphin Australia and a Director of the Victorian Racing Club who host the iconic Melbourne Cup at Flemington, said:

“The anti-racing groups are well-funded, well-organized, and have been allowed to shape the public narrative of our industry, unopposed. Kick Up stepped in and empowered and emboldened racing supporters by providing fact-based articles that correct the misinformation being propagated by the anti-racing community.

“The social capital surrounding the Melbourne Cup carnival is now at its strongest in many years, and although anecdotal, I firmly believe that the work done by the Kick Up team has had a hugely significant impact.”

In a similar theme, the primary objective of Light Up is to empower the industry community with accurate knowledge by providing transparent information and distilled research.

Every industry issue Light Up will challenge is guided by a fundamental question: “What is in the best interest of the horse?”

Dr. JR Coffman, a past President of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, captured this sentiment when he wrote, “whenever a question is answered based upon the welfare of the horse, the human principles involved are also best served in the long run. We are here for the horse; to the extent that we are responsive to that concept, we will prosper both as individuals and as an organization.”

Light Up is committed to dismantling the wall of secrecy that often surrounds the industry, empowering participants with the knowledge and confidence to engage in meaningful conversations with the concerned public and external media, and most importantly, provide the information needed to make informed decisions that prioritize equine safety.

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Solis and Litt Join Growing Repole Team

Alex Solis II and Jason Litt, who operate the Solis/Litt bloodstock agency, have joined forces with owner Mike Repole, who has continued to add to his team as both his stable and his goals have grown in recent years. Repole, who owns many horses in partnership with Vinnie Viola, has about 300 horses and has been very active in recent years at the yearling sales.

“I am all about family and friends,” Repole said. “Over the last couple of years they've been helping me out with some yearlings and colts and they have a great opinion. I am a 'dream-bigger' type of guy. I won eight Grade Is in 2022, so this year I want to win nine. The next year I want to win 10. Bringing Alex and Jason on board is part of that vision.”

As part of the transition, Solis has stepped down from his full-time role as Gainesway Farm's Director of Bloodstock but will continue his relationship with the farm. Solis and Litt's agency will also continue to work with existing clients.

As Repole has doubled the number of horses in his stable over the last two years he has assembled a deep group of advisors who assist him in a number of areas, including yearling purchases and the overwhelming daily task of running such a large stable. The team includes Ed Rosen, Jim Martin, Danielle Bricker, Jacob West and Todd Pletcher. Solis and Litt will advise the growing stable and assist in acquisitions and management, but will be called upon to contribute in other areas.

“When you double the number of horses you own, yes, you need more people,” Repole said. “I am trying to build a bigger vision and a bigger strategy. I want to get more involved in racing as a sport, not just with Repole Stables. I want people with the experience Alex and Jason have. They have tremendous vision for the sport and share the same excitement I have for the sport and the same frustrations.

“Part of the evolution of growing your brand comes from hiring a bunch of smart people who have a ton of passion and are coachable and have the same vision you have. Who knows; maybe Jason will become the VP of global and I'll buy two racetracks and Alex will run them. I have no idea.”

Solis and Litt have been together since the early 2000s and have worked for many of the top names in the sport, including LNJ Foxwoods, which campaigned top older male dirt horse Olympiad (Speightstown). Other horses they have been involved with include Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}), Mizdirection (Mizzen Mast), Country House (Lookin At Lucky) and Covfefe (Into Mischief). Their team also includes Madison Scott.

“Mike has gone from 150 to 300 horses and wanted to take advantage of Solis/Litt's experience managing large portfolios,” Solis said. “We've helped Mike for the last couple of years at yearling sales, and it's exciting to start in a more prominent role. It's been a seamless transition working with his existing team…Mike is big on relationships and family, and so are we. Jason and I have been

working together for 17 years and the majority of our clients have been with us since the beginning. Maintaining those ties is of utmost importance, which Mike fully embraces. It was great to be able to partner with him and our major client, LNJ Foxwoods, on two yearlings in September.”

Repole Stable enjoyed a banner year in 2022, campaigning Grade I winners Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke), Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), Forte (Violence) and Nest (Curlin). Forte and Nest are expected to be named Eclipse Award winners. With most any other stable, 2022 would have been a year that cannot be topped. But Repole has never hid his ambitions and won't set a ceiling when it comes to his stable's success.

“I'm not always content,” Repole said. “I talk to somebody like Tom Brady and ask him what his favorite Super Bowl was and he says it's the next one. I am ecstatic and feel blessed about where we are but I have goals. What's wrong with trying to get better?”

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Fahrhof’s Day as BBAG Ring is Litt Bright

BADEN-BADEN, Germany–A German breeder, a British stallion, an American buyer. In a fully reopened world, the international participation that had been anticipated ahead of BBAG's major yearling sale was played out as Jason Litt made a splash on his first visit to Baden-Baden when signing for the sole Kingman (GB) yearling in the sale, offered by the day's leading vendor Gestut Fahrhof and commanding the top price of €450,000.

Along with Litt, buyers from Britain, China, Ireland, France, Italy, Dubai, Hong Kong, the Czech Republic, and of course Germany underlined a diverse and vibrant market which led to gains of 24% for both aggregate and average. Of the 204 horses offered through the one-day sale, 157 (77%) found a buyer, with the clearance rate dropping just slightly from 80% last year, but the average up to €53,258 with the overall turnover at €8,361,500.

 

Fahrhof to the Fore

It has been quite the week for the partnership of Gestut Fahrhof and Kingman, with the stallion reaching a new high of 50 stakes winners and 30 group winners courtesy of the stud's homebred Habana (Ger), a 'TDN Rising Star' who went on the land the G3 Zukunfts-Rennen at Baden-Baden on Wednesday.

In the sale ring two days later, Kingman's son (lot 62) from the family of this year's G1 Deutsches Derby winner Sammarco (Ire) was the draft's leading light when topping the sale, selected by a first-time visitor to the auction.

“I'm really happy right now,” said American agent Jason Litt. “We got the one we wanted. We came here trying to buy what we thought was the best horse in the sale, and we thought he was the best horse in the sale.

“He's likely to stay in Europe but it is all to be determined. He has a great attitude and great balance.”

Litt added with a laugh, “He checked all the boxes, as everyone hates to hear.”

The colt's relative Sammarco, who is now a dual Group 1 winner, returns to the track on Sunday to take on Torquator Tasso (Ger) in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden, and plenty of other members of the close family have won stakes races in Britain, Ireland, France, and Australia. His dam Sarandia (Ger) (Dansili {GB}) was herself narrowly denied a Classic win when second in the G1 Preis der Diana, and three of her five wins came in listed races.

The Fahrhof draft was also represented among the top lots by a Frankel (GB) half-brother to Group 1 winner Potemkin (Ger) (New Approach {GB}), who will race in Germany for Eckhard Sauren, the President of the Cologne Race Club who bought lot 58 for €210,000. The colt's dam Praia (Ger) (Big Shuffle) was herself a winner and listed-placed and is a half-sister to Paita (GB) (Intikhab), a former champion 2-year-old filly in Germany.

An international bidding skirmish was in play later in the day for another Fahrhof consignee, the first foal of Listed Diana Trial winner Realeza (Ger) (Maxios {GB}) by Darley's Night Of Thunder (Ire). Anthony Stroud was involved for a while, but it was Andreas Suborics who had the last word at €325,000, with Michael Donohoe the unlucky underbidder from outside the ring. Suborics confirmed that he will train the chestnut colt (lot 156) for owner Jurgen Sartori.

The mixing of Dubawi and Monsun bloodlines has worked well in this family already, with Realeza's three-parts sister Rumh (Ger), a listed-winning daughter of Monsun, having produced the multiple Group 1 winners Yibir (GB) and Wild Illusion (GB), both of whom are by Dubawi.

Gestut Fahrhof, which has also consigned yearlings at the Tattersalls October Sale in the past, offered all its yearlings for sale at BBAG this year, and was the sale's leading vendor with 12 sold for €1,420,000 at an average price of €118,333.

Reflecting on a good day for his team, Fahrhof's owner Andreas Jacobs said, “It is a fantastic sale, a boutique sale at a wonderful location. It's wonderful because of great food, great restaurants, great hotels, but also a great sales crowd. This year we had some good genuine prices, so expectations from the vendors were reasonable, and I think the catalogue was better than last year.”

He continued, “On the Farhrhof side we had better horses in the sale because we didn't send any to Tattersalls, so that helped our sale. I'm very proud to have sold the most expensive Kingman. I've loved Kingman since he was a racehorse and I think he was one of those that has everything you want to have–good character, a good scope, and he improved with the work every minute.

“The Night Of Thunder we sold was equally smart and everyone was on him which was why he generated an exceptional price. We're very happy with the day's results, and also with the Baden-Baden race results. To have a Kingman filly; there's nothing better than to have a 2-year-old group-winning filly. I'm very excited about her and very proud.”

 

Prize Fillies for Owner-Breeders

Out of luck with bidding on Fahrhof's Night Of Thunder colt, Michael Donohoe was successful only a short while later when buying the only Frankel filly in the catalogue for €250,000 for Yuesheng Zhang of Yulong Investments. Lot 161, who was offered by Ronald Rauscher, is the third foal of the Acclamation (GB) mare Vagabonde (Ire), a dual winner in France and a half-sister to a pair of Group 3 winners in Kalahara (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Sasparella (Fr) (Shamardal).

“Mr. Zhang has had plenty of luck with the sire and I thought she was lovely,” said Dononhoe. The Yulong Investements silks have been carried to Group 1 glory in Australia by a homebred daughter of Frankel in the Chris Waller-trained Hungry Heart (Aus), winner of the Australian Oaks and Vinery Stud S.

He continued, “There's a nice bit of Acclamation about her and she looks like she might be quite a forward Frankel. We loved the pedigree and thought she represented good value. I was underbidder for different clients on the Kingman and the Night Of Thunder. It's a really strong market.”

A bidding tussle between Tina Rau and Ronald Rauscher saw the latter come out on top for Haras de l'Hotellerie's filly by Sea The Stars (Ire) out of the listed winner Imagery (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) (lot 44) at €250,000.

A pedigree with roots in Gestut Schlenderhan, which includes three black-type half-siblings for the yearling, and another four of the same for her dam, was enough to persuade Rauscher's client, one of Germany's leading breeders, to purchase the filly with her future broodmare career in mind.

“She's been bought for my main partner, Christoph Berglar,” Rauscher confirmed. “He loves Sea The Stars and he loves that Schlenderhan family, and there's Monsun in there. She's very nice, I liked her a lot.”

Guillaume Garcon of Haras de l'Hotellerie offered the filly on behalf of her breeder Leopoldo Fernandez Pujals of Yeguada Centurion, who bought Imagery at Tattersalls four years ago for 95,000gns. The mare also has a colt foal by Sea The Stars.

A good day continued for the Hotellerie team when the Bated Breath (GB) half-sister to Group 3 winner Noble Heidi (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) sold for €130,000 to Stall Salzburg. Extra black type has been provided for their dam Noble Pensee (Fr) (Orpen) by her 3-year-old listed-placed daughter Noble Star (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), while Noble Heidi, now four, added the Listed Baden-Baden Cup to her tally of victories on Wednesday. The granddam of lot 151, Turning Leaf (Ire) (Last Tycoon) was placed in the G2 German 1,000 Guineas.

 

Franco-Irish Alliance for Le Havre Filly

One of the 'talking horses' of the sale was the sole yearling by the late Le Havre (Ire), who, catalogued as lot 61, was offered by Stauffenberg Bloodstock on behalf of her breeder Gestut Honyhof. The flashy chestnut is a granddaughter of the G1 Preis der Diana winner Salve Regina (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), who was also runner up in the Deutsches Derby, a race also won by her full-brothers Samum (Ger) and Schiaparelli (Ger). More recently, the family has been boosted by the yearling's Group 3-winning half-brother Sea Of Sands (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who triumphed in the Derby-Trial and is one of five winners for their dam Salve Haya (Ire) (Peintre Celebre).

The well-established partnership of Ireland's Ballylinch Stud and France's Ecurie des Charmes had the final say for the filly at €205,000, with Ghislain Bozo signing the docket in the company of John O'Connor.

“She was a really nice filly, we think Le Havre is a plus as well and it's a very nice staying family, a very strong German family,” Bozo said. “She's a lovely mover and well-balanced, the type of physique we like, and should be a lovely broodmare in the future. She may go to Ballylinch first, they have a really lovely pre-training facility.”

Bozo had earlier signed for Gestut Hof Ittlingen's colt by the late Lord Of England (Ger) at €180,000. Bought for an undisclosed client, lot 47 is a half-brother to Loft (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), winner of the GII Belmont Gold Cup S. in America as well as the G2 Oleander-Rennen is his home country. The pair emanate from Hof Ittlingen's signature family of the homebred champion Lando (Ger), whose seven Group 1 wins included the Japan Cup, and who is a brother to the colt's granddam Laurella (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}).

 

Waldgeist Filly to Wohler

Gestut Ammerland's half-sister to Blue De Vega (Ger) (Lope De Vega {Ger}) from the first crop of Arc winner Waldgeist (GB) (lot 79) is to be trained by Andreas Wohler for a “well-established French owner-breeder” after being signed for at €160,000 by Alexandra Saint Martin of ASM Bloodstock.

Unable to divulge the name of her client, the agent added, “She is a lovely filly with a great page and she has been bought as a broodmare prospect. She will be trained in Germany.”

The filly was the most expensive yearling of the day by Waldgeist, who was well represented at BBAG with eight of his yearlings sold for an average of €63,750.

Another of this year's freshman sires, Darley's Too Darn Hot (GB), featured just once in the catalogue but his yearling colt, who is a half-brother to the German champion 3-year-old sprinter Namos (GB) (Medicean {GB}), found favour with breeze-up pinhooker Tom Whitehead of Powerstown Stud.

“He's a good, racy colt and I like the sire. I think he has a good chance,” said Whitehead, who has done well buying breezers from this sale in the past and paid €150,000 for lot 54 from breeder Gestut Brummerhof.

 

New Bay an Old Friend for Elliott

Alex Elliott is another regular visitor to BBAG and secured two six-figure lots on Friday, the first being lot 53, bought for the Chelsea Thoroughbreds syndicate  at €120,000.

The colt by New Bay (GB) is to be trained by Ralph Beckett, a stallion with whom Elliott and Beckett have enjoyed previous success courtesy of his first-crop son New Mandate (Ire), winner of the G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. as well as a pair of listed races.

There was plenty to recommend the Ronald Rauscher- consigned colt beyond his sire, however, as he is out of Nightlight Angel (Manduro {Ger}), a winning three-parts-sister to Dr. Christoph Berglar's champion colt Novellist (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}), a Group 1 winner in three different countries who is now at stud in Japan. The family has been given another major boost this season by the Irish Oaks victory of Novellist's half-sister Magical Lagoon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Elliott also went to €165,000 for Haras de Grandcamp's Wootton Bassett (GB) half-brother to G3 Prix des Chenes winner Evasive's First (Fr) (Evasive), who was appropriately, consigned as lot 165.

Holger Faust of the HFTB Agency was the sale's busiest buyer, signing for 11 yearlings for a total of €568,000. The group included Intisar (Ger) (Isfahan {Ger}), who will race in the same Darius Racing colours as her sister, the G1 Preis der Diana runner-up Isfahani (Ger), and was bought from Gestut Karlshof for €120,000.

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