2023 Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift: Jay Em Ess Stables (Samantha Siegel)

As we approach the opening of the 2023 breeding season, the TDN staff is once again sitting down with leading breeders to find out what stallions they have chosen for their mares, and why. Today we caught up with Jay Em Ess Stable's Samantha Siegel.

ACTING HAPPY (m, 16, Empire Maker–Ain't Bluffing, by Pine Bluff)
This mare is a reigning member of the decades-old breeding program established by Samantha Siegel and her late parents, Mace and Jan. The Empire Maker mare is a daughter of the 1998 GI Milady H. winner I Ain't Bluffing, who was also campaigned by the Siegels, and a half-sister to Grade II producer I Ain't P T (A.P. Indy) and Grade II producer Taunt (Deputy Minister). Acting Happy won the 2010 GII Black-Eyed Susan S. and was third in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks and GI Alabama S.

She is in foal to Maclean's Music on a Mar. 14 cover and is booked this year to Army Mule.

AUNT LUBIE (m, 8, Uncle M–Galloping Girafffe, by Tapit)

Siegel laid down $325,000 for this mare as a Keeneland yearling and after a career that spanned 17 races with a single win she was retired to become a member of the Jay Em Ess broodmare band. Some of the more notable names to appear in her pedigree include GII winner Timber Reserve (Forest Camp), Sweet Reason (Street Sense) and Don't Forget Gil (Kafwain). Her first foal is an unnamed yearling filly by Maclean's Music and currently she is in foal to City of Light. She is booked back to Girvin.

Girvin is off to a great start and should give speed to her foal,” Siegel said of the mating plan.

BY THE LIGHT (m, 18, Malibu Moon–Dixie Tempo, by Major Impact)This mare was purchased by the Siegel family for $190,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Midlantic yearling 17 years ago and after winning half of her 20 starts and placing in a number of stakes, including the 2008 GII Prioress S., she has served as a productive member of Siegel's broodmare band. Her most successful offspring is By The Moon and she is in foal to Into Mischief on an Apr. 22 cover and booked back to leading sire Good Magic.

BY THE MOON (m, 11, Indian Charlie–By The Light, by Malibu Moon)
Aside from I Ain't Bluffing, By The Moon is perhaps one of Siegel's most notable runners, which is saying a lot considering Jay Em Ess Stables campaigned champion Declan's Moon, Grade I winners Rail Trip and Include Me Out and dozens of other graded stakes winners. In a career that saw her bankroll $1,552,940 from a line of 20-7-6-2, the 2014 GI Frizette S. winner is the dam of Full Moon Madness (Into Mischief), who was third in the GIII Nashua S. last year.

“She has a beautiful Quality Road yearling filly,” Siegel said, adding she currently is in foal to Curlin and booked to visit Gun Runner this spring.

BY THE GATE (4, f, Arrogate–By The Moon, by Indian Charlie)
This bay filly is from the first crop of her late sire and didn't make the races. She is in foal to Good Magic and booked to Not This Time.

GO GOOGLE YOURSELF (m, 8, Into Mischief–Taunt, by Deputy Minister)
A Grade III winner, she had her first foal–a beautiful Gun Runner filly–on January 24. Her next foal will be from the first crop of newly crowned Horse of the Year Flightline

INCLUDE ME OUT (m, 15, Include–Don't Trick Her, by Mazel Trick)
This Siegel hombred won the 2012 GI Santa Margarita Invitational S. at Santa Anita and GI Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar and was also third in the 2012 GI Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic. She's had six foals so far and is currently in foal to Munnings. She is booked to Oscar Performance this year.

LOTSANDLOTSOFHOPE (m, 13, TIznow–Hope Rises, by Mr. Greeley)
She raced once for Seigel and finished second before being retired to the broodmare band. She is the dam of GIISW and GISP Extra Hope (Shanghai Bobby) and after a barren year for 2023 she is booked to Omaha Beach.

ROAD RAGER (m, 7, Quality Road—She Is Raging, by Aggressive Chief)
This Grade II-placed mare had her first foal this year, a beautiful filly by Daredevil, and is booked back to visit Mo Town.

Interested in sharing your own mating plans? Email garyking@thetdn.com.

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Mr. Big Filly Tops ‘Solid’ Fasig-Tipton California Sale

by Dan Ross & Jessica Martini

POMONA, CA – The Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings and Horses of Racing Age Sale, held Tuesday at Fairplex in Pomona, produced 14 six-figure lots, led by a filly by Mr. Big who sold for $250,000 to Todd Tomazic. Numbers declined from last year's lively renewal of the auction, with 205 head grossing $6,257,100 and the average falling 22% to $30,522 and the median dipping 15% to $17,000. The buy-back rate was 25.7%. It was 24.4% in 2021.

“It was a very solid session,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. said at the close of business Tuesday. “There was lots of traffic and activity at the barns before the sale and there was spirited bidding on the majority of the horses. There still remained some selectivity in the marketplace–you have to have acceptable conformation, and, like at every sale in the world, you have to jump through the vetting hoops. But I thought, all in all, it was a good follow-up to an exceptional year last year.”

A year ago, 177 horses sold for $6,933,550 for an average of $39,173 and a median of $20,000. The top lot of $350,000 was one of 17 yearlings to bring six figures.

“We probably didn't have quite as much sire power from out-of-state sires this year in the catalogue, but we knew that going in,” Browning said. “But I think that's truthfully part of the rebuilding process where people are starting to have confidence and hopefully a couple of good yearling sales in a row will give breeders more confidence that there will be better quality horses that are Cal-breds. Not that there aren't some nice Cal-breds now, but I think it's a restoration of confidence in the marketplace. I think we are seeing some real indications of that amongst the breeders that sold horses today.”

Hockey Dad (Nyquist) (hip 335) brought the highest price during the horses of racing age section of the sale when bloodstock agent Kim Lloyd went to $175,000 to acquire the 4-year-old on behalf of Gary Hartunian's Rockingham Ranch. Bred and campaigned by Reddam Racing, the bay colt was third in last year's GII Del Mar Derby and GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks.

Tomazic Goes Big

Todd Tomazic, who has been a minority owner on some racehorses in the past, jumped into the fray at the Fasig-Tipton California Yearlings Sale Tuesday when purchasing three yearlings, led by a sale-topping daughter of Mr. Big (hip 228) who sold for $250,000.

“I am not new to being a fan, but I'm new to being an owner,” Tomazic said. “I've been a minority investor in some horses, but I hadn't even been to an auction before.”

Tomazic was being advised at the sale by Terry Knight, farm manager of Legacy Ranch, which raised hip 228 for breeder George Krikorian.

“I did not expect to spend this, but they liked him so we bought him,” Tomazic said. “[Picking horses] is not my forte, but if my trainer likes him, that's what I like. He's a guy who has owned a lot more horses than I have.”

The sale-topping yearling, who was consigned by Havens Bloodstock Agency, is out of Misszippityslewda (City Zip) and is a full-sister to multiple stakes winner Big Sweep. Krikorian purchased the mare for $22,000 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton February sale and resold her, in foal to Mr. Big, for $11,000 at this year's CTBA February sale.

“We raised her for George and sale prepped her,” Knight said. “She's just kept getting better and better and we've liked her more and more.”

Also Tuesday, Tomazic went to $105,000 to acquire a filly from the first crop of GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso (hip 189). The yearling is out of Keep the Magic (Malibu Moon) and was also bred by Krikorian and consigned by Havens Bloodstock Agency.

Tomazic's Pomona shopping spree was completed by a filly by another Breeders' Cup Classic winner, Accelerate (hip 36), who was purchased for $35,000 from the Harris Farms consignment.

The yearlings will be sent to Legacy Ranch in Lodi, California to be broke.

“We will see what they can do with them,” Tomazic said.

Siegel Stays Busy in Pomona

Samantha Siegel of Jay Em Ess Stable, following the advice of the late bid-spotter Pete McCormick, bid aggressively to secure a pair of yearlings for matching $200,000 price tags late in the Fasig-Tipton California Yearlings Sale Tuesday. She first went to that figure to acquire a filly by Good Magic (hip 241) and came back 10 hips later to purchase a daughter of Stanford (hip 252) for the same price. Both yearlings were consigned by Stormy and Guy Hull's Washington-based Critter Creek Farm.

“She was beautiful,” Siegal said of hip 241. “To get a Cal-bred by a good freshman sire like Good Magic, whose horses are selling well as yearlings and 2-year-olds, we actually thought we would have to give more. Hopefully we can have some fun with her without the Kentucky sales price.”

The yearling is out of Nine Point Nine (Tribal Rule), a half-sister to stakes winner Sweet Saga (Slew's Saga).

Hip 252 is out of Open Mic (Unbridled's Song) and is a half-sister to stakes-placed No Cover Charge (Kafwain). Her third dam is Words of War (Lord at War {Arg}).

“She is really beautiful, too,” Siegal said. “She is a big, strong filly with a great walk.”

Stormy Hull was co-breeder of both yearlings and, along with Lynn Baker, purchased Open Mic, carrying the Stanford filly, for $11,500 at the 2021 CTBA January sale.

“Those guys sold two really, really nice fillies,” Siegal said of the Critter Creek consignment. “They did a great job. They looked great.”

Siegal's Jay Em Ess also purchased a colt by Smokem (hip 52) for $90,000 and a colt by Mr. Big (hip 105) for $50,000 Tuesday in Pomona.

The yearlings will be trained by Brian Koriner.

Of her take-no-prisoner bidding style, Siegal said, “Pete McCormick told me how to bid. They will go up in little increments forever, but if you make a big move, it's a little different. I got aggressive with my bidding. That's the way I was taught.”

Mandella Strikes for Mitole Filly

Trainer Gary Mandella struck early in the Fasig-Tipton California Yearlings Sale Tuesday when going to $190,000 to acquire a filly by champion sprinter Mitole (hip 58) on behalf of owner Tom Nichols.

“She looks fast and she looks early,” Mandella said of the yearling's appeal. “Tom Nichols has a lot of faith in buying at this sale. We've always had something that can last when we've come here. And this one looks as good as anything we've gotten here. We are happy to take this one home.”

Bred and consigned by Richard Barton Thoroughbreds, the dark bay filly is out of Whim (More Than Ready) and from the family of stakes winner Saratoga Humor and multiple graded winner Heart Stealer. Barton purchased the 10-year-old mare, with the filly in utero, for $40,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale.

Mandella had a few other yearlings on his short list, but admitted his shopping might be over after the six-figure purchase.

“I think we spent the budget,” he said. “We were hoping to get that one for a bit less and try for a few a bit later, to be honest, but I liked that one and we went ahead and used up the budget.”

Repole in Action on the West Coast

Mike Repole, a major buyer at the Keeneland September sale, took his buying spree to the West Coast when purchasing a filly by Kantharos (hip 180) for $115,000 Tuesday in Pomona.

“I thought she was a nice filly,” said trainer Michael McCarthy, who signed the ticket on behalf of Repole. “She caught my eye earlier in the week. She looked fast.”

Consigned by Barton Thoroughbreds, the yearling is out of multiple stakes-placed Imperial Pippin (Empire Maker), who is a daughter of graded winner Apple of Kent (Kris S.). She was bred by Richard Barton Enterprises, which purchased Imperial Pippin with the filly in utero, for $16,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale.

Repole, in partnership with St. Elias Stables, was the leading buyer at the Keeneland September sale with 31 yearlings purchased for $12,840,000. On his own, Repole was the auction's fourth-leading buyer with 27 head purchased for $7,940,000.

“He is a guy with a vision,” McCarthy said. “And he thought it was a great idea to take advantage of the state-bred program.”

Sir Prancealot Filly to Mathis and Jawl

A filly by Sir Prancealot (Ire) (hip 143) will be heading to the Golden Gate Fields barn of trainer Andy Mathis after selling for $100,000 Tuesday at the Fasig-Tipton California Sale. The gray yearling is out of Do Dat Blues (Lydgate) and is a half-sister to stakes winner Mo See Cal (Uncle Mo). She was bred by Rozamund Barclay, Sydnee Brown and Dena Murdock and was consigned by McCarthy Bloodstock.

“She impressed me when I saw her,” Mathis, who was bidding on behalf of owner Michael Jawl, said. “She's the right size with a really nice walk. She seemed really smart. From the first time I saw her to when she was in the ring, she never flinched. And we like the Cal-bred angle.”

Of plans for the filly, Mathis laughed and said, “Win some stakes–we better for $100,000. She looks the part and hopefully she runs the part.”

A few hips later, Mathis signed the ticket at $75,000 to acquire a filly by Smiling Tiger (hip 150) on behalf of Robert D. Bone.

Mathis, who has been training  since 2001, is coming off a bang-up Del Mar meeting where he had 12 wins from 41 starts.

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‘Rising Star’ Happy Medium to Make Stakes Debut in Rescheduled Toboggan

Streaking 'TDN Rising Star' Happy Medium (Runhappy) will make his stakes debut against four rivals in Saturday's GIII Toboggan S. at Aqueduct.

The 4-year-old Jay Em Ess Stable colorbearer has won three straight in impressive fashion, including an optional claimer by seven lengths with a 104 Beyer Speed Figure at the Big A last time Dec. 18.

The seven-furlong Toboggan was pushed back a week after last Saturday's snow storm.

“He's a very nice horse and we just have taken the logical steps to go along with him. We've gone from his maiden, a-other-than and two-other-than,” trainer Michelle Nevin said. “This step is the next logical one, so we're excited to see him run.”

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Trainer Nevin ‘Pleased’ With Happy Medium’s 2021 Performances

Jay Em Ess Stable's Happy Medium equaled his career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure when he coasted home the seven-length winner of a non-winners of two optional claimer going 6 ½ furlongs Sunday at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

A 3-year-old son of Runhappy, Happy Medium has gone 3-for-4 this year, his only loss coming in his debut where he finished third going seven furlongs at Aqueduct in March.

Michelle Nevin, who trains the Kentucky-bred gelding, said that she was pleased with Happy Medium's effort.

“He's doing all the right things,” said Nevin. “We're very happy with him and we are taking each logical step as he's gone along and he's really shown up.”

Happy Medium earned his first 103 Beyer with a 9 ¼ length maiden special weight winner at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., in his second start. He followed with a five-length victory over a sloppy and sealed main track at Aqueduct on November 13.

Nevin said Happy Medium's effort Saturday was the best of his career.

“Yesterday, he looked more in control of the race every step of the way,” Nevin said. “When he broke his maiden, he did it easily but it maybe didn't look as impressive as yesterday.”

Nevin said she is content to take her time with Happy Medium, who finished the 6 ½ furlongs in a final time of 1:15.88, 1.53 seconds off the track record of 1:14.35.

“We'll just get past this and get past this, get back to training, and see how we are and then we'll make our decisions down the road a little bit,” Nevin said. “We're going to have to see how he comes out of this race. It was a huge effort, so I'm not in a rush to pick a spot. Once I feel like he's back on his feet again, we'll see what's available to us.”

Nevin also provided an update on multiple stakes winner My Boy Tate and stakes winner Our Last Buck, who finished second and third, respectively, in the Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series on December 5.

My Boy Tate, whose last win came in the Leon Reed Memorial at Finger Lakes Racetrack in Farmington, N.Y., two starts back, worked a half-mile in :49.55 Sunday morning over Belmont Park's dirt training track.

Nevin said the 7-year-old gelding could be headed to the $100,000 Say Florida Sandy – slated for January 8 at the Big A – for a fourth time after winning the seven-furlong sprint for state-breds in 2018 and finishing off the board the last two years.

“He's doing good,” Nevin said. “We're happy with how he's been. I think there's a spot for him in January, so we'll see.”

Our Last Buck also worked Sunday, completing his half-mile drill over Belmont's training track in :51.89. Nevin said she will bide her time and let the 7-year-old gelding let her know what the next move will be for him.

“He's going great, too,” said Nevin. “We aren't in any rush and we'll see what becomes available for him.”

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