“We have had a lot of interest,” Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's sales director Paget Bennett said ahead of Tuesday's sale. “We have a bunch of weanlings by Kentucky sires and that always piques everybody's interest. And some of our covering sires are flavors that everybody is after. So I think we have enough of what it takes to get people to come to the sale.”

Bennet continued, “You never know what you have until you see who is walking around the sales grounds and the people you want to see on the sales grounds at a mixed sale are here.”

This will be the fifth year the December auction will offer horses of racing age, but the section really took off when it was dominated by the dispersal of Joseph Besecker in 2019. Besecker's race horse offerings also topped the December sale in 2020 and 2021. The prolific owner will offer 25 racehorses through the Northview Stallion Station consignment Tuesday.

“[Besecker] kind of gave the racehorse section the shot in the arm that it needed,” Bennett said. “So between Besecker and [Three Diamonds Farm's] Kirk Wycoff and his son adding horses this year, I think people realize there is a spot to sell here at the end of the of the year–if they don't go south and turf racing just stopped at Laurel a week or so ago. The horses still have some conditions on them, so people can buy them and go right on, if that's what they choose to do.”

Fasig-Tipton continued to add horses with current form to the catalogue in the week before the auction as Besecker's Bazinga C (Exaggerator), who finished third in the Safely Kept S. at Laurel Nov. 26 was added to the line-up last Thursday.

“From what I'm hearing, everybody is needing racehorses,” Bennett said. “They can go south with them. And we've had people from California inquiring about horses. Our representative out there called me to say people were desperate for horses out there.”

The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic season opened in May with a record-setting 2-Year-Olds in Training sale and graduates of the Timonium sale ring continue to find success on the racetrack.

“It's been a pretty exciting year,” Bennett said. “The 2-year-old sale was amazing. And the yearling grads have done really well. It's nice to see when a horse jumps up and does something big and you say where did he come from, and it came from Midlantic. It speaks a lot and we are very proud of our accomplishments and look forward to having more.”

Fasig-Tipton Midlantic will be hosting a second 2-year-old sale in 2023, with the inaugural June sale slated for June 28. The under-tack show for the auction is scheduled for June 26. With the absence of the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale on the 2023 calendar, the June sale will give sellers another opportunity to work their horses over a dirt track and in an area with strong regional racing programs.

“We turn so many horses away for the May sale and the number of horses we turn away is a sale in itself,” Bennett said. “People had inquired whether we would have a second sale last year. We weren't able to make it happen last year, but it was something we wanted to put on the calendar for 2023 and it just worked out. I think it will be a win-win for a lot of people. If you don't make May, you can make later June. Or for horses that are broken and trained up here, they don't have to feel like they are behind the eight ball with winter weather. With all the racing options around here, with Colonial Downs, with Delaware and the Delaware-certified program and the Pennsylvania-breds and sired stakes that they just created this year and ran for the first time, there is just a lot of interest. The venues are making it interesting and appealing to buy horses to run in these areas.”

The post Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Caps Big Year with December Sale Tuesday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Bolstered by a well-received horses of racing age addendum, the sale saw significant gains in overall gross and a 100 percent increase in median over last year's edition.

Two-year-old racing prospect Safalow's Mission sold for $130,000 to Linda Rice, agent for Thelma & Louise Stable, to top the sale as a part of the increasingly popular horses of racing age addendum. The gelded son of Mission Impazible was consigned as Hip 267 by Northview Stallion Station, agent for Joseph Besecker.

New York-bred Safalow's Mission is twice placed on the NYRA circuit in two starts this year at two with earnings of $22,400 to date. The gelding is a half-brother to stakes placed My Roxy Girl out of a full sister to multiple stakes winner Citizen.

Money Fromheaven, a 5-year-old stakes winning daughter of Munnings, sold for $120,000 to Stoneriggs Farm to become the second highest-price offering of the sale and the addendum. Consigned as Hip 238 by Greenmount Farm, agent, Money Fromheaven won the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship Stakes at two and won or placed 13 times in her career to date on her way to earnings of $249,311. The Maryland-bred mare is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Rocky Policy from the immediate family of champions Sweet Mint and Invincible Ash.

This year's Maryland Million Nursery Stakes winner Buff Hello sold for $95,000 to Euro Stable as the third most-expensive horse in the addendum. Northview Stallion Station, agent for Joseph Besecker, consigned the 2-year-old son of Buffum as Hip 333.

Besecker originally purchased the Pennsylvania-bred colt at last year's Midlantic Fall Yearlings sale for $26,000, also from the consignment of Northview Stallion Station. To date, Buff Hello has won two of five career starts and earned $96,675. The colt is a full-brother to stakes placed winner Latin Spice and hails from the immediate family of champion and successful sire Langfuhr.

Dad's Princess, carrying a foal from the second crop of Omaha Beach, sold for $100,000 to Bonita Farm, agent, to top the main catalog offerings. Becky Davis, agent, consigned the 9-year-old graded stakes placed daughter of Mineshaft as Hip 83.

Dad's Princess is already the dam of a current 2-year-old winner in her first foal I Am Yours (Quality Road). The mare is a half-sister to stakes winner Prince Rooney out of a winning daughter of champion and millionaire Princess Rooney.

The sale's top weanling came in the form of Ella Speed, a filly from the first crop of champion Vino Rosso, which sold for $50,000 to Brookstone Farm. Offered as Hip 189 by Sally Thomas, agent, Ella Speed is the first foal out of the winning Candy Ride mare Dearest Ella, a daughter of multiple Grade 2 winner Ellafitz. From the immediate family of champion Lord Avie and Grade 1 winner Stephen Got Even, Ella Speed was bred in New York by Classic Bloodstock, Mike Reilly Jr., & Colleen Smith.

Overall, 261 horses sold for $3,905,100, a 66.5 percent increase over last year's gross sales of $2,345,000 for 182 head. The average rose 16.1 percent to $14,962 from $12,888 in 2020. The median doubled to $10,000, and the RNA rate fell slightly to 21.4 percent.

Full results are available online.

The post Horses Of Racing Age Star At Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December Sale appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Last year's topper was $195,000 racing or broodmare prospect Fly On Angel (Palace Malice), winner of the GIII Charles Town Oaks earlier that term. She was purchased by Cypress Creek LLC and consigned by Northview Stallion Station, agent for Joseph Besecker (Reduction of Racing Stock). A Besecker-owned horse of racing age offering also topped the 2019 auction, and the Pennsylvania-based owner's holdings figure to feature prominently in this year's results as well.

A total of 97 horses, mostly racing prospects but also broodmares, weanlings and a yearling, are consigned by Northview on Besecker's behalf.

The 2020 sale, which was consolidated with the Saratoga Fall Sale due to the pandemic, saw a total of 182 horses change hands for gross receipts of $2,345,600 at an average of $12,888 and median of $5,000.

Visit fasigtipton.com for more.

The post Fasig Midlantic Mixed Sale Tuesday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The Lewis and $100,000 Smart Halo for 2-year-old fillies, both sprinting six furlongs, are joined on the Nov. 13 program by the $100,000 Thirty Eight Go Go for fillies and mares 3 and up going 1 1/16 miles, which is part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

Cheyenne Stables' Cooke Creek is 2-0 for Laurel-based trainer Jeremiah O'Dwyer. The son of 2010 champion juvenile male Uncle Mo earned both his victories at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del., including the one-mile Rocky Run Oct. 16 over Affable Monarch and No Sabe Nada, also Lewis nominees.

David Raim's Run to Daylight, by 2015 champion sprinter Runhappy, has won each of his three starts at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in Charlestown, W. Va., for trainer Jeff Runco, with back-to-back stakes triumphs in the 4 ½-furlong Henry Murcer Memorial Sept. 18 and 6 ½-furlong West Virginia Vincent Moscarelli Memorial Breeders' Classic Oct. 9.

Joseph Besecker's Buff Hello, from the barn of Maryland's four-time leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, rolled to a front-running two-length score in the six-furlong Nursery Oct. 23 at Laurel, his second win from five career starts. Coastal Mission, Local Motive, Shady Munni, Mr. Mox, and Timonium Juvenile winner Cynergy's Star respectively ran second through sixth and are also nominated, though Mr. Mox is entered Nov. 4 at Laurel.

Other Lewis nominees include Oct. 11 Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile winner Longshadow; Sept. 25 First State Dash winner No Sabe Nada; stakes-placed Amidships, Practical Coach, Slaats, and Wow Whata Summer; and last out winners Barber Road, Beast Or Famine, Captain Chazz, Defend, Kenner, Radical Right, Tops the Chart, Trust Daddy, and Uncle Irish.

Bird Mobberley's Buff My Boots, half-length winner of the Maryland Million Lassie Oct. 23 at Laurel, is prominent among 25 nominees to the Smart Halo. The Buffum filly owns three wins from five starts for Laurel-based trainer John Salzman Jr. Sparkle Sprinkle and Luna Belle, respectively third and fourth in the Lassie, are also nominated.

Other nominees include James McIngvale homebred Runup, a winner of two straight including the one-mile Sorority Sept. 6 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., before finishing ninth in the Oct. 8 Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.; stakes-placed Advocate Harbor, Morning Matcha, and Whiteknuckleflyer; and last out winners Beneath the Stars, Buy the Best, Click to Confirm, Disco Ebo, Intrepid Daydream, Louella Street, Preparefortakeoff, and Trade Secret.

Chilean Group 2 winner Cheetara and Grade 1-placed Off Topic are among 21 nominees to the Thirty Eight Go Go. Stud Los Leones' Cheetara won the Haras de Chile Marcel Zarour Atanacio (G2) last December and exits a Keeneland allowance victory Oct. 24. D Hatman Thoroughbreds' Off Topic was third in the Grade 2 Gazelle and Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks as a 3-year-old in 2019 for previous trainer Todd Pletcher. Now with Phil Schoenthal, she made her comeback off an 11-month layoff Sept. 18 at Laurel.

Multiple stakes winners Artful Splatter, Kiss the Girl, and Mrs. Orb; and stakes winners Ask Bailey, Josie, Malibu Beauty, Miss Leslie, Trolley Ride, and Sweet Willemina, who has reeled off six straight wins since being claimed by trainer Scott Lake June 17, are also nominated.

The post Cooke Creek, Buff Hello Lead List of James F. Lewis III Nominees appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Joseph Besecker's Buff Hello ($13) broke running from his inside draw and never looked back, sprinting clear to a two-length triumph in Saturday's $100,000 Maryland Million Nursery at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.

The Nursery for 2-year-olds and Lassie for 2-year-old fillies, each contested at six furlongs, were among eight stakes and four starter stakes on the 36th Jim McKay Maryland Million program, 'Maryland's Day at the Races' celebrating the progeny of stallions standing in the state.

It was the sixth career Maryland Million win for trainer Claudio Gonzalez and second of the day for 18-year-old jockey Charlie Marquez, who also captured the Turf Starter Handicap to kick off the Maryland Million program. The winning time for the Nursery was 1:10.51 over a fast main track.

“It was not an easy race, especially with the [post] position we had today. The [rail] position is really hard, especially with [14] horses and a lot of horses that have speed,” Gonzalez said. “The good thing about Charlie is, he listens. He warmed up the horse really good, he broke and rushed up and took the lead, and he did the right thing. He stayed on the rail and he won the race.”

A maiden special weight winner July 31 at historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., where he also led from start to finish, Buff Hello entered the Nursery off a sixth-place finish in the one-mile Sapling Sept. 5 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J. Marquez wasted no time getting the Buffum colt involved, hustling to the front and posting fractions of :22.12 and :45.21 with Hickory Tree winner Local Motive and narrow 7-2 favorite Mr. Mox alternating in second.

Buff Hello remained in command as the field straightened for home and was set down for a drive by Marquez, opening up after going five furlongs in :57.62. Coastal Mission came with a run on the far outside to edge Local Motive by a neck for second, with Buff Hello's stablemate, Shady Munni, another 2 ½ lengths back in fourth.

“He had the blinkers on and I know, watching the replays, he kind of looked like a little lazy of a lazy horse, so we warmed him up good. I sent him out of there and he's the kind of horse you have to keep on going the whole way. He really dug in deep today,” Marquez said. “I got headed at the top of the stretch but I knew that I had a lot of horse, and coming to the wire was a great feeling.”

Buff Hello was purchased for $26,000 as a yearling last fall at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Md. He was making his Laurel debut after racing twice each at Monmouth and Pimlico, where he was beaten a neck in a July 11 maiden special weight by Mr. Mox.

“I was really confident with both my horses in here. [Shady Munni got] bumped really hard in the gate and that's why he finished fourth. But, doesn't happen maybe he's there, too,” Gonzalez said. “Buff Hello, all the time he showed he had talent, that's why I gave him a chance in the stake at Monmouth. That day we didn't get lucky, but today he proved he had talent.”

The post Buff Hello Wins Maryland Million Nursery At Laurel appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

“It was unbelievable,” Midlantic Sales Director Paget Bennett said at the close of business Monday. “The activity in the barn area over the weekend was strong and all of the people you want to see at a 2-year-old sale were here. So we just hoped that everything would line up. And then this morning, the people just kept coming and coming. The pavilion was full of folks and the infield was full of cars.”

For the session, 170 head sold for $15,826,500. The average was $93,097–ahead of the record figure of $90,104 set in 2019–and the median was $45,000.

During last year's pandemic-delayed sale, 152 head sold during the auction's first session for a total of $12,632,500. The average was $83,109 and the median was $40,000.

“The consignors were here with top horses and people reconized that and they battled for them and it made for a great day,” Bennett said.

Of the 284 catalogued juveniles, 210 went through the ring. With 40 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 19%.

For Bennett, Monday's results were a continuation of the demand for horses at all levels at last month's OBS Spring sale.

“From what I was hearing at OBS, people were just excited to be back for sales and wanting to buy horses,” Bennett said. “I heard so many people didn't get their orders filled in Ocala. We are the next stop and here we are. We are thilled we had a great catalogue to give them and the horses matched up.”

The Midlantic sale continues with a final session beginning at 11 a.m. Tuesday.

“We are certainly going to give it our best,” Bennett said when asked if the hot results would continue Tuesday. “I certainly hope so. From what I am hearing, we have a lot of really nice horses tomorrow, so we will hope for the same result. If we can keep on today's pace, I am thinking it will be another great day.”

A 'Proper Horse' For West Point

West Point Thoroughbreds' Terry Finley knew he'd have to dig deep to secure a handsome colt by Quality Road (hip 211) and, armed with the backing of a new partner, he saw off a determined Amr Zedan to secure the juvenile for $1.5 million Monday in Timonium. The colt, who worked a furlong in a co-bullet :10 flat last week, was consigned by Eddie Woods on behalf of Jon Clay's Alpha Delta Stables. He will be trained by Dallas Stewart.

“I talked to Eddie and he said this was a proper horse,” Finley said after signing the ticket on the youngster. “These Irish guys, when they throw that term out, that's a pretty good indication. They'll say, 'He's a nice horse.' But when they push it to the next level and talk about him being a proper horse, I take notice. And the fact that he's a big strong horse that worked in :10 flat (see below), you take a look at him and he's not supposed to work that fast, but he did it the right way.”

Of West Point's partner on the million-dollar baby, Finley said, “We have a brand new guy who took 50% of him. He's a West Pointer who is a little bit older than I am. He hasn't had a lot of success in the business and he called me a couple of days after the Kentucky Derby and he said, 'I want to compete in the big races.' So I told him I would give him my best effort. That's what we did.”

While Medina Spirit (Protonico)'s high-profile positive test following his GI Kentucky Derby victory two weeks ago tumbled the sport into turmoil, Finley said he believes the newly passed Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act will help to reassure and attract new investors.

“The last week has been turbulent, but up until then, I think people were really starting to look at the Horse Racing Integrity Act as something that in a short period of time is really going to help our business,” Finley said. “I just ask everyone in the horse business to get behind it because I think it will attract people and investors. I think it will present all of us a level playing field. I've always been a big fan of the Horse Racing Integrity Act, but especially now. I think we all need to get behind it and try to push it across the line.”

Finley did his bidding standing at the back of the pavilion. Just a few rows up, Medina Spirit's owner Amr Zedan was sitting with advisors Gary Young and Charlie Boden, as well as lawyer Clark Brewster. Zedan would ultimately bow out of the bidding and Finley said the difference was the bidding power inherent in partnerships.

“This is our 30th year, so we've been doing this a long time and you can't be intimidated when you walk onto a sales ground,” Finley said of the bidding war. “If you do, you're going to get intimidated very quickly. Because there is a lot of money. But I think that's the power of the partnership–the ability to make some calls and tell people, 'Look I have a very good prospect. I think he could be a special horse. And I'd love for you to take a part of him.' And I think this is one of those horses.”

For his part Woods, who also consigned the day's second-highest priced juvenile, was asked to define his 'proper horse' observation.

“A proper horse is a horse who has all the attributes of being a very good horse, both mentally and physically,” Woods said. “The way they move and the way they handle themselves. When you saw this horse up here in the back ring, he'd walk beside you without a shank on him. He's been like that since he came to us. Every time we worked him, we wished they were all like that.”

Clay purchased the juvenile's unraced dam Stormy Welcome (Storm Cat) for $600,000 as a 9-year-old at the 2015 Keeneland November sale. The mare, who is also the dam of stakes-placed Welcoming (Tapit), is a half-sister to Guest House (Ghostzapper), the dam of graded winner Guest Suite (Quality Road). The colt's third dam is Weekend Surprise (Secretariat), dam of A.P. Indy and Summer Squall.

Alpha Delta traditionally offers most of his foal crop at the yearling sales, but the decision was made to give this colt more time to mature last fall.

“This horse was very backward as a yearling and they weren't happy with the way he was coming into the sale, so they scratched him,” Woods said. “Then when they were giving him time, they said give him a lot of time. We discussed it and decided we'd go to the Timonium sale. He was always pointed for Timonium and it was a great plan because it came together.”

Of the colt's monster bullet work, Woods added, “I was nervous because I expected him to work really, really good. And it doesn't always happen, as you well know. But he nailed it and he galloped out fantastic. When I came back and watched the video, I couldn't believe it. He's the best video I've had on a horse in five or six years. I couldn't stop watching it. He just nailed it. And that's why he brought what he brought.”

Malibu Moon Colt Heads West

A colt by Malibu Moon (hip 164), who worked the furlong in a co-bullet :10 flat during last week's under-tack preview, will be joining the Southern California barn of trainer Simon Callaghan after selling for $700,000 to bloodstock agents Alex Elliott and Ben McElroy. The two agents were bidding on behalf of a partnership.

“He was the horse we really honed in on,” Elliott said. “It's an old line, but when they tick all the boxes and jump through all the hoops, you know they are good horses. He looks like he can take us all the way.”

Hip 164 is a son of the unraced Seeking Atlantis (Seeking the Gold) and is a half-brother to graded placed Seeking Her Glory (Giant's Causeway). His second dam is multiple graded winner Atlantic Ocean (Stormy Atlantic).

“For a big horse on a tight track like this, he was so smooth and he had a great gallop out,” Elliott said. “He's a very hard horse to fault. He was an absolute king in the back ring. We are both delighted to get him. Ben and I work together here and in Europe, so it's good to hook up with him and get a horse that we wanted.”

Bred by Castleton Lyons and Kilboy Estate, the colt was consigned by Eddie Woods on behalf of Bill Harrigan's Miacomet Farm, which purchased him privately after he RNA'd for $135,000 at Keeneland last year.

“He was a beautiful colt,” Harrigan said of the colt's appeal last year. “I liked everything about him then. I was surprised that he RNA'd and the next day I bought him. But that horse has an exceptional demeanor. He has a tremendous stride and he's very athletic and smooth.”

Asked if he was surprised by the big colt's bullet work, Harrigan said, “Not really. We don't ask them to go that fast at Payson Park, but he had shown us that he was very talented.”

Classic Empire Filly Draws a Crowd

Bloodstock agent Jacob West got the best of a bidding war to acquire a New York-bred filly from the first crop of champion Classic Empire (hip 72) for $550,000 on behalf of Robert and Lawana Low Monday in Timonium. The bay filly, who worked an eighth of a mile last week in :10 1/5, was consigned by Sequel Bloodstock on behalf of breeders Chester and Mary Broman. Out of Newbie (Bernardini), she is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Newly Minted (Central Banker).

“She's a nice filly who breezed well on this track here,” West said. “This filly breezed incredibly quick here and she galloped out big. She did it on the racetrack that's not the easiest to do that on. The New York-bred status was just an added bonus. She could have been foaled on the moon and we would have bought her. She is a beautiful filly. She'll go to Todd [Pletcher] and we'll keep our fingers crossed.”

The Lows have been among the many owners who have had success with Bernardini as a broodmare sire. The couple campaign GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S. winner Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) and Friday's GIII Allaire DuPont Distaff winner Spice is Nice (Curlin).

“We have had luck buying out of Bernardini mares,” West said. “We have two graded stakes winners this year.”

Hip 72 is the highest-priced juvenile so far for Classic Empire, who won the 2016 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and returned in 2017 to win the GI Arkansas Derby and finish second in the GI Preakness S. The Coolmore stallion was represented by a $450,000 colt at OBS April and a pair of $410,000 juveniles.

“He was an incredible racehorse himself, so it should be no surprise that he is getting good-looking stock,” West said. “And now we see them on the track at the 2-year-old sales. It's not a surprise that they are fitting the bill of what we are looking for. It's not very often you are champion 2-year-old and come back and win a big graded stakes at three like that. [Trainer] Mark Casse was always very high on him. You have a lot of confidence when you can buy one like that.”

Sequel Bloodstock's Becky Thomas has plenty of experience with the filly's family.

“We're incredibly happy with that result,” Thomas said. “We are happy with the trainer and the buyers. I have trained for Mr. Broman for a long time and been part of his program. I trained the mother and I have the family. This filly was beautiful and fast and smart.”

Broman, a major player in the New York breeding industry for decades, began aggressively selling three years ago as part of what he called, “estate planning.” The planning included the $2-million OBS March topper Chestertown (Tapit) in 2019.

“Mr. Broman started doing his estate planning very aggressively a couple of years ago,” Thomas said. “He's kind of relaxed a bit. He is enjoying participating in the New York program and participating in breeding. Even though he may race a horse or two, he's trying to keep the numbers to where it makes a little better sense for him. We will have some horses to sell for him as yearlings and some as 2-year-olds. I think he is enjoying a different kind of action. And he will continue to race, too.”

Rosenblum Secures Munnings Colt

Sheila Rosenblum, bidding alongside bloodstock agent Kerri Radcliffe, secured a colt by Munnings (hip 260) for $460,000 late in Monday's first session of the Midlantic sale. Out of Tweet (Medaglia d'Oro), the dark bay worked a co-bullet furlong in :10 flat. He was consigned by Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables. Dunne purchased the colt for $55,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“We had our eye on him from the day he breezed,” Radcliffe said. “After he breezed, they couldn't pull him up. And Munnings is flying right now.”

Rosenblum said the colt would be trained by Steve Asmussen.

“He was at the top of our list,” Rosenblum said before adding with a laugh, “There was a Quality Road that was quite nice, too, but my financial brains took over.”

Asked if she was done shopping, Rosenblum said, “We don't know yet.”

Besecker Stays Busy at Fasig Midlantic

Prolific owner Joe Besecker, who was busy on both sides of the ledger early during Monday's first session of the Midlantic sale, capped a blitzkrieg buying spree with the $425,000 purchase of a son of Gormley (hip 56).

“When I saw this horse yesterday, I was there for about 45 minutes, and it's a very bad thing to fall in a horse, but I fell in love with this horse,” Besecker said. “Luckily, I will have some partners on him. This is way above my pay grade. I usually stay in the middle range. But I have a couple of partners and we decided we wanted to get one–ONE–expensive horse.”

The chestnut colt, from the first crop of GI Santa Anita Derby winner Gormley, is out of Mott N Hester (Super Saver) and is a half-brother to stakes placed Nicky Scissors (Mission Impazible). He breezed a furlong last week in :10 1/5 for consignor Robert Brewer. Ronnie Edmondson purchased the chestnut for $140,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. He had sold for $77,000 at the Keeneland January sale.

“We vetted him twice, we had two or three vets on him,” Besecker said. “He's a late foal and he looks like a 3-year-old. I thought personally–I don't care what any of these other horses sell for–I will tell you in the last three years going to Kentucky, going to Florida, to my eye and I'm not really good at it, but to my eye that was the best looking horse I've seen in three years.”

Asked who would train the youngster, Besecker said, “I just had four of my trainers come up to me. We have to talk about it.”

Hip 56 was the ninth purchase of the young sale for Besecker. He paid $67,000 for a colt by Not This Time (hip 2) and $60,000 for a filly by Holy Boss (hip 55). He also sold a filly by Goldencents (hip 7)–purchased for $15,000 at last year's Fasig Midlantic October Sale–for $110,000 to bloodstock agent Larry Zap.

“I'm done for a little bit,” Besecker said. “We had that run and I sold one earlier today for a lot more than I thought I would. So I have to add it all up. I've blown my budget, so I need to see if I want to partner on one or two of these others.”

“A little bit,” didn't last all that long, as Besecker returned later in the session to secure an additional four juveniles. He ultimately signed for 13 head for a total of $859,000 and an average of $66,077.

Keen Purchase for Venosa

Steve Venosa may be buying more yearlings in the name of his young son Dylan in the future after scoring a second big pinhooking score of the spring with a colt purchased last fall in the name of Big D Stables. Venosa purchased a colt from the first crop of GI Travers S. winner Keen Ice (hip 171) for $57,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October sale and sold the juvenile Monday in Timonium for $225,000 to the bid of Gervais Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds.

“I bought him out of the October sale,” Venosa said of the colt. “He was selling up at the tents, and I wasn't specifically looking for that sire, but I saw him in a group of horses and he really stood out.”

The chestnut colt is out of Sheisinitttowinit (Student Council) and Venosa admitted the pedigree had him momentarily hesitating last fall.

“I opened my catalogue and cocked my head a little bit and turned the page a couple times,” Venosa said. “And then I closed the book and said, 'You know what, I like the horse.' We had left the sale and we were in the car coming back from the airport and I said, one more bid.”

Of the colt's progress as a 2-year-old, Venosa said, “He's a big horse, but he's very light on his feet and very athletic for a horse that size. He is still kind of filling out in the right way. That's why we held him back for the later sale.”

Dylan Venosa's 2021 pinhooking successes also include a colt by Valiant Minister who sold for $350,000 following a bullet :20 3/5 work at the OBS Spring Sale. The colt had been a $40,000 purchase at last year's OBS October sale.

“He's had a great year,” Venosa said of his son's success. “I think when I go back, I'm going to have to hit him up for a loan.”

Asked if the profits would be going into a college fund, Venosa quipped, “College fund? He might be able to buy a college after the year he's had.”

Gun Runner Colt a Score for Pike

Champion Gun Runner is off to a flyer with his first crop to hit the racetrack, already represented by a pair of winners, and consignor Al Pike capitalized on the stallion's quick start when selling a colt (hip 160) for $225,000 to Kim Valerio, agent for DJ Stables, Monday in Timonium. Pike had purchased the youngster for $45,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October sale.

“He was a Gun Runner with a lot of family,” Pike said of the colt's appeal last fall. “Tom Hamm from Three Chimneys contacted me when I was in the back ring and explained to me he was a foal share, which piqued my interest. So I went up there to see what he would sell for and I was fortunate enough to buy him.”

The Midlantic sale wasn't originally in the cards for the colt, who is out of Secret Jewel (Bernardini), a half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf winner Shared Account, the dam of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Sharing (Speightstown).

“I bought him with the intention of taking him to Texas,” Pike said. “I thought he'd be a really nice horse to take to Texas and maybe top the sale there. But then we got to training him and we liked him enough to think we could bring him up here to be competitive here. And he showed up and did his job, so we were very happy.”

The colt worked a furlong in :10 2/5 during last week's under-tack preview. Since his purchase last year, his half-sister Twenty Carat (Into Mischief) won the Apr. 2 GIII Beaumont S.

“On the racetrack, he thinks he is Godzilla,” Pike said. “The farther he goes, the better he gets. And I think that's what attracted a lot of people to him. He just looked like he could keep going and going. I think he has a bright future.”

Of Gun Runner's early success, Pike added, “I think we all didn't know what to think about them, but they've come out running and everyone seems to be very excited about them. And he had a timely update, so that helped a lot, too.”

The post Midlantic Sale Opens With a Bang appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Tuesday's auction saw 182 horses change hands for revenues of $2,345,600, down 46 percent from last year's sale, when 249 horses sold for $4,383,700. The average sale price fell 27 percent to $12,888 from $17,605, and the median declined 38 percent to $5,000 from $8,000. The buyback rate finished at 23 percent, compared with 18 percent in 2019.

Cypress Creek LLC purchased Tuesday's sale-topper, Fly On Angel, a Palace Malice filly who achieved a career highlight earlier this year when she won the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks.

The 3-year-old has won four of 11 starts, earning $226,660 for owner Joseph Besecker and trainer Claudio Gonzalez.

As a 2-year-old, Fly On Angel won on debut at Parx Racing, then finished second in the Parx Juvenile Fillies Stakes two starts later. Her 3-year-old campaign featured an allowance optional claiming victory prior to her Charles Town Oaks score.

Bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall and Haymarket Farm, Fly On Angel is out of the stakes-placed Posse mare Runge, whose four foals to race are all winners. Multiple Grade 1 winner Videogenic is in her extended family.

Northview Stallion Station consigned Fly On Angel, as agent for Besecker.

The auction's most expensive weanling, and the second-most expensive overall offering of the day, was a New York-bred Laoban colt who sold to Machmer Hall for $150,000.

The bay colt is out of the placed Stonesider mare Dixie Gem, whose first foal to race is a placed runner. His page features Grade 2 winner Thunder Achiever and Grade 3 winners Pure Gossip and Street Game.

Vinery Sales consigned the colt, as agent.

To view the auction's full results, click here.

The post Grade 3 Winner Fly On Angel Tops Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December Sale appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

“I had followed this horse for a while after Clovis Crane consigned her and he had tried to get me to buy her as a baby, but I just wasn’t a Palace Malice fan,” Besecker recalled. “When she ran and she was doing well, I claimed her because I kind of always regretted not getting her. [Trainer] Claudio [Gonzalez] did a tremendous job with her.”

Fly On Angel’s next start following the claim was the Charles Town Oaks where she was a front-running half-length winner.

“My mom died Aug. 4 and we had a memorial service the night of the Charles Town Oaks,” Besecker said. “I was with Clovis and he said, ‘We have three minutes to post.’ I had almost forgotten with everything that was going on, but I think my mom got her across the line. She went the fastest quarter and half in Charles Town history. She was flying like an angel. It was pretty emotional. And tonight was emotional, too. But I had to put a business mind to it and I think her value could not have been too much higher. We might have reduced her value a little bit with her last race where she had some issues.”

Following her win at Charles Town, Fly On Angel finished sixth in the Oct. 3 GIII Miss Preakness S. and was most recently seventh in the Nov. 28 Safely Kept S. She is out of the stakes-placed mare Runge (Posse).

In all, 182 horses sold in Timonium Tuesday for a total of $2,345,600. The average was $12,888 and the median was $5,000. With 55 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 23.2%.

Besecker’s dispersal of the majority of his stock dominated last year’s Midlantic December sale, with the auction’s top three lots, led by the $450,000 Laddie Liam (Golden Lad), all from the dispersal. Through the Northview Stallion Station consignment, Besecker sold 17 horses Tuesday for $475,000. The prolific Pennsylvania-based owner also signed for four lots during the auction.

“Just like a lot of sales lately, there were ebbs and flows,” Besecker said of the market at the Midlantic sale. “Early on, I think I bought a couple because they were just giving them away. Then it got a little strong and then there were some things that peppered it up. And then when it got to some of the racing horses, they went for much better than I would have thought. So there were peaks and valleys and I tried to take advantage of the valleys”

A weanling colt by hot freshman sire Laoban brought the second highest price of Tuesday’s auction when bringing a final bid of $150,000 from Carrie Brogden of Machmer Hall. Bred in New York by Team Millennium Stable and consigned by Vinery Sales, the bay colt (hip 182) is out of Dixie Gem (Stonesider).

“He’s a proper horse by a proper stallion, the only thing he doesn’t have is a proper pedigree,” Brogden said of the colt who was purchased as a pinhooking prospect. “He’s out of a young mare, but once again that’s the type of mare that Laoban has been making it on. He’s a registered New York-bred who vetted well.”

Of the weanling’s final price tag, Brogden added, “I told my mom and my husband I was going to be at $120,000, and of course that ended up becoming $150,000. But he’s special.”

Laoban (Uncle Mo), who will relocate to WinStar Farm in Kentucky for the 2021 breeding season after beginning his stallion career at Sequel New York, has already been represented by Grade I winner Simply Ravishing and graded winner Keepmeinmind.

“They are all correct. He is throwing correct Uncle Mos,” Brogden said of offspring of the stallion. “And obviously they are running and they are running no matter who the mare is. That is an attribute of a superstar sire. I think you are witnessing the same thing happening with Constitution, too.”

Brogden saw Laoban for the first time last week and she was impressed with what she saw.

“I thought this weanling was as good-looking as his father,” she said. “I just saw his father for the first time last week. If I had realized how good-looking he was, I would have booked mares to him. I unfortunately missed the boat there, but I did buy pieces of three yearlings by him to go to the 2-year-old sales.”

Brogden said she had seen a solid middle market at the Midlantic sale.

“I think that, overall, there was more strength in the middle market at this sale–the $20,000 to $30,000 horses,” she said. “There was a Sharp Azteca filly [hip 139 sold for $28,000 to Wazuzu Racing] who was beautiful, but she had three blank dams. I felt like there were more buyers for that type of horse.”

The Maryland auction house is advantageously located at the juxtaposition of several racing jurisdictions and Brogden agreed the geography could help the sale attract a stronger middle-market buying bench.

“I think you have a lot of trainers and a lot of people who support their own state-bred programs,” Brogden said. “A Virginia-bred or a New York-bred or a Maryland-bred. I saw Jeff Runco bought a really nice West Virginia-bred [hip 148, a filly by Gormley who sold for $30,000], well he is keyed into that program. These horses all have their own market.”

The post Fly On Angel Tops Midlantic Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

After 2-year-olds, horses of racing age and selected yearlings sold Tuesday, Wednesday’s open session saw 256 yearlings bring a combined $2,859,400 at an average of $11,170 (down 11.1% year over year) and median of $8,000 (unchanged). The RNA rate was 21.5% compared to 24.6% 12 months ago.

Bred in Kentucky by Dan and Valencia Leach and consigned by Lisa McGreevy’s Abbie Road Farm, Agent II, session-topping hip 632 is out of the winning mare Bosserette (Street Boss), who was herself a $155,000 OBSAPR grad in 2013. Bosserette is half to SW Meditations (Out of Place) and a full to MSP Butch Walker and from the family of graded winners Lindon Lime and Regal Thunder.

Danzing Candy was trained to 2017 wins in the GIII Lone Star Park H. and GII San Carlos S. by close Lanni associate Bob Baffert. The Rancho San Miguel resident’s previous priciest yearling was $42,000 (a half-brother to Swiss Skydiver {Daredevil} RNA’d for $145,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase).

Besecker Goes Back to the Well…
While Pennsylvania-based owner Joseph Besecker had dispersed much of his stock last year, he has remained involved in the sport on a smaller scale, and went to $62,000 Wednesday to reacquire an Exaggerator filly (hip 615) who he had co-bred and sold as a weanling. The dark bay was purchased by consignor Sandi Dorr’s Sennebec South Farm for $37,000 the 2019 Keeneland November sale.

Hip 615 is the second foal out of stakes-placed Bazinga B (Lion Hearted), who Besecker claimed for $13,000 in 2016.

“She was part of my dispersal,” Besecker confirmed of the Pennsylvania-bred, who was a foal share with the Exaggerator Syndicate. “[Dorr] did a phenomenal job with the horse. We have the Uncle Lino [2-year-old half-sister named Bazinga Babe] ready to race, who we’re very high on; and we have the Hoppertunity [foal colt] who looks like one of the nicest-looking babies I’ve seen in a long time… There were five live people on this horse–I didn’t bid until late. She went for more than I would have thought, but knowing what we know [I thought she was worth it].”

Besecker said Bazinga Babe is in training with Tim Kreiser at Penn National, and noted that he and Kreiser won with a firster on Wednesday at Parx who has been less impressive in the mornings than hip 615’s half-sister. An Exaggerator filly herself, Expurgated–a $40,000 OBSAPR acquisition–aired by 8 1/4 lengths in a $25,000 maiden claimer.

“I was at many, many, many more horses [before the dispersal],” Besecker said when asked of his decision to continue owning horses after seeming like he was getting out of the business. “All the reasons I said I got out were the reasons I got out, and I’m still frustrated with some things–especially during COVID. But, now, I’m applying a new business concept.”

Besecker noted that of the six 2-year-old in training purchases he made this spring, three have won, two have finished second and one has finished third.

The post Danzing Candy Colt on Top at OBS appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Wicked Whisper closed to within a half-length at the wire to finish second, a nose ahead of Princess Cadey in third, with Ankle Monitor fourth and 7-5 favorite Tonalist's Shape – who had to check sharply along the rail in the stretch – finishing fifth in the field of nine 3-year-old fillies.

Trained by Claudio Gonzalez, the winner is a daughter of Palace Malice out of Runge, by Posse, bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall and Haymarket Farm. She covered seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:26.15 (after setting quick fractions of :22.81, :46.25 and 1:11.89 around the six-furlong oval) and paid $20.20 as a 9-1 outsider.

The victory was the fourth in nine starts and first in a black-type race for Fly On Angel, whose best previous stakes performance came in the Parx Juvenile Fillies last Nov. 4. She was a two-length wire-to-wire winner of the Aug. 10 race from which she was claimed for her former trainer, Guadalupe Preciado. Her previous owner, Nicholas Cammarano, purchased Fly On Angel for $23,000 at Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic Sale of 2-year-olds in training.

“We're really happy. All the fillies ran good,” said Gonzalez, who also sent out the third- and fourth-place finishers. “You don't know if they're going to like the track but they all did, especially Fly On Angel.   I was a little worried because it's not easy to go :22 and :46.  You just heard it's a [stakes] record and I was a little worried but when she got into the stretch she got four in front and I said 'come on' and we got lucky she held it.”

Fly On Angel earned $116,400 for the win.

The post Recent Claim Fly On Angel Wires Field In Charles Town Oaks appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post