$400,000 Lemieux Provides Icing on Steady Fasig-Tipton Winter Sale

LEXINGTON, KY-The Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale went through its supplemental catalogue and into its addendum to finally find its top-priced offering when Lemieux (Nyquist) sold to Nice Guys Stable for $400,000 just hips before the auction concluded its two-day run Tuesday in Lexington with steady results.

“We saw a continuation of the marketplace that we experienced yesterday and that we saw in January and we saw in November, October, September and July,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. said at the sale's close Tuesday. “I think it's a very fair marketplace. I think that if you are trying to buy horses, the horses that you want to buy, you generally have to pay more than you wanted to. When you are selling horses, if you've got quality, you are probably getting around what you thought, maybe a little more. But there is no euphoria. If you are trying to sell on the lower end, it's tough. It's been tough the last 10 years. And the reality is that that's the marketplace. But if we had 50 more good ones to lead through in here right now, they'd be lined up in here to bid on them and buy them.”

Through two sessions, 402 head sold for $14,105,200. The average of $35,088 was down 12.3% from last year's figure, while the median of $15,000 was down 6.3%. With 65 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 13.9%. It was 11.5% a year ago.

An initial catalogue of 465 lots was bolstered by a supplemental catalogue of 121 head, to which was added eight additional entries in an addendum. Stakes-winner Lemieux sold seven hips from the end of the auction, with bloodstock agent John Williams making a final bid of $400,000 to acquire the 4-year-old filly on behalf of Nice Guys Stable.

The filly, whose half-sister Brilliant Cut (Speightstown) topped the 2022 Winter Mixed sale, was one of 15 horses to sell for $200,000 or over during the auction. Fourteen hit that mark in 2022.

“If you look at a global, or big picture standpoint, the ability to create liquidity helps every marketplace,” Browning said of the importance of being able to add horses with current form as supplements to a catalogue. “It allows people to turn assets into dollars and then hopefully reinvest those dollars into similar or like kind of assets along the way.”

Lemieux Keeps the Family Tradition Going

Stakes-winner Lemieux (Nyquist) (hip 588), whose half-sister Brilliant Cut (Speightstown) topped the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale, brought the highest price of the 2023 renewal of the auction when selling for $400,000 to the bid of John Williams, acting as agent for Steve Spielman's Nice Guys Stables. The 4-year-old broodmare prospect was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.

“She is a lovely mare and quite a standout in this catalogue,” Williams said. “The man I bought her for is continuing to improve his broodmare band and this is the kind of filly that could do that.”

Racing for D J Stable and trainer Mark Casse, Lemieux won the 2021 Brethren Juvenile Fillies S. She won twice from 10 starts and earned $140,216 before RNA'ing for $300,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale.

Lemieux is out of Polish a Diamond, a half-sister to multiple Grade I winner Diamondrella (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) and multiple Grade I placed Bonnie Blue Flag (Mineshaft), and from the family of Life is Good (Into Mischief). The 8-year-old mare produced a colt by Essential Quality last week.

Lemieux's half-sister, GI La Brea S. runner-up Brilliant Cut (Speightstown), sold for $750,000 to Katsumi Yoshida at last year's Winter Mixed Sale and was bred to Gun Runner in 2022 before being shipped to Japan last fall.

Williams said there was plenty of blue sky in the family.

“There are great possibilities with her dam being young and her half-sister being bred to the likes of Gun Runner,” he said. “Her dam had an Essential Quality just last week and the second dam is still active. And there is a pretty nice sire prospect under there. So she had a lot of things going for her. And she is by Nyquist, who we very much are still a fan of.”

Of the filly's sale-topping price tag, Williams said, “I thought we would have to spend that kind of money. The market says that that's what quality costs. Is she worth that? I'm so old school, I can't get my head around those kind of numbers. But that's the market and you have to adjust to it.”

Established in 2016, the Nice Guys Stables partnership spearheaded by Spielman has already had success on the racetrack, where their first horse, Piedi Bianchi (Overnalyze), took them to the Breeders' Cup in 2017, as well as in the pinhooking arena, where they sold an Arrogate filly for $1 million at the 2021 OBS April sale.

“One of the great things about Nice Guys Stables is that they are both commercial and he races,” Williams said. “So he will do both. And boy do we need those. Because it's about racing.”

Nice Guys Stables had graded success last fall when King Cause (Creative Cause) won the GIII Knickerbocker S. The gelding was sixth in last week's GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational.

“He's got 14 2-year-olds that he's breaking now,” Williams said of Spielman. “He's just a great young guy. And I think Nice Guys Stables has a terrific future if he keeps buying this kind of mare.”

Curlin Blessing Joins Repole Band

Curlin Blessing (Curlin) (hip 545) will be joining the broodmare band of Mike Repole after bloodstock agent Jacob West made a final bid of $230,000 to acquire the 4-year-old daughter of champion Indian Blessing (Indian Charlie).

“She's by a stallion that we've had a lot of luck with and she's out of a champion mare,” West said. “So it was pretty easy. She's by a champion out of a champion. She stood out here to us from a pedigree standpoint and a physical standpoint. Mike is trying to play the high-end breeding game a little bit now. So she was a mare that fit the bill.”

The broodmare prospect, who was consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, was a two-time winner at Turf Paradise while racing for her owner/breeder Patti and Hal Earnhardt. The couple also bred and campaigned Indian Blessing, who was a five-time Grade I winner and was named champion 2-year-old filly in 2007 and champion female sprinter in 2008.

Of potential mating plans for Curlin Blessing, West said, “Eddie Rosen will decide who we will breed her to. My vote is Life is Good–that's what I hope we do. But it's 100% up to Ed. Mike will let Ed make that decision.”

Good Magic Filly Sets Early Pace

A short yearling by Good Magic (hip 350) led early returns during Tuesday's second session of the Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale when bringing a final bid of $225,000 from bloodstock agent Catherine Hudson, acting on behalf of Michael Sucher's Champion Equine. The bay was consigned by Vinery Sales.

“She was a gorgeous, leggy daughter of Good Magic, who has four horses on the Kentucky Derby trail,” Hudson said of the filly's appeal. “She just had a great outlook with a beautiful eye. Everything seemed great and I think there is some improvement in her. She seemed to get better as the days went by at the sales grounds. She showed a lot of class.”

The filly is out of Rich Love (Not For Love) and her half-sister Ruby Nell (Bolt d'Oro) topped last year's Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale when purchased by Spendthrift Farm for $1.2 million. The now 3-year-old debuted with a runner-up effort at Santa Anita Jan. 22.

“She was second with a bad trip,” Hudson said of the half-sister. “And she's breezed back. So we like that, too.”

Bred by Theta Holdings, the yearling RNA'd for $115,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton November sale. Her dam, carrying a full-sibling, sold for $140,000 at that same sale.

“I'm not quite sure what the client wants to do with her at this time, but we will just get her home and figure it out,” Hudson said.

Vinery Sales and Theta Holdings was responsible for another

yearling by Good Magic who sold for six figures Tuesday at Fasig-Tipton. The consignor/breeder duo sold a colt by the champion (hip 355) for $100,000 to Davant Latham. The dark bay had RNA'd for $70,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

Kirkwood Consignment Comes to a Close

South Carolina horseman Kip Elser, who has shifted his focus to public and private bloodstock purchases, evaluations and racing stable management, sent the final three horses through the ring under his Kirkwood consignment banner Tuesday at Fasig-Tipton.

“I feel excited to change leads and roll on down the stretch,” Elser said after watching his final horse go through the ring. “Sure, I will miss consigning. And I love training horses. But I have done it a long time and now it's time to change.”

Tuesday's offerings were bittersweet as two belonged to Elser's longtime friend and client, the late Steve Schwartz.

“It was emotional because Steve was a 25-year friend, client, and partner,” Elser said. “And he was just a wonderful guy. So of course there were some emotions, because were together for a long time.”

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Stakes Winner Lemieux Heads FTK Winter Mixed Supplements

Lemieux (Nyquist), a stakes winner at two, heads a list of 29 supplemental entries to the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale, scheduled for this coming February 6 and 7 in Lexington, Kentucky. Sessions will begin daily at 10 am.

These latest entries, which are catalogued as hips 566-594, include:

Lemieux (Hip 588): A stakes winner at two, she is a half-sister to Grade I stakes-placed Brilliant Cut (Speightstown). She's out of a half-sister to three stakes winners including multiple Grade I winner and international group stakes producer Diamondrella (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}). Her immediate family includes multiple Grade I winner and recent Horse of the Year finalist Life is Good. She is consigned as a broodmare prospect by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Agent.

Miss Auramet (Uncaptured) (Hip 566) : A three-time stakes winner at Tampa Bay Downs, Monmouth, and Gulfstream Park of $632,830, she notched 12 wins from ages two to six. She is consigned as a broodmare prospect by Hidden Brook, Agent.

Flight to Shanghai (Shanghai Bobby) (Hip 586): A stakes-placed mare who is a half-sister to two graded stakes-performing two-year-olds from the family of GI winner Game Face and recent graded stakes winner Turnerloose. Consigned as a racing/broodmare prospect by Blandford Stud, Agent.

Karakatsie (Karakontie {Jpn}) (Hip 591): This five-year-old was a multiple stakes performer at three and four, including a strong third in last fall's GII Goldikova S. at Santa Anita to Grade I winner Going Global (Ire). Her female family traces back to blue-hen producer Courtly Dee. Consigned as a broodmare prospect by Brookdale Sales, Agent.

Wasp (American Pharoah) (Hip 592): Stakes-placed at Saratoga on her way to earnings of $242,380. She hails from the immediate family of Grade I winners Evening Jewel, Denman's Call, General Challenge, and Notable Career. Consigned as a broodmare prospect by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

The supplement also includes mares in foal to Army Mule and Audible, as well as yearlings, horses of racing age, and a racing/stallion prospect.

These entries may now be viewed online and will be available in the equineline sales catalogue app. Print versions of the supplemental catalogue will be available on the sales grounds.

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Gulfstream: Casse-Trained Duo Of Lemieux, Palmach Will Try Turf In Friday’s Wait A While

D. J. Stable LLC's Lemieux and Palmach will both seek to a make successful transition from Tapeta to turf in Friday's $75,000 Wait a While at Gulfstream Park for a Hall of Fame trainer who knows a thing or two about surface switches.

Trained by Mark Casse, Lemieux and Palmach will both try to duplicate their recent respective dazzling front-running victories over Gulfstream's newly installed Tapeta course in the Wait a While, a mile turf stakes for 2-year-old fillies that will co-headline Friday's opening day of the 2021-2022 Championship Meet with the $75,000 Pulpit, a mile turf event for 2-year-olds.

Lemieux is the more seasoned and accomplished of the two fillies, but the daughter of Nyquist is scheduled to make her turf debut in her sixth career start.

“I think she can do a little bit of anything. She is by Nyquist out of a The Factor mare – that's turf. Even the way she moves, I felt like she would like turf,” Casse said. “Her last start was on Tapeta, which she didn't mind either. I think she'll like the grass.”

Lemieux finished second in her first two career starts behind next-out winners before breaking through to graduate at Saratoga in an Aug. 21 off-the-turf maiden special weight race. The daughter of 2016 Florida Derby (G1) and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Nyquist finished far back on the Churchill Downs' main track in the Pocahontas (G3) but rebounded with a dominating 6 ½-length front-running victory in a Gulfstream optional claiming allowance on Tapeta last time out.

“That was what I expected from her all along. I always felt she was on the A-Team from the beginning,” Casse said. “She ran well. She did break her maiden at Saratoga. Obviously, the race at Churchill was disappointing, but she rebounded in her last race and has trained well up to this race.”

Palmach came up short to finish fifth in his Sept. 10 career debut on Gulfstream's turf but graduated on the Tapeta course next time out with a front-running four-length romp.

“We were disappointed in her first start, but she came back and ran so much better. She's always trained well and showed a lot of ability,” Casse said. “I think she'll probably like turf too.”

Both Lemieux and Palmach likely would have run on turf instead of Tapeta last time out, but Casse was more than happy to have the all-weather surface as a viable alterative while the turf course was undergoing renovation during the Fall Meet.

“I think, unfortunately, early on Tapeta was misrepresented and misunderstood. That's unfortunate because, to me, it's superior to any other surface,” said Casse, who has dominated the trainer standings for many years at Woodbine, where the main track is an all-weather surface. “I've said all along that horses weren't bred to run on dirt. They were bred to run on the grass. Especially, here in the U.S., we can only run so many grass races because our grasses can't hold up. Tapeta is the closest thing to grass.”

Edwin Gonzalez, who rode both fillies in their recent victories, will ride Lemieux, while Emisael Jaramillo has the call on Palmach.

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Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Sister Lou Ann, who finished second in her off-the-turf debut at Gulfstream Sept 24, enters the Wait a While off a front-running 7 ½-length score at a mile and 70 yards on Tapeta in her second career start Oct. 20.

“We tried to get her on the turf, but it rained off. We gave her a shot. The number was slow, but she got second. We ran her on Tapeta, which was the closest thing to turf at the moment, and I thought she won convincingly,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “We're hoping that when we get her on the turf, she'll do equally as good or better.”

Edgard Zayas has the return mount aboard the homebred daughter of Frosted.

Monarch Stables Inc.'s Last Leaf, a stakes winner over the Gulfstream turf course, enters the Wait a While off a third-place finish after dueling for the early lead in an optional claiming allowance on Tapeta. In her previous start and turf debut, the Ron Spatz-trained daughter of Not This Time pressed the pace before winning by a neck in the $75,000 Hollywood Beach, beating the boys at five-furlongs on turf.

Miguel Vasquez has the return mount aboard the Kentucky-bred filly, who has also won twice on dirt at Gulfstream.

Stuart Janney III's Gun Boat and Moyglare Stud Farm Ltd.'s Lia Marina are both slated to make their stakes debuts in the Wait a While while coming off maiden-breaking victories in New York.

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey will be represented by Gun Boat, a homebred daughter of War Front who broke through to graduate in her third career start in a six-furlong sprint on turf at Aqueduct Nov. 11. Julien Leparoux is scheduled to ride the Kentucky-bred filly for the first time Friday.

Trainer Christophe Clement-trained Lia Marina is coming off a hard-fought six-furlong maiden score on turf at Belmont Park in her second career start. Tyler Gaffalione has been named to ride the daughter of Uncle Mo for the first time in the Wait a While.

Qatar Racing's Sunstrike, an Irish-bred daughter of Dark Angel, is scheduled to make her U.S. debut in the Wait a While. The Brendan Walsh-trained filly won one of six starts in England. Paco Lopez has the call.

Average Joe Racing Stables' Myfavoritedaughter and DeLuca and Sons Stable's High Arabian round out the field.

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Lemieux Commanding In Brethren Juvenile Fillies Victory At Gulfstream

D J Stable's Lemieux, a 2-year-old daughter of 2016 Grade 1 Florida Derby and Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, broke alertly from the gate, turned back some early pressure, and opened up through the stretch to earn her first stakes victory Saturday's $60,000 Brethren Juvenile Fillies at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Ridden by Edwin Gonzalez for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, even-money favorite Lemieux ($4.20) ran one mile and 70 yards in 1:43.16 over the Tapeta. It was Gonzalez's ninth win over Gulfstream's newly installed all-weather surface, five of them coming for Casse.

Bred in Florida and sold for $100,000 as a yearling last fall at Keeneland, Lemieux was making her fifth career start and first since finishing off the board in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Pocahontas Sept. 18 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. She had run first or second in her prior three runs, including a four-length maiden special weight triumph Aug. 18 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Lemieux established command right from the gate and coasted through a quarter-mile in :24.06, chased by Brittiz and jockey Edgard Zayas. Brittiz turned up the pressure on the turn, drawing alongside the leader following a half in :48.28, but began to drop back as Lemieux approached the stretch in front and steadily drew clear to win by 6 ½ lengths.

Casse-trained stablemate Fish Mooney made a late run to get second over Brittiz, followed by Runaway Breeze, Yes I'm Spiteful, Straight to Go, and Science Fiction.

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