“It was pretty special,” consignor Tom McCrocklin said of the bullet quarter-mile work. “I have one disability that keeps me knowing that one will go that fast and that is that I don't clock my horses at any point. But I did know that she could really run. She's been doing extremely well for the last month, getting better and better. So she obviously peaked at the right time and put in a stellar performance.”

The bay filly is out of stakes-placed Moonlight Sky (Sky Mesa), a half-sister to champion Abel Tasman (Quality Road) and a full to graded winner Sky Girl. Moonlight Sky is also the dam of graded-placed Urban (Quality Road).

McCrocklin purchased the juvenile for $170,000 on behalf of Jim Tilton at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“She looked like an athlete, looked like a runner,” McCrocklin said of the filly's appeal last fall. “She's got pedigree as well. She is a half to a black-type filly and has Abel Tasman in the second dam. So there is a lot of quality there. For a first year stallion, it's a little bit of a gamble, but he was a very high-quality racehorse and she was a beautiful physical horse. She brought a lot of money as a yearling and, right now, I feel good about the purchase.”

Tiz the Law, winner of the GI Belmont S. and GI Runhappy Travers S. in the COVID-delayed 2020 season, has 12 juveniles expected to breeze at OBS this week.

“This filly has a lot of Tiz the Law in her,” McCrocklin said. “She is a strong, stout filly. There is nothing feminine about her. She's easily mistaken for a colt. She's real quiet. I checked in on her first thing this morning and she's in there sleeping like it's just another day at the office.”

The :20 1/5 mark was most recently set by a filly by Win Win Win, who went on to top the OBS March sale when selling for $1.8 million to Zedan Racing.

A Trio of Bullet Workers for Vekoma

Of the 17 juveniles to work the furlong in :9 4/5 Tuesday, three were by Spendthrift Farm's first-crop sire Vekoma. Leading off that trio was a filly out of stakes-placed Our Jenny B (Tale of the Cat) (hip 435) who was the second horse to work Tuesday morning. She is consigned by Grassroots Training & Sales, which purchased her for $60,000 in Louisiana last fall.

Just a few hips later, a colt by Vekoma out of Newbie (Bernardini) (hip 411) also turned in a :9 4/5 work. Consigned by Sequel Bloodstock, as agent for Chester and Mary Broman, he is a half-brother to graded winner Classy Edition (Classic Empire) and to multiple stakes winner Newly Minted (Central Banker).

A filly by Vekoma (hip 479) completed the stallion's three bullet workers midway through the session's second hour. She is consigned by Mayberry Farm on behalf of Nice Guys Stables, which purchased her for $130,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“She's always been a lovely, honest filly,” Summer Mayberry said of the juvenile. “We were expecting that she would work very well. She tries every single time. She's got a great disposition. She just makes our job look easy.”

Out of Pray for Leslie (Bernardini), the filly is a half-sister to last year's GI Darley Alcibiades third-place finisher Alys Beach (Omaha Beach).

“She is an average-sized filly with a very racy body,” Mayberry said. “She has beautiful confirmation. She's got all the parts that you look for.”

Of the first-crop Vekoma juveniles that she has seen, Mayberry said, “We have three still at the farm. They all seem like they are pretty nice horses. They have great dispositions, good conformation. Just very nice racehorses.”

Steve Spielman's Nice Guys partnership has already enjoyed seven-figure success at OBS, having sold a daughter of Arrogate for $1 million to Katsumi Yoshida at the 2021 Spring sale. The operation has four fillies still to work this week at OBS with Mayberry Farm.

Twice as Nice

Both Grassroots Training & Sales and Sequel Bloodstock doubled up on bullet workers Tuesday. Grassroots sent out a colt by Improbable (hip 517) to hit that mark, while Sequel sent out a New York-bred son of Game Winner (hip 487), also for the Bromans.

First-crop sire Game Winner had a second bullet worker Tuesday with hip 389, a son of the 2018 champion 2-year-old champion consigned by Julie Davies.

Eddie Woods had a pair of bullet workers Tuesday: hip 454 is a daughter of Practical Joke; and hip 460 is a filly from the first crop of Thousand Words.

Thousand Words had his second bullet of the session when hip 506, a filly by the Spendthrift stallion, worked in :9 4/5 for Britton Peak. Thousand Words has already had his first winner on the racetrack after The Queens M G's victory at Keeneland Sunday.

Also sharing the :9 4/5 bullet Tuesday: hip 372, a filly by St Patrick's Day consigned by Sweet River Thoroughbreds; hip 392, a filly by Khozan consigned by Shanbally Acres; hip 407, a colt by Bernardini consigned by Envision Equine; hip 448, a filly by Mendelssohn consigned by Paul Sharp; hip 477, a colt by Oscar Performance consigned by Wavertree Stables; hip 489, a filly by Mendelssohn consigned by Randy Miles; hip 502, a colt by Global Campaign consigned by Top Line Sales; and hip 511, a filly by Ride On Curlin consigned by Blue River Bloodstock.

The under-tack show continues through Saturday with sessions beginning daily at 8 a.m. The OBS Spring sale will be held next Tuesday through Friday. Bidding commences each day at 10:30 a.m.

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Ready to fire as an 8-1 shot on the morning-line, the bay was bred by Dixiana and is the first foal out of GSP Brielle's Appeal (English Channel). Unraced second dam Court of Appeal (Deputy Minister) is responsible for MGSW/MGISP Authenticity (Quiet American), who produced GI Arkansas Derby and GI Runhappy Malibu S. victor Charlatan (Spieghtstown). TJCIS PPS

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“It was another solid day,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “Today the numbers were up over the similar session last year and we are trending very closely to last year's overall numbers, which is pretty remarkable considering how the sale took another huge leap last year. It is very encouraging to be in the same neighborhood. It's a healthy marketplace in terms of people wanting to own horses, but they demand quality.”

Jessie Longoria made the session's highest bid when going to $725,000 to acquire a colt by Justify on behalf of Zane Kiehne and Grier Brunson, the same clients for whom he purchased a $500,000 son of Bernardini during Tuesday's session.

The session-topping yearling was consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, which also consigned the day's second highest priced offering, a $500,000 son of Practical Joke, and the co-third highest priced lot, a $460,000 son of Curlin.

Jesse Longoria | Fasig-Tipton

“We had some more fire power today,” Browning said. “The top end is very strong, reflecting the strong demand for the top offerings. There were some very nice physicals that matched up with the pedigrees. There was lots of competition to the very end. The back walking ring had tons of people in it when the last horse went through the ring. We are encouraged through three-quarters of the sale and we look forward to tomorrow.”

The Fasig-Tipton October sale concludes with a final session Thursday with bidding beginning at 10 a.m.

Justify Colt to Kiehne and Brunson

Jessie Longoria, who purchased the first Thoroughbred for Zane Kiehne and Grier Brunson Tuesday, doubled the new stable's roster when going to $725,000 to acquire a colt by Justify (hip 1023) from the Hunter Valley Farm consignment Wednesday at Fasig-Tipton. A day earlier, Longoria had signed the ticket at $500,000 for a colt by Bernardini.

“We had our eye on this horse from the time we got here,” Longoria said. “We were debating about this one or the other one. So they said, 'Get them both.' So they are happy. They are going to have a good time with them.”

Hip 1023, the Justify topper | Fasig-Tipton

The chestnut colt is out of Palace Princess (Hard Spun), who is a daughter of graded-placed Arienza (Giant's Causeway) and a granddaughter of champion Azeri (Jade Hunter).

“For one thing, he's by Justify,” Longoria said of the colt's appeal. “That was the main thing. And then he's just an athletic-looking horse that I think they are going to enjoy. It looks like he will have a lot of speed, plus the pedigree. He's just a nice individual.”

After making his two session-topping bids, Longoria was back to shopping for his pinhooking partnerships Wednesday.

“There is not much difference,” he said when comparing between shopping for his new deep-pocketed clients and for the pinhook ventures. “We want the same horses. They just want the higher-end horses. I am just trying to give them the best odds. If they are willing to spend the money and get a nice colt with pedigree, better for them. Unfortunately, for the pinhooking, that's way out of my league. And it's awfully risky to buy that kind of horse to try to flip over. Any little thing can happen.”

Of the market for the pinhooking prospects, Longoria said, “It's a little tough. But it's like every sale. Everything is tough. The good ones rise to the top and the other ones we fight over. And try to make do with what we've got.”

Lynch, Durtschi Score with Justify Colt

Andre Lynch and Pat Durtschi purchased Palace Princess (Hard Spun) for $80,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton February sale and put the granddaughter of champion Azeri (Jade Hunter) in foal to Justify. The resulting colt sold for $180,000 at the 2022 Keeneland January sale and then resold for $220,000 at that year's Keeneland September sale. The mare's second foal, another colt by the Triple Crown winner (hip 1023), proved even more popular in the sales ring, selling for $725,000 to Jessie Longoria Wednesday at Fasig-Tipton.

Andre Lynch and Pat Durtschi | Fasig-Tipton

“She looked terrible,” Lynch said with a laugh of the mare's appearance at the 20202 auction. “She had mange all over her, but she was beautiful underneath. She was a great walker, correct. We bid against John Sikura from $20,000 to $80,000, but we still wanted her.”

Of the sale-topping colt, Lynch said, “The plan was always to bring him here because he was a late foal. He was an early May foal and we didn't enter him in September. He was just entered for October.”

Lynch, who previously served as stallion nominations manager at Coolmore, said he was a big fan of the farm's Triple Crown-winning stallion, Justify.

“This is the best stallion in America at the moment,” Lynch, celebrating the result with Pat and Brittany Durtschi back at the Hunter Valley sale barn, said. “It's fantastic. And I thank Coolmore for letting us breed the mare to him.”

The 7-year-old Palace Princess, one of just two mares Lynch and Durtschi own together, is back in foal to Munnings.

“Hopefully, we can breed her back to Justify again,” Lynch said.

Practical Joke to Eurton

A colt by Practical Joke (hip 1194) will be joining the barn of trainer Peter Eurton after bloodstock agent Phil Hager signed the ticket at $500,000 to secure the yearling on behalf of an undisclosed West Coast client. Hager signed the ticket in the name of Mayberry Farm.

“I thought he was a standout of the sale,” Hager said. “He was just a really nice physical by a good, proven stallion.”

Hip 1194 | Fasig-Tipton

The yearling was consigned by Hunter Valley Farm on behalf of breeder Robert Hibbert, II. He is out of Runninwiththewind (Medaglia d'Oro), who is out of the A.P. Indy mare Brilliant Disguise. Jayne Johnson, who raised the yearling on her farm in Shelbyville, purchased Runninwiththewind on behalf of Hibbert for $115,000 at the 2019 Keeneland January sale.

“That will never happen again,” Hibbert said after watching the colt sell late in Wednesday's session. “You just have to get lucky every now and again.”

Hibbert, who has been in the breeding industry for three decades and currently has just three broodmares, was celebrating his highest sale result.

“I've been in the business long enough to only have three mares,” Hibbert said with a laugh.

Asked about the mare's appeal in 2019, Hibbert said, “The Medaglia d'Oro with A.P. Indy on the bottom. And she was affordable.”

The mare's first foal, a filly by Speightstown, sold for $160,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton October sale. She also produced a colt by Munnings who sold for $130,000 as a weanling at the 2021 Keeneland November sale.

“I was thinking $150,000 to $200,000, perhaps,” Hibbert said of expectations for the yearling Wednesday.

Johnson, asked if she expected the yearling to bring that kind of price, admitted, “No. But I am always hopeful. But I did not expect it. Because I've been in the business long enough.”

Runninwiththewind has a weanling colt by Justify and she may return to that stallion next spring.

Curlin Colt Kick Starts Wednesday Session

A colt by Curlin, who is a half-brother to GI Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) (hip 809), got Wednesday's third session of the Fasig-Tipton October sale off to a quick start when selling for $460,000. Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni signed the ticket on behalf of Frank Fletcher. Ramiro Restrepo was underbidder on the chestnut.

Hip 809 | Fasig-Tipton

The yearling, who was bred by SF Bloodstock and the Curlin Syndicate, was consigned by Hunter Valley Farm. A partnership led by Hunter Valley's Adrian Regan purchased the colt for $225,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

“The likes of Donato and Ramiro appreciated the age of the horse and how much improvement there is to come,” said Regan. “He has a very late foaling date [May 23]. I signed the ticket last year as Long Run Stable because I was thinking at the time it might take until October. And this sale is a very good sale for horses that need a bit of time.”

Regan continued, “I think it's the most I ever had in a pinhook anyway. It's a syndicate that bought him last year–Mark Dwyer and Willie Browne, John Wade, Barry Claughessy, and myself. Mark and Willie were calling me for updates and I kept saying, 'He's coming, he's coming, he's definitely coming.' In mid-August when I came back from Saratoga, we decided to give him another six weeks. And since mid-September, he really started to thrive. The staff on the farm has really done an amazing job with this colt. Fergus [Galvin] and I loved him. We lunged him and he was so light on his feet and he has a super temperament. I am hope he goes on to do what his brother did.”

Lanni Doubles Up on Curlins

Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, who began the session buying a colt by Curlin (hip 809) for $460,000 on behalf of Frank Fletcher, came back to acquire a filly by the sire (hip 943) for that same price on behalf of Michael Lund Petersen midway through the day Wednesday at Fasig-Tipton.

Donato Lanni | Fasig-Tipton

“I bought them for two amazing clients,” Lanni said. “And what can you say about Curlin? The career he has had as a stallion is unbelievable. It makes the decision easier when you find one that's by him and looks like a runner. It gives you the confidence that you want to buy the horse.”

Hip 943 is out of graded-placed Munchkin Money (Freud), a half-sister to stakes winner Here Comes Rita (Raffie's Majesty) and from the family of Letgomyecho, the dam of champion Echo Zulu and GISW Echo Town.

The yearling, consigned by Denali Stud, was bred by T & G Farm of Kentucky, which purchased the mare in foal to American Pharoah for $220,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale.

“There are a lot of horses here and you've got to get through them all,” Lanni said of the October sale. “This filly, the first time I saw her was this morning. We were so busy doing the other barns. And this was the last barn we saw this morning.”

Medaglia d'Oro Filly Heads West

A filly by Medaglia d'Oro (hip 822) will be joining Lee and Susan Searing's C R K Stable after April Mayberry signed the ticket at $380,000 to secure the yearling Wednesday in Lexington. Bred by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds and Godolphin and consigned by Paramount Sales, the dark bay is out of stakes winner Magical (Tapit). The mare is a daughter of graded winner Magical Feeling (Empire Maker) and is a full-sister to multiple stakes winner Exulting and a half to stakes winner Occult (Into Mischief), who was third in this summer's GI Acorn S. and GI Cotillion S.

April Mayberry | Fasig-Tipton

“She's lovely,” Mayberry said. “I really liked her. She looks like she has a little speed, which I like for a Medaglia d'Oro and she's just put together really well. She's a late foal, so I think she has a lot of good things to do moving forward. She will go to the races on the West Coast. She will probably go to John Shirreffs.”

Of the four-day auction with a catalogue of some 1,600 yearlings, Mayberry said, “I love this sale. It's a sale that you just have to work at it. They are there. And I like that. It's a lot of ground to cover, but you can find them.”

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The bay filly is out fo SP Appeal to the Win (Successful Appeal), who is a half-sib to MSW Cool Cowboy (Kodiak Kowboy) and the dams of GII Bourbon S. hero Mutasaabeq (Into Mischief) and GI Whitney H. champ White Abarrio (Race Day). Under Just for Fun's third dam, we find the dam of MGSW Pee Wee Reese (Tribal Rule).

Also making her debut is Lahar Blockade (Uncle Mo) for trainer Phi D'Amato. The bay filly went for $450,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale to Joey Platts and Volcanic Racing. TJCIS PPS

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LEXINGTON, KY – The Keeneland September Yearling Sale's first Book 2 session continued right on from where the auction's elite Book 1 section concluded, producing strong results largely in line with last year's record-setting renewal.

During Wednesday's session, 209 yearlings sold for $64,024,000. The session average of $306,335 and the median was $255,000. During last year's Book 2 opener, 219 head grossed $66,695,000 for an average of $304,543 and a median of $250,000. With 83 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 28.42%. It was 26.01% a year ago.

“We've got to be very happy with the way the day turned out, obviously, being on par with last year's figure,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “Early in the day it was a little slower, but it picked up and charged on very strongly right to the end. It was great to see the active trade. Buyers are finding it very competitive. It bodes well for tomorrow.”

Wednesday's opening session of Book 2 produced an additional five million-dollar yearlings, led by a $1.2-million son of McKinzie who is a half-brother to GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage. The yearling, purchased for Lee and Susan Searing's CRK Stables, was consigned by Runnymede Farm, which also consigned the day's second highest-priced offering, a colt by Gun Runner who sold for $1.15 million to Repole Stable and Spendthrift Partners. Through three sessions, 28 yearlings have sold for seven figures. Thirty yearlings reached that threshold at the entire 2022 auction.

Thirty-nine horses that brought $500,000 or more Wednesday, while 29 horses reached that mark a year ago.

“That's a significant increase,” Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said of that comparison. “And we are up half-a-million ahead of the gross this year compared to a record sale last year. RNAs are just a touch higher than we would want and we are cognizant of that, but the activity is all there. The median and average are just a couple percent higher than they were last year, so it's an extremely good sale. The soft spot is just probably in the buy-back rate and we would like to see that come down. But it's a competitive market and people have good horses that they are willing to protect.”

While the top of the market remains strong, demand underneath those elite offerings remains a major question mark as the Keeneland sale moves into its later books.

“The market has been very strong,” Spendthrift's Ned Toffey said. “The big question is, how long does this hold up? Obviously, you're starting to see a little bit of a tail-off [Wednesday], but it's still strong. When we get into Books 3 and 4, down to the real meat and potatoes, those numbers are very important. They'll say a lot about the market moving forward. But it's been strong so far, beginning in [Fasig-Tipton] July and to a greater degree Saratoga. Fasig put together a great catalog, and now Keeneland with Book 1, which was very strong. But it'll be interesting to see what happens later on in this sale.”

Book 2 concludes with a Thursday session beginning at 11 a.m. Following a dark day Friday, the Keeneland September sale continues through Sept. 23 with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

Kiddos always welcome! #KeeSept pic.twitter.com/ykOC8aqy18

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) September 14, 2023

McKinzie Half to Mage Brings $1.2 Million

A colt by McKinzie, who is a half-brother to GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) (hip 669), attracted a final bid of $1.2 million from Dottie Ingordo on behalf of Lee and Susan Searing's CRK Stable. Ingordo, sitting alongside April Mayberry, signed for the colt in the name of Mayberry Farm.

“He's a very athletic colt and we would like to have a nice colt,” Ingordo said. “And obviously, there's a fabulous pedigree, and a young mare, so it has a lot of positives. And you always want one with a lot of presence, and he has that.”

The yearling was consigned by Runnymede Farm on behalf of his breeder, Grandview Equine. He is out of stakes winner and graded placed 'TDN Rising Star' Puca (Big Brown), who is a half-sister to Grade I winner Finnegans Wake (Powerscourt {GB}).

Grandview Equine, a partnership led by Robert Clay which also includes Everett Dobson and the Roth family of LNJ Foxwoods, purchased Puca for $475,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November sale. The group sold Mage for $235,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September sale and he re-sold for $290,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale. His 2-year-old full-brother, Dornoch, sold for $325,000 at Keeneland last September and was most recently runner-up in the Sapling S. at Monmouth Park Aug. 26 after finishing second on Saratoga debut July 29.

“We didn't know what to expect,” Clay admitted after watching the mare's yearling colt sell Wednesday. “We knew he was going to sell well, but we didn't know how far they would go. We had a couple of really interested parties. We are thrilled with that result.”

Puca herself has an upcoming date with the Keeneland sales ring.

“She is in the sale in November,” Clay said of the 11-year-old mare who is carrying a full-sibling to the Derby winner. “We kept the filly, but she is in the sale. She's never going to be worth more than she is right now, so we are going to try to take some chips off the table and see if we can do it again.”

Grandview retained Mage's half-sister Gunning (Gun Runner), who RNA'd for $70,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September sale and is now twice stakes-placed.

Grandview was selling its first yearling at the Keeneland sale Wednesday, but the group purchased three colts, going to $1.1 million for a colt by Into Mischief (hip 18); $1 million for a son of Curlin out of Songbird (hip 325); and $400,000 for a son of Nyquist (hip 35).

“It's hard to buy,” Clay said of the market. “This was the only one we sold, so it was a good sale.”

Hip 669 completed a trio of seven-figure sales for Runnymede Farm, which sold a $2-million son of Uncle Mo (hip 154) Tuesday and a Gun Runner colt (hip 614) for $1.15 million earlier in Wednesday's session.

“The sense of gratitude is just tremendous,” said Brutus Clay. “We feel so blessed to have the team we have–all the grooms, assistant managers. For me, we have this land that has been in the family, so I can't take credit for that. To be a good steward of that is incredible.”

Sold! A McKinzie colt out of Puca, the dam of Kentucky Derby winner Mage, commands $1.2 million in the ring! @runnymedefarmky consigned, Mayberry Farm purchased.

Look for Puca, selling at Keeneland November with @caseclay1 #KeeSept pic.twitter.com/4RGzlP6uaZ

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) September 13, 2023

Repole, Spendthrift Team for Gun Runner Colt

The partnership of Mike Repole and Spendthrift Partners made its biggest purchase of the Keeneland September sale so far when going to $1.15 million to acquire a colt by Gun Runner (hip 614) Wednesday.

“I was bidding on the wrong horse,” Mike Repole quipped when asked what he liked about the chestnut colt who was consigned and co-bred by the Clay family's Runnymede Farm.

Repole smiled before continuing, “In my opinion, he was the best colt of the day. The team liked him. He was the only one that we liked a lot. We thought he would go for a little bit less, like we always do. But I think the right people were on him. Sometimes when you get a couple of the right people on them, you pay a little bit more than you want. But he's a nice horse and we love Gun Runner. We will see.”

The colt is out of Margate Gardens (Speightstown), a full-sister to graded winner Bridgetown.

“He is a perfect mover, very efficient on his feet. He is a very good cross between Gun Runner and Speightstown,” Runnymede's Romaine Malhouitre said. “He has the power of Speightstown and the quality of Gun Runner. He was an early May foal and he was always compact with that beautiful walk. We knew he would come here and show himself quite well, but we didn't expect he would go that high.”

The mare was purchased by Runnymede and Peter Callahan for $240,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November sale.

“The mare is owned in partnership with Peter Callahan who has more than 30 years with the Clay family and Runnymede,” Malhouitre said. “We've been investing in mares quite a bit the last 10 years. For him to be rewarded like this is special.”

Repole teamed with Spendthrift to purchase three yearlings Wednesday. In addition to hip 614, the partners scooped up a pair of colts by Into Mischief: hip 573 for $650,000 and hip 506 for $300,000. Through three sessions, the group has acquired five yearlings for a total of $3.3 million.

“I think it might be cheaper if I buy half of Spendthrift [Farm],” Repole joked. “I have to ask Eric and Tamara [Gustavson] and maybe they'd consider it.”

Spendthrift is already home to Repole runners Vino Rosso and Mo Donegal and the New Yorker hinted that pair of Grade I winners could soon have company.

“I am enjoying being partners with Spendthrift,” Repole said. “They have Vino Rosso on the farm, they have Mo Donegal on the farm and, I don't know, maybe one day they will have one of my good 3-year-olds on their farm.”

On his own account, Repole has now purchased 26 yearlings for $9.8 million. @JessMartiniTDN

A big sale is deserving of a big hug!

$1.15 million for hip 614, a Gun Runner colt out of Margate Garden. It marked the second seven-figure yearling for @runnymedefarmky this week. #KeeSept pic.twitter.com/gcZ4Wleamr

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) September 13, 2023

D.J. Stable 'Zigging When Everyone is Zagging' for a Tapit Filly

The narrative surrounding much of the top-tier yearlings in Keeneland's Book 1 was dominated by a pair of stallions and buying entities and partnerships looking for the Classic-type colt. The tide appeared to start to shift with the onset of Book 2. Well into Wednesday's session, D.J. Stable extended to $1.1 million for Hip 589, a daughter of Tapit. Jon Green, seated in the pavilion alongside his father Len and trainer Mark Casse, signed the ticket on the Gainesway-consigned filly, who ended the session as the top-priced offering of her sex on the day.

“We went out in the rain and actually looked at her and it was just one of those fillies that, when they come out of the barn, you hope that it is the one that you asked for,” said Jon Green. “She had all the right parts in all the right places. I don't get enamored with too many horses…certainly this filly took my breath away. Mark Casse, our trainer, went to go look at her independently from us and we compared notes and there was no doubt that she was the No. 1 filly on both of our lists.”

He continued, “I really have to hand it to my father on this one. This is a filly that we all really liked, and I get nervous spending a lot of money on a horse because they're fragile animals and you don't know how they'll react to training and racing, but he had all the confidence in the world in her. From the word go, whenever we were talking about horses, he would say 'well how does that compare to that Tapit filly'. Obviously, he was very enamored with her. He put his money where his mouth is and we're all very excited.”

The Feb. 19 foal is out of dual graded-stakes winning Lady's Island (Greatness), who was purchased by Gainesway for $310,000 at Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale in 2021. The 9-year-old mare also produced a colt by the Gainesway sire earlier this season. Gainesway also realized a significant score later in the session with Hip 717, a filly by Karakontie (Jpn), who brought $525,000. Her dam, Smart Emma (Smart Strike), was secured by Gainesway for $95,000 at Fasig-Tipton's Winter Mixed sale in 2020.

“I've never seen a horse change as much in the last 90 days,” said Gainesway's Brian Graves of the bay filly. “She just really started shaping up, developing, and growing the right way. All the trainers really loved her. She got vetted a ton. She developed at the right time. It's been one of the best sales we've had in a very long time.”

In a market where many of the big money-driven entities were fighting it out for the same yearlings by the 'now' stallions, Team Green has opted to take a slightly different approach.

“Our program, we can't outspend people,” Green said. “We have to look for trends and zig when they're zagging, so thankfully, we helped set a trend by having an Into Mischief champion [Eclipse Award-winning juvenile filly Wonder Wheel]. But now, everybody is after the Into Mischiefs. You forget that there are really great stallions out there like Tapit, that are now 'under the radar' even almost forgotten about because they're not hot and sexy and new. So, that's why we're leaning more into those kinds of horses. You know earlier on we bid on a Candy Ride and got her, we bought a Quality Road , and these are just great sires for colts and fillies.”

D.J. purchased three additional yearlings at Keeneland: in Book 1, Hip 242 ($300,000, Candy Ride {Arg}); and during Book 2, Hip 463 ($525,000, Quality Road) and Hip 614 ($425,000, War Front

More 'Mischief' to Kick Off Book 2

In an ongoing embarrassment of riches, another colt by Into Mischief realized the first seven-figure sum of the afternoon to launch Book 2. West Point Thoroughbreds' Terry Finley handled the signing duties on behalf of an undefined partnership, that included several of the group's buying partners from earlier in the sale.

“He's really athletic and had a great mind,” said Finley. “I think he has a huge amount of upside.”

Consigned by breeder Clearsky Farms, Hip 521 is out of Grade III winner Ever So Clever (Medaglia d'Oro), a daughter of MSW and MGSP Foxy Danseur (Mr. Greeley), and was hammered down for $1.1 million.

$1.1 million from @westpointtbred for an Ever So Clear colt by Into Mischief! From the Clearsky Farms consignment. #KeeSept pic.twitter.com/dOGkNaMM1n

— Keeneland Sales (@keenelandsales) September 13, 2023

Commenting on the colt's late foaling date, Finley explained, “He is a June 1 foal. My analogy is kind of like he's a kindergarten kid out on the playground with second and third graders. I'd love to see him in a couple of months to compare and contrast.”

On Wednesday, West Point also went to $600,000 for Hip 540, a colt by Tapit who was consigned by Gainesway; and Hip 681, a colt by Gun Runner purchased in partnership with Talla Racing for $675,000.

Asked about the current atmosphere in the sales and racing markets, Finley explained, “Partners are attracted to our game, especially at the top level, it is intriguing to a lot of people,” he said. “Obviously, we are in the partnership business, and our business is to attract new people. I think they see that our industry is trying to get better, and that is very, very important. And the vast majority are trying to get better. I see other partnerships, trainers and agents are getting new people to the game. Our game can't do anything but improve for people that come in and are treated fairly and they have a shot at the big time.” —@CbossTDN

Spendthrift Lends Support to Sire Lineup, Enjoys Dream Run at Keeneland

Headed by kingpin Into Mischief, the yearlings by Spendthrift Farm's stallions offered at this year's Keeneland September sale have been attracting plenty of attention through the first three days of selling. Among the youngster's gaggle of pursuers, Spendthrift has been stepping up to expand its own personal stock, headed by several yearlings by its own sire roster.

“We probably focus a little bit more on our stallions,” said Spendthrift's Ned Toffey. “We like to partner up and we also buy a number of horses with the colt's group. We are willing to partner on other colts and fillies by other stallions.”

He continued, “We don't buy horses by our stallions just for the sake of it. They need to be the kind of physical and meet up to the standards for any horse we would buy. It's a credit to our stallions that we are able to buy a number of them, horses that are meeting those standards.”

After buying six head–alone or in partnership–through Book 1, the operation collected five more on the opening day of Book 2.

Leading the way was Hip 614, a colt by Gun Runner who was purchased in partnership with Repole Stable for $1.15 million  Wednesday.

“We're just looking for pedigree and athleticism,” he said. “We like that residual value, that individual that we'll keep in our broodmare band at the end of the day. And hopefully the colts achieve enough that it'll be something we want in our stud barn.”

Wednesday's acquisitions, however, were largely dominated by yearlings by Spendthrift resident stallions, including the most expensive member of the group, Hip 427, a colt by Omaha Beach, who brought $675,000.

Consigned by Pope McLean's Crestwood Farm, the May 3 foal is out of SP American Queen (Quiet American), making him a half-brother to Honey I'm Good (Shackleford). This represents the family of Grade I winner Classy Cathy.

Freshman sire Omaha Beach enjoyed a recent boost on the racetrack with an impressive Del Mar score by the fleet filly Sandy Bottom at Del Mar Aug. 10.

“He has some really nice athletes,” said Toffey. “He's got horses that are breaking their maidens at the right kind of tracks. He's getting a beautiful animal and they are showing what kind of athletes they are. With his ability and pedigree, he's starting to live up to people's expectations of him.”

In partnership with Repole Stable Wednesday, Spendthrift also secured a pair of colts by Into Mischief (Hip 506 and Hip 573) after haltering a colt by the supersire Tuesday (Hip 314, $600,000).

“This year, he's now up to 15 $1-million plus yearlings,” Toffey said of Spendthrift's marquee sire. “I think his [best quality] is his mental toughness. You probably have to start with ability, but that doesn't mean anything if they don't want to try. His offspring try, they are mentally tough and like to compete and to train. They are blue-collar workers in the elite athlete arena.”

Spendthrift's Book 1 purchases was led by a colt by Not This Time, secured in partnership with BSW/Crow Colts Group for $650,000.

“It's very competitive bidding out there, and partnering up seems to be the trend out there right now, and it spreads the funds out a little bit,” he said. “It's very tough to buy two or three horses and think that you are going to get the kind of results that we're looking for. So you have to give yourself plenty of chances.”

Flying solo, Spendthrift also snapped up a trio of yearlings by Authentic through the first three days–Hip 32 (filly, $300,000); Hip 71 (colt, $250,000) on Day 1 and Hip 706 (colt, $375,000) on Day 3.

“This is one of the most select sales in the world, so for a first-year stallion to get the quality mares is one thing, but they still have to get the type of physical that the buyers are looking for,” he explained.

Setting the bar at Keeneland for the stallion thus far, Authentic was represented by Hip 168, who realized a $900,000 final bid from BC Stables on Day 1.

He said, “Authentic has shown through the sale season so far that he's absolutely doing that. By the number and the sales average that you're seeing. He's getting it done.”

Toffey also remains bullish on resident first-season sire Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}), who has 10 yearlings catalogued at Keeneland this year, and Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile), who will be represented later this sales season.

In Book 1, Vekoma had two sell, headed by Hip 369, who brought $240,000. The Grade I winner's 2023 fee is $15,000, while Thousand Words stands for $5,000.

“We're very excited about Vekoma, he is just a lower price point. You're going to start to see his yearlings come out here now,” he said. “And then later on, at a lower price point, you'll start to see Thousand Words, who is also a first year horse. He's a beautiful animal and was a $1-million yearling himself and he's producing horses that look just like him. The superlatives on the Vekomas have been extraordinary. We expect for those two to sell extremely well. So you should see some really nice example of all of those horses moving forward.”–@CbossTDN

Uncle Mo Colt to Pin Oak

Jim and ana Bernhard's Pin Oak Stud, which has enjoyed top-level success this year with GI TVG.com Haskell S. winner Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}), acquired a colt by Uncle Mo (hip 528) for $1 million Wednesday at Keeneland.

“He's a beautiful Uncle Mo colt,” the Bernhards' advisor Matt Weinmann said. “He had really nice physiology. Uncle Mo is having a pretty incredible sale next to Into Mischief, so we knew he would cost.”

He continued, “Obviously, Book 1 was very, very strong. Probably the strongest Book 1 I've seen in my lifetime anyway. I think you are going to pay when there is a good one. And we are hoping this is a good one.”

The yearling was bred by Andrew Black's Chasemore Farm and was consigned by Hunter Valley Farm. He is out of Flighty Almighty (GB) (Elusive Quality), a half-sister to group winner Boomer (GB) (Kingman {GB}).

“It's fantastic; a great price for the horse, well above our expectations,” said Hunter Valley's Adrian Regan. “He's a lovely colt; very straightforward, very typical of Uncle Mo. I wish them the very best of luck.”

Pin Oak returned later in Wednesday's session to purchase a colt by Tiz the Law (hip 668) for $550,000, a colt by Munnings (hip 643) for $225,000, a colt by Medaglia d'Oro (hip 733) for $175,000, a colt by Hard Spun (hip 738) for $150,000, and a colt by Volatile (hip 757) for $400,000. @JessMartiniTDN

Searings Find a 'Bargain' Into Mischief

After a bevy of $1-million Book 1 yearlings by Into Mischief, Dottie Ingordo agreed it felt like a bargain to get a daughter of the super sire (hip 451) for $875,000 early in the first Book 2 session Wednesday at Keeneland.

“We rated her at $900,000 to a million,” Ingordo said after signing the ticket as Mayberry Farm on behalf of Lee and Susan Searing's CRK Stables. “That was right within the scope, so Lee said I got a deal.”

Ingordo, along with her husband, trainer John Shirreffs and April Mayberry and Lisa McGreevy, have been working the Keeneland sale and all agreed this was the filly they wanted.

“She's a big, strong-looking filly and we love Into Mischief,” Ingordo said. “She had a nice pedigree. John was here and we were doing the inspections and he just thought she was a wow and everybody agreed.”

The bay filly is out of multiple stakes winner and Grade I placed Belle of the Hall (Graeme Hall) and is a half-sister to multiple graded winner Share the Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}). She was bred by Seclusive Farm and was consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa.

“She was shown almost 200 times,” Hill 'n' Dale's Jared Burdine said. “She's the belle of Book 2. Everybody loved her. She's a beautiful filly who did everything right.” @JessMartiniTDN

The post $1.2M Half-Brother To Mage Leads Competitive Book 2 Opener at Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Which makes the story of how Confidence Game and his owners' paths crossed all the more fascinating.

“What's crazy is that I wasn't even planning on buying horses at that sale. For this year, I've already got our formation documents done for 2022, everything is rolling, everything is done. I did not have one thing done,” Godby admitted, recounting the push to buy a new prospect. “I had some of my core partners reach out like 'Are we going to get a horse this year?' and we really weren't planning on it. They really forced me to do it.”

With no way of calming the mounting calls beyond getting them the horse they wanted, he reached out to Keith Desormeaux, the partnership's sole trainer and bloodstock agent. The instructions were simple: just find something that could run.

“I called Keith and I said 'Look, I don't have anything formalized, but these guys want to buy at least one horse, for now, and I'll see how much interest [they'd have later].' Just find me one.”

The call was on short notice; only a day or two before Desormeaux purchased HIP 1462 for $25,000, and in his name, not the partnership. Godby happened to glance through the results to see if the bloodstock agent bought anything when he noticed the record come up, and immediately called his long-time friend. Was that horse spoken for by another group? No, was the response.

Well, he was now.

Out of Eblouissante (Bernardini), perhaps best known for who her sister is–as goes the story for most half-siblings to super stars–the partnership's new colt had a lot to offer on paper. The late April foal was the most recent at racing age for his dam, who claims not only a Broodmare of the Year on the bottom, but also the genetic advantage of the late Bernardini's now-known penchant as a broodmare sire.

On the top of the page, Candy Ride (Arg) was not only champion miler in Argentina but brought that wicked speed to the States, setting a new track-record in the GI Pacific Classic, and has since gone on to throw seven champions himself; names like Gun Runner, Shared Belief, and Game Winner coming to the forefront.

But it wasn't Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}) nor Balance (Thunder Gulch) nor the sparkling Candy Ride sons which ultimately caught Godby's attention, but rather a sister who flew under the radar: Where's Bailey (Aljabar).

“It wasn't just the page, obviously that speaks for itself,” he said, matter-of-factly. “But it was more about the connections. Zenyatta was broke and trained at Mayberry Farm in Ocala by April Mayberry, and that's where all of our horses are broke. And the second part of that was Where's Bailey. Where's Bailey is a horse Keith picked out several years back, bought her for $4,000 at the Keeneland sale. She's named after his son [Bailey]. There's too much connection here.”

The colt, seemingly a stroke of good luck straight from the karmic arc of the universe itself, was sent to said farm in Florida for his early training, and April Mayberry kept Godby well-informed of her appraisals of the last-minute addition.

My Boy Jack with Keith Desormeaux on the shank | Coady Photography

“She really, really liked [Confidence Game] at the farm as he was developing. You know, it's such a process. My Boy Jack, our Derby horse, was a favorite down there, but he wasn't…people weren't just falling all over him,” Godby said, not taking any time to mince words. “But she was always very positive about Confidence Game. He was always going forward, he was smart.”

When the horse got to Desormeaux's barn, there wasn't a dramatic up-tick of new things being asked of him. Keith Desormeaux, as Godby described him, was an old-school horseman who believed in starting a horse slow; building the miles and the foundation with jogs, gallops, slow three furlong works, and then branching into more intense requirements. And the more they asked of Confidence Game, the more he gave, and the more Desormeaux liked what he saw.

“We were so excited for his first race…and he loses first-out by 13 lengths to Damon's Mound,” he said with a chuckle. “I knew we had something special off that performance. The new partners focused on getting beaten by 13 lengths, but I knew this guy was the real deal. Of course, Damon's Mound is a monster, which he proved in the Saratoga Special.”

That referenced first race was a lesson Confidence Game needed, even if it wasn't immediately evident to all at the time. He broke a step slow, not unusual for debuters, and was asked to close from seventh in a six furlong sprint. Given the circumstances, third beaten a half-length for second wasn't the worst outcome, considering the winner's later performance in the GII Saratoga Special.

For the second start, there would be no such trouble after the break, no pack or kickback to contend with; once Confidence Game seized early command, it would not be ceded. Five lengths separated their runner from his nearest competitor in the end.

“I got to tell you, we've been in some big races and had some great racehorses through the years, but we've never been this nervous and excited coming into a race, nonetheless a maiden special weight. We just hoped that he'd prove what we thought and knew of his talent, and he certainly did that.”

Confidence Game emerged from that effort strong and ready for more, a positive sign for the future as the next target will be the GIII Iroquois S. at Churchill Downs. Godby intends to be there in-person this time, and expects a bigger crowd for the colt's third trip to post as well.

“I started this partnership because I wanted to introduce this incredible sport to as many people as I could,” he said, adding that three of his 'brand new' partners had come down from Chicago especially for the race, and they'd had a blast. “Going in the paddock, ending up winning, which tops it off, and getting their picture taken; it's the experience. Keeping them updated and informed and to see their excitement–that experience is why I do this.”

Of course, without their trainer, he readily admits that the moments he wants to create for the partners would not be possible. Desormeaux's talent as a conditioner and his eye for horses went under appreciated for a long time, he claims, but once the funds flowed in, the horsemanship became readily obvious. It was a rise through the rankings that Godby has enjoyed playing witness to.

“I tell the partners, especially the new ones, you are buying entertainment and this whole thing is driven 100 percent by him. He picks the athletes out, and trains them. I'm just the guy who organizes things and takes care of the back end.”

My Boy Jack wins Stonestreet Lexington; Godby (second from right) | Coady Photography

The friendship between the two goes back a ways to the humblest of beginnings. On a return home to Texas after failing as a commercial real estate salesman in California, Godby decided to work for his father's trainer–who then owned a stakes horse at Louisiana Downs–and learn the industry from the ground up. He recounts being approached by a friendly face, and the pair struck up conversation on his first day; Godby was grooming and Desormeaux cruising the shed row, and they became friends. They'd really hit it off, playing tennis or basketball nightly when time allowed.

For Godby, in the end, it was not to be. He lasted six months before returning to Texas and starting his transportation company, got married and raised a family. In the years following, he faithfully sent partners Desormeaux's way but it wasn't until 2010 where the old dream became real again. Desormeaux reached out with a proposition to start a claiming group, and it took off from there.

Several years later, and with multiple graded stakes-winner My Boy Jack (Creative Cause), Grade I-placed Danette (Curlin), and stakes-winner Candy Raid (Candy Ride {Arg}) to tally, Don't Tell My Wife Stables has another talented, promising runner in the hands of a master at his craft. And despite the name, yes, the wives do know.

“We weren't doing it to be cute or hide it from our wives…but we get so many compliments about that name, 100% positive. The one person who hates the name is Keith Desormeaux.”

The origin came from the push to formalize for the LLC designation. No one had any great ideas, but co-founder Rob Slack suggested that perhaps it was already named. Godby says one of their core partners ended almost every conference call with 'Geez, just don't tell my wife. She's going to kill me.' and the name just stuck. Their trainer's hesitation with it aside, the long-reaching respect has created a firm, steady foundation and will continue to bear fruit until he is ready to call it a career.

“[Keith]'s respected, he's old school. I love him as a brother, so to speak. We've been around each other a long time. So, until he stops training, or whenever that day comes, he's going to be our trainer, for sure.”

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The impressive colt's ownership group of Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing has undoubtedly spent much of this new year celebrating their star's unforgettable sophomore season while waiting in anticipation for his next start.

Meanwhile another one of Flightline's connections is also looking forward to what the colt could accomplish in 2022 while reminiscing on the impact he made during his short time with her.

April Mayberry, whose Mayberry Farm broke and trained the son of Tapit, has watched with pride as Flightline displayed the extraordinary talent she always thought he could have.

“It gives me chills to watch him,” Mayberry said. “To think that you were one of the first people to think that ability was in there and then to see it come true is a really cool feeling.”

Flightline arrived at Mayberry Farm in 2019 after selling to West Point Thoroughbreds for $1 million at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale.

“When he first came in, he was such an impressive-looking horse,” Mayberry recalled. “He was already 16 hands. When we started the breaking process, it crossed my mind that maybe he had already been started because he was so quiet. Everything he did was easy. He came like a ready-made horse. There was no learning curve with him because he already knew it all somehow.”

Mayberry said the young colt had a certain air about him suggesting that he already had an idea of just how special he was. She recalled how he would stop by the clocker's stand each morning before heading back to the barn after a workout so that he could pose for any onlookers.

“He was one of those horses, and there have only been a few in my lifetime, where if they ever started speaking to you, you would just answer them,” she said. “It wouldn't be like, 'Wow this horse is talking to me.' You would just answer him. He was that kind of horse–super intelligent and classy in everything he did.”

$1.7 million City of Light colt out of Anchorage | Katie Petrunyak

While Mayberry noticed the bay's clever personality from the start, it wasn't until he started breezing that she knew his ability was outstanding as well.

“I always thought that he was probably a really nice horse, but the first day we kind of let him pick it up a little bit, that sealed the deal,” she said.

Shortly after Flightline began breezing, agent David Ingordo dropped in for a visit. Mayberry remembers standing trackside and waiting for Flightline to appear when they heard a commotion coming from the barn.

“David and I went back to the barn to see what the holdup was and found that Flightline had decided to cut his hind end on the stall door,” Mayberry explained. “It was a take-your-breath-away, what-are-we-going-to-do injury, but we were pretty sure everything was going to be fine after the vet came and stitched him up.”

For weeks, the Mayberry Farm team tended to Flightline's injury daily and looked after the colt through long days of stall rest.

“This horse never turned a hair,” Mayberry recalled. “A lot of times with injuries in horses, a lot is up to the horse in whether they're a good patient or not. That's a big part of the battle. But he knew everyone was there to help him.”

After two months, the injury had healed and Flightline returned to training as if he had never had a day off. With an almost-imperceptible scar on his hind end, Flightline was sent to John Sadler and thrived in his training there just as he had in Ocala.

While the team at Mayberry missed their talented prodigy after he shipped out California, it wasn't long before his spot was filled by another colt who stepped onto the farm with similarly-high expectations ahead of him.

Last fall, a City of Light yearling arrived in Ocala and, in a situation that was purely happenstance according to Mayberry, was given the very same stall that Flightline once occupied.

This young colt out of the stakes-placed Tapit mare Anchorage was the 2021 Keeneland September Sale topper, purchased by Woodford Racing, Talla Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds for $1.7 million.

“He is another one where he's just a cool dude,” Mayberry said. “He's extremely classy and quiet. He takes a nap every day and does everything you ask of him. He has all the qualities that I as a trainer would like to see in a horse moving forward.”

Mayberry Farm has three more newly-turned 2-year-olds who were purchased by partnerships that include West Point Thoroughbreds. They have a second City of Light juvenile, this one a filly out of Miss Mo Kelly (Congrats) purchased for $500,000, as well as two Justify colts–one out of Flaming Heart (Touch Gold) purchased for $675,000 and the other, a son of stakes producer True Feelings (Latent Heat), was the third highest-priced yearling of the 2021 Keeneland September Sale, selling to Talla Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds for $1.55 million.

“The True Feelings colt was a little peppier in his step at first,” Mayberry said. “He was very full of himself and was very confident. Once he was broke and got on the track, he really calmed down and looks like he enjoys his training.”

Mayberry said that over the years, she has learned that the key to bringing up these young horses is to make sure they are enjoying their job.

April Mayberry and the Justify colt out of Flaming Heart | Katie Petrunyak

“Our philosophy is that we let the horse tell us,” she explained. “If you listen, they'll let you know what they need. I think the happier they are, the more they'll do for you. If we can make everything easy for them, the rest falls into place like it's supposed to.”

April Mayberry, a fourth-generation horsewoman, runs Mayberry Farm alongside her mother Jeanne and sister Summer. The farm opened in 2000 and since then, their list of superstar graduates has turned into more of a book.

Their first big name was champion Zenyatta, who Mayberry describes as independent, intelligent and a filly that was driven by both sleep and snacks. The 2010 Horse of the Year was soon followed by Grade I winners Exaggerator and Texas Red. Mayberry Farm's 2017-foaled graduates include recent GII San Antonio S. winner Express Train (Union Rags) as well as GISW and Lane's End sire Honor A.P. (Honor Code). Along with several successful stallions, many of their past trainees have made a name for themselves as broodmares, including Bubbler (Distorted Humor), the dam of champion Arrogate, and Authenticity (Quiet American), the dam of new Hill 'n' Dale sire Charlatan.

Mayberry said that as she looks back on their most successful graduates, she can put her finger on one common thread.

“I've been around a lot of good horses in my day,” she said. “The one thing they all have in common is intelligence. They have to want to do it. They can have all the ability in the world, but if they don't want to do it, they're not going to and you can't make them. The key is getting them to want to do it and most of the time, it's natural.”

Mayberry can't pick an all-time favorite trainee, but she is confident that their most recent star graduate is one they will never forget.

“I don't like to compare horses because they're all different, whether it's in ability, personality or looks, but Flightline is exactly what you're looking for,” she said. “When he stepped foot onto the track for the first time, he made you smile. That's why we do what we do-for horses like him.”

The post Mayberry Farm’s Stars of Today and Tomorrow appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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In three starts, the 3-year-old colt by Tapit has won by a combined 37 ½ lengths, going six furlongs in 1:08.75 in his debut, the same distance in 1:08.05 next out, and then racing seven furlongs in 1:21.37 while winning the Grade 1 Runhappy Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on Sunday's opening day of the winter-spring meet. Jockey Flavien Prat was like a statue down the lane as Flightline won under wraps by 11 ½ lengths for trainer John Sadler.

His Beyer Speed Figures were 105, 114 and 118, respectively. The latter is the highest Beyer Speed Figure given to any horse this year, according to Daily Racing Form's Jay Privman.

“That puts this horse in a different stratosphere,” said West Point Thoroughbreds' CEO Terry Finley, one of Flightline's owners.

An hour before the Malibu, the 3-year-old filly Kalypso won the G1 La Brea Stakes with a seven-furlong final time of 1:24.78, fully 3 2/5 seconds slower than Flightline.

Performance numbers are one way of measuring a horse's ability. David Ingordo, the bloodstock agent who bought Flightline on behalf of West Point Thoroughbreds and several other partners for $1-million at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale, said the colt also passed the eyeball test.

“He's a brilliant horse and you don't need Ragozins or Beyers to see that,” Ingordo said. “You can tell that he doesn't have to put a lot into what he's doing. He does it so easily.”

Ingordo first laid eyes on Flightline when he and Bill Farish from Lane's End visited breeder Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Farm in Georgetown, Ky., to look at a different Tapit colt from the 2018 foal crop, a chestnut-coated half brother to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Lane's End consigns the Summer Wind horses and Ingordo said there was interest in buying the colt off the farm privately.

“There was another horse in the paddock and I said to Bill, 'I like the brown one.' Bill said, 'We're here to see the chestnut one.'”

The brown horse turned out to be Flightline. The chestnut colt, who remained the property of Summer Wind, was named Triple Tap and turned over to trainer Bob Baffert. Two-for-two going into the Malibu, Triple Tap finished 18 ¾ lengths behind Flightline in fourth place.

Ingordo saw the two horses several more times and his preference for the brown colt never wavered.

When it came time for the Saratoga sale, Ingordo hitched a ride to New York on a Tex Sutton flight to ride with a group of yearlings. “I was sitting in the back with one of the guys I knew well,” Ingordo said. “He said it was going to be a bumpy ride and asked if I would grab a couple yearlings. “One of them had a pretty good head on him and I noticed his name was Flightline. I looked up his pedigree and saw it was the horse from Summer Wind that I liked so much.”

Ingordo began representing West Point Thoroughbreds in 2017 and the Tapit colt out of the graded stakes-winning Indian Charlie mare, Feathered, is the kind of prospect Finley said his partners are looking for. Finley knew it would take serious money to buy Flightline, so put together a group that included Hronis Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Farish's Woodford Racing LLC and Summer Wind. The hammer price was $1-million.

“Stephanie Hronis was there and David has done great work for them (she and husband Kosta Hronis),” said Finley. “She fell in love with the horse at the Lane's End consignment. We've had good luck partnering with Siena (Anthony Manganaro), buying five together and getting two Grade 1 winners, a Grade 2, and a stakes winner. We had not done anything with Jane Lyon before, but that really makes a difference when a breeder has the confidence to stay in, especially when it's big dollars. She bypassed the chance to take $250,000 off the table, and that's a strong statement.”

Finley confirmed that Summer Wind owns 25% of Flightline but didn't want to disclose how the remaining share of the horse was divided among the four additional partners.

There is no textbook for picking potential athletes, whether they are equine or human. Ingordo said he spent time with a couple of professional baseball scouts who are also interested in horse racing and found it's the same in both professions. There's an “it” quality with some athletes that is hard to miss, he said, whether it's a LeBron James in basketball or Bo Jackson, one of the greatest two sport athletes of all time who was named a Major League Baseball All Star and an All Pro running back in the NFL. (The two scouts, Ingordo said, both thought Jackson would be better at baseball if he stuck to one sport.)

“Horses are the same way,” he continued. “I remember when Garrett O'Rourke (Juddmonte Farms general manager) showed me a bunch of 2-year-olds. One of them just stood out, and it was Empire Maker (eventual G1 Belmont Stakes winner). Same thing with Zenyatta. I said, 'This is a horse we have to have.' Honor A.P. (G1 Santa Anita Derby winner) is another. I said, 'I don't give a crap. I'm buying this horse.'

“Flightline is another one of those. Each time I saw him I liked him more. There was just something about him. Of course the history books are littered with stories about trainers getting great unraced 2-year-olds where something happens.”

Something did happen to Flightline, but, fortunately, it only postponed his racing career.

In January 2020, Ingordo went to visit Flightline and other clients' horses at Mayberry Farm in Ocala, Fla., an operation run by Jeanne Mayberry and her two daughters, April and Summer.

“I'm watching these sets train and saw lots of beautiful horses,” he said. “I'm waiting for the next set and I hear this big crash, a loud bang. The Tapit colt scared himself, something startled him. He had his tack on and was ready to go out, but caught his butt on a stall door latch. It was a pretty deep wound and took a long time to heal. You can see that scar back there. One of those fluke things that will happen. We gave him plenty of time to heal, then COVID hit, and a lot of people were on a holding pattern.

“The Mayberrys are a big part of the program,” he said. “Jeanne (working alongside her late husband, Brian) trained a Kentucky Oaks winner (Sardula in 1994 for Ann and Jerry Moss). They called me very early on about Zenyatta. And two years ago they called me and said we might have another good one, Honor A.P. And then April called me early last year to say, 'You're going to think I'm crazy, but we might have two or three horses that are better than the group we had with Honor A.P.”

It's tempting to get overly excited about a horse after one start. Flightline won his April 2021 debut by 13 ¼ lengths at Santa Anita, then didn't show up again until Sept. 5 at Del Mar, Sadler giving him plenty of time to overcome a foot bruise. He won that allowance race by 12 ¾ lengths.

That second win brought more hype and speculation that Sadler might point the lightly raced colt to the G1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar. No dice. He instead circled Dec. 26 on the calendar. Flightline didn't miss a beat in his training up to the Malibu.

Flightline passed this latest test with flying colors, even though this was not the deepest Malibu field we've seen and the other leading 3-year-old colt in training, G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Life Is Good, is in Florida with Todd Pletcher training up to a start in the G1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 29.

Sadler, according to Daily Racing Form's Steve Andersen, is looking at a possible start in the G1 Met Mile on the June 11 Belmont Stakes day card for Flightline and possibly three other starts in 2022.

“John will steer the ship,” Finley said when asked about possible races for Flightline. “He's done so well. He's been training 40 years, and it's really something to see his passion and intensity – not just John's but the whole barn. John's assistant, Juan Leyva, is talking about this horse in a way that I've never heard someone at a barn say before.  Rene Quinteros, the barn foreman, every single day at 4:15 in the morning, walks this horse for 30 minutes. Everyone is just zeroed in on him.”

Ingordo has been down this road previously with one of the greatest horses of the modern era, Zenyatta, who didn't lose a race until her 20^th and final career start, coming up a head short of Blame in the 2010 Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.

“John has referred to Flightline as his Zenyatta,” Ingordo said.

“We've all been let down before,” Ingordo said of horses that showed early promise then failed to sustain it. “That's why when you expect a great performance and everybody has done everything right and then it really happens, it's that jaw-dropping.

“This one does everything so easily,” he added. “He's so smart. He's got it all. We're not looking to rush him off to the (breeding) shed. We want to run, just as much as the fans want to see him run. We might have to temper our desire to run more than the fans do. But you know how it goes sometimes. Horses will laugh at our plans.”

There's no telling just what Flightline may be capable of doing. Let's just hope he has the opportunity to show us.

The post For Bloodstock Agent Ingordo, Flightline Always Had The ‘It’ Quality appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The bay colt, who breezed an eighth in :10 flat at Tuesday's Under Tack session, is a half brother to stakes placed Coffee Crush out of graded stakes winner Wasted Tears, by Najran.

Hip No. 463, a daughter of Arrogate consigned by Mayberry Farm, Agent, was sold to Katsumi Yoshida for $1 million. The gray or roan filly, whose eighth in :10 flat was co-fastest at the distance at Wednesday's under tack session, is out of graded stakes winner Amen Hallelujah by Montbrook, a daughter of stakes winner Sara's Success.

Mike Talla, West Point Thoroughbreds, L.E.B., Agent, paid $750,000 for Hip No. 490, a son of Arrogate consigned by Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent. The gray or roan colt, who breezed an eighth in a co-fastest :10 flat on Wednesday, is a half brother to millionaire grade one stakes winner Heart to Heart out of Ask the Question, by Silver Deputy.

Hip No. 605, a son of Union Rags consigned by Top Line Sales LLC, Agent, went to Repole Stable, Inc. for $750,000. The dark bay or brown colt, who worked a quarter on Wednesday in :20 4/5, is a half brother to stakes placed Champagne Humor out of Champagne Ice, by Roman Ruler, a full sister to Belmont Stakes winner Ruler On Ice.

Hip No. 594, a daughter of Curlin consigned by Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent, was sold to Norman W. Casse for $600,000. The chestnut filly, who worked a co-fastest eighth in :10 flat on Wednesday, is a half sister to stakes winner Checkered Past out of Catch the Flag, by A.P. Indy, a daughter of champion Catch the Ring.

Hip No. 512, a daughter of Maclean's Music consigned by Paul Sharp, Agent, was purchased for $575,000 by Red Baron's Barn & Rancho Temescal. The chestnut filly, whose eighth in :10 flat was Wednesday's co-fastest, is out of Beautified, by Congrats, a daughter of graded stakes winner Makeup Artist.

Hip No. 365, a daughter of Into Mischief consigned by de Meric Sales, Agent, was sold to Mike Ryan, Agent, for $500,000. The bay filly, who breezed an eighth in :10 flat on Tuesday, is out of Versailles Song, by Unbridled's Song, a daughter of grade one stakes winner Versailles Treaty.

Donato Lanni, Agent for Frank Fletcher Racing, paid $490,000 for Hip No. 530, a son of Runhappy consigned by Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), Agent. The dark bay or brown colt, a half brother to graded stakes placed Hardworkcleanlivin out of Bible Belt, by Pulpit, breezed an eighth in a co-fastest :10 flat on Wednesday.

Hip No. 394, a daughter of Upstart consigned by Tom McCrocklin, Agent, was purchased by Spendthrift Farm LLC / Myracehorse.com for $450,000. The dark bay or brown filly, who turned in an Under Tack quarter in :20 4/5 last Tuesday, is out of Who'sbeeninmybed, by The Daddy, a half sister to graded stakes winner Mr. Bowling.

For the day, 181 horses brought a total of $21,056,500 compared with 158 selling for a total of $15,990,000 at last year's second session. The average price was $116,334, up 15% compared to $101,203 in 2021 while the median price was $47,000, compared with $55,000 a year ago. The buyback percentage was 18.5 percent; it was 19 percent last year.

The Spring Sale continues Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Hip No's 609 – 912 will be offered for sale.

To view the full results from Wednesday's session, click here.

The post Quality Road Colt Tops OBS Spring Sale’s Second Session appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The post Arrogate Filly to Yoshida appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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