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Leslie’s Lady Living Well In Retirement

“Leslie's Lady is retired,” Clarkland Farm's Fred Mitchell reported. “And she is happy, fat and dappled.”

The 2016 Broodmare of the Year has produced two fillies following America's Joy (American Pharoah), a now three-year-old half-sister to GISWs Into Mischief, Beholder and Mendelssohn and the highest-priced yearling filly in Keeneland sales history.

While Leslie's Lady is now 25, a good deal of thought went into the decision to officially retire her this spring.

“Early on in the season she was all dappled out and looked like a 14-year-old mare,” Mitchell said. “She was cycling but I said, 'I'm not sure if I want to breed Leslie. She's been so good to us.' But when it got to be April, I said if she cycled I might breed her because I looked at her out running across the field, up on her hind feet bucking and kicking with her buddy. I started to tease her after that and she hasn't cycled since so she made up her mind for me and I didn't have to make the final decision.”

The bay daughter of Tricky Creek now has three fillies in the pipeline that have yet to see the starting gate.

The first is America's Joy, the $8.2 million purchase by Whisper Hill Farm. The sophomore has almost a dozen recorded works at Whisper Hill's training center, but Mitchell and his family are still reliving her Keeneland September Sale two years ago.

“When we took the American Pharoah filly to the sales, I was hoping maybe we could top the sale with her because we had done it with Mendelssohn and that was a dream come true,” Mitchell said. “When the sale started the first day, there was a $2.5 million yearling and I said sale topping was now out of the question. Then the next day, a $4 million colt came. A couple people came by the barn and said she was going to bring more than that.”

Mitchell didn't start to believe them until the walkover to the back walking ring.

“There were cameras all the way from the bottom of the hill,” he recalled. “When we got to the sales ring, there was hardly any room with people with their cameras out taking picture after picture. I had never seen so many spectators. Then when she went in the ring and passed the $4 million mark, I said, 'What is going on?' I just couldn't believe it.”

“It was something you never could have dreamed of,” he continued. “It doesn't leave us much to shoot for from now on so I think that's our plateau. It has made life a lot easier for [wife] Nancy and I. We can now be taken care of no matter what age we get to and we know the kids have enough to be taken care of. The American Pharoah filly made that possible, her and Leslie.”

Knowing it would be nearly impossible to top the American Pharoah filly's accomplishments in the sales ring, Mitchell decided that Leslie's Lady's next foal, a daughter of Not This Time, would remain under the Clarkland banner for his family's next generation.

“I thought it would give the girls a nice start on a broodmare band later on and give them something to look forward to,” he explained.

Now a juvenile in training with Brad Cox, the bay filly is named Marr Time in honor of Nancy's ancestor John Wesley Marr.

“He was an old guy that never changed his clocks,” Mitchell said. “He stayed on Central Standard Time year-round. He would say, 'When the sun changes and my horses and I know that the time changed, I'll change. But not 'til then.'”

Marr Time floats over the track at Keeneland.

Mitchell said he found the May-foaled Marr Time to be very similar to America's Joy.

“She was exceptional from the time she was a foal,” he said. “The American Pharoah might have been a little bit bigger as a foal, but Marr Time is a lovely filly and a good-moving filly. Brad [Cox] says he's satisfied every time they breeze her and says she's a classy filly. It keeps you excited and hopefully she'll make it to the races, break her maiden and go from there.”

Marr Time had three recorded works at Keeneland last month.

“We've had her here since February and she's been learning all her basics at Keeneland,” Cox assistant Tessa Bisha said. “She has learned about the starting gate and she can gallop out of the gate pretty well. She has learned about the pony and company, so she's well on her way to her first start.”

Mitchell said he chose to send Leslie's Lady to Not This Time, then a $15,000 second-book sire, because each of the star broodmare's Grade I winners hailed from the Storm Cat line.

“Not This Time wasn't the most popular horse when he went to stud, but he was well-bred,” he said. “I loved him. He was gorgeous. After he came out last year with the 2-year-old runners, I wasn't so dumb after all.”

The next year, Mitchell decided to send Leslie's Lady back to another Storm Cat-line sire in Kantharos. The famed mare produced another filly and again, Mitchell determined that this one would stay with their family. He named the bay Love You Irene after his mother.

Now a yearling, Love You Irene is thriving at Clarkland.

“She's almost a June foal but she's a very nice individual and a very good-moving filly,” Mitchell said. “She's very pleasant to be around except when she gets a little teed off. She will take a hunk out of you, which I like to see out of fillies.”

Mitchell said they're still unsure of where this filly will land when it comes time for her to go to a trainer, noting that he currently has four juveniles in training with four different trainers and will make the decision based off those results.

Clarkland famously purchased Leslie's Lady at the 2006 Keeneland November Sale for an even $100,000. She was offered in foal to Orientate and had a yearling colt by Harlan's Holiday in the pipeline. Just over a year later, that colt won the GI CashCall Futurity.

Love You Irene, by Kantharos, is the last foal out of Leslie's Lady.

“When Into Mischief won his first stake, they came to me and wanted to know if I would sell Leslie,” Mitchell recounted. “They got to throwing out some pretty good figures. I said, 'No, Leslie is not for sale. If I get the money for her, how am I going to replace her?' Nobody knew she was going to have two more graded stakes winners. But after that, nobody has ever tried to buy her from me.”

The last year has been particularly special for the Clarkland team as they've watched Into Mischief's success at stud explode into the stratosphere.

“He might turn out to be one of the greatest sires we've every seen,” Mitchell said. “We root for the Into Mischief every time we see them in a race. It doesn't make a difference whether they're favored or nor, they still come up and win some way or another.”

Of each of Leslie's Lady's foals that Mitchell has worked with, he fails to pick a favorite.

“Beholder, Mendelssohn and America's Joy were very similar,” he noted. “But I would have to say America's Joy was the most overwhelming individual to look at. She was more like American Pharoah where anybody could do anything they wanted with her. But Beholder had a presence to her and with Mendelssohn, I didn't know what kind of racehorse he would make, but I knew he was a breeder's dream. You could take any type of mare to this horse and he would probably suit them. When we were showing him, he never took his eye off whoever was looking at him. All three horses were very similar when it came to that.”

While Mitchell is looking forward to watching these last few daughters of 'Leslie' make it to the starting gate, his greatest pride will always come in showing off the famed broodmare herself. She spends most of her day in a large paddock near the entrance to the historic farm and she naps in one of Clarkland's original barns constructed from trees that once graced the property centuries ago.

“When we bought Leslie for $100,000, you never could have dreamed that she would turn out to be the broodmare she is now,” Mitchell said. “It's indescribable what Leslie has meant to the family. It put us where we can enjoy what we do. We've increased the broodmare band and the girls will have a nice band to deal with now. It's just something that you would have never dreamed could happen to a small farm like Clarkland.”

The post Leslie’s Lady Living Well In Retirement appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Taking Stock: Coolmore Investment In Scat Daddy Sons Paying Off

No matter how ugly racing can get over here on our dirt tracks, most recently highlighted by the Gl Kentucky Derby betamethasone positive of the Bob Baffert-trained Medina Spirit (Protonico), North American pedigrees have to be reckoned with wherever racing is conducted at the highest levels, and that includes on turf in Japan (Sunday Silence) and Australasia (Danehill) in addition to Europe (Sadler's Wells). No one knows this better than the Coolmore partners, headed by maestro John Magnier, who learned this lesson decades ago on American buying sprees as the then-junior partner of Robert Sangster and Magnier's father-in-law Vincent O'Brien. The Irish group made a killing buying and breeding offspring of GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. winner Northern Dancer, a colt who, by the way, raced on Lasix in the Derby when no one had a clue as to what that drug was. He sired–among many other icons–the great Coolmore stallion Sadler's Wells, in turn the sire of Coolmore's more recent giants Galileo (Ire) and the late Montjeu (Ire).

Coolmore is the ultimate stallion maker, and it is invested to this day in various lines of Northern Dancer aside from Sadler's Wells that have far-reaching influence. Protonico, the sire of Medina Spirit, is by Coolmore's late Giant's Causeway, the best racing son of Storm Cat. Bred in Kentucky by Coolmore partners, Giant's Causeway began his stud career in Ireland and was later transferred to its Kentucky satellite at Ashford Stud. Giant's Causeway is also the sire of Cowboy Cal, the broodmare sire of last weekend's Preakness S. winner Rombauer (Twirling Candy), and his influence is particularly profound through his Kentucky-bred son Shamardal, who has a boatload of promising young sons at stud in Europe, particularly for Godolphin.

The Irish-headquartered operation is back at it again with another Storm Cat-line horse in Caravaggio (Scat Daddy), a young American-bred freshman stallion based this year at Coolmore America. So far through a young juvenile season, Caravaggio is making a loud noise in Europe with six winners to his credit, suggesting that he could have a mammoth year at the rate he's clicking, and his start at stud is reminiscent of No Nay Never, another son of Scat Daddy. A Group 1 winner in Europe, No Nay Never began his racing career at Keeneland (yes, on Lasix, unlike in his European wins) and is now one of the most exciting young sires in Europe, standing in Ireland for €125,000 after starting out for €20,000 in 2015 and reaching a reported €175,000 in 2020.

Hours before Rombauer won the first Lasix-free Preakness in decades, Caravaggio got his fifth winner, The Entertainer (Ire), a colt trained by Aidan O'Brien for the Coolmore partners, and the day after the Baltimore Classic, the muscular grey stallion got his sixth winner when Andreas Vesalius (Ire) and Silver Surfer (GB) ran one-two in a Naas maiden race for trainers Joseph and Donnacha O'Brien, respectively. He's the young horse everyone is talking about in Europe the same way they did of No Nay Never, and he's available this year for $25,000 to American breeders after three seasons in Ireland, where he entered stud for €35,000 (the equivalent of about $40,000 at the time) in 2018.

To say that Coolmore is heavily invested in the Scat Daddy line, both here and in Ireland, is an understatement. Aside from Caravaggio, Coolmore also stands Scat Daddy's sons Justify and Mendelssohn at Ashford. The latter, a Grade l winner who was campaigned in England, Ireland, Dubai, and the U.S., was purchased by Coolmore for a sale-topping $3 million at Keeneland September in 2016, while the 2018 Triple Crown winner was purchased from WinStar and partners for a reported valuation of $75 million.

In Ireland, Coolmore stands the aforementioned No Nay Never, a Group 1 winner at two, and the Kentucky-bred 2-year-old Group 1 winner Sioux Nation (Scat Daddy). Also standing there are No Nay Never's sons Ten Sovereigns (Ire), a Group 1 winner at two and three; and Arizona (Ire), a Group 2 winner who was twice Group 1-placed–all at two. Coolmore obviously moved Caravaggio from Ireland to Kentucky to give him new life for his fourth year at stud and to make way for Ten Sovereigns, because the two are essentially the same type: Caravaggio was also a Group 1 winner at two and three and a specialist sprinter like Ten Sovereigns.

The best European-raced offspring of Scat Daddy tended to be, like the aforementioned horses, 2-year-old Group winners and/or fast sprinters–think of G1 King's Stand S. and Prix Morny winner Lady Aurelia, too–and this is very much a sire-line trait for this branch of Northern Dancer that started with Storm Bird. In fact, each stallion in the sequence to Caravaggio that goes from Storm Bird/Storm Cat/Hennessy/Johannesburg/Scat Daddy was a Group 1 or Grade l winner at two.

Note also in this sire-line sequence that every horse from Storm Bird to Caravaggio stood at Ashford except for Overbrook's Storm Cat, but he was one that Coolmore identified early as a breed-shaper and jumped on board to use. One of his last remaining sons at stud, Tale of the Cat, still stands at Ashford.

In contrast to Europe, the best Scat Daddys in North America stayed farther, and Justify is obviously the supreme example. He also was unraced at two, and his forte was dirt; therefore, Coolmore now has all the racing aptitudes covered in Kentucky with the Scat Daddy sires Justify (Triple Crown winner, dirt); Mendelssohn (Grade l winner on turf at two at a mile, Grade ll winner and multiple Grade l-placed on dirt at three at up to a mile and a quarter); and Caravaggio (Group 1 winner on turf at two and three in sprints).

Caravaggio's return to Kentucky was something of a homecoming because he was bred by Coolmore America director of sales Charlie O'Connor (Petaluma Bloodstock) in partnership with his father-in-law's Windmill Manor Farms. The specialist sprinter was produced from the Holy Bull black-type winner Mekko Hotke and has a thoroughly American pedigree on the dam's side, but he was campaigned by the Coolmore partners on the turf in Europe, where he won seven of 10 starts and was undefeated in four starts at two for Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle.

His early promise now, coupled with the rise of No Nay Never, bodes well for the other sons and grandsons of Scat Daddy that Coolmore has in the pipeline. Coolmore lost Scat Daddy, a dirt horse who raced on Lasix, in December of 2015 at age 11, a few months before the stallion was to cover mares at a career-high fee of $100,000. He'd entered stud for $30,000 in 2008 and had dropped to a low of $10,000 in his fourth year at stud before his first crop took off, and in hindsight his loss has been massive for Coolmore, which has double-downed on his sons. And the gamble appears to paying off.

The global operation dominates the European Classics with its Galileos but is one European-based entity that has a healthy dose of respect for American-raced horses, even the ones that campaigned on race-day medication. Scat Daddy, for example, had no issues siring high-quality runners that raced without medication in Europe, and Coolmore has never thumbed its nose at dirt performers. Magnier's son M.V. Magnier put it unequivocally a few years back when he said, “My grandfather M. V. O'Brien built Ballydoyle off the backs of some brilliant American Classic horses. In Justify and American Pharoah we now have two all-time greats, so we couldn't be more optimistic about the future.”

Perhaps this is the reason that Coolmore is the leading racing stable and stud operation in Europe and, arguably, the world.

Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks.

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Bear Brian Tops OBS Winter Mixed Sale’s Opening Session

Hip No. 368, Bear Brian, consigned by Summerfield (Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck), Agent for Stonestreet Stables LLC, went to Kerri Raven for $150,000 to top the Horses of Racing Age section on the first day of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2021 Winter Mixed Sale.

The 3-year-old bay colt by Tiznow, who captured a maiden special at Sam Houston Race Park on Jan. 9, is out of stakes winner Lil Super Bear, by Super Saver.

Hip No. 182, a son of Practical Joke also consigned by Summerfield, was purchased by Ronald Clark Shepherd for $130,000 to top the Consignor Preferred Session. The bay yearling colt is out of Mobeautiful, by Uncle Mo, from the family of graded stakes winner Speed Dialer.

Hip No. 321, Polterer, a 3-year-old son of Ghostzapper, went to Danny W. Brown for $110,000. Consigned by Kaizen Sales (Richard Kent), Agent, the chestnut colt is out of graded stakes winner Honey Hughes, by Henny Hughes.
J. Stable LLC paid $100,000 for Hip No. 360, Pledge, a 3-year-old filly by Candy Ride consigned by Six K's Training & Sales, Agent. A 6-1/2 length winner of a maiden special at Turfway Park on Jan. 2, she's a half sister to graded stakes placed stakes winner Hello Don Julio out of Faithful, by Vindication.
Hip No. 25, a daughter of Mendelssohn consigned by Stuart Morris, Agent, was sold to Democracy Bloodstock for $95,000. The dark bay or brown yearling filly is out of stakes placed Simply Confection, by Candy Ride (ARG), from the family of champion Ashado.

Hip No. 117, a daughter of Malibu Moon consigned by Kerri Szegi, Agent, went to Windylea Farm – NY LLC for $95,000. The bay yearling filly is out of graded stakes placed Fortunia, by Leroidesanimaux (BRZ), a half sister to grade one stakes winner Dionisia.
Hip No. 315, a son of Distorted Humor consigned by Oscar Brown Stables, was sold to Kerri Raven for $90,000. The 3-year-old bay colt, whose three eighths in :32 2/5 was co-fastest at the distance at the Under Tack Show, is out of graded stakes placed Goldstryke Glory, by Second in Command.
Hip No. 289, Street Ruckus, also consigned by Kaizen, was sold to Holly and David Wilson and Peernboom – Bowyer, LLC for $85,000. The dark bay or brown 3-year-old colt by Street Boss, a half brother to grade one stakes placed Sir Sahib, is out of Xs Belle, by Dynaformer.
Hip No. 307, Waltzing Champ, by Ghoszapper, went to Al and Bill Ulwelling for $85,000. The 4-year-old chestnut gelding, consigned by Kaizen Sales (Richard Kent), Agent, is out of First Waltz, by Medaglia d'Oro, a daughter of graded stakes winner Spring Waltz.
Hip No. 338, Brother Brody, consigned by L. G. Agent, was sold to Emerald Sales, Agent for Michael Eiserman for $80,000. The 3-year-old dark bay or brown colt by Brody's Cause, who breezed three eighths in :32 3/5 at the Under Tack Show, is out of Mesa Mist, by Sky Mesa, from the family of graded stakes placed Logan's Mist.
DKW Racing paid $67,000 for Hip No. 90, a daughter of Hard Spun consigned by C & S Thoroughbred Sales, Agent. The dark bay or brown yearling filly is out of Cleo, by Pioneerof the Nile, a half-sister to graded stakes winner Prospective Saint.
Hip No. 63, a daughter of Twirling Candy consigned by Pelican State Thoroughbreds, Agent, was sold for $65,000 to Al and Bill Ulwelling. The bay yearling filly is out of American Kitty, by Tale of the Cat, a half sister to stakes placed American Diva.

For the Consignor Preferred session, 98 horses sold for a total of $1,893,300, compared with 85 horses grossing $1,912,300 in 2020. The average price was $19,319 compared with $22,498 a year ago, while the median price was $10,050 compared with $13,000 last year. The buyback percentage was 30.9 percent; it was 37.9 percent last year.

For the Horses of Racing Age session, 73 horses grossed $1,676,500 compared with 70 selling for a total of $1,366,900 in 2020. The average was $22,966, up from $19,527 a year ago, while the median price was $13,000 compared to $11,000 last year. The buyback percentage was 12 percent; it was 11.4 percent in 2020.

The OBS Winter Mixed Sale continues Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. with Hip No.'s 451 – 805 in the Open Session.

To view the full results, click here.

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Fifteen Horses Supplemented To 2021 Keeneland January Sale

The War Front filly Burning Brow; stakes winner Ava K., in foal to Uncle Mo; Jen's Rules, in foal to Connect; stakes-winning filly Mucho Amor and a colt by City of Light foaled in 2020 are among the 15 horses in the latest round of supplements to Keeneland's 2021 January Horses of All Ages Sale, which covers four sessions from Jan. 11-14.

Keeneland will continue to accept approved supplements until the January Sale begins.

Supplemented to the opening session of the two-day Book 1 are:

Burning Brow (Hip 400C), a daughter of War Front foaled in 2018. Cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect and consigned by Denali Stud, agent, she is out of Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Laughing Lashes, by Mr. Greeley. Her family includes Group 1 winner Palace Episode and Group/Grade 2 winners Duke of Hazzard and Tejano Run.
Ava K. (Hip 400D), a stakes-winning daughter of Dixie Union in foal to Uncle Mo. Foaled in 2008, Ava K. is out of stakes winner Bedside Manner and is a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Skyway. She is consigned by St George Sales, agent.
Jen's Rules (Hip 400E), a Street Sense mare in foal to Connect. Consigned by Bluewater Sales, agent, she is a half-sister to stakes winner Foxy Danseur, dam of Grade 3 winner Ever So Clever, and from the family of Grade 3 winner In Conference. Jen's Rules was foaled in 2016.
Twitterpated (Hip 400F), a full sister to Grade 1 winner Stormy Lucy foaled in 2017. Consigned by South Point Sales, agency, and cataloged as a broodmare prospect, the daughter of Stormy Atlantic is from the family of 2020 Grade 2 winner Big Runnuer and earlier Grade 3 winner Moonwalk.

These horses have been supplemented to Book 1 on the second day of the auction:

Colt by Mendelssohn foaled in 2020 (Hip 800H), who is from the family of Grade 1 winner Bellamy Road and Grade 3 winner Calibrachoa. Consigned by Warrendale Sales, agent, he is out of Fort Afleet, by Northern Afleet.
Mucho Amor (Hip 800J), a stakes-winning daughter of Mucho Macho Man foaled in 2016. Consigned by Eaton Sales, agent, as a racing or broodmare prospect, she is out of stakes-placed Raucous Lady, by Rock Hard Ten, and from the family of stakes winners John the Magician and Charming Ruckus.
Colt by City of Light foaled in 2020 (Hip 800K), who is out of Grade 3-placed Banree, by Macho Uno. Consigned by Eaton Sales, agent, he is from the family of Grade 3 winners Gloryzapper and Her Royalty.
Twirling Hearts (Hip 800L), a daughter of Twirling Candy foaled in 2018 and cataloged as a broodmare prospect. From the family of Grade 1 winner Leave Me Alone and Grade 2 winner Candy Boy, she is consigned by Warrendale Sales, agent.

These horses have been supplemented to the third day of the sale:

Landeskog (Hip 1199A), a winning, Grade 2-placed gelding by Munnings foaled in 2016. He is consigned by ELiTE, agent.
Answer In (Hip 1199B), a winning, Grade 3-placed gelding by Dialed In foaled in 2017. He is consigned by ELiTE, agent.
Discreet Lover (Hip 1199C), a Grade 1-winning millionaire cataloged as a stallion prospect. Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, consigns the son of Repent, who was foaled in 2013. Out Discreet Chat, by Discreet Cat, Discreet Lover is from the family of Grade 3 winner Desert Code. He won the 2018 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) and earned $1,452,735.
Sabador (FR) (Hip 1199D), a winning Kendargent (FR) gelding foaled in 2014. He is consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent.
Kilbarry Lady (Hip 1199E), a winning daughter of Will Take Charge foaled in 2017. Consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent, she is out of Russian Symbol (IRE), a daughter of Danehill Dancer (IRE) who is a full sister to European highweight and Group 1 winner Esoterique (IRE). Kilbarry Lady is cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect.
Bond Street (IRE) (Hip 1199F), a winning son of Galileo (IRE) foaled in 2015 and a full brother to Group 2 winner Armory (IRE). Out of After (IRE), by Danehill Dancer (IRE), he is consigned as a racing or stallion prospect by Hunter Valley Farm, agent.
Argentello (IRE) (Hip 1199G), a winning, stakes-placed gelding by Intello (GER) foaled in 2015 and consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent.

Each session of the January Sale will begin at 10 a.m. ET. The auction will be streamed live on Keeneland.com.

TVG2 will feature live coverage of the first two days of the sale from 10 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. The entire sale will be shown on the Watch TVG App.

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