Tag: Mike Ryan

Businesslike Book 3 Opener at Keeneland Friday

LEXINGTON, KY – The Keeneland September Yearling Sale opened its two-session Book 3 with a day of solid trade Friday in Lexington, with bloodstock agent Mike Ryan making the day’s highest bid of $625,000 to acquire a colt by red-hot sire Into Mischief (hip 1614).

In all, 200 yearlings grossed $21,803,500 during the session for an average of $109,018 and a median of $85,000. With 134 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate remained elevated at 40.12%. The auction’s cumulative buy-back rate stands at 39.72%.

Last year’s first Book 3 session produced a $1-millon topper and 10 lots brought $500,000 or over. Friday’s top lot was the only to top that mark. In all, 234 yearlings sold in the 2019 auction’s fifth session for a total of $44,726,000. The average was $191,137 and the median was $160,000.

“We were shopping all day, and it’s the same story,” Ryan said. “If you have what the buyers want, you’ll be rewarded. It’s simple, but it’s unfortunate because there are a lot of nice horses that are probably not bringing what they are worth. It’s really selective. If you don’t meet the criteria, it’s a long road. But the top tier is very solid and there is not much drop off in the top horses.”

Tommy and Wyndee Eastham’s Legacy Bloodstock sold Friday’s top-priced filly, a daughter of Into Mischief (hip 1253) who sold for $400,000 to Joey Platts.

“The penalties are still high for any vetting, but if you are able to check all the boxes, we’ve had a good experience and people have wanted the ones who have gone through and checked all the boxes,” Tommy Eastham said. “But it’s still a tight market. Yesterday at the barns, we probably were as busy as we have been in a couple of years, even compared to ’19, which was a huge year. But now they are putting a budget on the horses, so even if you have nine or 10 scopes, you still need to be careful just because there is a ceiling. But I think there is a fair market.”

Sweetwater Trading Co.’s Kim Lloyd made two purchases during Friday’s session and three overall at the auction so far.

“I think the market is surprisingly good for the high-end horses,” Lloyd said. “Horses with great physicals are selling well today, which I expected, but they are selling for more money than I expected. On the other side of that, the horses that don’t meet all of the expectations of the buyers are not selling well, if they sell. So, it’s still a good market considering our circumstances. Both Fasig and Keeneland have done a great job and everyone should be grateful for their efforts.”

The Keeneland September sale continues through next Friday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

Into Mischief Provides Late Fireworks Again

For the second day in a row, a Keeneland session was topped by a late-selling son of Into Mischief bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings as bloodstock agent Mike Ryan made a final bid of $625,000 to acquire hip 1614 on behalf of an undisclosed client in the closing stages of Friday’s fifth session of the September sale. Consigned by the Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield, the bay colt is out of graded placed True Romance (Yes It’s True).

“He was an exceptional colt, by an exceptional sire, and bred by an exceptional breeder,” Ryan summed up the yearling’s appeal. “All the way across the board. He was as good an Into Mischief as you could ever want to lay eyes on. Those good Into Mischiefs, you’ve got to reach for them. And he was exceptional.”

Of the yearling’s placement in Book 3, Ryan said, “I think he was well-placed because he stood out, but he would have been a standout physical in any book. Into Mischief is an extraordinary stallion. We haven’t seen anything like him in quite some time.”

Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet operation purchased True Romance, with this Into Mischief colt in utero, for $350,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November sale. True Romance died in 2019 and this is her only foal.

“He was a colt that just oozed power, speed and stamina and he just happens to be by a sire that really provides that,” said Summerfield’s Andrew Vanlangendonck. “It’s another Stonestreet-bred and raised horse. With their program, they just keep pushing out one right after the other. And we’re very pleased and happy they provided us with these horses.”

During Thursday’s session, Peter Leidel made a final phone bid of $1 million to secure an Into Mischief colt out of Teen Pauline (Tapit). Stonestreet also sold the auction’s top-priced offering, a $2-million son of Tapit.

Upstart Colt a Long-Running Success Story for Machmer Hall

A colt by freshman sire Upstart shot to the top of the leader board midway through Friday’s fifth session of the Keeneland September sale when bringing a final bid of $410,000 from bloodstock agent Liz Crow. The dark bay yearling (hip 1467) was bred and consigned by Machmer Hall and the Brogdens’ operation traces its involvement with the family back three generations. He is the first foal out of Miss Baby Betty (Warrior’s Reward), whose unraced dam Baby Betty (El Corredor) produced graded winner Sweet Whiskey (Old Fashioned).

Baby Betty, named after Carrie Brogden’s grandmother, briefly left the Machmer Hall band, but was purchased back again for $40,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November sale under the name Machmer Hall – Coming Home.

“We sold Baby Betty when Sweet Whiskey became a graded stakes winner for $400,000 [in 2014] and then when she came back, we bought her back,” Brogden explained. “That’s where ‘Coming Home’ came from.”

Brogden’s mother Sandy Fubini added, “My mom’s been gone a long time, but she was such a special woman. Her maiden name was Machmer and my grandfather had Machmer Hall named after him, so the whole farm goes back to them.”

From his first crop to race, Airdrie Stud’s Upstart has been represented by 10 winners to date, including GI Runhappy Hopeful S. runner-up and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Reinvestment Risk.

“When Airdrie called me about standing Upstart at stud, I begged and pleaded for a share, so they let us buy a share in him,” Brogden said. “And this mare was bred on that share. I just think Upstart has it all. Every single one I’ve had has had tremendous brains, they have bone, they have soundness.”

Brogden knew she had something special with her Upstart colt early on.

“He has been like this from the beginning,” Brogden said of the yearling. “I’ve been telling the guys at Airdrie the whole time, ‘I have a special Upstart, I have a special Upstart.’ Last night I texted when we knew how he was going down and I said, ‘Now I know I have a special Upstart.'”

Platts Gets His Into Mischief

Joey Platts came to Keeneland with an eye towards buying a yearling filly by Into Mischief and, while the competition was fierce in Books 1 and 2, the Wyoming native was able to add a youngster by the in-demand Spendthrift stallion early in Friday’s first Book 3 session. Platts, bidding in the back show ring alongside trainer Phil D’Amato, paid $400,000 to acquire hip 1253.

“It seems like every time I watch TVG there are three or four Into Mischiefs that win all over the country,” Platts said. “I’ve got one now [Mischiefs Model] that ran the other day at Laurel first out and ran second. That’s what I came here looking for, an Into Mischief. We finally got a decent one, we hope.”

Of the filly’s final price, Platts said, “It was a bargain compared to the prior three or four days of the sale. I’ve been here since day one. The ones I liked were hard to buy. I was on the two that went for over a million.”

The bay filly was consigned by Legacy Bloodstock on behalf of her breeder, Spendthrift Farm. B. Wayne Hughes’s operation purchased her dam, group-placed Ameristralia (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), for $370,800 at the 2014 Inglis Easter Sale. The mare’s first foal, a colt by Malibu Moon, sold to trainer John Kimmel for $300,000 at this year’s OBS March sale.

“We just liked her, looks like she is going to have some decent scope to her,” Platts said of the individual. “She’s a later foal [Apr. 28], so she still has some growing to go. She looked the part, looks like she’s got some athletic ability.”

Earlier in the sale, Platts purchased a filly by Empire Maker (hip 498) for $210,000 and he partnered with Slam Dunk Racing on a Frosted filly (hip 376) for $100,000.

With his racing stable now stocked with yearlings, Platts still wasn’t done shopping at Keeneland.

“I have to find three with Becky Thomas to pinhook,” Platts said. “I’ve got my racing side taken care of, now I’m going to the pinhook side.”

The oil and gas industry executive enjoyed success in that arena with Thomas this year when selling a son of Ghostzapper for $750,000 at the OBS Spring Sale. The colt had been purchased at Keeneland September last year for $250,000.

Lanni Adds to Partnership’s Haul

Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni continued his shopping spree for the SF/Starlight/Madaket partnership, going to $400,000 to acquire a colt by Uncle Mo from the Darby Dan Farm consignment. The yearling was bred by John Oxley, who purchased his dam ‘TDN Rising Star’ Delightful Mary (Limehouse) for $500,000 as an OBS April juvenile in 2010. Graded stakes-winning Delightful Mary was third in that year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and was named Canada’s champion 2-year-old filly.

“He was a cool dude, super chill and classy,” Lanni said of the colt, who he said reminded him of GIII Los Alamitos Derby winner Uncle Chuck (Uncle Mo). “He’s a neat horse and we were happy to have him.”

The SF/Starlight/Madaket partnership has loaded up on potential stallion prospects this week in Lexington. Through five sessions, the group has purchased 26 yearlings for $10,740,000.

Asked if the absence of major foreign buyers had enabled the partnership to be more active on the results sheets, Lanni said, “Definitely. When you drive up to Keeneland and you don’t see those big jumbo jets on the runway across the street, you know you have a shot at buying what you want. We were fortunate that we were able to buy a lot of nice colts for the group.”

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Tapit Filly On Top as KEESEP Kicks Off

by Brian DiDonato, Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis

LEXINGTON, KY–A Tapit filly out of GISW Embellish the Lace (Super Saver) topped the opening session of Keeneland’s September yearling sale on a $1.25-million bid by Claiborne Farm’s Bernie Sams. The bay was consigned to the auction as hip 149 by Bluewater Sales LLC, Agent XVI, on behalf of breeder China Horse Club.

While stringent COVID-19 protocols put in place to allow the world’s largest yearling sale to be held at all may have dulled some of the electricity typically felt in the building when high-dollar horses are changing hands, competition for the top lots remained intense, with five transactions reaching the seven-figure mark and 23 offerings selling for $500,000 or more. In total, 109 head changed hands for gross receipts of $40,680,000 at an average rate of $373,211 and median of $330,000. With 62 horses led out unsold, the RNA rate was 36.26%.

Because last year’s sale featured a three-day Book 1 versus a two-day Book 1 this time around, year-to-year comparisons will be inexact until Book 3. It worth noting, however, that there were seven $2-million-plus sellers during Book 1 last year and none on Sunday. Perennial leading buyers Godolphin and Shadwell were absent from the results sheets. Two horses were signed for on behalf of Coolmore’s M.V. Magnier.

“We were so happy to have an opening day of the September yearling sale–it was great to have people on the grounds; it was great to have trade; it was great to see people following protocols so we can continue to have trade. It was a good day overall,” said Keeneland’s President Elect Shannon Arvin.

In addition to offering online bidding and increasing its capacity for phone bids, Keeneland added another bidding area in the far back walking ring, which seemed popular with buyers.

“Having multiple [bidding] locations was a concern going in–having [bidding from] the back walking ring, and from the telephone and internet, we were concerned it would slow down the whole day. [But] it didn’t seem to cause any delay,” said Keeneland’s Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell. “We had multiple bidders on the internet, and sold five horses that way. The first buyer was domestic and the rest were international. It worked very well… Telephone bids worked too. Having it spread out in the three locations on site probably took away a little bit of the atmosphere, but it’s COVID and we’ll take what we get.”

As for how trade on Sunday compared to expectations, Russell said, “Just to have a sale meets our expectations. We’re very happy that it’s September and we’re at Keeneland and we’re having a horse sale. So, going into it, that would be the first thing. To have competitive bidding at all levels of the market, I thought it was very rewarding.”

The second of two Book 1 sessions of the 12-day auction begins Monday at noon. For more information, visit www.keeneland.com.

 

 

A KEESEP Topper for Tapit

A Tapit filly out of the 2015 GI Alabama S. heroine Embellish the Lace (Super Saver) caught the attention of a number of high-end buyers, and was ultimately landed Sunday by Claiborne Farm’s Bernie Sams, who was bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client of the storied nursery. The bay was consigned to the sale by Bluewater Sales as hip 149 and offered on behalf of her breeder, China Horse Club.

“He’s bought a couple mares and he bought a nice yearling filly last year,” Sams said of the buyer. “He’s trying to buy a couple more fillies and build a broodmare band over the next few years and we will see where we go. He wanted a Tapit filly, so there we go.”

He continued, “She’s a pretty filly and very athletic. A nice family out of a young mare that could run. It’s a good cross. We had hoped she would be cheaper.”

Bluewater’s Meg Levy said hip 149 had been plenty popular back at the barn and in the repository.

“It’s a strange year, 2020, and this was the first horse we were bringing to the ring in Book 1. So, while we expected that she could be in that range, you just never know,” Levy offered. “It seemed like all the right people were on her. She’s been nothing but a queen, and she put all the pieces together. The market is increasingly physically demanding and there were just no holes. She had the page and the physical. She was vetted about 14 times, and it seemed like everyone showed up, so fair value.”

Embellish the Lace was a $320,000 buy here in 2013 by Alex and JoAnn Lieblong. The half-sister to 2010 GI Travers S. Winner Afleet Express (Afleet Alex) RNA’d for $1.9 million at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton November sale and brought $2.4 million from China Horse Club a year later while in foal to Uncle Mo. Her now 2-year-old filly Classique (Pioneerof the Nile) was a $700,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad of last year, and Embellish the Lace produced a filly by red-hot Into Mischief this term.

While China Horse Club founder and chairman Teo Ah Khing was unable to travel to Kentucky due to the coronavirus pandemic, he stayed up until 4 a.m. local time to watch hip 149 sell from his home in Singapore.

“We couldn’t be more pleased with this result,” he said. “The mare is class. She’s putting down beautiful stock, just what we hoped for when purchasing her. She was well raised by both WinStar and Bluewater and it’s a privilege to offer fillies like her, although always sad to see them go.”

As for the market dynamics in these uncertain times, the international businessman said, “It’s about keeping confidence in the market. You can’t look at the micro. It’s a long-term view and it’s about keeping conviction in the industry. These times will pass–it’s a matter of just getting on with it under the environment we face. We aren’t immune, but we are doing a great job under the conditions.”

 

 

Half-Sis to Constitution First to Seven Figures

A Medaglia d’Oro half-sister to leading second-crop sire and MGISW Constitution (Tapit) was the first to reach the seven-figure threshold during Sunday’s opening session of the Keeneland September sale when garnering a top bid of $1.1 million from Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm. Consigned by Denali Stud, Agent LIX as hip 58, the Mar. 21 foal was bred in a partnership between Bridlewood Farm and Don Alberto Corp. The powerful co-breeders paid a sale-topping $3.5 million for group-placed dam Baffled (Distorted Humor) in foal to Tapit at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Don Alberto subsequently bought out Bridlewood for $1.8 million while Baffled was carrying a full brother to hip 58 at last year’s renewal of that same sale.

“It was a little over; it was about what we expected, though,” said Pope’s bloodstock advisor Todd Quast. “It was a little more than we wanted to spend, but you are not going to get a bargain on a filly of that quality, even in this sale right now. We were super happy with her physical. We think she is a racehorse, but obviously she will be a broodmare later… [Pope] is a commercial breeder, but we race too and we are happy to have a good physical to race and when you have the pedigree side to go with it, it is a win-win.”

By Sunday, Whisper Hill had already sent another well-pedigreed filly back home–Pope made the decision to scratch hip 400, the first foal out of champion Songbird by the late superstar Arrogate. She paid $9.5 million for the mare.

“We didn’t really have a good Fasig sale,” Quast noted. “We love this filly and compare her to Songbird, so we just thought why sell her? She is already back in Ocala.”

Hip 58 is also a half to English Group 2 winner Boynton (More Than Ready) and American dirt GSW Jacaranda (Congrats). She hails from the deep female family of highest-level winners like Emcee and Awesome Humor.

“This filly was bred in partnership with Bridlewood,” noted Don Alberto’s Fernando Diaz-Valdes. “We have some foals out of her [together], including a filly who is at the farm. We’re very excited. She did what we wanted her to.”

Benvenutta, the 3-year-old Tapit filly who Baffled was carrying when Bridlewood and Don Alberto made their big buy, remains unraced and last breezed in October of 2019. Baffled’s 2-year-old Tapit colt Constitutional Law worked on Saturday for trainer Todd Pletcher (5f, 1:02.21, 16/30 over the Belmont training track). Baffled produced a full-brother to hip 58 this year and is carrying a Curlin filly. —@BDiDonatoTDN

 

 

Stellar Day for Stone Farm

The Hancock family’s Stone Farm had an excellent day, or to be more precise an excellent 10 minutes, at Keeneland Sunday with a pair of homebreds selling back-to-back with Hip 97 bringing $620,000 and Hip 98 hitting $1.05-million. Hip 97, a son of Quality Road, was purchased by Donato Lanni on behalf of SF/Starlight/Madaket and Hip 98, a War Front filly, was bought by Mike Ryan.

“That was a little stressful [selling 97 and 98 back-to-back],” Lynn Hancock said with a laugh of relief. “We are very happy. We knew coming up here we had two very nice individuals and people might like them. You breed them, raise them and do the best you can and hope for a good result. So, obviously, we are very happy with both of those.”

Stone Farm principal Arthur Hancock purchased Hip 98’s MSP dam Chatham (Maria’s Mon) for $190,000 back in 2009 at this venue’s November Sale. She has proven to be quite a bargain with her past yearlings bringing prices ranging from $70,000 to $535,000 and now a seven-figure filly. Hip 98 is a full-sister to Irish Highweight and MG1SW Air Force Blue, whose first-crop of 2-year-olds are making an impression at the races.

“She is obviously a full-sister to Air Force Blue,” Lynn Hancock said. “He was a champion. She is a lovely filly. She has been a queen from Day 1. We brought her up here and she has just continued to blossom and show well.”

Ryan, who did his bidding by the back show ring, purchased the filly on behalf of an undisclosed client.

“This filly will probably go to Europe and start out there,” Ryan said. “Being a full sister to champion Air Force Blue, you’d have to think she will love the turf. She looked to me like a filly that could run in the States on the dirt. She looks more to me like a dirt horse, but we know she’ll handle grass very well.”

He continued, “I thought she was an exceptional physical when I saw here at Stone Farm three weeks ago. She is a May foal. She is very well grown for her age. She’s not lacking size or scope. They raise a great horse out there with Air Force Blue and three Kentucky Derby winners.”

Hip 97’s dam Chapel (Pulpit) is a third generation Stone Farm homebred. Her now-3-year-old daughter Gingham (Quality Road), a stakes winner and recently third against older females in the GIII Rancho Bernardo H., was purchased by Sarah Kelly for $420,000 at this auction in 2018. Hip 97’s second dam is MGSW Owsley (Harlan).

“The colt is obviously by Quality Road. It is a great family, great page,” Hancock said. ‘Gingham is very live on the track. We love that colt. My dad [Arthur] always says, ‘That’s a racehorse!’ In this market, we weren’t really sure what to expect going in. The 97, 98 back-to-back was a little bit stressful, but we are thrilled.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

 

 

Chus Add Another Filly to Stable

Susan and Charles Chu added another high-priced filly to their stable when going to $1 million to acquire a filly by Quality Road (hip 67) from the Gainesway consignment at Keeneland Sunday. The bay yearling is out of graded placed Beloveda (Ghostzapper) and was co-bred by Gainesway’s Antony Beck and Brian Graves, as well as Michael Hernon. Susan Chu, flanked by trainer Bob Baffert and bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, did her bidding in the new back show ring bidding area.

“She was very beautiful,” Chu said of the half-sister to stakes placed Mistress of Love (Scat Daddy).

Asked if she was surprised by the filly’s seven-figure price tag, Chu admitted, “A little bit. But the beautiful ones, everybody wants. Bob and I looked at each other and we just kept going.”

The Chus’ Baoma Corporation was represented last year by three-time Grade I winner Bast (Uncle Mo), who is now in foal to Justify and may or may not be sold this coming November.

The couple also purchased a filly by Distorted Humor for $700,000 at this year’s OBS Spring sale. Now named Varda, she was a first-out winner at Del Mar Aug. 30.

“She is doing great,” Chu said of Varda. “We really cannot wait to see her future success.”

Of their focus on fillies, Chu explained, “Bast has good broodmare potential and we hope this one does too. We have a broodmare band and buying fillies will make it easier for me to look ahead to their second careers.”

After signing the ticket on the filly, Lanni said of the yearling, “She was super cool, a laid-back, classy filly by the right sire and from a great female family. She was raised right. Even with a down market, they are still bringing good money. We are very happy to get her.”

Beck, Graves and Hernon purchased Beloveda for $205,000 at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February sale. The trio sold Mistress of Love for $1 million at the 2017 Keeneland September sale. The mare’s Tapit colt sold for $500,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale and a full-sister to hip 67 sold for $450,000 at last year’s Saratoga sale.

“Brian, Antony and I all liked her,” Hernon said of Beloveda’s appeal in 2013 while he took a break from shopping on behalf of his newly formed bloodstock agency Sunday. “She is a daughter of top racehorse and proven sire Ghostzapper–broodmare sire is critical to the equation in mare selection. I was at Fasig and the phone call came in and she was running along nicely up to $200,000 and I made one bid at $205,000 and we got the mare. She has been a cash cow.”

Of the yearling, Hernon added, “This filly is a chip off the old block in the female form of Quality Road who is a superior sire of fillies. This filly had size and scope and balance. She was strong, but kind and a very willing filly. She floated to the top.”

Graves added, “She’s been great to us. The most exciting thing about this is that Bob Baffert is going to train this filly. That would make anybody excited about their mare.”

Of the filly’s final price tag, one of two seven-figure offerings from Gainesway Sunday, Graves added, “It’s always a surprise when you get a million for a horse. We thought she was the best filly on the farm, but we didn’t know what we would get for her, especially in a year with COVID. The market has been a little thin, so it’s a pleasant surprise for everyone.”

Beloveda is currently in foal to Street Sense and has an Empire Maker weanling filly. —@JessMartiniTDN

 

 

Best Goes Back to Into Mischief

Larry Best’s OXO Equine has plenty of experience with offspring of Into Mischief and he added another yearling by the leading sire to his roster Sunday at Keeneland, going to $1 million to acquire a colt (hip 121) from the Gainesway consignment.

“I love an Into Mischief,” Best admitted after signing the ticket on the yearling. “I was looking for a good colt–I seem to collect the fillies.”

Among the Into Mischiefs Best has campaigned are GII Best Pal S. winner Instagrand (Into Mischief), multiple Grade I placed Rowayton, multiple graded placed Center Aisle, stakes winner Mundaye Call, and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Clivetty.

“The sire is unreal,” Best said. “I just put Instagrand into stallion duty, so I’m betting big on Instagrand. I didn’t sell him–I had offers to sell him. I put him to stud because I believe he has the potential to be an elite sire son of Into Mischief. So I’m obviously one of the biggest fans of what Spendthrift has done with Into Mischief, and my luck with Into Mischief has been good, starting with Instagrand. I have a horse named Rowayton who’s a Grade I performer. I do have other sires in my portfolio for this [upcoming] 2-year-old crop, but I didn’t have any Into Mischiefs. I had some Practical Jokes. So I felt I wanted to get at least one or two colts. But I’m a big fan of Into Mischief. I think he’s probably one of the best sires ever.”

Hip 121 is out of graded-placed Curlina (Cuvee) and is a half-brother to multiple graded placed Sine Wave (Big Brown). Brandon Garrett purchased the colt for $550,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale.

“He belonged to someone else who was kind enough to let me take the horse home,” Gainesway’s Brian Graves said after sending the colt through the sales ring. “I loved the horse when I was bidding on him in November and I just told the successful bidder that I thought he had a chance to be a million-dollar yearling. Into Mischief had a great year and the horse came back and sold well. He was a quality horse, a very correct horse, bought by a very smart guy who has done well with Into Mischiefs.”

Hip 121 was Gainesway’s second million-dollar sale of the opening session of the September sale. Asked if he was surprised by the seven-figure sales considering all the uncertainties in the market, Graves said, “I didn’t think that was going to happen this morning, so today is a great day.”

Later in the session, Best purchased a daughter of Into Mischief (hip 208) for $525,000 from the Woodford Thoroughbreds consignment. —@JessMartiniTDN

 

 

Fully Living Continues to Provide for Ashview Farm

Ashview Farm-bred Fully Living (Unbridled’s Song) has been a gift that keeps on giving for the nursery and they scored their latest success with the mare Sunday when her daughter by Medaglia d’Oro (Hip 174) summoned $800,000 from Ben McElroy, acting on behalf of Coolmore’s M.V. Magnier.

“She was a beautiful filly with a lot of presence,” said McElroy, standing alongside the filly’s future trainer Simon Callaghan. “She is by a good sire of fillies and raised at a good farm.”

Sold to Spendthrift for $425,000 at the 2011 renewal of this auction, Fully Living was bought privately by Ashview in partnership with Old Oak Farm after her GSP juvenile season and went on to place in a few more black-type events. Her first foal brought $650,000 from Stonestreet Stables and the next summoned $425,000 from Steve Young. Her now 2-year-old Nyquist colt was a $550,000 KEESEP purchase by Pete Bradley last term. Fully Living hails from the family of champion Halfbridled.

“Physically, she has been a queen since the day she was foaled,” said Ashview’s Gray Lyster. “She has been really straight-forward and is really athletic. She was on her toes the first day and on her toes when the sale started. She made us a little nervous, but in the end she acted really well. We are thrilled. It was a good way to start, especially in a year where we didn’t even know if we were going to have a September Sale.”

Sunday’s auction started off slow, but had picked up a head of steam by the time Hip 174 went through the ring with five yearlings hitting the $1-million mark.

“I am happy I wasn’t selling early,” Lyster said. “That is always the case in a sale no matter what, but especially when you have your best horse, you want to see things warmed up. Once people get outbid a few times, they tend bid quicker, faster and more often.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

More Magic for Ryan

Bloodstock agent Mike Ryan paid $1 million to acquire a colt by Curlin on behalf of Bob Edwards’s e 5 Racing at the 2016 Keeneland September sale. That youngster, campaigned by e 5 and the colt’s breeder Stonestreet, went on to become champion 2-year-old Good Magic. Ryan only had to go to $800,000 to secure the champion’s yearling full-brother (hip 181) for Edwards Sunday at Keeneland.

“They are very alike, this horse is just a little bigger and a little stronger and deeper. He’s just a little bit bigger horse all around,” Ryan said when asked to compare the two. “They have the same demeanor. Good Magic had a great personality, he was a very focused horse, very professional, and this guy is the same way. He was a duplicate of Good Magic, just a little bigger version. If he is half as good, we’ll be delighted.”

Good Magic won the 2017 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the following year’s GI Haskell Invitational. He was runner-up in the 2018 GI Kentucky Derby.

Of the yearling’s final price, Ryan said, “In the marketplace, you always want to buy them right. You hope you buy them right and you hope they prove you right. I thought he was one of the best colts in the sale. Obviously we had a biased opinion because the brother was so good to us. He looks like he will run as a 2-year-old like Good Magic did. We are very, very pleased to get him and he comes from a really top farm in Stonestreet. They breed a lot of top horses.” —@JessMartiniTDN

Dilger Legacy Continues at September

Gerry Dilger passed away in March and his absence has left a gaping hole in the fabric of the September sale where he annually enjoyed a bevy of pinhooking successes, but the veteran horseman still made his presence felt with pair of standout results Sunday at Keeneland.

Dilger’s Dromoland consignment sold a colt by Nyquist (hip 99) for $300,000 to Centennial Farms Sunday. The yearling had been purchased for $130,000 at last year’s Keeneland November sale.

Nyquist was a stallion Dilger knew well, having teamed with Pat Costello and Ted Campion to pinhook the future GI Kentucky Derby winner in 2014.

“It was very emotional to have the horse come full circle,” admitted Dromoland manager Peter Conway. “From being purchased by Gerry, Pat and Ted to come back here and sell a nice Nyquist like that for Gerry and his family, it was a fantastic result. We really hope he performs well for his new owners. We would like to thank them immensely for that. I know I can speak for myself that I’m very grateful and I know that [Dilger’s wife] Erin and her children are extremely grateful as well.”

Later in Sunday’s session, Dromoland sold a colt by Gun Runner (hip 185) for $270,000 to bloodstock agent Mike Ryan. The yearling had been purchased for $190,000 at this year’s Keeneland January sale.

“We were delighted with him,” Conway said. “Gerry always loved him as a foal. He saw great potential in him and he grew up to be a nice horse.”

Ryan, who purchased the colt on behalf of William Warren, was a longtime friend and business partner of Dilger. The two men co-bred 2017 GI Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming (Bernardini).

“It’s very emotional because he and I were so close,” Ryan said after signing the ticket on the yearling. “It breaks my heart. I haven’t come to terms with that he’s not here. We bred a Derby winner together.”

Conway said the two yearlings were typical of Dilger’s successful pinhooking prospects.

“They were two very nice colts,” Conway said. “They were well-grown and strong with big walks and fairly correct. They just suited his program. When he purchased them, he could see a lot of potential in them. They weren’t the finished model, but he had his perception of how they would turn out. I hope we did a good job bringing them to the sale the way he would have wanted to. I hope he is looking down on us and his family and he’s happy with how things we went today.”

The future of the Dromoland consignment is still up in the air, according to Conway.

“I know we are consigning through September and after that, I can’t be too sure what is going to happen,” Conway said. “I know the September sale is a big sale and his family wanted to keep the banner flying here for the September sale under his name and under his colors. We are thankful they gave us the opportunity. All the guys on the farm worked extremely hard this year and we really hope the horses looked as good as they would have if Gerry was there.”

Conway has spent the last seven years working at Dromoland.

“I can attribute 99% of everything I’ve learned about horses and horsemanship to Gerry and his operation,” the Irishman said. “He was a great mentor to me and to many young people over the years. He was a fantastic individual.” —@JessMartiniTDN

‘Avengers’ Keep Busy at Keeneland

The partnership of SF, Starlight and Madaket, dubbed ‘The Avengers’ by their trainer Bob Baffert, were on a buying spree at Fasig, purchasing nine yearling, and were still busy shopping at Keeneland Sunday. The powerhouse group, who purchased recent GI Kentucky Derby hero Authentic (Into Mischief) at this auction two years ago, bought eight youngsters Sunday, topped by a $775,000 son of Into Mischief (Hip 78).

“He is by Into Mischief who is now proven as an elite stallion,” said SF’s Tom Ryan. “Authentic demonstrated that Into Mischief is capable of siring a horse who can win at the highest level at the Classic distance.”

He added, “We had to reach to buy him, but he was a horse we felt suited our program very well.”

Wayne Hughes’s Spendthrift Farm, which stands Into Mischief, purchased Hip 78’s GSW dam Bouquet Booth (Flower Alley) for $190,000 at the 2017 KEENOV sale carrying a foal by Union Rags. This is the family of Horse of the Year Havre de Grace and MGISWs Riskaverse and Tonalist. Hip 78 was consigned by Four Star Sales.

Offspring of Into Mischief were in high demand at Fasig -Tipton and that trend continued at Keeneland Sunday with nine of his yearlings (from 11 through the ring) bringing $4.835-million with an average of $537,222. —@CDeBernardisTDN

Crosswinds Continues to Reward Hinkles

Tom, Henry and Anne-Archer Hinkle’s Hinkle Farms has done pretty well at Keeneland over the years off of the $140,000 they paid for maiden mare Crosswinds (Storm Cat) at the 2009 November sale. They had sold $1.68 million in yearlings out of her before Sunday, and have seen her foals Weep No More (Mineshaft) and Current (Curlin) annex the 2016 GI Central Bank Ashland S. and 2018 GIII Dixiana Bourbon S. here, respectively.

This year it was hip 116‘s turn to add to the ROI, with the chestnut son of Arrogate garnering a $750,000 winning bid from Japan’s Yuji Hasegawa, who did his bidding over the internet.

“We’re very pleased,” said Henry Hinkle. “We had a lot of really great buyers on him and we were really happy when he was so well accepted. We got a lot of compliments on him. He’s one of the nicest colts we’ve ever brought up here to sell.”

Current was a $725,000 seller here three years ago, and now 2-year-old filly No Ordinary Time (Frosted) brought $600,000

12 months ago. The latter, now a member of Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey’s stable, set the pace before checking in fourth on debut over the Keeneland turf Sept. 7 in the colors of Allen Stable, Inc.

Hip 116 sports Juddmonte influences top and bottom–she’s by Khalid Abdullah’s star-crossed superstar, and a granddaughter of 2001 GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Alabama S. heroine Flute (Seattle Slew). Flute is the dam of GSW and MGISP Filimbi (Mizzen Mast).

“Color wise, [he’s different], but body type-wise, the Juddmonte folks commented that he had a very similar body type,” Hinkle said when asked of the similarities, or differences, between hip 116 and his sire. “We’re very pleased, and I know he’ll be in good hands. The mare has been a great producer–she had those two chestnut graded stakes winners and I hope he’ll follow in their footsteps.” —@BDiDonatoTDN

New Partnership Forms for Dame Dorothy Colt

A son of Grade I winner Dame Dorothy (Bernardini) inspired a new partnership Sunday with the powerhouse trio of Juddmonte, Bridlewood Farm and Winchell Thoroughbreds joining forces on the $650,000 Medaglia d’Oro colt (Hip 124).

“Having been around Ron [Winchell] the last few years, going back to when we were in Dubai a few years ago and Arrogate won, I found him to be a good guy,” Juddmonte’s Garrett O’Rourke said. “I have known George [Isaacs] for years as well. They were involved with Arrogate and bred to him. We discussed that if we came across something we all liked, we would go into a partnership, so it just fell into place today.”

Hip 124 was bred by celebrity chef Bobby Flay, whose colors Dame Dorothy carried to a trio of graded victories, including the GI Humana Distaff S. Her first foal is the now 3-year-old filly Spice is Nice (Curlin), who brought $1.05-million at this auction two years ago and has gone on to earn ‘TDN Rising Star’ status and a Grade II placing.

“He is a big horse and maybe that put some people off, but I had seen Medaglia d’Oro at Bobby Frankel’s as a 2-year-old and had the same thoughts,” O’Rourke said. “God, he was a big, beautiful horse. The good Medaglia d’Oros have also been big racehorses, like Bolt d’Oro and Rachel Alexandra. I feel like the really, really good Medaglia d’Oros are that type. Then you have Dame Dorothy and she was exceptional as well. He was a fine, sound-looking horse, very correct with good limbs. He had a little bit of extra class about him, I thought. Dr. [John] Chandler [of Juddmonte] always uses the phrase, ‘Does the horse speak to you?’ And, I guess, this horse spoke to us. Nice horse and he looked like a racehorse.”

Juddmonte’s ill-fated champion Arrogate is represented by his first yearlings this term and they have proven to be quite popular. Seven of the four-time Grade I winner’s offspring went through the ring Sunday for a gross of $2.205-million and average of $315,000. The top seller was a $750,000 colt (Hip 116) purchased by Yuji Hasegawa.

“We are delighted they are selling like that,” O’Rourke said. “We bought one today as well for $300,000 (Hip 164). We are happy with that and obviously have plenty at home. The sweet will be the opportunity to race them over the next couple of years and the bitter is obviously we won’t have the horse we thought we’d have for 15 more years. Obviously, he was one of the greatest dirt horses we have seen in modern times and we would like to have filled some of our broodmare band with his genes. Hopefully, we will have one good one to replace him.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

Hunter Valley Takes a Bow with Curlin Filly

Adrian Regan and Fergus Galvin of Hunter Valley Farm acquired a weanling filly by Curlin for $250,000 on behalf of a pinhooking partnership at last year’s Keeneland November sale. The two horsemen were so impressed by the youngster, they plucked her dam Applauding (Congrats) out of the Keeneland January sale two months later for $360,000. Both purchases looked prescient when the mare’s full-sister Starship Warpspeed became the dam of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) 10 days ago. The Curlin filly sold for $625,000 during Sunday’s first session of the Keeneland September sale.

“At the time we just thought she was a very elegant filly, maybe a tad immature at the time,” Regan said of the weanling’s appeal last November. “But we loved her action and her balance. She had lots of quality and a great demeanor.”

Applauding, in foal once again to Curlin this past winter, was originally led out unsold in January.

“When we got that foal home, she was the pick of what we brought back that year,” Regan continued. “Fergus and I thought she was all quality. And we loved the mare in January. She was in early enough in January and she didn’t make her reserve because it was a bit more than we wanted to give. But we had a partner who wanted us to give it a go and we are very happy to have her now.”

Applauding herself had a nice update beneath the Twin Spires Sept. 4.

“She went one time to Into Mischief and she’s not in foal, but she has another lovely Curlin by her side,” Regan said of the 11-year-old mare.

Applauding has made a habit of rewarding breeders. Imagine Bloodstock purchased her in foal to Curlin for $100,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November sale and sold yearlings for $475,000 (Curlin filly) and $400,000 (Distorted Humor colt) out of her before putting her through the ring in January.

“I saw the [Distorted Humor colt] in Florida this year as well,” Regan said. “He’s in training with Kenny McPeek and I know Kenny has a high opinion of the colt.”

Following the Fasig-Tipton Showcase and the early start of Keeneland September sale, Regan said, “I think it’s been well spoken about in the past few days, it’s a picky market. We’ve been lucky at the two sales so far to have two horses that everybody really wanted, our Tiznow at Fasig and the Curlin filly here. You know, if you can’t sell the likes of that filly, we’re really in trouble. We have a long way to go and hopefully we can pick up a bit more momentum in Book 2.” —@JessMartiniTDN

Clay Strikes For Medag Colt

Former Three Chimneys owner Robert Clay, who now operates as Grandview Equine, made some noise early in Sunday’s opening session, going to $600,000 for a Medaglia d’Oro colt out of Grade I winner Angela Renee (Bernardini) (Hip 40).

“We liked everything about him,” said Clay, who did his bidding in the back show ring alongside advisors Alex Solis and Jason Litt. “We loved his physical. If he can run, he is a stallion prospect.”

A Grade I winner at two and Grade I-placed at three for Todd Pletcher, Angela Renee is a daughter of SW Pilfer (Deputy Minister), who is also the dam of MGISW sire To Honor and Serve (Bernardini) and SW & GISP Elnaawi (Street Sense). This is the deep family of Summer Wind Farm’s blue hen Misty Hour (Miswaki), which includes MG1SW and Keeneland September grad Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}) and MGSW India (Hennessy).

Don Alberto purchased Angela Renee for $3-million at the conclusion of her sophomore campaign at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton November Sale and turned her over to Chad Brown. She won one of three starts for them, capping off her career with a victory in the Lady’s Secret S. Her first foal is a 2-year-old colt named Act of Honor (Empire Maker), who was a $225,000 RNA here last year.

“We bought her as a broodmare and racing prospect and sent her to Chad Brown,” Don Alberto’s Fernando Diaz said. “She won a stake for us with Chad and had a little something, so we retired her. She gave us a great foal by Empire Maker. He is a beautiful horse, but had a little issue so we kept him at the farm. This is the second foal and he is a lovely colt. Now she is in foal to Curlin. We are excited for what the future will bring.”

He added, “Robert Clay is such a revered horseman here in this country, so we are very glad to have him as the buyer.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

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$1.25-Million Tapit Filly Leads Opening Day Of Keeneland September Yearling Sale

Claiborne Farm, agent, paid $1.25 million for a filly by leading sire Tapit out of Grade 1 winner Embellish the Lace to top today's first session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale on a day marked by brisk trade and the sale of five horses for $1 million or more.

On Sunday, the first of two sessions of the prestigious Book 1 catalog, Keeneland sold 109 yearlings for a total of $40,680,000, for an average of $373,211 and a median of $330,000.

“We're so happy to be having a September Yearling Sale,” Keeneland President-Elect and Interim Head of Sales Shannon Arvin said. “It was great to have people on the grounds. It was great to have trade. It was great to see people following (COVID-19) protocols so we can continue to have trade. It was a good day overall.”

Keeneland is conducting the September Sale, which continues through Sept. 25, amid COVID-19 protocols designed to create the safest sales environment possible. The sale is offering online and expanded phone bidding to enable buyers to participate remotely. Keeneland also has increased the number of bidding locations on the sales grounds to enable buyers to maintain proper social distancing. The new location at the Show Barn directly outside the Sales Pavilion proved popular with bidders.

Russell said five horses in the Sunday session sold via online bidding with one yearling purchased by a domestic buyer while the other four horses were sold to international buyers.

“The mechanics of the Internet bidding worked really well,” Arvin said. “We spent a lot of time practicing and preparing for that. It was great that it worked out as well as we expected it would.”

“Just to have a sale met our expectations,” Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell said. “We're very happy it's September at Keeneland and we're having a horse sale. To have competitive bidding at all levels of the market was very rewarding. The resiliency of this industry is unbelievable. For what everyone has been through, we appreciate all the buyers who are here and we wish them all success.”

During Sunday's session, fillies commanded the four-highest prices.

The session-topping Tapit filly, who was consigned by Bluewater Sales, agent, is out of Grade 1 Alabama winner Embellish the Lace, by Super Saver, and from the family of Grade 1 winners Afleet Express and Materiality.

Claiborne Stallion Seasons and Bloodstock Manager Bernie Sams signed the ticket for the filly.

“This is for a Claiborne client,” Sams said. “He is going to try to buy a couple more fillies and build a broodmare band in the next few years. He wanted a Tapit filly. I saw her for the first time here a few days ago. (My first impression was that she is a) pretty, athletic filly. She is from a young mare from a family that could run. (With Tapit) it is a good cross.”

“You just never know what is going to happen even though she had all of the interest,” Bluewater owner Meg Levy told TVG. “She jumped through all the hoops. I am really, really thrilled that Claiborne's client ended up getting her. She is such a queen. This filly did everything right the entire time.”

Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm paid $1.1 million for a daughter of Medaglia d'Oro who is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and sire Constitution, Group 2 winner Boynton and Group 3 winner Jacaranda. Denali Stud, agent, consigned the filly, who is out of the Grade 3-placed winner Baffled, by Distorted Humor.

“We are not looking for collectable (broodmares); we are looking for a racehorse first,” said Todd Quast, who signed the ticket. “She obviously has great broodmare potential. She checked all the boxes for us. She is very athletic with a super, super shoulder like the Medaglia d'Oros have. We are happy to have her.”

Mike Ryan, agent, paid $1.05 million for a daughter of War Front who is a full sister to European champion and multiple Group 1 winner Air Force Blue. Out of the stakes-placed Maria's Mon mare Chatham, she was consigned by breeder Stone Farm.

“This is for a client I started to buy a few horses for last year,” Ryan said. “He has been in racing awhile. This filly probably will go to Europe. She will start out there. Being a full sister to champion Air Force Blue, you would have to think she will love the turf. She looks to me like a filly who will run in the states on the dirt. She's looks more to me like a dirt horse, but we know she will handle the grass. Hopefully she will do some good in Europe and we bring her back here later in her career.”

Ryan said he “thought she was an exceptional physical when I saw her at Stone Farm on (Aug. 28). She is a May foal and is very well grown for her age. Stone Farm raises good horses, and it is nice to buy from people who consistently raise good horses.”

Gainesway, agent, sold two yearlings – a daughter of Quality Road and a colt by Into Mischief – for $1 million each.

The Quality Road filly was purchased by Donato Lanni, agent. Out of the Grade 3-placed Ghostzapper mare Beloveda, she is from the family of Grade 3 winners Voyagers Quest and Golden Mystery.

Larry Best's OXO Equine paid $1 million for the son of Into Mischief out of Grade 2-placed winner Curlina, by Cuvee, to make him the session's high-priced colt. Best, who has a well-known affinity for progeny of Into Mischief, said, “I was looking for a good colt – I seem to collect the fillies.”

Asked about the market on opening day of the September Sale, Best said, “Based on what I've heard and seen today, the market's a little stronger than what I anticipated. There's a lot of buyers here paying a lot of money for good horses. So that's a good sign for the industry. I hope it continues.”

Lanni, agent for SF/Starlight/Madaket, was the session's leading buyer, spending $4.17 million for eight horses.

The leading consignor was Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, which sold 22 horses for $7.26 million.

The second session of the September Sale starts tomorrow at noon ET. The entire sale is streamed live at Keeneland.com.

The post $1.25-Million Tapit Filly Leads Opening Day Of Keeneland September Yearling Sale appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Bright Spots As Unusual Yearling Season Kicks Off at Fasig-Tipton

by Brian DiDonato, Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis

LEXINGTON, KY–The Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase, a hybrid of the company’s July yearling sale, Saratoga sale and New York-bred yearling sale brought about by COVID-19- induced rescheduling, kicked off the 2020 yearling sales season Wednesday with signs of life for the market.

A total of 172 yearlings changed hands for gross receipts of $27,166,000–good for an average of $157,942 and median of $100,000. The RNA rate was 34.4%.

“At the outset, we had no expectations for the statistics,” said Fasig-Tipton president and CEO Boyd Browning, Jr. “It was impossible to know how to compare this sale to 2019 results. What we hoped to achieve was to have a viable marketplace, to have commerce be conducted amongst buyers and sellers and to create an environment which would help to restore some confidence in the marketplace and to provide it some stability and foundation for the 2020 yearling sales. We are only halfway through, so I am going to be cautious in my overall analysis at this point, but I am very encouraged. These sales grounds have been jam-packed with buyers since Sunday. They bid pretty enthusiastically. I think any time you start a sale, there is a little bit of trepidation and it takes you a little bit of time occasionally to find its way to get a little confidence. I think that was certainly the case today, but I think as it progressed through the day, people gained more confidence. The bidding was very competitive. We are only halfway through the catalogue, but I would say we are very encouraged by the level of participation and the enthusiasm that people participated in the sale and the enthusiasm of the people who came to attend the sale.”

Watch our complete interview with Boyd Browning below.

Hip 232, a regally bred Quality Road filly from a potent Coolmore family, was the lone seven-figure seller from a $1.5-million bid by Robbie Medina on behalf of Joseph Allen. The bay filly was consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent.

The sale began with a section of 164 New York-breds, and that group seemed to struggle a bit more than the open horses, with a significant percentage failing to find new homes as fewer New York-based connections were on the grounds than would be in Saratoga.

“Traditionally, if you look over the last 10 years, the New York sale has had probably the highest RNA rate of any of our major sales because there are so many racing opportunities for the New York breeders,” Browning said. “There is less pressure on them to begin with. Certainly the group that got dealt probably the toughest hand in terms of the marketplace was the New York breeders. Saratoga has a wonderful environment with the race meet going on and all of the interest and enthusiasm with so many folks that participate in the marketplace, both owners and trainers, who are used to being in Saratoga that are engaged. So they have probably been the most impacted of any segment of the market, not being able to have the sale in Saratoga. It was unrealistic to have a meaningful Thoroughbred auction in Saratoga in the summer and fall of 2020, so those breeders certainly had to adapt. And we have adapted with them and tried to have the best possible alternatives, but there were no perfect alternatives in the environment that we were dealing with in 2020.”

What They’re Saying…

“[The market] is extremely selective, which is nothing new, but I think this year is probably going to be more so. People are all landing on the same horses. They work it very thoroughly. They know what they want. They know what they like. There is competition for, as Boyd Browning says all the time, perceived quality, but below that is tough.” –Agent Mike Ryan

“I thought when you measure the sale today, factoring in the crazy world we are in, I thought the folks at Fasig should be reasonably comfortable. There was enough buying power where people could get out. It could be worse, let me put it that way.”  –OXO Equine’s Larry Best

“Those horses have sold on an island, so to speak, up in New York. Then they come down here and start knocking heads with Into Mischiefs and Curlins and Tapits and Medaglia d’Oros and sires like that–they can still be nice horses, but your eye is going to gravitate to something that’s fancier. At the end of the day, these breeders–Fasig-Tipton has done an incredible job offering this right now in the times that we’re in–but the breeders are kind of hampered, a little bit, by not having those middle-of-the-road trainers here to buy those horses. They couldn’t travel in for whatever reason. When they’re in Saratoga, it’s a little different–they just have to go across the street. It’s a little different getting on a plane and coming down here. Hopefully, everybody made it through, and now it looks like the sale has picked up a little bit with these open-session horses. Hopefully, it just means that tomorrow it’ll be stronger and for all the breeders’ sakes we’ll go into Keeneland [September] and it’ll be strong.” –Agent Jacob West

Allen Strikes For Quality Filly

A daughter of Quality Road ignited a fury of bidding at Newtown Paddocks Wednesday, jumping into the seven-figure range in a matter of seconds and dropping the hammer at $1.5 million, which was the highest price of the day. When the smoke cleared, it was trainer Robbie Medina left signing the ticket on Hip 232 on behalf of longtime owner and breeder Joe Allen.

Watch our post-sale interview below.

“She had the best pedigree in the book, so Joe wanted her,” said Medina, who worked as an assistant to Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey for years before taking over training duties at Blackwood Training Center. “I have known Joe for 25 years when I worked for Shug. Joe had a team here and he asked me to go look at her and she is a beautiful filly. You can’t get a better pedigree than that. There is plenty of horse there and, as you can see she is a late April foal, so there is plenty of horse still to come.”

Bred by Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt, hip 232 is out of Group 1 winner Marvellous (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who is also responsible for SW & MGSP Fort Myers (War Front). Out of GSW You’resothrilling (Storm Cat)–a full-sister to Giant’s Causeway–Marvellous is a full-sister to multiple Group 1 winners Gleneagles (Ire) and Happily (Ire), as well as MGSW & GISP Taj Mahal (Ire), GSW & GISP Coolmore (Ire) and Vatican City (Ire), runner-up in this year’s G1 Irish 2000 Guineas.

“She is a wonderful, lovely filly,” said John Sikura of Hill ‘n’ Dale, who consigned the youngster. Coolmore owns the best mares in the world with the top pedigrees, so, for the long term, this is great value. Wonderful, classy filly with pedigree full of black-type, just a fantastic page that is still productive. We have a couple of really well-bred fillies, but she was the pearl of the group. For collectors like Joe Allen, who race and breed internationally at the highest level, that is what they seek. It is rare that you find those fillies, but when you do, you have to bid with authority and that’s what he did. I wish him the best of luck with a wonderful filly.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

Lanni, Baffert Buy Curlin Filly for Petersen

Agent Donato Lanni and now six-time GI Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert teamed up to secure a $700,000 Curlin filly (hip 285) Wednesday on behalf of Michael Lund Petersen. She was consigned by her breeder, Bonnie Baskin’s Blue Heaven Farm.

Lanni purchased the Baffert-trained and Petersen-owned GI Longines Acorn S. and GI Longines Test S. heroine and recent GI Kentucky Oaks third Gamine (Into Mischief) for a sale-topping $1.8 million at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale last year; and bought Petersen the $1.1-million Uncle Mo colt topper at that auction this June.

“I’ve seen this filly at the farm before, and she just keeps getting better and better,” said Lanni, who bid from the press box alongside Baffert and his wife Jill. “She’s a really sweet, fast-looking, athletic filly by I’d say the top sire in the country–one of them, at least. Bob and I thought she was just a real classy filly that would fit in his barn. You never know what they’re going to bring, but the price was plenty.”

Blue Heaven paid $600,000 for hip 285’s graded stakes-winning dam Our Khrysty (Newfoundland) in foal to Tiznow at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Our Khrysty is a half to GSIW Bullsbay (Tiznow).

“They raise a good horse, [Blue Heaven vice president and general manager] Adam [Corndorf] and [farm manager] Jamie [Corbett],” Lanni said. “It’s a mom-and-pop farm–they own all their own mares and they raise them all. I feel good about how we did, and having Bob here with me makes my job a lot easier. It’s fun having him here. He’s the best.” —@BDiDonatoTDN

O’Byrne Hangs Tough on Into Mischief

Demi O’Byrne was determined when Hip 274 came into the ring, winning a furious bidding war with trainer Kenny McPeek to take home the son of red hot Into Mischief for $700,000. He was one of four yearlings purchased by O’Byrne, who was bidding on behalf of Peter Brant throughout the day. The colt was bred by Jeff Lewis, son of Bob and Beverly Lewis.

“That was the true market value,” said Conrad Bandoroff of Denali Stud, where the colt was born and raised. “It is what two guys said the horse was worth. Who is to say if in a normal year he brings more. He is a nice horse and we are happy with the price. We are thrilled for Mr. Lewis and we are thrilled for Demi.”

Hip 274 is out Night and Day (Unbridled’s Song), who is a daughter of the Lewis family’s Hall of Fame mare Serena’s Song (Rahy), as well as the dam of MGSW Made You Look (More Than Ready). Serena’s Song’s resume on the racetrack and in the breeding shed speaks for itself. An Eclipse Award winner and 11-time Grade I victress, she produced Group 1 winner Sophisticat (Storm Cat), who was also purchased by O’Byrne; GSWs Grand Reward (Storm Cat), Harlington (Unbridled) and Schramsberg (Storm Cat); and SW Serena’s Tune (Mr. Prospector), who is the dam of MGISW Honor Code (A. P. Indy).

“That is a special horse to us,” Bandoroff said. “He was born and raised on the farm for Jeff Lewis, who has continued on the family legacy. He is from the family of Serena’s Song out of a graded stakes producer. That is home team. It is obviously a family that has meant a lot to us. He is a horse that from the day he hit the ground, we always liked him and thought pretty highly of him. It is nice when a judge like Demi O’Byrne, one of the top judges of horse flesh, agrees with you. It is a testament to the team and to Serena’s Song legacy, which is something near and dear to us.”

Watch the complete interview with Conrad Bandoroff below.

Into Mischief has been getting hotter by the minute with his most recent success coming this past Saturday when Authentic became the Spendthrift sire’s first GI Kentucky Derby winner. His offspring proved exceptionally popular Wednesday, topped by this $700,000 colt. Eight yearlings by Into Mischief changed hands Wednesday for a total of $3.25-million and an average of $406,250. —@CDeBernardisTDN

Sondereker Hits a High with War Front Filly

John Sondereker usually plans to spend around $500,000 to buy yearlings for his West Coast-based racing stable, but he blew past that budget to acquire just one filly for $625,000 Wednesday at Fasig-Tipton. The yearling (hip 248), a daughter of War Front and out of Miss Chatelaine (Pulpit), was consigned by Brookdale Sales, as agent for her breeder Highland Yard LLC.

“I didn’t plan to spend that much money, but you get caught up in it and it’s so much fun,” Sondereker said. “Instead of buying two or three horses, maybe I’ll just buy one.”

Multiple graded placed Miss Chatelaine is a half-sister to graded winner Big Bend (Union Rags).

Asked what he liked about the yearling, Sondereker said, “Everything. She is a beautiful filly, she’s so correct. She had great movement. She was a really easy horse to buy–it’s not hard to buy those kind, you just have to have the money, right?”

Sondereker’s involvement in racing began several decades ago, but his foray into ownership started in the early 2000s.

“I was mucking stalls at Thistledown in 1959,” he said. “And then I worked for 40 years in the financial industry at Wells Fargo. I retired and I started buying racehorses on the West Coast in 2003.”

Sondereker has about 20 horses in training in California with Eric Kruljac. His 3-year-old Kiss Today Goodbye (Cairo Prince) was third behind Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) in the Aug. 1 Shared Belief S. and was fifth in the GII Del Mar Derby Sunday. In partnership, he campaigned last year’s GIII Santa Barbara S. winner Causeforcommotion (Americain).

“We’ve always had fun,” Sondereker said. “And this filly is going to be my best one. I’m counting on it.” @JessMartiniTDN

Lows Get In on the Mischief

Prominent owners Robert and Lawana low got involved in Wednesday’s frenzy for progeny of red-hot Into Mischief as their bloodstock advisor Jacob West stretched to $600,000 to secure hip 268. The bay colt was consigned by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield on behalf of Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Bred & Raised.

“We thought he was in the $500,000 to $600,000 range and we had all the right people [on him],” said Francis Vanlangendonck. “These guys, they’re sharp, they know what a good horse is. That was in the ballpark that we thought.”

The Feb. 15 foal is out of speedy GSW and GISP My Wandy’s Girl (Flower Alley), who Stonestreet bought for $700,000 at the 2014 Keeneland November sale.

“He’s a really good Into Mischief,” Vanlangendonck said. “He’s correct, he’s got a good body on him; a good mind. Those horses are easy to sell. I’m just blessed to have Stonestreet give me horses like that. He’s a nice horse.”

West, like the other buyers who landed Into Mischiefs Wednesday, said hip 268’s sire power was obvious.

“Obviously, the stallion doesn’t need any introduction,” West said. “He’s out of a mare who could run; a cross that has worked before; and he comes from in incredible nursery in Stonestreet. We have a lot of faith in buying off of them; they raise incredible horses. They brought an incredible horse here to sell in support of Fasig, and they ended up getting a good result.”

Hip 268 is bred on a version of the same Into Mischief–Distorted Humor cross that produced Grade I winner and buzzed-about young sire Practical Joke.

“He’s the hottest stallion in the world right now, so you know you’re not going to steal one,” West said of hip 268’s price tag. “He was a beautiful horse; obviously, he was well sought after by a lot of other buyers, I’d assume. So, we just feel lucky to get him.” —@BDiDonatoTDN

Crawfords Take a Shance

Al and Michelle Crawford enjoyed graded stakes success at Saratoga last summer with the speedy Shancelot (Shanghai Bobby) and the couple went back to that family to acquire a filly by Speightstown for $600,000 at Fasig-Tipton Wednesday. The bay filly is out of multiple graded placed One True Kiss (Warrior’s Reward), a half-sister to the GII Amsterdam S. winner. She was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency on behalf of Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, who purchased her for $325,000 at the Fasig-TIpton November sale just days after their Mitole (Eskendereya) defeated Shancelot in last year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

“What was there not to like about her?,” Michelle Crawford asked after signing the ticket on hip 283. “We were one of the underbidders when she was a weanling. We bid up to maybe $280,000 or $290,000 and were very sad not to get her.”

The Heiligbrodts maintained a half-interest in the yearling.

“We are going to partner with Bill on her–new partnerships are fun,” Al Crawford confirmed. “We are using Steve Asmussen–he has all of our horses now. To go in with Bill and using Steve on a filly with the Shancelot connection, it seemed like everything came together. But I’ll let you know in two years.”

Of the yearling’s final price tag, Al Crawford admitted, “It was our top. Right there. We watched it and, if it had clicked again, we were probably out.”

Hip 283 was bred by Geoff Nixon’s Tolo Thoroughbreds and Ryan Conner, who purchased One True Kiss with the filly in utero for $250,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November sale.

Shancelot has not raced since last year’s Breeders’ Cup, but returned to Steve Asmussen’s barn earlier this week.

“He had a little injury back in February and we’ve been ultra-conservative with him,” Al Crawford said. “Hopefully we will see him in early 2021. Obviously his speed is there, it’s just a question of being ultra-conservative with that little injury.”  @JessMartiniTDN

Perfect Note Rewards Blackstone

When Perfect Note (Elusive Quality), a daughter of MGISW Music Note (A.P. Indy), went through the ring at Keeneland September in 2016, she was not as perfect as her name suggests, hammering for just $17,000 to Blackstone Farm. The commercial Pennsylvania nursery, which is a partnership between Christian and Douglas Black and Mark Weissman, took a chance on the filly despite her issues, buying her as a future broodmare and she rewarded their faith in a big way Wednesday when her first foal, a colt by Nyquist, sold for $510,000 to Mike Ryan.

“I actually bought the filly as a yearling,” Christian Black said. “She had some issues so I bought her as a broodmare prospect. I fell in love with her and we bought her for a very small amount, turned her out and let her be a mom eventually. This is the first foal. We put her in foal to Nyquist because we liked his race record and the way he looked. He was a great physical fit for our mare.”

As for the price, Black said, “It is difficult to put that kind of money on a foal or any horse that you have. He has been special from the beginning. I know a lot of people say that, but he has. He has a great mind set, very easy to be around and he showed it here at the sales too. He has been out over 200 times and he never missed a beat. If you saw him here in the back ring, he has been acting the same as he has the last three or four days.”

The breeder, whose farm also produced MGSW & GISP Tom’s Ready (More Than Ready), added, “The timing was also good with Nyquist’s recent success and Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) winning. It is a live family.”

Perfect Note is a half-sister to last Saturday’s GII Jim Dandy S. victor and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Mystic Guide. On Sunday, freshman sire Nyquist was represented by his first Grade I winner in Vequist and was also responsible for the third-place finisher in that Saratoga staple, Lady Lilly.

Ryan is a big fan of Nyquist and is very familiar with the stallion. The bloodstock agent purchased Hip 297 from the South Point Sales Agency consignment on behalf of an undisclosed client.

“I am very partial to Nyquist,” Ryan said. “Niall Brennan and myself pinhooked him as a yearling, so obviously I followed him with great interest. I have been a big fan since he went to stud. I have bred multiple mares to him. I knew he was an exceptional colt and he had a great pedigree. The second dam produced the Jim Dandy winner the other day.”

He continued, “He looks like a horse that is hopefully going to be a top horse on a Saturday. He looked like he would get two turns and he has a stallion’s pedigree to carry him, so if he is a good horse, there is plenty of residual there. He is a lot like his father. The sire had the first and third in the Spinaway the other day and has two stakes winners already. He is one of the horses who can get you a Classic horse.”

Nyquist, whose first stakes winner came at Woodbine last month in Gretzky the Great, was another stallion who proved quite popular Wednesday. Seven youngsters by the Darley stallion summoned $1.84-million and averaged $262,857.–@CDeBernardisTDN

McPeek Active at All Levels of the Market

Trainer and highly regarded judge Ken McPeek was active in all segments of the market Wednesday at Fasig–he took home a total of 10 yearlings for a combined $2.145 million at prices ranging from $35,000 (the same price he paid for Peter Callahan’s GI Alabama S. heroine and GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up Swiss Skydiver {Daredevil}) to $500,000.

McPeek’s priciest buy was a Medaglia d’Oro half-sister to GISW and young sire Cupid (Tapit) consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Agent L as hip 305. Bred by Turner Breeders, hip 305 is a half to a number of horses who cost big money as yearlings–Cupid was a $900,000 yearling, and his unraced 4-year-old full-sister topped the 2017Keeneland September sale at $2.7 million.

“A Medaglia d’Oro filly? With that female family? What’s she worth as a broodmare? There’s enough residual value there–she’s probably worth $250,000 if she never ran,” McPeek said, noting that hip 305’s principal owner would be Paul Fireman’s Fern Circle Stable but that he could take on additional partners.

As for prices in general, McPeek said before leaving with his  better half: “I thought they were reasonable. I thought they might be stronger. I bought a couple horses for a lot less than I thought they’d bring. Now I can afford  to buy my wife dinner.” —@BDiDonatoTDN

OXO Saves the Best for Last

Larry Best of OXO Equine had been quiet throughout Wednesday’s auction, but he snuck in late in the day to snap up the last yearling through the ring, a $500,000 daughter of Jimmy Creed.

Hip 330 is a half-sister to last season’s champion juvenile filly British Idiom (Flashback). Their multiple stakes-winning dam Rose and Shine (Mr. Sekiguchi) is also responsible for SW Parade of Roses (New Year’s Day).

“She was a great-looking filly with a decent pedigree,” said Best. “It was worth a shot. As usual, a little higher than I thought based on how the sale went. She is the only one I bid on all day.”

He added, “She will get a lot of good care. She will head to Eddie Woods in the next month and we will see how she does.”

Consigned by Warrendale Sales, Hip 330 was bred by Sandra Sexton and Silver Fern Farm. Sexton and her late husband Hargus purchased Rose and Shine for $21,000 with British Idiom in utero at the 2017 Keeneland January Sale. British Idiom brought just $40,000 from Liz Crow at the Fasig-Tipton October sale and Steve Landers bought the mare’s 2018 foal, a colt named Royal Prince (Cairo Prince), for $70,000 at last year’s Keeneland September Sale. —@CDeBernardisTDN

Spendthrift, MyRacehorse Shopping for Next Authentic

Just days after their colt Authentic (Into Mischief) ran away with the GI Kentucky Derby, Spendthrift Farm and MyRacehorse.com went back to the well for another son of the nation’s leading stallion. Hip 217, consigned by Paramount Sales, Agent XXV on behalf of breeder Don Alberto Corporation, cost $450,000.

“He’s a little cold, but we thought we’d take a chance anyways,” Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey quipped in reference to Spendthrift’s super sire. “What’s left to say about Into Mischief, right? He’s done all the talking. We thought this was a really nice example of one; a big, scopey, rangy, athletic colt–we’re very happy to have him.”

Toffey received congratulations from MyRacehorse team members Nick Hines and Joe Moran after singing the ticket, and confirmed that hip 217 would be campaigned in partnership with the quickly growing micro-share syndicate in which Spendthrift is invested.

“We’ll try to do it all over again,” he said.

Hip 217 is out of an unraced Empire Maker daughter of GSW La Reina (A.P.  Indy) and is a half to last year’s $650,000 KEESEP purchase by Juddmonte, Mayan (Uncle Mo). That colt had been breezing at Los Alamitos this summer. Their third dam is champion Queena (Mr. Prospector), who produced GISW Brahms. This is the deep female family of highest-level winners Chic Shirine, Verrazano, Somali Lemonade, et al. Don Alberto paid $240,000 for hip 217’s dam Lost Empire at the 2014 Keeneland November sale while she was in foal to Giant’s Causeway.

Spendthrift and MyRacehorse also teamed up to acquire hip 173 for $300,000 after he RNA’d. A fellow Paramount Sales offering, the son of American Pharaoh and GSW juvenile Just Louise (Five Star Day) was bred by Paramount partner Gabriel Duignan’s Springhouse Farm.

“He’s a really stout, athletic-looking guy,” Toffey said. “[Some of the American Pharoahs] have been a little bit turfy, but this guy looks a little more American dirt speed. He looks like a really athletic horse, so we’re really excited to have him as well.”

As for the market, Toffey said: “It’s a little spotty–we’ve sold some we’ve been really happy with. We had one we RNA’d who we thought we were reasonable with our reserve, so we were a little disappointed not to get that one [sold], but we’ve also sold  some very well and thought the prices were fair on the two that we bought. I think it’s solid.” —@BDiDonatoTDN

 Popular Into Mischief Filly Marks Emotional Sale for Brogden

Carrie Brogden was overcome with emotion, battling through tears as she thanked bloodstock agent Liz Crow for purchasing her homebred Into Mischief filly for $425,000 Wednesday.

“When I moved here in 2001, Dennis Lynch [Fasig’s beloved late Senior Account Executive] was my advisor for Fasig,” said Brogden as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “When we looked at this filly at the farm with [Fasig’s Recruiting and Marketing Manager] Evan [Ferraro], I said, ‘I know Dennis would have looked at this one and said, Car, Car, you know we want this one.’ So when she came up here, I just pictured him giving me a big bear hug. He is a big, bright shining light for our farm and our relationship with Fasig.”

The horsewoman added, “I am thrilled and delighted. Liz is a rising star in our industry. She knows I cheer for her in everything,”

Kicking off the open portion of the sale after the New York-bred contingent, Hip 165 was the first homebred through the ring for Carrie and Craig Brodgen’s new Machmer Hall Sales venture. Out of the unraced mare Jazz Flute (Unbridled’s Song), the bay hails from the family of European Highweight Sleepytime (Ire) (Royal Academy). She is bred on the same cross over Unbridled-line mares responsible for dual champion Covfefe.

“When she came in the back ring, Frank Taylor was like, ‘Oh my God, what is that,'” Brodgen said. “That is the way she has always presented herself. I am thrilled to bits. There are two things I love in the Thoroughbred industry, which everyone knows, and that is Into Mischief and Unbridled’s Song. They have produced in the sales ring and out on the track. I think that is what everyone wants right?”

The Into Mischief over Unbridled’s Song pedigree were big attractions for Crow, who was acting on behalf on undisclosed clients.

“I really like buying off Carrie,” Crow said. “I think they do a really good job. Whenever I see Machmer Hall as the breeder, it gives me a lot of confidence that they were raised the right way. She looked like an Into Mischief who could carry her speed around two turns and I loved Unbridled’s Song on the bottom side.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

Classic Empire Rewards Investors

Classic Empire had a pair of first-crop yearlings break through the $300,000 barrier Wednesday at Fasig-Tipton, with bloodstock agent Liz Crow striking late in the session to secure a son of the 2016 champion 2-year-old for $375,000. Out of stakes placed Rever de Vous (Distorted Humor), the bay (hip 323) was consigned by Gainesway. He had been purchased by the En Fuego pinhooking partnership for $185,000 at last year’s Keeneland November sale.

“He was a beautiful horse and a great-walking horse when we bought him,” Davant Latham, part of the partnership, said of the yearling. “Like most young horses, they go through stages, but we knew we had something special early this summer.”

Classic Empire, who stands at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud, won the 2016 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the following year’s GI Arkansas Derby and was second in the GI Preakness S.

“They were consistently good as weanlings and I think they’ve proven here as yearlings, they are consistent physicals and they are good physicals,” Latham said of the champion’s first crop of horses. “You don’t have a lot of variation in physicals, they are all nice horses.”

Of the return on his investment Wednesday, Latham said, “I am very happy with the price. You think about what that would be in another year and it’s $100,000 more, maybe. But I am thrilled with the price. We bought him for $185,000. That’s a great return, especially today.” @JessMartiniTDN

Classic Empire Colt a Score for Gladwell

Tori Gladwell, regularly successful in the pinhooking arena in which she sold $1.35-million OBS Spring sale topper and now Grade I winner Princess Noor (Not This Time), had success sending a homebred through the sales ring at Fasig-Tipton Wednesday. Through Scott Mallory’s consignment, Gladwell sold a colt by Classic Empire for $325,000 to Ben McElroy as agent for Kaleem Shah. The yearling is out of Just Parker (Forest Camp), a mare Gladwell purchased in partnership for $57,000 at the 2018 Keeneland January sale.

Gladwell was familiar with the mare’s family when she made the purchase two years ago.

“Foxy Posse (Posse) was one of the first foals out of the mare and we trained her and sold her and there are a couple other horses in that family that we knew were really fast and precocious. And that’s why we bought the mare,” Gladwell explained.

Just Parker was in foal to Vancouver (Aus) when she was purchased, but Gladwell thought champion 2-year-old Classic Empire would be a good fit for the mare.

“I liked Classic Empire as a racehorse and I thought he would help put some leg on her,” Gladwell said. “Forest Wildcat mares are really speedy horses, but she needed a little more leg and that’s what we got when we bred to Classic Empire.”

The yearling’s final price was well above his reserve.

“That was about double what we were thinking,” Gladwell said of the result. “The market is kind of scary because there were a lot of RNAs earlier, so I was really worried we wouldn’t get him sold for what the reserve was, which was below $200,000. So we’re really happy with that result.”

Gladwell has 12 broodmares, with the Kentucky band boarded with Scott Mallory and a group in New York.

“I love the mares,” Gladwell said. “I have a couple in New York at the McMahons and the rest of them stay here in Kentucky. I have multiple partners on them with me. We’ve been really blessed this year.”

After the standout result Wednesday, Gladwell was asked if she would be selling more homebreds in the future.

“My husband just told me to sell more of them,” she said with a laugh.

Just Parker produced a filly by American Pharoah this year and was bred back to Good Magic.

Ben McElroy has been successful buying 2-year-olds for Kaleem Shah, most recently this year with Sunday’s Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf S. winner Madone (Vancouver {Aus}) and impressive maiden winner Vittorio (Ghostzapper).

“I told Kaleem this was the type of horse we’d buy at a 2-year-old sale and, if he breezes :10 flat, we are talking $700,000 or $800,000,” McElroy said of the rare yearling purchase for Shah. “[Shah] is more of a 2-year-old buyer and we’ve been very successful at the 2-year-old sales, but if we can keep an eye out for a top horse, we’ll take a shot.”

McElroy admitted he has been impressed by the first-crop offspring of Classic Empire.

“I’ve been around a few of the farms before the sale and he has been one of the freshman sires who certainly stood out,” McElroy said. “They are very well balanced. They are great movers. They seem like they have really good attitudes. The horse we bought was just one we decided we had to have.”  @JessMartiniTDN

Team ‘Tiz’ Gets a Tiznow

Sackatoga Stable, fresh off its second-place finish in the

GI Kentucky Derby this past Saturday with Tiz the Law (Constitution), added another high-class New York-bred colt to its roster Wednesday in the form of a son of Tiznow, who just happens to be Tiz the Law’s broodmare sire. The $300,000 purchase, the priciest lot during the all-New York-bred portion of Wednesday’s session, was consigned by Hunter Valley Farm as hip 135. He had previously been acquired for $120,000 as a Keeneland November weanling.

Sackatoga operating manager Jack Knowlton bid while accompanied by trainer Barclay Tagg and Tiz the Law partner Eric Kordsmeier.

“Barclay’s our bloodstock advisor and and liked him better than any of the other New York-breds we looked at,” Knowlton said. “We only had two that we bid on–we got outbid on the first one, but luckily we got this one.”

Knowlton said hip 71, the $295,000 Candy Ride (Arg) colt purchased by Demi O’Byrne, had been Sackatoga’s other target. They had looked at Tiz the Law’s Mission Impazible half-brother (hip 73, $245,000), but he did not make it on to their short list.

“We’re just looking for athletes,” Knowlton said of hip 135’s appeal. “We look at families; we like stakes winners; and [Tiznow’s] a sire who we think can get a good horse. Physically, he’s a great-looking horse.”

The Mar. 4 foal is out of stakes-placed juvenile Eternal Grace (Gilded Time), who has already produced GSW Bye Bye Bernie (Bernstein) and two other stakes horses.

As for the price and market, he said: “It’s soft except for the real good horses, and we’re hoping he’s one of the good ones. Physically, we really like him a lot, and we really like the pedigree. We’re hoping he’s really going to turn into a runner for us.”

“This is the only one we’re buying–we’re done,” Knowlton said. “Now I can head out and be happy we got a horse. You never know; we’re very particular. Barclay’s very particular in what he advises us to buy, and his vets are even more particular. So, we’re really happy when we can find one.” —@BDiDonatoTDN

Tiz the Law Half RNAs

The half-brother to MGISW and recent GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Tiz the Law (Constitution) will remain with breeder Twin Creeks Farm to race in his home state of New York after leaving the ring unsold at $245,000. Hip 73 is by Mission Impazible and was consigned by Becky Thomas’ Sequel New York, where he was foaled and raised.

“They priced him at what they thought was a fair price, but unfortunately, we are in COVID times,” Thomas said. “So, they will keep him and race him. They really like the 2-year-old full-sister Angel Oak, who they plan to race themselves, and obviously Tiz the Law is magnificent.”

Tiz the Law, a $110,000 purchase at Fasig-Tipton’s New York-Bred Sale, scored ultra-impressive wins in both the GI Belmont S. and GI Runhappy Travers S. Heavily favored to carry his win streak into the Run for the Roses, the flashy bay finished second to a gutsy Authentic (Into Mischief). —@CDeBernardisTDN

Candy Ride Colt Stars in New York Section

Veteran bloodstock agent Demi O’Byrne, who recently launched O’Byrne and Grassick International Bloodstock Agency with agent Sean Grassick, signed the ticket to secure a colt by Candy Ride (Arg) for $295,000 on behalf of Peter Brant’s White Birch during the opening New York-bred yearlings section of the Fasig-Tipton Showcase Wednesday. Consigned by Eaton Sales, hip 71 is out of the unraced Sweet Love (Any Given Saturday), a full-sister to graded winner Adventist. He was bred by Joe Fafone.

“He was a great mover and a nice colt. That’s about it,” O’Byrne said of the yearling’s appeal.

Of the colt’s final price, O’Byrne added, “I thought he was a little high, but he was a nice horse.”

Sweet Love’s first foal is a colt by Brody’s Cause who sold to Curragh Racing for $170,000 at this year’s OBS Spring sale.

O’Byrne said he would continue to shop for Brant at the sale and later in Wednesday’s session purchased an Into Mischief colt (hip 274) for $700,000. @JessMartiniTDN

The post Bright Spots As Unusual Yearling Season Kicks Off at Fasig-Tipton appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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