Tag: ned toffey

$1.2M Half-Brother To Mage Leads Competitive Book 2 Opener at Keeneland

By Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

McKinzie Half to Mage Brings $1.2 Million

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

Repole, Spendthrift Team for Gun Runner Colt

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More 'Mischief' to Kick Off Book 2

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

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

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

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Uncle Mo Colt to Pin Oak

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

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

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

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

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

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

Searings Find a 'Bargain' Into Mischief

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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$4-Million Curlin–Beholder Colt Leads ‘Magical Night’ In Saratoga

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale of Selected Yearlings, which looked to have a tough task to live up to its record-smashing 2022 renewal, proved more than equal to that task and, when a fast and frenetic session concluded Tuesday night, the auction had once again set high-water marks for gross and average and tied its record median.

“We have experienced some magical nights in Saratoga in the past and you've heard me talk about the Saratoga magic, but we ain't seen nothing like tonight,” a jubilant Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. said Tuesday night. “It was spectacular from the very first horse in the ring–or maybe the very first share in the ring–to the very conclusion of the sale. It just goes to show you what happens when you have the opportunity to sell exceptional physical horses that have outstanding pedigrees to an unbelievable group of buyers that love Saratoga.”

A total of 153 yearlings sold during the two-day auction for a record gross of $74,780,000. The average was $488,758–an increase of the record of $468,217 set last year–and the median was unchanged at $375,000.

With 50 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 24.6%. It was 20.11% last year.

A colt with a sparkling pedigree–a son of champion Curlin out of champion Beholder–had been the most- discussed yearling on the grounds leading up to the sale and, during a dramatic star turn in the ring, the yearling became the highest-priced horse to sell at Saratoga since 2000 when Amr Zedan made his $4-million bid.

The Saratoga record for a yearling is a $4.6-million colt by Northern Dancer sold in 1984, the same year a son of Roberto sold for $4 million. In 2000, a son of Seattle Slew brought a final bid of $4.2 million.

Zedan, who has habitually made the top purchases at the 2-year-olds in training sales in the last three years, returned later in the session to purchase a colt by Into Mischief for $3.2 million.

“Obviously, I hope Mr. Zedan returns to Saratoga,” Browning said. “His first trip to Saratoga had quite an impact on the sale overall, but it wasn't a one-man show.”

In all, 10 yearlings sold for seven figures this year. There were 14 to hit that mark last year. Fifty-two yearlings sold for $500,000 or above this year, compared to 39 a year ago.

“The consistency of bidding throughout the night, particularly on the top-end lots–anything over $300,000–at times the auctioneers and the bid spotters had trouble keeping up with the bidding,” Browning said. “Not because they weren't doing their job, but because there were so many bids coming it was hard to keep up. It was an unbelievable energy, an unbelievable atmosphere and unbelievable results tonight.”

 

Fireworks for Beholder's Colt by Curlin

Amr Zedan, who has made a habit of buying high-priced juveniles at auctions in the last few years, was an ominiously quiet presence around the sales grounds during Monday's first session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, but the Saudi businessman made plenty of noise during the auction's second session, going to $4 million to acquire a colt by Curlin out of champion Beholder (hip 165) and following up with a $3.2-million son of Into Mischief (hip 228). Zedan stood alongside trainer Bob Baffert and bloodstock agent Donato Lanni on the balcony overlooking the ring during the bidding on the colt, who was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency on behalf of his breeder, Spendthrift Farm.

“It is very difficult to find these kind of bloodlines,” Zedan said. “It's a rarity to find them at auction. Coming in here and seeing that quality–it took some time to actually take a look at him and really appreciate who he is as an individual. We hope he makes us proud when he becomes a stallion. He could actually be as impactful as his predecssors–as his mother and his father. We are so blessed and privileged to have him and can't thank the boss [Baffert] right here enough.”

Baffert had a front-row seat to Beholder (Henny Hughes)'s historic racing career, which included four Eclipse championships and 11 Grade I victories for Spendthrift Farm and trainer Richard Mandella. When the mare's yearling son began rearing in the ring Tuesday night, Baffert saw some similarities.

“I was stabled next to Richard Mandella and I watched Beholder go by my barn every day and she was a handful,” Baffert said. “He is a handful, too, but with a pedigree like that you have to take a swing at it if you want to play at that top level, which is where Mr. Zedan wants to be. It's a lot of money for a horse who hasn't run, but he looks like an athlete and hopefully everything goes well. He's an outstanding individual. We loved him at the barn and we are excited to get him. He's headed to California.”

Zedan purchased the top two offerings at this year's OBS April sale, going to $2.2 million for a son of Gun Runner and $1.45 million for a colt by Arrogate. He had the top lot at the OBS March sale with Muth, a $2-million son of Good Magic, who became a 'TDN Rising Star' on debut in June.

“Spending that kind of money–it's a lot,” Zedan said of his latest sale-topping bid. “But from an operational standpoint, for the portfolio we've got, it's a well-hedged, well-calculated venture. It's not like we are shooting from the hip.”

On the racetrack, Zedan has been represented by Grade I winners Taiba, Arabian Lion and Princess Noor, as well as graded winner Arabian Knight, all 'TDN Rising Stars'.

“We have been blessed with successes–that's all Mr. Baffert,” Zedan said. “We do the easy part, he does the heavy lifting. We are so glad to have him on board.”

Spendthrift's Ned Toffey admitted the colt's final price tag, was no great surprise.

“We thought he would be in the $3-million to $4-million range,” Toffey said. “When we got to three, I was a little relieved and when we got to four, I was pretty happy. But that's a nice colt and that kind doesn't come along very often. A colt that looks the part with that kind of pedigree, he's a special horse. We are really happy that Amr Zedan got him.”

Toffey watched the yearling's antics in the sales ring from just a few rows back in the pavilion.

“I was very calm and relaxed,” he deadpanned when asked what he was thinking. “You saw the way the threw himself up there–he doesn't do anything casually. I am glad we had a good man on him in the ring. He did a great job handling him and keeping him in one piece. That was a little nerve-wracking, but the guy did a great job with him.”

Just minutes after purchasing the colt, Zedan joined Toffey by his seat in the pavilion. Asked what was discussed, the Spendthrift manager said, “We've done a number of deals with him now. They have been great to deal with. So hopefully it will not be the last.”

Pressed if there was a possible partnership afoot on the colt between Zedan and Spendthrift, Toffey said, “Well, there might be.”

Taylor Made's Duncan Taylor put the colt's yearling price tag in context of his potential value down the road.

“I remember when we sold Mariah's Storm to Mr. Magnier for $2.6 million, I thought, 'Man, I can't believe he paid that much.' And [her son] Giant's Causeway probably produced $200 million worth of stud fees.

“That's the kind of horse this colt was. Taylor Made has never sold a yearling that had so much stallion power. Into Mischief, Beholder's half-brother, has been the leading sire in America four years in a row. So when you have that sire power and the father of the yearling is Curlin, who has had Cody's Wish, Elite Power, Malathaat, Clairiere and Nest all running in the same year and he still can't get ahead of Into Mischief, you know you have one yearling with a lot of stallion potential. If he wins a Grade I, it's a $75-million syndication. So it was a lot of money, but there can be a lot of return.”

Taylor concluded, “Hopefully, he will do great for Bob Baffert and Amr Zedan. And he's another picture up on the Taylor Made wall of another success story.” @JessMartiniTDN

Into Mischief Colt to Eclipse Thoroughbreds

A colt by Into Mischief out of Rachel's Valentina (Bernardini), a 'TDN Rising Star' Grade I-winning daughter of champion Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro) (hip 135) brought a final bid of $1.5 million from Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Aron Wellman.

“He was an absolute standout all week long,” Wellman said of the colt. “He is by arguably the greatest sire of our generation in Into Mischief, he is out of a Grade I-winning mare, who is by Bernardini, one of the best broodmare sires of our generation. And she is out of Rachel Alexandra, who is arguably one of the best race mares of our generation. As far as his pedigree, it speaks for itself, but he has to match up physically. And he did that every which way.”

The bay colt was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency on behalf of his breeder, Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings.

“He is bred, not just the right way, but by the right people,” Wellman said. “They raise them incredibly well at Stonestreet. Every year they are turning out champions. It's an incredible operation.”

Banke sat a few rows behind Wellman during the bidding and walked up to congratulate him after the purchase.

“I just spoke to Barbara and she was certainly intrigued by the opportunity to stay in,” Wellman said. “We will discuss the details at some point. There are no other partners at this point, but Barbara will definitely stay in. We have partnered previously and there is no one better in the game than her from top to bottom. We are really honored to be associated with Stonestreet.”

The only question for Wellman came as he examined the ticket before signing for the yearling. It came in with the wrong price.

“I was astonished,” he said with a laugh. “It hung up there at $1.5 million for a while, the hammer dropped at $1.5 and she brought the ticket down at $1.6 million. Of course, Fasig-Tipton was very gracious in expeditiously correcting it.”

Eclipse also bought a Denali Stud-consigned colt by Curlin–Mopotism (Uncle Mo) for $825,000 during Monday's round of bidding. Eclipse has campaigned Curlin's Grade I-winning fillies Curalina and champion Nest.

Tapit Colts Head Early Action at Day 2 at Fasig-Tipton

In contrast to Monday's opening session, it didn't take very long for the fireworks to light things up on the second day of Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga sale. A pair of Tapit colts reeled in seven-figure final bids, led by hip 129, who brought a cool $1.2 million. A son Plenty O'Toole (Tiznow), the Feb. 24 foal was purchased by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm. A $275,000 Keeneland November weanling purchase by Randy Hartley and Dean DeRenzo's AAA Thoroughbreds, the colt was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.

“I liked everything about him. He has a stallion-making pedigree. This was my pick of the sale,” said Pope.

Dam of MGSW and GISP Mr. Money (Goldencents) and SP Tizplenty (Speightstown), the 13-year-old Plenty O'Toole is from the family of UAE highweight Well Armed (Tiznow), victorious in the G1 Dubai World Cup in addition to the GI Goodwood S. stateside, as well as MGISW Cyberknife (Gun Runner).

“For what we were looking at, he fit the bill,” added advisor Todd Quast.

Whisper Hill has already tasted success courtesy of Tapit, led by Tapit Trice, winner of this year's GI Toyota Blue Grass S., and Charge It, who won the GII Suburban last month. Both colts are trained by Todd Pletcher.

Pope explained, “We're working on getting colts, and with the success of [Tapit colts] Charge It and Tapit Trice, we are trying to hit on that horse that is going to become the big stallion. That is what seems to make this business work. You have to find one of those and [develop] them. That's what you have to do.”

Only moments before, hip 123, another colt by Tapit, lit up the board to the tune of $1.1 million from the Gainesway draft. Holding the winning bid for the son of GISW Paola Queen (Flatter) was agent Mike Ryan.

“We put a syndicate together to buy him, and we'd like to keep that anonymous for the moment,” said Ryan. “He's a horse that we hope will be showing up on the big days. He has a great demeanor which is wonderful for a Tapit. He is an unbelievable stallion and a sire of sires, but you have to make sure you get the ones with the right character, personality and demeanor. He seemed to have all of that. Time will tell.”

Out of MSW and GSP Kadira (Kafwain), Paola Queen recorded her biggest career win on the track in the GI Test S. at Saratoga.

“He's a beautifully made horse with a great mind,” offered Ryan. “I'm familiar with the family. I bought the second dam, Kadira, for Carl Pollard and he bred Paola Queen. She was very brilliant the day she won the Test here. It was a fantastic performance. She was very, very impressive.”

A $180,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, Paola Queen returned to the sales ring to bring $1.7 million from SF Bloodstock at Keeneland November in 2016 before realizing the same price from Don Alberto at that venue the following year.

“He's a beautifully made horse. He'll run at two, but he will get 1 1/8 miles,” Ryan continued. “Who knows if he will get 1 1/4 miles, but he gave us a good feel.”

He continued, “It's going to be a very strong sale, there are a lot of good horses here tonight and we knew we were going to have to stretch on this horse. That's what it takes for horses who have a chance of stallion potential after they run.”

The mare has proven to be nothing but a money-making machine, foaling an Into Mischief colt in 2020 who would go on to bring $2.6 million in Saratoga in 2021 and was duly followed by a filly, also by Spendthrift's premier sire, who brought $1.2 million at this venue last year. The latter, now named Mugen and trained by Steve Asmussen for Japanese owner Koji Maeda, was third to the promising Alys Beach (Omaha Beach) on Saratoga debut July 30 —@CBossTDN

Gainesway Hits With Another Seven-Figure Yearling on Day 2

Gainesway enjoyed a profitable run at Fasig-Tipton this week, headed by hip 77, a Quality Road colt who brought $1.1 million on Day 1 and hit the same mark Tuesday with Hip 123, a colt by Tapit out of Grade I winner Paola Queen.

Opting to bring only their highest-tier stock to Saratoga each summer, the operation's latest million dollar baby represents a family that has already proven profitable in seasons past. Over the past two seasons, Gainesway has consigned both of Paola Queen's seven-figure yearlings that have gone through the ring.

“We were thrilled with [the price],” said Gainesway's Brian Graves of Tuesday's Tapit colt. “[Paola Queen] throws beautiful foals with athleticism. That is the third million-dollar yearling out of that mare. This horse really fits in line as the third foal.”

He continued, “The price wasn't a surprise. The first time we saw him, we thought he could be a very high-profile sale horse. He was leggy, beautiful neck and just a beautiful mover. He was worth every penny. He can be another Constitution or Flightline. He can be anything.”

At the conclusion of the first day of selling, Gainesway sold all five members of its consignment, which also included an $850,000 Gun Runner filly (hip 33) secured by Lauren Carlisle.

On Day 2, Gainesway sold five of seven head offered, including a pair of colts by Not This Time (hip 122) who brought $900,000 and $725,000, respectively. Gross revenue for two days was $4.7 million, with an average of $671,429.

“We've always aim to bring as high caliber as we can here,” explained Graves. “We sift through them three, four or five different times throughout the year to determine what we will sell here. Every time we look, we keep clipping the bottom 20% of the group and we usually end up with a really select group here.”–@CbossTDN

Hartley/De Renzo Busy Buying and Selling

Ocala horsemen Randy Hartley and Dean DeRenzo stood alongside partner Rich Mendez under the auction stand out back to buy a colt by Not This Time (hip 122) for $900,000 from the Gainesway consignment.

The team came back to the same spot just a few hips later, but this time it was to sell, not buy. Through the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment, they sold a colt by Tapit (hip 129) for $1.2 million to Mandy Pope. The yearling had been purchased for $275,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

“He had a lot of bone and he has a hip,” DeRenzo said of the colt's appeal as a weanling. “Tapits are amazing. And when they have a hip, they are extra amazing. And he comes from a great family. It's a young family and it keeps getting better and better. So when we bought him as a weanling, he looked very immature, but we just knew he would develop.”

Hip is 129 is out of Plenty O'Toole (Tiznow) and is a half-brother to multiple graded winner Mr. Money (Goldencents) and to stakes-placed Tizplenty (Speightstown).

A few hips later, Hartley/DeRenzo enjoyed another pinhooking success with a filly by Authentic (hip 139), who was purchased for $260,000 at Keeneland November, and sold Tuesday for $800,000 to BC Stables. As the session drew to a close, the operation was represented by another seven-figure yearling when a filly by Gun Runner (hip 194), originally led out unsold, sold for $1 million to Randy Gullatt, as agent for Jackpot Farm, Whispering Oaks and Rick Ortyl. The filly had been purchased for $675,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton November sale.

“It's part of our program,” De Renzo said. “We buy weanlings to go to the yearling sales and yearlings to go to the 2-year-old sales. We have several selling here and we have several selling in Kentucky, as well. Hopefully we will keep our pace up.”

As for the operation's lone purchase of the auction, hip 122 is out of Pammy Whammy (War Front). He was consigned by Gainesway and was bred by Rockingham Ranch.

“We know we have to stay in the upper end of the market,” De Renzo said of the colt who is expected to return to the sales next spring. “For us, it's easier because great horses do great things. And so, we will go to a 2-year-old sale and hope to do better.”

Asked if there was potential for profit with a $900,000 purchase, De Renzo said, “We have before. And we've always been known to get the upper-end horses to pinhook to the 2-year-old sales and they always work out well for us. I think I've got this secret ingredient, which is my partner Randy. He trains amazing, he is light on them, and keeps them sound and we get them to the 2-year-old sales without any issues. And our horses run. That's the great part–162 graded stakes winners, 20 Grade I individual winners. We've been blessed, let's put it that way.” @JessMartiniTDN

Sonson Gets in on the Action at Saratoga

Chuck Sonson has enjoyed success in racing partnerships, but decided to up his participation when, standing alongside West Point Thoroughbreds' Terry Finley, he made a pair of purchases at the Saratoga sale Tuesday. He made his first acquisition when going to $1 million for a colt by Twirling Candy (hip 140). Out of Rehearsed (Tapit) and a full-brother to stakes-placed Chasing Fireflies, the yearling was consigned by Lane's End and was bred by W.S. Farish. Sonson signed for the youngster, along with West Point.

“I actually think this horse is going to be big player in this business,” Sonson said, echoing Finley's assessment of the new owner himself. “He's by Twirling Candy and is from the best consignor in Lane's End. We are really, really excited about this.”

Sonson, who divides his time between Aspen, Colorado, and Virginia, returned later to acquire a colt by Authentic (hip 169) for $525,000. Out of multiple graded winner Southern Ring (Speightstown), the yearling was consigned by Scott Mallory on behalf of Determined Stud.

Sonson was part of the West Point partnership which saw Giant Game (Giant's Causeway) go postward in last Saturday's GI Whitney S. just across the street.

“We had some interests in other horses and we kind of got more into it,” Sonson said. “We just had a horse in the Whitney, so we are just continuing on. We hope [hip 140] is going to be a big winner. We have every confidence that he will.”

Sonson indicated Steve Asmussen had been tabbed to train the seven-figure yearling. @JessMartiniTDN

Explosive End to a Robust Day at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga

The crowd in the Humphrey S. Finney pavilion had noticeably thinned out by the time hip 228, a colt by Into Mischief, strode into the ring. Despite the mass exodus, those who remained in play for the final showdown of the evening gave spectators an epic show of determination. With Amr Zedan, flanked by trainer Bob Baffert and Donato Lanni, stationed upstairs outside Fasig-Tipton's VIP suite, a prolonged battled ensued. Directing the bid spotter of his intent, Lanni never wavered, signaling his intention with an unwavering nod. In the end, the team upstairs celebrated after haltering the yearling for $3.2 million.

“If you play the game and want to buy on the top end, you have to stretch. And we stretched,” said Lanni.

“The team wanted the horse. Bob wanted this horse. He was very adamant that we weren't going home without him. The first time he saw him, he was just blown away.”

He continued, “He had that look about him. Let's hope we are all right and we can all talk again a year from now.”

Consigned by Indian Creek and bred by Jeff Drown and Don Rachel, the Feb. 12 foal is the first foal out of All American Dream, a daughter of American Pharoah.

“This was a pretty exceptional horse,” affirmed Lanni. “He had the Into Mischief and American Pharoah look. Every time I walked by that barn, he was out for somebody. But he did everything right every time. He just never seemed to have a bad moment. It is really rare to find a horse that is that cool. We couldn't go home without him.”

All American Dream, a half-sister to MSW & MGSP Wind Fire (Distorted Humor), is a granddaughter of GI Test S. winner Dream Supreme (Seeking the Gold), herself the dam of GI Hopeful winner Majestic Warrior (A.P. Indy).

Zedan Racing also secured the sale's topper, hip 165, a colt by Curlin out of Beholder for $4 million. That colt was consigned by Taylor Made Sales.

“It was a beautiful day and a beautiful night, very electric,” said Lanni. “Fasig-Tipton did a very good job bringing a lot of good horses here. Everybody is here and there are plenty of good horses. It's good to see the market be as strong as it is.

“I think that horse people are probably the most resilient people in the world. After everything we've all been through and for the market to be as strong as it is, it's unbelievable.”–@CbossTDN

Fasig-Tipton Still Jumping Late with $1-Million Into Mischief Colt

Just when it seemed that things might begin to cool down following a rocking first half of Tuesday's session, Hip 208–a colt by Into Mischief–secured a $1-million final bid from WinStar's Elliott Walden. Bidding from the back of the pavilion, Walden signed on behalf a partnership including China Horse Club, Siena Farm and Maverick Racing.

“He was a really nice colt,” said Walden. “We've had a lot of good luck with Into Mischief. So I thought he was one of those we wanted to take a shot on.

Among the top offspring by Into Mischief that have been campaigned by WinStar: GI Florida Derby winner Audible and four-time Grade I winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good. Both stallions stand at the Versailles nursery.

“He is a big and strong Into Mischief and he looked like he could go two turns. He is well balanced and looked athletic. We've had really good luck with those kinds. And he being out of a Distorted Humor mare doesn't hurt.”

Consigned by St George Sales, the Feb. 24 foal is the second foal out of GSP Virginia Key (Distorted Humor). Produced by GSW Our Khrysty (Newfoundland), the 8-year-old mare us a half-sister to GI Del Mar Debutante winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Grace Adler (Curlin).

“Any time you sell a million-dollar horse it's special,” said Archie St George. “I am delighted for the breeders. I just played a small part.”

The colt was bred by Bonnie Baskin's Blue Heaven Farm, who offered homebred Virginia Key at Keeneland September in 2016 but found no takers at $90,000. That result proved fortuitous, however. Her first foal, a filly by Medaglia d'Oro named Distorted d'Oro, sold for $235,000 at Keeneland September last season and subsequently sold for $325,000 at OBS April. Virginia Key produced a colt by Curlin this season.

“He is a horse that has improved and showed immaculately up here,” added St. George. “He got better every day. He's just a nice horse and he's by an exceptional stallion, arguably one of the best in the world. Into Mischief just speaks for himself.”

Over the course of two days, St George Sales sold all five yearlings that were offered for an average of $529,000 and $2,645,000 in gross revenue.

“It's been really good for us. We sold every horse through the ring. It's been a really good market. We hope to see him down the road.”–@CbossTDN

Not This Time Share Opens Tuesday Session

Before bidding commenced for the second and final session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, a share in leading Taylor Made stallion Not This Time (Giant's Causeway–Miss Macy Sue, by Trippi) was hammered down for an even $2 million. The share was purchased by D. J. Stable, BlackRidge Stables, Barry Fowler and John Cummins, according to Taylor Made's Mark Taylor. The sale of the share was coordinated by Taylor Made Sales and is subject to a 10-day match from the syndicate. Not This Time stands at Taylor Made Stallions in Nicholasville, KY.

It has been another banner season for Not This Time, the sire of five Grade I winners from his first three crops, including this year's Resorts World Casino Manhattan S. hero Up To the Mark. His Grade I winners on the dirt include sales-topping 'TDN Rising Star' Princess Noor, G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen hero Sibelius and GI Madison S. victress Just One Time. The leading fourth-crop sire of 2023, he is also responsible for Cogburn, who won the GIII Troy S. sprinting over the turf at Saratoga Aug. 5.

The share in Not This Time includes all the projected income from the just-concluded breeding season. Shareholders are entitled to one nomination annually plus the proportionate share of the excess book.

“It was a syndicate that we put together,” Taylor said. “Jon Green was the one who did the bidding, but we had three or four others partners that are going in with the Greens. Bill Daugherty and Barry Fowler and a few other people are going in with us.”

Of Not This Time's rise in the stallion ranks, Taylor said, “It's been a real blessing for the Taylor family. When we bought Not This Time, somebody came in with more money right after Mr. Albaugh had agreed to sell to us and he stayed with his. So to see one share bring almost half of what we paid is just fulfilling. All of the credit goes to my brother Ben, who is the syndicate manager. He is not in the public eye like the rest of the brothers, but he's always there working. He does a great job.”

Of the investment in the share, Taylor said, “Not This Time started at stud when he was a 3-year-old and he's an improving stallion when he's nine, so I think the sky is the limit on what he can do. And, knock on wood, he has a good long life and it should be a good investment for everybody.”

Not This Time is governed by a 50-share syndicate. @JessMartiniTDN

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Don’t Just Breed the Best to the Best–Sell Them, Too

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but in the case of one of the world's most precious broodmares it has so far been a case of “look but don't touch.” That's all about to change, however, with the inclusion in Fasig-Tipton's freshly-minted Saratoga catalogue of a colt by Curlin out of Beholder (Henny Hughes). This is the first of the Hall of Famer's foals to be offered for sale by Spendthrift, a move that reflects a quiet shift of the weathervane as the farm evolves under the regime succeeding its late owner, B. Wayne Hughes.

This is headed by Hughes's daughter Tammy and her husband Eric Gustavson, with continuity provided by general manager Ned Toffey. All emphasize their determination to respect the Hughes legacy, while continuing to build and adapt.

The very fact that a breeder will now have an opportunity to buy into one of the modern breed's most remarkable families is a case in point. For the innovative stallion program developed by Hughes proved so successful, above all through the phenomenal rise of Beholder's sibling Into Mischief, that it has required a parallel upgrade in the broodmare band. This trend has felt increasingly conspicuous, both in the last stages of Hughes's life and during the two years since his loss.

“In the past, we used to bring in a lot of mares that would sort of add to the middle,” Gustavson acknowledges. “And Tammy and I have come to the conclusion that we would like to add to the top of our broodmare band, and have some of these big-time mares to breed to big-time stallions. Certainly Into Mischief qualifies as one of those.

Of course that's our primary model, the stallion, so we're always trying to bring in the next big thing. And now we want the big-time mares to go with the big-time stallions.”
Spendthrift duly gave $9.5 million for Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) at the Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed Sale of 2020, alongside the $4.2 million Bast (Uncle Mo) and $2.75 million Got Stormy (Get Stormy). In their slipstream followed a series of other striking acquisitions, such as Paris Lights (Curlin) for $3.1 million at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale. But this rebalancing, in turn, has now prompted a shift of strategy with the kind of stock now being produced by the home herd.

“Under Mr. Hughes, we generally offered nearly all of our yearlings at auction,” Toffey explains. “There's always been sort of an emotional attachment to Beholder and her offspring. But one of the things that we've talked about since his passing is that it's important we continue to run Spendthrift as a business. We've kicked around a lot of ideas. We talked about keeping a lot of the offspring, becoming a little more of a breed-to-race operation. But at the end of the day we feel like this is a business and we need to continue to run it that way.

“We had a decision not just with Beholder this year, but with a lot of these other wonderful mares. We've a tremendous foal crop, and some really nice horses will be in the pipeline in the coming years. So we had to make a decision: are we going to keep all these, or are we going to make them available to buyers? And we felt like if all we're going to do is take our culls out there, it doesn't send a great message for those horses. We realize that we can never know where the best racehorses will come from. Sometimes it won't be from the elite. But we want buyers to see that we're going to make our best horses available, and give them a shot to do well with them.”

Ned Toffey | Spendthrift Farm

“That's the first thing you would want somebody to understand,” agrees Gustavson. “That we're definitely not unloading. And I think by selling these types, you're proving that you're not just unloading your culls, but you're selling what you think is the best of your best. And we hope that brings a kind of different mindset to the buyer, so that they're thinking, 'Wow, these guys are selling serious horses.'”

That determination makes a real poster boy of Beholder's colt, who is expected to match his billing as Hip 165 in the Taylor Made consignment. Toffey reckons Curlin to have been “a bit of a no-brainer” as a mate for Beholder in 2021, and the Hill 'n' Dale stallion has only reinforced his reputation since.

“It felt like she had enough speed to suit Curlin, who tends to get a little more of a Classic type,” Toffey reasons. “And we've got a physical that would suggest that's what we've got. He's really an attractive, athletic, strong colt. Great mover, got great presence to him. We're really excited about him, particularly with sons of Curlin taking off, like Good Magic.”

Evidently the colt also has the temperament required at the Saratoga sale, where traffic through the sales complex is so hectic.

“This is a colt that's got a great mind,” Toffey says. “You know, there's an intensity about him but also great intelligence and he takes everything in stride. And Saratoga is just a magical place to take a marquee horse. There's just an incredible atmosphere, and we're looking forward to capitalizing on that. This is the kind of horse that you like to take there: let him show himself off to all the top buyers, and see what he can do.”

In her young breeding career—this is her fifth foal—Beholder has recently made an important breakthrough with third foal Teena Ella (War Front), who won the GIII Senorita S. at Santa Anita in May, only her second start after breaking her maiden. And that's despite Toffey reckoning Teena Ella to be a somewhat less impressive specimen than some of her younger siblings.

“But we began to realize that she had some athletic ability,” he says. “Richard Mandella's done a great job in managing her, and she's now a graded stakes winner. And you know, for Beholder to have her pedigree, race record and looks, and now to add graded stakes producer to her resume—that puts her in an incredibly elite group of broodmares.”

Moreover her 2-year-old by Bolt d'Oro has been evidently been exciting Mandella and his team.

Eric Gustavson | Spendthrift Farm

“By all accounts he seems to have the most ability of those we've seen so far, including the Grade III winner,” Toffey discloses. “That's got to be proven out, but the early reviews are very, very good. So hopefully Beholder is really just getting started now, and seems to have figured the broodmare game out. The pipeline seems pretty loaded and we feel that this colt, physically, has a different look about him. He's got all the tools and hopefully will put all that together.”

In starting her own contribution to the dynasty, Beholder can now render still more extraordinary the story of Leslie's Lady, the Tricky Creek mare who was perceived as offering little genetic credibility when Into Mischief started out. Since then she has proved herself an authentic blue hen through the endeavors of Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) and Beholder herself.

“It really is remarkable,” agrees Toffey. “As Mr. Hughes used to like to say, 'Nobody knows.' When Into Mischief first went to stud, people really questioned his pedigree. It's amazing the way things unfold. Given a little bit of time, it has now become one of the most spectacular pedigrees in the American Stud Book. So it's been a great ride. I don't think anybody could have expected everything to happen the way it did. But, you know, breeding is a game that requires patience. And if you do show a little of that, you can really be rewarded.”

That length of perspective has also served some of the strategic shifts being made by the Spendthrift boardroom. Weighing up the context, Toffey explains: “You know, early on, we had a relatively modest stallion roster, with a couple of exceptions. And it's always been important for us to have a broodmare band that we can utilize to support our stallions at an appropriate level. Gradually we've been fortunate enough to increase the quality of our stallion roster, and so we really felt it important to upgrade the quality of the broodmare band to go along with that. And now we're fortunate to have some really high quality stock roaming the grounds here.”

Having been broodmare manager at Three Chimneys prior to his recruitment by Hughes in 2004, Toffey does not deny feeling an extra fulfilment in this new chapter of the Spendthrift story.

“I really have,” he says with a smile. “Mr. Hughes would actually give me a hard time pretty regularly about being a broodmare guy, and I am a little biased. I do believe that the broodmare plays a huge role, and probably an underrated role, in all of this. I really believe that the strength of any organization is its broodmare band. If you go through history, you see how the fortunes of many farms rise and fall on the backs of a small number of really successful broodmares.”

That said, quality will remain complemented by quantity. “This is a numbers game,” Toffey argues. “You've got to go through a lot of horses to find those really special ones. But we've got ownership here that's excited and committed to try and bring in, and produce, the best quality that we can.”

And that's a matter of evolution rather than revolution.

“Wayne was such a visionary, and so successful in almost everything he did, that we'd be foolish not to try thinking about how he would have gone about things,” Toffey reflects. “At the same time, over the years Tammy and Eric have gotten very familiar with how to go about things, and they bring a lot of their own ideas as well.”
The evolution of the program will also be evident at the Keeneland September Sale, where the young bloods on the Spendthrift roster will once again be making their presence felt.

Curlin at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa | Sarah Andrew photo

“We've got a really nice group of yearlings going to Keeneland, highlighted by our first-year sires Authentic and Vekoma,” Toffey says. “We're getting great feedback from breeders about both. Meanwhile our freshman sires have gotten off to a great start, right now we've got four of the top five, and we'll have a number of offerings by those stallions as well. Our Keeneland consignment is probably highlighted by a colt that Elite Sales will be selling for us, by Into Mischief out of Bast: obviously a tremendous pedigree, and a really impressive physical, so a horse that we're really excited to offer to buyers.”

In terms of the bigger picture, meanwhile, Gustavson professes admiration for the multi-faceted elaboration of quality to be observed such rival programs as Stonestreet.

“Obviously this is not a unique idea, what we're doing,” he acknowledges. “A lot of things that people do are just copied from competitors or friends/competitors, and that's just what we're doing here with a sort of Stonestreet model. You've got big-time mares, you still race, but you are known as someone who sells Grade A foals.”

Many other farms, equally, have emulated the brand of commercial dynamism introduced to the Bluegrass by Hughes. And Gustavson concludes by reiterating a fidelity to his father-in-law's pioneering legacy.

“We would always want to honor the past and sort of add our own flair to it, if you will,” he says. “I mean, Wayne was a bigger and better businessman than I'll ever even think about being, so there's no competing there. He did a lot of things that were very innovative, and very disruptive, and we have benefited from those over the years.

“I learned so much from him. So for Tammy and I, along with Ned and our team, it's not like we were thinking, 'Well, if we ever take the reins, this is what we'll do.' It's just the time has come where we are blessed with the opportunity to try some different things. That's where the buying of higher-end mares comes from, and we switched some things up at the farm [as well]: in terms of our protocols, in terms of the numbers we're breeding, and then also now obviously selling the top lots that we've ever had, this summer and early fall.

“We're so humbled by the opportunity to be able to carry on Wayne's legacy, and we hope that we can do it justice.”

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Authentic Filly Sets the Bar at Fasig-Tipton July

LEXINGTON, KY – The Fasig-Tipton July Sale of Selected Yearlings failed to live up to its lofty 2022 levels, but concluded Tuesday evening with solid numbers and a filly from the first crop of GI Kentucky Derby winner Authentic leading the way when selling for $475,000 to Alex and Jo Ann Lieblong.

“We had a very solid start to the 2023 yearling sales marketplace,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “I think we all recognized that we were coming off a euphoric 2022 yearling marketplace that saw pretty significant increases across the board from July all the way to October. I think we got a little bit of a reality adjustment here and I think we saw that coming in the 2-year-old marketplace this year. But it's still a very healthy marketplace.”

A total of 207 yearlings sold Tuesday for a gross of $20,507,000. The average of $99,068 declined 14% from last year's figure of $115,151–which was the second highest in sale's history; and the median fell 14.4% to $77,000–down from last year's record-tying figure of $90,000

“The average declined a little bit from last year and the median decreased from last year and the RNA rate was slightly up,” Browning said. “But the buyers were complaining they couldn't buy what they wanted to buy and they had to pay too much for the ones that they bought. The sellers were saying it was hard to get their horses sold and they wished they could have gotten more money. So that means it's a pretty fair and balanced marketplace.”

The buy-back rate, which was 23.8% last year, rose to 31.9% Tuesday.

“What has traditionally impacted our RNA rate over the last 10 years [at the July sale] is that sellers have another option,” Browning said. “We have a really strong marketplace in October, three months down the road, so they can be a little more bullish sometimes in setting their reserves in July. Which might create a little higher RNA rate, but all in all, I thought it was a fair market.”

While 32 yearlings sold for $200,000 or more at the 2022 July sale, only 21 hit that mark in 2023.

The Lieblongs made the highest purchase of the July sale, going to $475,000 to acquire a filly by Authentic from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. Taylor Made sold the filly on behalf of her breeder, Spendthrift Farm, which stands the 2020 GI Kentucky Derby winner.

Among the other first-crop sires near the top of the results sheets, a filly by Three Chimneys' Volatile sold for $285,000 to Ken McPeek. Gainesway's McKinzie and Spun to Run, as well as Spendthrift's Thousand Words and Vekoma all had yearlings sell for $200,000 or more.

Authentic Filly Sets Off July Fireworks

A filly from the first crop of GI Kentucky Derby winner Authentic (hip 174) lit up the Fasig-Tipton sales ring Tuesday when selling for $475,000 to Alex and Jo Ann Lieblong. The bay filly is out of Scent of Summer (Rock Hard Ten), a half-sister to multiple Grade I winner Paradise Woods (Union Rags). She was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency on behalf of her breeder, Spendthrift Farm.

“She just looked like a physical standout, she looked like a 2-year-old,” Lieblong said. “But evidently, everybody else thought so, too. She was from a good consignor and she carried herself well, but I also liked the family.”

Lieblong, who also paid $200,000 for a filly from the first crop of Spun to Run, admitted he liked buying yearlings by freshman sires.

“I like the first-crop sires,” he said. “I figure that's about the last shot you've got. You're not going to get a shot at Good Magic now, but you still have a shot with the first-crop sires.”

Spendthrift purchased Scent of Summer for $350,000 at the 2019 Keeneland January sale.

“That was a filly that we were very proud of,” Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey said of the yearling. “We really debated on what sale to put her in, where she would make the most sense. And we thought, let's take her out to July and try to make a little bit of a splash. The thought was that she might be good enough for Saratoga, but let's bring her out here and see if we can't be a really big fish in a smaller pond. Since we've made that decision, she's done nothing but improve. It's always interesting on these yearlings, in these last six weeks, they can just come together beautifully for you or fall to pieces. But everything came together really nicely. She showed herself nicely out here and had plenty of interest. And Taylor Made did a great job presenting her out here.”

The mare's 2-year-old colt by Hard Spun sold to trainer Ron Ellis for $325,000 at this year's OBS March sale.

A son of Into Mischief, Authentic won the 2020 GI Kentucky Derby and GI Breeders' Cup Classic and stands at Spendthrift for $60,000. He was the leading first-crop sire of weanlings last season when his first foals averaged $242,692.

“If you are breeding to him, I think a lot of people are getting what you'd expect,” Toffey said. “They are a little bit lighter, racier and leggier version of Into Mischief. That's exactly how I would describe Authentic and I think that's what he seems to be throwing. They have good substance, plenty of leg, good scope. They are really well-balanced and very athletic.”

Good Magic Colt a Score for Three Counties

Aidan and Hannah Jennings continued to add to their pinhooking scores when partnering with Charles Hynes to sell a colt by Good Magic (hip 175) for $370,000 to Travis Boersma's Boardshorts Stables during Tuesday's Fasig-Tipton July sale. The partners had purchased the chestnut colt under the name Three Counties Bloodstock for $49,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

“[Hynes] is from Roscommon and myself, I'm from Galway,” Aidan Jennings explained of the name, before looking at his wife and adding, “And Hannah is from…”

Hannah Jennings added with a laugh, “San Diego.”

Aidan Jennings said, “It's just a bit of sport.”

The couple said they went into the weanling sales last year specifically looking to buy a foal by Good Magic.

“We were eager to get one last year, but we got outbid on most of them,” Aidan Jennings said. “He fit the bill.”

The yearling, who was consigned Tuesday by Padraig Campion's Blandford Stud, is out of Scolding (Carpe Diem), who was a $475,000 OBS April purchase in 2019 and was a first-out winner for trainer Steve Asmussen in 2020.

“The dam was very sharp and she was very fast as a breezer as well,” Aidan Jennings said. “She won first time out for Asmussen and was a 'TDN Rising Star.' She looked like anything. Unfortunately, she didn't fulfill that potential, but she had it. This horse kind of looked sharp and we were hoping the stallion would kick on. We were very lucky. We get plenty wrong, so it's good when it works out.”

Hannah Jennings gave her partners credit for picking the colt out last fall.

“I was 39 weeks pregnant, so it was all the boys who bought the horse,” she said. “So all of the credit to them. Padraig got everyone together and figured July would be the right spot for him. He was precocious and the stallion had done well, obviously with Mage winning the Derby.”

Just weeks before they were married in 2021, the Jennings enjoyed a career day in the pinhooking arena. At that year's Keeneland September sale, they sold a Violence colt, who had been purchased for $65,000 for $165,000; a Nyquist colt purchased for $40,000 for $200,000; a colt by Accelerate purchased for $110,000 for $200,000; and a Kantharos colt purchased for $125,000 for $250,000.

Now the couple has even more good mojo in their corner with their newborn daughter.

“She's a good luck charm actually,” Aidan Jennings said. “The first race we took her to, we had a winner and we took her to the first breeze-up and that was great.”

Later in Tuesday's auction, trainer Wesley Ward secured another colt by Good Magic, going to $330,000 to acquire hip 276 from the Cara Bloodstock consignment. Bred by Saintsbury Farms, the yearling is out of Bola de Cristal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Blame Colt, Volatile Filly Lead McPeek July Haul

Trainer Ken McPeek, perennially a major presence at the Fasig-Tipton July sale, acquired six yearlings Tuesday in Lexington. As agent for Chris Baccari and DWF, McPeek went to $310,000 to purchase a colt by Blame (hip 289) from the Gainesway consignment. Bred by Green Lantern Stables, the bay is out of Barbara Gordon (Commissioner).

McPeek also purchased the auction's second most expensive yearling by a first crop sire when going to $285,000 for a daughter of Three Chimneys' Volatile (hip 235). The gray filly was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency. Out of Whisper to Me (Thunder Gulch), she is a half-sister to graded winner Overheard (Macho Uno). She was bred by Craig Singer, who purchased Whisper to Me carrying the foal for $65,000 at the 2021 dispersal of Pin Oak Stud

“I thought she was a real standout as an individual here,” McPeek said of the filly. “I love the stamp that Volatile put on her. She has a half-sister who is a nice stakes horse. And she physically looks like a stakes horse to me, too.”

Of the market at the first yearling sale of the year, McPeek said, “It's been very selective. We only had a dozen horses that we even considered bidding on today. We ended up with six and we have a couple left to bid on. It's been solid. We would have liked to see more horses on my final list, but it's all good. The better ones you had to pay a little bit more for, but that's typical. Overall, we are really pleased.”

First-Crop Sires Kick of July Sale

The Fasig-Tipton July sale, and the yearling sales season, kicked off in Lexington with an offering of some 100 youngsters by first-crop sires. And, while fillies by Authentic and Volatile attracted higher bids outside of the freshman sire showcase, it was Gainesway's McKinzie who was represented by the section's top-priced yearling when GS Inversiones Hipicas paid $260,000 for hip 71, a colt consigned by Denali Stud.

“We've been excited about McKinzie ever since the November sale started,” said Gainesway's Brian Graves. “His book was huge in the first year, the demand for him was huge. The second year, the demand was almost equal to the first year. And then, something that is very uncommon, in his third year, he had 170 mares. And that was based on how good-looking the first crop of foals were in November. He was the second leading freshman sire by average at the sale, just second to Authentic whose stud fee is over twice what his is. It's a good indication that people really liked what they saw. I think it's going to be the same case at the yearling sales, if not better because there are going to be more of them on offer. And what we've seen going around looking at all of them is very encouraging.”

A four-time Grade I winner, McKinzie stands at Gainesway for a fee of $30,000. The stallion had 36 weanlings sell last year for an average of $134,307.

Gainesway's Spun to Run also had a strong showing during the July sale's freshman showcase. The GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner, who stands for $10,000, had three six-figure yearlings Tuesday. Leading the group was hip 66, a filly consigned by Summerfield and purchased for $200,000 by Alex and Jo Ann Lieblong.

“I haven't honestly seen all of them yet, but I like the way the first ones started,” Graves said of Spun to Run's first crop of yearlings. “He's got all of the credentials. He was a fast horse by a proven horse in Hard Spun. We are hopeful he speaks for himself.”

Trainer Neil Pessin, bidding on behalf of Bob Lothenbach, went to $125,000 to acquire a colt by Spun to Run (hip 26) from the Elite consignment. Pessin also took home another son of a first-crop sire when going to $200,000 to purchase a dark bay colt by Vekoma (hip 174) from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment.

“I look for athletic, well-balanced horses with a decent walk,” Pessin said, while admitting the first-crop sire angle was purely a coincidence. “The sires don't mean as much to me. I think it's 70% the dam, 30% the sire. I just look for a good athlete. This is the sale we bought [GISW] Bell's the One out of, so we come here and look quite a bit.”

Of the colt by Vekoma, Pessin said, “He is athletic and not real wide, but he's got a nice butt on him. And he has a good walk. That's what I look for when I come looking for yearlings. We can live with some conformational flaws if they walk through it. It was the same with the Spun to Run colt. He's a nice, good-looking athlete. That's what we go for.”

While some buyers may hope to find a bargain buying yearlings by first-crop sires, Pessin felt he paid plenty for the two colts.

“I feel we overpaid for both,” he said. “We went above what we were planning to spend on both of them. But if we didn't like them, we wouldn't be bidding on them. And so if we go a little over, it's ok. But we don't want to go a lot over.”

Pessin's $200,000 bid for hip 64 led a series of strong results for Spendthrift's Vekoma, who stands for $15,000, and appeared to catch the eye of a number of pinhookers. Ciaran Dunne's Waves Bloodstock partnership purchased hip 33, a colt by the stallion consigned by Taylor Made, for $175,000 and Luis Garcia and Gina Fennell went to $155,000 to acquire hip 98, a colt consigned by Shawhan Place.

“We love Vekoma, but mainly it was the colt's pedigree that we liked,” Garcia said of the yearling whose dam Happy Now (Mr. Greeley) is a half-sister to graded winner Ironicus, among others.

Of Vekoma, Garcia said, “He is by Candy Ride and that horse was great. He had a lot of speed and obviously we are trying to pinhook, so we love that. We loved Vekoma when he was running.”

Spendthrift Farm's Ned Toffey admitted Vekoma's early results in the sales ring were exceeding the operation's expectations.

“Vekoma, with that sire line, they aren't always the most spectacular physicals, so it was a little tricky to know what we were going to get,” Toffey said. “But as soon as those foals started to hit the ground last year, we have just been overwhelmed by the feedback from breeders. And that's carried right on through. I thought it was a very solid group that was out here and I keep hearing about more. So I expect him to have a very, very good sales season.”

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