R Calli Kim | Horse Racing Free Tips

When the dust settled at the close of the Fasig-Tipton April Digital Sale Tuesday evening, the 15-year-old broodmare Eileen's Dream (Bernardini, hip 21) held the new record for a single offering on the digital platform when she sold for $660,000 to DJ Stable. Consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, Eileen's Dream sold with her 2024 colt by Curlin at her side. She was bred back to Charlatan Mar. 27.

The sale closed with 87 horses sold for $4,274,300, an average of $49,130. The clearance rate was 92.5% with 670 registered bidders. A total of 20 horses sold for $50,000 or more.

“We had extremely spirited bidding throughout the sale, especially as it closed this afternoon,” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton's Director of Digital Sales. “The clearance rate was over 90% again. We're very happy with the results for our buyers and sellers.”

Eileen's Dream has a 2-year-old filly by War Front and a yearling colt by Curlin, who sold for $600,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale to John Stewart and has since been named Stable Boy. She is also the granddam of 2023 GII Saratoga Special S. winner Rhyme Schemes (Ghostzapper). The Fasig-Tipton Digital topper is a half-sister to MGISW Dream Rush (Wild Rush), dam of Broodmare of the Year Dreaming of Julia (A.P. Indy). The latter has produced dual champion Malathaat (Curlin) and GSW Julia Shining.

“Anytime you have the opportunity to secure a nice-looking mare from this family, you have to seriously consider it,” said DJ Stable's Jon Green. “She's got the looks, conformation, female family, broodmare sire, and foal pipeline to be a 'foundation mare' for our program. This is a mare that my dad [Leonard Green] particularly wanted. He loves the family and is excited to have a mare and foal like this.”

Prior to Tuesday's sale, Fasig-Tipton Digital's previous record was held by the broodmare Amazonian (Malibu Moon), who was purchased for $420,000 by KatieRich Farms from the consignment of Ballysax Bloodstock, agent for the Estate of Glen Todd, during the Glen Todd Dispersal Final Phase in September of 2022. The Fasig-Tipton Digital platform launched in March of 2022.

Rounding out the top five sold Tuesday were:

Gray Lightning (Social Inclusion, hip 6), a racing/broodmare prospect sold for $370,000 to NRCLUB LLC from the consignment of Full Servis Equine, agent. A lightly raced 3-year-old Pennsylvania-bred, Gray Lightning has a record of two wins and one second from three starts at two and three and earnings of $76,720.
Secret Love (Not This Time, hip 22), a broodmare prospect sold for $310,000 to Steven W. Young, agent, from the consignment of Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent. Secret Love is a stakes winner from her sire's first crop.
Charlie's Penny (Race Day, hip 20), a racing/broodmare prospect sold for $260,000 to Steven W. Young, agent, from the consignment of Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Lothenbach Stables Complete Dispersal. Minnesota-bred Charlie's Penny is a multiple stakes winner with a record of seven wins, two seconds, and two thirds from 15 career starts and earnings of $413,272 to date.
R Calli Kim (Revolutionary, hip 11), a broodmare prospect sold for $220,000 to Resolute Bloodstock from the consignment of Gainesway, agent. A multiple graded stakes winner, R Calli Kim won GIII The Very One S. at Gulfstream Park in her most recent start. She earned $635,640 in her career, with nine wins from 15 starts.

Full results for the April Digital Sale can be seen here.

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Plagued by injuries and getting up there in age, Jayson Werth announced his retirement from baseball on June 28, 2018. He finished with 229 career home runs, was an All-Star in 2009 and won a World Series in 2008 with the Philadelphia Phillies. It had been a great run, but when it was over Werth wasn't exactly ready to move on. He never lost the feelings that baseball gave him, the excitement, the ups and downs, the camaraderie with his teammates and the pride that comes with knowing that you have succeeded at the highest level.

There was golf but he needed something else. And in horse racing Jayson Werth has found exactly what he was looking for. Running under the name of Two Eight Racing (Werth wore number 28 during his playing days), the 44-year-old native of Springfield, Illinois has enjoyed remarkable early success. Involved in the sport only since 2021, Werth could be on his way to the GI Kentucky Derby. He is the co-owner of Dornoch (Good Magic), the winner of the GII Fountain of Youth S., as well as recent maiden winner Drip (Good Magic), who will be out to pick up Derby points in this Saturday's GII Tampa Bay Derby. Then there's R Calli Kim (Revolutionary), who won the GIII Very One S., which was part of the Fountain of Youth card.

“On some level, horse racing has filled a really large void in my life that has been created by my retiring from baseball,” he said. “Horse racing picked up where baseball left off. Its's a great industry for me to be in. Professional baseball, when you do it for 22 years, it takes over your whole life. My wife has a sign in the kitchen that says 'We interrupt this family for baseball season.' Then it's over and you think 'what do I do now?'

Werth lived near a Standardbred farm when he was growing up and befriended the owner and helped out with the horses, something that he enjoyed. But his family moved when he was 13 and Werth would soon be immersed in baseball. He didn't have time for anything else.

He soon found out that the passion he had for horses when he was young had never disappeared. Werth began playing golf with Richard Averill, who runs under the name of Averill Racing, and the owner introduced him to Thoroughbred racing.

Dornoch after winning the Fountain of Youth | Ryan Thompson

“I started picking Richard's brain and then partnered with him on some horses,” Werth said. “Racing became a passion and a love really fast for me. It started out with me thinking this is fun, let's claim this horse for $8,000. But I found out that's like playing in the minor leagues. It's not where you want to be.”

When asked to compare the feeling of winning a big race like the Fountain of Youth with his accomplishments in baseball, Werth said the biggest difference is that when it comes to racing he is a nervous wreck.

“I never got nervous playing sports,” he said. “Even before big games, the morning of, the day of, I never felt pressure or nervous. I was very comfortable, very calm. Horse racing has been the exact opposite. I get sick to my stomach before a race. I'm experiencing emotions I never knew existed. The winning and losing when it comes to racing is very comparable to winning in the divisional series, winning in the World Series. Having success or failure in racing, that feels very familiar to me. It's the lead-up into the race that gives me panic attacks.”

Dornoch may be his best horse, but he is most passionate about R Calli Kim. After a 55-week layoff, she came back in July and won a $35,000 claimer at Saratoga. That began a four-race win streak that included a victory in the GIII Long Island S. After finishing second in the GIII La Prevoyante S. she returned to the winner's circle in the The Very One.

“She got hurt and then didn't run for a whole year,” he said. “We thought she was done racing and then all of a sudden, she was doing really well and we sent her back to (trainer) Brendan (Walsh) and she has won six of seven. She's such a great horse, so sweet and nice. After my wife, she's my favorite girl in the whole world.”

Werth has been in the sport for just a little over three years and already has a GII Remsen S. winner, a Fountain of Youth winner and could have two horses in this year's Kentucky Derby. The game is supposed to be a lot tougher than that. Werth gets that.

“I've been in the right place at the right time,” he said. “Here we are, just a couple of years into it, and we are having unbelievable luck and success. I'm torn. Yes, I love horse racing but if we tried to do this again I don't know if we'd be this lucky or have a chance of doing some of the stuff we are doing. We're enjoying the fruits of our success. It's been such a great run and we're having a lot of fun with it. It's hard to believe and I tell people that. I could do this for the rest of my life and invest $10 million a year and not be in this position. It's storybook stuff and I am cherishing every second of this. I can guarantee you that isn't lost on me.”

Dornoch, the full brother to 2023 Derby winner Mage (Good Magic), did his job in the Fountain of Youth, but the race became a lot easier Speak Easy (Constitution), Victory Avenue (Arrogate), Merit (Mastery) and Locked (Gun Runner) were all scratched.

“I would not discount Dornoch on any level just because those horses weren't in there,” Werth said. “If they were, I think we would have seen the same result.”

Dornoch will go next in either the GI Florida Derby or the GI Blue Grass S. Trainer Danny Gargan has yet to decide. The Derby, of course, is the main goal. It's the toughest race in the world to win, but one of his owners has one of the hottest hands in the sport. He has that going for him.

“I understand why people spend millions of dollars on chasing this dream,” Werth said. “That's exactly what it is, a dream. What's happening, I think it is incredible.”

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