LEXINGTON, KY – After a vibrant afternoon-into-night of bidding, the Fasig-Tipton November Sale grossed over $100 million for the third straight year with champions Nest (Curlin) and Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) leading the way when bringing matching $6-million final bids Tuesday at Newtown Paddocks.

“It was another remarkable horse sale, literally from start to finish,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “It's really humbling to think that we've been able, for three years in a row, do over $100 million in sales in a single night. It's remarkable and beyond our wildest expectations. The first time we did $100 million [in 2021], I told you it was something I never thought we'd be able to achieve. And coming into this year, we would never have dreamt it would happen again. I'm really proud of that.”

During the single-session sale, 154 horses sold for $101,281,000. The average of $657,669 was up 9.8% from a year ago, while the median of $295,000 was up 18%. The buy-back rate was 24.9%.

A year ago, 169 horses grossed $101,214,000 for an average of $598,899 and a median of $250,000. The 2022 buy-back rate was 29.3%.

During Tuesday's auction, 25 mares sold for seven figures, with 16 selling for two million or more and 10 selling for $3 million or more.

Lexington financier John Stewart, who burst onto the sales scene at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale two months ago, dominated the domestic buying bench with seven horses purchased for $13,350,000. He purchased broodmares Queen Caroline (Blame) and Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) on matching $3 million bids and capped his evening with the $6-million acquisition of champion Goodnight Olive, who just four days ago won her second GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint at Santa Anita.

Earlier in the auction, Mike Repole bought out his partners to retain Nest for $6 million with plans to return the champion to the racetrack as a 5-year-old next season.

Also representing strength in the domestic buying bench, Spendthrift Farm purchased five mares for $7.7 million, led by the $3-million acquisition of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath (Arrogate).

“It's plenty strong,” Spendthrift's Ned Toffey said of the market Tuesday. “They are not giving them away, that's for sure. I think there are plenty of people here with deep pockets.”

Ned Toffey | Fasig-Tipton

Japanese buyers were out in force at Newtown Paddocks Tuesday, with nine seven-figure purchases led by Emmanuel De Seroux's $4.2-million acquisition of Group 1 winner Sauterne (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) on behalf of Grand Stud.

“There was great international participation tonight–it probably wasn't as reflected on the sheets because of the number of people who got outbid consistently,” Browning said. “But there was great competitive bidding throughout the evening, particularly on the quality mares in-foal and the quality fillies and mares coming off the racetrack. It's remarkable what happens when you are entrusted with fillies like Goodnight Olive, Nest and Wonder Wheel and mares in-foal like Queen Caroline. I could go and on, because there were so many that sold remarkably well. It all comes down to the horses.”

The Fasig-Tipton November sale opened with an offering of 135 weanlings and the group was topped by a filly by Munnings who sold for $500,000 to Shadwell Racing. Shadwell also purchased a weanling filly by Gun Runner for $400,000.

That $500,000 price tag was matched with a pair of supplemented weanlings late in the sale when the En Fuego Stables pinhooking partnership purchased a son of Maxfield and Cherry Knoll Farm purchased a filly by Into Mischief. Both weanlings were consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.

“We thought we had strengthened our weanling group this year,” Browning said. “And clearly the overall weanlings were better this year than last year.”

Browning said the Fasig-Tipton November sale has established a trusted record of success among buyers across the globe.

“I think we have clearly established, A) a lot of wonderful relationships and B) the trust and the confidence in the marketplace,” he said. “The buyers know they are going to be able to come here and have the opportunity to buy the best horses on offer anywhere in the world.”

Repole Buys Out Partners for Nest

Mike Repole, sitting with his team in the pavilion, jumped in the bidding around the $4-million mark and eventually saw off all challengers to purchase out his partners on champion Nest (Curlin) (hip 163) for $6 million Tuesday at Fasig-Tipton. The 4-year-old filly was consigned by Highgate Sales.

“I wasn't sure if I was going to get her or not,” Repole said. “At that price, I thought I wanted to give her another shot. If she had gone to $7 or $8 million, I probably would have let her go. But considering I own 50% of her, I feel like I just bought her for $3 million, not $6 million. My family CEO thinks we sold her for $6 million. He's got bad news coming, but I am not going to hurt his feelings right now.”

ICYMI: Watch Eclipse Champion NEST sell for $6,000,000 at The November Sale! Congrats to all the connections! #FasigNovember pic.twitter.com/YoXcWKUOW1

— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) November 8, 2023

Racing for Repole, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House, Nest put together a championship season as a 3-year-old in 2022. The bay filly won the GI Alabama S., GI Ashland S. and GI Coaching Club American Oaks and finished second in the GI Belmont S. and GI Kentucky Oaks.

During an abbreviated 4-year-old campaign, she won the GII Shuvee S. in July, was third in the GI Personal Ensign S. and fourth in the GI Spinster S.

“I am going to try my best to bring her back [to the races],” Repole said. “Hopefully, she will be 100%. If not, I own a couple of stallions, one Uncle Mo. She could have a date with him. But I really think the goal will be to bring her back. I think she has unfinished business.”

Repole continued, “I think last year she had a fever and got started late. And then she had that race at Saratoga where she was spectacular. I really think that took a lot out of her. I think if we get off to a better start, and space her properly this year, I think she is good for four or five good starts. Hopefully, she will run in May, June, and August and maybe in the Distaff and hopefully be a champion again.”

Nest, who was purchased by Repole and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners for $350,000 as a yearling at Keeneland September, is a daughter of Marion Ravenwood (A.P. Indy), who sold to Coolmore's M. V. Magnier for $2.6 million at Fasig-Tipton last November while carrying a full-sibling to the champion. The mare produced a colt this year and was bred back to Into Mischief. @JessMartiniTDN

Laymon Says Emotional Goodbye to Olive

After watching champion Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) (hip 237) sell for $6 million Tuesday night at Fasig-Tipton, Steve Laymon admitted, “It's hard not to have a tear in my eye.”

Laymon and his First Row Partners, through bloodstock agent Liz Crow, had purchased the filly for $170,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton October sale. Then watched as the dark bay mare won back-to-back renewals of the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint and $2,196,200 on the racetrack.

“I followed her all the way around [the sales grounds],” Laymon said. “And it was just like going to the paddock and to the races, and just like Olive, she never turned a hair. She's such a smart mare. Her intelligence level was just amazing. She came in the ring and she showed who she was. You never dream of buying a horse and selling her for $6 million. I do not know John Stewart, I spoke to him tonight. But I am so thrilled to have him in the business. These mares need to stay in the U.S.–no disrespect to international buyers. But it's hard not to get possessive of one of these and want to keep them in the country.”

Laymon, an optometrist from North Carolina who founded First Row Partners five years ago, said it was an easy decision to send the 5-year-old mare through the sales ring.

“We are a racing partnership,” he said. “We keep a few mares. But at this level, you just have to part with them if you want to continue to race. Unfortunately, you make mistakes in this business. You try to learn from those mistakes, but you just have to have a horse so often that pays for some of those mistakes.”

Laymon's proceeds from the auction weren't his only winnings Tuesday.

“There are six First Row partners,” he said. “We were at dinner after the Breeders' Cup Saturday and I asked each one of them to get a one hundred dollar bill out and put their initials on it and put down the number they think she will bring. Guess who won that? I did. I put $5.95 million.”

Asked if he planned to reinvest some of that $6 million price tag in racehorses, Laymon smiled and said, “Slowly. We are in the racing business and this will keep us in the business a long time. We have been so blessed. First Row Partners is in its fifth year of racing and we've sent 15 horses to Chad in the last five years and we've won four Grade Is, four Grade IIs and three Grade IIIs and three Grade I placings. That's not supposed to happen in this business. It's the team. Liz Crow, she buys them, and her team is phenomenal. [Trainer] Chad Brown, I've been with him since the Frankel days. He is so focused. He is so darn smart. And he wins races because of his brain and his dedication.” @JessMartiniTDN

ICYMI: Watch Eclipse Champion GOODNIGHT OLIVE sell for $6,000,000 at The November Sale! Congrats to all the connections! #FasigNovember pic.twitter.com/VsCYrXu4TB

— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) November 8, 2023

Stewart a Man on A Mission at Fasig-Tipton

With her Breeders' Cup blanket barely having lost its fragrance after last weekend's victory in the GI Filly & Mare Sprint, Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) (Hip 237) added a slam-dunk in the sales ring, drawing a gaudy $6-million final bid from the red-hot John Stewart. While many had wandered away during the later stages of the sale, an expectant horde began to gather again along the perimeter of the pavilion in the moments leading up to the champion's arrival into the ring. With intermittent volleys being lobbed in rapid succession, Stewart–surrounded by his own entourage including bloodstock advisor Gavin O'Connor–was resolute. Reeling off counterbids without missing a beat, he saw off all competitors to land the session's co-topper at $6 million.

Stewart also secured a pair of mares for $3 million during the session: Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Ire}) (Hip 168), and Queen Caroline (Blame) (Hip 171), the dam of champion Forte (Violence).

The two-time Breeders' Cup champion was consigned by Elite Sales, who enjoyed a stellar day with 12 head grossing $18.5 million.

Bred by Stonestreet, Goodnight Olive was purchased by Liz Crow for $170,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton October Sale. Campaigned by First Row Partners and Team Hanley, the filly enjoyed a spectacular 2022 season, winning all four starts, including the GI Ballerina S. in addition to her Breeders' Cup victory. This season, she added wins in the GI Madison S. and GII Bed 'O Roses S. before defending her title at the World Championships.

Crow said, “The owners enjoyed every moment with her. Our team [Elite] got to go along for the ride. And then to get to showcase her here, every major buyer is here at this sale, and to see her bring what she was worth, she is really a once-in-a-lifetime horse.”

Liz Crow | Fasig-Tipton

The 5-year-old mare joins champion Groupie Doll as only one of two horses to win two Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprints.

“I think she was the best horse in the sale,” Crow opined.

And Stewart certainly agreed.

“She was on my agenda from the beginning,” he said. “I knew there was a lot of foreign interest and I was determined that she was going to stay here.”

“With all the success she's had to date, I think she still has some opportunity to still run. To add what she's already done, we need to keep those horses here. That was my main objective. Once I decide I am going to buy them I buy them, they can bid whatever they want, but this horse is going home with me.”

Stewart confirmed that he is about a month away from closing on Shadwell Farm's Shadayid Stud in Midway.

“That's what's great about this sport,” he said. “I was just at the Breeders' Cup, and this horse wins four days ago and then you have the opportunity to actually buy it. What other sport can you actually do that? It's like Lebron James wins the NBA Championship and then you can buy Lebron or the team. This is really a great sport.”

During Tuesday's session, Stewart purchased seven head in total, including a pair of weanlings, for $13.35 million.

“We got the dam of Forte, we got Pizza Bianca and we got this horse, which I think is one of the best horses we've seen here for a long time,” he said. “I couldn't be happier right now.”–@CbossTDN

Stewart Full Tilt Ahead for $3-Million Pair

Firing in quick succession, Stewart, seated alongside by Gavin O'Connor at the back of the pavilion, went to $3 million Pizza Bianca before extending to the same price for Queen Caroline. The former was consigned by Elite Sales, while the latter was offered by Bluegrass Thoroughbred Servies on behalf of South Gate Farm. Queen Caroline represented a major score for Amy Moore, who purchased the Virginia-bred for a mere $170,000 at Keeneland September in 2014.

“Those were a lot cheaper than I thought they would be,” admitted Stewart. “I was thinking $5-5.5 million on Queen Caroline. I bought every horse that I bid on.”

John Stewart | Fasig-Tipton

He added, “And I would have paid a lot more for Queen Caroline. I am really excited with what we have bought and now we have some new horses to put on our farm.

A multiple stakes winner on the track, Queen Caroline hit paydirt in the breeding shed, producing champion juvenile colt Forte (Violence) in her first go around. She sold in foal to Horse of the Year Flightline.

“Queen Caroline is the whole reason we came to the sale,” added Stewart. “It's a funny story. As we were looking through the weanlings in the catalog, we were looking for something out of Queen Caroline. And then I saw that Queen Caroline herself was in the book and thought 'This is amazing!' Once we saw her, it was a done deal. She was 100% on the list. So I was very glad to walk away with her.”–@CbossTDN

'Pizza' to Go

Campaigned by celebrity chef Bobby Flay and trained by Christophe Clement, Pizza Bianca earned over $792,947 on the track, and counts the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf among her career highlights. The 4-year-old mare was offered in foal to Into Mischief.

Flay secured Pizza Bianca's dam White Hot (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) for 1.25 million guineas at Tattersalls October in 2014. Pizza Bianca was the first foal produced by the unraced mare. Offered at this sale last year, Pizza Bianca RNA'd for $3.45 million.

“We were very excited about buying [Pizza Bianca] as well,” Stewart said. “She had an impressive list of accomplishments. If you look at everything we've been buying, it's all about quality.”

He added, “We looked at a lot of horses, but to find the pedigree and the accomplishment level, that's what we're looking for. We're not just looking for the bloodline. And Pizza Bianca is a 100% of that.”

Stewart also put in a strong showing at Keeneland earlier this September, buying 13 yearlings for total expenditures of $8.425 million and was back in action at Fasig last month for the October Sale.

“These are all for me,” he affirmed. “These [resulting foals] are for me to race and for me to breed. I am not looking to sell either of these horses. I looked at them and thought 'you are not leaving this country.' They are staying in this country and it's even better that they are staying in Kentucky. That's been the whole goal is to keep the good bloodlines here. It's the best way that I can invest my money and I am super excited about that.” —@CbossTDN

Godolphin Strikes for Faiza

Most wouldn't be surprised to see Godolphin among the buyers of a top prospect at the nation's leading yearling sales. However, the operation made somewhat of a surprise appearance on the leaderboard with Faiza (Girvin) (Hip 228), who was purchased by the 'Boys in Blue' for $4 million. The Grade I stakes winner was consigned by Hill 'n' Dale.

“She was a very good racehorse and had a lot of quality about her,” said Godolphin's Michael Banahan. “She was a nice type to be able to bring back.”

Faiza brought $90,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select sale in 2021 before blossoming into a $725,000 Fasig Midlantic juvenile purchase by agent Donato Lanni for Michael Petersen in 2022. Trained by Bob Baffert, she won her first five starts, including the GI Starlet S. and GII Santa Anita Oaks.

Faiza | Benoit

“Bob Baffert and Donato Lanni buy beautiful horses that win Grade I races,” said Hill 'n' Dale's John Sikura. “I am really so happy for Michael Petersen and for the entire team. It was a great result for us, too. I am happy for everybody.”

Out of MGSW and MGISP Sweet Pistol (Smart Strike), Faiza's dam Sweet Pistol is a half-sister to two-time grades stakes winner Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile). The 10-year-old mare was purchased for $33,000 by Faiza's breeder Brereton Jones at Keeneland November in 2016.

Sikura added, “Those Grade I winners as mares are hard to find and the Japanese buyers are particularly interested in and respect that Grade I form and they really chase those mares. When they also have the looks to go with it, they have all the questions you can answer. And those are the ones that historically produce stakes winners and graded stakes winners.”

The purchase represented the first broodmare/prospect purchase for Godolphin since going to $3.5 million for GI Spinaway S. winner Pretty City Dancer (Tapit) at this venue in 2018. Pretty City Dancer would go on to produce a Classic winner in the form of GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief).

Godolphin enjoyed another fruitful Breeders' Cup with Cody's Wish (Curlin) repeating in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, while completing the exacta in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile with Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire)) and Mawj (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}).

Named after Cody Dorman, the colt repeated at this year's World Championships with another Dirt Mile win. The victory was bittersweet as Dorman passed away traveling back to his home in Kentucky Sunday.

“It was a fantastic story and a wonderful family,” said Banahan. “It was so special that we had that opportunity with them the last five years. I hope the [Dorman] family gets a lot of strength from the people both in and outside the industry while they go through their grieving process. It's heartbreaking for them, I'm sure. I hope they get a lot of strength for the last five years that Cody was able to share this special bond with Cody's Wish.”

Commenting on the operation's year overall, “We've had a great couple of years and this has been a really phenomenal year. From winning our first Kentucky Oaks, winning at the Breeders' Cup and helping give Bill Mott his first Met Mile. We've had multiple highlights through the year so we've been fortunate that our horses have performed at a high level. We're so grateful for it.” —@CbossTDN

Sauterne to Grand Stud

Bloodstock agent Emmanuel De Seroux, bidding on behalf of Japan's Grand Stud, purchased French Group 1 winner Sauterne (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) (hip 178) for $4.2 million Tuesday evening at Fasig-Tipton. The 3-year-old racing/broodmare prospect was consigned by Nicky Drion Thoroughbreds.

“She has a fantastic pedigree, as you can see,” De Seroux said of the filly's appeal. “She's beautiful and she was a great racehorse. In the Group 1 in France that she won, she beat the colts. The horse that was second to her just won the mile race at Ascot by six lengths. So her form is outstanding.”

Sauterne was making her second trip through the sales ring Tuesday night in Lexington. She had RNA'd for £1.2 million at the Goffs London sale in June just weeks after finishing third in the G1 French 1000 Guineas and second in the G2 Prix de Sandringham. In July, the bay was second in the G1 Prix Jean Prat and third in the G1 Prix Rothschild before beating the boys in the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp Sept. 3 for her owner/breeder Jean Pierre Joseph Dubois.

Sauterne is out of Salicorne (Aragorn {Ire}), a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Stacelita (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}), whose daughter Soul Stirring (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}) was champion 2-year-old and 3-year-old filly in Japan in 2016 and 2017. Stacelita's daughter Southern Stars (GB) (Smart Strike) produced Japanese champion Stars on Earth (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}).

“We just bought her five minutes ago,” De Seroux said with a smile when asked about plans for the filly. “She will probably be bred in Kentucky and then go to Japan.”

De Seroux returned a few hips later to acquire And Tell Me Nolies (Arrogate) (hip 206), also on behalf of Grand Stud, for $2.3 million. Consigned by Indian Creek, the 3-year-old filly sold as a racing/broodmare prospect. A $230,000 OBS Spring purchase, the bay won the 2022 GI Del Mar Debutante S. and GI Chandelier S. for Peter Redekop B.C., Ltd. She was second in this year's GII Santa Anita Oaks and GIII Santa Ysabel S. and third in the GII San Clemente S.

She is out of graded winner Be Fair (Exchange Rate), a half-sister to Grade I winner Macho Again (Macho Uno). @JessMartiniTDN

Secret Oath Leads Spendthrift's Fasig Haul

GI Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath (Arrogate) (hip 180) will be joining the Spendthrift Farm broodmare band after selling for $3 million Tuesday in Lexington. In addition to the Oaks, the 4-year-old broodmare prospect won the 2023 GII Azeri S. and 2022 GIII Honeybee S. in the colors of her breeder, Robert and Stacy Mitchell's Briland Farm. She also hit the board in seven other Grade I events, including the GI Arkansas Derby.

“Her race record needs no explanation,” Spendthrift's Ned Toffey said after signing the ticket on Secret Oath. “She is a big, classy mare. We think she is a perfect type of mare for Into Mischief. She's a really special mare and we need to get that kind.”

Secret Oath | Coady

Of the filly's final price tag, Toffey admitted, “We thought she might be a little bit more money. That's a lot to pay for any horse, but we thought she could have brought a little more. We were happy to get her for that number.”

Secret Oath, who is out of stakes winner and multiple Grade I placed Absinthe Minded (Quiet American), was consigned by Bluewater Sales.

Spendthrift was busy through the auction. In addition to Secret Oath, the operation also purchased graded-stakes winning broodmare prospect Travel Column (Frosted) (hip 193) for $2 million and paid that same amount for graded winner Merneith (American Pharoah), in foal to Flightline. In all, Spendthrift purchased five mares for $7.7 million. @JessMartiniTDN

Search Results, Wonder Wheel to Northern Farm Japan

Grade I winner Search Results (Flatter) (hip 179) and champion Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) (hip 200) led a trio of seven-figure purchases by Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Farm. Bidding on behalf of Yoshida, Shingo Hashimoto bid $3.6 million to acquire Search Results from the Elite consignment. The 5-year-old mare, who was a $310,000 Keeneland September purchase, won the 2021 GI Acorn S. and was second in that year's GI Kentucky Oaks. A five-time graded stakes winner, she hit the board at the Grade I level seven times and earned $1,943,810 for Klaravich Stables and trainer Chad Brown.

“She was one of the best 3-year-olds [of her generation],” Hashimoto said of the mare, who is out of graded-placed Co Cola (Candy Ride {Arg}). “And we really liked how she looked.”

Hashimoto returned just a few hips later to purchase 2022 champion 2-year-old filly Wonder Wheel for $3.2 million. The 3-year-old, who was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency on behalf of the Green family's D J Stable, won last year's GI Darley Alcibiades S. and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. She is out of multiple stakes winner and multiple Grade I placed Wonder Gal (Tiz Wonderful).

“Her appearance was very good and she's a champion 2-year-old, so we know she's very good,” said Shingo Hashimoto, who signed for the broodmare prospect. “We will take her back to Japan and keep her as a broodmare.”

Wonder Wheel was purchased by the Greens for $275,000 as a Keeneland September yearling and earned $1,591,857 on the racetrack.

“We were very confident bringing her here that she was going to bring a good amount of money,” Jon Green said after watching the champion sell. “You can never handicap it perfectly as far as who is on the horse and who liked the horse and to what extent. But I feel like Taylor Made did a phenomenal job of giving us the proper information to handicap who was going to be on her. And Fasig-Tipton, you can't say enough about this night and this venue. And just of competitiveness here. It's just a fun place to be on a night like tonight.”

Len & Jon Green | Fasig-Tipton

Green admitted the sale was bittersweet, particularly following the death of his mother, Lois Green, in May.

“This was the last horse that my mom ever named,” Green said. “We were fortunate as a family to watch Wonder Wheel compete and win in our silks. The last trip that my mom went on was to watch her run in Kentucky. So it was very difficult decision [to sell] from an emotional standpoint, but from a business standpoint, it makes all the sense in the world.”

Green continued, “From the moment that we bought her, Kim Valerio picked her out, Mark Casse trained her, Tyler Gaffalione did a phenomenal job riding her. And of course, Taylor Made and Fasig-Tipton did an absolute perfect job of marketing her. Everyone along the way added value. And I can't thank everyone enough for what they've done.”

Yoshida's shopping spree at Fasig-Tipton Tuesday also included Armony's Angel (To Honor and Serve) (hip 207), who was acquired for $1.8 million from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment.

In foal to Gun Runner, the mare is already the dam of this year's GI Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire (Classic Empire).

Late in the sale, Yoshida concluded his Fasig purchases with Ceiling Crusher (Mr. Big) (hip 265) acquired for $750,000.

Asked if he was able to purchase the mares he was aiming for, Hashimoto said, “Some of them, yes. Not all of them. That's always a part of the game. It's always tough.” @JessMartiniTDN

'Holiday' Brings $2.1m from Alpha Delta

With Tuesday's session already in full swing, Stolen Holiday (War Front) (Hip 189) realized a cool $2.1 million from Jon Clay's Alpha Delta Stables. Reynolds Bell, seated next to Clay inside the pavilion, was resolute in securing the half-sister to Group 1 winners Eishin Apollon (Giant's Causeway), Master of Hounds (Kingmambo) and Minorette (Smart Strike).

Consigned by Taylor Made Sales, the 6-year-old mare is out of Grade II scorer Silk and Scarlet (GB) (Sadler's Wells). This represents the family of English Highweight Sanglamore. She sold in foal to Into Mischief.

“We have been working the sale, and she fell in the sale the way we like it,” said Bell. “We liked her pedigree and he ability on the racetrack. And we liked who she is in foal to.”

He continued, “We find what we like. Whether it's dirt or grass, it doesn't really matter. They have to have some ability and they have to be in foal to something that can give them a good start.”

Very late in the sale, Alpha Delta also struck for Hip 264, Strong Incentive (Warrior's Reward), who brought $2.15 million. In foal to Good Magic, she was consigned by Elite.

Alpha Delta also went to $900,000 for Hip 159, Canadian champion Munnyfor Ro (Munnings) earlier in the session. Consigned by Hill 'n' Dale, she sold in foal to Curlin.

“The market has been strong,” said Bell. “But that's been the market we've been in for a while now. The ones that make sense to go for, everyone is there. And the ones that don't make the cut, nobody is there for. Whether it's yearlings, 2-year-olds, broodmares, it's pretty much the case.” —@CbossTDN

Shadwell at the Fore of Weanling Action

Highlighting the early swath of weanlings on offer at Fasig-Tipton's November Sale Tuesday, Shadwell emerged at the forefront, purchasing a pair of fillies, including Hip 62, a daughter of Munnings for $500,000.

Consigned by St George Sales, the Ontario-bred foal–bred by Narola and Anderson Farm–is out of Grade III winner Summer in Saratoga (Hard Spun). Out of MSW Diversa (Tabasco Cat), the 7-year-old mare, a $630,000 purchased by Anderson Farms at Fasig-Tipton at this venue in 2021, is a daughter of GI Vanity S. heroine Love Theway Youare (Arch).

“She was just a beautiful Munnings, I have never seen a Munnings like that, so we are happy with her,” said Shadwell's Jonny Smyth. “I spoke Sheikha Hissa and made some budget decisions, so we were happy to get her.”

Back in action later in the session, Smyth–bidding from inside the pavilion–extended to $400,000 for Hip 109, a filly by Gun Runner. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, the dark bay is a daughter of Classofsixtythree (Include). The 10-year-old mare is also responsible for GSW and GISP Gunmetal Gray (Exchange Rate) and Grade III-scorer Sixtythreecaliber (Gun Runner).

“She is a nice, leggy filly,” he said. “She was a beautiful mover as well.”

Offered at Keeneland January in 2019, Classofsixtythree had failed to meet her reserve at $385,000 while carrying Sixtythreecaliber.

Of Shadwell's purchases Tuesday, Smyth added, “Both are from beautiful families, so they have some nice residual value.”

Commenting on the overall quality of the weanlings on offer at Fasig-Tipton Tuesday, he said, “It's a nice group. Fasig has put together a nice group of weanlings. We've had a few on our list and we were very happy to get them.”

Active both in the sales arena and the racetrack both domestically and abroad this season, Smyth indicated there was also plenty to look forward to on the farm as well.

“It's been an exciting year. We have [six-time Grade I winner] Malathaat [Curlin] on the farm and she is in foal to Into Mischief,” he said of the two-time champion. “We're looking forward to what she will produce. And it's also been a phenomenal year in Europe, so we're very happy with the entire program overall.”

Later in the session, a colt by Maxfield (Hip 213) and Hip 268-a colt by Into Mischief-also reached that mark. Both top weanling colts were consigned by Taylor Made Sales. The former was purchased by Cherry Knoll Farm and the latter was secured by Enfuego Stables–@CbossTDN

The post ‘Remarkable’ Fasig November Gross Tops $100 Million Again as Nest, Goodnight Olive Bring $6 Million appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Sauterne, winner this year of the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp in France and consigned by Nicky Drion Thoroughbreds, agent, was the first of the trio to go through the ring and fetched a cool $4.2 million from Emmanuel de Seroux's Narvick International on behalf of Japan's Grand Farm. The sophomore filly is out of an unraced half-sister to dual American and French champion Stacelita (Fr) (Monsun). Sauterne sold as a racing or broodmare prospect. Jean Pierre Dubois bred her in France.

Watch Hip 178 SAUTERNE (FR) sell for $4,200,000 at The November Sale!

Sauterne defeated males in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (G1) in September.#FasigNovember @NickyDrion pic.twitter.com/EXhX2Qy2V0

— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) November 8, 2023

Search Results, winner of the GI Acorn S. in 2021 and most recently sixth in Saturday's GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, also sold as a racing or broodmare prospect. Bred by Machmer Hall in Kentucky and consigned by Elite, agent, she is from the same family as GISW Mind Your Biscuits (Posse) and Canadian champion Kimchi (Langfuhr). Search Results went to Katsumi Yoshida for $3.6 million.

Watch Hip 179 SEARCH RESULTS sell for $3,600,000 at The November Sale!

Search Results won the Acorn S. (G1) at Belmont at 3 and is a 5x graded stakes winner.#FasigNovember @EliteRaceSales pic.twitter.com/el4DdSbV08

— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) November 8, 2023

Secret Oath, winner of the 2022 GI Kentucky Oaks, fetched $3 million from Spendthrift Farm LLC. Bred in Kentucky by Briland Farm, Robert Mitchell, and Stacy Mitchell, the chestnut was consigned by Bluewater Sales LLC, agent VI and sold specifically as a broodmare prospect. Her final appearance on the racetrack was a second behind Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Idiomatic (Curlin) in the Aug. 25 GI Personal Ensign S.

Watch Hip 180 SECRET OATH sell for $3,000,000 at The November Sale!

Secret Oath won last year's Kentucky Oaks (G1) over one of the strongest fields in recent memory.#FasigNovember @BluewaterSales @spendthriftfarm pic.twitter.com/fjzrr0Snb8

— Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) November 8, 2023

The post Sauterne, Search Results, Secret Oath: Three Consecutive Mares Bring $3M or More at Fasig-Tipton appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Arrogate, the son of Unbridled's Song who delivered one jaw-dropping performance after another on the racetrack, began his stud career at Juddmonte with seemingly limitless potential until he suddenly and tragically passed away the summer before his first crop sold as yearlings. Since then his progeny have succeeded at the highest level and Arrogate is now responsible for more Grade I winners than any other third-crop sire aside from Gun Runner.

Among his five Grade I winners, three daughters of Arrogate will begin the next chapters of their careers this week as And Tell Me Nolies, Fun to Dream and Secret Oath go through the ring at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

“Arrogate was honestly one of the most talented racehorses I think any of us have witnessed,” reflected Fasig-Tipton's Boyd Browning. “The name Juddmonte is synonymous with the highest caliber and Arrogate certainly achieved that as a racehorse. He has clearly passed that on to his offspring with their desire to win and to compete. When you look at the success that he's had at the highest levels, it's pretty remarkable. We all mourn his loss because I think we're going to see that we had an opportunity to witness another great stallion in the making, but his influence will continue on through these outstanding daughters as well.”

The first to claim Grade I status for her sire, Secret Oath won an unforgettable edition of the Kentucky Oaks when she handed legendary conditioner D. Wayne Lukas his fifth Oaks win in her two-length score over a field that featured champions Nest (Curlin) and Echo Zulu (Gun Runner).

Secret Oath's career was nothing short of a fairytale story for her owners and breeders, Robert and Stacy Mitchell of Briland Farm. Out of their stakes-winning, Grade I-placed homebred Absinthe Minded (Quiet American), Secret Oath was a winner at two and her 3-year-old season included two standout performances against males with a third-place finish in the GI Arkansas Derby and a fourth-place effort in the GI Preakness S. She also claimed the GIII Honeybee S. by seven and a half lengths and was second to Nest in both the GI Coaching Club American Oaks and GI Alabama S.

This year at four, Secret Oath scored in the GII Azeri S., defeating MGISW Clairiere (Curlin), and was runner-up in three more Grade I contests. She placed in 14 of her 18 career starts and earned over $2.4 million.

“She was a picture of consistency,” Lukas said upon her retirement in October. “She showed up every time. Whenever I ran her she was right there. Secret Oath was good every time we started her. She always hit the board.”

And Tell Me Nolies wins the GI Del Mar Debutante | Benoit

And Tell Me Nolies was the first to prove Arrogate's ability to produce a top-level juvenile with her victory in the 2022 GI Del Mar Debutante, but the next day Cave Rock followed her effort up with a win in the GI Del Mar Futurity. A month later, the pair claimed headlines on the same day as Cave Rock got his third straight win in the GI American Pharoah and And Tell Me Nolies stumbled at the start but rallied to win the GII Chandelier.

A $230,000 2-year-old purchase out of a Grade III-winning half-sister to GISW Macho Again (Macho Uno), And Tell Me Nolies went on to claim two runner-up efforts behind Faiza (Girvin) this year in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. and GII Santa Anita Oaks and later run third in her turf debut in the GII San Clemente S.

Arrogate's third Grade I-winning daughter Fun to Dream was a debut winner at three and she followed that effort with a near 10-length victory in the Fleet Treat S. Trained and co-bred by Bob Baffert, the Cal-bred filly boasted a near perfect five-for-six record as a sophomore when she concluded the year with a win in the GI La Brea S. This year at four, Fun to Dream claimed the GII Santa Monica S. and lost by a narrow head to A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo) in the GI Beholder Mile S.

Fun to Dream scores in the GI La Brea S. | Benoit

Arrogate's influence continued to grow this year with the achievements of Arcangelo, winner of the GI Belmont S. and GI Travers S. Withdrawn from the Breeders' Cup Classic due to a foot issue, Arcangelo will be the first son of Arrogate to go to stud as he retires to Lane's End Farm.

Although dual Grade I winner and Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up Cave Rock sadly died of laminitis, Arrogate could perhaps have another potential heir from his final crop in Liberal Arts, winner of the GIII Street Sense S. on Oct. 29.

“It's a continuation of a sire line that has been a really important influence in North American racing over the last 25 years in Unbridled's Song,” said Browning. “Arrogate is out of a Distorted Humor mare, so you've got really some of the 'who's who' of North America racing assembled in terms of a pedigree perspective and they've achieved the success on the racetrack.”

A fourth graded stakes winner by Arrogate will be offered at Fasig-Tipton on Nov. 7. Campaigned by AMO Racing and trained by Graham Motion, Affirmative Lady, who is out of stakes winner Stiffed (Stephen Got Even), was a contender on the Kentucky Oaks trail as she ran second to Julia Shining (Curlin) in the GII Demoiselle S. at two and this year claimed the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, defeating GISP Sacred Wish (Not This Time).

“We've now got four daughters that are of the highest level of success and I think it gives people the opportunity  to have a piece of history and continue the legacy of Arrogate as he makes his mark for future generations.”

The post Arrogate’s Grade I-Winning Daughters on Display at Fasig-Tipton appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

She will sell at the Fasig-Tipton November sale.

The story was first reported by Ron Flatter of Horse Racing Nation.

Owned by Rob and Stacy Mitchell, Secret Oath came down with the injury after working five furlongs in :58.60 on Sept. 28 at Churchill Downs. Lukas said that the injury caused him to keep her out of Sunday's GI Spinster S. at Keeneland and with her missing that race he did not think she could make the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff.

“She's fine and she's sound,” he said. “But she was not going to make the Spinster. Rather than try to get her back together we decided to just go ahead and sell her.”

Secret Oath, a homebred, flourished as a 3-year-old. After she won the GIII Honeybee S., Lukas ran her against males in the GI Arkansas Derby, where she finished third. The Oaks was up next and she won that race by two lengths over eventual Eclipse Award winner Nest (Curlin).

“There are about 10,000 female horses born every year and she's the only one among them who won the Oaks,” Lukas said. “Those are the one-of-a-kind accomplishments every trainer strives for.”

After the Oaks, Secret Oath lost five straight but rebounded with a decisive win in the GII Azeri S. to kick off this year's campaign. She ran four more times, a stretch that included second-place finishes in the GI Apple Blossom H., the GI La Troienne S. and the GI Personal Ensign S.

“She was a picture of consistency,” Lukas said. “She showed up every time. Whenever I ran her she was right there. Secret Oath was good every time we started her. She always hit the board.”

A year ago, the Mitchells announced that Secret Oath would be sold in the Fasig-Tipton November sale, but they changed their minds and withdrew her so that they could race her one more year.

“She's going to bring some serious money,” Lukas said. “They still own the mother and a half-sister to Secret Oath. They are a small breeding operation so she has been a real blessing for them.”

The post Secret Oath Retired; Will Sell At Fasig-Tipton November appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Lukas turns 88 Saturday and the beat goes on. He will get up at 3 a.m. and within an hour will arrive at his barn located a couple of hundred yards from the Oklahoma training track. As usual, he will be in the saddle on his pony accompanying his horses as they go out for their morning exercise. In the afternoon, with a big cowboy hat on his head, he will be in the paddock at Saratoga Race Course to saddle a couple more starters.

Forget about a party. Lukas said he has to make sure that his wife Laurie is in line with his desire to treat Sept. 2 as pretty much just another day. He doesn't want any surprises.

“What we do here is we get a big old cake and we put it out there on the picnic table, let everybody get one of those plates over there and just have at it,” he said. “That's it.”

It is impossible to know who has been the oldest trainer to send a horse to the track since Thoroughbred racing commenced at Saratoga in 1863. At this point, Lukas is definitely not the oldest. The legendary James “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons reached his 88th birthday before the 1962 Saratoga season. In one of those can-you-believe-this Saratoga stats, Fitzsimmons was the leading trainer at Saratoga that summer, his finale upstate before retiring the following June. He locked up the title, which only took nine victories during the 24-day season, with three wins on the next-to-last day of the meet, Aug. 24. As the trainer for the Phipps family, Fitzsimmons had top-quality stock in his barn. Four of his nine wins were in stakes: the Schuylerville, Adirondack, Bernard Baruch and Seneca.

Fitzsimmons, who died at the age of 91 in 1966, switched from an undistinguished career as a jockey to training horses and continued on with distinction in parts of eight decades. He was the leading trainer at Saratoga four times and the national earnings leader five times. His record of 13 of Triple Crown race victories, stood for 56 years until Lukas picked up his 14th in 2013.

Lukas was a school teacher and coach before going full-time into training Quarter Horses in 1969. Equibase stats show him starting his career training Thoroughbreds in 1974. He has 4,910 victories and over $292 million in purse earnings. Once he got rolling with his nationwide Thoroughbred stable, he became the gold standard and among his many other successes, led the nation in earnings 14 times in a span of 15 years.

Decades ago, Lukas made it clear that he had no intention to retire and has continued on. While he is in Saratoga, he likes to play the machines at the nearby Saratoga Casino.

“If I get an afternoon off, I'm so bored,” he said. “That's why I end up in the casino. I've got to have another challenge so I go in there and try to beat them where the odds are really bad. I don't even handle an afternoon off very good let alone if I woke up at nine o'clock and had breakfast and wondered what the rest of the day was going to be.”

Lukas said continuing to do what he has been doing all these years–getting up in the middle of the night, climbing into the saddle and operating his stable–are elements of the elixir that has kept him going. He's not about to stop.

“I think those people that back off, every one of my friends colleagues and so forth that I saw retire and back off, at say, 70, every one of them went downhill,” he said.

In the last 30 years, five of his top owners have died, which has forced him to restructure his business. He said he is proud that at his age he is still able to compete at the top at tracks in Kentucky, New York and Arkansas.

“But here's the thing: I've eliminated the big stable,” he said. “I've limited it to 40 head. That allows me to be hands-on and personal with every horse, much different than when I had the assistants like Todd [Pletcher] and Mark Hennig and all these kids underneath me. So, I limit it to 40. It gives me great satisfaction. I see every horse.”

After a long run at Saratoga, Lukas skipped the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to a combination of the Covid-19 pandemic and a drop in quality of his stable. He returned last summer, compiled a solid 7-6-2 record from 31 starters and had purse earnings of $774,927. His GI Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath (Arrogate) was the star of the stable, but ended up second to Nest (Curlin) in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks and the GI Alabama S. Secret Oath is still with Lukas, was second in the GI Personal Ensign S., and he is confident she will run well in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at Keeneland.

Not only did he have success on the track in 2022, but with new owners, John Bellinger and Brian Coelho, who operate as BC Stables, he was active at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale.

“We went through a lull there,” Lukas said. “Even though we kept the barn full, we didn't have the quality. Now we have picked up Bellinger and Coelho and we should finish up here in the next couple of years–finish up, I mean until I die–we should finish up pretty good.”

The stable hasn't been quite as strong this summer at Saratoga. Entering Friday it has three wins and 10 seconds from 32 starts and Lukas is hoping for a couple more victories. He will send out a pair of runners on his birthday. On Sunday, he will try to win the GI Spinaway S. for the seventh time with BC's maiden Lady Moscato (Quality Road). Just Steel (Justify) will carry the BC colors in the GI Hopeful S. on closing day Monday. He will be Lukas's 34th starter in the Hopeful, a race he has won a record eight times.

Always looking ahead, Lukas said he expects to have a better-balanced barn in 2024. This year he is heavy with 2-year-olds–14 of the 39 horses he is training–and some of them might put him back on the road to the Triple Crown.

“That's building for the future,” he said. “We've already bought some really good yearlings. If we come back next year and bring 20 to 25 head, there will be some good 3-year-olds in there and some good 2-year-olds in there. We'll be building more to where we used to be.”

If he has his way, Lukas will win a race at Saratoga after his 89th birthday and step past Fitzsimmons again.

The post At 88, Lukas Aiming For Future Success appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Idiomatic broke from the rail and quickly skipped to the lead, ears pricked while under a hold as 45-1 longshot and Midwest shipper Malloy (Outwork) tracked her through a :24.53 first quarter and a :48.84 half. Nest was third early while Secret Oath followed and the pair of Sixtythreecaliber (Gun Runner), a July 19 Spa allowance winner, and Clairiere trailed. The tempo quickened with a half-mile to go; Idiomatic still traveled easily. Approaching the eighth pole, Geroux started riding as Nest attacked from Idiomatic's outside and Secret Oath countered from the inside. Despite drifting late, Idiomatic put both away to win by a healthy four-length margin as runner-up Secret Oath outpunched Nest by just a neck. Final time for the nine furlongs was 1:49.12.

Eclipse champion Nest suffered her first defeat at the Spa, while four-time GISW Clairiere was off the board for the first time since an uncharacteristic poor effort in last year's Personal Ensign.

“Based off the paper, I felt pretty confident [my filly] could establish a pretty solid lead,” said Cox. “I liked her [on a wet track], just the way she's made, she's big but she's not real heavy. I thought she could bounce through it, I really did.”

Cox continued when asked about his thoughts on defeating Nest and Clairiere: “It's huge. They're champions. They've accomplished so much and they're still in good form. I'm very proud of her to win by a few lengths there. Big race and I'm very proud of her.”

Fresh off back-to-back wins in the July 8 GII Delaware H., despite an ugly stumble at the break, and the June 3 GIII Shawnee S. with corresponding dual triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures, Idiomatic has done her best running when loose on the lead. She's taken an interesting path to this level, debuting with a win in April of her sophomore year at Turfway Park. Five of her first six starts–sandwiched around a seven-month, mid-year break–were on the all-weather surface at Turfway. After posting three consecutive wins there to kick off her 4-year-old campaign, which included a first stakes try in the Latonia S. Mar. 25, Cox shipped her to Belmont, where she made her graded debut May 6 with a distant second behind Pass the Champagne (Flatter) in the GII Ruffian S. Idiomatic hasn't lost since.

“I want to congratulate Juddmonte, Prince Khalid, and his family for keeping the legacy going,” said Cox. “They have a tremendous operation worldwide and this is a huge update for the farm and their operation. This filly is a homebred, so it means a lot.

“The week before I ran her in the Ruffian, I told [Juddmonte's] Garrett [O'Rourke] this filly will run on the dirt. It was an unbelievable breeze. She was second that day to Pass the Champagne, but her works on the dirt have been great all spring and into the summer. She gave us a lot of confidence this spring and summer. I've been confident in her for a while.”

An upset in the slop, as IDIOMATIC (Curlin) wins the GI Personal Ensign S. ahead of Secret Oath and Nest! pic.twitter.com/NpiygKtw0j

— TDN (@theTDN) August 25, 2023

Pedigree Notes:

Not too many significant racing weekends in recent memory don't involve a son or daughter of Curlin as a major player. It's impossible to overstate the chestnut's prowess as a sire of racehorses. The Hill 'n' Dale stallion is indisputably one of the best stallions of this generation and, with the Personal Ensign result, currently ranks second on the leading sire list behind only Into Mischief. Those two, along with Tapit, harken back to the days of Mr. Prospector, Danzig, and Seattle Slew, a trio who also interchangeably dominated just a few decades ago. Idiomatic is one of 54 graded winners and 96 black-type winners for Curlin, and his 21st at the Grade I level.

Idiomatic is a fourth-generation Juddmonte-bred and hails from the direct female line of Broodmare of the Year Best in Show (Traffic Judge), whose daughters have been brilliant producers and are responsible for a plethora of top horses over the last 50 or so years. One of those top horses was Juddmonte homebred, 'TDN Rising Star', and champion Close Hatches (First Defence), a full-sister to Idiomatic's stakes-winning and multiple Grade I-placed dam, Lockdown. Close Hatches is the dam of Tacitus (Tapit), whose big wins included the 2019 GII Wood Memorial S. and whose placings included the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont S.

Broodmare sire First Defence, another Juddmonte homebred descending from the operation's wonderful Broodmare of the Year Toussuad (El Gran Senor), has 14 stakes winners out of his daughters. He now stands in Saudi Arabia.

Lockdown died in 2022 after producing just three foals. She has an unraced 3-year-old filly named Abditory (Medaglia d'Oro) and a yearling filly by Into Mischief.

Friday, Saratoga
PERSONAL ENSIGN S.-GI, $500,000, Saratoga, 8-25, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:49.12, sy.
1–IDIOMATIC, 120, f, 4, by Curlin
          1st Dam: Lockdown (SW & MGISP, $445,900), by First Defence
          2nd Dam: Rising Tornado, by Storm Cat
          3rd Dam: Silver Star (GB), by Zafonic
1ST GRADE I WIN. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 10-7-1-2, $1,049,490. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Secret Oath, 122, f, 4, by Arrogate
          1st Dam: Absinthe Minded (MSW & MGISP, $607,747), by Quiet American
          2nd Dam: Rockford Peach, by Great Above
          3rd Dam: Strawberry Skyline, by Hatchet Man
O-Briland Farm; B-Briland Farm, Robert & Stacy Mitchell (KY); T-D. Wayne Lukas. $100,000.
3–Nest, 124, f, 4, by Curlin
          1st Dam: Marion Ravenwood (SW, $112,598), by A.P. Indy
          2nd Dam: Andujar, by Quiet American
          3rd Dam: Nureyev's Best, by Nureyev
($350,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House; B-Ashview Farm & Colts Neck Stables (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $60,000.
Margins: 4, NK, 12. Odds: 4.00, 7.20, 0.75.
Also Ran: Malloy, Clairiere, Sixtythreecaliber.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post The ‘Other’ Curlin, Idiomatic, Plunders the Personal Ensign appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Friday's $500,000 GI Personal Ensign S. at nine furlongs has attracted older mare division leaders Nest (Curlin) and Clairiere (Curlin). Both are multiple Grade I winners with stellar records; the two will meet for the third time.

Nest, last year's Eclipse champion 3-year-old filly, is the 4-5 choice after besting Clairiere in a bang-up GII Shuvee S. July 23 over track and trip. It was her first start of the season after ending last year with a fourth as the favorite behind Clairiere's third in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland. Nest is undefeated in three tries at Saratoga, including last year's GI Alabama S. and GI CCA Oaks. She was featured earlier this week in TDN.

“She had a spectacular season as a 3-year-old and I think her Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama wins were two of the most impressive races we saw at Saratoga last year. It earned her a championship and she's come back and is training even better at four,” said Nest's Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

“She has that rare ability to quicken at the end of a dirt race–you don't see a lot of horses show that display of turn of foot at the top of the stretch like we see her do,” continued Pletcher. “She's just a very, very special filly.”

Clairiere, second choice at 5-2, is no slouch either. She finished behind Nest in the Shuvee after a less-than-ideal trip and was also second in her first start of the year–Oaklawn's Mar. 11 GII Azeri S. behind fellow Personal Ensign entrant Secret Oath (Arrogate)–but in between she captured the GI Apple Blossom H. at Oaklawn and the GI Ogden Phipps S. at Belmont. She's a four-time Grade I winner who has age and experience on her side, not to mention seven triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures.

“I'm very happy with how she's training,” said fellow Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. “Obviously, Nest is a very tall order. We'll see how we do, but we couldn't be happier with Clairiere going in. She's a four-time Grade I winner of $3 million. She's covered plenty of ground.”

Clairiere's dam, Cavorting (Bernardini), won the 2016 edition of the Personal Ensign.

GI Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath has beaten both of the top contenders and Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas is never shy about putting her in tough spots, including tries against the boys last year, where she finished third in the GI Arkansas Derby and fourth in the GI Preakness S. When she's on her game, she is very, very good. Secret Oath skipped the Shuvee to await the Personal Ensign.

Brad Cox's Juddmonte homebred Idiomatic (Curlin), on a two-race win streak that covers the GII Delaware H. and GIII Shawnee S.; Tom Amoss trainee and GSW Sixtythreecaliber (Gun Runner), an optional allowance winner July 19 over this surface; and Wayne Catalano's last-out Hawthorne allowance winner Malloy (Outwork) complete the field.

Show Me the Money at Charles Town

Night owls are in for a treat as Charles Town hosts two rich late-night graded races Friday. The $1-million GII Charles Town Classic, won the last two years by the late Art Collector (Bernardini), attracts a field ages three and up going nine furlongs. Among the top choices are Giant Game (Giant's Causeway), winner two back of the GIII Cornhusker H. at Prairie Meadows over the re-opposing MGSW Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) and Call Me Fast (Dialed In). A Dale Romans trainee, Giant Game was fifth behind White Abarrio (Race Day)'s monster effort in the GI Whitney S. Aug. 5. This spring's GI Carter H. winner Doppelganger (Into Mischief) and West Virginia-bred Muad'dib (Fiber Sonde), second to Art Collector in last year's Classic, are among the others looking to make some noise.

Also on tap at Charles Town Friday night is the GIII Charles Town Oaks offering a $750,000 purse for sprinting sophomore fillies going seven furlongs. All eyes will be on Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief), the Tom Amoss trainee who captured the GII Golden Rod S. in her third straight last year but faltered since in disappointing efforts. In her last out June 17, she appeared to be getting back on track in the Monomoy Girl S. at Ellis Park, which she captured over subsequent GI CCA Oaks winner Wet Paint (Blame).

The post Showdown at the Spa as Personal Ensign Heads Friday’s Graded Action appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“She's just pure class in everything she does,” Pletcher said. “If they were all like her, it'd be a much easier game than it actually is.”

Co-owner Mike Repole, an enthusiastic promoter of his horses, talks about the 4-year-old in almost reverential terms.

“I've been blessed to have so many special, great horses, but she has a brilliance about her,” Repole said. “The last time I was blessed to have a horse like that was Uncle Mo. You think she's moving really slow. And you look at her times, and she just does it so easy. Effortlessly. Smooth. Composed. She's just a very special filly.”

Beloved by her connections and thoroughly respected by the competition, Nest returns to action Friday in the GI Personal Ensign S. Already the winner of three graded stakes at Saratoga Race Course, Nest will try to become the first runner to complete the GII Shuvee-Personal Ensign double since the Shuvee was added to the Saratoga stakes schedule in 2013. Eight previous Shuvee winners fell short.

In the Personal Ensign, named for the Ogden Phipps's undefeated champion, Nest will face a small, sterling field of graded stakes winners, Clairiere (Curlin), Secret Oath (Arrogate) Idiomatic (Curlin), and Sixtythreecaliber (Gun Runner), and Malloy (Outwork).

Nest has won eight of 12 starts and earned $2,083,050 for Repole, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House. The only time she has finished off the board was in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff when she was fourth, beaten 3 1/4 lengths as the favorite. That blemish did not bother Eclipse Award voters. She was the landslide winner of the 3-year-old filly title with 97% of the ballots cast.

This year, Nest was sick for a while in the spring, which delayed her return to the races. In the July 23 Shuvee, her first start since the Breeders' Cup, she dealt with the challenge presented by the gifted Clairiere and scooted away early in the stretch to win by 2 1/4 lengths.

“She has a rare ability to quicken at the end of the dirt race,” Pletcher said. “You don't see a lot of horses show that display and turn of foot at the top of the stretch like we've seen her do. She's just a very, very special filly.”

With her convincing victory under Irad Ortiz, Jr., Nest answered any questions about whether it would take any time to return to top form.

“She's got this cruise control that's a high-speed cruise control,” Repole said. “When Irad asked her to go around that far turn, she just opens up five lengths in a split second.”

Nest was purchased for $350,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Sale and joined the Pletcher stable the following year.

“She's been a star since Day 1,” Pletcher said. “She broke her maiden going a mile and a sixteenth first time out. Was able to win the (GII) Demoiselle as a 2-year-old. Had a spectacular season as a 3-year-old. I think her (GI) Coaching Club American Oaks and (GI) Alabama wins were two of the most impressive races we saw at Saratoga last year. That earned her a championship and now she's come back training even better at four.”

Nest opened her 3-year-old season Feb. 12 with a six-length victory in the Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs and picked up her first Grade I victory with an 8 1/4-length triumph in the GI Ashland S. Apr. 8 at Keeneland. She was sent off as the favorite in the GI Kentucky Oaks and ended up second, beaten two lengths by Secret Oath. Five weeks later, Pletcher tried her against males in the GI Belmont S. She delivered a big performance at 1 1/2 miles and finished second, three lengths behind stablemate Mo Donegal. Her grit and resilience have become a trademark.

“Physically, she's done remarkably well,” Pletcher said. “I said that last year after she was second in the Belmont that I couldn't think of a horse that we'd run in the Belmont that came out of the race as well as she did and actually gained weight after the race. She's done that again, this year after the Shuvee. Your first concern would be that that might be a hard race on her off the long layoff. She just thrived on it and has done great since then.”

On the track and around the barn, Nest has an alert, but calm confident presence about her.

“Queen Nest,” Repole said. “She was always mature, but she came back and she knows everything she's doing and she's really special right now.”

After Nest breezed a half-mile on the main track Saturday in :48.75, Pletcher described it was as good as a horse can work.

“She's very easy to train. She's very relaxed in her gallops,” Pletcher said. “Everything comes very easily to her. If you want her to work slow, she'll do that. If you want to work fast, she can do that. She's a trainer's dream, really. She does whatever you ask her to do.”

Due to the late start of her season, Pletcher said he would entertain another race before heading to California for the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita. The GI Spinster S. at Keeneland Oct. 8 is a popular steppingstone to the Distaff.

Pletcher acknowledged the quality of the Personal Ensign field, noting that it included the major players in the division. It is another showdown at the Spa with title implications and he will saddle the filly likely to go off as the favorite.

“I never take anything for granted,” he said, “but the way she's training, I would expect another big effort from her.”

The post Dependable Nest Seeks Shuvee-Personal Ensign Spa Double appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Always an important race that draws the top older dirt fillies and mares, the $500,000 Personal Ensign will once again have a strong lineup on Friday. Champion Nest (Curlin) and Clairiere (Curlin), who ran 1-2 in the GII Shuvee S. on July 23 are the obvious headliners. In addition to Secret Oath, the field could include Juddmonte's GII Delaware H. winner Idiomatic (Curlin). Three-time graded stakes winner Search Results (Flatter), the runner-up last year by a half-length to champion Malathaat (Curlin), was also nominated.

“This will be a Breeders' Cup prep.  That's what this is,” Lukas said. “This may be the best race of the year up here.”

The field will be without one standout, Rigney Racing's Played Hard (Into Mischief). Trainer Phillip Bauer said Friday that she will skip the Personal Ensign. The GI La Troienne S. winner spiked a fever in July that caused her to miss the Shuvee, had a breeze interrupted when a rider on another horse was unseated and is not quite ready to return to top-caliber competition.

Lukas, 87, is anxious to run Secret Oath in the Personal Ensign. She opened her 4-year-old season with three strong races. She beat Clairiere by 2 3/4 lengths in the GII Azeri S., but Clairiere reversed the finish by a neck in the GI Apple Blossom H. Played Hard edged Secret Oath by a neck in the La Troienne.

In her fourth outing of the season, Secret Oath was a well-beaten fifth of six behind Clairiere and Search Results in the GI Ogden Phipps S. on June 10 at Belmont Park. Lukas said the filly's owners, Stacy and Robert Mitchell, wanted to pass on the Shuvee and have her ready for the Personal Ensign, the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. on Oct. 8 at Keeneland and the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.

Secret Oath, winner of the 2022 GI Kentucky Oaks, has been in Saratoga with Lukas throughout the meet and has breezed four times on the Oklahoma training track.

“She's doing everything right and working lights out,” he said. “But there's nothing like racing to keep them sharp.”

During the 76 days between starts, Lukas has made a point of giving her aggressive works. She turned in a bullet five furlongs in :59 flat (1/14) on Aug. 12 and will work again early Sunday morning. He was she was good, but laid back, so he is trying to tune her up.

“She has trained and put on weight and gotten a lot more relaxed mentally,” he said. “That kind of happens when you give them those long breaks. She's had an eight-week break, maybe even more, but she's really doing everything right. I'm hoping that she'll wake up.”

To that end, Lukas worked her five furlongs in 1:00.45 on Aug. 3, sent her out for a circuit of the track doing a two-minute lick on Aug. 7 and followed up with the bullet breeze. He will continue with that approach Sunday morning.

“I will let her work,” Lukas said. “They say, 'I just want a maintenance work.' I'll go :59, :58. That will be fine with me. I want a sharp one.”

Secret Oath was scheduled to be sold at auction last November, but Lukas encouraged the Mitchells to withdraw her and keep her in training this year. He argued that she could earn quite a lot of purse money and probably enhance her value. She has earned $576,350 this year, pushing her career total to $2,344,767 from 17 starts.

At Saratoga last summer, Nest easily handled Secret Oath in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks and the GI Alabama S., which sent her to the 3-year-old filly Eclipse Award. Lukas said that Secret Oath has improved in the last 12 months.

“She's stronger and bigger and she should run better,” he said. “Let me put it this way, I think this race will be good for her, really good, but the next one will be a lot better. I really feel like once she gets this one under her belt, she will be really tough in the Spinster.”

Bauer said he had to scuttle the plan to run Played Hard in the Shuvee and the Personal Ensign.

“We decided after a five-eighths drill the week before that we had really lost too much fitness with the time that she got sick,” he said. “We went back and forth on it, but basically landed on, if we're going to take on this type we better not have any reservations about it. We're just going to turn the page to the [Sept. 16 GIII] Locust Grove, which she won last year at Churchill. She's probably a work away from the Personal Ensign, which we may have achieved if the first work off the time off would have gone to plan. Everything kind of blew up on us for both of the races up here.”

The post After Skipping Shuvee, Secret Oath Returns In Personal Ensign appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Stonestreet Stable's Clairiere has won consecutive Grade Is to climb to the top of the older dirt filly division. Nest, last year's 3-year-old filly champ co-owned by Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House, will make her first start of 2023. Meanwhile, Played Hard, trained by Phillip Bauer for Rigney Racing, has been building a solid resume. She gave her connections their first Grade I victory in the La Troienne on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs and has finished in the top three in her last 10 starts, six of them graded stakes.

Bauer said that Played Hard has established herself as a very capable and consistent runner while accumulating $1,480140 in purse earnings.

“I think she needs to be recognized as part of the equation this year in that division. However, it's, a tough division,” he said. “I'm sure with the years that they've had, Clairiere currently, and Nest last year, they deserve some respect and obviously some recognition.

But we're excited the way our filly is training and we've kind of mapped out a plan. So we just kind of put our blinkers on and whoever is in it, go to battle with them and see where we stack up at the end of the year.  The main goal is the Breeders' Cup. How we get there is probably going to be different than some of the others, but the Shuvee is the first step.”

Played Hard | Mike Kane

With both trainer and owners from Louisville, the 38-year-old Bauer has trained for Richard and Tammy Rigney since 2013. The Rigneys topped the owner's table at the 2022 Churchill Downs Spring Meet and had a spectacular Saratoga season, winning six of 13 starts. Played Hard delivered one of the Saratoga victories and has been in graded company since, finishing first in three of five starts. In the oh-so-important La Troienne victory she held off Secret Oath (Arrogate) by a neck.

“To me, she showed maturity,” Bauer said. “She's really figured the game out. Early on, it almost looked like she wanted to get rank in her races and stuff like that. She still likes to show pace, but it's some maturity, that I think has helped her and then, obviously, just the desire to win.”

Bauer smiled at the suggestion that the sixth win of her 16-race career was something of a coming out party.

“I would have to think so,” he said.  “She showed up and danced her dance.”

In her next start, Played Hard ran third to Clairiere and Search Results (Flatter) in the GI Ogden Phipps on June 10. With hindsight, Bauer said he regrets the decision to leave Louisville with the questions swirling about safety issues at Churchill Downs and ship the 5-year-old mare to New York.

“I think maybe a little trainer error on my part going up to the Ogden Phipps,” he said.  “We changed gears with everything that went on at Churchill. I don't necessarily think that it was the filly, I think it was more so a mistake that I made.

“We originally were targeting the (GII, July 1) Fleur de Lis, so we kind of changed course. Obviously, the Grade I was appealing, too. The fact we had one if you could get two you really enhanced your odds of winning an Eclipse Award.

Played Hard was forwardly placed by John Velazquez, but finished three lengths behind Clairiere in the one-turn Phipps at Belmont Park.

“We told ourselves, we're not going to regret our decisions,” Bauer said. “She still got third in a Grade I. As far as a page for her when she becomes a broodmare, it doesn't hurt.”

Played Hard has breezed three times since the Ogden Phipps, including a bullet five furlongs on July 7 at Churchill Downs. She worked a half-mile at Saratoga on Saturday.

Played Hard and Phil Bauer last summer at Saratoga | Sarah Andrew

“It'll be interesting to see who else goes in there, how the race sets up,” Bauer said. “I anticipate us being part of the mix early. If nobody else is in there maybe it will aid our chances. She loves it up here. She's won a couple of races and we're excited to be back and try again.”

Bauer and the Rigneys have been racing at Saratoga since 2016. They had a productive summer in 2021 with a 3-5-2 record from 21 starts. Last year, they had a remarkable run.

“We were very fortunate,” Bauer said. “It seemed like every time you opened the condition book, there was a race exactly where you wanted it all the way from maiden claimings to two-other-thans. Everything just fit like a glove. We didn't miss a beat and I think that was part of the reason for some of the success.”

Bauer said he and his owners understand what they have known all along, that it's tough to win at Saratoga.

“We're kind of making sure we realize that coming into this meet,” he said. “You don't come up here expecting to win that many.  We want to come up, be competitive and leave here proud of what our horses have accomplished, whether it's wins or not.

You want to lead them over there to run their best race. And if they do it up here, sometimes it's not good enough.”

Bauer brought 14 Rigney horses to Saratoga this year, a couple more than in past seasons. Played Hard is the star of the stable and in the Shuvee faces the tough task of facing Clairiere and Nest, two horses Bauer admires.

“Just phenomenal horses that if you ever run across those kind you're lucky to have,” he said. “Played Hard is the best horse I've ever hung a bridle on. It's exciting to be in the mix. That's what we all strive for in this game, to reach that level and have horses like that. I'm obviously a fan of what those fillies and mares have done and at the same time, hope to beat them.”

The post Played Hard and Bauer, Work Towards Shuvee appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post