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$380K Violence Colt Leads the Way During Solid Start to Fasig-Tipton NY-Bred Yearlings Sale

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – The Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale gained momentum throughout its opening session, ending with figures ahead of last year's opening session after a brisk evening of just 100 catalogued head. A colt by Violence brought the night's top price when Chris Baccari, bidding alongside trainer Ken McPeek, went to $380,000 on behalf of country singer Toby Keith. The yearling was consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa.

A total of 53 yearlings sold Sunday for $5,999,000. The average of $113,189 was up 5% from last year's opening-session figure of $107,813, while the median of $100,000 was up 29.9% from $77,000 a year ago. With 28 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 34.6%.

“It was a very good opening session to the 2023 New York-bred Yearling Sale,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “It seemed a tiny bit sticky at the beginning, with a little higher RNA rate that kind of smoothed out as the sale progressed. But it was a solid sale, a good sale. Last year was essentially a record-breaking sale and to be statistically improved in two key categories is a really good start.”

With just a third of the catalogue through the ring Sunday, Browning was loathe to make any big predictions on the state of the New York-bred yearling market.

“We have got a full day tomorrow, so we won't be making any bold proclamations or assertions,” Browning said. “We will have a better ability to access the overall market tomorrow. But it was certainly a good start and we are looking forward to another good day tomorrow.”

The New York-Bred Yearlings Sale continues Monday at noon with a further 264 catalogued head scheduled to go through the ring at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion.

Baccari, McPeek Strike for Violence Colt
Chris Baccari, who has been active buying on behalf of Toby Keith this year, got the Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale off to a quick start when acquiring a colt by Violence for $380,000 (hip 306) for the country singer Sunday in Saratoga. Baccari did his bidding out back alongside trainer Ken McPeek.

“To me, he looked extremely sound and he had a lot of good qualities about him that were unique for his pedigree,” Baccari said. “That's why I told Kenny and Toby that this one we would have to stretch on. To me, he's a very solid horse.”

The bay colt is out of Liam's Lookout (Liam's Map), a half-sister to graded winner Itsaknockout (Lemon Drop Kid). Bred by Fred Hertrich, the yearling sold for $175,000 to SKPJ Stables at this year's Keeneland January sale. He was consigned Monday by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa.

“Chris Baccari and I are good friends and we have been for a long time,” McPeek said. “I have a lot of respect for his work and he knows some of my work. We both liked the horse. We are putting a group together to race in New York. We will probably have Magdalena as some sort of share in him. He's a lovely horse. I thought he was a real standout. You have to pay for the good ones and he was a good one.”

Bidding for Keith's Dream Walkin Farms, Baccari purchased a filly by Fast Anna for $100,000 at the OBS June sale and Baccari and McPeek teamed up to buy a Blame colt for $310,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July sale.

“I've known Toby and had mares for him for a long time,” Baccari said. “In the springtime, he called me up and said let's try to get a racing stable. So, that's what I'm trying to do.”

Asked if there was a target number for the stable, Baccari said, “Every deal is it's own deal. When I walk up and see a horse, then I try for it”

Gun Runner Filly to Trade Winds Farm
Tom D'Ambra, standing alongside his daughter and farm manager Agatha Reid, went to $290,000 to acquire a filly by Gun Runner (hip 369) Sunday in Saratoga. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, the yearling is out of graded winner Pantsonfire (Ire) (Sir Percy {GB}). She was bred by Richard Nicolai.

“We really wanted her,” D'Ambra said. “She's a filly, she has residual value If she doesn't run, it's a great family. We hope she will have a good racing career, but even after that there is more in the tank.”

Trade Winds Farm is located in Rexford, New York and has campaigned stakes winner Bounding Charm and multiple stakes placed Scientist.

D'Ambra, who indicated the filly would likely be trained by Brendan Walsh, admitted he was willing to spend more to acquire the yearling.

“I thought she would go higher, so I thought this was good deal,” he said.

Asked if he was still shopping, D'Ambra said, “That's it for tonight, but we will be back tomorrow.”

Eclipse, Repole Back for Mo
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Repole Stables, who teamed up to purchase a yearling by Practical Joke for $150,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton New York sale, returned to the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion two days after that colt broke his maiden first-time out at Saratoga to acquire his half-sister by Vekoma (hip 349) for $235,000.

“It's the exact same partnership as on the brother,” said Repole advisor Jacob West. “So we are combining forces and hope we do it again.”

Asked how much her half-brother Trust Fund's 2 1/4-length debut victory impacted their decision to buy the sister, West said, “We knew that she was in here and we knew what he was doing prior [to Friday's race]. The page was turned down on her before he ran. But the filly, on her own, was very, very nice. She was a beautiful filly. We hope he goes on and does well and we have some residual leftover.”

Hip 349, who was consigned by Straight Line Equine Sales, is out of Mo Savings (Uncle Mo), a half-sister to stakes winner and graded placed Clipthecouponannie (Freud). She was bred by Windylea Farm.

“She's been really nice ever since she was born,” Windylea's Kip O'Neill said of the yearling. “We thought she would bring $80,000 to $125,000 before the timely update that happened Friday. Certainly we were watching out for that horse. Once that happened, we thought we would get into the high $100,000s. She got over $200,000 and we are very happy with the hands that she's in. Jacob has bought quite a few from our farm over the years. It's becoming a good relationship.”

Windylea Farm claimed the unplaced Mo Savings for $40,000 at Belmont in 2019. Trust Fund was her first foal. She has a weanling filly by Tacitus.

“We still have the mare,” O'Neill confirmed. “We decided not to breed her back–it was a late foaling and we decided to give her the year off. We were going to have to give her a year off sooner or later and she's worked hard for us. So we figured we would give her a little bit of a break.”

Vekoma had a pair of yearlings sell Sunday night. In addition to the filly, the Spendthrift stallion also had a colt (hip 354) sell for $200,000 to Klaravich Stables.

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Pacific Classic Field Takes Shape

Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo), first and third in last month's GI Haskell S. at Monmouth, appear likely for a rematch in the Sept. 2 G1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic.

Following his Haskell victory, trainer Richard Mandella indicated the Pacific Classic was possible for the Pin Oak Stud runner, however, upon returning to Del Mar, the Hall of Famer began considering the $125,000 Shared Belief S. instead. Facing older horses in the Classic, the sophomore would run against his own division in the Shared Belief.

In the end, Mandella went back to his initial intention to run in the Classic.

“We're a little heavier on the million dollars,” Mandella said. “I have my price, you know.”

Geaux Rocket Ride worked five-furlongs in 1:01.40 (21/45) at Del Mar Friday.

Returning off a five-month respite, Zedan Racing's Arabian Knight faded to third in the Haskell after contesting a hot pace. The $2.3 million OBS Spring Sale grad was favored in the Haskell following an impressive win in the GIII Southwest at Oaklawn in January.

The Bob Baffert trainee has worked twice since returning to the West Coast, the most recent a seven-furlong move in 1:24.40 at Del Mar Friday.

The Hall of Famer is also pointing Defunded (Dialed In) to the Classic. Fourth in the GII San Diego S. last month, he previously won the GI Hollywood Gold Cup and the GII Californian.

Also nominated, Grade III winner Order and Law in addition to a pair from the Doug O'Neill barn–Slow Down Andy (Nyquist)

and SW Katonah, has developed an issue following a victory in the July 8 Pleasanton Mile.

“He's battling a bruised foot,” O'Neill says. “So we have to play it by ear.”

Also listed as possible for next month's Classic, GISW Stilleto Boy (Shackleford) and MGSW Rattle N Roll (Connect), who is also being considered for the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, run on the same day as the Classic.

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Cox Team Readies for Next Test at Saratoga

Trainer Brad Cox sent out a host of graded-stakes winners for workouts at Saratoga this weekend, including GI Coaching Club American Oaks winner Wet Paint (Blame), who is targeting Saturday's GI Alabama S.

The Godolphin homebred posted her second work since her Oaks victory, covering five furlongs in 1:02.24 over the Oklahoma dirt training track in company with recent allowance winner and GSP Slip Mahoney.

“1:02 and a super good work,” said Cox. “She's been very steady and very good up here in the mornings. I like the way she came out of it and she's set up to go the mile and a quarter.”

Cox also sent out Godolphin's Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile) for a sharp five-furlong move in :59.22 over the Oklahoma track Saturday, her penultimate work before the GI Ballerina H. Aug. 26.

“Awesome work. It was very quick and good, not just quick,” said Cox. “A good gallop out as well, so she's set up for the Ballerina.”

Matareya was last seen finishing third in the June 24

GIII Chicago S. at Ellis behind Steve Asmussen trainee Society (Gun Runner), who also worked five-eighths in 1:00 flat Sunday over the Oklahoma main track.

Victorious in last season's GI Acorn S., Matareya took the GI Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs two starts back.

On Sunday, Miacomet Farm's Heavenly Sunday (Candy Ride) breezed over the Oklahoma training turf in preparation for Saturday's GII Lake Placid S. She was last see finishing second in the July 1 Tepin S. at Ellis.

“She's doing great. It was an awesome breeze, and all of her works here over the turf have been great,” said Cox. “I love her gallop outs and the way she's acting. I'm super pleased with her and hopefully, we get a good setup.”

Cox indicated a decision has not been made as to where Juddmonte's Set Piece would return following a win in Saturday's GI Arlington Million at Colonial Downs.

“I'll talk it over with Prince Khalid and his family and make a decision,” said Cox.

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For the Good of Racing, NYRA Needs to Bite the Bullet on the Belmont

There's no easy fix for the Triple Crown or one that satisfies all three tracks. But a fix is needed. With most trainers reluctant to run their horses back on just two weeks' rest, the GI Preakness S. is reeling. The connections of Rich Strike (Keen Ice), the

GI Kentucky Derby winner, committed what would have been considered blasphemy 20 years ago and skipped the Preakness to rest up for the GI Belmont S. This year, Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) was the only Derby starter to run back in the second leg of the Triple Crown, which had a field of just seven.

The Preakness has become a shell of its former self, which is a problem. The Triple Crown is not the Triple Crown unless all three races are top-class events featuring the best 3-year-olds in training.

It didn't make sense for The Stronach Group (TSG), which owns Pimlico, to keep sitting back and do nothing and let one of its most valuable assets grow more irrelevant by the year. Which is why it was no surprise when TSG floated out a trial balloon in the media last week, saying that it was serious about pushing back the date of the Preakness so that it would be run four week after the Kentucky Derby.

TSG's Aidan Butler said the move was being considered for safety reasons, that it wasn't in the best interests of the Triple Crown horses to have so little time between races. That was just spin. There's no evidence that racing horses on two weeks' rest is more dangerous than running them back in four weeks. The real reason is that the two-week gap all but guarantees a lot of good horses, and maybe even the Derby winner, will pass the Preakness, which isn't good for the race or business.

Moving the Preakness will help the Preakness, but doing so raises a new problem. The current spacing of the Triple Crown races-two weeks from the Derby to the Preakness and three weeks from the Preakness to the Belmont-works very nicely for the New York Racing Association and the Belmont Stakes. The Belmont field always gets six or seven top horses out of the Derby from trainers who wouldn't run them back in two weeks in the Preakness. That makes for a good race. It gets even better if the Derby winner wins the Preakness and heads to Long Island with a Triple Crown on the line. The chances of that happening is made easier when the competition in the Preakness is subpar. Then there's the Belmont Day card. Everything has fallen into place and the stakes-loaded Belmont day program is the best non-Breeders' Cup Day card run in the U.S. The handle is astronomical.

Moving the Belmont would also likely affect the graded races in the summer for the 3-year-olds, like Saratoga's GII Jim Dandy and the GI Travers S. With less time between the Belmont and those two races, two highlights of the Saratoga meet could be weakened.

It's easy to see why NYRA wants to keep the status quo, and that was the message the organization sent out within minutes of TSG saying that the Preakness could be on the move. “NYRA has concerns about fundamental changes to the structure of the Triple Crown. We have no plans to move the date of the Belmont Stakes,” said NYRA spokesperson Pat McKenna.

What was left unsaid is that NYRA has a weapon that TSG probably doesn't. NYRA has the assets to throw money into the Belmont. Make it a $5 million race, something I can't see TSG being able to match with the Preakness, which has a purse of $1.5 million. That sort of purse discrepancy would all but guarantee that the Belmont, and not the Preakness, would get all the big-name horses out of the Derby.

Which leaves us where?

If the Preakness is moved to four weeks after the Derby and the Belmont stays right where it is then we will have four weeks between the Derby and Preakness and one week between the Preakness and the Belmont. You would have to run in one race or the other but not both. No trainer would ever run his or her horse back on one weeks' rest if that were what was required between the Preakness and the Belmont. You probably wouldn't even get a Derby-Preakness winner to run back in a week with a possible Triple Crown on the line. The bottom line: this would be a disaster, the destruction of the Triple Crown.

This can't happen. The Triple Crown is racing's greatest asset and its demise would do irreparable harm to a sport that gets little attention from the public or the mainstream media outside of the Triple Crown. For that not to happen, something has to give. Yes, TSG could relent and recommit to the two-week break. But that leaves us right where we started, with a weak Preakness, which means a weakened Triple Crown.

The best thing for the Triple Crown, the best thing for horse racing, is for NYRA to fall in line, swallow a bitter pill, and push the Belmont back so that it is run four weeks after the Preakness. The four weeks-four weeks spacing would help reinvigorate the Triple Crown and save it from what is now floating out there, a possible Triple Crown schedule that no one should want.

In any other the sport, this would be handled by a commissioner's office, whose mission is to make decisions that benefit the league and not necessarily individual teams. A racing czar would never let the Triple Crown hang on a thread like it is. But, of course, racing doesn't have a commissioner and never will. That's why tracks get away with acting in their best interests, the interests of the sport be damned.

It's not in NYRA's best interests to move the date of the Belmont. Everyone gets that. But, realistically, only NYRA fan fix this. It needs to step up and do the right thing for the Triple Crown, which will be better and stronger with the changes. Put the sport first.

NYRA and the Pick-5 Fiasco
Bettors had every right to complain last week when the Sunday late Pick 5 at Saratoga was turned upside down by a decision to take three races in the segment off of the turf. As the horses were being loaded into the starting gate for the sixth race, the first in the Pick 5 segment, it was announced that the races were being moved to the main track. That was the result of Ever Summer (Summer Front)breaking down in the fourth race, which was run on the turf, which resulted in the horse having to be euthanized. The jockeys went to NYRA and expressed concerns about the condition of the turf course, so NYRA played it safe and took the rest of the day's race off of the grass.

For safety reasons, that was probably the right call, but it left a bitter taste in the mouth's of many a bettor. They had little chance to adjust their plays and/or cancel their bets. The Pick 5 turned into a daily double, one that paid $25.

TO NYRA's credit, CEO and President Dave O'Rourke came out publicly later in the week, apologized and said that NYRA “dropped the ball.” As a concession to the bettors, NYRA seeded Saturday's Late Pick 5 with $100,000. Tracks executives usually run and hide when something goes wrong like this. That O'Rourke was accessible and accountable was admirable.

It should also be noted that he was left to apologize for some things that were not NYRA's fault. Yes, NYRA should have gotten the word out more quickly regarding the surface changes. But it had no control over some other issues. It wanted the Pick 5 to be canceled, which absolutely would have been the right call, and asked the stewards to allow them to refund all Pick 5 wagers. But state racing regulations don't allow for that to happen. Instead, the off-the-turf races were considered “all” races when it came to the Pick 5. NYRA also asked the stewards to delay the sixth race for a few minutes, which would have given players a chance to regroup and, if they wanted to, cancel their tickets. The stewards again said no.

The rules need to be changed so that a horizontal wager can be canceled whenever a situation likes this comes up. And, if it will help matters, there's no reason why a race can't be delayed to help the player adjust their bets.

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