Shared News | Horse Racing Free Tips

Tacitus Extends Family Dynasty at Taylor Made

Beginning his stud career at Taylor Made Stallions with a $10,000 initial fee, Tacitus (Tapit -Close Hatches, by First Defence) earned medalist status on Chris McGrath's 'Value Podium' of new stallions in 2022. Now, with the breeding shed door opening soon, the blue-blooded multi-millionaire has seen an enthusiastic response from breeders and has amassed a solid first book of mares.

“He is booked to over 160 mares now,” reported Taylor Made's Duncan Taylor. “We've been really satisfied with the reception from breeders. We're not taking every mare he gets offered. We're picking through and trying to get the best mares we can. We probably could have stood him for more money because he has been so popular, but we wanted to make sure we got a good book to him to get him off to a good start.”

Hailing from a highly-successful Juddmonte family, the son of champion sire Tapit is the first foal out of Champion Older Mare and five-time Grade I winner Close Hatches (First Defence). The mare descends from blue hen Best in Show (Traffic Judge) and is from the same family as G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Siskin, a young sire in Japan who is also by First Defence.

Taylor gives high regard to the line breeding traced in Tacitus's pedigree through First Defence, a grandson of Unbridled out of a Seattle Slew mare, and Tapit, a member of the Seattle Slew sire line out of an Unbridled mare.

“I really like the way he's bred with the Unbridled and Seattle Slew line breeding,” he explained. “They're both through a male and a female, so it's a very well-balanced pedigree. Then the females in his family are unbelievable. You have Weekend Surprise, Narrate, Gana Facil, Crimson Saint and Best in Show. When you look for what I call a blue-blood Kentucky pedigree, this one hits the bullseye.”

“There's a lot of things you can line breed to with him and try to come up with some clever matings,” he said, adding that the new stallion's first book is replete with mares by the sire lines of Candy Ride, Arch, Indian Charlie and War Front.

One of two graded stakes-winning grays joining the Taylor Made roster this year along with champion Knicks Go (Paynter), Tacitus may share the coloring of his sire, but Taylor said his physical better reflects his female line.

“He's bigger [than his sire] and you can really see the Unbridled coming through,” Taylor said. “He has a big, deep shoulder and a good neck on him.”

Tacitus all alone in the GII Suburban S. | Sarah Andrew

Campaigned by Juddmonte and trained throughout his career by Bill Mott, Tacitus was a top contender on the Triple Crown trail. After breaking his maiden as a juvenile, he claimed consecutive victories in the GII Tampa Bay Derby, where he set a stakes record, and the GII Wood Memorial S.

The colt did not see the winner's circle again as a sophomore, but ran in the money in each of his next five starts in 2019, placing second in the GI Belmont S., GII Jim Dandy S. and GI Runhappy Travers S., and finishing third in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S.

“He was right there through the major 3-year-old races,” Taylor said. “[To finish] third in the Kentucky Derby was a real credit and then he came back and ran well in the Travers. While he never got the Grade I win, he was a Grade I-caliber horse. I think just pure ability made him as good as he was.”

Tacitus was competitive again as a 4-year-old, gaining a third graded-stakes score with an 8 3/4-length romp in the GII Suburban S. at Belmont and later placing in the GI Woodward H. and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S.

He retired after his 5-year-old season with earnings of over $3.7 million, competing exclusively against graded stakes company after breaking his maiden and running in the money in all but five of those 15 graded starts.

“Tacitus was such a good racehorse,” Taylor said. “He won the Wood Memorial, the Tampa Bay Derby and the Suburban. Two of those used to be Grade I races so he just didn't win them at the right time. He has a beautiful pedigree and we think he could be a great stallion. We're very fortunate to have a royally-bred horse like him at Taylor Made.”

The post Tacitus Extends Family Dynasty at Taylor Made appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

KEEP Day to Be held Jan. 27

The Kentucky Equine Education Project will host its annual KEEP Day in Frankfort Thursday. KEEP Day in Frankfort provides KEEP grassroots members, industry leaders, breed associations, and other industry partners an opportunity to share with Kentucky lawmakers the importance of horses to their legislative districts and the state's economy.

The event will take place from 9 a.m.-10:45 a.m. in Room 113 in the Capitol Annex.

“Kentucky's horse industry and community create an annual economic impact on the state of $6.5 billion,” said Elisabeth Jensen, KEEP's executive vice president. “More important, though, are the tens of thousands of jobs and thousands of businesses that contributed directly and in-directly to the state's horse industry. These businesses and industry partners are the lifeblood of small towns across the state and it is critical that the industry flourish to support the small businesses and equine operations that are at the heart of Kentucky's signature industry.”

The post KEEP Day to Be held Jan. 27 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Mixed Sales Season Continues in Ocala

A total of 649 horses of all ages, including a supplemental catalog of about 50 horses, is set to go under the hammer at the Ocala Breeders Sales Company's Winter Mixed Sale, which kicks off a two-day run in Central Florida this morning at 11 a.m. ET with a preferred session (hips 1-206, including supplements) and continues with the horses-of-racing-age section (hips 251-365, including supplements). The sale concludes with Wednesday's open session (hips 401-638, supplements included), also beginning at 11 a.m.

In the aftermath of a record-setting entree to the mixed sales season at Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton in November and with steadier, rational trade at the latter's Midlantic Sale in December and back at Keeneland a few weeks ago, sales officials at OBS are expecting more of the same over the next 48 hours.

“Hopefully the trends that we've seen over the last few months continues here. We certainly hope so,” said the auction house's director of sales Tod Wojciechowski. “There certainly does seem to be a zest for horses of all ages. The horse industry in general has been doing very well over the last year or so. I think there is obviously some pent-up demand and there are probably a few factors that will come into play on that, but we're excited to see what happens.”

He continued, “The January Sale has kind of gotten to be a destination sale for many, especially for the short yearlings. I think people sort of use it as a convenient excuse to get out of the colder weather. But on top of that, it's just a sale people that want to be at.”

It is a leaner catalog for the 2022 renewal of the Winter Mixed Sale, down some 19% from last year's 805-strong book. Wojciechowski explained that the slimmed-down catalog is mostly a function of the nature of mixed sales.

“I think the smaller catalog is a function of the ebb and flow of breeding stock from year to year,” he said. “Certainly there has been a drop in the foal crop here in Florida, so that can't have a good impact on us, but I think we've got a good book and I think that the people that come here to shop will be pleased with the stock that we have.”

The catalog features 257 yearlings by sires based not only in Florida, but also mainstream Kentucky stallions such as Accelerate, Always Dreaming, Collected, Goldencents, Gun Runner, Hard Spun, Maclean's Music and Practical Joke, to name just a few. Stallions based in Ocala include Breaking Lucky, Girvin, Khozan, Neolithic and Bucchero, whose first foals hit the track in 2022 and whose popularity in the breeding shed early days looks to have translated to a high number of entries. The Pleasant Acres resident is represented in the catalog by no fewer than 15 newly turned yearlings, the most for any sire in the sale.

“I've heard a lot of good things about Bucchero for sure and that's probably the reason that there are so many of them,” Wojciechowski surmised.

Among the horses recently supplemented to the sale is hip 349, the 3-year-old filly Fifth Anniversary (Runhappy). Runner-up in the Sept. 19 Woodbine Cares S. going five furlongs on turf for trainer Ricky Griffith, the bay made a giant impression on her South Florida debut Jan. 19, taking a five-furlong allowance over the Gulfstream Tapeta track by 2 3/4 lengths, good for an 83 Beyer Speed Figure (video).

The sale also includes a dispersal of breeding stock from Fred Brei's Jacks Or Better Farm, long an institution on the Florida racing and breeding scene. Alone and in partnership, Jacks Or Better has bred and/or raced the likes of GI Forego S. and GI Carter H. winner Jackson Bend–a son of their homebred sire Hear No Evil–and champion 2-year-old filly Awesome Feather (by Jacks Or Better's Awesome of Course), who was sold for $2.3 million following her victory in the 2010 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

“Certainly Mr. Brei has a long and successful tradition in Florida racing and has been a big part of the scene in the state, from a breeding and racing perspective,” Wojciechowski said. “It'll be a loss to the industry, but this will offer people an opportunity to get into some of his really nice families that he's had success with.”

For the full catalog, please visit www.obssales.com.

The post Mixed Sales Season Continues in Ocala appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Mating Plans: Coteau Grove Farms

With the 2022 breeding season right around the corner, we will feature a series of breeders' mating plans over the coming weeks. Today we have Andrew Cary, bloodstock agent for Coteau Grove Farms.

MISS HOT LEGS (m, 6, Verrazano–Expo Gold, by Johannesburg), to be bred to Medaglia d'Oro

Miss Hot Legs is one of our top mares. She's a stakes-placed three-quarter sister to the superstar Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil). We purchased her for $500,000 as a broodmare prospect at Keeneland November 2020.

Miss Hot Legs herself was a very fast and talented racemare in her own right and is a stunning physical. She was stakes-placed at Santa Anita and was only beaten a few lengths in a Grade II against the likes of Jolie Olimpica (Brz) and Oleksandra (Aus).

She is currently in foal to Curlin for her first foal and we felt that Medaglia d'Oro offered great value at $100,000 given what he has achieved during his legendary career. We are giving Miss Hot Legs every shot to get her broodmare career off to a good start with those first two covering sires.

ELFIN QUEEN (m, 5, American Pharoah–Pretty 'n Smart, by Beau Genius), to be bred to Into Mischief

Elfin Queen was acquired at the Keeneland November sale last year for $550,000, in foal to Justify. It's special to be able to buy a well-bred daughter of a Triple Crown winner, in foal to a Triple Crown winner. She was a $1.2-million yearling herself and is a half-sister to Grade I winner and promising young sire Cupid (Tapit). She broke her maiden by 6 1/2 lengths in Ireland for Aidan O'Brien and competed in stakes after that. We are giving her every shot by breeding her to Into Mischief. With her exceptional looks and pedigree, we have high hopes for Elfin Queen as a foundation mare for Coteau Grove for the next decade.

GOTTAHAVEAHOLIDAY (m, 8, Harlan's Holiday–Gottahaveadream, by Indian Charlie), to be bred to Constitution

Gottahaveaholiday is a three-quarter sister to Grade I winner Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief), who recently sold for $2.85 million to Shadai Farm at Fasig-Tipton November. She herself was an expensive yearling and placed in maiden special weight company several times in New York. We acquired her for $240,000 as a broodmare prospect at Keeneland November 2020. She is a big, great-looking mare and is due any day for her first foal to Quality Road. We are huge fans of Constitution and feel that he is poised to become a perennial top-five sire in the years to come with what he has coming in the pipeline.

PLUS ONE (m, 13, Bluegrass Cat–License Free, by Miswaki), to be bred to Gun Runner

Plus One will always be a special mare to us, as she became our first Grade I producer when her son No Parole (Violence) won the GI Woody Stephens S. at Belmont Park in June of 2020. We acquired her for $67,000 at Keeneland November in 2014. Plus One is currently in foal to Tapit and we are obviously very excited to have her booked to the phenomenal Gun Runner. Gun Runner has already sired Echo Zulu (GI), Gunite (GI) and Pappacap (GII) from Storm Cat-line mares.

CONTRIBUTING (m, 8, Medaglia d'Oro–Taegu, by Halo), to be bred to Curlin

We acquired Contributing for $500,000 at Keeneland November 2020, in foal to Speightstown. She's a gorgeous mare who had a lot of speed, and her pedigree is phenomenal–the first dam fills the whole page. Her sister Classic Elegance (Carson City) was a Grade II winner and multiple stakes producer; she also has three other half-sisters that are stakes producers, including El Fasto (El Prado {Ire}), the dam of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Believe You Can (Proud Citizen).

Contributing has a yearling Speightstown colt we are very excited about and look forward to bringing him to the yearling sales this fall. She is currently in foal to Justify, who we expect to have great success with his early crops both here and around the world. We love the physical match with Curlin and it gives her another great chance at throwing a runner.

Let us know who you're breeding your mares to in 2022, and why. We will print a selection of your responses in TDN over the coming weeks. Please send details to: garyking@thetdn.com.

The post Mating Plans: Coteau Grove Farms appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post