Steve Gasparelli | Horse Racing Free Tips

by Dan Ross & Jill Williams

A $250,000 colt by late California sire Vronsky led Tuesday's one-session Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings and Horses of Racing Age Sale, topping a dozen lots to sell for six figures. While the $5,751,500 gross for 185 head and $15,000 median (-11.76%) declined somewhat from the 2022 edition, average was up slightly from $30,522 in 2022 to $31,089 (+1.86%) this year. The buy-back rate, 25.7% in 2022, rose to 34%.

“Buy-backs may be up a little bit,” said Fasig-Tipton's California representative Mike Machowsky. “But the guys that breed these Cal-breds are happy to race them. The Cal-bred program is a very strong program and, as you see, we get great horses out here. It's solid. We're very happy and things are going the right way.”

Now in its fifth edition, the sale was headed by a new buyer to the California market in West Point Thoroughbreds. The organization, a major yearling purchaser in Kentucky and New York, was making their first purchase at the California sale.

“We're very pleased we had some new people buying before that we haven't had in the past,” said Machowsky.

“Overall the yearling market was very positive,” continued Machowsky. “It was strong all the way through. People are always looking for quality, what kind of fits their program, whatever they need. We had some very nice horses.

“It's resilient, this business. We'll be looking forward to next year and hopefully the Breeders' Cup [at Santa Anita] will add a little confidence. It turned out to be a really good sale in the yearling market. We're moving upward and next year hopefully we can capitalize on it again. We're here to make it work.”

The horses of racing age portion of the sale was led by Hip 357, an 2-year-old daughter of Outwork named Work It who broke her maiden on debut Sept. 15 at Los Alamitos. G. Chris Coleman picked up the Havens Bloodstock Agency-consigned filly for $85,000.

John Sadler, second from right, and the West Point team | Fasig-Tipton

Sadler Picks Up Vronsky Colt for West Point

West Point Thoroughbreds, which sprung for all or part of 14 yearlings at the recently concluded Keeneland September Yearling Sale, including the $3-million Into Mischief topper, added a California-bred Vronsky colt to the stable Tuesday. Out of Seasontoperfection (Poteen), the Jan. 23-foaled colt topped the Fasig-Tipton sale at $250,000.

Consigned by Harris Farms, Inc. and bred by Old English Rancho and Ken Tevelde, the colt is a half to Sept. 16 E.B. Johnston S. winner Kings River Knight (Acclamation). Trainer John Sadler, representing West Point, said the breeders “stayed in for a leg.”

Sadler trains Kings River Knight.

“We have the half-brother,” said Sadler, “who won three or four stakes this year. This horse looks a lot like the brother so we thought he'd be good for the Cal-bred program.”

In addition to Hip 211, West Point also bought a Violence filly out of Tryst (Candy Ride {Arg}) for $32,000. Consigned by McCarthy Bloodstock, agent, Hip 270 is out of a half-sister to GISW A Z Warrior (Bernardini) and additional GSWs/GISPs JoJoWarrior (Pioneerof the Nile) and E Z Warrior (Exploit).

Knapp Springs for Full-Brother to Finneus

California trainer Steve Knapp, whose Bus Buzz (Stay Thirsty) won Del Mar's Real Good Deal S. Aug. 4 after being purchased out of this same sale for $97,000 in 2021, made the $225,000 winning bid for Hip 165–also by Stay Thirsty–on behalf of owner Todd Sheehan. The Apr. 22 colt, already named Rumble King, is by the current second-leading California sire by 2023 progeny earnings.

A son of stakes-winning My Fiona (Ghostzapper), the colt was bred in California by Terry C. Lovingier and consigned by his Lovacres Ranch, where Stay Thirsty also stands. The colt is a full-brother to Golden State Juvenile S. winner and GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity runner-up Finneus, as well as a half to Melair S. winner Fi Fi Pharoah (American Pharoah).

Knapp was bullish on getting the colt. “He's beautiful and the whole family has won nothing but money. The mama's won almost $500,000 and the two babies have both won stakes races, so it's a good family.

“Stay Thirsty has had a lot of nice babies. Of all the ones they've given me, all of them can run. He's great for California. We like to keep them in California and run for the big money at Del Mar.”

Hip 81 | Fasig-Tipton

Wallers Get Back into Family with Improbable Filly

Eric and Sharon Waller bred and raced GII Sorrento S. winner and MGISP Spectator (Jimmy Creed), but had sold her dam, Diva's Tribute (Henny Hughes) when that filly was just a weanling. They got back into the family for $200,000 with Hip 81, an Improbable half-sister to Spectator.

“Not only did we breed Spectator, but we bred [her first two dams], which is where it all started,” said Eric Waller. “[Spectator's] mother was injured in a paddock accident so she never raced, then I bred her to Into Mischief and that foal had a paddock accident so she couldn't race. We ended up selling the mare at Keeneland before Spectator won a graded stakes, so I wanted to get that family back. This filly is the spitting image of Spectator, so I couldn't let her go.”

Waller lives in California and has “raced Cal-breds my whole life.” He indicated the Mar. 29 filly would go to Phil D'Amato, who also trained Spectator. Richard Barton Enterprises bred the Diva's Tribute filly in Kentucky and his California-based operation, Barton Thoroughbreds, agent, consigned.

Flatter Colt to Gasparrelli

A colt from the penultimate crop of Flatter, who died last year at 23, hammered for $200,000 to Steve Gasparrelli's Slugo Racing. Consigned by Lovacres Ranch LLC as Hip 197, the Apr. 26 colt is out of the winning Arch mare Rapid Repair.

“I like the Flatters,” said Gasparrelli. “They did pretty well at Del Mar, maybe a little more on the turf side but they ran good on dirt, too. Bottom line is the Flatters did pretty good at Del Mar and I like him with an Arch mare.”

Gasparrelli indicated the colt would be sent to trainer Mike Puype, who has all of the approximately 30-strong Slugo stable.

“We probably won't run him early. Puype's pretty conservative so we'll see. We'll let the horse tell us.”

Bred in California by Terry C. Lovingier, the $200,000 colt is out of a half-sister to MGSW & GISP Kitten's Point (Kitten's Joy) from the extended family of GISWs Marquetry (Conquistador Cielo) and You (You and I), as well as MGSW & GISP Five Star Day (Carson City).

“I just liked the horse's conformation,” said Gasparrelli. “He is a nice size, not too big, not too small. And he's a Cal-bred. I'm going more for the Cal-bred angle.”

The post ‘Very Positive’ Fasig-Tipton California Sale Topped by $250K Vronsky Colt appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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by Dan Ross and Jessica Martini

The third time proved the charm for the Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings Sale, which produced the strongest results in its short three-year history with a session of lively bidding in Pomona Tuesday.

“Today was the most encouraging day we have had in California in a sales environment in the last three years that we've been involved here,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “There was a dramatic increase in the average and the median doubled from the sale last year and the RNA rate was down. But more important than that was the energy and the enthusiasm that I think everybody could sense at the sale. We felt pretty good with the pre-sale activity Monday and Tuesday morning. So today was very encouraging from that perspective.”

A total of 164 yearlings sold Tuesday for a gross of $6,672,050. The average was $40,683 and the median was $20,000. The buy-back rate was 24%.

During last year's auction, which was displaced to Los Alamitos due to the pandemic, 166 head sold for $3,735,700 for an average of $22,504 and a median of $10,000. The buy-back rate was 35.2%.

At the inaugural California sale in 2019, 137 yearlings grossed $3,667,800 for an average of $26,772 and a median of $13,000.

Seventeen horses sold Tuesday for $100,000 or more, and two sold for $300,000 or more. Tom Beckerle made the auction's highest bid when going to $350,000 to acquire a filly by American Pharoah.

Only three horses brought six figures with a top price of $200,000 in 2020, while in 2019 six yearlings brought six figures with a top price of $150,000.

“First of all, we all have to keep in mind when comparing 2021 to 2020 results, that 2020 was a COVID year and this area was particularly hard hit,” Browning said of the upswing. “And 2020 was very difficult for most businesses, including Thoroughbred auctions. There was a drop off from 2020 compared to 2019, so I think there was some built-in recovery as we have seen in virtually every sale that there was comparable numbers for in 2021 compared to 2020.

Browning continued, “If you look around, the economy is strong and in racing handle is up, purses are up, there is a positive feeling, for the most part, in the racing industry throughout the United States and that is certainly a factor. And some breeders answered the call and supported us with higher quality horses this year than they have in the past.”

Another Pharoah for Beckerle

Tom Beckerle, who already has a stakes winner by American Pharoah, purchased another filly by the 2015 Triple Crown winner for a sale-topping $350,000 Tuesday at the Fasig-Tipton California sale. The yearling (hip 196) was bred by Terry Lovingier and was consigned by his Lovacres Ranch. In partnership with Lovingier and Amanda Navarro, Beckerle campaigns Fi Fi Pharoah (American Pharoah), who won the Melair S. in June.

“I have some partners that wanted to get an American Pharoah,” Beckerle said. “We liked her for breeding down the road and Fi Fi Pharoah has already made us a couple hundred thousand dollars. We think this one can do the same thing.

We will see what happens.”

Hip 196 is out of the unraced Ez Indy (A.P. Indy), who is a half-sister to champion Banshee Breeze (Unbridled). The mare, in foal to Animal Kingdom, was purchased by Lovingier for $85,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November sale.

Beckerle, based in Fallbrook, California, purchased three other yearlings from the Lovacres Ranch consignment Tuesday. He acquired a colt by Stay Thirsty (hip 134) for $100,000 and a pair of fillies by the GI Travers S. winner (hip 8 and hip 31) for $50,000 each.

Siegel Strikes Early For Practical Joke Filly

Trainer Brian Koriner, bidding on behalf of Samantha Siegel's Jay Em Ess Stable, got the Fasig-Tipton California sale off to a quick start when purchasing a filly by Practical Joke (hip 10) for $300,000. The yearling was consigned by Barton Thoroughbreds and was bred by Richard Barton Enterprises, which purchased her unraced dam Miss Lavinia (Speightstown) for $4,200 at the 2016 Keeneland November sale.

“She is by Practical Joke and she is out of a Speightstown mare,” Koriner said of the yearling's appeal. “She's bred to be very fast and maybe early and precocious.”

The 14-year-old Miss Lavinia is a daughter of Miss Seffens (Dehere), who is also the dam of GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner More Than Real (More Than Ready). Miss Lavinia is the dam of graded placed Arch Cat (Arch), as well as the dam of multiple Grade I placed Cassies Dreamer (Flatter).

Jay Em Ess Stable was making its first purchase of the yearling sale season, according to Koriner.

“She is very excited,” he said of Siegel. “She hasn't bought any yearlings all year, she waited and she's very excited to get a Cal-bred by Practical Joke.”

Barton Thoroughbreds also had sales success Tuesday with a filly by Palace Malice (hip 79) who sold for $135,000 to Legacy Ranch. The operation purchased her dam, Smiling Cruise, with this foal in utero, for $22,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale.

Nyquist Colt a Classic Purchase

Ocala horsewoman Danzel Brendemuehl returned to her California roots to purchase a colt by Nyquist (hip 83) in the name of her Classic Bloodstock as agent for partners Sasulito and Breckenridge Bloodstock in Pomona Tuesday.

“We loved everything about him,” Brendemuehl said. “He's by Nyquist, he's a California-bred and he's a very nice colt. We are probably going to pinhook him in a Fasig-Tipton sale–probably Miami.”

Brendemuehl did not rule out a return trip to California for the yearling.

“California needs a 2-year-old sale and Boyd Browning is working real hard with Fasig-Tipton to make it happen,” she said. “If it happens, we'll be here with that colt and we'll top the sale.”

Hip 83 is out of Soul Crusader (Fusaichi Pegasus), a daughter of graded winner Michigan Bluff (Skywalker). He was consigned by Woodbridge Farm and was bred by Bud Petrosian who purchased the mare with this foal in utero for $22,000 at last year's Keeneland January sale.

Also Tuesday, Brendemuehl also purchased a colt by Smiling Tiger (hip 44) for $27,000. Coleen Smith's Breckenridge Bloodstock returned later in the session to acquire a filly by City of Light (hip 208) for $170,000.

Slugo Racing Gets in on the Light'

Steve Gasparelli's Slugo Racing added a colt by in-demand young sire City of Light to its roster when acquiring hip 171 for $260,000 Tuesday in Pomona.

“We like the City of Lights,” Gasparelli, who did his bidding alongside trainer Mike Puype, said. “We think he has a lot of potential as a stallion. And I really liked the way this colt looked, very correct. And the mare has dropped winners already. We only came for a couple and he was on our short list.”

The yearling is out of Chicalelee (Cherokee Run) and is a half-brother to stakes-placed Touchdown Brown (Cairo Prince). He was consigned by Bruno DeBerdt's Excel Bloodstock on behalf of his breeder, PT Syndicate #1 LLC.

Square Eddie Colt to Blacker

Three years ago, Dan Blacker was an underbidder on a yearling by Square Eddie out of North Freeway (Jump Start), but the trainer would not be denied for the colt's full-brother, going to $200,000 Tuesday to acquire hip 30.

“I was underbidder on the brother two years ago to Simon Callaghan, so I am kind of glad that he didn't show up today and I got to buy this one,” Blacker said after signing the ticket on behalf of a partnership of owners.

The bay yearling was bred by Thomas Bachman and was consigned by his Fairview LLC. Stakes-winning North Freeway is already the dam of stakes winner and Grade I placed Take the One O One (Acclamation) and the Callaghan-trained stakes winner Square Deal (Square Eddie).

“He looks really solid,” Blacker, who did his bidding alongside Boomer Bloodstock's Craig Rounsefell, said of the yearling. “He looks like a really sound horse that is going to be fun for our partners. And it's a good family, the mare is great and he really looked really solid soundness wise and soundness is so important these days. Hopefully we will get him to the races at Del Mar next summer and go on from there.”

Impressive Return for Christophersons

Neal and Pam Christopherson, owners of Bar-C Racing Stables, enjoyed a quick return on their investment in the mare Joyce and Me (Discreet Cat) Tuesday. The couple purchased the mare, in foal to Stanford, for just $1,000 at the CTBA January sale in 2020. They sent the mare's Stanford filly (hip 230) through the ring in Pomona to sell for $100,000 to Slugo Racing.

“That's a nice return on the investment. I like to gamble on stuff that looks like that,” Neal Christopherson said.

Joyce and Me produced a filly by Stanford this year and was bred back to Harbor the Gold.

Bar C Racing Stables was already coming off a big score in the sales ring this month. As part of a foal-share, the operation sold a filly by Uncle Mo out of Fresia (El Prado {Ire}) (hip 371) for $700,000 at the Keeneland September sale. The Christophersons purchased Fresia for $35,000 at the 2015 Keeneland November sale. She was carrying subsequent multiple stakes winner Galilean (Uncle Mo) at that auction.

The post Vibrant Trade at Fasig California Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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