“We are pleased to bring a talented son of Not this Time into our stallion barn at Pleasant Acres Stallions,” said Director of Stallion Services Christine Jones. “Simplification is a hometown hero for all of us in Florida and we are certain breeders will benefit from breeding to this Champion Horse-of-the-Year, Florida-bred, graded stakes winner.”

Bred by France and Irwin Weiner and owned by Tami Bobo, as a juvenile Simplification broke his maiden by an impressive 16 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park. The Antonio Sano trainee began his 3-year-old campaign with a front-running four-length victory in the Mucho Macho Man S., then finished as the runner-up in the GIII Holy Bull S.

Next, he won the GII Fountain of Youth S., finished third in the GI Florida Derby and was fourth in the GI Kentucky Derby. At four, he placed third in the GII WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile S. and fifth in the GIII Ghostzapper S. before he retired with career earnings of nearly $900,000.

The son of Not this Time is out of the Candy Ride daughter, Simply Confection, who was named 2022 FTBOA Broodmare of the Year. The new stallion joins the likes of Bodexpress (Bodemeister), Doppelganger (Into Mischief) and Gunnevera (Dialed In) at the 220-acre farm located just northwest of Ocala.

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Victorious in Monmouth's Sapling S. in August after breaking his maiden at Saratoga, he missed graded victory by a nose Oct. 8 in Keeneland's GII Bourbon S. and finished way back in the field last month at the Breeders' Cup.

Breaking as the 6-5 favorite and bumping with the outside runner, Noted settled in seventh for the lion's share of the race before being coaxed along into the far turn. Angled out sharply leaving the bend and causing tight quarters for a pair to his outside, he kicked on from eight wide into the final furlong to nail Reminder in the final strides to win by a neck. With the victory here, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. completed his sweep of the turf features on the card.

“I was a little concerned with the 7 1/2 [furlongs, today] but he seemed to come out of the Breeders' Cup well, he carries good condition and he's an easy horse to train, so I felt like he was ready to run back,” Pletcher said. “We're not going to rule [dirt] out. If he trains really well we might give him another shot at some stage. He's got that win in the Sapling that looks good on paper, but in the Breeders' Cup, he didn't fire.”

#8 NOTED ($4.40) was stuck in a crowd but got out late to storm home and win the Pulpit Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The son of Cairo Prince was ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. and is trained by Todd Pletcher.
Nice call @bernier_matt who gave out 26-1 2nd place finisher #4 Reminder pic.twitter.com/nZsKKc5aok

— TVG (@TVG) December 9, 2023

The first to the races after his eldest full-brother died in 2021, Noted leads the way for his young dam's broodmare career. She produced a yearling filly by Global Campaign as well as a 2023 filly by Upstart. Sea View Nellie, out of MSW & GISP Pocho's Dream Girl–making her a full-sister to MGSW Mark Valeski and a half to GSW & GISP Albano (Istan), went back to Upstart for 2024. This is the extended female family of MSW Pacific Pink, herself the dam of GSP Make the Boys Wink (More Than Ready), and SP Caironi (Cairo Prince). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

PULPIT S., $100,000, Gulfstream, 12-9, 2yo, 7 1/2fT, 1:27.30, fm.
1–NOTED, 120, c, 2, by Cairo Prince
           1st Dam: Sea View Millie, by Proud Citizen
           2nd Dam: Pocho's Dream Girl, by Fortunate Prospect
           3rd Dam: True to Romeo, by Gallant Romeo
($200,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $58,900. Lifetime Record: GSP, 6-3-2-0, $338,525.
2–Reminder, 118, c, 2, Audible–Mom's Deputy, by War Chant. ($100,000 Ylg '22 OBSWIN; $200,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $185,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Tami Bobo; B-Courtney L. Meagher (FL); T-Jose Francisco D'Angelo. $19,000.
3–Palm Tree, 118, g, 2, Street Boss–Desert Gazelle, by Smart Strike. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $9,500.
Margins: NK, HD, NK. Odds: 1.20, 26.30, 2.70.
Also Ran: General Ledger, Double Your Money, Prevent, Ship to Shore, Tocayo, Summer Storm Stric, Liam's Journey. Scratched: Okiro.

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The first of seven sets opened around 8 a.m. with a brisk tailwind–which prevailed throughout the day–and a bevy of :10 1/5 works before a colt by Bolt d'Oro (hip 287) became the first of the session to hit the :10 flat mark. The dark bay is out of stakes-placed Masasi (More Than Ready), a full-sister to multiple graded winner Custom for Carlos. He is consigned by Raul Reyes's Kings Equine, as agent for his breeder, Spendthrift Farm.

“We expected a professional work,” Reyes said. “We didn't know it was going to be :10 flat, but we knew he would work well.”

The colt RNA'd for $160,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

The very next horse to work, a filly by Take Charge Indy (hip 361), equaled the :10 flat time for De Meric Sales, agent. The bay, a full-sister to graded winner Take Charge Paula, was purchased by Tami Bobo and Fernando De Jesus's First Finds for $100,000 as a weanling at the 2021 Keeneland November sale.

The bullet furlong time was equaled again by back-to-back workers in the day's second set. First up, Golden Rock Thoroughbreds sent out a filly by Into Mischief (hip 328, video).

“She's a filly who has shown her quality throughout the whole process,” said Golden Rock's Keiber Rengifo. “From breaking her and seeing her every morning, we expected that she was going to be a really fast filly.”

The juvenile is out of Nefertiti (Speightstown) and is a full-sister to graded stakes winner Engage, who stood his first season at stud at nearby Northview Stallion Station in 2022. She was purchased by Marc Tacher's Elusive Thoroughbreds for $250,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

Wednesday's work was the filly's second appearance at an under-tack show this spring. She also worked in :10 flat when consigned by Top Line Sales at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, but did not go through the ring at that auction.

“She had a high hip number and was really late in the sale,” Rengifo said of the decision to scratch from the March sale. “She did a :10 flat with Top Line Sales, but we decided to scratch her and aim her for this dirt track. We expected way more from her on the synthetic, but she just didn't show a lot of speed. We thought we would bring her here to Maryland because it's a completely different surface. As a rider, I have a good opinion of this dirt track and I am a big fan of the Maryland sale. I was working for Randy Hartley and Dean DeRenzo for five years and we always had a good horse to bring over here and show up on the dirt track like she did this morning.”

Rengifo was aboard for the filly's bullet drill Wednesday.

“I think the track was a little tighter today,” he said. “Yesterday, it was kind of soft. But you still have to have a quality horse to go that fast. I didn't have to use my whip with this filly. She is a medium-sized filly with a big heart. She has galloped out well all through the winter. And today, she did :10 flat and she was rolling all the way out. For me, as a rider, that impressed me even more than the :10 flat.”

A colt by Twirling Candy (hip 249) consigned by Grassroots Training and Sales had the final :10 flat of the day. The bay is out of Lady Mamba (War Front), a half-sister to Grade I-placed Luminance (Tale of the Cat) and multiple graded-placed Stellar Sound (Tapit). His third dam is multiple Grade I winner Versailles Treaty (Danzig), dam of George Vancouver and Saarland. He was a $65,000 purchase by Grassroots at the Keeneland September sale last year.

Wednesday's third set got a jolt when Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds sent out a long-striding son of Justify to work the week's fastest quarter-mile of :21 2/5.

“He's been able to run all year long,” said Randy Hartley. “We don't usually prep very fast, we kind of just show them where to go. But when we prepped him here, I had to catch my kid–and he's a big guy. I don't usually do quarters, but he is a big, tall, two-turn looking horse. The farther he goes, the better he gets.”

Out of the appropriately named My Fast One (Elusive Quality), the bay colt was purchased by Hartley/DeRenzo for $155,000 as a weanling at the 2021 Keeneland November sale. He RNA'd for $185,000 at Keeneland the following September and was sent through the ring again at Fasig-Tipton October where he sold for $175,000.

“We bought him as a baby and we buy all of our weanlings to re-sell as yearlings,” Hartley said. “[At the September sale], Justify hadn't quite hit yet. And he was a tall, gangly horse.”

Of the return to the sales ring in October, Hartley explained, “One of our clients bought into our package. Sonny Stokes, who has passed away now, he owned a piece and he was selling everything. So one of my other clients bought in.”

The under-tack show concludes with a final session beginning at 8 a.m. Thursday. The Midlantic May sale will be held next Monday and Tuesday. Bidding begins each day at 11 a.m.

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Dam GSP American Story (Ghostzapper) is herself a sibling to G1 Golden Shaheen victor Reynaldothewizard (Speightstown) and GI Apple Blossom scorer Seventh Street (Street Cry {Ire}), who went on to produce GSW Lake Avenue (Tapit). This Steve Asmussen firster fired a bullet work at the Fair Grounds on Mar. 26 (5f, :59.40, 1/27).

Drawn to the inside, MALIBU SPRINGS (Quality Road), for Todd Pletcher, is out of multiple stakes winning dam Marquee Miss (Cowboy Cal), who herself is a half-sister to GISW Promises Fullfilled (Shackleford). The WinStar homebred will have the services of John Velazquez.

BRIGADE COMMANDER (Hard Spun), a $325,000 KEESEP buy, was bred by Tami Bobo. Trained by Dallas Stewart and ridden by Flavien Prat, the bay colt counts GISW Daddys Lil Darling (Scat Daddy) and GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint hero Mongolian Saturday (Any Given Saturday) among his female family. TJCIS PPS

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“It started strong and it held pace,” said Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “We've got to be very encouraged with the consistency within the market. Quality was selling well. There was hunger for the good stock and it was very competitive on the buying front, with frustrated buyers in certain cases, but people were happy with what they were getting for most of the stock. There was good energy around the place and I think it bodes well as we power into 2023 and the breeding season ahead.”

Through the auction's two-session Book 1 section, 475 horses sold for $36,126,900. The average of $76,057 is up 5.47% from last year, while the median held steady at $40,000.

After two sessions in 2022, 511 head had sold for $36,848,700 for an average of $72,111.

Ancient Peace, who was supplemented to the January sale late last week after breaking her maiden at the end of December, was one of three racing or broodmare prospects to top the $500,000 mark Tuesday, while three short yearlings–topped by a son of Uncle Mo at $340,000–brought over $300,000.

“Young mares off the track and proven mares were extremely appealing and people were paying a premium for them,” Lacy said. “Quality is in strong demand. People aren't willing to spend a lot of money on something they don't feel has strong marketable value. I think it is going to be healthy all the way through [end of sale]. If you have a nice individual, it will be found.”

The January sale continued to attract a deep domestic buying bench, with the top 15 offerings bought by 14 different entities.

The buy-back rate, which was 31.29% during Monday's first session of the January sale, dropped to 22.53% Tuesday for a cumulative figure of 26.92%.

“Yesterday, I heard a lot of people making comments that the RNA percentage was high,” said Mark Taylor of Taylor Made Sales Agency. “But what is difficult for sellers, when you're in a Book 1 of January and you've got a wide variety of horses all in one session–you have half-million dollar horses and you've got $5,000 horses–that's just January. That's just the way it is. So it's a very up and down, emotional day. Some of the sellers see horses bringing a lot of money and they think their's should be doing that. You've got to keep everybody's feet on the ground to know your product. We did have very lively post-hammer trade yesterday. We originally had nine RNA's, but we got five of those sold. So it ended up being a very healthy day for us. But we stubbed our toe a couple times along the way.”

The Keeneland January sale continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

Ancient Peace Provides Late Sizzle

Ancient Peace (War Front) (hip 840E), who was supplemented to the Keeneland January sale late last week, became the auction's highest seller when acquired by Hunter Rankin on behalf of Travis Boersma's Boardshorts Stables for $650,000. The newly turned 3-year-old, from a deep Sam-Son family, was acquired by Mike Ryan for $180,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. She graduated by a front-running 4 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita Dec. 30 for Ryan and trainer Graham Motion.

“We loved her from the start,” Rankin said. “We are happy that Mike Ryan supplemented her to the sale. We are trying to get something going and I think she's a really good foundation horse for Travis Boersma. She's just an exciting filly.”

Boersma is the co-founder and executive chairman of the Oregan-based coffee chain Dutch Bros. He made waves recently as the purchaser of the $4.6-million share in Flightline (Tapit) at Keeneland's November sale.

Rankin said immediate plans for Ancient Peace are still up in the air.

“We haven't totally decided yet,” he said. “We are going to get her off the sale and see how things go. We are going to get her to the farm and hang out and then make a plan.”

Also Tuesday, Boardshorts Stables purchased the 4-year-old broodmare prospect Empire Hope (Empire Maker) (hip 814) for $450,000 from the Indian Creek consignment.

Ancient Peace is out of graded stakes winner Deceptive Vision (A.P. Indy), a daughter of champion Eye of the Sphynx (Smart Strike) and a full-sister to champion Eye of the Leopard.

As part of the dispersal of Canada's historic Sam-Son Farm, Deceptive Vision sold to John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa for $900,000 at the 2021 Keeneland January sale. Sikura, as well as Canadian breeder Dave Anderson, were in the sales pavilion as Ancient Peace sold Tuesday.

Ancient Peace was originally purchased by Ryan to pinhook at the 2-year-old sales, according to Sarah Sutherland of Indian Creek, which consigned the filly.

“That was the original plan,” Sutherland confirmed. “She did breeze at OBS with Niall Brennan and he decided to keep her and race her. You've got to sell some and you have to keep some. It all worked out well. She was bought right and sold well.”

Of the filly's final price, Sutherland added, “It was in the range we thought she deserved to be. The timing worked out with her win and she came in looking fantastic and her pedigree speaks for itself. She showed great, was well-received and is going to an end-user, so it's all good.”

Lazenby Adds to Broodmare Band

Gigi Lazenby, sister of the late trainer David Banks, has been involved in racing for years, but has recently decided to increase her participation with the purchase of some high-priced broodmares. Through agent James Schenk, and with Claiborne Farm's Walker Hancock advising, she made her second purchase of the January sale when going to $600,000 to acquire England's Rose (English Channel) (hip 816) from the Lane's End consignment.

“I've been around for a long time,” Lazenby said Tuesday. “My brother was a trainer here in town and I have an oil company over in Eastern Kentucky. The last couple of years, I decided to try to step it up a little bit. And Walker and Jimmy Schenk–he's been a friend of mine and he was a friend of my brother's for years. My brother was a trainer and this is all sort of for him.”

The 7-year-old England's Rose, out of stakes-placed Gingham and Lace (Kris S.), won the 2021 Swingtime S. and was second in last year's GI Matriarch S. and GII Goldikova S. racing for the partnership of Mercedes Stables, West Point Thoroughbreds, Scott Dilworth, David and Dorothy Ingordo and Steve Mooney and trainer John Shirreffs.

“I am just happy with this mare,” Lazenby said. “I think she is going to be really nice. And she has a lot of possible stallions that we have to talk about.”

During Monday's first session of the auction, Schenck signed the ticket at $325,000 to acquire graded stakes winner Domain Expertise (Kitten's Joy) (hip 382) on behalf of Lazenby.

“We'd like to have four or five [broodmares],” Lazenby said. “We had a couple we've bought in the last few years. We are really interested in selling the foals. We've talked to Walker about that. We know they [Claiborne] raise a great horse. And they sell a great horse.”

Lazenby continued, “It's been a great experience. And we're enjoying it. It's just kind of fun that I had an opportunity at this time to invest back into this community, because I love it.”

In Good Spirits Has Date with Life Is Good

Graded stakes winner In Good Spirits (Ghostzapper) (hip 474), who RNA'd for $495,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November sale two months ago, found a new home when selling for $550,000 during Tuesday's session of the Keeneland January sale. Jacob West, bidding over the internet, acquired the mare on behalf of Mike Repole's Repole Stable.

“She was one of a few graded stakes winners in the catalog, so she stuck out in here as far as quality,” West said. “She was a very fast mare and by a stallion that is really making his name as a broodmare sire. She always ran in great company and held her own. She has been purchased for Life Is Good. Mike is a shareholder and wanted to make sure he supported him with a top quality mare.”

Paul Varga's Bal Mar Equine campaigned the mare, who was a $200,000 purchase by bloodstock agent Steve Young at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. She won the 2021 GIII Mint Ladies Sprint S. and was second in that year's GIII Caress S. and third in the 2020 GIII Regret S. for trainer Al Stall.

“I felt very validated because I loved that mare,” said Mark Taylor of Taylor Made Sales Agency, which consigned In Good Spirits on behalf of Varga at both auctions. “We had her in November and she didn't sell. She had come off the track and we had her in as a racing or broodmare, and it might have muddied the waters. Some of the breeders might have thought they would be bidding against race people. So this time, we decided to hit the reset button, put her in as a broodmare only and just focus on that market of people. I told everyone upfront the reserve was going to be lower, so everyone felt comfortable getting involved.”

Taylor added the mare may have gotten lost in the shuffle of buyers making a quick turnaround after Breeders' Cup championship weekend.

“In November, with the Breeders' Cup being there, it was a very accelerated pace and I felt like people were kind of rushing and really didn't appreciate what was in front of them,” Taylor said. “She was a bigger fish in this pond. This catalogue is very solid, but there is not million-dollar mares all over the place. I thought going in she was in the top 15-20% of the catalogue, she might be end up being in the top 5%.”

In Good Spirits is out of Mon Arch Lass (Arch), a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Sir Five Star (Five Star Day) and multiple graded placed Starship Universe (Mineshaft).

“She's a beautiful mare,” said Taylor. “Al Stall did a great job developing her. There was a lot to sell there. She is kind of what everybody is looking for. She's fresh off the track and ready to breed. She's got the pedigree and she's got the race record.”

Varga, the retired chairman and CEO of Louisville's Brown-Forman, also campaigns last year's GI Beverly D. S. winner Dalika (Ger) (Pastorius {Ger}).

Castleton Way Stretches for Uncle Mo Colt

Marshall Taylor, whose Castleton Way pinhooking partnership had a banner first season last year, has been busy restocking this week in Lexington and made his biggest splash of the January sale when going to $340,000 to acquire a colt by Uncle Mo (hip 763) from the Lane's End consignment Tuesday.

“He was a nice colt and we liked him and wanted to give him a chance,” Taylor said. “He had a great walk and a beautiful physical. He's a late May foal, so I think he will keep improving. He looked like a horse with a lot of upside.”

The bay colt is out of Canteen (Candy Ride {Arg}) and was bred by Peter Brant's White Birch Farm which purchased the mare for $550,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September sale.

Castleton Way purchased a Not This Time filly for $100,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November sale and resold her for $675,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. A Ghostzapper filly purchased by the group for $115,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November sale resold for $340,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearling Sale.

“I grew the partnership a little bit this year,” Taylor said, “But we are sticking to upper echelon stuff. This was the highest priced one that we've bought. Last year, we had a few over $100,000 and this year we expanded a little bit more.”

Hip 763 was the third short yearling Taylor signed for during the first two sessions of the January sale. During Monday's first session, he purchased a filly by Not This Time (hip 93) for $160,000 and a daughter of Munnings (hip 305) for $170,000.

“You've got to hope the market stays good and the economy stays good,” Taylor said. “I think there is more of a demand for yearlings and racehorses than mares. It feels like the mare market gets soft after a mare has been bred a few times and hasn't produced anything. But I feel like with the weanling, yearling and 2-year-old market, it seems like a lot more people want to have a racehorse than want to be long-term with the mares. Purses are really good and the foal crop is shrinking every year, so there is more demand for these horses. So you just have to hope the market doesn't crash, say your prayers and hope the colt keeps going the right way. And hopefully we'll have some success.”

Jackpot, Heiligbrodts Team for Another Uncle Mo

Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt and Terry Green's Jackpot Farm, who are partners on stakes winner and multiple Grade I-placed Gulfport (Uncle Mo), joined forces to purchase another son of Uncle Mo Tuesday at Keeneland. Jackpot advisor Bobby Powell, sitting alongside Heiligbrodt advisor Susan Montanye, signed the ticket at $335,000 to acquire hip 699 from the Eaton Sales consignment.

“The goal was, let's see if we can find another Gulfport,” Powell said of the decision to bid on the short yearling. “There are options on the table for what we do with him, whether he's a resale later in the year or if he's in the stable. But those guys have options. We will just let the horse grow up and let time tell us what to do.”

The bay colt is out of the unraced Victory Party (Yankee Victor), a daughter of Leslie's Lady (Tricky Creek) and a half-sister to champion Beholder (Henny Hughes), Grade I winner Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) and leading sire Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday).

“He was the right type for us,” Powell said. “There are really good horsemen here and we all have different types, but I looked at him at the barn and I liked his size and his attitude and his presence. The vet work was clean, so I talked to those guys on the phone. They are looking to have some fun with him.”

Gulfport romped by 12 1/4 lengths in the Bashford Manor S. in his second start last July at Churchill Downs. He was second in the GII Saratoga Special and GI Hopeful S. before finishing third in the GI Champagne S. in October. The newly turned 3-year-old had his first work since September when he went four furlongs in :52.20 at Fair Grounds Monday.

The yearling was bred by Newstead Corp. Eaton Sales signed for Victory Party, in foal to Justify, for $220,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale. Her Justify colt sold for $390,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September sale after RNA'ing for $190,000 at the 2021 November sale.

“He was a very tidy version of Uncle Mo and completely clean on the vet report,” Eaton's Reiley McDonald said of the yearling. “So we weren't surprised at all at that price. I think they got a good buy. We thought he was really nice right now, so we put him in the January sale where he could stand out.”

The 17-year-old Victory Party is also the dam of graded-placed Victory Kingdom (Aus) (Animal Kingdom) and stakes-placed Classic Moment (Classic Empire). She was bred to Munnings last year.

Gun Runner Filly to First Finds

Tami Bobo and Fernando De Jesus's First Finds led early returns during Tuesday's second session of the Keeneland January sale when going to $300,000 to acquire a short yearling by Gun Runner (hip 430). The bay filly, consigned by Indian Creek and bred by Ridley Farm, is out of Forest Valentine (Forestry) and is a half-sister to stakes-placed Valentine Wish (Lemon Drop Kid). Forest Valentine is a full-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Carolyn's Cat.

“She is forward, pretty and correct,” Bobo said. “I just thought she was a very elegant filly and had a lot of upside. I felt like she possibly could be a good pinhook and if she pinhooks, then great. If she doesn't, we'll be glad to race her.”

First Finds returned later in the session to secure another short yearling filly by Gun Runner, going to $175,000 to acquire hip 487 from the Hermitage Farm consignment$650k A

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OCALA, FL–A son of Coolmore's super-sire Uncle Mo (Hip 206) topped the opening session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale Tuesday, summoning $2.3 million from Gary Young, who was acting on behalf of Amr Zedan's Zedan Racing Stables. It was the first $2-million sale since 2017 when a colt by Tiznow brought a record-breaking $2.45 million.

Purchased by Scott and Evan Dilworth for $250,000 at KEESEP, Hip 206 was consigned by the Jimbo and Torie Gladwell's Top Line Sales.

“April is a good sale,” Scott Dillworth said. “It's funny I sold a filly about 10 years ago here, her name was Tanda and she topped the session at $145,000 and here today you have a horse bring $2.3 million. This sale has just grown so much. It's a phenomenal sale.”

Eddie Woods also had a big pinhooking score with the day's highest-priced filly. Hip 199, a daughter of Violence purchased for $90,000 at FTKJUL, summoned $630,000 from Carolyn Wilson Tuesday.

Justify led the freshman class Tuesday with a $600,000 colt (Hip 11), who was also bought by Young for Zedan. Other first-crop stallions to crack the top 10 were Bolt d'Oro, Tapwrit, City of Light and Mendelssohn.

A total of 159 2-year-olds sold Tuesday for a gross of $21,849,000. The average was $137,415 and the median was $70,000. Fifty-four horses were led from the ring unsold for an RNA rate of 25.3%.

There were no seven-figure sellers during last year's opening session, when 194 horses grossed $18,362,900. The average was $94,654 and the median was $50,000. Thirty-one juveniles failed to sell during that session for an RNA rate of 13.8%. These stats include post-sale figures.

Both buyers and sellers described Tuesday's opener as “spotty.”

“It's very spotty,” Gary Young said. “If you bring the right horse in, you're getting paid. If the horse has any flaws or his preview was just so, so, they are having a little trouble selling them. The buyback rate looked about what you'd expect. When you have a 1200-horse sale, they aren't all going to be like that horse in there [the session-topping Uncle Mo colt].”

Woods expressed similar sentiments, saying, “It's a little spotty. Some of my buddies are saying the same. There is the odd horse getting money and the others not. Usually the best day here for me is the last day.”

The Spring Sale continues Wednesday with the second of four sessions beginning at 10:30 a.m.

Zedan Working on His Next Derby Prospects

Amr Zedan owned the ill-fated Medina Spirit (Protonico), who crossed the line first in last year's GI Kentucky Derby, and has one of this year's Derby favorites in 'TDN Rising Star' and GI Santa Anita Derby winner Taiba (Gun Runner).

Bloodstock agent Gary Young was busy purchasing Zedan's 2023 Derby prospects at OBS Tuesday, led by the $2.3-million session-topping colt by Uncle Mo (Hip 206).

Hip 206 inspired a fast, furious and prolonged round of bidding between the Coolmore contingent out back and Young, who did his bidding on the phone with Zedan from the pressbox alongside trainer Bob Baffert and his wife Jill. The bay colt will join Baffert's barn when he returns from his suspension.

“He was just a tremendous athlete,” Young said. “Everything about his preview was good. He was very nice at the barn. Mr. Zedan wants good colts to run this time of year. We obviously did okay last year with Taiba. We are hoping between this colt and the Nyquist [purchased for $700,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale], we have some nice horses for next year. I like this horse a lot. This horse acts like he can do anything to me. He will probably get a month out at Barry Eisaman's just to unwind and then join Bob's stable when he gets back right before Del Mar.”

As for the price, Young said, “We were prepared to go over $3 million on this horse if we had to. We knew going in there were a lot of big players on him. We kind of knew it might come down to us and Coolmore.”

Bred by Corser Thoroughbreds, Hip 206 is out of Borealis Night (Astrology), who is a half to GSP Kinsley Kisses (Congrats) and Spooky Woods (Ghostzapper). Purchased by Scott and Evan Dilworth for $250,000 at Keeneland September, the bay breezed in :9 4/5 for Jimbo and Torie Gladwell's Top Line Sales.

Early in the session, Charlie Boden stood in for Young, signing the ticket on a $600,000 Justify colt (Hip 11) that Young picked out for Zedan's stable. That colt will also be trained by Baffert.

“He is a very well-balanced horse,” said Young. “He worked well. I trust Hidden Brook. I think they do a very good job down there. Bob Baffert would know Justify better than anyone and he was very bullish on this horse. That's about where we thought he'd go. We are happy to get him. The market is very strong.”

When asked if Hip 11 was their next Derby prospect, Young said, “That's what we are shopping for. Mr. Zedan likes looking for good colts. He was obsessed with the Derby before I went to work for him.”

Bred by Bonne Chance Farm, Hip 11 is out of the SP mare Unbound (Distorted Humor) and his third dam is Hall of Famer Personal Ensign (Private Account). The :10 flat breezer was scratched from the Fasig-Tipton October Sale last year.

He was just a smaller yearling, kind of a late bloomer, and we thought a 2-year-old sale would suit that horse really well,” Bonne Chance manager John Durr said. “It paid off for us, that's for sure.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

Uncle Mo Colt a Home Run for Dilworth

Scott Dilworth knew from the first time he saw the colt that he would be coming home with a son of Uncle Mo from the Terrazas Thoroughbreds consignment at last year's Keeneland September sale. Dilworth and his wife Evan purchased the yearling for $250,000 and reaped the rewards for the investment when selling him for $2.3 million at OBS Tuesday through the Top Line Sales consignment.

“He walked out of the stall and I just said, 'Wow.' That was it,” Dilworth said of his initial impressions of hip 206. “We went to look at him a ton of times–when you like one, you go back and look at him a few times–and I remember Eduardo Terrazas asked me, 'How come you are always smiling so big whenever you come see this horse?' And I said, 'He just makes me smile.'”

Dilworth continued, “John Bassett is a good friend of mine and he helped me get started in this business. He is the one that found him the first time. We fell in love with him. He's one of those kind that you know you are going to take home.”

Of the seven-figure result, the Texan said, “This is what I live for. I get wound up about it. I feel very blessed.”

The juvenile is from the first crop of horses bred on Mark Corser's Corser Thoroughbreds. He is out of Borealis Night (Astrology), who was purchased carrying the colt for $285,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale.

The result was bittersweet for Corser after the mare suffered a fatal paddock accident earlier in this month.

“That was the mare's first foal and she didn't have a foal last year,” Corser said. “She just dropped a Quality Road foal and two weeks later she had a paddock accident and I had to euthanize her.”

Despite the loss of the mare, Corser agreed there was a lot of pride in having a seven-figure colt come out of his fledgling breeding operation.

“It's absolutely fantastic. Right from when that colt was born, he had an aura about him and a presence,” Corser said. “We are a small farm, just starting out. I have two young girls and all of the horses that were born that year we named. And he was named Small Mo because he was a small horse when he was born and obviously an Uncle Mo. We would go out and kiss him and watch him grow up with his friends. We watched the horse blossom. I am really happy for the new owner. I can't wait to see what the horse does. And you can rest assured that I will be putting some money on him. I will be trying to get some of that $2.3 million.”

Of the Quality Road foal, Corser said, “Mom stamped him really well. He has size and her beautiful looks.” @JessMartiniTDN

Woods Hits a Homerun With Violence Filly

Eddie Woods had a nice score during the opening session of OBS April Tuesday, selling a $630,000 Violence filly he purchased for just $90,000 at Fasig-Tipton's July Sale last term. Hip 199 was bought by owner Carolyn Wilson, who did her bidding alongside her trainer Larry Rivelli.

“We were specifically looking for one of the best fillies in the sale and this was,” Rivelli said. “We agreed we would take one shot and this is our shot. I am very happy. I don't usually get very excited, but I am with this one and I'm happy for Carolyn.”

The conditioner continued, “She is a big, correct, beautiful filly. She got over the ground perfectly. With her size, I think she is going to get more distance. To be able to have that kick and turn of foot, how can you go wrong? I am pretty confident she will be a nice filly. She vetted perfect. She was flawless. That's what we were looking for.”

An $82,000 KEENOV weanling bred by Twin Hopes Farm, Hip 199 is out of GSW Bold Union (Dixie Union), making her a half to GSP Bold Quality (Elusive Quality). She breezed in a snappy :20 2/5 for Woods during the under-tack show.

“The filly grew up beautifully,” Woods said. “She is very well balanced and was always really quick from the get-go. She vetted extremely well and is a really pretty, flashy filly. I always thought she'd go quick. I didn't think she'd go :20 2/5, but she did. It was great.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

Union Rags Filly Caps Big Day for Dilworth

Scott Dilworth's day in Ocala wasn't over with the sale of the $2.3-million Uncle Mo colt. The Texan came back late in the session to sell a filly by Union Rags (hip 306) for $525,000 to Red Baron's Barn or Rancho Temescal LLC. The chestnut, who was consigned by Raffaele Centofanti's Centofanti Thoroughbreds, was purchased by the Dilworths for $90,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale, but RNA'd for $105,000 at Keeneland last September.

“She was a nice filly and we didn't get any love on her at all as a yearling,” Dilworth said. “We thought she was nice enough to take on to a 2-year-old sale and that's what we did.”

Out of Corderosa (Aldebaran), the filly is a half-sister to stakes placed Orecchiette (Harlan's Holiday) and Lane Way (Into Mischief).

The filly worked a furlong last week in :9 4/5 and Dilworth gave plenty of credit to Centofanti for Tuesday's result.

“She was kind of hard to break and they took it very slow,” he said. “We were little bit worried about when they were going to get her here, but they got her here.”

Asked to assess his day at the office, Dilworth smiled and said, “It doesn't get any better than this.” @JessMartiniTDN

Back Ring Purchase Pays for Bobo

Tami Bobo and Fernando De Jesus, who will be represented in the GI Kentucky Derby by Simplification (Not This Time), will go into the First Saturday of May off a major pinhooking score in Ocala after selling a colt by Curlin (hip 66) for $510,000 to bloodstock agent David Ingordo during the first session of the OBS Spring Sale Tuesday. The couple had purchased the youngster for $40,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“He was a strong, forward Curlin,” Bobo said of the colt's appeal last fall. “They are solid, trainable racehorses. You have to love a Curlin.”
Asked if she was surprised by the colt's yearling price tag, Bobo admitted, “Shocked.”

She continued, “Every year at Keeneland, I've been blessed in that back ring. I work that back ring pretty hard. I saw him first in the back ring, followed him up and bought him. It's just my buying style. It's just myself and Fernando, so we can't short list after Book 1. So they walk in the back ring and we make split-second decisions what we are going to pay and walk up and buy them. I've made relationships over the years with consignors that I can trust, so this happened to be with a consignor I trusted and she told me everything was good. So I bought the horse based on her word.”

As for her impending date in Louisville, Bobo said, “Simplification is doing wonderful. I try not to call and get the daily updates on him because it's so nerve-wracking at this point. Life is just such a blessing to have these amazing horses. To be a part of their career paths is just amazing.”

As Bobo was talking, the Derby contender's trainer Antonio Sano walked by to congratulate her on the pinhooking success.

“He trained him this morning, came here today and he is leaving to go back to train him tomorrow,” Bobo said of her trainer, who confirmed the sophomore was doing well. “Having the relationship I have with Antonio makes me want to race more. It's like a family. It makes horse racing fun.”

Ingordo made the winning bid on the colt, who was consigned by de Meric Sales, out back standing alongside trainer John Sherriffs and CRK Stable's Lee Searing and signed under Mayberry Farm.

“I bought him for CRK Stables and he'll go to California with John Sherriffs,” Ingordo confirmed.

Bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Hip 66 is out of graded winner Winding Way (Malibu Moon), a full-sister to multiple graded winner Kauai Katie.

“There wasn't anything not to love,” Ingordo said of the colt. “He's by Curlin, he has some page and he breezed beautiful (:10 1/5) and vetted good. He's the kind of horse that, if John gets him to the promised land, we can stand him as a stallion one day.” @JessMartiniTDN

The post Uncle Mo Colt Tops OBS April Opener appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The unlucky last out GIII Holy Bull S. runner-up, drawn on the inside in post two, raced in midpack rounding the clubhouse turn as rail-drawn longshot Markhamian (Social Inclusion) led the way. Under a snug hold by Jose Ortiz while racing in some traffic down the backstretch, the 5-2 choice caught the eye as he began to roll with a six-wide blitz, one path to the outside of the unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready), as five of them lined up nearing the quarter pole.

With Simplification traveling much the best on the outside as half of the field bunched up, the comebacking GII Saratoga Special S. winner High Oak (Gormley) dramatically clipped heels and fell, unseating jockey Junior Alvarado. His Bill Mott trained-stablemate Galt (Medaglia d'Oro) also got tripped up, leaping over the fallen runner and losing his rider Joel Rosario as well.

Both horses escaped injury and walked back to the barn. Rosario reported back soreness and Alvarado was taken to a nearly hospital to evaluate a sore ankle.

Simplification, meanwhile, swept by Emmanuel and the forwardly placed Dean Delivers (Cajun Breeze) as they straightened for home and wasn't for catching from there while hanging on his left lead down the stretch, scoring by 3 1/2 lengths. He earned 50 qualifying points for the GI Kentucky Derby.

In Due Time (Not This Time), a flashy optional claiming winner at Gulfstream Feb. 4, finished nicely for second. Huge longshot O Captain (Carpe Diem) rallied from last to complete the trifecta. Emmanuel, the second choice at 5-2, was fourth in his stakes debut after a very wide trip. Last term's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity winner Rattle N Roll (Connect) never factored while sixth.

The Florida-bred Simplification, a 16 3/4-length maiden winner versus state-breds Oct. 23, captured his stakes debut two starts later in wire-to-wire fashion in the Mucho Macho Man S. Jan. 1. He ran well to finish second, beaten 4 1/2 lengths, showing a new dimension after an eventful start in the Holy Bull.

Trainer Antonio Sano also won the 2017 renewal of the Fountain of Youth with Gunnevera (Dialed In).

“Five years ago here, we had [post] No. 2 [with Gunnevera], and now we have No. 2 again, Sano said. “We repeat history.”

He continued, “For me, I liked the trip. I talked to [jockey] Jose [Ortiz] this morning and said you don't need to be in the front. The start was very important. If the horse has a good start and a safe trip, you won't have a problem. I wanted him to stay outside. Our horse in front with the speed horses won't have a chance. The horse responded to Jose. He said, 'Go,' and it was all good.”

Sano added, “When my horse broke bad last time I thought, 'What a disaster.' I learned that the horse can run in the front or from behind. He doesn't have to be in the front. The plan today for the race was that he didn't need the front. If the start was good, I left it up to Jose to make the decision where to be.”

Sano said that Simplification would likely be pointed toward the GI Curlin Florida Derby.

Pedigree Notes:

Few sires are hotter right now than Taylor Made's Not This Time, who has the fewest crops of any of the top 10 sires on the 2022 general sire list. In addition to his one-two finish by Simplification and In Due Time in the Fountain of Youth, his Epicenter is also on the Derby trail with a stellar win Feb 19 in the GII Risen Star S. Not This Time also has an additional graded winner this year with Jan. 29 GII Inside Information S. winner Just One Time. His 17 black-type winners include six graded winners and his sustained success recently prompted Chris McGrath to name Not This Time possibly Giant's Causeway's “principal American successor.” Both Simplification and Epicenter are out of Candy Ride (Arg) mares, a remarkable statistic given that covers one-third of Not This Time's graded winners and 12% of his black-type winners. Candy Ride's daughters have produced 30 stakes winners to date.

Simplification's history was recently detailed, but his immediate family has some wildly familiar names. His granddam is a full-sister to 2004-05 champion Ashado (Saint Ballado), as well as additional GISW Sunriver. Hall of Famer Ashado was a $9-million purchase by John Ferguson for Godolphin at the 2005 Keeneland November sale. Simplification's dam has a 2-year-old filly by Mendelssohn (a $190,000 RNA as a Fasig-Tipton New York yearling) and a yearling filly by Audible (a $47,000 RNA at the recent OBS Winter sale). Simply Confection delivered a Union Rags filly the day before the Fountain of Youth.

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
FASIG-TIPTON FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH S.-GII, $400,000, Gulfstream, 3-5, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.04, ft.
1–SIMPLIFICATION, 120, c, 3, by Not This Time
       1st Dam: Simply Confection (SP, $124,688), by
                       Candy Ride (Arg)
       2nd Dam: Ballado's Halo, by Saint Ballado
       3rd Dam: Goulash, by Mari's Book
   1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($50,000 RNA Wlg '19 KEENOV).
O-Tami Bobo; B-France & Irwin J. Weiner (FL); T-Antonio Sano;
J-Jose L. Ortiz. $238,080. Lifetime Record: 6-3-1-1, $411,350.
Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating:
   A++.
2–In Due Time, 120, c, 3, Not This Time–Sweet Sweet Annie, by
Curlin. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($9,500
Wlg '19 KEENOV; $35,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $95,000 2yo '21
OBSAPR). O-Edge Racing, Medallion Racing & Parkland
Thoroughbreds; B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc. (KY); T-Kelly
Breen. $76,800.
3–O Captain, 118, c, 3, Carpe Diem–Mama Nadine, by A.P. Indy.
. ($17,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-OGMA
Investments, LLC and Towell, Jr., Jack Hardin; B-WinStar Farm,
LLC (KY); T-Gustavo Delgado. $38,400.
Margins: 3HF, 1, 3/4. Odds: 2.50, 6.20, 87.70.
Also Ran: Emmanuel, Dean Delivers, Rattle N Roll, A. P.'s Secret, Markhamian, Howling Time, High Oak, Galt. Scratched: Giant Game, Mo Donegal.Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Not This Time Colts 1-2 in Eventful Fountain of Youth appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Speech (Mr. Speaker), a filly Bobo pinhooked as a weanling for $65,000 who later sold for $190,000 as a 2-year-old, won the 2020 GI Ashland S. Lazy Daisy (Paynter), just a $2,000 weanling, went to the Breeders' Cup in 2019. Both were preceded by Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy), a colt Bobo purchased privately in 2010 when he RNA'd for $80,000. After breaking and training him herself, she stayed in for a small piece and celebrated as he went on to become a Grade I winner.

On Saturday, Bobo is looking forward to watching one of her weanling purchases race in her own silks as Simplification (Not This Time) steps up to graded stakes company in the GIII Holy Bull S.

“I've had a lot of really good horses, but I haven't stayed in all the way like I did with this colt,” explained Bobo, who has been involved in the Thoroughbred business for 11 years.

Bobo purchased Simplification privately from Tris and Valerie de Meric in August of the Florida-bred colt's yearling year.

“We bought him because Not This Time was doing well at the time and we thought it was a good opportunity to buy [a Not This Time],” Bobo recalled. “We took him to our farm to break him and he was a tough colt. In the round pen he was super fancy and very bold. Fernando, my significant other, said that with as tough as he was, he could be a real runner.”

As the 2-year-old sales approached, X-rays showed a touch of sesamoiditis. Bobo was not bothered by the findings but knew it would hurt him in the sales ring, so she decided to race him herself.

She sent Simplification to her primary trainer Antonio Sano at Gulfstream Park. Less than a month later, Sano was calling her and singing the colt's praises, proclaiming that this was one of the best horses he had ever trained and that she needed to be sure to make it to his first race. But when Simplification made his debut last October, he finished a disappointing fifth.”

“He didn't like the Tapeta surface at all,” Bobo explained. “It was one of those moments like, 'What just happened?' because Antonio had been raving about this horse.”

Simplification's four-length victory in the Mucho Macho Man S. | Ryan Thompson

When the colt returned to the starting gate 22 days later, this time on the dirt, he romped by 16 3/4 lengths.

“Antonio had said, 'Now that's the horse I train every day,'” Bobo recalled with a laugh.

At that point, offers starting coming in to purchase the promising colt, but Bobo went against her normal practice and decided to keep him to herself for the time being.

In his next start in an allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream, the race did not go as planned when Simplification reared in the starting gate and banged his head, but still held steady to finish third.

“When he came back, he was a disaster,” Bobo said. “There was blood everywhere. For him to still finish third, it truly solidified that this horse was full of heart.”

In his 3-year-old debut stretching out to a mile against open company in the Mucho Macho Man S., Simplification took the lead early and won by an authoritative four lengths.

“The experience this horse gave us that day was unbelievable,” Bobo said. “You never know if you will ever get there and now that this horse has done what he's done, he doesn't owe me anything. He truly doesn't owe me a dollar going forward. My thought is that hopefully he stays sound, but he has already given me the thrill of a lifetime and we're blessed to own him.”

Simplification will face a field of eight rivals in Saturday's GIII Holy Bull S. including likely-favored GII Remsen S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), Kenny McPeek's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf runner-up Tiz the Bomb (Hit It A Bomb) as well as Giant Game (Giant's Causeway), who ran third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Asked if she would still consider offers for the colt after Saturday, Bob responded, “I enjoy having him, but I'm a business person. If the time comes that it makes sense I'll probably entertain it at some point, but right now we just need to focus and see what we have after this weekend.”

Such difficult choices must be made in this business, a fact Bobo has learned many times over throughout her time in the industry. Bobo started out training 2-year-olds, but has now centered her focus on pinhooking weanlings to yearlings through her First Finds division and yearling to 2-year-olds through her Secure Investments division.

“We buy weanlings and sell as yearlings,” she explained. “The ones that don't get sold will go on and hopefully sell as 2-year-olds. If they don't sell, we will usually race them. However, if we have a horse whose sire maybe cools off or isn't as fashionable as it was six months ago, or if they have a little bump on an X-ray, it doesn't always make sense to sell them.”

She continued, “With Simplification, I wasn't in a position where I had to sell him, thank God. Looking at the big picture now, I didn't pay a lot for him, but it was a significant price at the time based on his sire's stud fee. Then going into the 2-year-old sales with

the sesamoiditis, I don't know that I'd have even gotten back what I paid for him. Knowing the colt and having worked with him at the farm, we weren't afraid to race him.”

With the 2-year-old sales fast approaching, Bobo says she has 43 pinhooks preparing to go through the ring.

“The de Merics are training 34 2-year-olds for me this year and Randy Bradshaw was brought on board this year as well,” she noted. “I have a few other people with horses here and there.”

Perhaps even more exciting for Bobo, she said they have put a large investment into this year's weanling to yearling pinhook operation. First Finds purchased a dozen weanlings at the Keeneland November Sale alone, including a $235,000 Medaglia d'Oro colt out of Canadian champion female sprinter River Maid (Where's the Ring) and a $200,000 Catalina Cruiser colt who has since become the half-brother to 'TDN Rising Star' Shahama (Munnings), winner of this year's UAE 1000 Guineas Trial at Meydan.

“We were really blessed with that Catalina Cruiser colt,” Bobo said. “We have a total of 28 weanling this year to pinhook. It keeps it fun and keeps it exciting.”

With a busy sales season ahead, Bobo is first looking forward to what will surely be a memorable weekend at Gulfstream.

“I am so excited to be going,” she said. “I love this business and am so blessed to do what I love everyday. To be blessed with a horse like this is what it's all about.”

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The Breeders' Cup Classic-winning son of Curlin was responsible for the auction's most expensive first-crop weanling through the auction's first three sessions, and has established himself as one of the rookie stallions with the highest average weanling sale price during the select sessions of Kentucky's fall mixed sales.

In this installment of Toast To Vino Rosso, we'll look at a pair of weanlings by the stallion from the Gainesway consignment. One turned heads in the sale ring on Friday with a six-figure hammer price, while the other will get her chance to shine during Sunday's session.

Hip 645 – Bay filly out of Shaken, by Uncle Mo

The second-most expensive Vino Rosso weanling of the Keeneland sale through the end of Friday's session went to Scoot Stable for $300,000.

Bred in Kentucky by Mark Stansell, the bay filly is the first foal out of the Grade 2-placed Uncle Mo mare Shaken, who is herself a half-sister to the multiple Grade 2-placed runner Sway Away.

We checked in on this filly back in May, when she was boarded at Waggoner Farm in Lexington, Ky., for Texas-based Stansell. At the time, he said the decision to send Shaken to Vino Rosso was based on the stallion's race record and his expectation that the first foals would be received well at auction.

Brian Graves of consignor Gainesway was quick to note the filly's quality after the fall of the hammer.

“The Vino Rosso that we sold was just a really beautiful filly,” he said. “She'd be a select session-type filly at any sale she'd go to. She's beautifully-balanced, great hip. We've seen quite a few Vino Rossos that we liked over the sale, so the stallion looks like he's off to a good start producing nice stock.”

Hip 1469 – Gray or roan filly out of Snagglepuss, by Holy Bull

Sunday's session will feature this filly out of the winning Holy Bull mare Snagglepuss, who is the dam of one winner from two runners.

Bred in Kentucky by Tami Bobo, the filly hails from the family of Grade 1-placed Colorful Charades. The mating that produced this foal was set up by Milan Kosanovich, and Bobo acquired the pregnant mare after her visit to Vino Rosso.

“She's a beautiful filly, very forward, always loved her,” Bobo said. “I thought the market might be one that would support a filly that's physically as presentable as her to maybe come and try early, and see if the market plays where I think it should play. I think she's a great specimen for the stallion.”

“As a group overall, I like the Vino Rossos,” Bobo continued. “Collectively, they've been a great group of horses, and I think the public's going to receive them well. In hindsight, I think I probably should have been earlier than later, but I played it safe and was busy with real estate, and really hadn't gone through my babies like I should have early enough. Sale deadline time came up, so I called my two consignors and said, 'Enter all my horses in Book 3.' Hopefully she's a standout where she's at, and hopefully the public sees what we see in her.”

Vino Rosso, a 6-year-old son of Curlin, stands at Spendthrift Farm for an advertised fee of $20,000.

Vino Rosso won six of 15 starts and earned $4,803,125 on the racetrack. In addition to his signature Breeders' Cup Classic score, the stallion picked up victories in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes, and the G2 Wood Memorial Stakes.

The post Toast To Vino Rosso Presented By Spendthrift Farm: Momentum Into The Weekend At Keeneland November appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In horse racing, Momos is a very talented and very fast son of Distorted Humor and Inspeight of Us (Speightstown) who delivered the first ‘wow’ performance in the first 2-year-old maiden of the Saratoga meet July 18 (video), earning ‘TDN Rising Star‘ status.

“I think everybody that buys a horse that wants to win that first maiden special at Saratoga realizes that you’re going to be running against some of the best horses that have been specifically targeted for those races,” said Harlan Malter, the managing partner of Ironhorse Racing Stable, which owns Momos in partnership with Tami Bobo’s Secure Investments.

“No matter how good your horse is training, it’s difficult to expect to win,” he continued. “The reports I got were that the horse is healthy and training great and, something you always like to hear–‘This is a fast horse.’ We were concerned about a possible speed duel or running into a monster, but I was cautiously optimistic. We felt like he was going to run well, but I don’t think anyone goes into those races thinking that you’re going to win. But we were thrilled with the way he did it.”

Turns out Momos was the monster.

Momos was bred by Bobo and the Distorted Humor syndicate and was purchased for $75,000 as a short yearling at the 2019 OBS Winter Mixed Sale. Entered for, but withdrawn from the Fasig-Tipton July sale, the colt was rerouted for the breeze-up sales, where De Meric Sales was tasked with the prep work ahead of this year’s OBS March sale.

Malter has a soft spot for OBS, owing in no small part to the fact that it was at the auction house’s June sale in 2014 that he and his partners acquired a chestnut colt by Kantharos for $43,000. An Indiana-bred, Bucchero took the Ironhorse partnership on the ride of a lifetime, winning back-to-back renewals of the GII Woodford S. at Keeneland leading to consecutive appearances in the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. The over-achieving near-millionaire also represented Ironhorse at Royal Ascot in 2018, finishing a highly creditable fifth in the G1 King’s Stand S.

While in England, Malter–an enormous fan of Cigar–made the acquaintance of Riley Mott, the son of Cigar’s Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who was to be represented on the same opening-day program by Yoshida (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) in the G1 Queen Anne S. The junior Mott recommended to Malter that he consider bloodstock agent Phil Hager if he was looking for advice on any future purchases. In July 2018, Hager, a one-time employee of the Mott barn, left a position in bloodstock services at Crestwood Farm to launch Taproot Bloodstock. A partnership was struck.

Ultimately, there was a fair bit of synergy between Malter–‘the pedigree guy’–and Hager, who concentrates more on the physical in front of him without regard to the page, where it came to the Distorted Humor colt, who hammered for $180,000, with Taproot signing as agent for IHR.

“What we’ll generally do is not put any horses in his mind,” Malter said of the team’s approach. “He’ll do his list and then we’ll see if there’s overlap and go from there. What was great about this one, which rarely happens, this was basically on the top of our list going into the sale. The horse obviously worked very, very well (:21 flat) and Phil was very happy with the work, specifically–the way he did it, how professional and forward the horse was. Once we had that overlap, it was basically the target of our whole sale. Phil does a tremendous job. Tami Bobo expressed an interest to stay in for part, and it’s been a pleasure to have her as part of the team.”

He added, “When you have a horse that you kind of model everything after–with Bucchero being in my mind’s eye–I like to see very efficient movers and when we saw him in the work, he just did everything the right way. He kind of just drove himself into the ground, low, a very driving and efficient mover. There was no wasted energy. He galloped out extremely well. We were also really happy that he was coming out of the de Meric consignment. We have a relationship with Tristan and Valery de Meric, we know how well they prep them and we knew he’d probably come out ready to go.”

Malter admitted that the colt was at the upper limits of what they wanted to spend, but that circumstances dictated that they be aggressive.

“We felt with what was going on in the world that (a) potentially this was going to be the last time to buy for a little bit; and (b) there also may be a little reluctance to spend as much money at that sale. We did see it as a potential value play, so we were ready to spend a little bit of money. As far as Ironhorse, we try to offer a wide range, from $30,000 up to $200,000, which is about as much as we want to spend. We’re really looking for value. We were looking to try to get a $300,000 horse for $150,000, and we weren’t too far off that. We are going to have to do a little bit of zigging when other people are zagging and this is a little bit of where I blend my other business, being a financial planner, with looking at horses.”

Ironhorse campaigns its horses with Tim Glyshaw–who called the shots on Bucchero’s career–Mike Trombetta and Mott, but Malter was keen on getting a horse to Christophe Clement.

“I met [Clement’s son] Miguel at last year’s OBS sale and that got the wheels in motion. I’ve really enjoyed working with Christophe and Miguel, they make a very strong team,” Malter explained. “When we gave the horse to Christophe, we said, ‘Maybe this is the horse that gets us back to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint down the road,’ but the feedback we got was, ‘This horse can really run on dirt, let’s not worry about grass now.’ Initially the goal on this horse was turf sprinting and I don’t think there are a lot of trainers better at training turf sprinters than Christophe. But, obviously he showed what he could do right now on the dirt.”

With that in mind, Momos is a candidate for the six-furlong GII Saratoga Special S. Aug. 7 and/or the GI Runhappy Hopeful S. over seven furlongs Sept. 7.

As for Bucchero, he has completed his second year covering mares at Pleasant Acres Stallions in Florida. As hands-on as he was during his racing career, Malter has taken an active role in aggressively marketing his stallion to the breeding public.

“I grew up with the Todd Marinovich story, where his father was so heavily involved with managing his whole development and career,” Malter said, referring to the former professional football quarterback. “I often feel like if Bucchero could talk, he’d say, ‘Who is this guy and why is he always around?’ I’ve tried to take the bull by the horns and do the best that I could by this horse. But he’s done all the speaking. It’s been unusual that we’ve had an even bigger second year than we had the first year.”

Malter reports that Bucchero’s first crop numbers a healthy 76 foals.

“There’s really only one thing I was hoping for with the babies–that [Bucchero’s] mind would come through,” he said. “The feedback I am getting from the breeders on a consistent basis is ‘solid, balanced, athletic,’ but they almost always emphasize these horses’ minds. When I hear people describing these foals, it’s like they’re describing Bucchero to me.”

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