Tag: tanya gunther

Coolmore Snaps Up Frankel Colt for 2 Million Gns

By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin

NEWMARKET, UK–From a muted opening, Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale picked up the pace on Wednesday with a further four seven-figure lots gracing the ring. These sparked some solid bidding wars between established superpowers such as Coolmore, Godolphin and Juddmonte, with a decent representation of newer players from Bahrain and other Gulf nations, and strong participation from American-based Mike Ryan and Chad Brown.

The ripples of Frankel (GB) combined with Hascombe & Valiant Stud were felt on the turf of Longchamp on Sunday when Ace Impact (Ire), a son of the Oppenheimers' Frankel-sired star Cracksman (GB) waltzed off with the Arc. This year, with Anthony Oppenheimer selling a large draft of colts at Tattersalls, his stud was represented by a star turn of a different kind with the Frankel colt out of Bizzaria (GB) (Lemon Drop Kid) heading Book 1 when sold for 2 million gns to Coolmore.

The dam of lot 266 hails from a different Hascombe & Valiant family to Cracksman but it is one which has nevertheless provided the stud with much success. Her full-brothers Cannock Chase and Pisco Sour are Grade I and Group 2 winners respectively, and they are both former winners of the G3 Tercentenary S. at Royal Ascot. Their half-sister Star Catcher (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was better still, with her hat-trick of Group 1 victories including the Irish Oaks.

With five of his seven-strong Book 1 draft having been sold already for a total of 2.9 million gns, Oppenheimer was naturally pleased with the week's business.

“So far we have done quite well,” he said. “I know [the Frankel colt] is a very nice horse. He's refuelled the stud's finances and it can't do any harm.”

Oppenheimer's biggest success in recent years came with the 2015 Derby and Arc winner Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), and he is also the breeder of this year's Gold Cup winner, Courage Mon Ami (GB), who is yet another son of Frankel and was sold to Wathnan Racing just prior to Royal Ascot.

Over at Navan, another Frankel colt bought by Coolmore at Book 1 last year for 1.9 million gns, Euphoric (GB), broke his maiden on debut and, through various partnerships, the team, headed by MV Magnier, played a more prominent role at Tattersalls on Wednesday while stocking up on next year's juvenile crop.

After having the final say over Godolphin and Juddmonte for the session-topper, Magnier said, “They [Hascombe & Valiant Stud] are very good breeders and have bred some very nice horses in the past. Frankel is flying at the moment. He'll go to Ballydoyle and let's hope he's good.”

 

Late in the session, lot 352 drew a crowd back into the gangway as Magnier batted away a strong challenge from outside the ring and finally prevailed at 1.25 million gns. From Clara Stud and bred by CN Farm, the Wootton Bassett (GB) colt is a half-brother to G1 Commonwealth Cup winner and Sumbe stallion Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}) as well as the Listed winners Exhort (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) and Line Of Departure (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}).

Further back, the strong black-type dynasty of champion filly Serena's Song (Rahy) adds fortification to the page.

His dam, Entreat (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), is one of 15 mares owned by Kilkenny native James Cloney in partnership with his father-in-law. Cloney, a pharmacist by trade, admitted to be living out a long-held dream by exceeding seven figures with a horse he'd bred.

“It's once in a lifetime to have such a beautiful article,” he said. “Entreat is a special mare and she really produces top-quality stock. I had a dream about this. Thank God it came true for the family.”

Cloney acquired Entreat, a Cheveley Park Stud-bred mare, at the July Sale here in 2016 through BBA Ireland for just 14,000gns. Her son Golden Horde (Ire) put the pedigree in lights with a G1 Commonwealth Cup victory and Cloney revealed that he has wisely retained another filly from the family.

He explained, “She has a beautiful Dark Angel filly foal at home but is barren at the moment. We're lucky enough to have another daughter at home, called Dutch Treaty (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), who has turned out to be a stakes producer herself. I'm lucky to have a nice daughter already.

“It's a family-run operation. My father-in-law is Michael Nolan and Paddy Kelly, who led the horse around tonight, helps us as well. I am a pharmacist by trade but am from a farming background. The horses are what keep me right, looking out at them in the evening time.”

 

Talking Points

  • Sheikh Mohammed continued his spending spree, with Godolphin having now accounted for 15% of the turnover through the two days, with 17 yearlings bought for a total of 10,105,000gns

  • Mike Ryan and Chad Brown have also been busy and have recruited 12 European yearlings to take back to America for a total of 2,740,000gns

  • While trade certainly had a more buoyant feel to it than on the opening day, the median of 195,000gns was actually lower than Tuesday's 205,000gns, while the average, at 265,664gns, was up, thanks to a higher number of seven-figure lots. In comparison to last year's second session, the figures were all down, but on that day, eight of the sale's 16 seven-figure lots were sold. There have been six million-plus yearlings so far across the two days, and there had been 11 by this stage in 2022.

  • Wednesday's aggregate settled at 35,599,000gns (-28%), and the clearance rate was 84%, representing 134 horses sold from 160 offered.

  • George Boughey cut his teeth as a trainer with small-money buys–Missed The Cut (Quality Road) and Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) cost 100,000gns put together–but this week represented a breakout sale for the trainer. Boughey signed for three yearlings in his own name for a total of 865,000gns.

  • Ghaiyyath (Ire) played a leading role here on Tuesday when a colt by the first-season sire sold to Godolphin for 1.05 million gns. But how did the market react to Ghaiyyath and the rest of the newbies on the whole? The answer is pretty positively. Ghaiyyath leads the way for the first-season sires with seven selling for an average of 309,571gns and an aggregate of 2,167,000gns. Along with Godolphin, buyers included Peter and Ross Doyle, Najd Stud and Highclere. Fellow Darley stallion Pinatubo (Ire) was next best for the young guns. Six of his yearlings sold at an average of 237,500gns and aggregate of 1,425,000gns. Earthlight (Ire) also fared well with four selling for an average of 212,500gns, including a 240,000gns colt [lot 237] to Ben McElroy to Stonestreet Stables.

McCartan Lauds 1.5M Blue Point Showstopper 

Renowned breeder Paul McCartan of Ballyphilip Stud heaped praise on his Blue Point (Ire) half-brother to multiple Group 1-winning sprinter Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) by describing him as the best horse he has ever had anything to do with.

That is saying something as, along with Battaash, McCartan has had Xtension (Ire), Tiggy Wiggy (Ire) and Harry Angel (Ire) through his hands. But he clearly wasn't alone in his appraisal of lot 240, who drew a collected hush at a jam-packed auditorium during Book 1 with Godolphin seeing off Najd Stud at 1.5 million gns.

“Look, I haven't said it to too many people, but I think he's the nicest horse I have ever had anything to do with,” a delighted McCartan said moments after the sale. “I really think that. I have always put Battaash number one but, just when he [the Blue Point colt] got here and did everything right and everything came together–he's an absolute belter.”

A belter is probably the best way of putting it. The Blue Point colt commanded the attention of some of the top judges in the game and even Joe Foley labelled him “the best horse in the sale” before bowing out at 800,000gns.

Mark McStay and Simon Mockridge of Juddmonte got a little closer to the magic 1.5-million mark but, in the end, it was Najd Stud, to the left of auctioneer Simon Kerins, and Anthony Stroud, bidding outside the sale ring on behalf of Godolphin, who draw away from the rest.

Godolphin weren't for beating and once again threw their might behind a colt by one of their own bright young stallions. On Monday, it was a Ghaiyyath (Ire) half-brother to Breeders' Cup hero Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) who piqued interest from Sheikh Mohammed's powerful operation.

Just 24 hours later, it was the colt by Blue Point, who has made the most terrific start to his stallion career with Big Evs (Ire) and Rosallion (Ire) the most notable performers, who led the way.

McCartan continued, “I'm delighted that Godolphin have got him and I'm delighted that Charlie Appleby will be training him. Because, to me, he's the image of his father and his grandfather. I think Charlie loved him as well, and Charlie could see that.”

Asked why he decided to send outstanding producer Anna Law (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) to Blue Point, McCartan said, “It was probably an act of lunacy to take such a risk with a mare who is so important to us. I probably should have taken a more conservative approach and gone with a proven horse but I was at Ascot the day Blue Point beat Battaash in the King's Stand. I remember Blue Point coming into the parade ring and I took one look at him and one look at Charlie Appleby and I knew we weren't going to be winning.”

He added, “It's surreal because it's out of your control but I want to pay particular thanks to the people who work for me. Sure everybody knows that they are one of the best teams around the sales ground. And also to my head man at home, Denis Lawlor, who never comes to the sales and Dinny McCarthy, who led him up. He's a fantastic horseman and did a great job. They all did. It's one of the most enjoyable parts for me, that they can all share it together. We are all great friends.”

Perhaps Anna Law deserves a little more love in this story. Bought by McCartan for just 14,000gns at a horses-in-training sale here in October 2012, she has proved an immensely important part of that Limerick farm in producing Battaash and fellow speedster The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who sold for 750,000gns at this sale in 2021.

Reported to be happily in foal to Frankel (GB) by McCartan, Anna Law could have an even bigger role to play at Ballyphilip Stud in the years to come given she is still relatively young for a broodmare at just 13 years' old.

McCartan, who runs Ballyphilip with his wife Marie, explained, “Anna Law has a filly foal at home by Dark Angel and is in foal to Frankel. It's a bit of a different approach [going to Frankel] but he's probably the best stallion of all time, so why not? We'll give it a roll again.”

He added, “Anna Law has been an incredible mare for us. She started off by being a grumpy old girl but now every time she sees me out in the field she knows I have a fist full of nuts so we are the best of friends now!”

 

Sumbe On The Stallion Hunt

Ballylinch Stud had enjoyed a particularly noteworthy update for lot 260 since the catalogue was published with the G2 Champagne S. victory of the colt's full-brother Iberian (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).

Nurlan Bizakov of Sumbe already has a select roster of stallions at his Normandy-based Haras de Montfort et Preaux and there will doubtless be high hopes for the 1.1 million gns son of Listed winner Bella Estrella (Ire) (High Chaparral [Ire}) to join the throng in due course.

“If he is good enough he is a potential stallion,” said Sumbe's manager Tony Fry. “No-one needs a pat on the back now, that can come in two years' time – if it all works out.”

He added of the struggle to secure stallion prospects, “It's not easy to buy one and they are owned by people not keen to sell. And ideally you like to be involved in them from day one – to have bred them yourself, raced them and then stand them.”

A grandson of the Grade II winner Uncharted Haven (GB) (Turtle Island {Ire}), the colt's family also includes the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Just The Judge (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}).

Lope De Vega's excellent year extends beyond just his promising young son Iberian. He has also been represented by American Grade I winner Program Trading (GB) and Arapaho (Fr), winner of the G1 Tancred S. in Sydney. His 17 yearlings sold so far through Book 1 have returned an average of 374,118gns.

 

I Got You Babe 

From one of the stars of the show on Tuesday to another early in the second session of the sale, the draft of Newsells Park Stud has continued to feature prominently, which is hardly surprising when one considers the pedigrees of the individuals involved.

Leading the early trade on Wednesday was lot 200, the Kingman (GB) half-brother to the Group 1 winner and young Newsells Park stallion Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who was born and raised at the farm on behalf of his breeders John and Tanya Gunther of Kentucky's Glennwood Farm.

With shades of the sale of the last foal of the mighty Shastye (Ire) on Tuesday, this too was tinged with sadness as the colt's dam, Without You Babe (Lemon Drop Kid), who has also produced GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Tamarkuz (Speightstown) and the yearling colt's full-sister, Listed winner She's Got You (GB), died last year.

“It's hard to talk about it,” said an emotional John Gunther after the hammer dropped at 900,000gns for the colt who will now race for Bahraini owners.

“He was the mare's last foal and he was very special to us. It was tough to sell him but he sold very well.

“The mare meant so much to us. Everyone at Newsells did a great job prepping him for the sale and he's gone to some good owners. That's very important.”

Without Parole returned to the stud where he was born to commence his stallion career in 2021. His first yearlings are now at the sales, including three in Book 1 at Tattersalls, where Ross Doyle and Anthony Bromley have signed for a filly and a colt so far.

Gunther continued, “We look forward to Without Parole's two-year-olds and it all carries forward. We're keeping quite a few of them to race ourselves. We want to make sure they go to the right trainers to give the horse his best chance. We will be racing at least half a dozen of them ourselves.”

In the year in which Without Parole won the G1 St James's Palace S. to give the Gunthers a memorable homebred Royal Ascot winner, another graduate of their breeding programme, Justify (Scat Daddy), remained unbeaten to win America's Triple Crown. Subsequently sold to stand at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Kentucky, Justify has made an eye-catching start to his stud career, with his best progeny on this side of the Atlantic including Sunday's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Opera Singer, G1 Prix Morny runner-up and G2 Prix Robert Pain victrix Ramatuelle, and the G2 Superlative S. winner City Of Troy, who is currently favourite for the G1 Dewhurst S. He has also sired two Grade I winners in America, Arabian Lion and Aspen Grove (Ire).

“Justify looks like a supersire,” Gunther added. “He's got the best two-year-old filly in the country and the best two-year-old colt, and it looks like he has some very good dirt runners in the US as well. We're very excited about how Justify is coming along.”

Oliver St Lawrence, who signed for the yearling, said, “I loved the Kingman colt the first time I saw him. He's a half-brother to two Grade I winners and hopefully he will take us to the Guineas and we can have a bit of fun. I was desperately keen to get him.”

St Lawrence had also signed for the preceding lot [199], a son of Dubawi (Ire) out of Wisdom Mind (Ire), a Dark Angel (Ire) half-sister to Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}). Bought at 500,000gns, the colt was bred by Sun Bloodstock and consigned by Adrian and Philippa O'Brien's Hazelwood Bloodstock.

“They are both for Fawzi [Nass] and team,” St Lawrence said. “I knew we'd have to go strong on the Kingman. The only downside was that I had to be hugged by Julian Dollar afterwards. That took the shine off it a little bit.”

 

Well-Related Colts for Blandford

Another colt with obvious sire power should he prevail on the racecourse is Norelands Stud's son of Kingman (GB) and Cabaret (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Offered as lot 278, the half-brother to Classic winners St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) was bought by Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock for an unnamed client at 600,000gns.

“I didn't expect to be able to buy him,” Brown said. “[His dam] must be one of the better broodmares on Planet Earth. The colt himself was physically a little but immature. He needs to strengthen up a little bit, and I think he will. There was a lot of Kingman about him and he put up a very classy show outside. With a pedigree like that I'm delighted to get him. It's very rare to be able to buy that type of pedigree.”

Brown later signed for lot 336, a Cracksman (GB) half-brother to Givemethebeatboys (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}), whose win in the G3 Marble Hill S. in May helped to turn this 48,000gns foal purchase by Tally-Ho Stud into a highly profitable 410,000gns yearling.

Among Godolphin's purchases for the day was lot 243, a 250,000gns December Foal Sale purchase by Philipp Stauffenberg, who was resold for 600,000gns.

The Havana Grey (GB) colt is a half-brother to the Group 1-placed Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}), who has recently been announced as joining the roster at Whitsbury Manor Stud, where he was bred.

Buy of the Day

Hughie Morrison may well have landed himself the value pick of day two in the shape of lot 328, a filly by first-season sire Mohaather (GB).

Consigned by Llety Farms, the Mohaather filly is out of an unraced Refuse To Bend (Ire) mare, who has produced two black-type performers by Kodiac (GB) and Stimulation (Ire).

At just 55,000gns, Morrison's purchase comes in well below the sale average and time might prove her to have been very well-bought here. She appears to be a sweet filly who will be worth keeping an eye on for next year. Her pedigree suggests that she will be early enough to debut in the first half of the season.

Elsewhere, Ben McElroy added an interesting filly on behalf of Stonestreet Stables to his haul in lot 297.

At first glance, this Oasis Dream (GB) filly wasn't a snip at 335,000gns from Pier House Stud, but she ticks plenty of the right boxes for America.

Out of a black-type producing mare, she hails from a strong family and could do well on the turf in the States where the prize-money is significantly stronger than in Britain and Ireland.

The McElroy-Stonestreet axis has had significant success with European purchases in recent years.

She's another interesting one to keep note of for next season.

 

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Global Appeal: Too Darn Hot’s First Crop Comes to Market at Arqana

Next week, the first yearlings by Darley's dual champion Too Darn Hot (GB) will be offered for sale at the Arqana August Yearling Sale. Expectations were always going to be high for Too Darn Hot–a son of sire of sires Dubawi (Ire), out of the triple Group 1-winning mare Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), from the deep family of the prodigious sire Darshaan (GB). An undefeated champion at two who repeated as champion at three, he also achieved the best foal sales average of 2021.

But uniquely, it will not just be observers in Europe taking careful notice of his yearlings' performance in the ring, but several in America as well, where breeders and investors are noting the traits that make for a successful sire in the New World as well as the Old.

The Arqana group includes four fillies selling on Saturday Aug. 13, the first day of the sale: lot 3 for Ballylinch Stud, a filly out of the graded-stakes-placed Janicellaine (Ire) (Beat Hollow {GB}); lot 29 for Ecurie des Monceaux, a filly out of the listed and group-placed Lida (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), from the family of Wootton Bassett (GB); lot 66 for Haras du Cadran, the second foal from the multiple-group stakes winner Night Music (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}); lot 90 for Monceaux, a filly from the family of Group 1 winners Persian King (Ire) and Planteur (Ire); and one colt on day two of the sale, Monday; lot 220 for Baroda Stud, out of listed stakes winner and multiple group-stakes placed Bastet (Ire) (Giant's Causeway), and a half-brother to the Group 1 winner Beauty Parlour (GB) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

Lane's End Farm's Bill Farish said he was so impressed with Too Darn Hot that he invested in the stallion upon his retirement.

“Too Darn Hot is a very exciting stallion for a lot of reasons,” said Farish. “I think he would work well over here in America, mainly because he had so much speed. He was a seven furlongs-to-a-mile Dubawi, which is pretty rare. Usually, they're middle distance to stayers. And, being a Mr. Prospector-line stallion, he just really appeals to me for this market.”

American-based breeder Tanya Gunther said she bred two mares to Too Darn Hot in his first year at stud, and has sent several back since. “Smart Change was the first; she's a daughter of Smart Strike from the Without Parole family,” she said. “We thought with Mr. Prospector and the speed that can come from Smart Strike that it would be an interesting mating. The other mare was a nice, well-bodied mare that we thought would suit him physically as well as on paper.

Frankie Dettori celebrates at the finish of the Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket October 13, 2018 | Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

“In the two yearlings, you can really see a bit of a stamp from Too Darn Hot. They're just very athletic. One is a late foal, but super athletic and looks precocious. The other one was an earlier foal and very tall, leggy, just an exceptional individual. And one thing I see in both of them is a lot of class and quality, so that made us very excited. We've sent a mare back again, and a couple of mares back this year as well. One of those mares is a half-sister to Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who had a very good year so far, and people will have seen him on t.v. So we're excited about the mares that we bred to him and the offspring that we've had so far and that we are expecting next year.”

“I followed him very closely from his first race on because we're close friends with the Lloyd- Webbers and with Simon Marsh,” said Farish, “so he was a horse I was particularly paying attention to. And, being an undefeated 2-year-old Group 1-winning champion, and being a champion at three, with his pedigree, he really checked so many boxes for us that we actually bought a breeding right in him when he retired. That's how much we thought of him. And we just we rarely ever do that with a European stallion.”

Lexington-based bloodstock agent Mike Ryan has bred to Too Darn Hot, and bred his same mares back to him a second time.

“I'm upset with myself that I didn't breed to him in his first year,” said Ryan. “I was asleep at the wheel. I bred two mares to him his second year. One aborted, and I have nice foal from the other.  She is back in foal to him. She has a filly foal by her side and the mare that lost her foal is also in foal to him.”

Ryan said he liked what he saw on the track, as well as what he's seeing from his offspring.

“Too Darn Hot was a brilliant 2-year-old,” he said. “He was undefeated at two, showed a lot of precocity, and he was champion 2-year-old. He carried on his class and ability as a 3-year-old. He had great acceleration, which we need in American racing. He had very good tactical speed. You could put him anywhere in a race. He is a lot like Kingman (GB): brilliant speed, brilliant acceleration, fast-ground horses. And I'm hoping he's the next Kingman and that we can go over there and afford to buy some and continue to breed to him.”

Said Farish, “The ones I've seen are look a lot like him. They're very typey, very attractive. Very attractive heads and very correct. I remember when they first bought Darara, the second dam, and she was very well-conformed, very straight-legged. And he's a more sprinter-miler looking than some of the rest of the family. But they've all been very good looking and very correct.”

“He's a magnificent-looking horse,” added Ryan. “Beautiful quality, great shape, oozes presence and class. And I understand his foals are very, very nice, very much like him.”

Both American-based breeders said that the early support he has received from Watership Down, who bred and campaigned him, and from Darley, would prove critical to his success.

 

Darley photo

“He stood at a high early stud fee (£50,000 in year one and £45,000 in year two), and if he can stand for that and consistently get full books, it's a testament to how popular he is over there and how well Darley and Watership Down have supported him,” said Farish. “He's just got every chance. You know, he's not only had four books in the Northern Hemisphere, but also down in Australia as well.”

“Too Darn Hot got tremendous support from both Godolphin and Watership Down, who bred and raced him,” Ryan agreed. “It's a huge leg-up for a young horse to get the backing of those kind of mares, and it gives them every chance to succeed in his first and second crops, which is hugely important. Much like Frankel and Kingman–Juddmonte supported both those stallions very heavily. And we see the results today. They are two of the top stallions in Europe. So you can't do better than that. It's up to the horse then himself to see if he can do it.”

“Everybody always talks about checking all the boxes,” Farish added. “Well, he really does check all the boxes. He was a champion at two and three, he was speedy, has a great pedigree. You just can go on and on about all of his qualifications and that's the best you can do is to have all those things covered. And he really does.”

“I think he's one of the most exciting young stallions in the world, not just Europe,” Ryan concluded. “He's beautifully bred. He's got a tremendous race record. He has every qualification that you would look for in a young horse. I think the sky's the limit for him.”

At 20 years old, the race is on to find Dubawi's heir apparent at stud, and Gunther said that with any luck, Too Darn Hot may well fill that role.

“When we went to see him at the stud, when he retired to Darley, he was an impressive individual, particularly in that he took after his father,” she said. “You like to see a bit of the sire in his sons.  I think the hopes would be very high that Too Darn Hot could potentially be his successor.”

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Tanya Gunther on Justique and Her Full-Sister at Glennwood

Tanya Gunther was thrilled to watch the latest 'TDN Rising Star' Justique (Justify) trounce the competition in her breathtaking debut, but the horsewoman admitted that a few thoughts of what could have been flashed through her head as she remembered the promising filly's early days spent at Glennwood Farm.

“I didn't really want to sell her,” Gunther said with an acquiescing smile. “Most of our yearlings do go to the sale, but I was a bit sad when we let her go.”

Bred by Tanya's father John Gunther in partnership with Eurowest Bloodstock, Justique is the sixth foal out of the Gunthers' graded stakes-producing homebred mare Grazie Mille (Bernardini). When the dark bay foal arrived in March of 2020, the Gunthers were caught on the other side of the Atlantic at the start of the pandemic.

Tanya Gunther received regular photo updates of Justique throughout the year. When she finally returned to Glennwood, she made up for lost time with the youngster as she worked with the filly throughout the summer of her yearling year.

“I was down in our filly barn a lot through our prep season, so I spent a lot of time with her,” Gunther explained. “I got to know her very well and she was a favorite of mine. She had a very athletic look about her, sort of the Scat Daddy and Justify aspect coming through.”

Justique would sell for $725,000 at the Keeneland September Sale before joining the John Shirreffs barn to race for C R K Stable.

“I really hoped that she would be something special and so far, she looks pretty interesting,” Gunther said.

While Gunther may have had to part with Grazie Mille's first daughter of Justify, Justique's full-sister arrived at Glennwood in March this year and Gunther said that this filly will almost definitely stay with their operation.

“She's an exceptional individual,” Gunther reported. “She is very pretty, leggy and has great scope on her. She's just a beauty, much like Justique was as a foal.”

A shiny chestnut with a touch of chrome, this youngster has the definite stamp of her sire who once meandered the very same paddocks at Glennwood before achieving Triple Crown glory. Glennwood Farm is an enthusiastic supporter of the Coolmore sire and Gunther said that she is finding common trends in Justify's progeny.

“I have found that while his offspring may not always be chestnut with the blaze, they definitely have a physique that I see a resemblance of him,” she explained. “While [Justique and her sister] are different colors, they are very much of a similar model.”

Each of these daughters of Justify represent their breeder on both sides of their pedigree. John Gunther purchased their second dam, Molto Vita (Carson City), for $24,000 in 2000. She won the 2004 GIII Thoroughbred Club of America S. and collected over half a million in earnings before retiring to stud. Her third foal, Grazie Mille, broke her maiden impressively for Chad Brown, but was forced to retire prematurely.

“She was a very talented racehorse, but she chipped a knee and we had to retire her early,” Gunther recalled. “I think she would have been a stakes horse and her trainer did as well.”

Grazie Mille's first foal Mo Town (Uncle Mo) earned the 'Rising Star' nod at two and went on to dual-surface success in the GII Remsen S. and GI Hollywood Derby before joining the roster at Ashford Stud. Along with studmate Justify, he is represented by his first crop of runners this year.

With immeasurable upside potential for Grazie Mille and her growing produce record, Gunther has high hopes for the accomplished homebred mare.

“We had the fortune of breeding her to Uncle Mo early on before he had runners and that was how she got rolling as a broodmare with progeny behind her name, so now it's hopefully onward and upward from there.”

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Toast To Vino Rosso Presented By Spendthrift Farm: Vino Rosso’s First November Weanlings Mark Full-Circle Moment For Glennwood Farm

Two years ago, the Gunther family's Glennwood Farm celebrated another graduate grabbing one of the sport's brass rings, when Vino Rosso kicked away down the Santa Anita Park stretch to win the 2019 Breeders' Cup Classic by four lengths.

The win propelled the son of Curlin to an Eclipse Award for champion older male, and a stall in the stallion barn at Spendthrift Farm.

In the span of just two years, the Glennwood operation had produced two blue-chip stallion prospects, following Justify's Triple Crown conquest a year earlier.

“Vino Rosso and Justify were field-mates as foals so it was pretty special to see both horses run in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont in 2018,” said Glennwood's Tanya Gunther. “After being in the shadow of Justify as a 3-year-old, it was very rewarding to see Vino Rosso mature into a dual Grade 1 winner, culminating with an emphatic victory in the Classic in 2019 as a 4-year-old. We have supported both stallions since they retired to stud and can't wait for the progeny to come of racing age. Exciting years ahead.”

Now, with another Breeders' Cup recently in the books, Vino Rosso's first weanlings have arrived at the sales grounds for the Kentucky fall mixed sales. After playing such a key role in Vino Rosso's early life, Glennwood Farm will play a key role in his early stud career.

The Glennwood Farm consignment will offer a pair of colts from the first crop of Vino Rosso during the Keeneland November sale, both in the prestigious first book. They will be part of the 41 Vino Rosso weanlings cataloged in the Keeneland sale, following the five entered across town at the Fasig-Tipton sale.

Hip 73 – Colt out of Bending Strings, by American Chance

This dark bay or brown colt is out of a four-time graded stakes winner, in Bending Strings.

A Glennwood homebred, Bending Strings was a standout sprinter, notching wins in the G2 Nassau County Breeders' Cup Stakes, the G2 First Flight Handicap, and the G3 Safely Kept Breeders' Cup Stakes. She also picked up a graded stakes score at a mile in the Grade 2 Chilukki Stakes.

As a broodmare, Bending Strings' resume is highlighted by Sun Studio, a stakes-placed Speightstown filly. She is also the dam of the stakes-producing Tapit mare Delightful Melody, who has the stakes winner Arzak.

His second dam, Straight South, is also a stakes winner with four black type-producing daughters. The standouts under that branch of the tree are Get It Straight, dam of Grade 3 winner Bangkok, and Rich Seam, who had a pair of stakes winners.

“We have been very pleased with our Vino babies so far and there seems to be a great buzz about his first foals,” Gunther said. “Curlin is one of our favorite proven stallions in the U.S., so with Vino Rosso being arguably Curlin's most credentialed son at stud, we eagerly await his freshman year as a sire.

“Our Vino foals of 2021 have great balance and nice big walks which is highly encouraging and they seem to have a lot of quality about them,” she continued. “We also think Spendthrift started Vino out at a very competitive price – to be able to breed to a Breeders' Cup Classic and Eclipse Award-winning son of Curlin for $30,000 in his first year seemed phenomenal value for a new sire.”

Hip 112 – Colt out of Fair Huntress, by Tiznow

The third foal out of Fair Huntress, an unraced mare purchased by Glennwood's John Gunther at the 2017 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale.

Fair Huntress comes from a strong producing dam herself, in the stakes-placed Devil His Due mare Beauty's Due. Her most proven daughter in the breeding shed is the Grade 3 winner Devil By Design, who had the Grade 1 winner Competitionofideas.

“We believed Vino would suit the two mares well physically and were very happy when the stork arrived with these two nice packages,” Gunther said. “Both are bays, which doesn't reflect Vino's coloring per se, but they do have good swagger and nice temperaments, which remind us of him. And of course, Vino's sire Curlin has a couple of bays among his top horses – Malathaat and Clairiere for example, who both ran in this year's Breeders' Cup Distaff.”

Vino Rosso, a 6-year-old son of Curlin, stands at Spendthrift Farm for an advertised fee of $25,000.

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: Vino Rosso’s First November Weanlings Mark Full-Circle Moment For Glennwood Farm appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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