Tag: Terry Finley

$1.5 Million Uncle Mo Colt Tops Electric Saratoga Opening Night

by Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearlings Sale opened with a lively session of trade punctuated by four seven-figure yearlings Monday evening in upstate New York. A colt by Uncle Mo, consigned by Lane's End as agent for his breeder, Summer Wind Farm, attracted the session's highest bid when selling for $1.5 million to the partnership of West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing.

In all, 69 yearlings sold at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion Monday for a total of $28,930,000. The average was $419,275 and the median was $350,000.

During last year's opening session of the two-day boutique auction, 70 yearlings sold for $25,280,000, for an average of $361,143 and a median of $300,000.

“We're very, very pleased with the opening session of the 2022 Saratoga Yearling Sale,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said at the close of business Monday. “There were significant improvements in all the statistical categories. We hit the superfecta–average up 15%, median up 16%, gross up 17% and RNA right under 20%. In a highly selective sale, that is a tremendous accomplishment. We're thrilled with those numbers, but you could feel the excitement in the air tonight. The atmosphere was electric. The quality of horses was tremendous. The quality of people that were here to buy those horses was tremendous. It was just a really, really great environment to have an auction and the results were very, very, very strong.”

With 17 yearlings reported not sold, the buy-back rate for Monday's session was 19.8%. It was 27.1% during last year's opening session.

“The most encouraging thing continues to be the breadth of buyers when you go through the results,” Browning said. “It was a very diverse buying group. And as I say, to have an RNA rate under 20% for one of the most selective sales in the world is remarkable. And we know that there's already some competition starting for post-sale private sales. That's a really, really important thing to be able to have a clearance rate that's that high.”

Hot freshman sire Justify was represented by the evening's second highest-priced yearling, with Coolmore's M.V. Magnier going to $1.1 million to acquire a colt by the Triple Crown winner from the Warrendale Sales consignment. Spendthrift's super sire Into Mischief rounded out the seven-figure parade with a pair of $1-million colts.

Four yearlings topped the seven-figure mark during the entire 2021 Saratoga sale.

“You know, you're always thrilled when you have four horses in a session like this go for over $1 million,” Browning said. “I think we had four last year the entire sale sell for seven figures. So we've already matched that number. I've got a sneaking suspicion that we're going to eclipse that tomorrow night.”

The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale concludes with a final session Tuesday. Bidding will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Summer Wind Blows Through Saratoga Once Again

When Jane Lyon named her Uncle Mo colt out of Secret Sigh (Tapit) (hip 68) Stop the Press, she did not know just how fitting a name it would be. It was a bit of deja vu for the Summer Wind Farm owner Monday night when the bay colt was the first to reach seven figures, hammering for a session-topping $1.5 million to West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing with Lyon staying in for a piece.

“I was certainly hopeful that we would have this kind of response,” Lyon said. “We had a lot of people who vetted him and came back numerous times. We knew that there were a lot of important buyers who seemed to like him a lot, so we were optimistic.”

The last time Lyon sold a seven-figure colt at Saratoga was in 2019 when the now unbeaten MGISW Flightline (Tapit) summoned $1-million from the West Point team. Woodford and Summer Wind are among the partners on that 'TDN Rising Star' as well. Flightline's success inspired a changed in Lyon's business model.

“I was very hopeful and let it be known that, if possible, I would like to stay in on him,” Lyon said of Stop the Press, who was consigned by Lane's End. “It's kind of a new plan for me. If I have a colt I feel extremely strong about, if I can stay in on him, I'd like to do so. It seems to be working out extremely well with Flightline. I thought, 'well, there are some I might try that again with.' Apparently, the buyers wanted to try it again too, which is very flattering.”

While Lyon is known for her deep love for all of her horses, she admitted that Stop the Press showed he was special as he developed at her Georgetown nursery.

“He has been special,” Lyon said. “I think [Summer Wind Farm manager] Bobby [Spalding] probably spotted it before I did, because I am barn blind. I think they are all special. But, that being said, he began to really take shape and we knew he would be one of our good ones to take to the sale. It is a good way to start the sales season.”

Stop the Press comes from a family near and dear to Lyon's heart. Her late husband Frank Lyon gifted her Stop the Press's third dam Misty Hour (Miswaki) as a 2-year-old. She went on to be a stakes winner and graded stakes-placed and is the matriarch of Summer Wind.

Misty Hour is the dam of stakes winner Pilfer, who is responsible Grade I winners Angela Renee and To Honor and Serve. Prior to that, she produced Stop the Press's MGSW second dam India (Hennessy), whose offspring includes MG1SW Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}) and SW 'TDN Rising Star' Kareena (Medaglia d'Oro).

“The thing I am really excited about with this particular colt is he is a homebred out of a homebred out of a homebred,” said Lyon. “It is a very important family to me and to our farm. The fact that this second foal, and the first one offered at auction, was this popular is very exciting.”

Unfortunately, Stop the Press's dam Secret Sigh never had a chance to show her true potential on the racetrack. She was injured during training and retired to Summer Wind's star-studded broodmare band, which features the likes of Littleprincessemma, dam of American Pharoah.

“She got injured before she could really run,” Lyon said. “I had her with Billy Mott and he felt that she had a lot of talent. When she got injured and came home, I sent her to Europe and bred her to Frankel because her mother had been successful when bred to Frankel. I did keep that filly [Pippi Longstocking] and she is in training now. I think this could be the making of a very, very exciting addition to that family.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

 

 

West Point, Woodford Return to the Well

At the 2019 renewal of this auction, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing were among the partners on a $1-million Tapit colt bred by Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Farm. That colt turned out to be unbeaten MGISW Flightline, so when Lyon returned to Saratoga with another well-bred colt, he quickly caught the powerhouse duo's attention.

West Point and Woodford had to go a bit higher this time around, but, after an intense round of bidding from all over the pavilion as well as out back, they were left holding the $1.5-million ticket on a Summer Wind-bred Uncle Mo colt. Lyon stayed in as a partner on Flightline and will do so once again on the colt she named Stop the Press.

“We changed our luck about three years ago. We started bidding here and it's going well,” West Point's Terry Finley said after signing the ticket on the right side of the auction's outside bidding area. “It's is our spot for buying horses like good colts bred by Jane Lyon. She is going to stay in. He came from the same land [as Flightline]. We are really excited. Obviously, we have had a lot of good luck and have been on an exciting ride with Jane and Woodford. We are going to try and recreate that magic.”

Like many partnerships these days, West Point and Woodford have become increasingly focused on buying colts with two-turn potential in hopes of making the Triple Crown races. This colt fit that bill on both pedigree and conformation, according to Finley.

“He is a beautiful horse,” Finley said. “Uncle Mo throws a big, stout horse. He looks like the kind of horse all of us see on the Triple Crown trail. You can't get enough of these types because you know the trials and tribulations we all face. This horse really, really stuck out. We are pumped to get him. He will go to Shug McGaughey. I don't think anyone has told him yet, but I am sure he will have a smile on his face.”

As for the price, Finley said he was not surprised given the atmosphere at Saratoga Monday and the state of the market.

“It was right about the spot,” he said. “There is plenty of money here. Obviously, there are a lot of things going on in the world, but I think people who are buying at this level aren't impacted that much. There were more than just two of us past $1 million. You pay what the market tells you to pay. You saw good colts without as much pedigree going for $700,000 and $800,000, so add this pedigree to the physical and you are looking at at least $1.2 million. I was glad when the announcer said, 'That's all they brought.' It was getting up there. We have a lot of work to do to get out on this horse, but it is exciting for the partners to play a part in a good colt like this.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

Mori Gets on the Board at Saratoga

Japanese trainer Hideyuki Mori, making his first trip to the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, was quick to get into the seven-figure fray when going to an even $1 million to acquire a colt by Into Mischief (hip 74) from the Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services consignment. The bay, who was bred by Maurice and Samantha Regan's Newtown Anner Stud, is out of Shopit (Yes It's True) and is a full-brother to stakes winner and multiple Grade I-placed 'TDN Rising Star' Shoplifted, who was second in the 2019 GI Runhappy Hopeful S. and third in the 2020 GI H. Allen Jerkens S. and GI Woody Stephens S.

Agents Nick Sallusto and Hanzly Albina purchased Shopit, in foal to Fast Anna, on behalf of the Regans for $65,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale.

“We knew this was the best horse we bred this year,” Albina said of the yearling. “He's always been good. You are defying the odds when you become a Saratoga yearling, you defy the odds when you get up here and ring the bell like that. It's just lucky. My team at the farm is very good and they work hard. Ron Blake works hard. Nick Sallusto works hard. We are just fortunate to work for such great people as the Regans who allow us to do what we need to do.”

All of Newtown Anner's yearlings are offered at market, according to Albina.

“We always bring all our yearlings to market to keep ourselves honed and to make good decisions and not to just keep a lot of horses and have big training bills for no reason,” Albina said.

 

 

Justify Colt Gives Black His First Million-Dollar Sale

Christian Black's Blackstone Farm had a banner sale in Saratoga last year when selling a Gun Runner colt for $550,000. The Pennsylvania-based operation managed to double that number this year when a son of undefeated Triple Crown hero Justify (hip 78) hammered for $1.1 million to Coolmore's M.V. Magnier. It was the first million-dollar sale for Blackstone Farm.

“He has just been a good horse from the beginning and he just kept getting better and better,” Black said. “The good thing about Coolmore and M.V. is, if you have a nice horse, they are always there to support their stallions. Fortunately enough, this horse just jumped through all the hoops for them.”

As for the price, Black said, “I don't think you expect $1.1 million on a horse, but we had a lot of people on him that, in the past, showed they were willing to spend that kind of money. We were hopeful.”

Justify, who stands at Coolmore's Ashford Stud, has been off to a fast start at stud with a graded winner in America and group winner in Europe already in his first crop.

“Justify is going really, really well at the moment,” Magnier said. “It has been incredible, since we have been here the last few days, the amount of people that have come up and said how well he is doing. He couldn't be going any better than he is going.”

Consigned by Warrendale Sales, hip 78 is out of Slews Golden Rule (Langfuhr), who is also responsible for SW Ledecka (Tiznow). Black purchased the half-sister to GSW & GISP Globetrotter (Street Cry {Ire}) for $80,000 in foal to Lonhro (Aus) at the 2014 KEENOV sale.

“He is a very nice horse,” Magnier said of hip 78. “He's very sound. He's a big colt. The boys liked him, so hopefully he is a good horse. We will bring him back to Ashford.”

—@CDeBernardisTDN

 

 

Spendthrift Strikes Early for Curlin Colt

It didn't take long for things to heat up in the Humphrey S. Finney pavilion Monday night with the Spendthrift Farm team going to $950,000 to secure a colt by Curlin (hip 9).

Spendthrift started buying with BSW/Crow Bloodstock team during last fall's yearling sales for a new partnership focused on two-turn colts for the major Classics. The colts from the new group are set to go to Brad Cox. Spendthrift's Ned Toffey signed the ticket under the name of Spendthrift, BSW/Crow Colts Group/Schwartz/Gandharvi.

“He will likely be a part of the colts group, but we signed the ticket and will sort the details out later,” Toffey said, after signing the ticket while seated alongside Liz Crow, Brad Weisbord and Paul Sharp with Cox behind them.

Consigned by Eaton Sales, hip 9 was bred by Barronstown Stud, who bought his staked-winning and GISP dam Light the City (Street Sense) for $625,000 with this colt in utero at the 2020 FTKNOV sale. Light the City is also the dam of GISP Illumination (Medaglia d'Oro), a $900,000 graduate of this auction in 2019, who brought $875,000 from Don Alberto at last year's Fasig November Sale.

“What's not to like?” Toffey said. “He is a beautiful Curlin. We thought he was one of the best individuals in the sale. He had a lot of quality about him, a lot of bone, a lot of substance. He has a great walk, moved around beautifully. We are really happy to have him.”

Spendthrift struck again near the end of Monday's session, going to a cool $1 million for a son of their super sire Into Mischief (hip 102). Breeder St. Elias Stables stayed in for a piece and they also partnered with Cypress Creek Stables on the Lane's End-consigned colt.

Hip 102 is the first foal out of Vinnie and Teresa Viola's MGSW Teresa Z (Smart Strike). His third dam is MGISW My Flag, dam of champion Storm Flag Flying.

“We are partnering with Mike Moreno, Cypress Creek and St Elias, who was selling the horse is going to stay in for a piece,” Toffey said. “They are people we have partnered with before and we're really happy to partner with again. Obviously it gives you a lot of confidence that the breeder wants to stay in. They are a class act. And Mike, we've had a really great partnership with Keepmeinmind (Laoban). We are happy to team up again. We think this is a really nice horse. We are kind of fond of the sire. That's just a remarkable female family. He has everything it takes, we just hope he can run.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

 

 

SF/Starlight/Madaket Partnership Back in Action

The stallion-making partnership of SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables, whose 2-year-olds are heating up on the racetrack with the likes of recent 'TDN Rising Star' Newgate (Into Mischief), got back in action at the yearling sales when going to $950,000 to acquire a colt by Speightstown (hip 56) Monday night in Saratoga.

“He was a beautiful horse,” SF Bloodstock's Tom Ryan said of the yearling. “He really reminded me of a horse on the same cross, Rock Fall, who won two Grade Is. Bob [Baffert], Donato [Lanni], the whole team liked him. We all know what Speightstown can do. He can provide brilliance to any pedigree, especially a pedigree with a cross that's already worked on multiple occasions, Speightstown over Medaglia d'Oro. We are very excited about him.”

The cross is also responsible for GI American Oaks winner Competitionofideas, as well as four-time graded winner Olympiad and MGSW Souper Stonehenge.

The yearling was consigned by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck's Summerfield on behalf of his breeder, Stonestreet. He is out of the unraced Rainier (Medaglia d'Oro), a half-sister to multiple takes winenr Laurie's Rocket (Bluegrass Cat).

“Everybody loved the colt,” said Francis Vanlangendonck. “He came out and showed his class the whole time. As soon as he walked up there, people loved him. People from other barns would walk over to look at him. Mentally, he was a colt that people wanted to be around. You get a lot of athletes who are capable, but their minds take them away. This colt handled it well–he got better every day.”

Barbara Banke's Stonestreet purchased the yearling's second dam, Clay's Rocket (American Chance), for $350,000 at the 2010 Keeneland November sale.

“They are the best,” Vanlangendonck said of Stonestreet. “They give me great horses to sell. They give you a product that's easy to sell.”

In addition to its lone purchase of the evening, SF Bloodstock was in action as sellers just a few hips later. The operation sold a filly by War Front out of Grade I winner Rosalind (Broken Vow) (hip 61) for $675,000 to Robert and Lawana Low. The bay filly was consigned by Bedouin Bloodstock.

“We're really happy with that result,” Ryan said. “We're proud of the filly. She's a homebred, born and raised at Atlas Farm and sold by Bedouin. Neal [Clarke] and Conor [Doyle] do a tremendous job.”

SF Bloodstock purchased Rosalind, winner of the 2014 GI Ashland S., for $1 million at that year's Fasig-Tipton November sale.

“Rosalind has been a wonderful mare to own, she's been part of our band for quite a while now,” Ryan said. “She is in foal to Tapit and she has a beautiful Twirling Candy on the ground.”

Of the market Monday in Saratoga, Ryan said, “It feels vibrant. We will see how the results tally up at the end of the night, but based on the looks on the consignors faces, things are going pretty well around here.” @JessMartiniTDN

Tapit Filly Jump Starts Speedway Breeding Program

Bloodstock agent Marette Farrell has spent the last several years acquiring future broodmares for Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner's Speedway Stables and her efforts began to bear fruit when a filly by Tapit (hip 72) sold for $750,000 to Muir Hut Stables.

“It's the beginning of the process,” Farrell said. “We sold one last year, but this is the start. Peter Fluor has always wanted to run it as a business, so sadly we had to let her go because we thought a lot of her.”

The yearling, who was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, is out of stakes winner and multiple graded placed Shayjolie (Indian Charlie), a mare who was purchased by Speedway for $400,000 at the 2015 Keeneland November sale.

“That mare seems to be the atom bomb as far as producing nice racehorses,” Farrell said. “She has a beautiful Constitution filly weanling behind her and we are planning to continue breeding her to good stallions. So hopefully there is more in the works and they can keep a daughter out of her at some point.”

The Speedway broodmare band is currently home to fewer than 10 head and the plan will be to offer all the resulting foals.

“They are offering everything,” Farrell confirmed. “Peter and K.C. felt that was the fairest thing to do for the buyers. If they offer everything, then everyone knows this is legitimate, rather than holding something back.”

The yearling will join the Southern California stable of trainer Mark Glatt, who also trains Muir Hut's recent maiden winner Agency (Bolt d'Oro) and stakes placed Affable (Flatter). @JessMartiniTDN

Constitution Colt Scores for Don Alberto

Jim and Dana Bernhard's Lynnhaven Racing purchased a colt by Constitution (hip 66) for $700,000 during Monday's first session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. The yearling was consigned by Gainesway on behalf of his breeder, Don Alberto Corporation.

“They are just getting into the game,” Matt Weinmann, CEO of Equine Analysis Systems said after signing the ticket on behalf of the Bernhards. “They started getting horses last year and they are coming back and buying the next crop.”

Hip 66 is out of multiple group winner Sand Puce (Arg) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and is a half-brother to the 2-year-old filly Scarpia (Union Rags), who ran second against a group of males in a maiden special weight sprinting on the turf at the nearby racetrack Sunday afternoon.

“He is beautiful,” Weinmann said of the colt. “Like we always do with Equine Analysis, we are just using data and statistics to narrow it down and find horses that give us the highest likelihood of success, and this colt fits that bill.”

Gainesway's Brian Graves had a more visceral reaction to the colt.

“I don't have a lot of data and analysis, but I will say when I saw that colt at Don Alberto, I rated him as one of their highest physicals,” Graves said. “He was a beautiful colt with a long neck and a big walk. Constitution is on the rise. I thought he was a really nice horse the whole time. You always get a little nervous at the sale because you're not sure what they are going to bring and there were a couple seconds where I thought I might be wrong, but then he kind of did what I thought he'd do. We are grateful to Don Alberto for the horse and grateful to the buyers. We wish them a lot of luck.”

Graves perennially has pinhooking success in Saratoga and the horseman kept his streak intact Monday with a filly by Not This Time (hip 24) who sold for $375,000 to Centennial Farms. Graves's Fish Stable pinhooking partnership had acquired the youngster for $120,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale.

“I think that she was by Not This Time, that was the formula there. He had a great year,” Graves said.

Of horses he targets to the Saratoga sale, Graves added, “You just have to pick a good physical with some sire power. That's what you bring here. I think people will forgive a little on the dam's side if you have a good physical and sire power.” @JessMartiniTDN

 

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Terry Finley Previews Flightline’s Met Mile on the TDN Writers’ Room

The long-anticipated return of undefeated superstar Flightline draws more excitement by the day, especially now that the John Sadler-trained son of Tapit has arrived at Belmont Park in preparation for Saturday's GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. Terry Finley, whose West Point Thoroughbreds campaigns Flightline along with Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, Summer Wind Equine and Woodford Racing, has been counting down the days until the Met Mile for quite some time. Finley joined this week's TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland as the Green Group Guest of the Week to chat with hosts Joe Bianca and Bill Finley about the upcoming showdown between Flightline and his top competitors.

“When you think about the race on Saturday, it's not a gimme,” admitted West Point's President and CEO. “I wish it was, but it's not. They don't give million-dollar races away for free. We've got other Grade I winners in there including Breeders' Cup Champion Aloha West (Hard Spun) and Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), who is one of the most talented horses that we've seen in a while. We're going to have to show up in a big way on Saturday. I think we will but man, it's going be a heck of a race.”

Asked about where Flightline could wind up next assuming all goes well in the Met Mile, Finley could not give a definitive answer.

“I really have not posed that question to anybody in the partnership or to John Sadler,” Finley said. “I know John has been thinking about it. I've always thought John was a great trainer and a great person, but to see him perform over the last 18 months has been otherworldly. Obviously he's thinking about either Del Mar or Saratoga and I'll leave it up to him because he has made the right choice step after step after step. We'll put our trust and our confidence in John and his team to do the right thing by this horse.”

Elsewhere on the show, which is also sponsored by Coolmore, Lane's End, XBTV, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, West Point Thoroughbreds and Legacy Bloodstock, the writers previewed the GI Belmont S. and the rest of Saturday's card at Belmont, but lamented the small field sizes in some of the day's most prestigious races. Click here to watch the show; click here for the audio-only version or find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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Third Session of OBS April Ends With a Bang

by Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis

OCALA, FL–Action started off measured at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale's third session Thursday, but picked up noticeably throughout the day, capped by a $1.7-million Tapit colt purchased by Lane's End Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds. Hip 885 was the fourth seven-figure seller of the sale so far.

There were a few new faces buying in the top end Thursday with Christine and Phil Hatfield's CHP Racing purchasing a $870,000 son of Into Mischief (Hip 844); trainer Cherie DeVaux securing a $685,000 City of Light (Hip 895) colt on behalf of a new colt-buying group; and Lauren Carlisle snagging a $650,000 Kingman (GB) (Hip 904) filly for brand new owner Rich Schermerhorn.

While leading sires Tapit and Into Mischief headlined the day's action, freshman sires continued to make a strong showing. In addition to the aforementioned City of Light, Bolt d'Oro, Army Mule, Tapwrit and Good Magic all had juveniles bring $400,000 or over.

Eddie Woods, who consigned the session topper, led all sellers Thursday with seven head bringing just north of $3,005,000. Niall Brennan, who sold both the previously mentioned Into Mischief colt and Kingman filly, also had a strong day, coming in second with six horses selling for $2,382,000.

Through the first three days of selling, 538 horses have brought $72,814,500 with an average of $135,343 and median of $70,000. There were 106 juveniles led from the ring unsold for an RNA rate of 16.5%.

During the equivalent three sessions last year, 557 2-year-olds grossed $54,811,900 with an average of $98,406 and median of $47,000. There were 79 horses that failed to sell for an RNA rate of 12.4%.

“The market is very good,” Brennan said. “Obviously, people are still focused on quality. They do their homework. Anything that is genuinely nice and shows up that way on the racetrack and vets good, sells very well. You have to jump through a lot of hoops. You are very exposed in the 2-year-old market. So, when you get through everything, you are very well rewarded. It is difficult, but when you have the right product, they sell well. If you have something that just misses the bullseye, you are going to struggle.”

Ciaran Dunne expressed similar sentiments, saying, “It is very spotty. We have obviously had a couple bright spots, but in between can be shaky. It is the nature of our game. We are so exposed between breezing, showing and vetting. There are a lot of hurdles they have to go over, but if you clear them all, you are well rewarded.”

The fourth and final session of the OBS Spring Sale starts at 10:30 a.m. Friday.

Tapit Colt Takes Off at OBS

A colt by Tapit (hip 885) became the fourth seven-figure juvenile of the OBS Spring sale when bringing a final bid of $1.7 million from West Point Thoroughbreds' Terry Finley Thursday in Ocala. The juvenile was purchased by West Point in partnership with Lane's End Racing.

“We are looking for stallion in that partnership,” Finley, who did his bidding out back alongside David Ingordo, explained. “A good number of the people in this partnership have equity in [GI Malibu S. winner] Flightline (Tapit), so everybody is excited. The economy is doing well and the horse market at the top end is really doing well.”

The colt is out of Pension (Seeking the Gold) and is a full-brother to GII Adirondack S. winner Thoughtfully, as well as a half to graded winner Annual Report (Harlan's Holiday).

West Point purchased the colt's half-brother Bugle Notes (Ghostzapper) for $825,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September sale.

“We had a half-brother who could really, really run and just got unlucky and took a bad step one day,” Finley said. “But I think he might have been among the most talented of all of our horses. That was in the back of our mind [when we were bidding today.]”

Shug McGaughey will train the youngster, who was consigned by Eddie Woods on behalf of his breeder, Antony Beck's Gainesway.
Gainesway, which purchased Pension for $160,000 at the 2008 Keeneland November sale, traditionally offers its foal crop at the yearling sales.

“We had quite a few Tapits on offer last year and the horse was a little bit immature,” Gainesway's Brian Graves said of the decision to send the colt to the 2-year-old sales. “To be honest with you, like some immature yearlings, some of the feedback we were getting on him was that he might not bring a price that would make the boss happy. Just the way the yearling sales have been for a while, he's a horse who would have ended up in Book 1 because he had a beautiful pedigree. So we just decided to give him some more time. He was a beautiful-moving horse and we thought worth a shot.”

The Gainesway team received positive feedback from Eddie Woods and expectations rose even higher after the colt worked a quarter-mile in :20 4/5.

“We didn't really have expectations when we sent him to Eddie,” Graves said. “Eddie is not a guy who overinflates things. He is a tough guy to please. So when he started giving reports on the horse, we thought we might have something. Then when he breezed and galloped out among the fastest horses in the sale, we knew he was something. I would be lying if I said we didn't think about racing him and hopefully stand him in a stallion stall one day, but there was a lot of competition for him and we are elated with this result.”

Graves concluded, “We take our yearlings to the market to sell, but if they don't want them or if it's brutally unfair, as opposed to giving them away, this is what we decided to do and it paid off.” @JessMartiniTDN

More Mischief at OBS

Not a horse sale goes by these days without Into Mischief's name among the toppers and a colt by the Spendthrift super sire (Hip 844) was in high demand Thursday, summoning $870,000 from Christine and Phil Hatfield's CHP Racing. The Hatfields did their bidding over the phone with OBS's Tom Ventura.

Purchased by Park View Stable for $180,000 at KEESEP, the bay breezed in :10 1/5 for consignor Niall Brennan.

“People just gravitated to him the last couple of days,” Brennan said. “We felt he would sell well. You never for sure how high they will go. He has stallion potential and that is what they are looking for now with these colts.”

Bred by Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Farm, Hip 844, who was given the name Hazing by his breeder, is out of No Curfew (Curlin). She is a daughter of one of Lyon's foundation mares, SW & GSP Misty Hour (Miswaki), who has produced the likes of GSW India (Hennessy), dam of MG1SW Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}) and SW Kareena (Medaglia d'Oro); SW Pilfer (Deputy Minister), dam of GISWs To Honor and Serve (Bernardini) and Angela Renee (Bernardini); and SW & GSP Sing Softly (Hennessy).

“He was raised right from the start,” Brennan said. “The sire is magic. This horse is just a wonderful representation of him. He is so typical of the sire. He is durable. He is tough. He is a great mover on the racetrack. He's got great balance and strength and vetted very clean.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

Shadwell Private Purchases Prove Popular

A Shadwell Farm-bred Medaglia d'Oro colt (Hip 709) consigned by Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables was the second private purchase from the late Sheikh Hamdan's operation to attract a big price tag at OBS April, summoning $650,000 from BBA Ireland, which bid over the internet. Late in Wednesday's session, a Nyquist filly, who Barry Eisaman privately purchased from Shadwell, brought $700,000 from D.J. Stable.

“We have to give a lot of the credit to Steve Young,” said Dunne. “He talked us into going out [to Shadwell] to look at the horse. He was very high on him. We bought him when we were up there for the October Sale at Fasig-Tipton. He's just a nice horse. He was a little later developing. We took him down to Gulfstream, but we felt the extra couple weeks would do him good, so we decided to wait and bring him here. He is the type of horse where the best is yet to come.”

Out of the unraced Tapit mare Mahasen, Hip 709 is a half to recent Weber City Miss S. runner-up Khuluq (Bernardini), trained by Chad Brown for Shadwell. The :10 1/5 breezer's second dam is SW Muhaawara (Unbridled's Song), who also produced GSW Shagaf (Bernardini). His third dam is MGISW Habibti (Tabasco Cat).

“We liked everything about him really,” said BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe, who returned to Ireland Wednesday. “He is a magnificent-looking colt, a nice blend of both his sire and dam sire. He breezed exceptionally well for a big, two-turn type colt. His pedigree was appealing and the update with his sister helped. So, all in all, we couldn't really fault him.”

The future plans for the colt are still undecided, but Donohoe indicated he could remain in the United States.

“I purchased him for a client who has a number of horses in Europe and the Middle East and one 2-year-old has just gone to California. So, I will try to convince my client to send the colt to Santa Anita to target those stakes 2-year-old races during the fall meet.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

New Colt-Buying Group Makes Their Presence Felt

Partnerships focused on buying Classic-looking colts are increasingly popular these days and a new group showed themselves at OBS Thursday. Trainer Cherie DeVaux struck on behalf of a group of her clients to acquire a $685,000 colt by City of Light (Hip 895).

“A couple of my clients put together a partnership to get a few really nice quality colts, who looked like they could go a route of ground,” said DeVaux, who signed the ticket alongside her husband, bloodstock agent David Ingordo. “This colt fit the profile of what we were looking for. We budgeted a bit less, but the market is really strong. To try and get these types of colts, we realize we are going to have to stretch for what we want.”

Hailing from the first crop of popular MGISW City of Light, Hip 895 breezed in :10 1/5 for Mayberry Farm. He is the second purchase of the sale for DeVaux's new group, which also bought a $385,000 colt by Upstart (Hip 135) during Tuesday's opening session.

“This is City of Light's first crop to hit the track and there has been a lot of buzz,” DeVaux said. “They are beautiful horses. He had a beautiful physical and really great breeze with a nice gallop out. He seems to be coming into his own and is a horse we have followed at Mayberry Farm. He is going the right way.”

Bred by Windylea Farm–New York, albeit in Kentucky, Hip 895 is out of SP Pleasant Mine (Mineshaft). This is also the family of GISW Swagger Jack and GSW Tap Dance. The dark bay was purchased by a Mayberry client, PSS Stable, for $170,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale.

“He's been wonderful,” April Mayberry said. “I loved him from the start. He's been so cool and classy. He just does everything right.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

De Merics Find Homebred Success

De Meric Sales has enjoyed plenty of pinhooking success this week in Ocala, but Tristan and Valery de Meric hit it out of the park with a homebred son of Bolt d'Oro (hip 899) late in Thursday's third session of the OBS Spring sale. Out of Polyester (Tiz Wonderful), the first mare the couple owned, the colt sold for $675,000 to the partnership of Laurie Plesa, Leon Ellman and Glassman Racing. He was co-bred with France and Irwin Weiner.

The de Merics purchased Polyester for $90,000 as an 8-year-old at the 2018 Keeneland January sale.

“This was the first mare we owned,” Tristan de Meric explained. “The reason we owned her is because Val had a dream to have a mare in foal to Quality Road and she was the only one in the sale. We ended up buying her five years ago now. She hadn't had a winner at that time. But she's five-for-five now.”

The mare's Quality Road filly, named In a Dream, made three starts and broke her maiden last June at Indiana Grand. She returned to the de Merics' Ocala base and is currently in foal to Upstart. The mare has also been represented by graded stakes winner Harpers First Ride (Paynter).

Polyester, in foal to Authentic, was sold for $250,000 at this year's Keeneland January sale.

“It's hard enough to buy a horse like that, let alone breed one,” de Meric said of Thursday's result. “It's unbelievable.”

He agreed there was a little extra pride in having bred a sales horse.

“We are always attached to our horses, we are guilty of that,” he said. “But you don't get as attached to a horse when you buy it as when you breed them. When we buy them, there is a period of time we own them and it's usually six to 10 months, but having this one and seeing him when he was a day old over at Ocala Stud when they foaled him, we knew when we saw those angles and we saw him stand up, this was a special horse. To watch him develop and have the crew on the farm play with him all summer, it was very special.”

Polyester had good company on the de Merics' farm last summer. The only other mare on the property was Simply Confection (Candy Ride {Arg}), whose colt Simplification, bred by the Weiners, heads to the GI Kentucky Derby in two weeks.

Asked if he and his wife expected to get more involved in the breeding industry, de Meric said, “We are all in. I don't want to ever have more than five or six mares, but I love having the mares. Val does, too.”

He continued, “We do race. We offered a few people to keep a piece of him to go on and race because we do race more and more. But as a rule, we are sellers and we will always put them on the market.”

Hip 899 will be the second foal out of Polyester to race for Karl and Cathi Glassman, who purchased her son Klugman (Practical Joke) for $140,000 at the 2020 OBS October Yearling Sale. A 13-length maiden winner at Gulfstream in February, the 3-year-old won an allowance at Gulfstream just before the Glassmans began bidding on his half-brother Thursday.

“We fully own Klugman,” Karl Glassman said. “But this colt is a partnership between Laurie Plesa, Leon Ellman and Glassman Racing. Eddie Plesa will train him, so he will stay in Florida.”

Of the colt's final price, Glassman admitted, “This was a bit more than we expected. Obviously two other people really liked him, but we were going to leave with him.” @JessMartiniTDN

Upstate NY Native Jumps into the Game With Juvenile Purchases

Real estate developer Rich Schermerhorn has lived just north of Saratoga his entire life, but only attended the races for the first time last year and now he's hooked. He jumped right into ownership at OBS this week with a trio of purchases led by a $650,000 Kingman (GB) filly (Hip 904). Bloodstock agent Lauren Carlisle bid on Schermerhorn's behalf.

“I am new to this game,” said a jubilant Schermerhorn, who hopes to be racing at Saratoga this summer with his new purchases. “I am a real estate developer and I have lived 20 miles north of Saratoga my whole life. I went to the track for the first time last year and now I own six or seven 2-year-olds. I purchased three here, two solo and partnered on this one. I live across the street from Chad Brown. I feel Chad Brown is the best in the world. He is taking on anything I buy. There is more to come and I am looking forward to it.”

Consigned by Niall Brennan, Hip 904 was bred in Ireland by Demers Bloodstock and was scratched from the Tattersalls October Sale. The :10 flat breezer is out of Post Perfection (Majesticperfection), who is a half-sister to GSW Hello Liberty (Forest Camp) and SW & GSP Pious Ashley (Include). This is also the family of recent GIII Providencia S. winner and GI Starlet S. runner-up Cairo Memories (Cairo Prince).

“There is only one trainer fit for this horse. We knew that,” said Carlisle. “When she breezed, I got goosebumps. Her gallop out was great and she had a great presence at the barn.”

As for the price, she said, “That is what we expected. In this market it has been extremely hard to buy the ones you are high on.” —@CDeBernardisTDN

Cairo Prince Filly to Sadler

A filly by Cairo Prince (hip 839) will be joining the Southern California barn of trainer John Sadler after selling to the fledgling partnership between Gary Hartunian's Rockingham Ranch and Mike Talla for $575,000 at OBS Thursday. Bloodstock agent Kim Lloyd signed the ticket on the filly, who worked a furlong in :9 4/5 last week for Hal Hatch's Halcyon Hammock Farm.

“A Cairo Prince [Cairo Memories] just won a Grade III at Santa Anita, 1 1/8 miles on the turf [Providencia S.] and this filly looks like she'd love that,” Lloyd said. “We showed her to Rockingham Ranch and Mike Talla saw the video and said he wanted in. She'll go to California to John Sadler.”

The gray filly is out of the unraced Nippy (Pulpit) and is a half-sister to graded winner Gibberish (Lea) and from the family of graded winner Well Monied and Economic Model.

“She has a beautiful shoulder and balance and then, oh by the way, she's very, very fast,” Lloyd said of the filly's appeal.

Hip 839 was Lloyd's second purchase this week on behalf of the partnership. He also acquired a filly by West Coast (hip 507) for $250,000 Wednesday.

“He has some horses with us, just a few 2-year-olds,” Lloyd said of Talla. “[The partnership] is new this year.”

Bred by Dell Ridge Farm, hip 839 was purchased by Hatch for $62,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

“She looked fast and she was fast,” Hatch said of the filly. “All I ever did was say, 'Don't let her go too fast,' all season. We brought her over here and let her do what she could do naturally. She has just been real easy the whole way.” @JessMartiniTDN

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Terry Finley Talks OBS March, Next Start for Flightline On Writers’ Room

Shortly before purchasing eight horses on the first day of the OBS March Sale, West Point Thoroughbreds CEO Terry Finley joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland Tuesday morning as the Green Group Guest of the Week to talk about the strength of the sales market, trying to find the perfect formula in analyzing and purchasing horses at auction, the latest with superstar Flightline (Tapit) and much more.

“There is no secret sauce, and we bring that up to prospective partners all the time, to acknowledge something that's obvious to all of us who have been in the game.” Finley said about buying sale horses. “There's a small segment of the group of horses that are going to be sold [this week] that, on the surface, are obvious. They put everything together–they pass the vet, they work really, really well. Those, you don't really have to think a whole lot about. But the vast majority of them are in the middle … Some consignors, if you see a :10 1/5 [furlong breeze] and know their history and the way they bring these horses to market, you know that might be very, very good. Then you see somebody else with a bevy of :9 4/5s and they have a horse breeze :10 2/5, that's a factor. You talk about the way they come away from the pole. There are some of them that don't come away from the eighth pole as quickly as they probably could have, so :10 2/5 on top of a good gallop-out is going to pick our heads up. You look at the way they've come out of the breezes and the way they're acting because they've got a lot of stress on them. There are so many things that come into play. It's a beautiful game, and you've always got to continue to improve your process.”

Finley was later asked for an update on undefeated supernova Flightline, who is three-for-three, with each performance more devastating than the next, but missed a planned start in Saturday's GII San Carlos S. Mar. 5 due to a strain in a hock.

“As much as everybody else, we'd love to run him more,” Finley said. “It's just the circumstances. He's not an unsound horse by any stretch. He just strained a hock and that took him out of training for three-and-a-half, four weeks, but he's back at the racetrack and he's just about ready to turn around and start galloping. We'll be there in New York on Belmont Stakes day for the Met Mile, and we can't wait. We'd love for it to be as solid a field as possible, because I think when he runs against those better horses and is successful, the aura around him continues to grow. It'll be a long, long wait between now and late in the day on Belmont day, but we just hope the wait is worth it. It's an honor to be associated with a horse like this. Anybody that buys horses and plays the game, they see the Justifys, the American Pharoahs and you dream about, 'What does that feel like?' I asked myself on a continuous basis, 'When is it going to be our time?' Horses do so much for us, and when you get one like this, it's a very, very special feeling. He could be one of the ones they talk about 100 years from now. And that just puts a smile on your face.”

Elsewhere on the show, which is also sponsored by Coolmore, West Point Thoroughbreds, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, Lane's End, Canterbury Park, XBTV and Legacy Bloodstock, the writers discussed the state of the GI Kentucky Derby trail, D. Wayne Lukas's decision to try filly Secret Oath (Arrogate) against males in the GI Arkansas Derby, Churchill running the GI Arlington Million card in Louisville this summer and more. Click here to watch the podcast; click here for the audio-only version or find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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