Mr. Big Filly Tops ‘Solid’ Fasig-Tipton California Sale

by Dan Ross & Jessica Martini

POMONA, CA – The Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings and Horses of Racing Age Sale, held Tuesday at Fairplex in Pomona, produced 14 six-figure lots, led by a filly by Mr. Big who sold for $250,000 to Todd Tomazic. Numbers declined from last year's lively renewal of the auction, with 205 head grossing $6,257,100 and the average falling 22% to $30,522 and the median dipping 15% to $17,000. The buy-back rate was 25.7%. It was 24.4% in 2021.

“It was a very solid session,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. said at the close of business Tuesday. “There was lots of traffic and activity at the barns before the sale and there was spirited bidding on the majority of the horses. There still remained some selectivity in the marketplace–you have to have acceptable conformation, and, like at every sale in the world, you have to jump through the vetting hoops. But I thought, all in all, it was a good follow-up to an exceptional year last year.”

A year ago, 177 horses sold for $6,933,550 for an average of $39,173 and a median of $20,000. The top lot of $350,000 was one of 17 yearlings to bring six figures.

“We probably didn't have quite as much sire power from out-of-state sires this year in the catalogue, but we knew that going in,” Browning said. “But I think that's truthfully part of the rebuilding process where people are starting to have confidence and hopefully a couple of good yearling sales in a row will give breeders more confidence that there will be better quality horses that are Cal-breds. Not that there aren't some nice Cal-breds now, but I think it's a restoration of confidence in the marketplace. I think we are seeing some real indications of that amongst the breeders that sold horses today.”

Hockey Dad (Nyquist) (hip 335) brought the highest price during the horses of racing age section of the sale when bloodstock agent Kim Lloyd went to $175,000 to acquire the 4-year-old on behalf of Gary Hartunian's Rockingham Ranch. Bred and campaigned by Reddam Racing, the bay colt was third in last year's GII Del Mar Derby and GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks.

Tomazic Goes Big

Todd Tomazic, who has been a minority owner on some racehorses in the past, jumped into the fray at the Fasig-Tipton California Yearlings Sale Tuesday when purchasing three yearlings, led by a sale-topping daughter of Mr. Big (hip 228) who sold for $250,000.

“I am not new to being a fan, but I'm new to being an owner,” Tomazic said. “I've been a minority investor in some horses, but I hadn't even been to an auction before.”

Tomazic was being advised at the sale by Terry Knight, farm manager of Legacy Ranch, which raised hip 228 for breeder George Krikorian.

“I did not expect to spend this, but they liked him so we bought him,” Tomazic said. “[Picking horses] is not my forte, but if my trainer likes him, that's what I like. He's a guy who has owned a lot more horses than I have.”

The sale-topping yearling, who was consigned by Havens Bloodstock Agency, is out of Misszippityslewda (City Zip) and is a full-sister to multiple stakes winner Big Sweep. Krikorian purchased the mare for $22,000 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton February sale and resold her, in foal to Mr. Big, for $11,000 at this year's CTBA February sale.

“We raised her for George and sale prepped her,” Knight said. “She's just kept getting better and better and we've liked her more and more.”

Also Tuesday, Tomazic went to $105,000 to acquire a filly from the first crop of GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso (hip 189). The yearling is out of Keep the Magic (Malibu Moon) and was also bred by Krikorian and consigned by Havens Bloodstock Agency.

Tomazic's Pomona shopping spree was completed by a filly by another Breeders' Cup Classic winner, Accelerate (hip 36), who was purchased for $35,000 from the Harris Farms consignment.

The yearlings will be sent to Legacy Ranch in Lodi, California to be broke.

“We will see what they can do with them,” Tomazic said.

Siegel Stays Busy in Pomona

Samantha Siegel of Jay Em Ess Stable, following the advice of the late bid-spotter Pete McCormick, bid aggressively to secure a pair of yearlings for matching $200,000 price tags late in the Fasig-Tipton California Yearlings Sale Tuesday. She first went to that figure to acquire a filly by Good Magic (hip 241) and came back 10 hips later to purchase a daughter of Stanford (hip 252) for the same price. Both yearlings were consigned by Stormy and Guy Hull's Washington-based Critter Creek Farm.

“She was beautiful,” Siegal said of hip 241. “To get a Cal-bred by a good freshman sire like Good Magic, whose horses are selling well as yearlings and 2-year-olds, we actually thought we would have to give more. Hopefully we can have some fun with her without the Kentucky sales price.”

The yearling is out of Nine Point Nine (Tribal Rule), a half-sister to stakes winner Sweet Saga (Slew's Saga).

Hip 252 is out of Open Mic (Unbridled's Song) and is a half-sister to stakes-placed No Cover Charge (Kafwain). Her third dam is Words of War (Lord at War {Arg}).

“She is really beautiful, too,” Siegal said. “She is a big, strong filly with a great walk.”

Stormy Hull was co-breeder of both yearlings and, along with Lynn Baker, purchased Open Mic, carrying the Stanford filly, for $11,500 at the 2021 CTBA January sale.

“Those guys sold two really, really nice fillies,” Siegal said of the Critter Creek consignment. “They did a great job. They looked great.”

Siegal's Jay Em Ess also purchased a colt by Smokem (hip 52) for $90,000 and a colt by Mr. Big (hip 105) for $50,000 Tuesday in Pomona.

The yearlings will be trained by Brian Koriner.

Of her take-no-prisoner bidding style, Siegal said, “Pete McCormick told me how to bid. They will go up in little increments forever, but if you make a big move, it's a little different. I got aggressive with my bidding. That's the way I was taught.”

Mandella Strikes for Mitole Filly

Trainer Gary Mandella struck early in the Fasig-Tipton California Yearlings Sale Tuesday when going to $190,000 to acquire a filly by champion sprinter Mitole (hip 58) on behalf of owner Tom Nichols.

“She looks fast and she looks early,” Mandella said of the yearling's appeal. “Tom Nichols has a lot of faith in buying at this sale. We've always had something that can last when we've come here. And this one looks as good as anything we've gotten here. We are happy to take this one home.”

Bred and consigned by Richard Barton Thoroughbreds, the dark bay filly is out of Whim (More Than Ready) and from the family of stakes winner Saratoga Humor and multiple graded winner Heart Stealer. Barton purchased the 10-year-old mare, with the filly in utero, for $40,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale.

Mandella had a few other yearlings on his short list, but admitted his shopping might be over after the six-figure purchase.

“I think we spent the budget,” he said. “We were hoping to get that one for a bit less and try for a few a bit later, to be honest, but I liked that one and we went ahead and used up the budget.”

Repole in Action on the West Coast

Mike Repole, a major buyer at the Keeneland September sale, took his buying spree to the West Coast when purchasing a filly by Kantharos (hip 180) for $115,000 Tuesday in Pomona.

“I thought she was a nice filly,” said trainer Michael McCarthy, who signed the ticket on behalf of Repole. “She caught my eye earlier in the week. She looked fast.”

Consigned by Barton Thoroughbreds, the yearling is out of multiple stakes-placed Imperial Pippin (Empire Maker), who is a daughter of graded winner Apple of Kent (Kris S.). She was bred by Richard Barton Enterprises, which purchased Imperial Pippin with the filly in utero, for $16,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale.

Repole, in partnership with St. Elias Stables, was the leading buyer at the Keeneland September sale with 31 yearlings purchased for $12,840,000. On his own, Repole was the auction's fourth-leading buyer with 27 head purchased for $7,940,000.

“He is a guy with a vision,” McCarthy said. “And he thought it was a great idea to take advantage of the state-bred program.”

Sir Prancealot Filly to Mathis and Jawl

A filly by Sir Prancealot (Ire) (hip 143) will be heading to the Golden Gate Fields barn of trainer Andy Mathis after selling for $100,000 Tuesday at the Fasig-Tipton California Sale. The gray yearling is out of Do Dat Blues (Lydgate) and is a half-sister to stakes winner Mo See Cal (Uncle Mo). She was bred by Rozamund Barclay, Sydnee Brown and Dena Murdock and was consigned by McCarthy Bloodstock.

“She impressed me when I saw her,” Mathis, who was bidding on behalf of owner Michael Jawl, said. “She's the right size with a really nice walk. She seemed really smart. From the first time I saw her to when she was in the ring, she never flinched. And we like the Cal-bred angle.”

Of plans for the filly, Mathis laughed and said, “Win some stakes–we better for $100,000. She looks the part and hopefully she runs the part.”

A few hips later, Mathis signed the ticket at $75,000 to acquire a filly by Smiling Tiger (hip 150) on behalf of Robert D. Bone.

Mathis, who has been training  since 2001, is coming off a bang-up Del Mar meeting where he had 12 wins from 41 starts.

The post Mr. Big Filly Tops ‘Solid’ Fasig-Tipton California Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

California Stallion Mr. Big Moving To Legacy Ranch

Pete and Evelyn Parrella have welcomed Mr. Big to their Legacy Ranch in Clements, Calif., to stand at stud for the 2022 breeding season. A son of Dynaformer out of the stakes-winning Fappiano mare Fashion Delight, Mr. Big is the sire of 2021 stakes winners Big City Lights (Fasig-Tipton Futurity) and Big Fish (California Derby, champion California-bred 2-year-old).

“We thoroughly enjoyed standing Mr. Big at Rancho Temescal and watching his foals find great success in 2021,” stated Tim Cohen president of Rancho Temescal. “We have decided to stop breeding and foaling going forward. Rancho Temescal will continue to provide care for all our clients, while leaving the niche of breeding and foaling to larger farms in California. We will continue to support Mr. Big at Legacy Ranch.”

“Rancho Temescal is a first-class operation and I have enjoyed working with Tim and his skilled staff over the last two years,” said George Krikorian, owner and breeder of Mr. Big. “I am very excited to be able to position Mr. Big in a different part of the state at such an outstanding facility as Legacy Ranch.”

“Myself and my staff led by farm manager Terry Knight look forward to the 2022 breeding season with Mr. Big added to our stallion roster that also includes leading sire Clubhouse Ride and the hot freshman sire Straight Fire,” said Pete Parrella.

Mr. Big stood for $4,500 in 2021. His 2022 stud fee will be announced at a later date. Mr. Big will be available for inspection by appointment (call 209 759-3315) at Legacy Ranch after Aug. 11.  Breeding inquiries should be directed to Gayle Van Leer. 858 775-6262 or gayle@gaylevanleer.com.

The post California Stallion Mr. Big Moving To Legacy Ranch appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Constitution, Palace Malice See Biggest Year-To-Year Gains In Mares Bred In 2020

A sizable chunk of the stallion market is built on momentum. A stallion that gets hot at the right time can fill his books with mares for years to come, while one that gets cold could take just as many years to rebuild their base of breeders, if they ever do.

Building from that framework, it makes sense that the two stallions who saw the biggest year-to-year gains in mares bred from 2019 to 2020 were ones that went into last autumn with some of the nation's top 2-year-olds, and carried that momentum into this spring as the breeding sheds opened and commitments were made.

WinStar Farm's Constitution and Three Chimneys' Palace Malice, each coming off electric freshman seasons in 2019, were the two North American stallions who saw year-to-year increases of more than 100 mares bred, among those who covered at least one mare in each season.

Constitution's book saw a 146-mare shift in 2020, growing from 85 mares in 2019 to 231 last year, making the son of Tapit the fifth most active stallion in North America.

It's easy and correct to trace Constitution's rapid ascent with the trajectory of his best son, Tiz the Law.

The New York-bred quickly established himself as one of the best in his crop as a juvenile with a win in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes and a third in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. He then became the presumptive favorite for the Kentucky Derby, prior to its rescheduling due to COVID-19, over the spring with convincing wins in the G3 Holy Bull Stakes and G1 Florida Derby.

However, Tiz the Law was hardly a fluke for Constitution. He finished 2019 as North America's leading freshman sire by winners and graded stakes winners, and he was second by earnings.

“He had a tremendous start to his career, not only in quality, but in the depth of his runners,” said Liam O'Rourke of WinStar Farm. “It seemed like every weekend, we'd see a new brilliant Constitution run through the latter half of 2019. You combine that early success with looking at him as an individual – the pedigree he has, the race record he has, and he's a spectacular physical – all the ingredients were there, and the final piece was these horses performing so well on the racetrack.

“The breeders who put up the stud fees and trust in us and our product; it's a very hard road, and when you have a stallion that works out the way he has, it's rewarding to everyone that's involved,” he continued. “We're just thrilled for everybody who believed in the horse, to share the success with them.”

A top-shelf freshman season carried into the early Triple Crown trail, where Constitution not only had Tiz the Law making noise, he had significant Kentucky Derby qualifying point-earners in Jerome Stakes winner Independence Hall and Gouverneur Morris, who finished second in the G1 Arkansas Derby. Staying in the headlines with that kind of depth can help keep a stallion's book full until the breeding shed closes.

“The spring was a continuation of what we saw early on,” O'Rourke said. “It validated what we had seen in late 2019, and it's pushed him even further into early requests for 2021.”

Palace Malice covered 116 more mares in 2020 than he did the previous year, benefitting from a formula similar to Constitution's.

The son of Curlin earned his high-level bona fides as a freshman sire with the undefeated Structor, who broke his maiden at Saratoga, then took the G3 Pilgrim Stakes before winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita. The baton was then handed to Mr. Monomoy during the spring campaign, when the half-brother to champion Monomoy Girl won the G2 Risen Star Stakes.

Palace Malice was third among North America's freshman sires by earnings in 2019, and Structor's $709,500 made him the highest-earning runner by a freshman sire last year.

Tom Hamm of Three Chimneys said Palace Malice's high-level success as a sire of runners over both dirt and turf opened up the stallion's options in terms of what types of broodmares might match well with him. That kind of versatility can bring in numbers.

“We're very pleased with how well he's been received,” Hamm said. “We believe in the horse. He has a great book of mares out there that he bred this year, so it's only going to get better.”

Both Constitution and Palace Malice saw their jumps in their fifth books of mares, immediately in the aftermath of their first 2-year-olds completing their seasons. This was a common refrain amongst those seeing the biggest gains in mares bred, with half of the top 10 being in their fifth books of mares.

Joining them in the top 10 were Khozan (75 more mares in 2020), Tapiture (72 mares), and Tonalist (59 mares).

Especially in the commercial marketplace, breeder activity has become increasingly polarized toward first-year stallions and proven commodities. This puts extreme pressure on young stallions to roll out winners and expensive auction horses as early as they can during their freshman seasons, and preferably sustain them into the following spring, or risk facing a slower climb as breeders gravitate toward shinier prospects.

“If you have good winners at two, they're loving you, and if you don't have something by September or October, they're looking for a reason to go elsewhere,” Hamm said. “At the end of the day, the sales are important for their first three years until they get runners. Then, once the runners get on the track, it's just a matter of them performing.”

However, there were some stallions that took a slightly longer path to a bigger book in 2020.

Clubhouse Ride, who stands at Legacy Ranch in California, saw his book explode from 16 mares in 2019 to 97 this year. Ranch manager Terry Knight said it was a matter of his foals getting hot at the right time after an extended cold streak.

The son of Candy Ride went winless from six runners during his freshman season. The tables turned last year, though, and he finished the season as California's leading second-crop sire and overall juvenile sire. He was led by Warren's Showtime, who was a stakes winner during her 2-year-old campaign, then started the 2020 season with a pair of high-profile stakes wins at Santa Anita Park. Club Aspen bested Golden State Series rivals to take the King Glorious Stakes during December of his juvenile season, as well.

Once California's breeders figured out that the Clubhouse Rides were late-maturing, but would often be standouts once they're dialed in, Knight said the phone started ringing.

“People piggyback on success, and he had a couple runners that kind of got him jump-started,” Knight said. “They won a couple stakes, and then other horses started running in the fall. That's when they started to get on to him. His 2-year-olds develop a little late, but by October, some of those horses started running as they progressed in distances and changed surfaces. I think the timing of everything just came along at once, and they followed the success of that group of horses that was running.”

The list of stallions that see significant bumps in mares bred often features a healthy number of horses that recently moved to new surroundings. A stallion that slipped through the cracks in Kentucky could be a much bigger fish in a regional market, and that was the case with the likes of Flat Out and Itsmyluckyday, who each saw bumps of 30 mares or more after moving from Kentucky to regional markets.

Clubhouse Ride was also standing at a new farm in 2020, having relocated within California to Legacy Ranch from Harris Farms. However, Knight said the change in mares had little to do with the new scenery and everything to do with the stallion's performance.

“It's certainly nothing we're going to be able to do that the other farm didn't do,” he said. “It's timing. The results on the racetrack are either going to sell the horse or be the failure of the horse.”

The post Constitution, Palace Malice See Biggest Year-To-Year Gains In Mares Bred In 2020 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights