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Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Caps Big Year with December Sale Tuesday

Fasig-Tipton Midlantic concludes its 2022 calendar of auctions with the one-session December Mixed and Horses of Racing Age Sale Tuesday at the Maryland Sate Fairgrounds in Timonium. Bidding for the first of 286 catalogued horses begins at 11 a.m. The auction opens with an offering of weanlings and broodmares and continues with a selection of yearlings before concluding with horses of racing age.

“We have had a lot of interest,” Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's sales director Paget Bennett said ahead of Tuesday's sale. “We have a bunch of weanlings by Kentucky sires and that always piques everybody's interest. And some of our covering sires are flavors that everybody is after. So I think we have enough of what it takes to get people to come to the sale.”

Bennet continued, “You never know what you have until you see who is walking around the sales grounds and the people you want to see on the sales grounds at a mixed sale are here.”

This will be the fifth year the December auction will offer horses of racing age, but the section really took off when it was dominated by the dispersal of Joseph Besecker in 2019. Besecker's race horse offerings also topped the December sale in 2020 and 2021. The prolific owner will offer 25 racehorses through the Northview Stallion Station consignment Tuesday.

“[Besecker] kind of gave the racehorse section the shot in the arm that it needed,” Bennett said. “So between Besecker and [Three Diamonds Farm's] Kirk Wycoff and his son adding horses this year, I think people realize there is a spot to sell here at the end of the of the year–if they don't go south and turf racing just stopped at Laurel a week or so ago. The horses still have some conditions on them, so people can buy them and go right on, if that's what they choose to do.”

Fasig-Tipton continued to add horses with current form to the catalogue in the week before the auction as Besecker's Bazinga C (Exaggerator), who finished third in the Safely Kept S. at Laurel Nov. 26 was added to the line-up last Thursday.

“From what I'm hearing, everybody is needing racehorses,” Bennett said. “They can go south with them. And we've had people from California inquiring about horses. Our representative out there called me to say people were desperate for horses out there.”

The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic season opened in May with a record-setting 2-Year-Olds in Training sale and graduates of the Timonium sale ring continue to find success on the racetrack.

“It's been a pretty exciting year,” Bennett said. “The 2-year-old sale was amazing. And the yearling grads have done really well. It's nice to see when a horse jumps up and does something big and you say where did he come from, and it came from Midlantic. It speaks a lot and we are very proud of our accomplishments and look forward to having more.”

Fasig-Tipton Midlantic will be hosting a second 2-year-old sale in 2023, with the inaugural June sale slated for June 28. The under-tack show for the auction is scheduled for June 26. With the absence of the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale on the 2023 calendar, the June sale will give sellers another opportunity to work their horses over a dirt track and in an area with strong regional racing programs.

“We turn so many horses away for the May sale and the number of horses we turn away is a sale in itself,” Bennett said. “People had inquired whether we would have a second sale last year. We weren't able to make it happen last year, but it was something we wanted to put on the calendar for 2023 and it just worked out. I think it will be a win-win for a lot of people. If you don't make May, you can make later June. Or for horses that are broken and trained up here, they don't have to feel like they are behind the eight ball with winter weather. With all the racing options around here, with Colonial Downs, with Delaware and the Delaware-certified program and the Pennsylvania-breds and sired stakes that they just created this year and ran for the first time, there is just a lot of interest. The venues are making it interesting and appealing to buy horses to run in these areas.”

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Field Pass Holds Off Sacred Life To Take Seabiscuit At Del Mar

After making a bold move circling the field on the backstretch, Field Pass took the lead around the far turn and held off rallying Sacred Life and Indian Peak to take the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

With early fractions of :23.77 and :48.19 from front runner Lambeau, jockey Umberto Rispoli moved Field Pass from fourth to confront the leader and second-place Bob and Jackie around the far turn. Entering the stretch, those two fell back, leaving Field Pass to take over the lead. On his outside were Sacred Life and Indian Peak driving down the center of the track, making up ground late.

At the wire, Field Pass was able to keep a head in front of Sacred Life, with Indian Peak three-quarters of a length back in third. Majestic Eagle, Flop Shot, Bob and Jackie, and Lambeau rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:41.85. Find this race's chart here.

Field Pass paid $9.00, $3.40, and $3.00. Sacred Life paid $2.80 and $2.20. Indian Peak paid $6.20.

“I didn't want to stop the stride of my horse. (He made an early run when he cut his mount loose in the middle of the backstretch.) He was running happy and I was happy, too. He fought hard late and we got there first.” Umberto Rispoli said after the Seabiscuit.

“He (Rispoli) made that move yesterday (winning) on Red Storm Risen and they went 48 to the half so I figured clearly he knew more than I did. He's one of those horses that once you make the move there's no turning back. He's a classy horse who has gotten the job done in a lot of places and I'm very proud of him,” Nolan Ramsey, assistant to Mike Maker, said after the race.

Bred in Maryland by Mark Brown Grier, Field Pass is by Lemon Drop Kid out of the Runaway Groom mare Only Me. He is owned by Three Diamonds Farm and trained by Mike Maker. Consigned by Becky Davis, the 4-year-old colt was sold to Owls Bloodstock for $37,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Midatlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale. With his win in the G2 Seabiscuit, Field Pass has two wins in seven starts in 2021 for a lifetime record of eight wins in 23 starts and career earnings of $913,143.

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Donk Prepares A Trio Of Hopefuls For Upcoming Aqueduct Stakes

Trainer David Donk, who will oversee a stable of 30 horses this winter in New York, will be represented by a trio of Empire State-bred competitors in upcoming Big A stakes races in Shesawildjoker, Geno, and Big Package.

Joseph Bucci's Shesawildjoker, a 2-year-old daughter of Practical Joke, is targeting next Sunday's six-furlong $100,000 Key Cents for fellow state-bred fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The $80,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase graduated on debut in June at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., besting eventual stakes winner November Rein by a head in a 5 1/2-furlong dash over Big Sandy.

Following an off-the-board effort in the Grade 2 Adirondack in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Shesawildjoker returned to state-bred company and completed the trifecta in the seven-furlong Joseph A. Gimma. She enters the Key Cents from a win in the six-furlong Shesastonecoldfox, contested over a sloppy strip on October 25 at Finger Lakes Race Track in Farmington, N.Y.

“She came in from the training center with the reputation that they thought she'd be OK. She trained well early on and ran a pretty good race first time out and was good enough to win,” Donk said. “She was scheduled to run in a New York-bred stake early in the meet at Saratoga but it didn't go, so we ran her open company and it was too tough for her.”

Out of the Speightstown mare Tarquinia, Shesawildjoker was bred by Three Diamonds Farm.

Mendham Racing Stable's Geno, a 2-year-old son of Big Brown bred by Pete Martine, is pointed to the open-company $100,000 Central Park, a 1 1/16-mile turf test on November 27.

A debut winner against state-breds in September sprinting six-furlongs over firm Belmont turf, Geno followed with a narrow nose loss to General Ken in the 1 1/16-mile Awad on November 5 at the same track.

“He ran a really nice race last time. It was a big step forward off of his first effort,” Donk said. “His first race was three-quarters versus New York-breds and he took a good jump into open company. I thought he would appreciate more distance and he ran a really nice race.

“He came out of that race very well,” Donk added. “There's a lot of upside to him and I think he'll go forward even more. He's a very kind horse and a very classy horse.”

Donk said Geno, out of the Sun King mare Weekend Hottie, should appreciate traveling two-turns for the first time.

“I don't think distance will be an issue. He's a big, scopey horse,” Donk said. “There's a route pedigree on the dam's side. I think he'll appreciate stretching out. Even though he won going three-quarters I think he was just good enough to do that. I don't think he's really a sprinter.”

Big Package, owned by Donk in partnership with Sean Carney, is targeting the six-furlong $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship on November 27.

The Big Brown gelding, bred by Newtown Anner Stud, has enjoyed a productive 4-year-old season with a record of 7-3-1-2. The late-running bay notched an open allowance win sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs in August at the Spa and last out rallied to a 1 3/4-length score in an optional-claiming event on November 7 at Belmont, garnering a career-best 95 Beyer.

“It was a really good race,” Donk said. “It was a good field the other day. I was hoping he would run well and he ran a big race.”

Donk said Big Package, who will return off 19 days' rest, will take a breather following the Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship.

“I'm not afraid to run them and run them when they're good,” Donk said. “Three weeks is plenty of time. It's a big step up in company but with good horses, ideally you get pace, too. It would be his last race of the season regardless.”

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Classy Edition Heads Field For Joseph A. Gimma Friday At Belmont

Following an impressive maiden score, Robert and Lawana Low's Classy Edition will make her stakes debut against five other New York-bred juvenile fillies in Friday's $150,000 Joseph A. Gimma going seven furlongs over the main track at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The Joseph A. Gimma honors the late investment banker, political official, and former chairman of the New York State Racing Commission from 1965-76. Born in Baro, Italy, Gimma also served as the governor of the American Stock Exchange from 1952-58.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Classy Edition backed up her heavy 3-5 favoritism in her September 5 debut when breaking her maiden by 6 ¾ lengths over a good and sealed track at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., garnering a 63 Beyer Speed Figure.

The bay daughter of freshman stallion and 2016 Champion Juvenile Colt Classic Empire rated in fourth along the rail down the backstretch and made an aggressive four-wide move nearing the quarter-pole, cruising away to a hand-ride victory under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

“It's back a little quick, but she did it very easily. Irad wrapped up on her in the last part of the race,” Pletcher said. “She had always trained well. I expected her to run well on debut, and she did.”

Bred by Chester and Mary Broman, Classy Edition is out of the Bernardini mare Newbie, making her a half-sister to multiple stakes-winner Newly Minted.

Ortiz, Jr. will return aboard Classy Edition from post 4.

Mr. Amore Stable homebred November Rein will attempt a second stakes score following a triumph in the Seeking the Ante on August 27 at Saratoga.

Despite stumbling at the start, the Kelly Breen-trained daughter of Street Boss recovered quickly and commanded the field through every point of call, winning by 1 ¾ lengths.

November Rein arrived at the Seeking the Ante off an even more decisive victory, breaking her maiden going 5 ½ furlongs at the Spa by 5 ½ lengths to garner a field-best 76 Beyer.

Jose Ortiz is unbeaten in two starts aboard November Rein and will have the call from post 6.

D.J. Stable's Adversity, trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, graduated by 2 1/4-lengths at second asking on September 6 over a sloppy and sealed main track at the Spa.

“Her first start we ran her on the grass, and she didn't run very well, but she had always worked really well on the dirt,” said Casse assistant Shane Tripp. “It rained really hard right when the horses were in the paddock, so it was in the slop. She ran great that day and we're looking forward to running her again.”

Bred by Chester and Mary Broman, the daughter of the late first crop sire and 2016 Travers winner Arrogate is out of the Grade 1-winning Roman Ruler mare Artemis Agrotera.

Jockey Luis Saez will ride from post 3.

Stonestreet Stables' Velvet Sister, a half-million-dollar purchase from the Fasig-Tipton March Sale, will attempt to turn the tables on November Rein following a runner-up effort in the Seeking the Ante.

The daughter of Bernardini, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, was a 9 ¾-length winner against open company in June at Belmont before a distant fourth in the Grade 3 Schuylerville five weeks later at Saratoga.

Bred by Godolphin and Michelle Nevin, Velvet Sister is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winner My Boy Tate.

Breaking from post 2, Velvet Sister will be ridden by Joel Rosario.

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Joseph Bucci's Shesawildjoker bested November Rein on debut and returns to New York-bred company for trainer David Donk.

The daughter of freshman stallion Practical Joke took a considerable jump up in class following her first-out maiden score when eighth in the Grade 3 Schuylerville. She was bred by Three Diamonds Farm.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will ride from post 5.

Rounding out the field is Our Tiny Dancer – a wire-to-wire winner for a $25,000 tag at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del., for trainer Amira Chichakly. Larry Botting bred the chestnut daughter of Union Jackson.

Jockey Erick Lopez will ride from post 1.

The Joseph A. Gimma is slated as Race 8 on Friday's nine-race card which also includes the $125,000 Ashley T. Cole in Race 3. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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