tony lacy | Horse Racing Free Tips

Acting Out Tops Keeneland April HORA Sale

Acting Out (Blame), who most recently caused a 6-1 upset of the Carousel S. at Oaklawn Park Apr. 2 (video), was hammered down to Bill Farish, acting as agent for his parents Will and Sarah, to lead the way at Friday's Keeneland April Horses of Racing Age Sale held following the conclusion of the closing-day program at the racetrack a handful of steps up the hill.

Previously trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer for the ownership group of Sherman Racing Inc., Zivka Akin and Robert Hawkins, Acting Out won three of 10 starts in California and was placed in the Camila Urso S. sprinting on the turf at Golden Gate last year, but switched to the Arkansas oval this term and was a wire-to-wire allowance winner Mar. 11 before besting heavily favored 'TDN Rising Star' Frank's Rockette (Into Mischief) in the Carousel. She was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency as hip 23.

“She is a six-furlong specialist, so she will [continue] sprinting and hopefully be back here to [race in] the [GII] Thoroughbred Club of America S. in the fall,” said Farish. “We hope we can make some of the purchase price back [by racing her] before retiring her at the end of the year.

“When the catalog came out, she was one that just stood out in the catalog,” Farish added. “When we saw her–she looked fabulous, a beautiful mare, really correct. She looks like one who would have nice babies. [Her pedigree] goes back to a Stuart Janney III family, and we hope to breed her one day.”

Acting Out is out of a half-sister to Janney III's Grade III-winning turf mare Onus, also a daughter of Blame, and to the dam of the promising 3-year-old multiple graded-placed turf colt Limited Liability (Kitten's Joy), who flew home to win a grass allowance at Keeneland Apr. 16. The stakes-placed third dam Meghan's Joy (A.P. Indy) has left behind the likes of graded winners Ironicus (Distorted Humor), On Leave (War Front), Norumbega (Tiznow), Hunting (Coronado's Quest) and Quiet Harbor (Silver Deputy).

WATCH: Acting Out sells for $600,000 at Friday's Keeneland April Sale

The ELiTE-consigned Blue Devil (Uncle Mo) was the most coveted of the male racing prospects, selling to Rocket Ship Racing LLC, agent/William Denzik for $260,000. The 3-year-old was offered as hip 32 on behalf of his previous owners SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Siena Farm and Golconda Stable and trainer Rodolphe Brisset and made a favorable impression in his lone racetrack appearance to date, missing by a neck in a six-furlong maiden over the Turfway synthetic Apr. 2. The same connections were also represented by Blackadder (Quality Road) (hip 89), who was purchased by Claiborne Farm, agent, for $250,000. Hailing from a Stone Farm family, the colt holds an entry for the GI Preakness S. by virtue of his victory in the El Camino Real Derby Feb. 12.

Another Brisset trainee made his way down to the sales pavilion only hours after winning his maiden at the track a few hours earlier. Summer Anthem (Temple City) was offered by Gainesway, agent, as hip 104, and was snapped up by Kirk Wycoff's Three Diamonds Farm for $150,000 to continue his career. The 3-year-old gelding proved a tenacious winner of Friday's fourth race in a meet-fastest clocking for the 8 1/2-furlongs on turf.

Other offerings to have won during the meet and sold Friday were the I.C. Racing-consigned Shannon (Nyquist) (hip 100), who broke her maiden at 24-1 in an Apr. 22 turf sprint and was purchased for $240,000 by Hidden Brook, agent; and Atras (Astern {Aus}) (hip 102), a 3-year-old gelding who graduated by 2 1/2 lengths in an Apr. 23 turf sprint and fetched $150,000 from Clay Scherer.

As reported earlier, a share in Airdrie Stud's Upstart sold for $450,000 as the final hip up for bidding.

For the single-session auction, a total of 58 horses were reported as sold for $5,349,000, good for an average of $92,224 and a median price of $50,000. The 2021 event saw 37 horses sell for $2,440,000 for an average of $65,946 and a $45,000 median.

“From start to finish of the sale, the energy was strong and the enthusiasm at every level was really encouraging,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “Joining the race meet and sale and having them on one day really, really worked. The atmosphere was incredible with a real buzz. That's something we want to replicate and build on not just for the April Sale, but all sales moving forward.”

Added Keeneland's Director of Sales Cormac Breathnach: “It's so important to us to have the brick-and-mortar event built around the race meet and have the support we got up front from so many consignors and owners with really good horses. That first group–the 73 horses that were initially entered–really turned heads. We are incredibly grateful to them. That feeds into the race meet, and people see a chance to cash in or a chance to buy. And to be able to accommodate those horses that had run well during the meet in the sale showed our flexibility. To see it all come together is very rewarding.”

Keeneland will welcome buyers and sellers back to Lexington for its benchmark September Yearling Sale Sept. 12-23.

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The TDN Writers’ Room On Site at Keeneland

In advance of the April Horses of Racing Age sale, the writers ventured to Keeneland this week for in-person chats with Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy and Grovendale Sales' Chance Timm. Trainer Michael Stidham was also featured on the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland. The upcoming sale features a number of new concepts, including dropping a requirement that horses in the sale be present at Keeneland. The sale will also take place on a racing day, after the conclusion of the card on Friday, the last day of the meet.

“I started almost a year ago and the first thing we did was look at everything so far as how do we better service our clients?” said Lacy, who, along with Timm and Stidham were the Green Group Guests of the Week. “What is the best way to do things? So at Keeneland that embodies everything in the industry. It's a sales company, but it's also a world class racetrack. So we decided to combine the two activities on the one day. Logistically for our team, it's really challenging. But everybody knew it was very important that we could pull it off to get it done. The feedback has been really, really positive. I think the people really appreciate the fact that they can go racing, watch the Bewitch Stakes, and walk down the hill and an hour later we're able to sell horses.”

All the sales companies had to make adjustments due to the pandemic, and one was an increased emphasis on online bidding. Once again, in Friday's sale, prospective buyers can bid on their computers from the comforts of their homes.

“The pandemic has forced a lot of innovation that may have taken a lot longer to initiate otherwise,” Lacy said. “The horse industry is not something that really embraces change really quickly. So as we have learned from a lot of our customers, they have really appreciated the fact of being able to bid online. They also need to do their homework, so Information transparency is incredibly important. That's why we're trying to be flexible as much as possible and are trying to find ways to make it all convenient. A traditional auction is absolutely something that's not going to go away. But we've got to find a way of modernizing it and finding a way that better suits the modern way of doing business.”

Timm, who has had many roles in the industry, recently announced that he has joined forces with James Keogh at Grovendale, a Thoroughbred consignment based in Versailles, Kentucky. The April Horses of Racing Sale will mark the first time the newly formed team would be selling horses together.

Elsewhere on the show, which is also sponsored by Coolmore, XBTV, Lane's End Farm, West Point Thoroughbreds, Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders and Legacy Bloodstock, writers Joe Bianca, Bill Finley and Jon Green discussed the win by Letruska (Super Saver) in the GI Apple Blossom H. and her prospects for another stellar campaign in 2022.

For the audio (only) version, click here.

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Keeneland Catalogs 73 Horses of Racing Age for April Sale

Keeneland has cataloged 73 horses for its April Horses of Racing Age Sale, to be held Friday, Apr. 29 following the races on closing day of the Spring Meet. The sale, which will begin at approximately 6:30 p.m. ET and be livestreamed on Keeneland.com, will be conducted as an integrated event, with live auctioneers at Keeneland and with horses presented for sale both physically at Keeneland and at off-site locations. Keeneland also will provide online and phone bidding for buyers who wish to participate remotely.

“We're really excited about hosting the April Sale as a complement to the Spring Meet this year,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “Racing in the afternoon and the sale in the evening will combine to showcase what Keeneland does best and provide a fantastic experience for our clients. The date of the sale should accommodate horsemen as they transition to summer racing.”

On Apr. 29, post time for Keeneland's first race will be 12:30 p.m. to accommodate 10 races, led by the featured GIII Bewitch S. The final race will go off at approximately 5:09 p.m., and the April Sale will begin around 6:30 p.m.

Highlights of the catalog include:

• Western River, a 3-year-old winning colt by Tapit who is a full brother to GI Belmont S. winner Creator and is being pointed at the May 14 GIII Peter Pan S. at Belmont
• Acting Out, a 5-year-old daughter of Blame who won the Apr. 2 Carousel S. at Oaklawn.
• Battle Bling, a stakes-winning 4-year-old daughter of Vancouver (Aus).
• Cazadero, a 4-year-old 'TDN Rising Star' son of Street Sense out of Grade 3 winner and millionaire Wild Gams who won the 2020 GIII Bashford Manor (G3) at Churchill Downs;
• Cowan, a 4-year-old stakes-winning colt by Kantharos who was second in the 2020 GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and won the 2020 Duncan F. Kenner S.
• North Dakota, a 6-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro who is a half-brother to leading sire War Front and won the 2020 GIII Red Smith S.
• Sianara, a 4-year-old winning daughter of Malibu Moon who is a half-sister to MGSW 3-year-old Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah).

Keeneland will continue to accept approved supplemental entries to the April Sale until the sale date.

Click here for the enhanced digital catalog on Keeneland.com. The catalog, also available through the Equibase iPad app, includes pedigrees, Equibase past performances and race videos, Daily Racing Form past performances, and Ragozin and Thoro-Graph figures. Consignors may upload photographs and walking videos.

Print copies of the catalog will be available at Keeneland beginning April 18. A printed supplemental catalog also will be available prior to the sale.

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Keeneland January Provides Steady Start to 2022

The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale concluded its four-day run in Lexington Friday with steady figures which continued to show strength in the marketplace into the new year.

“We are very, very pleased with the sale,” said Keeneland's vice president of sales Tony Lacy. “Continued competitive trade, high clearance rate and high median price have solidified some confidence in people who were nervous before the beginning of the sales season. They feel positive about moving forward into the rest of 2022 and are investing as such. The market is very broad in all respects; you're not seeing the spikes and valleys indicative of a narrow market. Demand is strong, with multiple bidders on horses at all levels, but not overheated. Prices, even the higher ones, are fair, believable and sustainable.”

The 2021 January sale was dominated by the dispersals of Sam-Son Farm and the late Paul Pompa, Jr., which combined generated gross of $13.5 million. Despite lacking those types of high-power dispersals, this year's auction produced fairly similar results.

Through four sessions, Keeneland sold 1,013 horses for a total of $46,341,100–second highest since the 2008 sale. The auction's average dipped just 3.23% to $45,746, while the median was up 33.33% to $20,000.

In 2021, 963 head grossed $45,522,100 for an average of $47,271 and a median of $15,000.

“There are a lot of happy sellers,” Lacy said. “The buyers can be a tad frustrated in places, but still, they understand that a competitive market is good for everybody. If it's competitive to buy, it's competitive to sell, so hopefully they will reap the rewards on the other end.”

The buy-back rate, which was 25.75% during the auction's first session, fell as low as 13.09% during the third session before concluding with a cumulative 19.35%. It was 21.26% a year ago.

“The high clearance rate continued through the middle and even lower end of the market, and that is really encouraging because this isn't a barometer sale like September and November,” Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said. “This is a new tax year and yet there's the same hunger to buy horses where there hasn't been for years. That's a really good sign.”

Four Star Sales' Kerry Cauthen agreed the low buy-back rate was a positive indicator for the market.

“Comparable horses have been selling well compared with previous years,” Cauthen said. “Generally, when you bring a horse to January, you intend to sell. The number of horses not sold on Thursday was incredibly low. That means people are buying, and that is the name of the game.”

Three Chimneys Farm, buying out partner Hill 'n' Dale Farm, purchased the auction's top-priced offering when going to $750,000 for the 2-year-old filly Princesse Lele (Quality Road). Carl and Yurie Pascarella acquired impressive maiden winner Belgrade (Hard Spun), a late addition to the catalogue, for the sale's second highest price of $700,000.

“I think the higher-priced horses were fair,” Lacy said. “They weren't extraordinary, they were I think very rational and more sustainable over the longer term. I think it gives a feeling of confidence moving forward that there is viability in breeding a nice horse, whatever level it is, that you can get a return profit and get it moved along.”

Belgrade's late entry to the January sale was the highlight of a strong supplemental catalogue.

“The quality of the catalogue was very strong when it initially came together, but the ability to add a small number of supplements, such as Belgrade, who sold so successfully for Randy and Sandy Bradshaw, was very rewarding,” Breathnach said.

A colt by Gun Runner was the January sale's top-priced short yearling when selling for $375,000 to Narvick International. The youngster was one of 492 yearlings to sell at the four-day auction for a total of $18,136,300 and an average of $36,862.

Two short yearlings topped the $400,000 mark at the 2021 January sale–both to Larry Best's OXO Equine–with a colt by Munnings bringing top price of $475,000. In all, 421 yearlings sold for $14,958,600 and an average of $35,531 in 2021.

“I think pinhookers are looking forward hopefully to another very strong year,” Breathnach said, while agreeing it seemed like some sellers were being protective of their yearlings this early into the new year. “This past September was extremely good, with a record median among other metrics, so I think there is that confidence that the market is currently in a good state of supply and demand. There's a lot of energy behind the sport in terms of new ownership and new money that showed up in September, and it's not an overheated market. It's very solid, especially for the middle. So they might want to roll the dice deeper in the year than maybe they have in the last several years. There were also quite a few yearlings who traded for $200,000 or more, especially in Book 1 and that's a sign that what was offered was very popular.”

Best was the leading buyer at the 2022 January sale, but this time his purchases were all mares as he looked to support his three young stallions. Best paid $1.49 million on six horses.

Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, led consignors by selling 122 horses for $5,696,800.

Ron Winchell and Three Chimneys donated a 2022 no-guarantee season to Gun Runner to support relief efforts from last month's tornadoes in Western Kentucky. The season was auctioned off at the end of Tuesday's first session of the auction was brought a final bid of $130,000 from Bill Layni.

“This was such a generous gesture by Ron Winchell and Three Chimneys, and Keeneland was very pleased to have been able to facilitate the sale of the Gun Runner season,” Lacy said.

The racing or broodmare prospect Go Big Blue Nation (Animal Kingdom) (hip 1579) brought the highest bid of Friday's final day of the January sale when selling for $225,000 to R. Larry Johnson. During the session, 243 horses sold for $4,020,700, for an average of $16,546 and a median of $10,000.

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