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Fasig Adds April Digital Selected Sale

After launching their digital platform last week, Fasig-Tipton has added an April Digital Selected Sale set for Apr.21-26. Nominations will close Apr. 14, although the company will still accept approved selected nominations after that date.

“We were very pleased with the debut of our digital platform earlier this week,” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton's Director of Digital Sales. “We received positive feedback from both buyers and sellers about both the platform and quality of offerings. They conveyed to us their desire to see more Fasig Digital auctions in the near term, which was highly encouraging. We also received a number of helpful suggestions on how to improve the platform, adjustments that will be implemented for this upcoming April auction.”

Fasig-Tipton's March Digital Selected Sale concluded this past Tuesday with 10 offerings sold for a gross of $856,000, an average price of $85,600 and a median price of $55,000. The sale was topped by a stallion share in European champion Almansor (Fr), which sold for $250,000 to Riviera Equine SARL/Haras d'Etreham.

Aaron took some time to talk to the TDN about what went right and what they learned from their March 22 Selected Digital Auction.

“Overall, the first sale was a success,” he said. “We had users from all over the globe looking at the horses online. We had a substantial number of registered bidders who were serious buyers. They were looking at every level and type of horse. It was interesting to me that the most affordable horse on the site had the most bids, which shows me that there is a real hunger for ready-to-run racehorses as well as other segments of the market.”

The short timeframe to assemble the catalogue proved to be the biggest obstacle, he said. “I think the timing of the sale was always going to be the biggest hurdle for Fasig-Tipton to overcome. We announced we were having our first sale Feb. 28, and we had a little over one week to gather the catalogue. The quality of the catalogue that was put together showed the strength of the Fasig-Tipton team as a whole. We had a marketing campaign that made everyone aware what was happening and we were able to facilitate a really healthy digital auction for our sellers and our buyers. To me, it showed a real desire for owners to be able to buy and sell when the time was right. As Kiki Courtelis of Town and Country Farm said about the digital auction, `The best time to sell is when someone wants to buy.'”

And what did they learn, he was asked?

“We had a lot of input from buyers, sellers, consignors and veterinarians,” Aaron replied. “We are currently making those changes to cater to the entirety of our core customer base. Digital.fasigtipton.com is a place for them and we have to make sure that they are comfortable on our platform. The longer this goes on, the more comfortable people will be with it. I look in the TDN today and see that a major stud farm in Australia, Arrowfield is having a broodmare reduction on a digital platform in Australia. There is no reason that sort of thing can't be done here. As I said when we released the platform, this is the place for people with ideas and I want to encourage that entrepreneurial spirit. We are going to stick to our plan of recruiting quality horses that all segments of the market will want.”

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Cal-bred Horse of the Year Mucho Unusual Retired

George Krikorian's homebred Mucho Unusual (Mucho Macho Man–Not Unusual, by Unusual Heat), 2020's California-bred Horse of the Year, champion older female and turf horse thanks to a campaign that included a victory in the GI Rodeo Drive S. that September, has been retired at the age of six.

“The decision has been made to retire G1 winner and Cal-Bred Horse of the Year Mucho Unusual,” tweeted trainer Tim Yakteen. “We are sad to see her leave the barn, she has been so special to and for all of us. She returns to Starwood Farm, KY where she was born and we await the news of who she'll be bred to.”

The half-sister to MGSW and GISP $700,000-plus earner Big Score (Mr. Big) retires with a record of 24-8-5-5 and earnings of $957,415. She was a $170,000 Keeneland September RNA in 2017.

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CHRB Addressing Recent Los Al Deaths

The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) issued a release Thursday addressing a spate of recent deaths at Los Alamitos. The track is currently holding its traditional mixed-breed meet of predominantly Quarter Horses and lower-level races with Thoroughbreds.

The CHRB release read as follows:

“The California Horse Racing Board has been in contact with personnel and executives at Los Alamitos Race Course concerning the four recent catastrophic injuries of horses at that facility:

“The 6-year-old mare Ballet Royalty finished fifth (last) in the first race at Los Alamitos on March 12. She galloped back and was unsaddled, but then she collapsed while walking off. This is termed a 'sudden death.' As always, a postmortem examination will be performed to provide more insight.

“The 3-year-old filly Fastidious pulled up before the wire in the seventh race March 19 at Los Alamitos. The injury required euthanasia.

“The 5-year-old horse Stolen Lives pulled up while galloping out after the ninth race at Los Alamitos on March 20. The jockey dismounted, then the horse was vanned off. The injury required euthanasia.

“The unraced 3-year-old colt See You At Front sustained an injury while galloping during training on the morning of March 23, requiring euthanasia.

“In recent days Los Alamitos has taken four steps to help improve safety: (1) Eliminated the breaking bar in quarter-horse races; (2) Eliminated high toe grabs on hind shoes; (2) Consulted a racing surface expert regarding the track; and (4) Contacted the University of California, Davis, to fund a study of lumbar fractures in quarter horses.

“These safety measures are particularly applicable to a lumbar (back) fracture, which led to the death of Fastidious. However, it is believed that breaking bars and toe grabs could be a contributing factor to lower leg injuries, which resulted in the deaths of Stolen Lives and See You At Front. Sudden deaths (Ballet Royalty) are a phenomenon among horses (and humans) throughout the world and are the subject of numerous ongoing studies.

“The CHRB will continue to closely monitor and scrutinize activities at Los Alamitos and will take appropriate action as needed.”

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Four Baffert Derby Hopefuls Moving to Other Trainers

Four of Bob Baffert's GI Kentucky Derby prospects will be transferred to other trainers, according to a press release issued by Baffert Thursday morning.

'TDN Rising Star' Messier (Empire Maker), 'Rising Star' Doppelganger (Into Mischief) and McLaren Vale (Gun Runner) are being sent to trainer Tim Yakteen, and will remain in Southern California. Blackadder (Quality Road) has already left California and will be sent to the barn of Rodolphe Brissett in Kentucky.

Yakteen is a longtime former assistant of Baffert's, having last worked for him in 2004.

Under the suspension imposed upon Baffert by Churchill Downs, the four horses would not have been eligible to earn Kentucky Derby qualifying points or to race in the Derby had they remained with Baffert.

All four are owned in partnership by the conglomerate nicknamed The Avengers, which includes SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables et al.

“The most important thing to me is that Messier, Doppelganger, McLaren Vale, and Blackadder–some of the top talents in racing this year–are able to compete,” said Baffert

“I encouraged the owners to move them, not only because it is best for these horses and their future in racing but also for fans of the sport who are excited to watch them run. I know that they are in good hands training with Tim and Rudy, and I look forward to cheering them on,” Baffert added.

Reached by phone Thursday, SF's Tom Ryan said that the decision came at the behest of Baffert.

“Bob was very influential in this decision,” he said. “He felt these horses were primed to take on the challenges ahead in the next round of Derby preps, and Bob felt strongly that for the horses–first and foremost–and for the sport that if these horses have the level of talent they believe they have it's only right that they have a berth in the starting gate the first Saturday in May. The Kentucky Derby is an important race.”

Messier, the winner of the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. in dominating fashion, is expected to go next in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby Apr. 9 at Santa Anita; McLaren Vale, third in the GII San Vicente S., will likely head to the same race, said Ryan. Doppelganger, coming off a second-place finish in the March 5 GII San Felipe S., is being pointed to the Apr. 2 GI Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn.

“The Santa Anita Derby will probably be the best prep of the season,” said Ryan. “McLaren Vale is a big, 16′ 3″, 1,300-pound colt and he's quite claustrophobic. We tried to put him on an airplane to Arkansas and he didn't tolerate it, so he'll probably stay home and run there.”

The Arkansas Derby was also once under consideration for Messier.

“Part of the decision was would Doppelganger or Messier go there,” said Ryan. “The right thing to do is to give them individual targets. He's a very nice colt, and it feels like he's come out of his last race very well and is moving forward. Johnny [Velazquez] will ride.”

Blackadder, who broke his maiden on the dirt and won the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate on synthetic, will either target the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 9 on the former or the Apr. 2 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway on the latter.

“He's a versatile colt, bred to go on both surfaces,” said Ryan, noting that the team was probably leaning toward the Turfway race.

As for the long-term future of the horses, Ryan said he couldn't predict if they would return to Baffert or stay in their new barns.

“This is week by week,” he said. “It's a big decision. For today, we'll continue to monitor the situation as time unfolds. We'll see what happens.”

Baffert and his legal team have filed suit against Churchill Downs over the ban, along with Churchill CEO Alex Rankin.

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