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NFL Hall of Famer, Owner, Breeder Sam Huff Passes Away at 87

Sam Huff, who made his mark in both the NFL and in thoroughbred racing as an owner-breeder and the co-founder of the West Virginia Breeders Classics, died Saturday. Huff, who had been suffering from dementia since 2013, was 87.

Huff, a third-round draft choice of the New York Giants in 1956, discovered racing during his time in New York when he would frequent Aqueduct and Belmont. Huff was traded to the Washington Redskins before the 1964 season and retired in 1969.

After his playing days were done, he devoted more time to thoroughbreds. Along with his partner Carol Holden, he opened Sporting Life Farm in Middleburg, Virginia. Huff was the owner and breeder of Bursting Forth, a winner of five stakes races, including the GIII Bewitch S., the GIII Vinery Matchmaker S. and the GIII All Along S.

“When you have a stakes winner, it's like hitting the lottery,” Huff told the Saratogian in 2001. “It's the most exciting thing I've ever done. More than winning an NFL championship, more than reaching the Hall of Fame. There's nothing like it. That's why people are in this business.”

Huff attended the inaugural Maryland Million in 1986 and liked the concept so much he decided to copy it. In 1987, Holden and Huff launched the West Virginia Breeders Classics run at Charles Town. The 35th edition of the event, held Oct. 9 at Charles Town, featured nine stakes for West Virginia-breds with total purses of $1,075,000.

“When we first started, I never had any idea we could do it for 23 years,” Huff told The Northern Virginia Daily in 2009. “It seems like a long time, but when you're working in it, time goes fast. It's always been a goal to be bigger than the Maryland Million–that was our guide, that's what we copied.”

Until his health started to deteriorate, Huff was the face of the Breeders Classics, always there to pose for pictures, shake hands and present trophies in the winner's circle.

Huff maintained a small stable for years and, according to Equibase, won 15 races as an owner since 2000. He started his last horse in 2015.

“I'm not the kind of owner trainers like,” Huff told the Saratogian. “I am involved. I stay on top of things. There's no way you can be in one part of this business. You have to do it all. I read about the industry all the time.”

“Most knew Sam Huff as an NFL Hall of Famer,” read a tweet from Charles Town. We knew him as an advocate of racing and co-founder of the @WVBClassics. Sam passed away today at the age of 87. He will forever be woven into the fabric of West Virginia racing. Our deepest condolences to all who loved him.”

Huff was born in 1934 in Edna, West Virginia and was the son of a coal miner. His full name was Robert Lee Huff. He became known as Sam at an early age and always maintained that he had no idea where the nickname came from.

He grew up in a mining camp known as Number Nine, outside of Farmington, W.Va. A middle linebacker, he played collegiately at West Virginia, where he became an All-American.

The Washington Post called him the first defensive player to become a superstar in the NFL, saying that he “acquired the visibility and fame previously reserved for quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers.”

During his eight seasons in New York, Huff helped lead his team to an NFL championship in 1956. During Huff's time in New York, the Giants played in six championship games. The Giants' 1958 championship loss to the Baltimore Colts is widely remembered as “The Greatest Game Ever Played,” and is seen as a catalyst for the NFL's popularity.

He was traded to Washington in 1964. He retired before the 1968 season but came back a year later and played in 1969 before retiring again.

“Sam was one of the greatest Giants of all time,” said John Mara, the Giants' President and Chief Executive Officer. “He was the heart and soul of our defense in his era. He almost single-handedly influenced the first chants of 'Defense, Defense' in Yankee Stadium.”

Huff was a five-time Pro Bowler, a two-time first-team All-Pro and four-time second-team selection, and a member of the NFL's 1950s All-Decade Team.

After spending another season with the Redskins as an assistant coach, he worked for the Marriott Corporation as a marketing liaison between the hotel chain and athletic teams.

He also worked with both the Giants and Redskins as a broadcaster.

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Belle Street Stars Saturday at Keeneland

LEXINGTON, KY – With Godolphin's Belle Street (Street Sense) leading the way at $550,000, the Book 3 section of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale opened Saturday with strong results as the 10-day auction continues to track well ahead of 2020 figures.

During Saturday's session, 252 head grossed $19,981,500. The session average of $79,292 was up 36.37% from the corresponding 2020 figure and the median of $65,000 was up 49.43%. With 78 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 23.64%. It was 24.67% a year ago.

Through four sessions, 838 head have sold for $146,615,500. The average of $174,959 is up 12.99% from a year ago and the median of $120,000 is up 33.33%. The buy-back rate stands at 22.62%, down from 27.41% in 2020.

The unraced Belle Street, who sold to Gary Broad, was one of 15 mares sold by Godolphin Saturday for gross receipts of $2.17 million.

“It's the same with everything we've had go through the ring so far,” said Godolphin's Michael Banahan. “You can probably put an extra 20, 30, 35% on top what we were valuing the mares at. It's just been an unbelievably strong market.”

Town and Country Horse Farm president Shannon Potter acquired two mares Saturday.

“It's been strong. It's been very strong,” Potter said. “Especially at Fasig and here the first few days. We were really frustrated going into the second day trying to get something bought. But it's great for the business. I love to see it thriving like this.”

Peter O'Callaghan purchased the session's top-priced weanling, going to $210,000 to acquire a daughter of Nyquist (hip 1183) from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment.

“She was our pick of the day,” O'Callaghan said of the pinhooking prospect. “I thought we would get her for a couple of bids less and we were hoping to get her for less than $200,000. That was absolutely our last bid.”

Of the foal market at Keeneland this week, O'Callaghan said, “It's extremely competitive for those top foals. There was plenty of racing money here early and some strong pinhooking groups, so whatever you value them at, even if you value them generously, you almost have to add $50,000 to it. So it's tough. We bought fewer foals and our expenditure might be even more than last year. It doesn't make for a good sum, but it is what it is. We just keep moving on.”

The Keeneland November sale continues through Friday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

 

Belle Street Tops Saturday Returns

The unraced Belle Street (Street Sense) (hip 1153), a half-sister to Eight Belles (Unbridled's Song) and in foal to the late Bernardini, drew a crowd of admirers before selling for $550,000 to the bid of Gary Broad of Walmac Farm.

The 3-year-old mare was bred and consigned by Godolphin and was the highlight of an offering of 15 mares from Sheikh Mohammed's operation which sold for $2.17 million at Keeneland Saturday.

“She is a good-looking mare from a very good family,” Godolphin's Michael Banahan said of Belle Street. “With the market that is in here, we didn't anticipate that she would bring that kind of money, but it's been so strong here since the sales started at Fasig. She deserved to make plenty of money, but again she made well over what we would have valued her at and what her reserve was.”

Belle Street was one of nine mares Godolphin sold Saturday in foal to its champion Bernardini, who passed away in July. That group, which also included the $215,000 Tactical Move (First Defense), grossed $1,525,000.

Bernardini has earned a reputation as a stellar broodmare sire and Banahan said many potential buyers were hopeful of buying mares carrying fillies by the late stallion.

“We don't fetal sex any of our mares and everybody wants to know if they are carrying a filly or not,” Banahan said. “That's the reason they want to buy these mares in foal to him. He's been a fantastic stallion for us and he's turned into an unbelievable broodmare sire. Everyone is trying to get a filly out of these mares. But his colts aren't too bad either on the racetrack.”

Godolphin's offerings Saturday were a normal part of maintaining the operation's broodmare band, according to Banahan.

“It's part of what we do every year, just trying to streamline our broodmare band,” he said. “We have to keep the quality as best we can at the top.”

Among buyers who have had success buying from Godolphin in past Keeneland November sales is the O'Farrell family's Ocala Stud, which purchased Indelible (Tiznow), a half-sister to Godolphin's 2020 champion juvenile Essential Quality (Tapit), for $130,000 at the 2019 November and resold her Tuesday at Fasig-Tipton for $1.6 million.

“Anytime we have brought mares to sale, people are very keen to try to get into the Godolphin families,” Banahan said. “They have done very well for other people as well. We are going to keep 'X' amount of mares and keep the quality up as much as we can. And that's a matter of culling some mares and some of them are going to turn into very valuable commercial mares for other people as well. Buying mares from any of the great owner/breeders–which Godolphin would be one–everyone is drawn to those families because you can't get into them. There are great opportunities getting into them. Maybe they skip a generation, but they are usually there and they will come back again. And that's why they are so popular.”

Essential Quality (Tapit), meanwhile, is back home at Jonabell Farm and preparing to start his stud career next year.

“He's been busy and settled in very well,” Banahan said of the champion. “He's a fantastic horse to have on the farm again. He's been shown the last couple of days and he's like a professional out there. We are very proud of him and I think he'll have a great career as a stallion. We are excited to have him out there.”

Essential Quality's dam Delightful Quality is currently in foal to Tapit and is expected to be bred back to that Gainesway stallion next year. Her 2-year-old Famed (Uncle Mo) was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' after her maiden score at Churchill Downs Oct. 30 and the Brad Cox-trained filly is expected to make her next start in the Nov. 27 GII Golden Rod S. at Churchill, according to Banahan.

 

Trophy Wife to Gainesway

Larkin Armstrong signed the ticket at $340,000 to acquire the 12-year-old mare Trophy Wife (Giant's Causeway) (hip 1083), in foal to Mastery, from the Claiborne Farm consignment Saturday at Keeneland.

“It's a wonderful family and [Gainesway owner] Antony Beck loved her,” Armstrong said. “We thought it was a great opportunity to get into an amazing family.”

Bred by Phipps Stable, Trophy Wife is a daughter of

GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Pleasant Home (Seeking the Gold) and is a half-sister to Grade I-placed Pleasant Orb (Orb), as well as to Magical World (Distorted Humor), who produced Grade I winner Guarana (Ghostzapper) and SW/GSP Magic Dance (More Than Ready).

Last Tuesday, Magical World sold for $5.2 million and Guarana sold for $4.4 million at the Fasig-Tipton November sale.

“We loved Guarana and Magical World,” Armstrong said. “They obviously brought several million each. Hopefully we can get some nice foals from this mare.”

Trophy Wife is already the dam of stakes-placed High Tech (Data Link) and Power Move (More Than Ready).

Larkin was back in action for Gainesway late in Saturday's session, purchasing Pink Caddy (El Padrino) (hip 1403) for $240,000 from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment.

 

Town and Country Restocks

Town and Country Farms added Tactical Move (First Defence) (hip 1060) to its broodmare band when farm president Shannon Potter signed the ticket at $215,000 early in Saturday's fourth session of the Keeneland November sale. From the Godolphin consignment, the 4-year-old mare sold in foal to the late Bernardini. She is a daughter of Grade I winner Game Face and a half-sister to graded-placed Coliseum (Tapit).

“She has a really good pedigree and we like the physical,” Potter said of the mare's appeal. “And she's in foal to a horse who's no longer with us. We really like Bernardini. So we are trying to get a few more before they are all gone.”

Tactical Move was Town and Country's fourth purchase at Keeneland this week. The operation also acquired I Dare U (Daredevil) (hip 129) for $450,000; Celestial Kitten (Kitten's Joy) (hip 793) for $125,000; and Dreamalildreamofu (Commissioner) (hip 834) for $235,000.

Later in Saturday's session, Town and Country purchased Bazinga Baby (Afleet Alex) (hip 1145) for $170,000.

“We are selling quite a few mares here at the sale, just trying to cull out some, and add to the top,” Potter explained.

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Lady Speightspeare Remains Perfect in Bessarabian

'TDN Rising Star' Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown) made a successful transition to the Tapeta track Saturday, racing away to a convincing score in the GII Bessarabian S., remaining unbeaten from four starts in the process.

The Fipke homebred, whose prior victories include the GI Natalma S. over the local turf course last season, wired a Sept. 6 turf allowance over 8 1/2 furlongs, but was scratched after becoming fractious in the gate ahead of the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Oct. 16 at Keeneland and was a trainer scratch prior to that track's Oct. 29 GIII Rubicon Valley View S. With plenty of gate schooling in the interim, she was rerouted for her first try against elders here.

A handy second arguing the early pace underneath favored GIII Hendrie S. heroine Our Secret Agent (Secret Circle) through the opening exchanges, Lady Speightspeare was content to chase under a light hold from the two path into the turn once Our Secret Agent got clear. The chestnut, niggled along at the quarter pole, gathered in the pacesetter with consummate ease once heads were turned for home and skipped away powerfully to take it by in slick time. Our Secret Agent held for second ahead of the rallying La Libertee (Constitution) in third.

“I'm pretty relieved to be honest with you,” offered trainer Roger Attfield. “She's very special. When we went to Keeneland, and what happened there in the Queen Elizabeth, was so upsetting because she was so good and I really, really, liked doing that race. It was an important race, a Grade I race. I got her back here and we had lots of options of different places to go.

He continued, “[Jockey] Emma [-Jayne Wilson]'s been great and it all came together. But the race itself, I wasn't really sure how well she'd handle the synthetic. We always thought that she was quite a bit better on the turf, I still think she is. But the main thing was to get this gate thing sorted out and it seemed like we did today.”

Pedigree Notes:

Via the late Jack Werk, Charles Fipke acquired Grade I winner Lady Shirl in foal to Theatrical (Ire) for $485,000 carrying the filly that would become Lady Shakespeare at the 2005 Keeneland November Sale. Winner of the GII New York S. and GIII Bewitch S., Lady Shakespeare is a full-sister to GISW Shakespeare; and a half to SW/MGSP Fantastic Shirl (Fantastic Light) and Perfect Shirl (Perfect Soul {Ire}), upset winner of the 2011 GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and herself the dam of GSW 'TDN Rising Star' Shirl's Speight (Speightstown) and GSP Speightstown Shirl (Speightstown).

Lady Shakespeare is the dam of the 2-year-old filly Ready Lady (More Than Ready), a debut winner at Woodbine Aug. 28, but down the field in the GI Natalma S. Sept. 19; a yearling full-brother to Ready Lady and a weanling filly by Bee Jersey. She was most recently bred to Fipke's GI Clark H. hero Seeking the Soul (Perfect Soul {Ire}).

Saturday, Woodbine
BESSARABIAN S.-GII, C$175,350, Woodbine, 11-13, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f (AWT), 1:21.03, ft.
1–LADY SPEIGHTSPEARE, 119, f, 3, by Speightstown
               1st Dam: Lady Shakespeare (MGSW-USA, SW-Can, $495,608), by Theatrical (Ire)
               2nd Dam: Lady Shirl, by That's a Nice
               3rd Dam: Canonization, by Native Heritage
O/B-Charles E. Fipke (KY); T-Roger L. Attfield; J-Emma-Jayne
Wilson. C$105,000. 'TDN Rising Star' Lifetime Record: Ch.
2yo filly-Can, GISW-Can, 4-4-0-0, $264,779. Werk Nick
Rating: A+++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross
pedigree.
2–Our Secret Agent, 123, f, 4, Secret Circle–Avalos, by Holy
Bull. ($47,000 RNA Ylg '18 FTKOCT). O-Gary Barber; B-Paul
Tackett Revocable Trust (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. C$35,000.
3–La Libertee, 119, f, 3, Constitution–La Rambla, by City Zip.
O/B-Tracy Farmer (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. C$17,500.
Margins: 4, 1, NK. Odds: 5.45, 1.55, 18.80.
Also Ran: Aug Lutes, Gidgetta, Emmeline, Tuned (GB), Juxtapose. Scratched: Spun Glass.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Lexitonian to Stand at Lane’s End

Grade I winner Lexitonian (Speightstown–Riviera Romper, by Tapit) will stand the 2022 breeding season at Lane's Farm and will command a fee of $10,000.

Winner of the GIII Chick Lang S. as a sophomore in 2019 and beaten a nose I the 2020 GI Bing Crosby S., the Calumet Farm homebred defeated the likes of next-out GII Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. winner Special Reserve (Midshipman) and 2020 champion sprinter Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) in the prestigious GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. at Saratoga this July.

“He's a horse who fights”, said trainer Jack Sisterson. “He has the talent, the will and the heart. He's a class act winning and placing second in multiple Grade I races. I've had a tremendous amount of confidence in him throughout his career because you can run him over any track, and he always knows what to do.”

The chestnut is a grandson of GI Test S. winner Swap Fliparoo (Exchange Rate), and his dam was carrying him when she brought $310,000 at the 2015 Keeneland November sale.

“We are thrilled that Calumet is entrusting us with a horse as special as Lexitonian is,” said Bill Farish of Lane's End Farm. “He has been a consistent top-level performer at all stages of his racing career. He has the pedigree, racing ability and soundness that we think will set him up for success at stud.”

 

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