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Sportscaster Bob Neumeier Passes Away

Bob Neumeier, whose career as a sportscaster included a long stint with NBC's horse racing team, died Saturday. He was 70.
In 2014, Neumeier, known as “Neumy,” suffered a stroke and had battled health ailments ever since. Boston radio host Tony Massarotti reported that Neumeier died from heart disease/congestive heart failure.

A graduate of Syracuse University, Neumeier broke into broadcasting 1975 as the radio play-by-play man for the Hartford Whalers. In 1981, he was hired by WBZ-TV in Boston, where his duties included working as the weekend sports anchor. He was there for 20 years.

“We are saddened to offer our condolences to the friends and family of Bob Neumeier, who passed away last night,” an NBC spokesperson said in a statement. “In the midst of a prominent career in Boston, Neumy joined NBC Sports and for more than two decades was a beloved member of our family working on horse racing, football and Olympics, among other events. Our thoughts are with Bob's wife Michele, and the many sports fans to whom he meant so much.”

While at WBZ, he also served as the play-by-play commentator for the Boston Bruins.

After leaving WBZ, Neumeier went to work at WEEI, an all-sports radio station in Boston. From 2002-2005, Neumeier served as co-host with Dale Arnold on the station's midday “Dale & Neumy” show. After leaving WEEI, Neumeier covered such events as the Tour de France and the Turin Olympics, as well as racing's biggest events. He also hosted a show on Comcast SportsNet New England.

“It saddens me to report that my friend and former partner, Bob Neumeier, passed away yesterday,” Arnold tweeted Sunday. “Neumy was one of a kind, and all who knew him were better for it.”

“The Boston Bruins are saddened by the passing of our former radio play-by-play voice and longtime Boston sports media personality Bob Neumeier,” read a tweet from the Bruins. “We send our thoughts and condolences to Bob's family, friends, and colleagues.”

“We were very saddened to learn today of the passing of Bob Neumeier,” said the Breeders' Cup in a statement. “Bob was a big part of the NBC Breeders' Cup World Championships broadcasts for many years as a handicapper, reporter and analyst. Bob brought his expertise of Thoroughbred racing and a great sense of humor to every show. We extend our sincere condolences to Bob's wife Michele and to his extended family.”

In 2009, he collapsed while covering the GI Kentucky Oaks for NBC and was briefly hospitalized.

The 2014 stroke, which occurred shortly before he was to leave to California to cover the Breeders' Cup, required 5 1/2 hours of surgery and involved a stay in an intensive care unit. He went back to work seven months later.

“I was really nervous,” Neumeier told the Boston Globe about his return to the airwaves. “I didn't think there would be [butterflies], but there were. There's a lot of people involved here, colleagues and cohorts. They have an eye out, to see how I'm doing. Viewers have an eye out. People are saying, 'What is he doing? What does he sound like? What does he look like?' I didn't want it to be a freak show, not that it would have been. I just wanted it to be seamless. Maybe they missed me, maybe they didn't, but I wanted [viewers to think] my work would be the same. Maybe even better. That was how I thought about it.”

Just three months after the stroke, Neumeier won the inaugural NTRA National Handicapping Championship Charity Challenge.

An enthusiastic racing fan, handicapper and horseplayer, Neumeier was a staple of NBC's horse racing coverage for several years as he covered the Triple Crown, the Breeders' Cup and other major events. Along with Mike Battaglia, he was one of the network's go-to analysts for handicapping insights and betting advice. He had a smooth but dry delivery and an ability to relate to the $2 bettor.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Boston and New England Chapter honored Neumeier with its Silver Circle Award in 2017.

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Fasig-Tipton October Sale Opens Monday

LEXINGTON, KY – The Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Sale brings the curtain down on a competitive season of yearling auctions when it begins its four-day run at Newtown Paddocks Monday morning. A total of 1,586 yearlings have been catalogued for the auction and bidding begins daily at 10 a.m.

Consignors were kept busy showing over the weekend and the foot traffic at the barns was a testament to the auction's continued growth in popularity in recent years.

“Historically, with the October sale, once the first call to post at Keeneland would ring, we would lose about 70% of the viewers,” Tommy Eastham said in front of his Legacy Bloodstock consignment on a rainy Sunday morning. “Saturday, we didn't see that. We stayed busy up to about 4:30 and our shows were up by about 20%. We saw some European guys here–that's unusual. And there has been a lot of interest from guys from all over the country that are going to be here. There is a lot of enthusiasm and there are a lot of good horses here.”

The evolution of the October sale has seen more and more yearlings pointed specifically to its later date.

“I think the sale has changed,” said Matt Lyons of Candy Meadows Sales. “Maybe before it was horses who didn't sell at other places who came here, but now there are enough good horses coming here for the first time. I think, for an agent, it's a sale you have to play because the best horse could be hip 1 or hip 1500. So you have to work the whole thing.”

Candy Meadows will offer 16 yearlings during the four-day auction, including a half-sister to stakes winner and multiple graded placed Coach (Commissioner) who the consignment sold at the 2019 October sale.

“All of my horses, this is their first sale. They've all been pointed here,” Lyons said. “So I hope there is enough money left. I have a good few later foals, so I like to give them a little bit of time.”

The auction's later date was a common answer to its rise in popularity.

“I think the catalogue and the results are the best advertisements,” Eastham said. “But even back 20 years ago, there was always a high-percentage of runners who come out of this sale. I remember asking Joe Taylor about these horses who vet better and they run better and he said, 'We leave them outside, we treat them different. We treat them like horses.' I think it gives more time for the horses to tell their stories to the buyers a little bit. So the buyers can see more of a mature product.”

The market has been strong right across the board all year. Consigner Bill Murphy expects those trends to continue at the October sale.

“I think overall it will be very strong,” Murphy said of expectations for the coming week. “Based on the sales throughout the year, the 2-year-old sales, the July Sale and Saratoga and September, there are still a lot of people who haven't been able to buy horses. So I think it will be very strong. But it will be the same old story. The high-end guys are going to land on the same horses and the middle to lower end are going to be spoiled for choice.”

Murphy agreed waiting for the last yearling sale of the season made sense for the horses in his consignment.

“I know I am [pointing specifically for the October sale],” Murphy said. “It gives the horse more time to mature, particularly if you've got a late foal. And they just do better. I used to go to July and earlier sales, but it's hard to get them ready when you are still breeding mares. For me the horses are more developed, more mature and if you have a good one, you're going to be a standout here.”

The popularity of the October sale has been bolstered by the success of its graduates on the racetrack. The list of 2020 graduates includes Jack Christopher (Munnings) who is the early favorite for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile following his victory in the GI Champagne S. at Belmont Oct. 2.

After RNA'ing for $145,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase last September, the chestnut sold for $135,000 in October through the Paramount Sales consignment.

“I think a lot of good horses have come out of the October sale,” Paramount's Gabriel Duignan said. “I think it's a very rewarding sale for somebody who puts the work in and covers the ground. I think you can get really good buys here because it's the last stop for yearlings, so you'll have to breeze them or race them if you don't sell them here.”

Duignan continued, “I think now people are pointing horses for October. Every year, the quality is definitely going up. The horses do really well from September to October, they really do mature a lot in that month.”

Of Jack Christopher, who was bred by Castleton Lyons and Kilboy Estate, Duignan added, “He was a horse that probably got dinged for some small things by some vets that were nothing. But I had seen him all his life and he was always a beautiful horse.”

Other recent October sale graduates include 2019 champion juvenile filly British Idiom (Flashback), 2020 GI Darley Alcibiades S. winner Simply Ravishing (Laoban), and GI Pennsylvania Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow).

Last year's October sale, held in the shadow of the ongoing global pandemic, was topped by a $600,000 son of Uncle Mo. In all, 961 yearlings sold for $32,743,700. The average was $34,073 and the median was $15,000.

In 2019, 1008 yearlings sold at the October sale for a total of $38,258,900, for an average of $37,955 and a median of $13,000.

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Hello Beautiful Shines, Prendimi Grinds in Maryland Million Wins

One-to-five favorite Hello Beautiful (Golden Lad) glided unopposed through the Laurel Park homestretch in the $100,000 Distaff S. to win a Maryland Million Day stakes for the third consecutive year while 12-1 frontrunner Prendimi (Dance With Ravens) uncorked a gritty display of tenacity to finally break through in his third attempt to win the $150,000 Classic S., the feature event on Saturday's eight-stakes card for the offspring of in-state stallions.

A trio of Maryland stallions registered two-win days on the 36th annual Jim McKay Maryland Million program: Great Notion, the state's annual leading sire by earnings from 2018-20, has now sired at least one Maryland Million Day winner for 12 consecutive years. Golden Lad, who entered the day third in 2021 earnings by Maryland-breds, accounted for two main-track winners at six and seven furlongs. The offspring of Buffum, who died in 2019, swept the two juvenile sprint stakes.

Four of the afternoon's eight stakes produced tight finishes with winning margins of less than half a length, including a wild four-way photo in the $100,000 Turf Classic in which noses separated the top three finishers.

And there was even a dramatic touch of reclamation in the $100,000 Ladies S. on the turf: The 2020 winner of that stakes, Epic Idea (Great Notion), had gotten disqualified from her win in May 2021 when the Maryland Racing Commission took the unusual step of voting to overturn a stewards' decision to let the results stand even though Epic Idea had drifted out. After getting demoted to second in that 2020 edition of the Ladies S., Epic Idea gamely avenged that DQ by storming back to win the 2021 version.

Even though Hello Beautiful's 3 1/2-length win in the Distaff S. was not technically the feature race on Maryland Million Day, the 4-year-old was the headline horse. She didn't disappoint as the heaviest favorite of the afternoon, assuming command soon after the start and always controlling the race with an authoritative, freewheeling style that was accentuated by the fillies and mares in her wake being under full-out drives while Hello Beautiful soared home confidently under jockey Jevian Toledo, who was subbing for regular rider Sheldon Russell (broken foot).

“It was really emotional today,” said winning trainer Brittany Russell, who noted she was watching the race with her husband Sheldon, who acted as if he was “riding” Hello Beautiful himself instead of being sidelined. “I'm sure Toledo could feel that help,” she said with a laugh.

“She's so special,” Brittany Russell added. “She keeps running, and she keeps running hard.”

Hello Beautiful is owned in partnership by Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stables, and Magic City Stables. Bred by Hillwood Stables, LLC, she wired the seven furlongs in 1:22.22 over a “fast” main track en route to becoming the seventh horse to win three Maryland Million races.

The Classic offered a contrast in styles. Prendimi had finished second, beaten half a length, in this stakes in 2019, then ran last in a field of seven in the 2020 Classic. On Saturday, he cleared the field from post two, got pressured by a 25-1 shot, then appeared to be well within the striking sights of 3-5 fave Tappin Cat (Tritap) turning for home.

Jockey Mychel Sanchez braced for the attack by rousing Prendimi to a furious drive that lasted the length of the straightaway. Even though the narrow lead of the 6-year-old always seemed in peril, Prendimi (which loosely translates to “catch me” in Italian) kept repulsing Tappin Cat's bids to prevail by a neck in 1:50.46 for nine furlongs. The G J Stable homebred is trained by Luis Carvajal Jr.

“We always had faith in him,” Carvajal said. “He's a big horse, and he doesn't like to be behind horses.”

Epic Idea's half-length score in the Ladies S. was a study in ground-saving placement by jockey Daniel Centeno, who shipped in specifically for this stakes mount.

Centeno picked a spot at the fence and sat fourth with his stalking 7-2 shot for most of the nine-furlong trip over firm going before angling out and splitting horses with the Vivian Rall homebred to win in 1:49.46.

“I just looked back at her form,” said trainer Michael Merryman. “Her best race she ever ran was with Centeno. And we wanted to win it, so I made him fly up from Tampa.”

Merryman took the high road when asked post-race about Epic Idea's seven-months-after-the-fact DQ by the racing commission, which Rall had chosen not to appeal.

“It's a big redemption for us. I have to bite my tongue a little bit right now because everyone knows that that was not right,” Merryman said.

In the Turf S., a 20-1 shot set the pace and nearly half the field had a chance to inhale the caving leader off the final turn.

Somekindofmagician (Street Magician) ended up prevailing by a nose for owner Bell Gable Stable, LLC, trainer Gary Contessa, and jockey Angel Cruz. The 4-1 shot, bred by Earl Barnhart, covered the nine furlongs in 1:49.00.

The $100,000 Sprint S. on the Maryland Million card was won by 7-1 Air Token (Golden Lad), who was claimed as a $10,000 maiden by trainer Jose Corrales for his own outfit (Corrales Racing, LLC) back on Aug. 1, 2020.

That investment has now yielded nearly 30 times the claim price in purse earnings. But Air Token's record also shows that he was disqualified from his only other stakes victory, the $100,000 Concern S. at Laurel on Nov. 28, 2020, because of an overage of dimethyl sulfoxide (the anti-inflammatory drug DMSO). According to the stewards' ruling, Corrales was not fined or suspended because of “mitigating circumstances.”

Saturday's winning ride by J.D. Acosta was orchestrated by conceding the lead after Air Token broke running, then stalking a too-hot pace and tipping out for the drive to win going away by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:09.63 for six furlongs. Carol Ann Kaye was the winning breeder.

The two winners of the Maryland Million juvenile stakes not only shared a sire (the late Buffum), but both also had the distinction of re-rallying after briefly losing the lead.

Buff Hello withstood prolonged pace pressure in a spirited three-way go of alternating leaders under jockey Charlie Marquez to win the $100,000 Nursery S. for owner Joseph Besecker and trainer Claudio Gonzalez. Bred by Sergio Gomez, the 5-1 colt was clocked in 1:10.51 for six furlongs while two lengths clear at the wire.

Buff My Boots scored smartly in the $100,000 Lassie S. by slapping back what appeared to be a winning deep-stretch bid to prevail by half a length under Acosta at 9-2 odds in 1:11.14 for six furlongs. Bred by Hope Hill Farm Maryland, she's owned by Bird Mobberley, LLC, and trained by John Salzman, Jr.

A year ago, both Maryland Million juvenile winners had gone through the ring at EASOCT for relatively modest money: Buff My Boots for $7,000 and Buff Hello for $26,000.

In the $75,000 Turf Sprint S., Grateful Bred (Great Notion) sprinted straight to the lead at 1-2 odds and never had an anxious moment, covering 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:02.29 en route to a 1 1/2-length tally. The Gordon Keys homebred is trained by Madison Meyers. Toledo rode.

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Gainesway’s 2022 Roster Led by Tapit

Gainesway's perennial leading sire Tapit (Pulpit–Tap Your Heels, by Unbridled) will once again head the farm's stallion roster and stud fees for the upcoming 2022 season. Tapit will remain at $185,000 live foal, stands and nurses. Currently among the top five North American stallions on the leading sires list of 2021, Tapit has three year-end leading sire titles and is North America's leading sire of Grade I winners with 27, Grade I performers with 58, graded stakes winners with 92, graded stakes horses with 177, and stakes performers with 284. Tapit leads all active sires in nearly every category, including progeny earnings of more than $175 million, which makes him the richest American stallion in history. He continues to scale new heights, with a record-tying fourth GI Belmont S. win this summer by 'TDN Rising Star' Essential Quality, who will be among the favorites in the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

Four-time Grade I winner McKinzie (Street Sense–Runway Model, by Petionville), who bred 214 mares in his first book in 2021, will also hold at his fee of $30,000 for 2022. McKinzie posted 11 triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures–more than 60% of his career starts-and won Grade I races at two, three, and four.

Also slated to see his first foals in 2022 is GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Spun to Run (Hard Spun–Yawkey Way, by Grand Slam), who gets a fee reduction from $12,500 in 2021 to $10,000 in 2022.

Previously announced as new to Gainesway for 2022 is MGISW Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}–Rosa Bonheur, by Mr. Greeley), who will make his final career start in the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Mile. He will stand for $10,000.

Karakontie (Jpn) (Bernstein–Sun Is Up, by Sunday Silence), one of the top third-crop sires by percentage of stakes winners and graded stakes winners, will stand for $10,000 and will be joined in the Gainesway barn by two sons of Tapit in Tapwrit (Tapit–Appealing Zophie, by Successful Appeal) and Anchor Down (Tapit–Successful Outlook, by Orientate). Tapwrit, a $1.2-million yearling and GI Belmont S. winner, will have his first crop of 2-year-olds in 2022. Nearly 20% of his first-crop yearlings brought 10x his 2021 stud fee. Tapwrit will stand for $10,000. With his first crop of 3-year-olds this year, Anchor Down has 14% stakes horses and will stand for $5,000. Veteran Afleet Alex (Northern Afleet–Maggy Hawk, by Hawkster), who stands for a private fee, rounds out the Gainesway roster.

Stallion, Fee (LFSN)

Afleet Alex–Private
Anchor Down–$5,000
Karakontie (Jpn)–$10,000
McKinzie–$30,000
Raging Bull (Fr)–$10,000
Spun to Run–$10,000
Tapit–$185,000
Tapwrit–$10,000

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