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BGFC Hosts Virtual Auction and Live Gala

Blue Grass Farms Charities (BGFC), which provides health and human services to people working on Central Kentucky's Thoroughbred farms, will host both a virtual auction and an in-person gala event in October.

The 2nd Annual Relics and Rarities from the Bluegrass Region Virtual Auction will begin Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. and end Nov. 1, also at 7 p.m. Anyone is welcome and encouraged to bid on unique, rare, and fun items from area farms and businesses. Text BGFC at 76278 to connect and be a part of the auction.

“We have a great lineup of items,” said BGFC director Julie Kwasniewski. “Many are from the farms such as Authentic' s halter and Tapit's shoes. Included in the list of items are signed Maker's Mark and hard-to-find bourbons, area trips and experiences, and beautiful equine art.”

BGFC will also host its annual gala event Oct. 29 at Lexington's Limestone Hall located in the Old Courthouse Square, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. The courthouse will be decorated and the evening will feature live music, catering, and a costume contest.

“Since 2019 we have been planning this gala,” said Kwasniewski. “Why not come knowing that we have been preparing for a fun, COVID-19-safe party for 1 1/2 years. Yes, wear a mask. It's a Halloween party!”

Costumes are encouraged but not required. Tickets are $125 per person or $1,000 for table of eight, available at bgfcky.org or 859.219.0910.

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Live Telethon to Benefit PDJF Returns to TVG Oct. 17

Hall of Fame jockeys, TVG's on-air talent and other prominent racing personalities will once again take to the phones Sunday, Oct. 17 as TVG and The Jockeys Guild host the third annual telethon to raise money for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF).

The event, canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, raised $330,000 in 2019, an increase of more than $100,000 over the inaugural event in 2018. Fan favorite jockeys of today and years past will be on hand live at call centers in California and Kentucky from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET.

“We sincerely appreciate the support of TVG and FanDuel to help raise critical funds for the PDJF through the telethon. Many jockeys will be taking part in the telethon by answering the phones when fans call in to make a donation. This telethon will help in providing the monthly monetary assistance to riders whose lives have been forever changed by a catastrophic on-track accident,” said Jockeys' Guild President and CEO Terry Meyocks.

Mike Smith will be joined by Gary Stevens, Kent Desormeaux, Chris McCarron, Pat Day, Sandy Hawley, Laffit Pincay Jr, Alex Solis, Jean Cruguet, Mike Manganello, Shane Sellers, Darrel McHargue, Mickey Solomone and others who will be on hand to participate in the 2021 Telethon.

“On behalf of the PDJF Board of Directors, we are grateful to have this opportunity as the PDJF's mission would not be possible if not for these types of fundraising efforts and the support of the racing fans,” said Nancy LaSala, PDJF President. “We want to thank TVG and FanDuel, the Jockeys Guild, horse owners, Hall of Fame jockeys, jockeys from around the country as well as our industry partners who support PDJF.”

Fans are encouraged to donate by calling 1-844-TVG-PDJF or through the PDJF website.

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Live Foals in North America Decrease in 2021 to About 19,200

Breedings in 2020 have resulted in 19,021 live foals of 2021 thus far being reported to The Jockey Club (TJC) on Live Foal Reports, according to the annual Report of Mares Bred (RMB), which was released Friday by TJC. The number of live foals reported to date is expected to be 85-90% complete. The reporting of live foals of 2021 is down 3.3% from last year at this time when TJC had received reports for 19,677 live foals of 2020.

TJC also received 2,195 No Foal Reports for the 2021 foaling season. When all the numbers are in, the 2021 registered foal crop is projected to reach 19,200.

In total, 1,447 stallions covered 29,699 mares in North America during 2020, according to statistics compiled through Oct. 4, 2021. The number of stallions declined 6.8% from the 1,552 reported for 2019 at this time last year, while the number of mares bred declined 4.8% from the 31,198 reported for the same time period.

As per usual, Kentucky-based stallions dominated, taking down the first 16 places in the standings with 16,485 total mares bred in 2020 (212 individual stallions) and 11,535 live foals in 2021 reported to date. Those numbers represent a 2.7% decrease from the same period last year. Kentucky-based stallions accounted for 55.5% of the mares reported bred in North America in 2020 and 60.6% of the live foals reported for 2021. The number of mares reported bred to Kentucky stallions in 2020 decreased 4.4% compared to the 17,240 reported for 2019 at this time last year.

Among the 10 states and provinces with the most mares covered in 2020, only Maryland, Ontario, and New Mexico produced more live foals in 2021 than in 2020.

For the second out of three years, the Coolmore stallion Uncle Mo led all sires in 2020 in terms of mares bred. Florida stallion Khozan was the leader among non-Kentucky sires and was bred to 187 mares. The breeding figures come 17 months after TJC announced it would be instituting a rule that prohibited any horse born in 2020 or later from being bred to more than 140 mares. Forty-four stallions exceeded that number this year.

State-by-state breakdown:
State '20 Mares Bred '20 LF '21 LF     % change
Kentucky 16,485 11,851          11,535 -2.7%
California 1,877 1,390            1,253 -9.9%
Florida 1,811 1,156            1,002 -13.3%
New York 1,032 652               649 -0.5%
Louisiana 1,101                      647               631 -2.5%
Maryland 832 506 524 3.6%
Pennsylvania 793                         510 449 -12%
Ontario 594 350 359 2.6%
New Mexico 637                         313 326 4.2%
Oklahoma 576                         342 271 -20.8%

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Mischevious Alex To Stand In Japan

Mischevious Alex (Into Mischief–White Pants Night, by Speightstown), the romping 5 1/2-length winner of this year's GI Carter H. at Aqueduct, will enter stud in 2022 at the Shizunai Stallion Station on the island of Hokkaido, according to a release from the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association (JBBA).

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Mischevious Alex was a $75,000 Keeneland September yearling and was acquired privately by Charles Zacney's Cash Is King LLC after failing to meet his reserve at $140,000 at OBS April in 2019. A debut winner at Parx that June for trainer John Servis, the bay announced his arrival with a 9 3/4-length thumping of his rivals in the Parx Juvenile S. following which LC Racing bought into the colt. Mischevious Alex stamped himself as the leading sprinter/miler of his generation in early 2020, winning the seven-furlong GIII Swale S. by seven lengths and the GIII Gotham S. going Aqueduct's one-turn mile.

Turned over to Saffie Joseph, Jr. for his 4-year-old season, Mischevious Alex annexed a pair of starts in Florida, including the GIII Gulfstream Park Sprint S. before validating 4-5 favoritism in the Carter, accounting for MGISW Mind Control (Stay Thirsty). A courageous third in the GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. in June after battling Knicks Go (Paynter) on the front end, Mischevious Alex retires with a record of 15-7-1-2 and earnings of $734,355. According to the release from the JBBA, Mischevious Alex will leave for Japan in early November. Shizunai Stallion Station is also home to American imports Animal Kingdom, Declaration of War, Eskendereya and Noble Mission (GB).

Mischevious Alex, who is bred on the same cross as fellow Grade I winner Mia Mischief, is out of a winning half-sister to the fleet GSW Hebbronville (Majesticperfection) from the same Harlan's Holiday sire line and to SW & GSP Master of Disaster (Dance Master). Into Mischief, who just celebrated his 100th black-type winner, is the sire of 13 winners from 17 runners in Japan, including the Group 2-placed Delta Barows.

WATCH: Mischevious Alex runs them ragged in the Carter

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