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Danzing Candy Colt on Top at OBS

A colt from the first crop of California-based stallion Danzing Candy topped the open yearling session of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s October sale on a $115,000 bid from agent Donato Lanni. Overall numbers held up reasonably well compared to last year, especially considering the current economic pressures brought about by COVID-19.

After 2-year-olds, horses of racing age and selected yearlings sold Tuesday, Wednesday’s open session saw 256 yearlings bring a combined $2,859,400 at an average of $11,170 (down 11.1% year over year) and median of $8,000 (unchanged). The RNA rate was 21.5% compared to 24.6% 12 months ago.

Bred in Kentucky by Dan and Valencia Leach and consigned by Lisa McGreevy’s Abbie Road Farm, Agent II, session-topping hip 632 is out of the winning mare Bosserette (Street Boss), who was herself a $155,000 OBSAPR grad in 2013. Bosserette is half to SW Meditations (Out of Place) and a full to MSP Butch Walker and from the family of graded winners Lindon Lime and Regal Thunder.

Danzing Candy was trained to 2017 wins in the GIII Lone Star Park H. and GII San Carlos S. by close Lanni associate Bob Baffert. The Rancho San Miguel resident’s previous priciest yearling was $42,000 (a half-brother to Swiss Skydiver {Daredevil} RNA’d for $145,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase).

Besecker Goes Back to the Well…
While Pennsylvania-based owner Joseph Besecker had dispersed much of his stock last year, he has remained involved in the sport on a smaller scale, and went to $62,000 Wednesday to reacquire an Exaggerator filly (hip 615) who he had co-bred and sold as a weanling. The dark bay was purchased by consignor Sandi Dorr’s Sennebec South Farm for $37,000 the 2019 Keeneland November sale.

Hip 615 is the second foal out of stakes-placed Bazinga B (Lion Hearted), who Besecker claimed for $13,000 in 2016.

“She was part of my dispersal,” Besecker confirmed of the Pennsylvania-bred, who was a foal share with the Exaggerator Syndicate. “[Dorr] did a phenomenal job with the horse. We have the Uncle Lino [2-year-old half-sister named Bazinga Babe] ready to race, who we’re very high on; and we have the Hoppertunity [foal colt] who looks like one of the nicest-looking babies I’ve seen in a long time… There were five live people on this horse–I didn’t bid until late. She went for more than I would have thought, but knowing what we know [I thought she was worth it].”

Besecker said Bazinga Babe is in training with Tim Kreiser at Penn National, and noted that he and Kreiser won with a firster on Wednesday at Parx who has been less impressive in the mornings than hip 615’s half-sister. An Exaggerator filly herself, Expurgated–a $40,000 OBSAPR acquisition–aired by 8 1/4 lengths in a $25,000 maiden claimer.

“I was at many, many, many more horses [before the dispersal],” Besecker said when asked of his decision to continue owning horses after seeming like he was getting out of the business. “All the reasons I said I got out were the reasons I got out, and I’m still frustrated with some things–especially during COVID. But, now, I’m applying a new business concept.”

Besecker noted that of the six 2-year-old in training purchases he made this spring, three have won, two have finished second and one has finished third.

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Kirk Robison Talks ‘Horse of a Lifetime’ Jackie’s Warrior On Writers’ Room

Having been involved in horse racing for decades, Kirk Robison knows how much luck plays a part in finding success. He admits as much. But perseverance also pays, and Robison has finally seen the fruits of his labor pay off at the highest level of the game, as his undefeated Jackie’s Warrior (Maclean’s Music) is set to head into the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile as a heavy favorite, with a chance to solidify a divisional championship to boot.

Wednesday morning, Robison joined the TDN Writers’ Room presented by Keeneland as the Green Group Guest of the Week to discuss his emerging superstar, the breaking news of his deal with Spendthrift for the colt’s breeding rights and what it means to have a potential Breeders’ Cup or GI Kentucky Derby winner after all these years supporting the game he loves.

Already with runaway victories in the GII Saratoga Special S. and GI Runhappy Hopeful S., Jackie’s Warrior added a devastatingly easy 5 1/2-length victory in the GI Champagne S. Saturday at Belmont.

“I read that they’ve run the Champagne since 1867, and I appreciate the fact there’s a lot of horses that were in there that are in the history books,” Robison said. To win that race is just incredible. First Landing and Dehere were the only 2-year-olds in the last 60 years that swept the Saratoga Special, Hopeful and Champagne. And now our colt did it. So putting it in that perspective, I appreciate every one of these races.”

The score earned a 100 Beyer, giving the bay clearly the two top figures of all 2-year-olds this year, and stamped him as a clear Juvy favorite. Robison said that while he’s taking nothing for granted, he likes Jackie’s Warrior’s chances to run his record to five-for-five.

“He hasn’t gone two turns yet. He hasn’t run at Keeneland. That other colt [GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity hero Essential Quality] already won a two-turn race there at the distance, so that’s a huge advantage for him, but our numbers, if he can carry that speed around two turns, our colt’s going to be very, very hard to beat,” he said. “The numbers don’t lie. And I watched the replays of the Hopeful and Champagne a number of times–he’s just a blur out there. I never dreamed I’d have a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile favorite, now we’ve got to go out and do it. But I’m extremely confident.”

News broke Wednesday morning that Robison made a deal with Spendthrift Farm to stand Jackie’s Warrior at the top-flight stallion outfit after closing out his racing career.

“They wanted to buy a part of the horse early on, after he won the Special. And I said, I’m going to wait until maybe he wins the Hopeful,” he recalled. “I wanted to control his racing career, and I got that. They agreed to that. So Steve Asmussen and I are going to manage the horse until he’s retired. I get all the purse money during his racing career. I’ve got some bonus structure in there from Spendthrift. At the end of his racing career, he goes to them and they manage the stud career.”

Asked how early he knew his colt was a runner, Robison reflected on a conversation he had with a different Asmussen as the horse was being broken at the family’s Laredo, Texas training center.

“I talk to Keith once in a while about how they’re doing,” he said. “He doesn’t get too ahead of the curve on who’s running well because he doesn’t do much with them as far as asking for speed. But I told him early on, like February or March, ‘I want to win the Hopeful someday with a 2-year-old.’ He actually said, ‘This might be your colt.'”

While Robison can’t help but dream about winning the Derby, he’s realistic about his colt’s potential distance limitations. Sire Maclean’s Music is more of a sprint influence, and his dam never won beyond 6 1/2 furlongs, so while Robison would love to win the Derby, he’s only interested in running with a top chance.

“You can’t not think about it, but I think I’m pretty good about measuring and managing my expectations,” he said. “His mother was a pure stone cold sprinter. So to even get a mile or a mile and a sixteenth could be the upper limits of where this horse goes. If we could be lucky enough to win a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile or Breeders’ Cup Sprint later on, it’d be satisfying. I only want to go to the Derby with a horse that can run one, two, three. I don’t want to be 20-1 and run up the track.”

Robison reflected on when he and Asmussen bought Jackie’s Warrior for the bargain price of $95,000 at Keeneland September, and spoke about how that elusive force of luck shined on him with a horse who’s done everything right since the hammer dropped.

“Steve called him an old soul,” Robison said. “He’s like a 6-year-old gelding. He takes everything in. He’s easy on himself. He looks around the paddock like, ‘OK, got to go to work.’ He’s a very smart horse. Takes care of himself and doesn’t get too worked up and use up all of his energy. So he’s the horse of a lifetime for a guy like me. Other people may have multiple Grade I winners, I don’t. And he may be the last one I ever have. How much can you say about luck in this business? A lot of people were not willing to pay 100,000 for this horse. So they stopped at 95 and Steve got him. If this horse had gone to 150 or 200, we might not even own the horse. So I’m extremely grateful for what we have. When you get one, you have to say, ‘Thank my lucky stars, I got one.'”

Elsewhere on the show, in the West Point Thoroughbreds news segment, the writers paid tribute to the great Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), who was retired from racing this week after an illustrious career. Plus they broke down the Ken McPeek vs. Matt Muzikar beef that stemmed from last week’s podcast and celebrated the Grade I success of the show’s unofficial mascot, Harvey’s Lil Goil (American Pharoah). Click here to watch the podcast; click here for the audio-only version.

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Three Chimneys Reduces Stud Fees for 2021

Three Chimneys Farm is the second stud farm in as many days to release a roster of reduced stud fees for the 2021 season due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The historic farm’s 2021 roster is headlined by Horse of the Year Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) at $50,000 LFS&N. The six-time Grade I winner, who was represented by his first yearlings this season, stood for $70,000 in 2020.

“The industry finds itself in unusual times,” said Three Chimneys Chairman Goncalo Torrealba. “One can take comfort in knowing that notwithstanding the challenges of this past year, the thoroughbred industry proved that it can adapt by working together. In that spirit, we have made the decision to lower stud fees for the upcoming breeding season to accommodate fellow breeders.”

Palace Malice (Curlin) was up from $15,000 in 2019 to $25,000 in 2020 courtesy of Structor, a colt from his first-crop who won the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last year. He was reduced to $20,000 LFS&N for 2021.

New to the roster is the recently retired Grade I winner Volatile (Violence), who was given an introductory fee of $17,500 LFS&N.

The rest of the 2021 roster is as follows with all fees LFS&N: Fast Anna (Medaglia d’Oro), dropped from $10,000 to $5,000; Sky Mesa (Pulpit) who went from $15,000 to $12,500; Sharp Azteca (Freud), reduced from $10,000 to $6,500; champion Will Take Charge (Unbridled’s Song), cut from $15,000 to $5,000; and Funtastic (More Than Ready), who remains at $5,000.

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Laurel Reopens to Public on Limited Basis

The Maryland Jockey Club has been the green light by state and county officials to reopen Laurel Park to the public on a limited basis beginning with the Thursday, Oct. 15 program. The move stems from gaining approval from Anne Arundel County, where Laurel Park is located, in addition to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s revised executive order issued Sept. 28, which allows up to 250 spectators at state racetracks. Laurel Park opened its calendar year-ending fall meet Oct. 8, five days after the conclusion of the six-day Preakness Meet at Pimlico Race Course.

The 250 persons allowed in the executive order are in addition to owners and other licensed personnel that have been granted access in order to conduct live racing. Post time for Thursday’s eight-race program at Laurel is 12:40 p.m.

Owners, patrons and employees will be granted entry through Laurel’s grandstand entrance after having their temperature screened with a thermal camera. The horsemen’s entrance adjacent to the historic paddock will only be staffed on live race days beginning at 8 a.m. for authorized personnel only. Facial coverings and proper social distancing are required for all persons and will be strictly enforced. Physical barriers have been installed where personal interaction is necessary, and increased disinfection and sanitization of common areas will be in place. Laurel’s simulcast room will be at 50% capacity.

While remaining dark Mondays and Tuesdays, Laurel will be open for simulcasting on Wednesdays as well as live racing Thursday through Sunday in October and November. The first-floor grandstand concession area will operate from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on those days, with the second-floor grandstand sports book bar open Friday through Sunday. Laurel’s first-floor clubhouse, currently being used to accommodate jockeys and valets, will remain closed to the public.

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