Gayego competed in two legs of the 2008 Triple Crown and captured the Arkansas Derby (gr. II) at 1 1/8 miles, but "we think we've found a niche for him in sprint races being a closing sprinter," said Rick Mettee, a key assistant to Godolphin Racing trainer Saeed bin Suroor.
2 days ago
Reade Baker, the trainer of Fatal Bullet, has a message for Zensational, the 7-5 morning line favorite in the $2-million Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I), and the rest of the field: We're ready, and we're going to run hard.
3 days ago
Augustin Stable's Informed Decision faces a much-anticipated rematch with Ventura Nov. 6 in the $1-million Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Santa Anita Park. When the two tangled back in April on Keeneland's Polytrack, Informed Decision defeated Ventura by a head in the Vinery Madison Stakes (gr. I).
3 days ago
There were audible gasps of dismay when Zayat Stables' Zensational drew the No. 1 post position for the $2-million Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I). The dominating, front-running, 7-5 morning favorite will have no room for error early in the six-furlong race Nov. 7 over Santa Anita Park's Pro-Ride surface.
3 days ago
Ventura, who will be trying to win the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint for the second consecutive year Nov. 6, was made the 8-5 morning line favorite in the Nov. 3 post position draw for the World Championships at Santa Anita Park. The Juddmonte Farms homebred, which likes to come from behind, is on the far outside in the field of nine and will be ridden by Garrett Gomez.
4 days ago
Juddmonte Farms homebred Ventura will be defending her title in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint Nov. 6 at Santa Anita, and she's ready to roll, according Garrette O'Rourke, who manages Juddmonte's nursery near Lexington.
5 days ago
The Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale bucked the prevailing negative trends in the Thoroughbred marketplace to post increases of 9.1% in median price and 5.7% in gross revenue during its three-day run that ended Oct. 28 in Lexington.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
People listening closely to the announcements from the auction stand during the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale heard something new during the auction's three-day run (Oct. 26-28) in Lexington. For the first time, Fasig-Tipton told prospective buyers when a horse's stem cells had been collected and stored.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The average price rose 65.2% from 2008 during the opening session of the Magic Millions national horses in training sale Oct. 28 in Australia. The gross revenue also grew, increasing 12.7%.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Leonard Lavin's Florida-based Glen Hill Farm was a powerful buying force during the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale's second session, which generated a median price that was up 25% from a year ago. The average price fell 4.4% while the gross revenue declined 12.3% Oct. 27 in Lexington.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The news wasn't all bad during the opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale Oct. 26 in Lexington. The median price increased 20% from 2008 while the buy-back rate was down significantly. The results also included downturns of 11% in gross revenue and 6.4% in average price, but they weren't nearly as severe as those suffered by many other yearling auctions earlier in 2009.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky fall yearling sale isn't as fancy as the company's Saratoga and Kentucky July select auctions, but as a producer of Kentucky Derby Presented By Yum! Brand (gr. I) winners, it stands out. Big Brown, who captured the Run for the Roses in 2008, and Mine That Bird, who scored in the first leg of the Triple Crown this year, both are graduates of the October sale.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Nearly every domestic yearling sale in 2009 has suffered sharp declines, but in England, Ireland, and France, auctions of young horses generally have turned in stronger performances.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Canadian champion and two-time grade I winner Kodiak Kowboy will be entered in the Nov. 7 Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park even though his experience on synthetic tracks is limited and he has enjoyed his greatest success on dirt.
Friday, October 23, 2009
The Dow Jones industrial average closed at 10,015.86 Oct. 14, marking the first time the figure had touched 10,000 since October of last year, when the stock market was on its way down. The statistic has enjoyed an amazing rebound of 53% since March when it dropped to its lowest point in more than a decade.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Fasig-Tipton has cataloged 153 horses for its November select mixed sale, which will be held in Lexington Nov. 10, beginning at 5 p.m. The number is down 18.6% from last year's total of 188.
Friday, October 09, 2009
The market was livelier during the second and final session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale Oct. 6 in Maryland.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
A Harlan's Holiday colt became the top-priced horse sold at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale so far when he commanded $300,000 during the auction's second session Oct. 6 in Maryland. Francis Vanlangendonck of the Summerfield sales agency signed the sale ticket on behalf of Florida pinhooker Nick de Meric. Samantha Siegel of Jay Em Ess Stable and Alan Quartucci of North Shore Bloodstock also were in the hunt for the striking bay yearling, which went through the sale ring early in the afternoon.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling auction got a new top price just before 1 p.m. (EDT) Oct. 6 when a Not For Love colt sold for $120,000 to Samantha Siegel of Jay Em Ess Stable during the sale's second session in Maryland. The previous high -- $117,000 for a Malibu Moon -- Two Chimneys colt -- came during the opening session Oct. 5.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
The Thoroughbred market's dismal downward trend this year continued during the opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale Oct. 5 in Maryland. The gross revenue suffered a moderate 9.5% loss from 2008, but the median price plummeted 35% while the average price fell 19.4%.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Prices dropped during the opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale Oct. 5 in Maryland, following a trend that has been seen at nearly every Thoroughbred auction this year. But there were still a lot of smiling faces as buyers and consignors praised the newly renovated sale pavilion at the State Fairgrounds in Timonium.
Monday, October 05, 2009
Fasig-Tipton has cataloged 972 horses for its Kentucky fall yearling sale, which will be held Oct. 26-28 in Lexington. The total is down 10.8% from last year's total of 1,090.
Monday, October 05, 2009
Fighting Brave, who brought the sale-topping price of $2 million at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling auction, made his career debut a winning one at Dundalk in Ireland Oct. 4.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling might struggle like nearly every other Thoroughbred auction this year, but at least the buyers and consignors will have a newly renovated sale pavilion to enjoy Oct. 5 and 6 in Timonium, Md. According to Fasig-Tipton officials, there will be dramatic changes in the appearance of the once drab facility.
Friday, October 02, 2009
New Jersey bloodstock agent Buzz Chace was a new buyer at the Goffs Orby yearling sale in Ireland on the opening day of the auction Sept. 29. Acting on behalf of longtime client West Point Thoroughbreds, he purchased a Holy Roman Emperor colt for 140,000 euros ($204,879 in U.S. funds)from Camas Park Stud and an Ad Valorem colt for 50,000 euros ($73,171)from Ashtown House Stud.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
The Overbrook Farm dispersal, which began at the Keeneland September yearling sale, will not mark the end of the Young family's involvement in the Thoroughbred business. Chris Young, the 34-year-old grandson of Overbrook founder W.T. Young, is making plans for his own venture that probably will emphasize racing.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
David Hayden has a message for his fellow commercial breeders: "Change or die." The ability to be flexible during hard times, he said last week at the Keeneland September yearling sale in Lexington, is the key to survival. And Hayden, who plans to keep raising horses for many years to come, has looked at everything from production costs to where he will market his yearlings in an effort to remain profitable and avoid drowning in a sea of red ink.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
From the very beginning of the Keeneland September yearling sale in Lexington, it was apparent that there would be a major correction in the market for young horses as key business figures suffered significant setbacks. Here are comments from auction participants during the first week of the sale.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
During the fourth session of the Keeneland September yearling sale Sept. 17, very little changed from the results seen during the first three days of the marathon sale.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
When Goulash's Unbridled's Song colt brought $925,000 to top the opening session of the Keeneland September yearling auction Sept. 14, the prognosis for the Mari's Book mare looked grim. She is battling laminitis, and there were concerns that she would need to be euthanized just days after her son had been sold.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
The Keeneland September yearling auction continued its merciless battering of commercial breeders and consigners, posting results that fell far short of last year's figures for the third consecutive day even though a filly by the hot sire Medaglia d'Oro brought $1.3 million.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Stallion managers slashed stud fees last year after this country's recession deteriorated into a financial crisis and spread around the world. With prices for Thoroughbreds continuing to decline after falling significantly in 2008, commercial breeders are calling for even more stud fee reductions for 2010.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Three seven-figure horses pumped up the excitement on the second day of the Keeneland September yearling sale in Lexington, but they didn't provide a big enough financial boost to end the discouraging slump in the auction's key business figures.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The first session of Keeneland's marathon September yearling sale concluded Sept. 14 with major declines in gross, average, and median prices.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Gus Koch, the manager of the Hancock family's historic Claiborne Farm near Paris, Ky., will retire at the end of the Keeneland September yearling sale. He was named the Farm Manager of the Year by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers Club in 2004, and he is a past president of the organization.
Monday, September 14, 2009
One day prior to the Sept. 14 start of the Keeneland September yearling sale in Lexington, there was a lot of uncertainty about how the market would perform at a time when the economy was continuing to struggle. There also were some questions about what was going on around the sale grounds. Here they are, and here are their answers.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Here is a list of horses that consignors and buyers think could be standouts Sept. 14 during the first session of the Keeneland September yearling sale in Lexington.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
The weekend before the Sept. 14 start of the Keeneland September yearling sale in Lexington, the auction's participants were worrying about the market and trying to guess how much it would be down from 2008. But some consignors were pleasantly surprised by how many people were looking at their horses. Here is what some of them had to say.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Azeri, who was bought back for $4.4 million at this year's Keeneland January horses of all ages sale, has been entered in the upcoming Keeneland November breeding stock sale, according to John Sikura of Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency and Hill 'n' Dale Farms. Owned by the Allen E. Paulson Living Trust, the 2002 Horse of the Year is in foal to Distorted Humor after producing a Ghostzapper filly this year.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Consignors at the Keeneland September yearling sale were bracing themselves for one of the most daunting auction challenges of 2009: Finding new homes for thousands of young horses at a time when the weak economy is causing buyer demand for Thoroughbreds to shrink. Buyers, meanwhile, were excited about the prospect of bargains.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
As a partner in historic Darby Dan Farm, Wayne Sweezey was a familiar face at the Keeneland September yearling sale. But a non-compete agreement kept him from being an active participant in last year's auction after he left Darby Dan. Now Sweezey is back with his own consignment, T. Wayne Sweezey and partners, which has 22 horses in the September catalog.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
For Gerry Dilger of Dromoland Farm in Central Kentucky, the timing could not have been better. A little more than a week prior to the start of the Keeneland September yearling auction, two juvenile graduates of his breeding and selling program -Hot Dixie Chick and Dublin- scored victories in grade I races at Saratoga.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
A son of Cahill Road brought the highest price of $60,000 during the Washington Thoroughbred Breeders Association (WTBA) summer yearling sale Sept. 8 at the Morris J. Alhadeff Sale Pavilion at Emerald Downs. Jill and Dave Heerensperger purchased the bay colt, which is a full brother to The Great Face, winner of the 2007 Longacres Mile (gr. III) and Mt. Rainier Handicaps at Emerald Downs.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
No Inflation notched the first added-money victory of his career when he scored by 6 1/4 lengths in the $250,000 Kent Stakes (gr. IIIT) Sept. 5 at Delaware Park. Ridden by Rosemary Homesister Jr., the Repriced gelding grabbed the lead soon after the start and, while being stalked by Dr Large, set fractions of :24.29 for the first quarter mile and :48.35 for the half. No Inflation started pulling away in the turn for home and never was challenged as he approached the wire.
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Fasig-Tipton has cataloged 670 horses for its Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale, which will be held in Timonium, Md., Oct. 5 and 6. The number is down 28% from 2008, when 930 horses were in the book and the auction was three days in length.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
The Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. yearling sale, like many other auctions before it in 2009, couldn't overcome the weak economy and ended up posting results that were down signficantly from 2008.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
According to an old saying, "Everything is bigger in Texas," but Fasig-Tipton's yearling sale in the Lone Star State has gotten smaller. And that could be a positive development.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
The price for an individual horse peaked at $45,000 on the third day of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. yearling sale, with three lots each bringing that amount Aug. 26 in Central Florida. They were a Stormy Atlantic--La Defense colt, a Put It Back--Lovely Lyric colt, and a Pomeroy--Misty Springs filly.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
A filly by the hot first-crop sire Wildcat Heir was the most expensive horse sold on the second day of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s slumping yearling auction, bringing $100,000 Aug. 25 in Central Florida. Repole Stable purchased the New York-bred chestnut from Bryan and Holley Rice's Woodside Ranch, agent.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
The Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s August yearling sale broke slowly from the starting gate Aug. 24 in Central Florida, suffering downturns of more than 30% from 2008 in its gross revenue, average price, and median price. But a powerful-looking Medaglia d'Oro filly topped the select session by attracting a $275,000 final bid from Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Plantation that surpassed last year's peak price for an individual horse of $200,000.
Monday, August 24, 2009
