There is uncertainty in the select juvenile marketplace heading into Tuesday's Barretts March sale in Southern California. The OBS February and Fasig-Tipton Florida auctions produced mixed results, making people wonder if the unprecedented growth of recent years might be coming to an end.
Big spenders gather at Calder Race Course in Florida for world's swankiest sale of 2-year-olds in training, which produced a world record price of $16 million in 2006.
Dennis Narlinger has bought out Lewis Lakin's interest in Lakland North, and the farm has been renamed Sequel Stallions New York. Becky Thomas has retained her half of the farm.
The Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling auction ended with an impressive display of financial fireworks Sunday evening in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Buyers have been busy as bees trying to sort out the prospects from the pretenders at the Barretts March select sale of 2-year-olds in training.
Becky Thomas and Lewis Lakin, one of the Thoroughbred industry's most dynamic teams in pinhooking and commercial breeding, have begun a major reduction of their partnership ventures.
The first foal sired by grade II winner Read the Footnotes is a filly that arrived Jan. 14 at Lewis and Brenda Lakin and Becky Thomas' Lakland North near Hudson, N.Y.
Grade II winner Read the Footnotes, who began his stallion career in 2005 at Becky Thomas' Sequel Stallions near Orange Lake, Fla., will stand the 2006 season at Lakland North near Hudson, N.Y.
Bwana Charlie, a son of Indian Charlie out of the Halo mare Shahalo, will enter stud at Becky Thomas' Sequel Stallions in Orange Lake, Fla. in 2006. He will stand for $6,500 live foal.
One Nice Cat, a stakes winning son of Storm Cat out of champion Jewel Princess, has been retired and will stand in 2006 at Becky Thomas' Sequel Stallions near Orange Lake, Fla.
Closing Argument, the 2005 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) runner-up, has been retired from racing and will take up stud duty for the 2006 breeding season at Becky Thomas' Sequel Stallions in Ocala, Florida.
Graded stakes winner Heckle has been bought by Dennis Narlinger's JMJ Racing and the partnership of Becky Thomas and Lewis Lakin from Dogwood Stable (Cot Campbell, president) for stallion duty.
A good-sized crowd of local breeders and owners, pinhookers, and curiosity seekers showed up for the first session of the inaugural New York Breeders' Sales Co.'s yearling sale Thursday night. The sale, which had a county fair-like atmosphere, was conducted under blue-and-white-striped tents at the Yaddo show grounds near Saratoga Race Course.
Freud, an English group II-placed full brother to prominent stallion Giant's Causeway, was represented by his first winner when his daughter My Interpretation won a turf race Aug. 3 at Saratoga.
Philip and Marcia Cohen have sold an equity interest in the their 3-year old colt Closing Argument to JMJ Racing Stables (Dennis Narlinger) and Sequel Stallions (Becky Thomas and Lewis Lakin), Narlinger announced May 20.
If weather is any indication, the outlook is bright for Keeneland's April sale of 2-year-olds in training Tuesday.
A large contingent of trainers were on hand March 20 for the final of two breeze shows leading up to the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's selected March 2-year-olds in training sale.
The first foal sired by grade II winner Dream Run is a colt born Jan. 22 at Lewis and Brenda Lakin and Becky Thomas' Lakland North near Hudson, N.Y.
Read the Footnotes, a three-time graded stakes winner who holds one of the highest Beyer Speed Figures of the year, has been retired from racing because of a knee problem and will enter stud at Sequel Stallions near Ocala, Fla.
Precise End, who ranks eighth on the national freshman sires list, has been sold to Japanese interests for stallion duty at Hidaka Stallion Station.
California bloodstock agent Bruno DeBerdt and Florida pinhooker and former jockey Rudy Delguidice Jr. have formed a new venture, Excel Bloodstock.
The strong market for 2-year-olds in training continued with a record-breaking sale at Barretts' May sale of juveniles May 11. High water marks for average, median, and buy-back rates were eclipsed at the auction, conducted at the Hinds pavilion in Pomona California.
Rudy Delguidice Jr., the right-hand man to successful yearling-to-juvenile pinhooker Becky Thomas, is going on his own.
To sell well, 2-year-olds in training need to perform well. But the horses in Tuesday's Barretts select auction have faced some significant disruptions in their preparation.
Who are the hot horses at Barretts? Because of wet weather, drag racing, and the delays in the under tack shows, it's difficult to tell. But keep an eye on Sequel's Tiger Ridge colt.
Hook and Ladder, a graded stakes winner two separate seasons, has been retired from racing and will enter stud at Lakland North near Hudson, N.Y., owned by Becky Thomas and Lewis and Brenda Lakin
Grade II winner Dream Run has arrived at Lakland North near Hudson, N.Y., where he will stand the 2004 season for $5,000 live foal.
A Roar filly named Reverberation zipped an eighth of a mile in :10 1/5, posting the fastest time for the distance Saturday during the first session of the final under tack show for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March select sale of 2-year-olds in training.
Barretts shattered a world record Tuesday when it sold a flashy chestnut son of Sea of Secrets for $2.7 million at its March select sale of 2-year-olds in training. But the Southern California auction lost some of its luster when nearly half of the horses it offered failed to find new homes.
Fillies by first crop sires Anet and Tactical Cat were the fastest workers Sunday during the second and final under tack show for the Barretts March select sale of 2-year-olds in training.
The top of the 2-year-olds in training market will get its first major test when Fasig-Tipton conducts its select sale at Calder on Tuesday.
KAFWAIN
Bloodstock agent Bob Cromartie has purchased 260 acres of the former Silverleaf Farm near Orange Lake, Fla., from SLF Partners, the investment group that owns the nursery.
Grade I winner Outofthebox, Florida's champion 3-year-old male of 2001, will enter stud at Dick Simon's Sez Who Thoroughbreds near Ocala, Fla.
Non-select sales of 2-year-olds in training experienced declines in gross revenue, average price, and median price in 2002. Usually such negative trends are signs of poor economic health. But the losses tended to be minor, and were offset, in part, by a significant decrease in the buy-back rate. In the final analysis, the market for modest juvenile stock this year was fairly stable.
English group II stakes-placed Freud, a full brother to European champion Giant's Causeway, will enter stud for a fee of $5,000 live foal at Becky Thomas and Lewis and Brenda Lakin's Lakland North near Hudson, N.Y.
A $105,000 Quiet American colt was the top seller as of 2 p.m. (EDT) Monday during the first session of the Keeneland October yearling sale. Consigned by Mill Ridge Sales, agent, he was purchased by Florida pinhooker Becky Thomas, who plans to resell him at an auction of 2-year-olds in training next year.
Consignors met with Keeneland officials to discuss drug-testing program for next year's April sale of 2-year-olds in training.
Officials of the four major auction firms that sell 2-year-olds in training—Barretts, Fasig-Tipton, Keeneland, and Ocala Breeders' Sales Company (OBS)—all are considering changes in their formats for under tack shows.
