BOAY Racing News

I certainly hope so Chief but if that was the case I would have thought we would know about it by now.  I have my doubts but I hope I’m wrong. 

Well I think the 2 year old bonus is a waste of money. I don’t believe it is contributing to significantly more 2 year olds racing.  It essentially makes for $27k races for 5 & 6 horse fields.   I think with some of the money they have come into HRNZ should be putting some aside to build a nest egg for when the 5 years is up.  

Gemma Flitz (NZ) (Telperion) has been a model of consistency on Riccarton’s synthetic track and she capped off that form when it counted, claiming the major spoils in Wednesday’s $100,000 Polytrack Championship (1200m). The mare joined Ross Beckett’s Yaldhurst stable just under two years ago and swiftly announced herself on the synthetic circuit, winning or placing on the surface at each of her six attempts. On that form, Beckett eyed the six-figure feature for Gemma Flitz this year, and she produced a stunning dress rehearsal last start to come into the race as a $6.20 hope. As expected, the pace was fierce early as Holdem and Spartan contended for the early lead, while Gemma Flitz was forced to remain three-wide in the hands of apprentice jockey Donovan Cooper, but she found a comfortable rhythm in midfield. Spartan edged clear on the corner but the challengers were coming across the track, including Gemma Flitz, who found the perfect split down the centre alongside one of her main rivals in Tumuch. The pair came away from the field in the last 200m, and despite a late dive at the line from her higher-weighted rival, Gemma Flitz got the better of Tumuch to claim the top spot by nose. Beckett had been impressed by the mare’s progress since her last success and was rapt to collect the big prize on his local course. “She needed the run the other day and she’d done nothing but improve since then,” he said. “It’s a great result. “I said (to Cooper) to hop out, be positive and hopefully end up about fifth or sixth. I’d rather he be wide then too far back, so it worked out very well. “I’m a big supporter of the synthetic track and for the Riccarton track itself, there is a lot of good work going on here.” Gemma Flitz had plenty of support in the crowd from her syndicate, which includes her former trainer Karen Fursdon. She broke maiden status for the Matamata horsewoman before heading south, where she has now boosted her earnings to more than $145,000. “The owners called me up one day and asked if I would take her, so I did, and we’ve taken our time with her since then,” Beckett said. “She’s only had around 20 starts and she’s matured right out into a really nice mare. “We put her on the polytrack and she loved it, she goes well on the turf too, but she just doesn’t like a wet track. If we didn’t have the poly, she wouldn’t even be in work at the moment. “She’s not just a 1200m horse, I think she’ll get a mile easy enough as she can settle. We’ll get her ready for Cup Week now.” Out of a Postponed mare Lady Gaga, Gemma Flitz has won five of her 23 appearances and placed in a further seven. View the full article

Joe Waldron made the perfect start to his New Zealand return, with his first runner back collecting a winning cheque at Riccarton’s synthetic meeting on Wednesday. Waldron commenced his training career in the Waikato and has spent the last six years plying his trade in Victoria, and he has recently returned to his home region of Otago, where he trains out of Wingatui. He brought half a dozen horses back with him to New Zealand, including Secret Beau (I Am Invincible), who broke through for his maiden win in convincing fashion when taking out the Stallion Tenders Now Open Maiden (1200m). In the hands of Matt Cartwright, the son of I Am Invincible was taken straight to the front, where he was never headed, and he showed his class down the home straight when opening up a significant margin on his rivals, eventually running out a 4-1/2 length victor. Waldron was duly rapt to score with his first runner back, and he was able to celebrate the victory trackside with his partner, Sarah Fannin. “It was really cool,” Waldron said. “I thought he would improve with the run as he has had a couple of quiet weeks after he got here. “It didn’t surprise me that he was able to win, but he surprised me how he did it because he should still have good improvement coming out of the win.” Waldron purchased Secret Beau online in Australia for A$4,000 and he has proven to be an astute buy, finishing runner-up in both of his Australian starts prior to heading across the Tasman. “He has been a great wee pick-up for us,” he said. “We found him on Inglis Digital for A$4,000 after he had trialled at Hawkesbury. It was the right place at the right time.” Cartwright had ridden Secret Beau to his debut runner-up result on Pakenham’s synthetic track in June and Waldron was delighted to renew their association at Riccarton on Wednesday. “We feel very lucky to have someone of his ability riding for us down here,” Waldron said. Waldron is loving his time back in New Zealand and said the climate hasn’t been too dissimilar to his former Australian base of Pakenham. “It has been fantastic,” he said. “The horses have settled in great and the people are fantastic, they have been really helpful and really welcoming. Fingers-crossed we can keep things going. “It reminded me of Pakenham (at Riccarton) – it was cold and windy. We have been blessed with the weather, there have been some cold, frosty mornings, but lovely days. No complaints, it’s no colder than it was over there.” Waldron said many of his stable are still in the infancy of their spring preparations and Secret Beau will likely be his sole representative until spring. “Secret Beau will line-up in a couple of weeks’ time, depending how he comes through the run,” Waldron said. “A few of the other horses are early into their preps, so they are still six to eight weeks away.” While his stable is mostly made up of his own runners at the moment, Waldron has received strong interest from outside owners, and he is looking forward to building his team in the coming months. “We have had a few people get in touch, so hopefully things fall into place, which means there are a couple of more horses in the stable, which will be cool,” he said. “Hopefully we can keep the ball rolling.” View the full article

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – The record-smashing Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale steam rolled to its conclusion Tuesday night, setting highwater marks for every metric and culminating with a head-turning gross of $100,715,000. At the close of business, 160 yearlings had sold for an average of $629,469 and median of $450,000–numbers which dwarfed records set just last year when 154 yearlings grossed $82,160,000 for an average of $533,506 and a median of $425,000. It was the third straight year of across-the-board statistical records at the Saratoga sale. The buy-back rate following Monday's first session of the auction was a sparkling 12.5%, but even that figure improved during Tuesday's blockbuster session. With just 21 of 181 offered yearlings failing to meet their reserves, the cumulative buy-back rate for the auction was 11.6%. “It was a remarkable two days,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “We've been selling at Saratoga for 104 years, so it's not an overnight sensation. It's a culmination of many, many years of hard work and sweat.” Still Browning admitted the results of the 2025 Saratoga sale exceeded all expectations. “If somebody had told me even last night at 6:25 p.m. that we were going to sell $100 million worth of horses, I would have told them you've lost your mind. We knew it was going to be really tough to top last year. And we smashed all records. It was a record-smashing sale and we are so proud of that.” The Saratoga auction was just four hips from its conclusion when Coolmore and White Birch Farm went to a sale-topping $4.1 million to secure a colt by Into Mischief from the Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa consignment. The yearling was one of 25 to sell for $1 million or more at the boutique sale and one of six to sell for $2 million or more. A year ago, 12 horses sold for seven figures, with two bringing more than $2 million. The auction's 15 top-priced offerings were purchased by 15 different buying entities, reflecting a diversity that is indicative of a healthy marketplace, according to Browning. “Someone told me before the sale that [the market] reminded them of the '80s, it's so good,” Browning said. “And I said, 'Wait a second. It's got no resemblance to the 80s.' The 80s was dominated by basically two or three buying groups. And when you are dominated by two or three buying groups, there is a fragility with that and that fragility came to fruition. Today there is a broad base of both consignors and buyers. And it makes for a much, much healthier industry.” Bidding returns to the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs for the two-day Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearling Sale which begins Sunday evening at 7 p.m. and concludes with a session beginning Monday at noon. White Birch, Coolmore Land Final Blow for $4.1M Into Mischief Colt When it appeared that the pace might finally start winding down near the end of Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga Sale, a bay colt by Into Mischief, Hip 218, strode into the sales ring. Consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa on behalf of Don Alberto Corp., the first foal out of MGSP Stellar Sound (Tapit) quickly bounded to seven figures in a blink of an eye. With bids coming fast and furious from both the front and back of the pavilion, it was the tandem of Peter Brant's White Birch Farm and Coolmore partners that held fast to land what would ultimately equate to the sale's highest-priced yearling with a $4.1-million winning bid. Stellar Sound, a half sister to GISP Luminance (Tale of the Cat) and SW Smart as Me (Malibu Moon), is a granddaughter of MGISW Versailles Treaty (Danzig), herself responsible for GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner George Vancouver. Coolmore and White Birch partnered on four yearlings through two sessions, including Hip 123, a colt by Into Mischief who realized $1.25 million, and Hip 101, a colt by Uncle Mo who brought $1 million. The duo also paired up to secure a colt by Golden Pal (Hip 78) for $275,000. “It's a surreal feeling that [Coolmore, Brant] would step up to get this colt,” said Don Alberto's Reed Ringler. “I cannot tell you how gratified I am of everyone on our farm who has poured their guts out into these horses and for them to come up here and showcase themselves like this.” He added, “All the credit to Carlos and Liliana [Heller] for building the broodmare band and the work that goes into these horses and it shows when they come up here. That surpassed their wildest dreams and we feel very blessed. We are all very proud.” –CBoss Don Alberto Takes Home Into Mischief Filly, But is Rewarded with Sale-Topping Into Mischief Colt In addition to the Saratoga sale topping $4.1-million Into Mischief colt, Don Alberto Corporation brought five other yearlings to this year's select sale, including a colt by Good Magic (Hip 117)-a full-brother to MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Muth–who brought $1 million, in addition to a Flightline filly (Hip 208) selling for $600,000. The operation also sold a Curlin filly (Hip 166) for $525,000 and a filly by Constitution (Hip 193) for $500,000. Hip 117, a Good Magic colt | Fasig-Tipton Of Don Alberto's initial seven-figure sale during Tuesday's session–a full-brother to GI Arkansas Derby and GI American Pharoah winner Muth–the operation's Reed Ringler explained, “He showed himself great. He has a lot of leg under him. He reminded me so much of his full-brother. I think everyone else saw the same thing. We gave him a little bit of time, to get into himself, and he looked like a racehorse. For a May 23 foal, he just handled everything up here so easy.” Despite the active market at the higher end, Ringler thought the colt could hit the seven-figure mark despite his late foaling date. “We were hopeful he could bring $1 million, but with the late birth date, you never know,” he admitted. “We brought him up here hoping he'd show himself well because he is still just a baby and I was hoping the buyers up here would have the imagination needed to see what this guy can grow up to look like. I think his attitude and willingness, 230 times out of his stall, was what got it done.” Ironically, the sole yearling of this year's six-horse Don Alberto consignment not to sell was one of the most talked about yearlings heading into the sale, Hip 165, a filly by Into Mischief that just failed to achieve her reserve of $4 million. The filly, a half-sister to this season's GI Preakness winner Journalism (Curlin), is out of Mopotism (Uncle Mo), who succumbed to complications arising from colic prior to Journalism's GI Haskell Stakes victory last month. Don Alberto currently has a filly by Flightline, the final foal out of Mopotism foaled earlier this season. “This one might open up some new doors,” Ringler said. “The plan had initially been to keep her. But we'll see how things go.” Hip 165, a $3.9-million RNA, gets ready | Fasig-Tipton As for Tuesday's RNA, he explained, “Ultimately, I don't know what we were rooting for. I would have been crying if we sold her because we love her so much. But at the same time, when you come up here and have a horse like this in this market place you feel obligated. She came here and jumped through all the hoops and ultimately was a little bit short of where we wanted to be. But I am happy to take this one home and Carlos [Heller] is too, especially after losing the mare. This filly is one of one. She looks so much like her mother and like Journalism, is a big, scopey horse.” He continued, “We wanted to come up here and give her a chance and see if someone would step up, it didn't happen and we're happy to take her home. I hope she becomes a stakes winner and produces foals like her mother did.” Ringler reflected on the highs and lows over the past month, on the track, at the sales and in the breeding shed. “It was an incredible roller coaster the last month. Journalism riding those highs, and then losing the mare,” he said. “To take that filly home after hoping to get $4 million for her and to turn around an hour later and get $4 million for the Into Mischief colt is unbelievable. But the bar was high and it's been a very strong market. Fasig assembled a nice group of horses and to come up here and compete, it's an unbelievable feeling. It's been a great night.”  –CBoss $3-Million Into Mischief Colt Tops Resolute's Saratoga Purchases John Stewart said he was particularly looking for yearlings by Into Mischief when shopping at this year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale and, while he missed out on the half-sister to Journalism by the Spendthrift super sire, he would not be denied when bidding $3 million to acquire a colt (hip 178) by the sire for his Resolute Racing. The colt is out of stakes winner and Grade I-placed Lady Kate (Bernardini) and he was consigned by Gainesway on behalf of Stonestreet, which purchased the mare for $1.15 million at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Hip 178, by Into Mischief | Fasig-Tipton “I really was on hip 163 and it got bought back by the owners, so I had two more shots left,” Stewart said. “And I am here to find good colts that can go two turns and that's why I think there was so much action on that horse. So we are really happy with that.” Resolute Racing purchased five yearlings at the two-day auction for a total of $5,425,000. Among the group was an $875,000 son of Flightline (hip 111); a $600,000 son of Violence (hip 24); a $550,000 filly by Nyquist (hip 94); and a $400,000 daughter of Charlatan (hip 143).  @JessMartiniTDN Demand for Gun Runner Yearlings Continues with $2.9M Colt Day 2 Continuing the blazing run of Horse of the Year Gun Runner, a colt out of Princesa Carolina (Tapit) realized a $2.9-million final bid from agent Donato Lanni, bidding from the upstairs balcony. Acting on behalf of Amer Zedan of Zeddan Racing, Lanni was also flanked by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. Offered as Hip 179 from the Four Star Sales consignment, the Apr. 22 foal is a half-brother to GII Demoiselle Stakes winner and Grade I-placed 'TDN Rising Star' Muhimma (Munnings). The colt was the highest-priced yearling by the stallion to sell over the two days. “He was an unassuming horse, but he was impressive when he started moving,” said Lanni. “He was always automatic. The past three or four days, he just had a good attitude about everything. He looks like a racehorse. And he looks like he will go the distance and could get us to the [Kentucky] Derby. He's a Derby type of horse. Bob liked him and Amer likes to come here and buy horses. We got lucky.” Hip 179, by Gun Runner | Fasig-Tipton The grey colt was bred by Three Chimneys Farm, also where Gun Runner currently stands stud. “The horse pushed off with his hind quarters, something you just don't see often, so much so that it almost looked out of place it was so strong. He's a great individual,” said Four Star Sales Kerry Cauthen. Adding some extra meaning to the sale, Cauthen explained, “Donato is a great judge of horseflesh. He and I worked together at Walmac, so it was fun to see him buy that horse and for me a chance to sell him.” Princesa Carolina, a 9-year daughter of MGISW Pure Clan (Pure Prize), is also responsible for an unraced Gun Runner colt who brought $2.2 million at Keeneland last September. “There is a hope they will sell well, but you can't really expect that they will finish up like that,” admitted Cauthen. “We are lucky to have great owners like Three Chimneys, and the whole team, including my team, it takes everybody. I am very proud of everybody. “It was a great sale. He's a very precocious-looking horse and he's very young. He has a lot of growing to do. We are very happy with him.” During Tuesday's second session, a total of five yearlings by Gun Runner generated $8.95 million in gross receipts for an average of $1.79 million. Through both sessions, a total of eight yearlings sold for $12.65 million, averaging $1,581,250. —CBoss 'Something New at Our Age:' Boyds Add $2.6-Million Gun Runner Filly to Fledgling Stable Randy and Jenny Boyd admitted they knew nothing about horse racing, but Randy said, “Life is about living slightly uncomfortable and this is a whole new space for us.” The couple, sitting alongside bloodstock agent Billy Love and Brittany Linton in the front row of the pavilion, made the most of their new space, going to $2.6 million to acquire a daughter of Gun Runner (hip 175) from the Lane's End consignment Tuesday in Saratoga. Hip 175, by Gun Runner | Fasig-Tipton “This was something new that we could do at our age,” Jenny Boyd said. “It was something we knew nothing about. And it's very exciting.” Randy Boyd is the president of the University of Tennessee and the founder of Radio Systems Corporation. The couple's Boyd Racing now includes three horses in training, including a filly who was recently second in a maiden special weight at Saratoga. Love, a former rodeo cowboy who earned his way into the Thoroughbred industry working for Ali and Brandon Rice's RiceHorse Stables, was celebrating his biggest purchase as a bloodstock agent on his birthday Tuesday. “I met the Boyds about a year and a half ago through Brittany Linton,” Love said. “They purchased a horse privately from me, a Yaupon filly and thankfully, for extra reassurance, last week she ran a strong second in a maiden special weight in Saratoga. She ran a very competitive race. And that just made it easier for them to give me permission to buy a couple horses for them here.” The 2-year-old Tennessee Belle (Yaupon), aptly named for the Knoxville natives, was second in a July 26 special weight at Saratoga for trainer John Ortiz. Bred by Pam and Marty Wygod and Oliver and Emily Bushnell, hip 175 is out of multiple Grade I winner Paradise Woods (Union Rags). “We loved her physically,” Love said. “From the start, she caught our eye and obviously her pedigree is very strong. She is bred to be a Kentucky Oaks horse. We loved everything about her from her nose to her tail to her feet. Everything is perfect about her.” Billy Love | Fasig-Tipton Also on behalf of the Boyds, Love and Linton purchased a colt by Practical Joke (hip 9) for $350,000 during Monday's opening session of the auction. “The purchases from this sale will go down to Paul Sharp in Ocala,” Love said. “I bought them some weanlings over the winter and they are at my farm in Ocala.” Love, who offered his first consignment at OBS in 2019, admitted it was a long way from needing a partner to purchase a $2,000 horse to buying a $2.6-million yearling for his clients, but was quick to add hard work had just as much to do with his progression in the industry as luck. “People say it's luck,” he said. “They don't see all the 15-hour workdays.” @JessMartiniTDN Spendthrift Buys Out Partners for $2.6-Million Into Mischief Colt Spendthrift Farm's Ned Toffey admitted the farm had tried to buy out partners Carolyn and Fletcher Gray on an Into Mischief colt earlier this year, but the Grays resisted and that decision paid dividends in the Saratoga sales ring Tuesday when Toffey was forced to $2.6 million to acquire the yearling out of multiple Grade I winner I'm a Chatterbox (Munnings). “We bought half of I'm a Chatterbox several years ago and she is one of two mares on Spendthrift that we have a partner on,” Toffey explained. “We tried to buy him a little while ago and they were too smart to take that offer. The only fair way then is to bring him through the ring and sort it out from there.” Hip 163, out of I'm a Chatterbox | Fasig-Tipton The Grays bred and campaigned I'm a Chatterbox to wins in the 2015 GI Cotillion Stakes and 2016 GI Delaware Handicap and GI Juddmonte Spinster Stakes. “He was a colt that we raised and we obviously know a lot about him,” Toffey said of the yearling. “We thought he was as pretty as any colt in the sale and so we are really happy to have him.” Spendthrift also bought out the Grays to acquire the mare's 2-year-old filly by Into Mischief for $700,000 at last year's Saratoga sale. Now named Bad Manners, the filly has been working at Del Mar. Asked if the colt's $2.6-million price tag Tuesday matched expectations, Toffey said, “We got outbid so badly on several horses last night. We got several bought, but there were others that we tried to buy and we didn't get anywhere close. So we kind of came up here thinking he was $1.5 million and after that, we thought he might be more because the market is so strong.” @JessMartiniTDN West Point, John Oxley Team Up on First Joint Purchase During a wild run of action in the latter half of Tuesday's session, John Oxley and West Point Thoroughbreds joined forces to secure Hip 176, a colt by Horse of the Year Flightline, for $1.8 million. The bay was consigned by Lane's End on behalf of breeder Summer Wind Farm. Flightline, who stands at Lane's End Farm, is represented by his first crop of yearlings in 2025. Hip 176, by Flightline | Fasig-Tipton Out of SW and GSP Park Avenue, the Mar. 5 foal, the first for his dam, was bred by Summer Wind Farm and Sarah Farish. The mare, a daughter of Quality Road, was purchased by Summer Wind for $1.45 million at Keeneland November in 2022. This represents the extended family of Mine Only (Mr. Prospector), the dam of GSW Academy Award and GSW Statuette, herself the dam of Irish Highweight Tomahawk. “We bought a beautiful Flightline filly [Monday, $1.1 million, Hip 34] and we were trying to get a Flightline colt today and he was at the top of the list,” said West Point's Terry Finley. “We know he has been in the right hands since the day he was foaled. We are really happy.” According to Finley, the West Point/Oxley partnership represented the first joint venture between the longtime owners. “We had the honor and privilege of partnering with John Oxley for the first time and his agent Justin Casse. We crossed paths earlier today and we are really psyched,” he said. “He is a pillar of the turf. I am really glad we have a chance to partner with him.” Through two sessions, West Point purchased four yearlings, including a pair of seven-figure yearlings, for a total of $3.16 million with an average of $902,500. “The sale has been on a roll, so we wouldn't have been surprised if he went past $2 million. The top end of the market is really strong.” “There are a lot of good things going on in our industry. There is a lot of momentum right now. There are some great things to build upon.” –CBoss 'Going to Do More Next Year:' Charlatan Filly Rewards Hamlin as Nothing But Net Tim Hamlin of Wynnstay Farm was already familiar with the family when he purchased a filly by Charlatan (hip 143) on behalf of a client for $140,000 at the Keeneland January sale earlier this year. That experience paid off for Hamlin and his client when the yearling sold for $400,000 to Resolute Racing Tuesday in Saratoga. “I used to own the mare,” Hamlin said. “A friend of mine got real sick and we had to sell the mare. But when I saw her foal, I wanted to buy her.” Fasig-Tipton The filly's dam Lin Marie (Curlin) sold to Wind Hill Farm for $140,000 through the Wynnstay consignment at the 2020 Keeneland November sale. Of the mare's Charlatan filly, Hamlin said, “She was a beautiful filly. She looked fast. Just like she does now. She just grew up beautiful and she vetted perfectly. She's got a good family. She did everything right.” Hamlin said Tuesday's result exceeded expectations. “We had some good people on her,” he said. “I was hoping she would bring $300,000. But you never know.” Asked if he was happy with the result, Hamlin said, “Very happy.” And his client? “He is very happy, too. This was his first baby-to-yearling pinhook. He buys yearlings to race or pinhook. He breaks a lot of horses for end users. He's in the game, but he's really never done the pinhooking of babies to yearlings. But he says we are going to do more next year.” @JessMartiniTDN The post With $4.1-Million Into Mischief Colt Leading the Way, Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Gross Surges Past $100 Million appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article