Chief Stipe

DEL MAR, Ca – The Barretts Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, which combined the company’s traditional two juvenile auctions for the first time, was topped Wednesday by a $600,000 son of Uncle Mo. West Point Thoroughbreds’ Terry Finley made the winning bid on hip 14, who was consigned by Eddie Woods. In all, 74 horses sold Wednesday at Del Mar for a total of $6,421,000. The average was $86,770 and the median was $50,000. Of the 170 catalogued head, 54 were withdrawn and 42 failed to sell for a buy-back rate of 36.2%. “Like it is across the country, the highly desirable horses are easy to sell,” said Barretts General Manager Kim Lloyd. “There are people after them, there is a lot of competition for them. But for the horses that the market isn’t fond of, it’s tough sledding. We saw that again today.” Nine horses sold for $200,000 or over during Wednesday’s auction. At last year’s final Barretts March Select Sale, 12 juveniles reached that mark with a top price of $675,000. The top price at last year’s final May sale, and only horse over $200,000, was $245,000. The 2017 March median was $100,000 and the May median was $27,500. Barretts combined the two auctions in an attempt to present buyers with a larger catalogue of potential purchases and sellers with a broader buying base to market their product. “I didn’t have any negative comments about combining the sale,” Lloyd said. “Actually everybody was positive about it, the consignors and the buyers. We had a bigger catalogue–and everybody likes that. We had a huge turnout at the preview, we had a great turnout in the barn area and even here at the sale today there was a big turnout. The market determines the prices on the horses. But everything was in place today.” Of the combined marketplace, Lloyd added, “I think it opens the door for opportunities to sell a horse. I really do. I saw it today.” West Point Strikes Early for Uncle Mo Colt West Point Thoroughbreds provided the early fireworks at Barretts Wednesday, seeing off a pair of challengers to secure a colt by Uncle Mo for $600,000. Consigned by Eddie Woods, hip 14 is a California-bred 2-year-old out of Fresia (El Prado {Ire}), a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner His Race to Win (Stormy Atlantic). “I thought he was a beautiful horse,” West Point’s Terry Finley said after signing the ticket on the colt alongside bloodstock agent David Ingordo. “I thought he was a horse that would have fit in either of the first two sales [OBS March or Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale] we came to. The fact that he is a California-bred, that was just icing on the cake. He was a very special horse.” West Point has a group of promising prospects by Coolmore’s Uncle Mo and Finley said he is quickly becoming a fan of the stallion. “We like Uncle Mo–this class of 35 horses that we are going to come to the races with, we have four Uncle Mos. So I am starting to warm up to Uncle Mo a little bit more than I was.” Finley added West Point may eventually have additional partners on the bay colt, who will be trained by Jerry Hollendorfer. “There should be a couple of others, but I don’t know who is going to come in yet,” Finley said. “We’ll try to figure that out.” The juvenile, who was bred by Bar C Racing Stables, was making his second trip through the Barretts sales ring. He was purchased by Woods’s Quarter Pole Enterprises for $60,000 at last year’s Barretts Select Yearling Sale. “He was a spectacular horse who worked well,” said Woods. “He is a beautiful-looking horse who has been uncomplicated all year.” Woods continued, “He had a little blemish, that he still has, on a sesamoid. When we vetted him, we sent the X-rays to a lot of different vets around the country for multiple opinions and everyone was very comfortable with it. So we were good to go.” Of the colt’s quarter-mile work in :21 1/5, Woods admitted, “I thought he might actually go a bit quicker. But we weren’t on the same track that we usually work on. This was a little bit of a slower track, a very forgiving track, but a couple of ticks slower than what we’ve seen in the past. And he wasn’t quite ready to work on that kind of track that far, but because he has natural talent, he did.” Neal and Pam Christopherson’s Oregon-based Bar C Racing Stables purchased Fresia, with this Uncle Mo foal in utero, for $35,000 at the 2015 Keeneland November sale. Fresia had no reported foal in 2017 and was bred back to Harbor the Gold. Into Mischief Colt to Zedan Bloodstock agent Dennis O’Neill, bidding on behalf of Amr Zedan, went to $450,000 to secure a colt by Into Mischief from the supplemental catalogue of the Barretts Spring Sale Wednesday at Del Mar. The youngster, who was withdrawn from last month’s OBS March sale due to a minor setback, was rerouted to the Barretts sale and showed up in Southern California with a co-bullet furlong work in :10 flat Monday. “We thought he was the best colt in the sale and you can’t beat Into Mischief right now,” O’Neill said. “We were prepared to go a little higher–I was kind of surprised it stopped where it stopped. He was an absolutely gorgeous horse. His breeze was great and we got him galloping out really good. We’re extremely excited to have him to say the least.” Consigned by Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree Stables, hip 167 is out of Cape Discovery (Cape Town). He was purchased by Ron Fein’s Superfine Farms for $110,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale. Superfine already had a pinhooking score on the juvenile sales season this year. The operation purchased a colt by Fed Biz for $160,000 at the Keeneland September sale and the youngster sold for $725,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale. O’Neill purchased subsequent ‘TDN Rising Star’ Saudi Chroma (Lucky Pulpit) for $360,000 on behalf of Zedan at last year’s Barretts March sale. The fledgling Zedan Racing Stable will be represented by Tyfosha (Flatter) in Saturday’s GI Ashland S. and by Shane Zain (Medaglia d’Oro) in the GII Lexington S. “He’s just trying to compete at the top and we thought this was the best colt in here. That’s what he wants to buy,” O’Neill said of Zedan’s business plan. Hip 167, who has been stabled with the Wavertree horses in Barn D on Del Mar’s backside, will only have a short trip to trainer Doug O’Neill’s barn at the oceanside oval. “He will go four barns over, he’ll stay here at Del Mar,” Dennis O’Neill confirmed. Rockingham Ranch Takes Charge Bloodstock agent Raymie Lightner, bidding on behalf of Gary Hartunian’s Rockingham Ranch, signed the ticket at $335,000 to secure a filly (hip 109) from the first crop of Grade I winner Will Take Charge (Unbridled’s Song). The chestnut filly is out of multiple stakes winner and multiple graded stakes placed Trip for A. J. (Trippi). She was consigned by Becky Thomas’s Sequel Bloodstock. “From the start, she stood out,” said Lightner. “She looked good on the track–she galloped out strong and looked good doing it. And she had great conformation. There was nothing not to like about her. She was the one we zeroed in on from the start. We are tickled to death to have. She did it all for us.” Peter Miller will train the filly for Rockingham Ranch. Hartunian’s operation, which won a pair of Breeders’ Cup races last fall, had the second and third-place finishers in last weekend’s G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen and the runner-up in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint. Also this spring, Rockingham has added a colt by Kantharos (hip 368), purchased for $410,000 at OBS March, and a Medaglia d’Oro colt (hip 95) purchased for $50,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale, to its roster. The Will Take Charge filly, bred by Lynn Schiff, was purchased by Thomas and Al Pike for $100,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton July Yearling Sale. Solis is All Smiles for Cal-bred Colt Bloodstock agent Alex Solis, bidding on behalf of a partnership that will include the Roth family’s LNJ Foxwoods, went to $200,000 to secure a colt by Smiling Tiger during Wednesday’s Barretts sale. Out of Perfect Feat (Pleasantly Perfect), hip 63 is a full-brother to stakes winner Spiced Perfection and he worked a co-bullet in :10 flat Monday at Del Mar. “He breezed really well, he is a big-striding, efficient horse,” Solis said of the colt’s appeal. “He galloped out really well. He’s very well-balanced. And he’s a full to a nice horse.” Solis continued, “I think, for a Cal-bred, he’ll be a lot of fun to have. The Cal-bred program is so great now. We are breeding Straight Fire (Dominus) in California right now for that exact reason. This is a good way for them to get a taste for the Cal-bred market.” Multiple Grade I placed Straight Fire was campaigned by a partnership which included Jungle Racing, LNJ Foxwoods and KMN Racing. He now stands at Legacy Ranch. Hip 63 was consigned by Havens Bloodstock Agency on behalf of breeder Premier Thoroughbreds, which purchased Perfect Feat for $7,500 at the 2014 Barretts January sale. Owned by Phil Lebherz, the burgeoning Premier Thoroughbreds matched that result later in the sale when hip 75, a filly by Violence brought $200,000 from Blinkers On Racing Stable. Solis said he was happy with Barretts’ new combined 2-year-old in training sale. “It’s much better having more horses,” he said. “I think it’s a good thing. I think they need to build on it still, but it’s a good start. They are selling horses for a lot of money still.” View the full article

A game of musical preps includes the entry of Gary and Mary West's homebred Restoring Hope in the Wood Memorial, sending the son of Giant's Causeway cross-country off a maiden win in a last-minute bid to gain points to run in the Kentucky Derby. View the full article

A rematch with McKinzie may be off for Bolt d'Oro, but a showdown with Justify is on for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby (G1) April 7. View the full article

When representatives of The Jockey Club and the National HBPA both advised that a good point to begin regulating race horses may be when a Thoroughbred conducts its first recorded workout, the moment wasn't lost on at least one attendee. View the full article

A rematch with McKinzie may be off for Bolt d'Oro, but a showdown is still on for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby (G1) April 7, as Justify enters the fray. View the full article

The Gazelle is New York's final Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifier, offering 100 points to the winner, 40 to the runner-up, 20 to third place and 10 to fourth for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) May 4 at Churchill Downs. View the full article

Jeff Blea of the AAEP participated on a panel on the appropriateness of bisphosphonate use in race horses, especially in young horses, during the animal welfare forum April 4 at the ARCI conference on equine welfare and racing integrity. View the full article

Victoria-based Woodside Park Stud has announced their 2018 roster and fees, reported ANZ Bloodstock News early Thursday. Led by Written Tycoon (Aus) (Iglesia {Aus}) at A$110,000–he commanded A$88,000 in 2017–the roster is augmented by Written Tycoon’s son Rich Enuff (Aus) at A$12,100 and shuttler Cable Bay (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who will stand for A$13,200. The four-strong roster is rounded out by MG1SW Tosen Stardom (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who is still in training. His fee will be announced later. “Woodside’s 2018 stallion roster will have worldwide appeal to broodmare owners with bloodlines from international superstars and colonial speed, with proven champions and promising, exciting young stallions,” Woodside Park Stud Commercial General Manager James Price told ANZ. “Woodside Park Stud is proud to support and grow the Victorian breeding industry, and being passionately Victorian-owned, they believe Written Tycoon will continue to play a pivotal role in the success of the Victorian industry for the rest of his breeding career. The chestnut’s son Written By (Aus) saluted in the 2018 G1 Blue Diamond S., and was a strong fourth in the G1 Golden Slipper S. Written Tycoon has already sired champion juvenile colt and Golden Slipper hero Capitalist (Aus). “It’s highly likely that Written By will be awarded champion Australian 2-year-old colt,” he continued. “This will place Written Tycoon in elite company, joining Redoute’s Choice (Aus) as one of only two stallions to have sired two champion 2-year-old colts in Australia in the last 20 years. View the full article

Godolphin’s homebred Impending (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}–Mnemosyne {Aus}, by Encosta de Lago {Aus}), who won the G1 Stradbroke H. at Doomben during his 3-year-old year, will stand at Northwood Park in Victoria at season’s end, Darley Australia announced Thursday morning. Graduating at first asking at Rosehill, the bay scored his first group victory in the 1500m G2 Stan Fox S. after finishing third in the G1 Golden Rose S. over 1400 metres early in his sophomore season before improving to take the Stradbroke in the Southern Hemisphere fall. The James Cummings trainee currently sports a record of three wins in 14 starts and earnings of $1,288,639. He was last seen in action running third in the G1 Darley Classic at Flemington on Nov. 11. Out of champion and MG1SW Mnemosyne, Impending is a half-brother to Group 3 winner Forget (Aus) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), as well as GSP Memorial (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) and a full to SP Epidemic (Aus). His SW second dam My Juliet (Aus) (Canny Lad {Aus}) is a half-sister to Group 2 placed Perfect Crime (Aus) (Marauding {NZ}). “When you send a Group 1-winning mare like Mnemosyne to a champion racehorse and sire like Lonhro, you hope for a result like Impending,” said Darley’s Victoria General Manager Andy Makvi. “He’s a great athlete and a great physical specimen. If his progeny inherit his looks and his walk, yearling buyers are going to be all over them. It’s greatly in his favour that he’s the product of two colonial-bred, Danehill-free champions. And Lonhro’s dynasty is really on the move–Pierro (Aus) is showing the way, and there’s Exosphere (Aus) and Impending to follow.” Impending will stand for A$20,000. View the full article

A game of musical preps includes the entry of Gary and Mary West's homebred Restoring Hope in the Wood Memorial, sending the son of Giant's Causeway cross-country off a maiden win in a last-minute bid to gain points to run in the Kentucky Derby. View the full article

Undefeated Elarqam (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who won the G3 Tattersalls Somerville S. for Sheikh Hamdan and trainer Mark Johnston will head straight to the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 5 and will not have a prep race beforehand. “We will go straight to the Guineas with him and I am looking forward to it,” said former champion jockey Jim Crowley, who was aboard the 1.6-million gns purchase second up in the Somerville. “Hopefully Elarqam is something to look forward to this year. When you have got that pedigree and price tag there is always going to be a little bit of anticipation of the horse living up to the hype. He is a lovely horse and has got a great temperament. He did what I thought he would do at Newmarket last time out and the form has worked out nicely with winners coming out of it. I’ve hit the crossbar a couple of times in Classic races and now the aim is to win one, but they are never easy.” G2 Coventry S. winner Rajasinghe (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}) is also going directly to the first Classic of the season at Headquarters. The Rebel Racing colourbearer was unplaced in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf behind Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy), but trainer Richard Spencer feels his charge has wintered well. “The plan all along has been to go straight to the Guineas, with a view of giving him a racecourse gallop two weeks before,” said Spencer. “He has wintered well and looks as good, if not better, than last year. “We are going there with a personal view that I think he will stay the mile. He has obviously got that natural speed a miler needs. The plan is to start off in the Guineas with a view that we can stick to that trip or always bring him back.” View the full article

Hip 14, a California-bred son of Uncle Mo-Fresia (El Prado {Ire}) was knocked down to Terry Finley’s West Point Thoroughbreds for $600,000 to cause some early fireworks at Wednesday’s Barretts Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale at Del Mar. Bred by Bar C Racing Stables, the May 2 foal is out of a half-sister to MGSW His Race To Win (Stormy Atlantic) and was purchased by Quarter Pole Enterprises for $60,000 at last year’s Barretts Select Yearling Sale. The bay, who also hails from the female family of Sovereign Award-winning juvenile Hello Seattle (Chief Seattle), was consigned to the April Sale by Eddie Woods as agent. Hip 14 breezed a quarter-mile in :21 1/5 at Monday’s under-tack preview. View the full article

Historic Cambridge Stud in New Zealand begins a new era under the ownership of Brendan and Jo Lindsay, as of Wednesday. Sir Patrick and Lady Justine Hogan developed the stud into a top-notch operation, standing leading stallions Sir Tristram (Ire) and his son Zabeel (NZ). More recently, young sire Tavistock (NZ) (Montjeu {Ire}) is beginning to make his mark. The change in ownership was announced in November. “Our decision to buy Cambridge Stud underlines our commitment to New Zealand and its Thoroughbred industry and our shared desire for the iconic brand to remain in New Zealand,” said Jo Lindsay. Added Brendan, “Cambridge will undergo a major refurbishment over the next three years, including the upgrade of the recently acquired, adjoining Thorpe property, to cater for our expanding stallion roster. We will continue to operate Cambridge as a premier stallion and broodmare operation, doing what the stud has done best for 40 years, while our Karaka farm will be integrated with the Stud, carrying mares and foals and continuing to support the racing operation.” Former Godolphin Australia Managing Director Henry Plumptre will serve as chief executive and Scott Calder will serve as head of sales and nominations. Angelique Bridson will be in charge of marketing. “We are all very excited to be part of something as special as Cambridge Stud,” said Plumptre. “It is a privilege to be involved with an industry icon and we look forward to creating something that complements the brand as it is now, but sets the tone for the next 50 years. The enthusiasm and energy shown by Brendan and Jo already is infectious and we are all looking forward to the next few years, with the challenges they will bring. Cambridge and the farm at Karaka carry wonderful staff and I am very confident that they will rise to the occasion.” The 2018 fees for the three-horse Cambridge roster of Tavistock, Burgundy (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}) and Highly Recommended (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}, will be announced in the coming weeks. View the full article

Keeneland found itself under fire last year after raising takeout rates for its Fall meet. The company listened to its customers, however, and reversed most of the increases this February. With the track’s always-anticipated Spring Meet set to kick off Friday, TDN Associate Editor Joe Bianca talked to Keeneland Vice President of Racing and Sales Bob Elliston about that decision and what he’s looking forward to most this April at the historic Lexington oval. TDN: Obviously, the big news recently is Keeneland bringing some takeout rates back down after raising them in the fall. Can you take me through that decision-making process, from the original increase to the rollback? BE: Last year, when we made the decision [to raise takeout], we looked at where Keeneland’s blended takeout was and our relative pricing to other circuits in the country, and we were significantly below that. When we made the modifications, we were still in a similar range on blended takeout with the major markets we compete with. We were of the mind that the increased revenues, to put the money back into the sport, with physical improvements and fan development, we thought people would understand what we were doing. We heard a lot from our customers and the recurring theme was that blended takeout wasn’t necessarily the driver of wagering, it was takeout on specific pools. We actually did in fact grow our revenue streams, but we noticed that there were specific problems around the exacta, daily double and win/place/show pools. That was most of where the problems were and those pools made up almost 60% of our wagering. We talked to customers about, if we were able to go back to more competitive pricing for those pools, would they see that as more advantageous. So we specifically targeted exactas and win/place/show, which make up about 55% of our wagering. Those increases were the ones that really drove our customers nuts. TDN: Were you surprised at the level of backlash from the fall decision, referring to the horseplayers’ boycott in particular? BE: We weren’t surprised because we achieved the financial outcomes we thought we would. We forecasted a slight decline, but if you know us and know what we were doing with the additional resources, you felt better about it. There was no boycott on track and we saw a limited difference here. Customers pointed out a very valid point and that’s why we changed it. Looking just at blended takeout wasn’t the correct way to look at it. TDN: Keeneland is widely known in the industry as a forward-thinking, customer-friendly company. Considering that, how important was it for you to demonstrate that you were listening to your customers on this? BE: That’s absolutely the case, we do view ourselves as forward-thinking and a company that makes customer-centric decisions. Just in the last several months since Keeneland January, we’ve been going through listening sessions, sitting down with people from consignors to big buyers to sellers. We also had a focus group with 15 top handicappers and listened to them about other changes we can make, about possible changes in our wagering menu, guaranteed pools, etc. To have them respond the way they did after we made the [takeout decrease] was gratifying. TDN: Can you expand upon what you were looking to learn from the players you talked to? BE: Where they get their information to handicap from, their preferred vehicles [of data], how we can support that with additional elements, both on-track and on our broadcast, that go to the kind of things they were relying on. TDN: The Spring Meet is unique from the Fall Meet in that it isn’t sandwiched within your sales season and is more of a standalone racing event. Do you operate any differently in the spring being able to focus all of your energy and resources into racing? BE: Operationally, not really. Here at Keeneland, because this is a national meet, horses come from all over the country and it’s the same way with October. In the spring, we get some horses prepping for the Kentucky Derby and Oaks and it’s also great that our other stakes can support the Triple Crown cards. We have such a tremendous following as far as the quality of these races attracting interest. We have a national audience that’s both physically here and watching through simulcast. TDN: What would you say you’re looking forward to most during the upcoming meet? BE: It’s going to be tremendous. We had a record number of stall requests, which is a good indication of who wants to come race with you. We had very few stalls available on site and have some of the top outfits from all over the U.S. coming here. You look at the quality of the horses on the stall applications and we may have five or six Breeders’ Cup champions racing here in terms of how the stakes are shaping up. Our stakes coordinator has been loaded up with work getting all of that into the system because we’ve seen such tremendous enthusiasm. That coupled with the reaction from horseplayers from the takeout response that we had, all that suggests, if anyone can control the weather, we’ll have a dynamite meet. View the full article

Never mind if the curtain is dripping mud as it is raised on the European breeze-up season at Ascot today. Yes, conditions for yesterday’s under-tack show were grim for young horses– especially for those unfortunate enough to be among the last of 127 ploughing through increasingly churned turf, bowing their heads into a swirling curtain of rain. And yes, there will be horses with more obvious pedigrees and physiques available at subsequent sales. Nonetheless anyone prospecting the Tattersalls Ireland catalogue can legitimately cling to two positives. One is that an environment so lacking in neutrality may well compel buyers–ever more devoted to the stopwatch, in recent years–to go back to basics and think about the kind of things that first gave the breeze-ups a good name: action, demeanour, athleticism. Consignors are understandably worried that buyers may prove unnerved by that challenge, but the fact is that the rewards will be there for horsemen of the old school. After all, they won’t have to change the way they operate. One, returning to the stables, was asked whether he had seen the times yet. He laughed outright. “You may as well use a grandfather clock for some of them,” he said. So perhaps the wet spring, if also impacting Doncaster next week, will yield some salutary lessons to those who–for all their avowals to the contrary–rely first and foremost on all that expensive timing equipment. The other consolation should be that this sale, while unapologetically pitched to those with a relatively limited budget, produced the leading graduate of last year’s European breeze-up calendar in Sands Of Mali (Fr) (Panis). He may yet be overtaken by one or more contemporaries who are now on the Classic trail. But for now his G2 Gimcrack S. laurels represent the most prestigious achieved by the crop–and, as his buyer recalled yesterday, Sands Of Mali was actually the very first 2-year-old to breeze anywhere in Europe last year. “I sat in the stands with Peter Swann and his wife Karin, and after watching them all we agreed that the very first horse up there had been the best,” recalled Matt Coleman of StroudColeman Bloodstock. “That was just on the impression he made, not on times or anything. So we went down to look at him and found a big, strong horse who looked like he’d improve a lot, just an immature frame really.” “He had a wonderful action and we loved the way he went round the corner and disappeared off towards Swinley Bottom–the guy couldn’t stop him. He was quite green up the track, so he was actually just getting going. Micky Cleere, who rode him, had never sat on the horse before. And when we asked him he said, ‘I don’t know what that is, but it can go.'” Recalling the way he looked here last year, Coleman has high hopes that Sands Of Mali–who was consigned by Bansha House Stables and changed hands for £75,000–can resume his progress this year after failing to build on his York success in two subsequent starts. “I saw him at Richard Fahey’s the other day and he looks fantastic,” he enthused. “He has really strengthened up. He ran absolutely no race in the [G1] Middle Park . We had him scoped, blood-tested, everything; nothing turned up, it was just one of those inexplicable days. He seemed lackadaisical in the pre-parade ring and Paul Hanagan said that even going to the start he was not the same horse as in the Gimcrack.” “But he ran well at the Breeders’ Cup, just didn’t get the trip,” he said. “If you watch the video, he had them all on the stretch off the home bend but then the stamina ran out. We think he’s a sprinter, and that’s the road we’ll be going. He’ll probably run in the [G3] Prix Sigy next week and then we hope he can come back here for the [G1] Commonwealth Cup.” Coleman completed a good day’s work here last year by also buying Swann a filly for £64,000. “Chica La Habana (Ire) (Havana Gold {Ire}) was a very strong, ready-made breeze-up type,” he recalled. “She won the Hilary Needler Trophy at Beverley first time out. Unfortunately she got hurt at Royal Ascot, and was never the same afterwards. She was sold at Tattersalls in December and is now with Jim Cassidy in California. She hasn’t run out there yet, but she’s definitely talented.” Of course, this lot won’t all turn out as gifted as that pair. Again, however, that is part of the challenge for buyers after spending three hours in the stands yesterday, making notes with shivering fingers. If they want to be back here in June for the royal meeting, when you would like to think that the going might be rather different, then they must decide which horses should be indulged for struggling in the ground–and which might just be ordinary horses, whatever the conditions. For perhaps the principal anxiety for the whole sector, entering this new cycle, is the sheer volume of stock. No doubt the hundreds of extra horses in the system partly reflect the pinhooking successes that made so many headlines last year. But they will also include many who simply failed to find a home as yearlings, and were maybe handed over to a consignor in exchange for a stake. Given the symbiotic relationship between the yearling and breeze-up markets, it stands to reason that weaknesses below the top tier last autumn may be replicated this spring. Sooner or later, those contributing to overproduction must expect to pay a price. If that becomes noticeable through the medium of 2-year-old sales, however, then nobody should be blaming the format itself. After all, it continues reliably to produce progressive racehorses as well as precocious ones. Coleman feels that much of the extra traffic traces to more and more people being inspired to try and turn a profit on a yearling. “In our industry, whether you’re an agent or a jockey or a trainer, we’re all results-driven,” he said. “So with all these top-class horses coming out of the breeze-ups the last few years, people want to buy them. And whether they’re here or at home, clients do like being able to watch a horse gallop. There’s obviously plenty to be said for that.” He is especially committed to this auction, as UK representative of Tattersalls Ireland. As such, he can also point to other recent graduates such as MGSW Madam Dancealot (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) and, famously, The Wow Signal (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), who won the G2 Coventry and G1 Prix Morny after being bought for just £50,000 by Sean Quinn. While Coleman conceded that the ground yesterday could not be ideal for many, he stressed that they would still be judged on other merits. “We all time the breezes but there’s more to buying a breeze-up horse than that,” he said. “Times dictate what the horses make but they don’t necessarily tell you the best horse. Sands Of Mali did a good time but he wasn’t the fastest. Certainly on this ground it’s more a case of assessing the horse, and having trust in the vendors and what they’ve seen at home. It’s not all about two furlongs on one day.” “I’ve been UK rep for a few years now and part of my job is to bring new buyers to the sales,” he added. “That was part of the reason I brought Peter and Karin here last year. It is for early-season horses. But results talk. People might think not it the poshest sale, compared to some of the others, but the best breeze-up horse you could have bought last year was here. The dream, of course, is to end up back here in two months. This sale has certainly found a niche–and it’s working.” View the full article

Finley'sluckycharm will look to remain unbeaten in Kentucky when she faces 12 challengers in the $300,000 Madison Stakes (G1) going seven furlongs at Keeneland. View the full article

Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman's grade 1 winner McKinzie will likely miss the 3-year-old classics series, trainer Bob Baffert said April 4. View the full article

Satono Aladdin (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}–Magic Storm, by Storm Cat), who won the G1 Yasuda Kinen last year for Satomi Horse Company and trainer Yasutoshi Ikee, will shuttle to Rich Hill Stud in New Zealand as part of a partnership between Shadai Stallion Station and the New Zealand nursery, the stud announced on Wednesday. Successful three times at group level, the Northern Farm-bred also won the G2 Mainichi Broadcast Swan S. and G2 Keio Hai Spring Cup amidst his eight wins in 29 starts. He retired to stand for ¥1,000,000 at Shadai Stallion Station this spring with $4,088,282 in earnings. “Satono Aladdin is a magnificent looking horse. He had a great turn of foot and his time of 1:31.5 for the 1600m [of the Yasuda Kinen] that day was amazing, just point-two of a second outside the race record,” Rich Hill Stud’s John Thompson said. “His pedigree is also top class. The Sunday Silence sire line, especially through his champion son Deep Impact, has become a very sought after international commodity, so Satono Aladdin is a major coup for the New Zealand breeding industry.” Purchased for ¥130,00,000 (US$1,219,705/£866,853/ €993,154/A$1,583,764) as a weanling by Hajime Satomi out of the JRHJUL sale, the bay is out of Grade II winner and GI Spinaway S. third Magic Storm (Storm Cat). Bred on the Deep Impact/Storm Cat cross that has also produced top-flight winners A Shin Hikari (Jpn), Kizuna (Jpn), Real Steel (Jpn) and Ayusan (Jpn), Satono Aladdin is a full-brother to G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup heroine Lachesis (Jpn), as well as MGSP Flawless Magic (Jpn). GISW Drill (Lawyer Ron) is out of a full-sister to Magic Storm, while Satono Aladdin’s third dam is SW & GSP Water Dance (Nijinsky II). This is the extended family of champion and dual U.S. Classic hero Little Current (Sea Bird {Fr}), as well as GISW Prayers’n Promises (Foolish Pleasure). Rich Hill Stud and Shadai earlier partnered with successful sire Pentire (GB) (Be My Guest), while the duo also bred 2015 G1 Melbourne Cup winner Prince of Penzance (NZ). Satono Aladdin is set to cover a restricted book and his fee will be announced later. View the full article

Earlier this year, Santa Anita Park quietly rolled out a new policy requiring any licensee wishing to remove their horse’s foal papers from the racing office to sign a waiver of responsibility and provide an explanation about why, where, for how long, and for what purpose the horse and its official registration documentation are leaving the grounds. This private data-collecting initiative began as a way for track officials to better keep tabs on the local racehorse population. But now that Santa Anita’s sign-out policy for foal paperwork is becoming more widely known, is being lauded within the aftercare community because it could eventually evolve into a best-practice way to track where racehorses go and exactly who is responsible for them upon any exit from a racetrack or licensed training center. Stacie Clark, an operations consultant for the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), told TDN in a phone interview that she envisions other North American racetracks will soon follow Santa Anita’s lead, and that racing jurisdictions might someday willingly share this sort of data with aftercare organizations so everyone can get a better handle on the scope and potential costs of caring for Thoroughbreds after their racing days are over. Clark also explained that this sort of cooperative data collection might eventually pave the way for a more comprehensive national traceability program similar to the one launched by Racing Australia four years ago to track racehorses from foaling through retirement. “This is great,” Clark said. “We talk about having accountability for first exit out of racing for our horses. And having a form that requires the connections to tell the track where their horses are going for the track’s own inventory reasons makes sense. But the bonus is learning where these horses are actually going. I think it expands awareness, and to have somebody have that ability is a step in the right direction to have all horses accounted for and to know who was the last point of contact. Maybe this will inspire other racetracks to also do this so that we can answer where horses are going once they leave the racing industry. Hopefully it’s to a new home, or a farm for retirement, breeding, or whatever, and not to a bad situation. “It’s working really well on an extensive basis in Australia, where everyone has to be accountable for all of the horses all of the time,” Clark continued. “This is just sort of a smaller version of that. This initiative is having a side effect that is really positive for accounting for our Thoroughbreds that are leaving the track. The spin-off will be toward better integrity.” Tim Ritvo, the chief operating officer for The Stronach Group (TSG), which owns Santa Anita, confirmed via phone that this policy would soon be extended to all other TSG tracks (Golden Gate Fields, Gulfstream Park, Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course and Portland Meadows). “It’s complementary to aftercare, which is great, because we can keep track of where the horses are going,” Ritvo explained. “But for us, honestly, it’s more of an inventory [control], so we know when a horse is out of the system and why and where it’s going. But if it can help with aftercare, then all the better.” Madeline Auerbach, a California Horse Racing Board commissioner who is also an owner/breeder, the founder of California Retirement Management Account (CARMA), and a member of the TAA board of directors, told TDN she found out about the policy firsthand several weeks ago when she retired GSW Majestic Heat (Unusual Heat) for breeding purposes and stopped by the Santa Anita racing office to retrieve the mare’s certificate. She was surprised to be asked to sign the tracking form because she had never been asked to do so in all her years in the racing industry. Auerbach said she got a full explanation from Santa Anita’s vice president of racing, Rick Hammerle, and immediately began spreading the word about the potential for aftercare cooperation that now exists. “I am so glad I went to get her papers, because this made me aware of the policy, and I can now make our board and other people aware of it too,” Auerbach said. “I hope that this catches on everywhere, because it’s a wonderful help without [aftercare organizations] spending a great deal of money to get the same information that should be available without us spending the money.” From the view of a regulator, Auerbach was emphatic that Santa Anita is well within its rights in asking for this sort of information. “These are things that I believe [a racing association] has a right to know, because [the stable area is] their property, and when you have a horse housed on their property…you are supposed to be a part of the show, part of the performance, part of the reason that they are able to generate income from that property,” Auerbach explained. “So they have a right to know what your intentions are with that horse, and they want to keep track of it.” Auerbach continued: “It’s a very legitimate concern. They have a right to ask, and I am thrilled to see it because one of the biggest problems we’ve had in aftercare is trying to identify the scope and the size of the problem. We’ve had no way really of finding out what happens to horses [that exit the racing population without explanation], and even though [TSG’s initiative] is not a thousand percent accurate, we will have a much better handle when all the tracks adopt this policy of just asking the question, ‘Hey, where’d your horse go?’ We just want to know.” Asked if she sees Santa Anita’s policy evolving into something like the Australian lifetime traceability model, Auerbach said, “I don’t know that we have to do it exactly the way that they do in Australia, but this would certainly tell us what we need. You can extrapolate the numbers after you’ve done this for awhile. If you have a year or two [of data] under your belt and you start to see the same percentages [as those of horses whose exits from racing were previously unknown], then you can bet that that’s the percentage that’s going to wind up in aftercare. And that will give us a much clearer picture of the scope of the problem, and that’s why it’s so important.” But will this sort of data be something that TSG is willing to share? “It could be,” Ritvo said. “I’m not sure that we would share it immediately, because right now we’re just concerned about where horses are going and why they’re leaving. But as we acquire more and more data as things go on,” it would be something TSG would consider, he added. Auerbach said she was confident that a sharing agreement could be worked out. “I don’t think TSG or any other legitimate track will have any problem or difficulty in sharing that information publicly,” Auerbach said. “I know it’s proprietary in that they ask for it and that they collect it, but there’s no reason that I can think of that would make it proprietary to the extent that they don’t want to share it, because it helps all of us. “Look, Santa Anita is a big partner for us with CARMA,” Auerbach continued. “They match the funds that the owners put in. They have a vested interest in what happens to these horses, just like the rest of us do. So they’re a partner, and I can’t see any of TSG tracks not allowing this information to be utilized by the people that are charged with taking care of horses in aftercare. I think they’ll be more than reasonable.” Clark hinted at similar traceability initiatives that the TAA has in the pipeline. “There are other things that the TAA is working about inventory that are really in the infant stages, but they’re very positive,” Clark said. “There’s a lot of noise going on within the industry about what is everybody doing and why isn’t everybody doing enough, but sometimes you just can’t talk about what you’re doing until you have the foundation laid down. The board of the TAA is very forward-thinking, and they’re investigating a lot of avenues. So in the future there will be more to talk about, but [the TSG’s tracking program] is going to be really helpful. “We’re all in this together,” Clark summed up. “I doesn’t matter what team we’re on. We’re not going to have a sport unless we all work together, and that includes having integrity and accountability and a plan.” View the full article

Del Mar’s “Ship and Win” program, which offers bonuses for out-of-state horses who run during the summer meet, will return in 2018 with increased incentives. In 2011 when the program was introduced, connections of qualifying horses were rewarded with a $1,000 check and 20% purse bonus for initial Del Mar starts. Those numbers jumped to $1,500 and 30% last year, and will be $2,000 and 30% in 2018. “This has been a wonderfully successful program for our horsemen, for Del Mar and for all of California racing,” said Del Mar’s racing secretary, David Jerkens. “We’re approaching 1,000 horses brought into the state utilizing ‘Ship and Win’ and they’ve made thousands of starts at all its major racetracks. When these horses come our way, we find they almost all stay in the state. We added to the bonus money again this year to make it even more lucrative to those willing to step up and we’re hoping to see another increase in new stock at our summer meeting.” Horses eligible for the program must have made their last starts outside out California and cannot have started in California within the last 12 months. First time starters are not eligible, and runners competing in stakes will receive the $2,000 starter fee, but no purse bonus. For questions about eligibility, contact Jerkens or Del Mar’s executive VP of racing Tom Robbins at (859) 792-4230. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday’s Insights features a daughter of 2011 GI Mother Goose S. heroine Buster’s Ready (More Than Ready). 2.50 Saint-Cloud, Mdn, €25,000, unraced 3yo, f, 8fT Alain and Gerard Wertheimer introduce a pair of intriguing prospects in this firsters’ heat. HALLUCINATE (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is a daughter of 2011 GI Mother Goose S. heroine Buster’s Ready (More Than Ready) and represents Freddy Head. She is joined by Carlos Laffon-Parias trainee Zanibar (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), a full-sister to last term’s Listed Prix Coronation victress Enlighted (Ire), whose stakes-winning dam Flash Dance (Ire) (Zamindar) concluded her career with five Group 1 starts acting as chaperone for the storied Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa), posting a fourth in the 2011 G1 Prix d’Ispahan. View the full article

Six 3-year-olds have been entered–at a cost of £9,000 apiece–at the second entry stage in the £1.5-million 1 1/2-mile G1 Investec Derby on June 2, Epsom Downs Racecourse announced on Wednesday. Among the sextet is G3 Acomb S. hero and Tim Easterby-trained Wells Farhh Go (Ire) (Farhh {GB}) who represents S A Heley & Partner; the Al Shaqab Racing duo of impressive nine-length winner Rabdan (GB) (Frankel {GB}) for Andre Fabre and the winning Fajjaj (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), for Hugo Palmer; fellow Palmer two-time scorer White Mocha (Lope de Vega {Ire}) for Dr. Ali Ridha; the once-raced Bedouin’s Story (GB) (Farhh {GB}), who is aiming to give Godolphin and trainer Saeed bin Suroor a first Derby victory; and the unraced Miles Christianus (Ire) (The Carbon Unit) for Thistle Bloodstock. The total entries for the Derby now sit at 135. “Some interesting colts have been added to the Investec Derby at the second entry stage, including Rabdan, who Unibet have introduced into their Investec Derby betting at 25-1, the joint-eighth favourite,” said Unibet’s Head of Racing Communications Ed Nicholson. “Andre Fabre’s Frankel colt impressed us recently at Saint-Cloud and it will be interesting to see where the master trainer goes with him next. That race was just a maiden, but Rabdan did it in great style and showed the mile and a half will not be an issue for him come the first weekend of June.” A horse can still secure a berth in the Investec Derby if they win the Listed Investec Blue Riband Trial over 10 furlongs at Epsom on Apr. 25. There is also a final entry stage, the five-day confirmation stage on Monday, May 28, where a horse can be supplemented for £85,000. View the full article

Fourteen finalists for the 2018 Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards were selected from 300 nominations, Godolphin announced on Wednesday. Of the 14, seven will be selected as winners and earn monetary prizes, at the official Stud and Stable Staff Awards Ceremony at Morphettville Racecourse on May 4. There will also be a Thoroughbred Excellence Award winner announced at the ceremony. Awards will be given in the following categories: leadership (Peter Keating and Jade Rossington), horsemanship (Warren Sutton and Scott Eeles), dedication to breeding (Angus McAlpine and Patrick Sheehan), dedication to racing (Joe Agresta and Steve Adams), administration (Michelle Nichols and Hannah Dick), Thoroughbred care and welfare (Lee Purchase and Liz Andriske), and newcomer (Jarom Rhind and Meg Stanley). “The GSSSA, now in its fourth year, is a fantastic initiative supported by Godolphin, Racing Australia and Thoroughbred Breeders Australia, and provides great encouragement for, and rewards the talent of, the participants in our vibrant racing and breeding industry,” said one of the judges, South Australia’s chief stipendiary steward Johan Petzer. “The judging panel continues to be impressed by the outstanding quality of the nominations. There is no doubt the quality of the nominees in 2018 is impressive, which makes the task of determining the winners a difficult one for the panel.” View the full article

Tickets for the second annual Equestricon convention will be available for purchase Apr. 18, it was announced Wednesday. Scheduled for Monday and Tuesday of Breeders’ Cup Festival Week leading up to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs in Louisville, the convention will feature racing personalities, horsemen, handicappers and fans. Tickets start as low as $10, and attendees will be offered an all-access pass to the entire two days of Equestricon for $65. A special VIP experience pass offers added access to a VIP party and concert for $360. Tickets and updated prices will be available for purchase on Equestricon.com Apr. 18. View the full article

Saturday’s G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen victor Hawkbill (Kitten’s Joy) is pointing toward a start in the G1 Champions and Chater Cup at Sha Tin on May 27, Godolphin announced on their website on Wednesday. The chestnut would become the first foreign-trained horse to contest the 2400-metre event, which began in 1870. “He’s come out of Saturday’s race in good order, and all going well, Hong Kong in May is on his radar,” said trainer Charlie Appleby. Hawkbill would be the second Hong Kong runner for Appleby, who is pointing ‘TDN Rising Star’ MGSW & MG1SP Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) at the fourth leg of the Global Sprint Challenge, the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize, also at Sha Tin, on Apr. 29. The latter was a gate scratch out of the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on Mar. 31, after veterinarians detected blood when the colt arrived at the start, but Godolphin’s Jungle Cat (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) won the race regardless. “He’s perfectly all right,” said Appleby of Blue Point. “Hopefully, he’ll get his chance to compensate in Hong Kong in few weeks.” View the full article