Wandering Eyes

LA TESTE DE BUCH, France—A steady start on the opening day gave way to much more buoyant trade during the second and final session of the Osarus September Yearling Sale, with a top lot of €120,000 being the second-highest ever recorded at this auction and significant boosts in median and average. The stallion name at the top of the list was a familiar one—Siyouni (Fr), who last week provided the co-top lost at the BBAG Sale in Germany—but the vendor and breeder of lot 167, Jose Delmotte of Haras d’Haspel, is relatively new to the business of consigning sales-toppers. One of the most prolific house-builders in France, Delmotte has owned his Normandy farm for a little over a decade and was shrewd enough to buy a share in the Aga Khan Studs stallion whose profile continues to rise. He said, “To me this was a really, really good colt, a very good walker, and I wanted to bring him here as there were lots of Siyoni yearlings in Arqana.” Delmotte bought the colt’s dam Desert Sunrise (GB) (Green Desert) in 2016 for 62,000gns when carrying to Iffraaj. The 8-year-old is a grand-daughter of Peter Harris’s Pendley Farm matriarch and G1 Yorkshire Oaks winner Connaught Bridge (GB) and is a half-sister to the G2 Cherry Hinton S. winner Dora Carrington (Ire) (Sri Pekan). Haras d’Haspel has not been restricted to success in the sales ring this season as it is also the breeder of the Chad Brown-trained dual Grade III winner Elysea’s World (Ire) (Champs Elysees {GB}). Paul Basquin of Haras de Saubouas signed for colt after outlasting underbidder James Toller and though he is a regular fixure at breeze-up sales Basquin said that it has not yet been decided that his new purchase will follow that route. “Siyouni is an outstanding stallion—we see it on a daily basis,” he added. “The mare has already produced a winner and this looks like a real racehorse.” Basquin also stepped in to buy another two of the more expensive lots on Wednesday, both by popular first-crop stallions. He went to €85,000 for lot 182, the only yearling by current leading freshman No Nay Never. The Haras de Grandcamp-consigned filly is out of the listed-placed treble winner Fast Lane Lili (GB) (Fasliyev), whose two winners from two runners include listed Prix Isonomy victor Under The Radar (Fr) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}). Eight lots later, Basquin was the successful bidder at €80,000 for lot 190 from Haras de Langerais. The son of the listed runner-up Footloose (Fr) (Numerous) continued a good run in the sale for his sire Anodin (Ire), who had 11 sell for an average of €40,545, including the top lot of the first session at €115,000 and a half-sister to Group 3-placed five-time winner The Commissioner (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) out of listed winner Lessing (Fr) (Orpen) (lot 247) who sold for €56,000. With three six-figure lots across the sale compared to just one last year, and a notably stronger middle-market during the second session, this was the first yearling sale of the European season to show some improvement on last year’s returns. A healthy clearance rate of 82.5% was achieved, compared to 78.5% in 2018, with 213 of the 258 lots offered finding new homes. The median increased to €17,000 from €16,000, while the average was also up, at €23,059 from €21,674. Turnover of €4,504,500 was also up, from €4,001,000, though 12 more horses were sold this year. There was plenty of attention paid to a bright chestnut daughter of Havana Gold (Ire) in the parade ring and when lot 177 entered the sales arena bidding was swiftly opened at €80,000 by Ghislain Bozo. The agent held his own for a while against Tina Rau but the verdict eventually went the way of the latter at €105,000. “Her dam was my favourite yearling of her year and she won at two but was then injured,” said Rau, who bought the daughter of Exceedingly Rare (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) on spec with trainer Nicolas Clement. “I’ve always followed her progress and this is her first foal who really reminds me of her mother. Let’s hope she can fulfil the potential her dam held.” Exceedingly Rare is a half-sister to the listed winner and group 3-placed Sunday Nectar (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {Ire}). Her Havana Gold filly was originally sold as a foal by breeder Qatar Bloodstock for 50,000gns to Tim Richardson on behalf of Equine Advisory Agency. When trainer Ed Dunlop and agent Federico Barberini last teamed up to buy a son of Champs Elysees (GB) they ended up with the G1 Ascot Gold Cup winner Trip To Paris (Ire). The duo had to go to more than three times that amount to secure the only Champs Elysees yearling in the Osarus catalogue but were happy to come away with lot 192 at €75,000. “He was my favourite horse in the sale,” said Dunlop. “Obviously we’ve been really lucky with Trip To Paris but we really liked this colt and it was worth the trip to be able to buy him.” Just a handful of lots from the end, the full-brother to recent GI Del Mar Oaks winner Fatale Bere (Fr) (Pedro The Great) was sold as lot 275 for €65,000 to Nicolas de Watrigant. The Haras de la Haie Neuve-sonsigned colt will be trained initially in Chantilly with a view to continuing his career in America having been bought for a partnership which includes a combination of Fatale Bere’s owners and Gerard Augustin-Normand. With an improved set of figures and an increase in the number of trainers in operation, both from home and abroad, Osarus’s Managing Director Emmanuel Viaud was satisfied with trade over the last two days. He said, “We’ve worked hard to try to encourage more buyers to the sale and it was great to welcome Peter and Ross Doyle, Ed Dunlop, Mark Johnston and Archie Watson for the first time. I’m pleased with the clearance rate and we will continue to look at ways to improve the sale but I think more and more people now feel that this is a sale they should attend.” View the full article

Trainer Aidan O’Brien is non-committal about the participation of veteran stayer Order Of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Sept. 16 G1 Irish St Leger, saying the 6-year-old “is just feeling a little bit of age at the moment.” Order Of St George would be looking for his third win in the Irish Leger, having taken the prize in 2015 and again last year after finishing second in 2016. The bay hasn’t been seen since checking in fourth in the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. View the full article

Danny Tudhope will replace the injured PJ McDonald aboard triple Group 1 winner Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the G1 Matron S. on Sept. 15. McDonald has ridden Laurens in all eight careers starts, including wins in this year’s G1 Prix Saint-Alary and G1 Prix de Diane, but he will miss out on her latest assignment after fracturing an ankle in a paddock accident earlier this week. Laurens is trained by Karl Burke, who also revealed Ben Curtis would ride Havana Grey (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}) in the G1 Flying Five S. the following day. “It’s very unfortunate what happened to PJ, but we’ve had a good chat about it and that is the route we’ve decided to go down,” Burke said. Of Laurens’s latest eclipse when beating just two home in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks upped to a mile and a half, he added, “She’s been 100% since York, nothing physical has shown up, she just didn’t stay. She’s a filly who likes to get on with things, she was a bit keen when she won the Prix de Diane. We were confident she was going to stay but until you try you don’t know. We’re looking forward to the challenge of taking on Alpha Centauri.” View the full article

The rolling hills of Kentucky Downs figure to be a welcome sight for Oscar Nominated, as the millionaire runner aims to win the Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes (G3) a second straight year and extend his unbeaten record at the unique course. View the full article

Danny Shum Chap-shing created history at Happy Valley on Wednesday night as Most Beautiful became the first Conghua-trained horse to win in Hong Kong. It only took 13 races and 14 runners to achieve the breakthrough, one that signals a new era for the Jockey Club with the HK$3.7 billion facility now officially part of Hong Kong racing environment. Shum is one of nine trainers involved in the first phase of the Conghua opening and he was full of praise for the set-up revealing “it’s... View the full article

Jason Fildes will take up the role of syndicate representative of Highclere Thoroughbred Racing’s three new Northern Division syndicates. Fildes joins Highclere after four years as general manager of Haydock Park Racecourse. The three syndicates under Fildes’s management are named after celebrated northern artists. They are the George Stubbs Syndicate, after the artist of great equine paintings such as ‘Whistlejacket’; the David Hockney Syndicate, after one of Britain’s most influential modern artists; and the Antony Gormley Syndicate, after the creator of the ‘Angel of the North’ sculpture. Horses in these syndicates will be handled by northern trainers Mark Johnston, Richard Fahey and Tom Dascombe. “I am extremely excited to launch this new northern focused initiative for Highclere with three new syndicates,” said Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Chairman Harry Herbert. “These syndicates will race in 2019 and will be trained by three very talented northern-based trainers, including the recently crowned most winning trainer of all time. I am also delighted to welcome Jason Fildes to our management team as we begin this new chapter at HTR. He is extremely well-placed and experienced to manage our horses and work closely with the trainers to ensure continued success for our owners.” View the full article

WKY Development—a joint venture between Churchill Downs Inc. and Keeneland Association—filed an application this week with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission requesting live Standardbred racing dates. View the full article

Last year’s G1 St Leger winner Capri (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is set to resurface in ParisLongchamp’s G2 Prix Foy on Sept. 16 in preparation for the Oct. 7 G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Capri won last year’s G1 Irish Derby and the St Leger before beating just one home in the Arc, and his lone appearance since has been a win in the G3 Alleged S. at Naas on Apr. 13. “The plan with him is to go to France for the Prix Foy and then if that goes well, we might go back to the Arc,” said trainer Aidan O’Brien. “He had a racecourse gallop last week and he’s been back in full work for about eight weeks.” Meanwhile, O’Brien’s son Joseph will look to send this year’s Irish Derby winner Latrobe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the same footsteps as Capri when he lines up for this year’s St Leger on Sept. 15. Latrobe beat just one home in the G1 Juddmonte International over 1 1/4 miles on Aug. 22, and Joseph O’Brien said that race provided a learning opportunity. “It was a mile and a quarter last time and he had options in Australia later in the year,” O’Brien said. “We were not sure if he’s a horse who wanted 12 furlongs or whether he’d be better going back to 10. It was kind of a fact-finding mission. Obviously he had the easier option of going for the [G2] Voltigeur with a penalty but he didn’t run too badly in the Juddmonte and he probably was a bit positive in a race where you wanted to be settled a bit further back. He was staying on and obviously we’re stepping him back up in trip at Doncaster. He’s not from a stout family by any means but we’re quite hopeful he’ll get the trip.” O’Brien won last year’s G1 Melbourne Cup with then 3-year-old Rekindling (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}) under the same Lloyd Williams ownership as Latrobe, and the trainer said a Melbourne Cup decision for Latrobe will come at a later date. “It’s a big ask for a 3-year-old colt to go to Melbourne and it’s not a decision we’ll take lightly,” he said. “Unless we’re very happy with him and he runs well in the Leger he might go but it is far from set in stone,” said O’Brien. “He’s not very similar to Rekindling. Latrobe is a big, powerful horse and he doesn’t have the kind of stamina that Rekindling was assured of as he was from a stout family and had won over a mile-six before going there.” View the full article

The Group 3 Dick Poole Stakes takes place on Thursday at Salisbury and is the Wiltshire venues flagship race meeting each season. The race is for two-year-old fillies and is run over six furlongs. It’s named in honour of Colonel Dick Poole, a racehorse trainer, breeder and owner, and was the brainchild of Peter Walwyn and his one-time assistant Mark Smyly. This year’s field has some very nice looking fillies in the lineup, none more so than Andrew Balding’s Firelight who two of her first three starts and run very encouragingly when stepped up in class in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes at York. In the Lowther, she finished fourth behind Albany third Fairyland, which reads very well. Another filly with leading form is Richard Hannon’s Come On Leicester, who has already had a busy juvenile campaign. The daughter of Kodiac ran a huge race to finish fifth in the Queen Mary at the Royal meeting but has been beaten on all three starts since this run and needs to rediscover her Royal Ascot form. Ryan Moore takes the ride again and she will prove difficult to beat. The Irish raider is Michael O’Callaghans Usra who’s actually having her first run for the trainer having previously been in the care of classic winning trainer Ken Condon. The daughter of Requinto has improved with each run and she had to; considering she was stone last on her first two racecourse appearances. On her final two starts though she won her maiden impressively and the finished third to the very smart Land Force in a listed event. She will need to improve again if she is to feature here but if she continues to progress from each run then it’s quite possible. Lady Aria is still a maiden after two runs but she does have form that ties in with Firelight. Michael Bell’s daughter of Kodiac has beaten a neck by Andrew Balding’s filly on debut in a Newmarket maiden. However, on a line of form through Ralph Beckett’s Scintillating who also runs here, it’s very hard to fancy Lady Aria. Scintillating has only raced twice and following a debut victory and then a six-length defeat at the hands of Angel’s Hideaway in the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes, she must be a leading contender. Selection: Scintillating The post Dick Poole Stakes Preview appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Nominations are open for the 2019 Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards in Britain. The awards, now in their 15th year, recognise and reward the outstanding skills, commitment and contribution of over 10,000 stud and stable staff. The awards provide total prize money of £120,000, with up to £40,000 available to a single yard or stud. Nominations close on Nov. 20. Hugh Anderson, managing director of Godolphin (UK and Dubai), said, “Godolphin is again delighted to sponsor these prestigious awards in 2019 which have become a highlight of the racing industry’s year. It is so important to reward those devoted, dedicated people who do so much for our industry and on behalf of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, I wish all those nominated the best of luck.” View the full article

WKY Development—a joint venture between Churchill Downs Inc. and Keeneland Association—filed an application Sept. with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission requesting live standardbred racing dates. View the full article

Owner and trainer Mick Ruis, known best for his grade 1 winners Bolt d'Oro and Union Strike, says he is planning to ship a substantial amount of his horses out of California because of a dispute over stabling space at Santa Anita Park. View the full article

Woodworth hopes Yulong Wings can spread from China to Kranji View the full article

Early scratching September 9 View the full article

Freedman monitoring Infantry's suspensory issue View the full article

Hello Michelle not far off her best, says Young View the full article

When Beryl “Sonny” Stokes, Jr. retired from his family’s seafood company after 55 years at the helm, the Floridian was in search of a hobby and his son-in-law, former Quarter Horse jockey Leroy McClurge, introduced him to the pinhooking game. What started out with a small investment in a single horse some seven years ago has only gotten bigger, culminating this spring with the $400,000 sale of a colt by Goldencents at the OBS March sale. Stokes will be hoping the run of good luck continues when he offers eight yearlings at the upcoming Keeneland September Sale, even as his yearling-to-juvenile pinhooking partner Hoby Kight shops for another crop of youngsters ahead of another round of juvenile auctions next year. “I was looking for something to do and Leroy called me up one day and said, ‘I’ve got a horse here and a guy wants to sell half of it. I wondered if you’d want to buy half a horse,'” he recalled. “I asked, ‘How much is it going to cost.’ and he said, ‘$2,750.’ So I said OK. We bought the horse and then sold it for $10,000. I got half of that and I thought, there is nothing to this, let’s try it again.” Stokes added with a chuckle, “And this from a guy who didn’t know which part of a horse was supposed to go first.” McClurge and Stokes continued to partner for the next few years, expanding a bit each season. “My son-in-law decided to buy another a horse the next season, which he did, and we made a little money on that,” he said. “So the next year we bought two or three. We didn’t lose any money, we didn’t make very much, but I just kept going on.” McClurge made the introduction to veteran pinhooker Kight last year. “Leroy had known him for years and used to work for him,” Stokes said. “I asked Leroy if Hoby might buy a horse for me and train him. It just so happened, Hoby had lost the guy who had partnered with him and he asked me if I wanted to partner with him. So I said, ‘Sure.’ That was last year, so we’ve been partners for two seasons.” At last year’s September sale, Stokes and McClurge paid $115,000 for a son from the first crop of two-time GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Goldencents. “Last year, Leroy started training the Goldencents and a Curlin and another horse that we hadn’t sold from the year before,” Stokes said. “But he was kicked in the forearm and broke his arm, so he had to quit training. I gave the horses to Hoby and he finished training them and put them in the sale for us.” The Goldencents colt (hip 567) turned heads at the OBS March sale when he zipped a quarter in :20 1/5 before selling to Winchell Thoroughbreds for $400,000. Named Bano Solo, the youngster was tabbed a ‘TDN Rising Star’ with a debut victory at Churchill Downs in June. “I was hoping that might happen,” Stokes said of the March result. “Everybody in the business keeps hoping for the big one, I guess.” Last November, Stokes purchased nine yearlings. Eight have been entered in the September sale, while one is scheduled to sell at the Fasig-Tipton October sale. His September Book 1 offerings include a filly by Into Mischief (hip 38), a $100,000 purchase at the Keeneland November sale who is consigned by Eaton Sales; a Union Rags colt (hip 281) acquired for $75,000 who is consigned by Woodford Thoroughbreds; a City Zip colt (hip 739) purchased for $52,000 and consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency; and a Ghostzapper filly (hip 851) acquired for $57,000 and consigned by Eaton Sales. “They are the best crop I’ve ever had,” Stokes said. “So I’m hoping they do well, but a lot can change. This business is the most undependable type of thing that I’ve ever gotten into. You think you’ve got something and the buyers who don’t like it, so you don’t have anything really. But everybody has seen the horses has complimented me on them. They say they are a nice group of horses.” Asked if he pinhooked both weanlings as yearlings to diversify his investment, Stokes admitted, “Well that a little. But I just like the little babies for one thing. I love watching them grow and mature. And they go fast and it’s amazing watching them play in the paddock and the fields. It’s just a thrill to me. My daughter Lauren and Leroy have moved into a farm in Summerfield, just south of Ocala. They have 17 acres and 11 paddocks and a nice barn. They have three of my weanlings. They raised them. In fact, I’m picking them up tomorrow and we’re going to take them up to Keeneland. We’ll be up there Thursday morning with three babies for the sale.” While shopping for weanlings last fall, Stokes decided to add a broodmare to his portfolio, purchasing Forestry’s Magic (Forestry) (hip 516) for $50,000. “Last year, Hoby and I were at the November sale and I said, ‘You know, I’d kind of like to buy a mare. My daughter would love to have a baby on the farm. So we bought one and left it up in Kentucky and foaled it out in February and got a beautiful little Super Saver colt which I am going to put in the weanling sale in November.” “I’m just a novice who doesn’t know what he’s doing,” Stokes, who started working at the Stokes Fish Company his father opened in 1930 when he got out of the Air Force in 1954, said humbly. “But I’ve learned a lot and the Lord’s been good to me, I guess. I try not to make dumb mistakes. But in this business, nothing is certain, that’s for sure.” In addition to his sale offerings at Keeneland in the next two weeks, Stokes will be walking the barns with Kight. “I’ll be at the sale, I walk the barns,” he said. “I’m kind of old to be doing it, but I love it. Hoby has an unusual eye and I’m not there by any means. I’m a long way from being there. He can spot one a mile off. But I just don’t see what he sees, I don’t see with his eye. That’s for sure. So I’m grateful to have him, because without him, I wouldn’t have much success. I guarantee it.” The Keeneland September sale starts next Monday with the first of four Book 1 sessions beginning at 11 a.m. After a dark day Friday, the sale resumes again Saturday at 10 a.m. View the full article

Japanese-bred Yoshida (JPN), winner of the Woodward Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) Sept. 1 and now a dual grade 1 winner this year on turf and dirt, debuted in seventh place in this week's NTRA Top 10 Thoroughbred Poll. View the full article

Drayden Van Dyke tenaciously held on through the final 11 days of the meeting to secure his first major Southern California riding championship at the 79th Del Mar summer meeting. View the full article

Thanks in large part to its insular nature, horse racing is an institution with deep family traditions. It’s pretty difficult to enter the game on your own and create a legacy, so when one does, it makes sense that they would want to pass that legacy on to the next generation in their lineage. Those who share our blood and name are most likely to feel the connection to and pride in our heritage of racing. Clans like the O’Briens at Ballydoyle, the Hancocks at Claiborne and the Farishes at Lane’s End come to mind. But every size of track or farm has incumbent racing families trying to keep the torch burning in their corner of the world. John Brunetti, Sr. and Bill Sacco made their mark in the sport independently way back in the 1940s and ’50s. Brunetti as an owner in the sunshine of South Florida and Sacco as a trainer in the quiet shore towns of New Jersey. Over a half-century later, their names live on through their sons, and Monday, those sons accomplished something which confirmed, unlike anything else has, that all the sacrifices of their predecessors were made in service of a truly meaningful legacy. In 2015, Red Oak Stable, the brainchild of Brunetti now run by his sons Steve and John, Jr., paired their homebred stakes winner Feel That Fire to Stay Thirsty, and the result was a stocky colt by the name of Mind Control. When it was time for him to head to racetrack training, the Brunettis did what they usually do with their babies: gave him to longtime friend of the family Greg Sacco, son of Bill. Monday at Saratoga, the crew, effectively part of the same ancestry now, shipped their colt up to Saratoga, where he pulled off a 10-1 upset in the most prestigious 2-year-old race outside of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, the Hopeful. It was the first Grade I win for the Sacco family. To do it, the small stable had to knock off heavily-favored Bill Mott ‘TDN Rising Star’ Mucho (Blame), as well as runners from the Todd Pletcher, Steve Asmussen and Mark Casse barns. “I’ve won a lot of stakes and a couple graded stakes, but a Grade I is elusive and is always a goal for a trainer,” Sacco said less than 24 hours after the pinnacle of his career thus far. “It’s tough to win one, so it was gratifying. It’s difficult at Saratoga, because it’s the creme de la creme of trainers, horses, jockeys, and they all converge there every meet. It’s a competitive place, it always has been and it’s getting tougher with the outfits that have 200 horses. Whether it’s a claiming race or anything, they have the numbers, so it’s very, very tough. It’s an historic place and winning a race there is an accomplishment. Winning a Grade I there is almost beyond your wildest dreams.” Mind Control debuted July 5 at Delaware and ran a good second at 13-1, beaten 2 1/4 lengths while finishing 13 1/2 lengths clear of the third finisher. Then, two results on Aug. 12 set in motion a path to the Hopeful for the bay. First, Mind Control took care of business with a convincing three-length graduation back home at Monmouth. Then, a few hours later, Call Paul (Friesan Fire), who beat him in his debut, returned to capture the GII Saratoga Special S. “When Call Paul came back and won the Saratoga Special, that was flattering,” Sacco said. “And the way we won, it was a small field, but the way he did it and the way he galloped out that day was most impressive. He went 1:09 3/5, drew off at the end and galloped out really strong. Subsequently, he came back right after that race and worked really, really super last week. He went a little faster than we wanted, but worked great and galloped out strong and came out of the work great. We could’ve run in the Sapling at Monmouth, but we felt that he’s special and deserved a shot at the Hopeful. We knew it was tough going in, we knew Mucho was the horse to beat and there were some other talented horses–Mark Casse’s horse was preparing for that race for a couple months off his Churchill maiden win–but we felt we belonged, and Mind Control proved us right.” According to Sacco, the horse’s name fits him, as he has always been a fast learner whose discipline and intelligence, as much as his talent, has allowed him to progress into a Grade I winner. “He’s never been precocious in the way of wanting to go, go, go,” Sacco said. “The thing about him is he’s so smart. We shipped him to Delaware that day and you never know how you’re going to ship–it was a hot day and he just took everything in like a pro, and in his training, he does everything you ask of him. He can accelerate, decelerate, he’s very easy to train and he has gears. All horses don’t have gears. He’ll work in :50, but he can gallop out in 1:01 if you just smooch to him. He’s a beautiful horse, medium-sized, doesn’t have any wasted energy and acts like an older horse. Almost like an old soul. For a 2-year-old, he’s got it all going for him.” Sacco has been training for the Brunetti family for over 25 years, and has known them for much longer, with John Brunetti, Sr. being a longtime friend of Bill Sacco despite never having horses with him. Greg was given a few to train for Red Oak in the early 1990s, the best of which was Enjoy the Silence (Valid Appeal), who was the first horse Steve Brunetti picked out at auction. “He was a six-time stakes winner and that was our initiation, but Mr. Brunetti was a staple to me, a man I held in high regard even when I wasn’t training for him,” Sacco said. “He and his sons were my biggest supporters over the years and my relationship with them is very close. I work for them, but we’re dear friends and Mr. Brunetti was almost like a second dad to my brother and me.” Brunetti was best known for buying and keeping storied Hialeah Park in business for decades despite the constant threat of being bought out by developers that comes with owning any large plot of land in South Florida. That persistence and dedication to the long-serving home of racing in the region particularly drew Sacco’s admiration. “I always loved Hialeah and knew that he basically had saved Hialeah, because it was going to be demolished if he didn’t come along and buy it,” he said. “There are a lot of variations to the story with that, but they were going to demolish it. So he kept Hialeah alive for another almost 25 years, from ’77 to 2000. He knew it was a losing battle geographically going into it.” It was an emotional scene in the winner’s circle Monday at Saratoga for Sacco, his brother Rick, who runs Red Oak’s operation in Ocala, and the Brunettis. It took on greater significance given that the elder Brunetti passed away in March at the age of 87, fittingly the same age as Bill Sacco when he died in 2009. “It was a great feeling with my friends, family and Steve and his family there,” Sacco said. “The only thing missing was Mr. Brunetti. It would’ve been unbelievable for him to be there, but I’m sure he was there with us in spirit and I’m sure he’s proud of John and Steve for carrying on the tradition.” Just as surely, Brunetti and Bill Sacco would’ve been plenty proud of Greg too. View the full article

From the remarkable rise of Into Mischief (Harlan’s Holiday) to the top of the stallion ranks to the presence of his four-time champion half-sister Beholder (Henny Hughes) in her new career as a broodmare, 2018 is an exciting time to be at Spendthrift Farm. Fresh off the graded stakes success of Into Mischief’s scintillating ‘TDN Rising Star’ Instagrand, and as the Keeneland September Sale approaches–where the super-sire’s best-bred crop yet will make their way into the sales ring–the TDN’s Lucas Marquardt sat down with Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey, who discusses his outlook for Into Mischief going forward and provides an update on Beholder, currently in foal to Curlin. TDN: When Into Mischief first came to Spendthrift, he stood inexpensively and he made an impressive rise through the stallion ranks. Talk about how his success has corresponded with the rebirth of the Spendthrift stallion operation. NT: Quite frankly, when Into Mischief first got to Spendthrift, he wasn’t especially well-received by breeders. He got here in the winter. He physically didn’t look the way he looks now, and Harlan’s Holiday wasn’t what he became at that time. So he was a tough one for breeders to accept. He’s obviously changed things around considerably since then. TDN: One of Into Mischief’s most notable runners this year has been Audible, who won the GI Florida Derby and ran third in the GI Kentucky Derby. Is Into Mischief starting to stamp himself as a true Classic sire? Are breeders responding by sending him Classic-type mares? NT: I think that as the stud fee has gone up, we’ve seen the caliber of mare and maybe the type of mare change a little bit over the years. I think you are seeing a little bit more Classic-type mares come in, and I think the results will follow. Into Mischief has been a tremendously consistent sprint sire, a sire of sprinter-milers. He certainly has had his share of Classic horses, but I think you’ll continue to see him get runners at all distances of all types as his career unfolds. TDN: Glancing through the Keeneland September catalog, there isn’t a wealth of Spendthrift-bred horses by Into Mischief. Is this because you have been breeding fewer of your own mares to him to allow outside breeders more access to him? NT: We are a stud farm, first and foremost, and Mr. [B. Wayne] Hughes has always been adamant that he wants to make room for the breeders. So it’s quite routine for us to start off the year with a number of mares booked to a given stallion–whether it’s Into Mischief or anybody else. And as the demand rises for that stallion, we may back our own mares off of his book. Into Mischief’s stud fee has gone up almost every year. He was $100,000 last year. We’ve already announced him at $125,000 this year going into 2019, and he’s never missed a beat. His books filled up quickly every year. {"id":3,"instanceName":"Articles No Playlist","videos":[{"videoType":"HTML5","title":"Into Mischief and Beholder at Spendthrift","description":"","info":"","thumbImg":"","mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/288225486.sd.mp4?s=2b3aa002cd56aa3778807321c250ea94be282c38&profile_id=165","enable_mp4_download":"no","prerollAD":"yes","prerollGotoLink":"prerollGotoLink","preroll_mp4_title":"preroll_mp4_title","preroll_mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/286919669.sd.mp4?s=251e66bbec0e9305d8f83368178472e5c7c41e5e&profile_id=165","prerollSkipTimer":"5","midrollAD":"no","midrollAD_displayTime":"midrollAD_displayTime","midrollGotoLink":"midrollGotoLink","midroll_mp4":"midroll_mp4","midrollSkipTimer":"midrollSkipTimer","postrollAD":"no","postrollGotoLink":"postrollGotoLink","postroll_mp4":"postroll_mp4","postrollSkipTimer":"postrollSkipTimer","popupAdShow":"no","popupImg":"popupImg","popupAdStartTime":"popupAdStartTime","popupAdEndTime":"popupAdEndTime","popupAdGoToLink":"popupAdGoToLink"}],"instanceTheme":"light","playerLayout":"fitToContainer","videoPlayerWidth":720,"videoPlayerHeight":405,"videoRatio":1.7777777777778,"videoRatioStretch":true,"videoPlayerShadow":"effect1","colorAccent":"#000000","posterImg":"","posterImgOnVideoFinish":"","logoShow":"No","logoPath":"","logoPosition":"bottom-right","logoClickable":"No","logoGoToLink":"","allowSkipAd":true,"advertisementTitle":"Ad","skipAdvertisementText":"Skip Ad","skipAdText":"You can skip this ad in","playBtnTooltipTxt":"Play","pauseBtnTooltipTxt":"Pause","rewindBtnTooltipTxt":"Rewind","downloadVideoBtnTooltipTxt":"Download video","qualityBtnOpenedTooltipTxt":"Close settings","qualityBtnClosedTooltipTxt":"Settings","muteBtnTooltipTxt":"Mute","unmuteBtnTooltipTxt":"Unmute","fullscreenBtnTooltipTxt":"Fullscreen","exitFullscreenBtnTooltipTxt":"Exit fullscreen","infoBtnTooltipTxt":"Show info","embedBtnTooltipTxt":"Embed","shareBtnTooltipTxt":"Share","volumeTooltipTxt":"Volume","playlistBtnClosedTooltipTxt":"Show playlist","playlistBtnOpenedTooltipTxt":"Hide playlist","facebookBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Facebook","twitterBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Twitter","googlePlusBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Google+","lastBtnTooltipTxt":"Go to last video","firstBtnTooltipTxt":"Go to first video","nextBtnTooltipTxt":"Play next video","previousBtnTooltipTxt":"Play previous video","shuffleBtnOnTooltipTxt":"Shuffle on","shuffleBtnOffTooltipTxt":"Shuffle off","nowPlayingTooltipTxt":"NOW PLAYING","embedWindowTitle1":"SHARE THIS PLAYER:","embedWindowTitle2":"EMBED THIS VIDEO IN YOUR SITE:","embedWindowTitle3":"SHARE LINK TO THIS PLAYER:","lightBox":false,"lightBoxAutoplay":false,"lightBoxThumbnail":"","lightBoxThumbnailWidth":400,"lightBoxThumbnailHeight":220,"lightBoxCloseOnOutsideClick":true,"onFinish":"Play next video","autoplay":false,"loadRandomVideoOnStart":"No","shuffle":"No","playlist":"Off","playlistBehaviourOnPageload":"opened (default)","playlistScrollType":"light","preloadSelfHosted":"none","hideVideoSource":true,"showAllControls":true,"rightClickMenu":true,"autohideControls":2,"hideControlsOnMouseOut":"No","nowPlayingText":"Yes","infoShow":"No","shareShow":"No","facebookShow":"No","twitterShow":"No","mailShow":"No","facebookShareName":"","facebookShareLink":"","facebookShareDescription":"","facebookSharePicture":"","twitterText":"","twitterLink":"","twitterHashtags":"","twitterVia":"","googlePlus":"","embedShow":"No","embedCodeSrc":"","embedCodeW":720,"embedCodeH":405,"embedShareLink":"","youtubeControls":"custom controls","youtubeSkin":"dark","youtubeColor":"red","youtubeQuality":"default","youtubeShowRelatedVideos":"Yes","vimeoColor":"00adef","showGlobalPrerollAds":false,"globalPrerollAds":"url1;url2;url3;url4;url5","globalPrerollAdsSkipTimer":5,"globalPrerollAdsGotoLink":"","videoType":"HTML5 (self-hosted)","submit":"Save Changes","rootFolder":"http:\/\/wp.tdn.pmadv.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/Elite-video-player\/"} TDN: What is your outlook for the September Sale? NT: We’re really looking forward to the Keeneland September sale this year. Into Mischief is represented by his best-bred crop again of yearlings, and we expect the results to follow. TDN: You both race and stand stallions. Shifting our focus to Beholder, what do you think it meant to Mr. Hughes and the farm to have such a special racemare carry the orange and purple colors? NT: I think we always felt like Beholder was a wonderful filly. I think that the far turn at Del Mar in 2015 during the GI Pacific Classic was a seminal moment for Mr. Hughes. I think he went from thinking of Beholder as a really nice filly to being something really, really special. He talked about the pride of ownership that he felt with her after the race that day, and I think that has been something that he can carry with him for years. TDN: And how is Beholder doing in her new career as a broodmare at the farm? NT: Beholder is in year two of her career as a broodmare. She’s got a very nice Uncle Mo colt who’s been weaned and is doing well, and she’s back in foal to Curlin on one cover–so she continues to do things the right way. She is carrying a filly, so we’re very excited about that. It’s a pleasure to have Beholder here on the farm. She’s settled in beautifully to her routine as a broodmare, and we treat her very much the same way we would treat any broodmare here at Spendthrift. While she had her foal by her side, the routine was that they would be outside overnight, come in first thing in the morning and get fed and checked over, and spend a couple of hours inside before going back out. View the full article

Horseplayers who want to factor in how well–or poorly–a certain track treats its Thoroughbred population before deciding whether or not to bet that track’s product will soon be able to refer to a new analytical rating system that will assign grades to tracks based on the scope and effectiveness of their aftercare initiatives. The new ratings will be included in the upcoming 2018 release of the increasingly popular Track Rating System, which has been published by the Horseplayers Association of North America (HANA) every year since 2009. The scoring could take the form of an A-through-F letter grade or a 1-through-100 percentile rating. Either way, the system will assign the highest rankings to best-practice tracks while failing the jurisdictions that make little or no aftercare effort. Jeff Platt, the president of HANA, confirmed in a Tuesday phone interview that the changes are in the works. HANA’s annual Track Rating System has evolved over the past decade from being an interesting compilation of hard-to-find, bettor-centric takeout and handle information into a widely referred-to pari-mutuel marketplace snapshot whose methodologies incorporate other quantitative factors such as field size and simulcast signal distribution to come up with rankings of all North American pari-mutuel Thoroughbred venues. Bettors now increasingly refer to the HANA ratings to see which tracks give them the most bang for their buck, and industry executives have collectively become more and more cognizant of their track’s placement on the list. Platt said the idea for trying to quantify seemingly subjective aftercare initiatives into a reliable, analytical score that reflects what is really going on behind the scenes came to him earlier this spring when he was disturbed by reports out of Louisiana about Thoroughbreds bound for slaughter, and at times being “ransomed” from kill pens by unscrupulous middlemen. “I started getting reports that horses were showing up in kill pens as the Delta Downs meet was winding down,” Platt said. “But it wasn’t just Delta–it was every track in Louisiana, that their horses were ending up there. “What I’m reading on social media is that there’s a whole black-market economy going on where these kill pen operators know they can get three or four times market value for a horse for somebody wanting to rescue it than they can if they take it across the [United States] border and process it for meat,” Platt continued. “And there’s something very inherently wrong with that. When a Thoroughbred racehorse, within a few days of its last race at a meet that’s winding down, ends up in a kill lot, that’s a red flag that something is very, very wrong with our game. “My impetus behind this is to put a spotlight on these practices in the hope that there will be a concerted effort between racing commissions and track owners to implement accredited aftercare programs and to educate and make every horsemen on the grounds aware that if you have an unwanted horse, you need to get it in the hands of an accredited aftercare program,” Platt explained. Platt said he was not at liberty to divulge the exact algorithmic structure of how the aftercare ratings would be created, referring to the process as being mathematically akin to “a secret sauce.” But he did shed some light on which tracks might be in line for high or low ratings. “In racing jurisdictions like New York, Maryland, Kentucky and California, where they have well-established, accredited aftercare programs, tracks in those racing jurisdictions are automatically going to get an A-plus or a score of 100, depending on whether we issue a letter grade or a percentile. A track like Delta Downs? Unless something has changed drastically in the last few days that I’m not aware of, they’re going to get a low score. “And other states where there are mixed reports of horses disappearing from tracks and ending up in kill lots? I won’t mention specific states because we’re still working that out. We’re still trying to get verifiable information. But those tracks are going to get D scores, or C-minuses at best,” Platt said. Platt acknowledged that HANA is being extra cautious in compiling the aftercare ratings prior to releasing the 2018 version of the full list. The annual ratings generally come out in April, and the list is now four-plus months late in being made public because of the tweaking of the new aftercare component. (You can view the 2017 ratings here). “I’ve got them on hold,” Platt said. “I bear the responsibility for not getting the 2018 rankings out yet. I’m going to get [the aftercare ratings] as right as we can possibly get them before we hit the ‘submit’ button and make the links public. “It’s not going to be perfect the first time around. And I’m going to take a lot of flak and negative feedback if I get it wrong,” Platt summed up. “But I’m willing to put my neck out there and go out on a limb in the hope of shining a spotlight on it. And if I do get a rating wrong, and somebody calls me on it and they can show me [evidence for] a higher grade, I’ll make a change and give them a higher grade.” View the full article

The Thoroughbred Women’s Network is set to host a networking event Sunday, Sept. 9 as part of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The “Meet and Mingle” will be held on the Keeneland sales grounds between Taylor Made Yearling Sale Barns 2 and 6 beginning at 5:30 p.m. Eastern. All are invited to this casual mixer, after the inspection day has ended. Recognizing a need in the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry to address the difficulties many newcomers experience in becoming professionally involved in the sport, the TWN hopes the ice breaker-style event will offer interested individuals the chance to learn more about TWN, as well as meet like-minded Thoroughbred industry professionals, role models, and potential mentors. Light snacks and refreshments will be served, courtesy of Taylor Made Sales. Attendees are encouraged to mix with current TWN board members and participants, register, exchange information, network with peers, and sign up for a mentorship program the TWN expects to unveil in the near future. Registration and information tables will be set up for those interested in learning more about various professions in the Thoroughbred industry. Topics will include: On the Farm, At the Track, Marketing, and Industry Services. View the full article

Taylor Made Sales Agency will offer its first European consignment at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale, presenting race fillies and mares with group/graded success on both sides of the Atlantic. The announcement comes on the heels of Taylor Made raised and sales graduate Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy) capturing multiple Group 1s in Europe this year and fellow grad Shang Shang Shang (Shanghai Bobby) winning at Royal Ascot. “We are always looking for ways to improve our customer’s chances for success.” said Taylor Made’s Vice President of Public Sales Mark Taylor. “The Thoroughbred marketplace is becoming more interconnected than ever before. We believe that our initial consignment at Tattersalls will maximize the value of our customer’s horses while also opening up many new relationships. We have also developed a working relationship with Haras De Gouffern, whom we will present a consignment with at Arqana in 2019. We will be releasing more details in the near future regarding that venture.” Edmond Mahony, Chairmand of Tattersalls, added, “Taylor Made is synonymous with quality bloodstock and consummate professionalism and we are proud that they have chosen the Tattersalls December Sale for their first ever consignment in Europe.” View the full article

The top spots for two MATCH Series divisions already are secure, but races on the final weekend will determine the standings in other divisions as well as the overall championship. View the full article