Wandering Eyes

Next on the agenda for Mendelssohn could be the Belmont Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) before a return to Churchill Downs for the Breeders' Cup. View the full article

Total wagering on the 2018 Ellis Park meet was $37,480,814, spread over 28 full days of racing and a 29th day that was canceled after two races because of excessive heat. A water main break forced cancellation of another day, Aug. 26. While total wagering was down $899,735 over 2017, last year’s meet ran 31 days, with two cards abbreviated when storms caused flooding. Wagering in July totaled $17,572,654 for 14 days, picking up to $19,900,163 for the remaining 14 days, the increase coming almost exclusively from simulcast wagering. Ellis Park ran a total of 251 races, averaging eight horses per race, down slightly from last year’s 8.2 starters per race. “From a racing standpoint and fan support, the entire meet was fabulous,” said Ellis Park general manager Jeff Hall. “From an overall wagering standpoint, it was like two separate meets. With the sale of 100-percent interest to Saratoga Casino & Hospitality Group almost halfway through the meet, we increased advertising in the simulcast market and the results were notable. The last half of the summer wasn’t winding down a meet but, really, setting the groundwork for a superb 2019 racing season. We can’t wait to see everyone back here for racing next summer, but also want to remind people that we remain open as a year-round entertainment venue with simulcasting and historical horse racing.” 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. Today’s Observations features the return of a TDN Rising Star. 3.10 Haydock, Cond, £10,000, 2yo, 7f 212yT WALDSTERN (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) earned TDN Rising Star status on his debut at Newmarket last month which has earned him a six-pound penalty in this contest. Gestut Ammerland’s half-brother to the recent G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud hero Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and the G2 Prix de Malleret winner Waldlied (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) looks a class act and it will take something special from the rest to lower his colours. One of the newcomers is Phoenix Thoroughbred Limited’s Kadar (Scat Daddy), a Karl Burke-trained relative of Kalanisi (Ire) (Doyoun {GB}) who cost €700,000 at the Arqana May Breeze-Up. View the full article

Camilla Whishaw, a 2014 graduate of the Godolphin Flying Start program, always knew she wanted to pursue a career in the field of equine naturopathy, but she didn’t necessarily expect that career to achieve such a global reach. Whishaw, who recently wrapped up a week-long Stateside visit in Lexington, is the owner of the Australia-based Optim Equine, which treats, resolves and manages a wide range of horse health and injury woes using a holistic, natural approach. Primarily making use of Western herbal medicine, nutrition and nutraceuticals, Whishaw brings a fresh perspective on how natural treatments can work hand-in-hand with more conventional medicinal approaches. Growing up on her family’s Armidale Stud in Tasmania, the native Aussie worked and rode horses from a young age and quickly became intrigued with the field of naturopathy, which is rooted in the idea that individuals can inherently heal themselves if given appropriate and focused natural supplements. After successfully gaining admittance into Flying Start in 2012, Whishaw said the program was instrumental in guiding her path toward the foundation of Optim Equine. “I knew there was a place in the market, and I felt a strong need to provide natural health solutions to issues, injuries and illnesses in horses,” Whishaw said. “That set me on my career path. I went to Flying Start with that being my main goal.” Whishaw readily acknowledged that she is not trained as a veterinarian, and said she has found that working alongside vets allows her to identify areas in which naturopathic solutions may be more effective in treating a condition or enhancing an already existent treatment. Not surprisingly, given her background growing up on a stud farm, Whishaw said that stallion fertility issues are perhaps the area in which natural medicine is the most effective. “It’s a very important side of our industry, and when it comes to stallion infertility or subfertility, there is very little we can do effectively using conventional medicine,” Whishaw said. “It was certainly one area during my studies that I realized that appropriate use of suitable herbs and nutrients could have a huge impact. That was an area of particular interest.” Equipped with confidence that her practices could be successfully applied to the treatment of stallions, Whishaw graduated from Flying Start in 2014 and decided to gain more hands-on experience with stallions as a groom at Vinery Stud in Australia. Soon after that, she assumed a role as an equine naturopath at Darley Australia, while also operating an on-site rehabilitation facility. She stepped out on her own soon after, and while stallion fertility treatment remains a large component of her new role with Optim Equine, she said she addresses a wide range of health issues from a diverse pool of clients. “I do see a lot of stallion fertility cases, but honestly, I see everything and anything,” Whishaw continued. “I see a lot of horses with joint problems, horses with gastric issues, such as colic and ulcers. We see suspensory injuries, which we help to heal quicker and better. We get a lot of cases with immune system problems, metabolic problems and, while we can’t really give it a term, but often people will get me in as a last resort for horses they have tried everything on.” The “last resort” situations, according to Whishaw, are some of the most satisfying cases to solve–partially because they essentially provide her with the opportunity to demonstrate proof of concept to individuals who may have initially been opposed to naturopathic solutions. Along those lines, Whishaw stressed that any herbal or nutritional remedies she prescribes must be backed by proven research and must fulfill specific therapeutic aims–there is no use of supplements “just because.” And how has Whishaw found her experience in America? “Vets over here are far more progressive than those at home,” she asserted. “They’re open to trying new things with new treatment options and more progressive in adopting alternative medicine and alternative techniques. I find the industry [in America] more forward-thinking.” As far as the actual conditions Whishaw has been treating in the States, she said the primary difference is that she sees more cases related to equine management. Horses in America tend to reside more continuously in stables than in other countries such as Australia, which can lead to more gastric problems and issues with temperament and behavior. With a unique career path that has placed her on a global course, Whishaw said she is thankful to be doing what she loves. “I think I saw myself staying in one location, but it’s evolved to take me around the world, effectively,” Whishaw said. “It’s certainly along the lines of doing exactly what I wanted to do. And that’s pretty fortunate, because that doesn’t always happen.” To learn more about Optim Equine, click here, and to contact Camilla Whishaw, email camilla@optimequine.com. View the full article

WKY Development, LLC–a joint venture between Churchill Downs Incorporated and Keeneland Association Inc.–filed an application with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission Wednesday requesting a 10-day Standardbred race meet at CDI’s old Louisville Downs racing venue located at Derby City Gaming in Louisville for 2019 and in 2020 at its proposed venue in Oak Grove. It would provide a new harness racing location after the closing of Thunder Ridge racetrack last year. If approved, CDI and Keeneland will solely fund these purses as there has been no prior pari-mutuel activity to generate purse revenue for this meet. If approved by the KHRC, beginning in 2020, live Standardbred racing would permanently move to the proposed Oak Grove venue. “Reissuing the Thunder Ridge racetrack license to Churchill Downs and Keeneland for immediate use is the right and responsible thing to do for Kentucky’s horse racing industry,” said Kevin Flanery, President of Churchill Downs Racetrack. “The closure of Thunder Ridge racetrack was a significant hit to horse racing in the Commonwealth, but Churchill Downs and Keeneland are stepping up to address it and ensure the continuation of a strong racing circuit.” “Bringing Standardbred racing to Louisville in 2019 and then to Christian County in 2020 and beyond is critical to maintain Kentucky’s preeminent status as the horse racing capital of the world,” said Vince Gabbert, Vice President and COO of Keeneland. “We are optimistic the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission will approve our application to ensure the Standardbred horse racing circuit continues to thrive in the Commonwealth.” The proposed facility in Oak Grove represents a $125 million economic development project, including a historical racing machine facility featuring up to 1,500 machines, a 125-room hotel with event center and food/beverage venues, a 1,200-person capacity grandstand and event space for indoor events, a 3,000-person capacity outdoor amphitheater and stage, and a state-of-the-art equestrian center including indoor and outdoor arenas. View the full article

The CBA has released its annual show schedule for yearlings in Book 1 of the Keeneland September sale. The schedule is shown in two formats this year: first by barn order and the second lists the first day that consignments begin showing. This year’s show schedule includes a few tips on how to tackle the substantial task of viewing all of the yearlings being offered for sale. Go to the ConsignorsAndBreeders.com home page to find various downloadable versions of the schedule. View the full article

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