Three NY-bred juveniles brought six figures during Tuesday’s second and concluding session of Fasig-Tipton’s Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training in Timonium, including a filly by New York third crop sire Stonesider purchased by Linda Rice on behalf of A Shares Stable for $125,000.

Bred by Jennifer Contessa and foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, the bay Stonesider filly (Hip 297) is the second foal from winner I Drink Alone (Intidab). The mare’s first foal, 3-year-old Stonely the Lonely (Bustin Stones), has won twice on the NYRA circuit and earned $78,000. I Drink Alone is a daughter of stakes performer Grab Gingerly, and half sister to stakes winner and graded stakes-placed Pavo ($304,991).

The sale filly, who was consigned by Eddie Woods, Agent II, worked one-eighth of a mile in the under tack show in :10 2/5. A lucrative pinhook, she sold previously to Woods’ Quarter Pole Enterprises for $20,000 at the 2011 OBS fall mixed sale. Her sire Stonesider stands for Highcliff Stallions LLC at McMahon of Saratoga.

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The top-selling New York-bred in session two, also the top New York-bred to change hands at the Midlantic 2-year-old sale, was Hip 361, a dark bay/brown February Mineshaft colt, who sold from the consignment of James Layden (also the consignor of Monday’s New York topper by Posse) to Thomas Keithley for $130,000.

Bred by Louis P. Ferrari and foaled at Peacefield in Schuylerville, the colt is the fourth foal out of placed runner Mississippi Charm (Silver Charm), who is a half sister to multiple stakes-winning New York-bred Delta Wolf ($400,343) and stakes winner and multiple graded stakes-placed Miss Wineshine ($189,080), herself a stakes producer. Mississippi Charm has already produced two winners from three to race, including stakes-placed New York-bred Smokem’s Charm by Smoke Glacken ($78,787).

Offered for sale at public auction three times, the colt was purchased by Layden for $97,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton preferred New York-bred yearling sale. He failed to meet his reserve when bid up to $145,000 at Fasig-Tipton’s March sale, before selling on Tuesday after posting a :21 4/5 quarter-mile breeze in the under tack show.

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The third six-figure juvenile to sell Tuesday, a chestnut colt by Smoke Glacken with European roots, went to Debbie Easter, Agent for $117,000 from the consignment of Classic Bloodstock. The May colt (Hip 330), who was bred by Eaton & Thorne, Inc. and foaled at Thorndale Farm in Millbrook, breezed an eighth of a mile in :10 2/5.

The sale colt is out of Land On Your Feet, an unraced daughter of Silver Deputy who has produced four winners and is a half sister to stakes winner Reflect the Music by A. P. Indy ($219,708). Jonathan Thorne purchased the mare for $15,000 at the 2008 Keeneland November sale. The colt’s third dam is Irish-bred French juvenile champion and Group 1 winner Play It Safe (Red Alert), who is a half sister to long-distance highweight and sire Prudent Manner (9 1/2-11 furlongs) and Grade 1 winner and sire Providential, as well as the dam of stakes winner Vanities.

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Yet another New York-sired juvenile to sell nicely on Tuesday was a bay filly by Freud (Hip 358) who went to Stephen Di Mauro, Agent for $97,000 from the consignment of Pike Racing after breezing the fastest three-eighths in the under tack show (:33 3/5).

Bred by Tony Grey and foaled at Keane Stud in Amenia, the bay filly is the third foal out of the four-time winner Mighty Good (Good and Tough), a half sister to Mighty Eros, a New York-bred stakes winner by Freud. Mighty Good’s only foal to race to date, Ludo Bagman (Closing Argument), is a winner ($78,098). Second dam Mighty Emy (Mighty Adversary) is a stakes winner, as is third dam Honey League Girl (Honey Jay). Honey League Girl is a half sister to Grade three winner League Darling, two more stakes winners and the dam of two stakes winners including Mop Squeezer, a multiple stakes producer.

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Over the two sessions of the Midlantic 2-year-old sale, 31 New York-breds changed hands (including two private sales) for an average price of $46,096 and a $30,000 median. Only four individuals did not sell, producing a terrific buy-back rate of only 11%.

A son of Posse, who breezed the fastest quarter mile at the under tack shows, commanded the highest price for a New York-bred at Monday’s first session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training in Timonium when purchased by trainer Bruce Levine for $110,000.

Following the March colt’s bullet quarter mile last Wednesday (:21 2/5), consignor James Layden said, “He’s been very forward. He’s a nice colt, and he worked really well. He loves what he’s doing, and is cut out to be a racehorse.” Layden added, “He acts like a good one. I liked his conformation as a yearling. He just looked as if he would develop into a nice horse, and he has.”

Bred by Russell S. Fisher and foaled at Stonebridge Farm in Gansevoort, the Posse colt (Hip 77) was purchased by Layden last October for $25,000 from the Stonebridge Farm consignment at the Fasig-Tipton Eastern fall yearling sale.

The sale colt is the latest recorded offspring of the unraced Storm Bird mare Storm Struck, who has produced six winners from seven starters, including Paragon Queen (Lord Carson), runner-up in the 2004 Grade 3 Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs, and My Man Sumo (Kafwain), a $136,570-earner. His second dam Swaalif (Secretariat) produced the dam of stakes winner Mykindasaint (Saint Ballado) and the family of the third dam, Canadian champion Queen Louie, is riddled with black type through several generations

The colt issues from the first New York crop of Posse (Silver Deputy – Raska [Rahy]), who relocated to the state for the 2010 breeding season. Standing his first year at Vinery in Lexington in 2004, Posse was the leading first crop sire in 2007 with seven stakes winners, including top-earner and two-time champion Kodiak Kowboy ($1,663,363), whose first juveniles are hitting the track this year. Caleb’s Posse ($1,423,379), winner of the 2011 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in electrifying fashion, entered stud this year at Three Chimneys Farm.

Standing at Vinery New York at Sugar Maple in Poughquag for $12,500, Posse has been topping the year-end New York stallion rankings since his arrival in New York in late 2009.

Thirteen New York-breds sold in the sale’s opening session for an average price of $34,385 and $30,000 median. The Midlantic sale continues Tuesday at 10 AM.

Repole Stable’s Notacatbutallama (Harlan’s Holiday), freshened since a wide-trip sixth in the Grade 2 Jerome on January 5, made a huge move in the far turn from near the back of the field to finish third in the one-mile, $100,000 James W. Murphy Stakes, which was run on firm turf at Pimlico on Preakness Day.

Taken back after the break from post one while much of the speed to his outside swept past, 2-1 chalk Notacatbutallama looked a little hard to handle for jockey John Velazquez in the early stages, but negotiated the clubhouse turn cleanly in the two-path, avoiding trouble when Yougotthatgoinforu, also near the back of the field of 10 sophomores, clipped heels and lost his rider entering the turn

Cruising in seventh and more than 10 lengths behind pacesetter Redwood Kitten in the backstretch, Notacatbutallama made a big four-wide move rounding the turn for home, and emerged in third at the top of the stretch. Unable to make up the final four lengths on winner Redwood Kitten, Notacatbutallama finished third. The winner completed the one mile distance over the firm turf in 1:35.17.

Jockey John Velazquez, who piloted the colt for his first six careers starts and had the call on Saturday from trainer Todd Pletcher, said, “I was comfortable where I was. I think it was a little too much to make up and, you know, he probably needed the race, too. He hadn’t run in a couple months. He ran really well.”

With his third-place finish in the James Murphy, Notacatbutallama’s record now stands at 3-3-1 from nine starts with $218,334 in earnings.

Out of the exacta only once in a 7-race juvenile campaign, Notacatbutallama broke his maiden second out by an impressive 6 1/2 lengths at Saratoga and followed a solid fourth in the Grade 2 With Anticipation with a runner-up finish in Belmont’s Grade 3 Pilgrim. Notacatbutallama next reeled off back-to-back open stakes tallies, winning Belmont’s Incurable Optimist in October by 1 1/4 lengths and the Super Mario at Aqueduct by 3 1/2 lengths in November. He wound up the year finishing second to Smooth Bert in his first start on dirt in the Damon Runyon in December.

A fourth generation product of Happy Hill Farm breeding, Notacatbutallama was foaled at Sue and Gary Lundy’s Cedar Ridge Farm in Pine Plains. He is one of five foals to start and the third winner out of Self Rising, a stakes-placed daughter of Hansel ($164,931). Her second foal was nine-time winner and six-figure earner Toque by Alphabet Soup ($147,396).

Notacatbutallama first sold as a 2011 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred Saratoga yearling for $50,000 to Nick de Meric, who turned him around as a two-year-old at the OBS Spring sale, where he was purchased by Repole Stables for $105,000.

Self Rising currently has a 2-year-old filly by Mineshaft named Jazzminegem. The filly, who was also bred by Happy Hill Farm and foaled at Cedar Ridge Farm, was purchased by Peacock Ridge, Agent, from the consignment of Becky Thomas’s Sequel Bloodstock for $100,000 at the 2013 OBS spring sale of 2-year-olds in training after recording a 10.0 breeze.

Adam Coglianese

Ogermeister, bred by Mrs. Gerald Nielsen and owned and trained by Wesley Ward, won NYRA’s first juvenile race of the year by six lengths on Thursday, rewarding backers who bet him down to 2-5 favoritism.

Exiting post two in the post-scratch field of five New York-bred juveniles, the well-prepared Ogermeister broke second under Joel Rosario, advanced to first in the opening strides and never looked back. Ticking off a snappy first quarter-mile in 22.56 and half in 45.81, he stopped the clock at 58.25 after five furlongs, crossing the wire six lengths ahead of the competition. [VIDEO]

Purchased by Ward for $40,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale last summer, Ogermeister is a bay gelding by Silver Train foaled in May. He is the first winner for his dam and a third-generation product of the Nielsens’ breeding program.

The colt’s dam To the Good Times (out of Neilsen-bred winner Bright Tribute by Polish Numbers) is a half-sister to stakes winners Lord Beer ($195,923) and Eliot Chacer ($107,950) – a stakes producer in her own right. The colt’s third dam, stakes-placed and multiple stakes-producer Dance Hall Girl, was purchased by Gerald A. Nielsen for $200,000 at the 1982 Keeneland November sale. In addition to producer Bright Tribute, Dance Hall Girl is the dam of multiple graded winner It’s Personal by Personal Flag ($232,836).

By virtue of Ogermeister’s maiden-breaking performance at the Belmont spring / summer meet, his owner becomes eligible for a $100,000 bonus from NYRA if he goes on to win a graded stakes at Saratoga Race Course, Belmont, or Aqueduct in 2013.

Photo Credit: Anne M. Eberhardt / Blood-Horse Publications

William H. “Bill” Welch, 72, retired Executive Director of the New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund, died Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at his residence on Mt. Morris Rd. in Geneseo, New York.

Born to Mark and Mary Gallagher Welch on May 25, 1940 in Rochester, NY, Bill Welch was a Livingston County Deputy Sherriff and Geneseo Volunteer Firemen in the 1960′s. Instrumental in promoting the original Thoroughbred Fund legislation while working for the Breeders Service Bureau of the State Racing Commission, Welch retired as Executive Director (formerly called “Executive Administrator”) of the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund.

Welch, who was an avid Fox Hunter with the Genesee Valley Hunt Club and a member of St. Mary’s Church in Geneseo, is survived by his, partner, Peter Mendiola, sisters, Martha (Eric) Myer of Boyce, VA, Sheila Chanler of Geneseo, many nieces, nephews, cousins, dear friends and his canine companion, Bruno.

A Memorial Mass will be held Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 11 AM at St. Mary’s Church, 4 Avon Rd. in Geneseo. There are no prior calling hours and in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Geneseo Ambulance Fund, P.O. Box 428, Geneseo, NY 14454 or the Teresa House, 21 Highland Rd., Geneseo, NY 14454.

A full obituary will follow in the June edition of the New York Breeder.

Returning to his native New York for the first time since winning an open allowance at Belmont last September, turf sprint specialist Next Question stayed on to finish third after setting a blistering pace in Belmont’s featured $85,000 Around the Cape overnight stakes Thursday.

Owned by Kirk Wycoff’s Three Diamonds Farm and trained by Mike Trombetta, the 5-year-old Stormy Atlantic gelding was looking to improve on his 2013 debut, where after racing on or near the lead in the 5 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland, he finished on the wrong end of a five-way blanket finish where the top five were separated by just a half-length. Ridden for the first time on Thursday by Rajiv Maragh and facing six in the six-furlong Around the Cape, the Grade 1 winner was bet down to 4-5 favoritism.

After winning a four-way scramble for the early lead, Next Question and took the field through red-hot splits of 21.55 and 44.01. Shaking free of his immediate competition in upper stretch, Next Question was faced next with two strong closers, Night Officer, who raced six lengths behind the vanguard in the early stages in fifth and Hoofit, who rallied from last.

In the final sixteenth the fast early pace took its toll, leaving Next Question to finish third 2 1/4 lengths behind Night Officer and Hoofit – a neck apart first and second – and 1 1/2 lengths clear of fourth-place finisher Saint Pete. The winner’s final time for the six furlongs was 1:07.92 for a Beyer Speed Figure of 92.

The stakes placing in his tenth career start improves Next Question’s career record to 3-1-2 with $414,513 in earnings.

Unraced at two, Next Question broke his maiden at second asking in May 2011 on the Woodbine Polytrack going 5 1/2 furlongs, but had to spend the next 13 months on the sidelines. Returning last June as a turf sprinter, Next Question followed a close runner-up finish in a state-bred allowance at Belmont with two trips marred by bad racing luck at Saratoga and then a victory in an open allowance at Belmont last September.

Supplemented next for the 6-furlong Grade 1 Nearctic Stakes at Woodbine in October, Next Question upset the field at 16-1 odds stamping his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. He finished off-the-board over the downhill turf course at Santa Anita, but only four lengths behind the winner.

Bred by Dr. Lance Bell and foaled at BellView in Greenfield Center, Next Question is the first winner from five foals to start out of the unplaced Slew City Slew mare Seattle Stardust, who is a half-sister to 2004 BC Mile winner Singletary.

Offered three times at public auction, Next Question changed hands only once, when purchased by Three Diamonds at the 2009 New York Mixed sale for $30,000. He failed to meet his reserve when bid up to $29,000 as a weanling at the 2008 Keeneland November Breeding Stock sale and in 2010 was a $170,000 buy-back at the OBS Spring 2-year-olds in training sale.

After Freedom Child drew off to score – using Tom Durkin’s coinage –a “mud-nificent” 13 1/4-length victory over eight 3-year-olds in the Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan at Belmont on Saturday, John Esposito and Anthony Logrippo’s homebred Go Get the Basil (Andromeda’s Hero) – thick in the battle for the other placings – got a nose in front of Abraham to finish third over the sloppy going.

Breaking from post seven (of nine) under Irad Ortiz, Jr., Go Get the Basil settled in sixth position in the two-path for the run up the backstretch, while Freedom Child, off a beat slow, rushed up from post one to take over the lead for good.

With six or more lengths still to make up on the second flight in the turn, Go Get the Basil angled out five wide in upper stretch and took hold of the sloppy going. After steadily making up ground out in the crown of the track, he managed to nose Abraham out of third at the wire, while finishing 2 1/4 lengths behind runner-up Saint Vigeur.

After a mile in 1:35.95, the winner’s final time for the nine furlong-contest, which was run after a fresh downpour on an already sloppy racetrack, was 1:49.09.

Rick Violette-trainee Go Get the Basil took a couple of tries to get things figured out, but after breaking his maiden third out at the $50,000 claiming level at Aqueduct last October, the chestnut colt reeled off two more straight victories on “good” going over the Aqueduct inner in December and January: a 6-furlong state-bred allowance by a neck over subsequent Grade 3 Withers runner-up Escapefromreality and an open starter allowance / optional claiming event at a mile in January.

After finishing second in an open allowance on March 7, just a nose behind The Truth and K G, who ran third next out in the Grade 3 Bay Shore, Go Get the Basil ran eighth in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial prior to the Peter Pan.

Go Get the Basil is out of Images in Jade (Jade Hunter), a Kentucky-bred five-time winner of $118,535 (32-5-3-4), who was claimed by John Esposito for $20,000 out of an Aqueduct sprint in mid-February 2002. Images in Jade retired after nine starts for Esposito and Logrippo, which included a win, a second and a third, and has gone on to produce six winners from six foals to start, including Hot Splash (Sunriver), runner-up in the Park Avenue division of the NYSS last year ($115,155). Currently Images in Jade has a yearling colt by Artie Schiller.

Go Get the Basil’s sire Andromeda’s Hero, who entered stud in 2007, stands at Dutchess Views Farm in Pine Plains.

Adam Coglianese

Waterville Lake Stable’s homebred Miss Valentine took over the lead in the final sixteenth to score her seventh career stakes victory in Friday’s $90,000 No Reason Stakes for older New York-bred fillies and mares run at one mile over Belmont’s main track.

Miss Valentine (Afleet Alex) came into the No Reason after more than five months off with a history of running well fresh for trainer Christophe Clement. The chestnut was also looking for a third consecutive stakes victory, having wound up her 4-year-old season with back-to-back scores in the Chase the Dream and Lottsa Talc Stakes at Aqueduct in November and December.

Reunited for her 5-year-old debut with Kentucky Derby-winning rider Joel Rosario, who had piloted the filly to a runner-up finish behind runaway winner Willet in the Iroquois on Showcase Day last October and to victory in the Chase the Dream, Miss Valentine backed off the early pace set by Harbor Mist (23.86, 47.14) to race in fourth from post four, while Clear Pasaj (Smoke Glacken) pursued the pacesetter two lengths behind in second.

Around the far turn, Miss Valentine moved up into third, advancing steadily as Clear Pasaj took over the lead from Harbor Mist. Angled out three-wide Miss Valentine came under a ride in the stretch, passed Clear Pasaj around the sixteenth marker and edged ahead to get the win by a half-length. Clear Pasaj finished second, keeping a head in front of Lady On the Run, who ran last in the early stages but launched a bid in the turn and closed eagerly on the outside to get third. Erin Enchanted finished fourth, followed by Go Unbridled and Harbor Mist. Fiftyfour Forever was scratched.

Miss Valentine’s seventh stakes victory, which came in a final time of 1:37.53 over the “good” going on the Belmont main track, improves her record to 8-5-1 from 19 starts and increases her earnings to $470,500. Miss Valentine has not raced outside of stakes company since her second start when she won the Swirlaway at Aqueduct in November 2010. She has fared well against open rivals, in 2011 winning the Serena’s Song at Monmouth and Mom’s Command at Belmont, and finishing second in the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks in 2011.

Foaled at Berkshire Stud in Pine Plains, Miss Valentine is out of the multiple black type-placed Gilded Time mare Miss Yiayia ($175,970), who has produced all winners from five foals to start. Purchased upon retirement by Winter Quarter Farm for $195,000 at the 2001 Keeneland November sale, Miss Yiayia changed hands again in 2009 going to David J. Fiske (agent) for $10,000 at the Keeneland January sale.

Miss Yiayia’s other six-figure earner is New York-bred Thunder Chief, by Thunder Gulch ($164,930).

Adam Coglianese

In a contest of battle-hardened veterans, Chester and Mary Broman’s 6-year-old homebred Mine Over Matter (Mineshaft) won a three-way battle with Be Bullish and Fiddlers Afleet in late stretch to come out on top in Thursday’s featured $83,300 Corma Ray overnight stakes for older New York-breds.

After winning the 6-furlong Hudson Stakes on Showcase Day last October for trainer Mike Hushion, Mine Over Matter wrapped up 2012 with an excellent third-place finish to Caixa Eletronica and This Ones for Phil in Aqueduct’s Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap, despite a bad stumble at the start. In three races this year, Mine Over Matter ran second to Brigand, who wired the field, in the Turnofthecentury overnight stakes on January 30, and was unplaced in the Grade 3 Toboggan on February 2 and Compelling Word Stakes on March 21.

Turning back from a mile over the Aqueduct inner to six furlongs on Big Sandy, and facing off-going (designated “muddy [sealed]), which had accounted for four of Mine Over Matter’s six career victories, Mine Over Matter was bet down to 7-5 as the post-time favorite and partnered for the first time with Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Joel Rosario.

Breaking from the outside post (of five) Mine Over Matter settled in fourth just off the pace, as Be Bullish outsprinted Fiddlers Afleet to grab the early lead, showing the way through early fractions of 23.46 and 47.08 with Fiddlers Afleet at his flank.

Looming three-wide and poised to strike at the top of the stretch, Mine Over Matter steadily narrowed the gap to the frontrunners in upper stretch and took over the lead past the sixteenth pole before edging away to a one-length victory in a final time of 1:22.73.

Be Bullish, game as always, held his ground under nearly constant pressure from Fiddlers Afleet, who poked a head in front at one point, to secure the place by a half-length. Ground Force and Cap the Moment completed the order of finish and Uncle T Seven and Johannesburg Smile were scratched.

Mine Over Matter has now won four stakes races and placed in nine more, including the Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap. The Corma Ray victory improves his record 7-4-10 from 39 starts and increases his earnings bankroll to $455,934.

Chestertown Farm purchased the dam of Mine Over Matter, Hansel’s Girl, in 1996 as a Keeneland September yearling for $80,000. The Grade 2-placed five-time winner by Hansel (Woodman) earned $237,980 on the racetrack and has had a productive career as a broodmare.

Hansel’s Girl has produced four winners from four starters including stakes-placed – Chestertown Slew, by Seattle Slew ($171,826), and Motor Patrol, by Cherokee Run ($148,633). Hansel’s Girl currently has a 2-year-old filly by New York Freshman sire Noonmark and a weanling colt by Girolamo born on February 24.

Laboratory tests completed at the New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory revealed that at least four horses stabled at Vernon Downs Raceway have been infected with a strain of the Equine Herpes Virus Type 1 (EHV-1). The horses were stalled in two barns at the track, both of which have since been quarantined.

EHV-1 is an airborne viral infection which can cause respiratory disease, abortion in broodmares, death in newborn foals and a neurological form of herpes. The virus does not affect people.

Because of its condition and prognosis due to the infection, one Standardbred horse was humanely euthanized. The other three are under quarantine in two barns at the racetrack.

As of May 6, no other horses at New York racetracks have been reported to have EHV-1.

If you are the owner, trainer or caretaker of a horse that has been at Vernon Downs in the past two weeks, or believe your horse has been potentially exposed to EHV-1, the following guidelines are recommended:

• Check your horse’s temperature twice a day for ten days. If the temperature is 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit or greater, contact your veterinarian immediately.
• If you wish to test your horse, consult your veterinarian. At this time, the preferred test is PCR analysis performed on nasal swab specimens. Blood samples may also be tested.
• The decision to test a horse not showing signs of disease should not be taken lightly. Due to the ubiquitous nature of EHV-1, many horses will test positive for presence of the virus and not develop the disease. Also, a single negative test has limited value in demonstrating whether or not a horse will become ill or may be shedding the virus.

Horsepersons and owners should check with track management before shipping horses to or from a track.

Since Saturday, May 4, live racing at Vernon Downs has been canceled and will continue to be as the Department of Agriculture and Markets, the State Gaming Commission and track management work to assess and contain the outbreak. No horses are permitted to ship in or out of the facility.

Vernon Downs’ management, horsepersons and their veterinarians are taking responsible measures to limit spread and the Gaming Commission and Department of Agriculture and Markets are working with them to investigate and contain the illness.

Nearly all horses will be exposed to EHV-1 at some point in their lifetime and horse owners should always be cautious when introducing new horses to their stables. The disease is difficult to detect as it takes on a wide range of manifestations, from a complete lack of clinical symptoms to pneumonia to abortion in mares to full-blown neurologic cases.

Both agencies will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed. For more information on EHV-1, visit the American Association of Equine Practitioner’s Web site or check USDA APHIS’ brochure on the virus.