Cyberknife filly leads seven-figure haul at Saratoga sale

October 15th, 2024

Hip 301, a filly by Cyberknife bred by Dr. Jerry Bilinski, topped the Saratoga fall mixed sale on a bid of $230,000. Fasig-Tipton Photo.

By Mary Eddy and Tom Law

A filly from the first crop of multiple Grade 1 winner Cyberknife led a group of eight New York-bred weanlings that sold for $100,000 or more at Tuesday’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale.

Diamond I landed the top-priced weanling of the day, going to $230,000 for Hip 301, a daughter of Cyberknife out of the winning D’wildcat mare D’fashion. Bred by Dr. Jerry Bilinski, foaled at his Waldorf Farm in North Chatham and consigned by Gracie Bloodstock, agent for Waldorf Farm, the filly is a half-sister to stakes winner Strategic Dreams and four other winners.

“She’s a great filly and came here really professionally,” said Gracie Bloodstock’s Chris Gracie. “She’s a well-balanced, pretty filly. She stuck out in the group of horses here. We’ve watched her all summer and I’ve seen her a couple times now, and ever since she was a foal, she was a really nice horse. She’s done well since then, and everyone responded to her on the sales grounds.”

The sale-topper is the eighth foal out of D’fashion, who is also the dam of a yearling colt by Game Winner that sold for $450,000 at the recent Keeneland September sale. Bilinski, through his Waldorf Farm, purchased D’fashion carrying the Game Winner colt in utero for $75,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

“It’s a great place to sell weanlings,” Gracie said. “Everyone comes here – you get a lot of people from Kentucky, all over the country. They come here just to shop New York-breds, so when you bring them here, you get a combination of end-users and pinhookers, which you don’t always get on weanlings. It’s a good place to bring them.”

Hip 252, a filly by Good Magic bred by Mill Creek Farm and Fortune Farm, sold for $180,000 Tuesday at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga. Fasig-Tipton Photo.

Hip 252, a weanling daughter of leading third-crop sire Good Magic, landed the second highest price on a bid of $180,000 from No Money No Honey.

Bred by Mill Creek Farm and Fortune Farm, foaled at Mill Creek in Stillwater and consigned by Vinery Sales, agent for the breeders, the filly is out of the winning Arch mare Ardara. She’s the dam of six winners from six foals to race, including stakes winner Miss Marisa and stakes-placed winner The X.

“Lovely filly,” said Vinery Sales’ Josh Kerin. “Obviously, the sire is really helping her and it’s an incredible page. That also is a testament to New Yorkers really getting in there and buying pedigrees to compete with Kentucky and other states.”

Kerin further praised the Empire State’s breeders and breeding program for the successful day for Vinery Sales, which also included the $110,000 sale of Hip 213, a colt by Practical Joke; and the $100,000 sale of Hip 40, a colt by Drain the Clock.

Vinery also sold Hip 267, a colt by Mind Control that brought $50,000 and the most expensive price for a New York-sired weanling. Bred by Ivery Sisters Racing and foaled at Fort Christopher’s Thoroughbreds in Fort Edward, the colt out of the Giant Gizmo mare Butch’s Mango was purchased by Global Equus Thoroughbreds. Multiple Grade 1 winner Mind Control stands in New York under the management of Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions and Rockridge Stud.

“[The consignment’s success] is a testament to what the New York breeders are doing,” he said. “They’re producing good foals, the stallions are increasing their physicality and racing ability, so New York breeders are really making a name for themselves. It was a strong turnout on sale day and that’s really where push comes to shove, so we’re happy about that.”

Fasig-Tipton reported sales on 148 of the 250 horses offered at the sale for a total of $3,939,500, an average price of $26,618 and median of $15,000. Those numbers decreased from last year’s total of $4,597,200 for 157 horses sold and an average price of $29,282 and median of $20,000.

New York-based owner and breeder Jonathan Thorne signed the ticket for the third highest-priced weanling, going to $150,000 for Hip 125, a filly by Early Voting. Bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds LLC and Tuscany Bloodstock, foaled at Sequel Stallion New York in Hudson and consigned by Sequel New York, the filly is out of the winning Ghostzapper mare Owl Moon.

“You can’t find a much better physical than she was,” Thorne said. “I’m a fan of the stallion and we’re lucky we get to take care of her and hope for the best. She’s a beautiful horse. If they all [the Early Votings] look like that, they’re going to be in good shape.

“I love that Fasig-Tipton hosts this sale. I live and hour and a half from here and I always try to support it. And, we like beautiful horses.”

Sequel’s Becky Thomas also praised the Saratoga fall sale market.

“I think the market is excellent for horses that are perceived as very nice,” she said. “[Hip 125] is a very nice filly, and that’s a lot of money. We were very happy, it’s a breeding partnership, and we’re always really happy when our homebreds do good. She had really good balance, good hip, a really good walk. Just a really good shape to her.”

Sequel sold the sale’s top-priced broodmare, Hip 9, the 5-year-old unraced Hard Spun mare Fast and Hard, that sold for $50,000 to $55,000 to SLB Stables BBG LLC. Offered in foal to Arabian Lion, Fast and Hard was sold by Sequel, agent for Lakland Estate Dispersal.

“That was a long-term client that we’ve been partnered with for 35 years – it was his own mare, and he passed away,” Thomas said. “I think that family is beautiful, and it’s a very fast family. It was a good buy.”

Hip 6, a son of Grade 1 winner Jack Christopher bred, sold by and foaled at The New Hill Farm in Hoosick Falls, commanded the top price for a weanling colt. Mad Dog purchased the colt out of the Cuvee mare Fairway Road for $140,000. Fairway Road is the dam of six winners from six foals to race, including Grade 3 winner and $506,332-earner Just Grazed Me.

“He was very popular; a beautiful baby,” said The New Hill Farm’s Lili Kobielski. “He’s super flashy, and is a homebred out of one of my favorite mares. We’re delighted. She’s an older mare, but she’s proven with producing a graded stakes winner. We were planning to bring him to Kentucky actually, but we’re really glad we stayed home and he was a standout here.”

 

What they’re saying: Consignors and breeders at the Saratoga fall sale:

Dan Barraclough of Saratoga Glen Farm, consignor of Hip 77, a $120,000 colt by Drain the Clock: “Beautiful colt. Out of a Freud mare. Freud was just pensioned and was a New York stalwart stallion, and by a nice, young Kentucky stallion in Drain the Clock that seems to be getting great foals. A bunch of the Drain the Clocks have sold well here, and this was just a special horse pretty much from the moment he was born – always very forward with great balance and great movement. Just a fast-looking horse. Great conformation and great mind. He showed very well the whole time and is a classy horse. He’s a horse that looks like he can go to a 2-year-old sale, come back here for the yearling sale, go to the races – just a cool colt that you’ve got a lot of options for his future. That’s a type of horse that can compete anywhere in the country.”

The New Hill Farm’s Lili Kobielski: “This sale is completely vital to the New York market. It’s a great sale and we try to bring a good group every year. We’re making a point to keep the good horses that are bred in New York here and not bring them to Kentucky. I think it’s proven today that you can bring a good horse here and be rewarded. I was worried with the weather, but people showed up and we were busy all the time, top to bottom in all ranges of horses. I love the New York program and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Valencia Leach, breeder of Hip 203, a $90,000 colt by Vekoma consigned by and foaled at The New Hill Farm: “We always had pretty high expectations and I thought the mare would throw runners. He was an early baby and he was gorgeous from the get-go. We figured if Vekoma hit and if we vetted well, we’d probably do OK. We made sure he was New York-bred, too, because with all the incentives in the program, we figured we would probably be in a good spot if it all came together. Everything with him came together perfectly. We’re thrilled. This is our first New York-bred, too. We’re very excited to participate. The mare was bred back to Americanrevolution, so we’re expecting another foal in mid-January.”

Saratoga fall sale kicks off mixed auction season

October 14th, 2024

Rain didn’t dampened enthusiasm Monday on the sales grounds in advance of Tuesday’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale. Fasig Tipton Photo.

By Alec DiConza and Tom Law

With all the major yearling markets in the books, the North American auction scene shifts to the autumn breeding stock market and leads off Tuesday with the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale in Saratoga Springs, New York.

The sale starts at noon ET, two hours later than originally scheduled after inclement weather Monday in Saratoga Springs, New York, forced the delay.

“The weather conditions here in Saratoga have made it difficult for buyers to get their looking done in a timely manner,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning Jr. “A two-hour delay to the sale’s start will ensure that buyers and veterinarians can complete their pre-sale work properly.”

Fasig-Tipton cataloged 315 horses for the Saratoga fall mixed sale, including 240 weanlings by leading national and New York-based sires. Nearly all of the weanlings cataloged are New York-breds. Fifty of the horses cataloged were scratched through midday Monday.

“We have another full catalog for Saratoga fall this year, which is the industry’s primary source of New York breeding stock,” Browning said. “The New York-bred program is as vibrant as ever, evidenced by the strength of our recent New York-bred yearling sale this summer. With $65 million distributed annually in purse money, incentives, and awards for New York-breds, there has never been a better time to invest in the program.”

Buyers and their representatives braved the elements on the sales grounds Tuesday, inspecting potential purchases and leaving consignors with a general sense of optimism despite the obstacles.

“It makes it challenging to look, but it’s supposed to clear out in the morning,” Vinery Sale’s Derek McKenzie said. “They pushed the sale back to noon, so that should give them time. There’s not that many here to get through, so they should be able to do it.”

Vinery features the largest consignment with more than 80 horses still cataloged after scratches. Vinery sold the sale’s top-priced horse last year, a weanling colt by Good Magic that commanded a final bid of $230,000.

“This is always a good sale, I think it will be again,” said Vinery’s Derek McKenzie. “The high-priced yearlings (from the summer) should help carry the weanlings.”

The 2023 Saratoga fall mixed sale saw 157 horses sell for a total of $4,597,200, an average price of $29,282 and median of $20,000. Those numbers were on par with 2022, when 142 horses sold for $4,599,700, an average price of $32,392 and median of $20,000.

“It’s turned into a very good, strong sale,” said Saratoga Glen Farm’s Dan Baraclough. “We’ve had horses in the top five the last couple years. There’s plenty of buyers here for the right kind of horse. It’s a very strong market for New York-breds that can go on to the August sale next year.”

The Saratoga fall mixed sale also offers buyers the opportunities to shop weanlings by first-crop sires.

“They seem to really gravitate to those sires because even though they’re unproven, they don’t have a lot of negatives against them, either,” Baraclough said. “You have fans of certain first-year sires and very few people will not like a first-year sire, so first-year sires are always kind of a safe haven for breeders and for buyers because there’s not a lot of positive race results, but there’s no negative race results either from their progeny. It’s just kind of a very safe spot to buy, to breed, to sell. We tend to bring a lot of first-year sired horses here to the sale and usually sell them well.”

Other New York-based consignors share Baraclough’s optimism heading into Tuesday.

“We’re very optimistic,” said Lily Kobielski of The New Hill Farm. “The yearling folks had a great year so hopefully they have a little change in their pocket to reinvest in babies. The weather has been horrible, but I’m pleasantly surprised with how many people have shown up. (Tuesday) morning will be busy and I’m glad they pushed the sale back a little bit.”

“The market has been pretty strong for the New York-breds and with the purse parity and everything that’s going to happen for us in the future,” said Chris Bernhard of Hidden Lake Farm. “I expect the sale to be strong. Obviously, the weather is not helping us right now, but they’re going to push the sale back a couple hours tomorrow to give people more opportunity to see more of the horses.”

“I think it’s very much going to be a very good, strong baby market,” said Sequel New York’s Becky Thomas. “It feels really good. There’s a lot of people here even though the weather’s been really, really crummy.”

The catalog for the Saratoga fall mixed sale may be viewed here. Online bidding and phone bidding services will be available.

What they’re saying: Consignors before the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale

October 14th, 2024

Consignors are ready for action Tuesday at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale. Fasig-Tipton Photo.

The Saratoga Special’s Alec DiConza hit the sales grounds Monday to talk with consignors ahead of Tuesday’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale. Here are some comments from consignors about what they’re looking forward to during Tuesday’s session:

Dan Baraclough, Saratoga Glen Farm: Standouts? “(Hip) 77 Drain the Clock–Making a Point. Very fast looking. I’ve seen a lot of Drain the Clocks and they’re very good, fast, sound-looking horses. I think this is probably one of our nicer horses.”

Chris Bernhard, Hidden Lake Farm: About whether rain Monday has slowed anything down: “I would say it’s been a little slow. I’ve talked to a few people that are just kind of waiting for the breaks, sitting inside, kind of running out when they have the opportunity so they don’t get soaked.”

Standouts? “We’ve got a Golden Pal colt that I really like that’s out of an Unbridled’s Song mare (Hip 234). He’s probably one of my favorite horses here. Any time I come over here with an Ashford horse, first-year sire, they (the buyers) usually are looking. I’ve got a nice Vekoma. He’s off to a good start. I’ve got a couple Mo Donegals that are pretty nice.”

Derek McKenzie, Vinery Sales: About the weather: “It makes it challenging to look, but it’s supposed to clear out in the morning. They pushed the sale back to noon, so that should give them time. There’s not that many here to get through, so they should be able to do it.”

Standouts? “We’ve got a good group here. We’ve got a Good Magic filly (Hip 252) that’s very popular, a Violence filly (Hip 150) that’s very popular, a couple of Practical Jokes – one filly (Hip 123), one colt (Hip 213) – that are both very nice, and plenty others.”

Becky Thomas, Sequel New York: Standouts? “The Early Voting, (Hip) 125, I like that baby a lot. They’re all getting out. I think there’s enough people here that they’re all getting out.”

Lily Kobielski, The New Hill Farm: Standouts? “I love this Corniche filly out of Happy as You Go (Hip 28). She’s big, strong, nice walk. First foal out of a stakes winner, so that’s my personal favorite. Overall, I think we have a really nice group and people have been complimentary, so I’m excited.”

Broman-bred Not Phar Now earns Empire State Success Story at Thoroughbred Makeover

October 14th, 2024

Nicole McNees’ Not Phar Now, a gelding by American Pharoah bred by Chester and Mary Broman, competed in Barrel Racing under Jessica Frederick and earned the Empire State Success Story Top New York-Bred Award at last week’s Thoroughbred Makeover competition in Lexington, Kentucky. Erin Gilmore Photography.

By Melissa Bauer-Herzog

Three New York-breds finished in the top five after two days of preliminary competition at last week’s Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America, and represented the Empire State in Saturday’s Finale.

One of 28 New York-bred retired racehorses who competed at this year’s Makeover, Not Phar Now, was awarded the Empire State Success Story Top New York-Bred Award presented by New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc., New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and New York Racing Association after the week’s preliminary competition as the highest placed Makeover horse bred in New York.

Bred by Chester and Mary Broman, the son of American Pharoah competed in barrel racing and proved best among the 20 horses entered in the discipline. Performing a horsemanship pattern and two preliminary barrel racing runs during the week, Not Phar Now recorded a combined score of 40.134, more than a point ahead of the next nearest horse to enter the Finale.

Competitors started on a clean slate in the Finale and Not Phar Now showed that his earlier scores were truly representative of his abilities. The gelding stopped the clock in :18.567 Saturday – more than a second and a half faster than the nearest competitor – to win the division with Jessica Frederick aboard. Now that the Makeover in the books, Not Phar Now will see a change in rider with owner Nicole McNees turned the reins over to her 11-year-old daughter Zoe.

“During the run, I had to remember to breathe and just trust him because sometimes I forget to trust him around work,” Frederick said. “He’s such a special guy, especially with him only having one eye. He’s so special.”

The title of Barrel Racing Champion is just the latest accolade for the one-eyed Not Phar Now, who was trained at the end of his career by Orlando Noda for Final Turn Racing Stable and Celeritas Racing. Not Phar Now won six of his 24 starts, with seven other top-three finishes, and earned $271,790 during his career. He was sourced from ReRun Inc. by McNees.

Boo Ba La, a daughter of Frost Giant bred by Dutchess Views Farm Inc. and Gina Bentivgna, finished third behind Not Phar Now. The 5-year-old mare, retired in August 2023 while under the care of owner-trainer Ralph D’Alessandro, won twice on the track with three other top-three finishes during her racing career.

Boo Ba La had finished close behind Not Phar Now in her preliminary performances to be less than 3 points behind the leader going into the Finale. The Megan Hems-trained Boo Ba La registered a time of :20.597 to finish just a tick behind the runner-up and 1.5 seconds ahead of the fourth-place finisher. Boo Ba La also finished 15th in the Freestyle event during preliminary competition.

Winwood was the third representative for the New York-bred program in the Finale when competing in Polo.

A homebred runner for Ron Lombardi’s Mr. Amore Stable, Winwood was retired from the track last December after four career starts. A 3-year-old son of Poseidon’s Warrior, Winwood finished fifth in preliminary competition to earn his spot in the Finale. After a flat test and short indoor polo match where he could show his skills, Winwood finished fifth in the Finale.

Just like Boo Ba La, Winwood competed in a second discipline and finished 21st in Freestyle.

Only five horses from each discipline competed in the Finale but five other New York-breds also finished in the top 20 of their disciplines. The other top-20 finishers:

  • Lemon Taffy (sixth, Barrel Racing)
  • Cancelled Captivity (10th, Barrel Racing)
  • Best Idea (10th, Competitive Trail)
  • Bustin Hoffman (16th, Ranch Work)

Pretty miss Keens (17th, Show Hunters)

Grade 2 winner Chewing Gum to stand at Rockridge Stud

October 12th, 2024

Chewing Gum and Umberto Rispoli (outside) outgame Beer Can Man in the Grade 2, $250,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes January 1, 2022 at Santa Anita Park. The son of Candy Ride will stand his first season in 2025 at Rockridge Stud in Hudson. Benoit Photo

Chewing Gum, winner of the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes in 2022 at Santa Anita Park, will stand his first season in 2025 at Rockridge Stud in Hudson.

The 9-year-old son of Candy Ride out of the stakes-placed Forestry mare Shared Heart will stand privately for a partnership that includes prominent New York owners Wachtel Stable and Pantofel Stable.

Chewing Gum is the only son of successful sire of sires Candy Ride standing in New York. A limited number of shares will be offered to approved breeders and Chewing Gum will be available for inspection in a few weeks.

“We are planning to purchase mares to support Chewing Gum and help him get started,” said Wachtel Stable’s Adam Wachtel. “Chewing Gum is a big, beautiful horse that was able to win sprinting and at middle distances on turf and on dirt against top competition. I think that New York breeders will love him.”

Chewing Cup, a Grade 2 winner who competed in 12 graded stakes events during his career, heads to Rockridge Stud for the 2025 season. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

Chewing Gum broke his maiden at Kentucky Downs for his breeders Gerard and Alain Wertheimer. Fourth in the Grade 3 Fred W. Hooper Stakes on dirt at Gulfstream Park early the following year, he followed that up with a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Belmont Invitational Turf Stakes later that fall. The following season, he finished second to Casa Creed in the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes at Belmont Park, running a career high 99 Beyer Speed Figure. In early 2022, he won the Joe Hernandez Stakes over Beer Can Man.

Chewing Gum posted a record of 5-5-9 in 35 starts with earnings of $662,426.

Chewing Gum joins the Rockridge stallion roster for 2025 that also includes Americanrevolution, Disco Partner, Mind Control, Slumber, Tourist and War Dancer.

Six-time leading NY sire Freud retired from breeding shed

October 11th, 2024

Six-time leading New York sire Freud stood his final season in 2024. Susie Raisher Photo.

By Evan Hammonds

A lot has changed in the breeding and racing landscape in New York since the turn of the century. One constant, however, has been the long shadow of Freud, a full brother to three-time national leading sire Giant’s Causeway, who has stood at Sequel Stallions since 2002.

His reign among the New York leading sires will continue for a few seasons yet, but the grand old man has covered his last mare. The 26-year-old son of Storm Cat has earned his retirement.

“As the years have gone by, he’s bred fewer and fewer mares, but he still thinks every horse that comes into the breeding shed is for him,” said Sequel Stallions’ Becky Thomas. “He bred a dozen mares (in 2024) and I think all but one is in foal. His fertility is great—he is a consummate professional in the breeding shed—but he’s old.

“He’s been great,” Thomas continued. “I call our farm ‘the farm that Freud built.’ He continues to be that horse. So many stallions are euthanized before his age, but knock wood, he’s in great health.”

Represented as recently as Aug. 25 with Showcase Day stakes winner Dakota Gold (out of Dakota Kid, by Lemon Drop Kid), Freud is the sire of 74 black-type stakes winners, 18 of which stepped out to win at the graded stakes level. He has sired 1,495 foals from 21 crops, and his runners have earned more than $73 million. That’s quite an accomplishment for a “regional sire.”

Freud earned his first title as leading sire in New York by progeny earnings in 2008. Subsequent titles arrived in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Freud, along with Giant’s Causeway, is out of the Rahy mare Mariah’s Storm. Bred by Orpendale (an arm of the Coolmore operation), Freud arrived Feb. 22, 1998, a year behind Giant’s Causeway. Giant’s Causeway, a group 1 winner at 2, became the legendary “Iron Horse” at 3 with a run of five group 1 victories from June 20 to Sept. 9, 2000. After a runner-up effort in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1), he shipped to Churchill Downs and battled Tiznow, dropping a neck decision in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). An international success as a sire, and sire of sires, while standing in both Ireland (his first season) and the U.S., he died in April 2018 at the age of 21. At the time of his passing, Giant’s Causeway was the sire of 178 stakes winners (104 graded/group winners). By September 2024, that number swelled to 196 stakes winners.

“Little Brother” Freud, racing for Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor and trainer Aidan O’Brien, was given the same opportunities as Giant’s Causeway but was less effective on the track. He ran in a pair of group 1 races at 2, finishing fifth both times, and at 3 won once and placed third at Royal Ascot in the Cork & Orrery Stakes (G2).

By Coolmore’s standards, Freud wasn’t cut out to stand at Ireland or at Ashford Stud, their Kentucky facility. Thomas was able to negotiate with Coolmore’s Paul Shanahan to stand Freud. “The New York breeding program was ‘something new and interesting for Coolmore to try,” according to Thomas.

Standing for $5,000, Freud got 32 foals in his first crop, 2003, and they proved they could run from the get-go. He had nine juvenile winners and from the first crop, 19 of 27 starters would earn at least one victory, and three would become stakes winners. He had five stakes winners in his second crop that comprised 55 named foals.

“New York was just getting ‘operational’ at that time,” Thomas said. “Freud becoming Freud was great fun. There were not near as many stallions in New York back then and he had his pick of the litter.

“Most of the people at the time did not go to Kentucky. They bred to New York stallions and did everything in New York.”

To read the rest of this feature, click here to access the October digital edition of New York Breeder magazine.

Sequel’s Mision Impazible retires to Old Friends

October 9th, 2024

Top New York sire and multiple Grade 2 winner Mission Impazible retired from stud duty and will take up residence at Old Friends in Kentucky. Barbara Livingston Photo.

Multiple Grade 2 winner and leading New York sire Mission Impazible has been pensioned and retired to Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky.

The 17-year-old son of Unbridled’s Song stood his entire career at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson, including the 2024 season for a private fee.

Bred by Summer Wind Farm, Mission Impazible was purchased by Twin Creeks Racing Stables for $200,000 at the 2008 Keeneland September yearling sale. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Mission Impazible won three of 21 starts and earned $1,284,949. He won or placed in nine graded stakes including victories in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby in 2010 and Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap in 2011. Mission Impazible finished second in the Grade 1 Donn and Stephen Foster Handicaps.

Retired to Sequel Stallions New York, Mission Impazible quickly emerged onto the breeding scene when his first-crop son, Silver Mission, won Belmont Park’s historic Tremont Stakes by more than 6 lengths in a time that equaled Hall of Fame member Buckpasser’s clocking.

Mission Impazible’s second crop included his speedy daughter Pure Silver, winner of Saratoga Race Course’s Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes by 9 1/2 lengths under top weight as a 2-year-old. The next two crops also produced North American black-type stakes winners led by hard-hitting Espresso Shot, the earner of $516,625 who won stakes at 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Mission Impazible was the leading Northeastern first-, second-, third-, fourth-, fifth and sixth-crop sire from 2016 to 2021, respectively. He sired the earners of almost $15 million to date.

“Mission Impazible made his mark as both an accomplished racehorse and well-respected sire,” Sequel Stallions New York said in a statement. “We wish him the best during his retirement.”

 

Vekoma filly highlights OBS yearling sale

October 9th, 2024

A filly by Vekoma bred by Trail Creek Stables sold for $130,000 to D. J. Stable Tuesday at the OBS October yearling sale. Photo courtesy of Abbie Road Farm.

A filly by freshman sire and multiple Grade 1 winner Vekoma sold for $130,000 to top the New York-bred offerings at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s October yearling sale that wrapped up Tuesday.

D. J. Stable Inc. purchased the filly, offered as Hip 462 out of Lisa McGreevy’s Abbie Road Farm consignment. Bred by Trail Creek Stables LLC and foaled at Mill Creek Farm in Stillwater, the filly is the second foal out of the Empire Maker mare Sinister Siren.

Sinister Siren, a half-sister to stakes-placed Unanimously from the family of Canadian champion Delightful Mary and graded stakes winner Delightful Kiss, is the dam of the winning New York-bred 3-year-old Mitole filly Mitole’s Girl. She’s also the dam of a weanling New York-bred colt by Mendelssohn. Both were bred by Trail Creek Stables.

The OBS October sale, shifted to earlier in the week with Hurricane Milton expected in the area Wednesday, saw 33 of the 58 New York-breds through the ring sell for $549,500 and an average price of $16,652.

Hip 517, a daughter of Kantharos also bred by Trail Creek Stables, sold for $85,000. Photo courtesy of Abbie Road Farm.

Hip 517, a filly by Kantharos also bred by Trail Creek Stables, foaled at Mill Creek and sold out of the Abbie Road Farm consignment, sold for the second highest price at $85,000 to Grassroots Training & Sales LLC. The filly is the first foal out of the Quality Road mare That’s My Cue.

Hip 335, a son of Violence from the family of stakes winner and Kentucky Oaks runner-up Gambling Girl, brought the highest price for a colt at $45,000 from Alta Visa Enterprises. Bred by TLC Thoroughbreds, foaled at Stonegate Stables in Fort Edward and consigned by Silver Oaks Farm, agent, the colt is the third foal out of the Malibu Moon mare Moon Delight.

The OBS October sale marked one of the final significant markets for yearlings in North America, with the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October sale – scheduled for October 21-24 – up next. Fasig-Tipton also hosts the Saratoga fall mixed sale Tuesday, October 15 in Saratoga Springs.

Large group set for Thoroughbred Makeover

October 7th, 2024

My Boy Tate, winner of the 2022 Hudson Stakes and five other stakes during his productive career, is among the 29 New York-breds set to compete in this week’s Thoroughbred Makeover in Lexington, Kentucky. NYRA Photo.

By Melissa Bauer-Herzog

Recently retired racehorses flock to the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America in Lexington, Kentucky, every October to show off the skills they’ve learned in their second career.

New York-breds often make up a large chunk of the field and 2024 proves no exception with 29 horses bred in the Empire State competing including fan favorite and multiple stakes winner My Boy Tate.

Ten disciplines are on offer at the Makeover with horses allowed to compete in up to two different disciplines. Each horse competing at the show is a former racehorse with all entries having to have registered a work or race no earlier than July 1, 2022, in order to be eligible. Those who travel to the show will compete in preliminary competition Wednesday and Thursday with the top five in each discipline headed to Saturday’s Finale.

Winston’s Chance, a 14-time winner and multiple stakes winner, competes at this week’s Thoroughbred Makeover. SV Photography

Horses in the Finale will not only compete for the discipline championship but also the title of Thoroughbred Makeover Champion with the Makeover featuring more than $100,000 in prize money. Saturday’s Finale will be aired on the RRP’s website.

Here are a few facts to know about this year’s New York-bred competitors:

  • New York had 41 of the original entrants at this year’s Makeover. That was the second most among all states with only Kentucky having more when entries closed in September. Twenty-nine New York-breds are still entered to compete in the competition as of Sunday evening.
  • There is at least one New York-bred entered in each of the 10 disciplines with 12 entrants in dressage to lead all disciplines. Show jumpers are second with nine entrants and competitive trail and show hunters follow with six each. The only discipline that has only one New York-bred is field hunters with Resilient Courage, who is also entered in show jumpers.
  • Of the 29 New York-breds set to compete, My Boy Tate and Winston’s Chance both won multiple stakes while Best Idea was placed in multiple stakes and Bobby Bo also has a stakes placing. Winston’s Chance has the most wins of any New York-bred with 14 while My Boy Tate leads all runners by earnings at $837,288.
  • Only two of the New York-breds never made a start with the other 27 averaging nearly 20 starts apiece. Algorix leads at 95 starts with 12 wins for $210,015 in earnings, followed by Winston’s Chance (50 starts), Ganodagan (41), My Boy Tate (38) and March Madnez Party (26). The group also earned an average of $117,960 on the track.
  • Each of the 29 entries were bred by a different group of breeders. McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds is the only individual breeder who is named as breeder on more than one horse, partnering with Chauncey David Cole III to breed Ganondagan and William Hebert to breed Elite Banker. Horacio De Paz and Michelle Nevin lead all trainers with two entrants who were trained by them when the horses retired.

McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds’ Central Banker is the only stallion with more than one entrant as the sire of Phinney’s Harbor and Elite Banker. Central Banker, Bustin Stones, Freud and War Dancer are all current New York stallions with entrants in the competition.

The New York Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. is joined by the New York Racing Association and New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association in sponsoring the $2,500 Empire State Success Story prize for the competition’s leading New York-bred.

Find out more about the Thoroughbred Makeover and the horses entered at www.tbmakeover.org.

Goichman homebred Scythian lands Miss Grillo

October 6th, 2024

Lawrence Goichman’s. homebred Tiz the Law filly Scythian lands first graded stakes in Sunday’s Miss Grillo at Aqueduct. NYRA Photo.

Lawrence Goichman’s homebred Scythian avoided trouble at the top of the stretch and came away with a victory in Sunday’s Grade 2 Miss Grillo Stakes at Aqueduct.

The 2-year-old daughter of two-time New York-bred Horse of the Year, classic winner and leading North American freshman sire Tiz the Law improved to 2-for-3 in the tumultuous Miss Grillo, which carries an automatic berth to the winner into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. She won by 2 1/2 lengths over Virgin Colado with Correto third in the field of 12.

Scythian came into the Miss Grillo off a narrow victory as the favorite over males in a 1 1/16-mile state-bred turf maiden late in the Saratoga Race Course meeting for trainer Bill Mott. She went to post as the 11-1 fifth choice and settled into a tracking spot in fourth behind fellow Goichman New York-bred homebred Marvelous Madison, who is trained by Chad Brown, Lavender Disaster and New York-bred Grace and Grit.

Marvelous Madison and Manny Franco set the pace, clicking off early splits of :23.26, :48.71 and 1:13.47, just ahead of Grace and Grit, Lavender Disaster and Scythian.

“I was where I wanted to be,” Alvarado said of his trip. “I got to save ground right away coming into the first turn and the second turn I was still saving enough ground. If I had to go inside or outside, I knew I already had saved plenty for me to have enough horse at the end.”

Franco did his best to keep Marvelous Madison from getting out around the far turn, while Alvarado kept close tabs on the proceedings.

“I’ve got horse, where do I go?” he asked himself. “Is he going to pull her back inside or is she going to bolt?”

Marvelous Madison eventually gave the answers, bolting as the field approached the top of the stretch. She took Grace and Grit and Lavender Disaster with her, and Scythian wound up on the lead.

“When that happened, that’s when I zoomed in the inside and she took off after that,” Alvarado said.

Virgin Colada made a late rally under Flavien Prat to finish second, closing from 8 1/4 lengths back through the opening half to finish 2 1/2 lengths short. Correto finished a head back in fourth with She’s Got Will fourth. Scythian won in 1:42.68 over the firm turf.

“We’ve had 10 seconds at the meet, five in stakes. It’s always good to win one of these,” said Leana Willaford, Mott’s Belmont Park-based assistant. “She ran really well, Junior gave her a perfect trip. He had horse anyways [even with the incident in the turn]. He was in a perfect spot.”

Scythian, who Willaford said is likely for next month’s Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar, picked up $110,000 for her first stakes victory.

A second generation homebred for Goichman, Scythian was foaled at Stone Bridge Farm in Gansevoort and is the seventh foal and first stakes winner out of the stakes-winning Empire Maker mare Dean Henry.

The winner of three of 12 starts, including the 2009 Saratoga Dew Stakes at Saratoga, Dean Henry earned $121,287. She’s produced stakes-placed winner Bonita Cat and winner Dancing Dean, and New York-bred winners Emperor’s Cause, Ascender and Somethingtotellyou.