JC / Railbird

Yearlings

Conditional

About the $1.2+ million topper of the Saratoga select yearling sale:

“It’s hard to get into those pedigrees,” Hogan said. “[She’s from] an old Phipps family and has a great pedigree. If she works out to be a good race filly, you’ve got the residual [value]. She’s a half sister to a really good horse and with that kind of pedigree she could be a good hen.”

Buying, the real gamble. Not that Optimizer’s little half-sister by Dynaformer is going to sink anyone in this deal if she doesn’t perform. “When you have one billionaire (Brad Kelley) selling to another billionaire (Goncalo Torreabla) you know it is a good time to be in biz,” observed Byron Rogers.

Posted in Sales/Auctions on August 6, 2013 / Tagged Dynaformer, Fasig-Tipton, Indy Pick, Optimizer, Sale Topper, Saratoga, Yearlings

More on Corrective Surgeries

Dr. Larry Bramlage talks to the Paulick Report:

I’m one of those people who believe we really have changed the conformation of the breed — but not by the surgical conformation. It’s that we have moved the entire breed to a different conformation: the offset knee. It’s happened because those have been the most productive horses.

Posted in Racing on September 12, 2012 / Tagged Breeding, Corrective Surgery, Dr. Larry Bramlage, Foals, Sales, Veterinarians, Yearlings

Interventions

Alicia Wincze talks with breeders and buyers about corrective surgery:

“I think if they’re talking about weakening the gene pool with medication, then they’re also weakening the gene pool by doing (corrective surgery),” said trainer Charlie Lopresti. “They’re taking mares that produce crooked foals, cosmetically fixing them and selling them for a lot of money at the sale. It used to be back in the old days, only the strong survived, and if they were crooked and they could run through it, they were good horses.

“I don’t think it’s a bad thing, but I think we all need to get on the same page. And if they’re going to try and clean up the racing act, they need to clean up their act too.”

Posted in Racing on September 10, 2012 / Tagged Breeding, Corrective Surgery, Foals, Keeneland, Lasix, Sales, Yearlings

The International Market

Keeneland auctioneers adapt:

“You try and get rhythm in your chant, but at the same time you understand you’ve got people out there speaking probably 15 or 20 different languages, and most of the time they’re looking at the tote board now instead of listening to you,” he said. “So it’s very important that you are clear and precise in your numbers and everybody understands what the bid is and what the current asking price is.”

Posted in Racing on September 6, 2012 / Tagged Auctioneers, Auctions, Business of Racing, International, Keeneland, Sales, Yearlings

Keeneland Gains

The two-week Keeneland September yearling sale closed on Sunday, and to the relief of those involved in the business of breeding and selling horses, it closed with gains. “I mean, you have to be happy with it overall,” a consignor told the Blood-Horse, “considering everyone was going into it with grim prospects.” Reports the Thoroughbred Times:

Total sales, average price, and median all rose compared with the 2009 September sale, and the buy-back rate improved from 27.5% to 26.7%. Keeneland reported 3,059 yearlings as sold from 4,174 offered for $198,257,900, a 3.3% increase from $191,869,200 in total sales a year ago.

“It wasn’t a home run,” notes the Daily Racing Form. “But the Keeneland September yearling sale … posted solid returns that may have signaled that the bloodstock bust is over.” And it did so with sharply reduced spending by the Maktoums, points out the Paulick Report.

Whew. Everyone feeling a little more hopeful now?

Of the young sires, Bernardini was the standout, with 31 yearlings selling for an average of $199,323, a gross of nearly $6.2 million (numbers via). While I haven’t missed noticing that Bernardini’s first crop runners have been doing exceptionally well, I only noticed yesterday that he’s already an omnisurface sire, with winners on dirt, turf, and synthetics. His offspring have also either won or placed in group or graded stakes on all three surfaces. Interesting.

Is it too early to start talking about possible 2011 buzz babies? Here’s a 2009 filly to watch for, a half-sister to Zenyatta by Bernardini.

Posted in Industry on September 27, 2010 / Tagged Bernardini, Business, Eblouissante, Freshman Sires, Juveniles, Keeneland, Sales, Statistics, Yearlings