F-T sale has three by Yes It's True

The second of Florida's five annual 2-year-olds in training sales is scheduled for Calder Race Course on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 11 a.m., under the banner of Fasig-Tipton Florida, Inc.

Fasig-Tipton has cataloged 301 horses for this sale. Two Sunday under-tack shows are planned for Feb. 15 and 22, both due to begin at 10 a.m.

Twenty-eight of the cataloged horses have Florida-bred credentials, and of those, 15 are the get of resident Florida stallions. Three of those stallions, Straight Man (Signature Stallions), Tiger Ridge (Hartley-DeRenzo/ Walmac South), and Yes It's True (Padua Stables) have their first crops going to the races this year.

Yes It's True led Florida's freshman stallions at the Feb. 3 Ocala Breeders' Sale auction of 2 year-olds at Calder, where six of his newcomers averaged $125,833. Two others were bid in at $100,000. There are two colts and a filly by Yes It's True cataloged in this sale.

Straight Man was also well received at the Ocala sale. Five of his offspring sold for an average of $74,000, or better than 12 times his stud fee. Straight Man has two colts cataloged for this auction.

Tiger Ridge is a half-brother, by Storm Cat, to A.P. Indy, Summer Squall, and Honor Grades. Unsuccessful in five starts as a 4-year-old, Tiger Ridge nevertheless caught the fancy of those willing to gamble on his sire line and family connections, as two of his offspring sold at the Ocala auction, for $100,000 and $60,000.

Last year's leading Florida sires, Montbrook and the late Notebook, have 2-year-olds selling at Fasig-Tipton. Montbrook is the sire of Hip No. 1, a half-brother to the stakes winner and Breeders' Cup Sprint runner-up Thunderello and the stakes winners Deep Pockets and Square the Bet. The Montbrook filly, Hip No. 233, is the second foal of a winning daughter of the graded stakes-winning Our Dancing Girl.

Notebook's two fillies are Hip Nos. 204 and 235. Cat. Hip No. 204 is a full brother to the stakes-winning Book Note, while Hip No. 235 is from an unraced daughter of Relaunch. The family tree has champions Green Forest and Epitome among its branches.

Plumley steps down

Harold J. Plumley has tendered his resignation as president of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association. The association board will meet on Tuesday to accept his resignation and presumably name a replacement.

"Fact of the matter is, I am 77 years old," said Plumley, "and my doctors have told me that if I want to go on for another few years, I had better take time to smell the flowers."

Calling the present "a very important time in our business," Plumley said that without the acquisition of video lottery terminals at racetracks, "Florida racing will soon become unable to offer competitive purses."

Plumley said the breeders' association is "working on legislation to introduce at this session of the Florida legislature to permit Florida's parimutuel tracks and jai-alai frontons to operate VLT's.

"This is not going to be accomplished easily," he said. "There are those in the legislature opposed to all forms of gambling. The Indian casinos, the cruises to nowhere, the neighboring states' casino operators, all of these would like to continue their monopoly on Floridians who like to participate in recreational gambling.

"It's going to take a lot of work if the Thoroughbred and parimutuel industry is to succeed in Tallahassee, and it's going to take the energy of a younger man to see it through."