Lothenbach Stable's breeding stock, yearlings to be dispersed at Fasig-Tipton sales

The late Robert Lothenbach's breeding, racing, and young stock will be dispersed in Fasig-Tipton sales over the next several weeks.

Lothenbach Stable’s breeding stock and yearlings will be sold at Fasig-Tipton’s Kentucky winter mixed sale on Feb. 5 and 6 at its Newtown Paddocks headquarters in Lexington, Ky. Prior to that, the stable’s horses of racing age will be dispersed on Fasig-Tipton’s digital auction platform, with bidding opening Jan. 29 and closing Feb. 2.

“Mr. Lothenbach’s breeding program was old-time – pedigrees he had developed as part of an operation that was 100 percent breed to race,” Fasig-Tipton president Boyd Browning, Jr., said in a release. “His families have never been offered on the public market and his yearlings have been raised with one goal – to be racehorses.

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“Mr. Lothenbach’s passing is an immense loss to Thoroughbred racing, as he loved and participated in all aspects of our sport as an owner and breeder, while also highly active at auctions,” Browning continued. “We are honored that his family has chosen Fasig-Tipton for the dispersal of the majority of his Thoroughbred holdings.”

Lothenbach, a native of Minnesota who was a passionate booster of racing in his home state, died last Nov. 14 at age 64. The owner and breeder raced horses for more than 30 years. According to Equibase statistics, since 2000, runners in his colors have won 801 races and earned more than $30.5 million. His stable ranked 10th national by earnings in 2020; 10th by wins in 2021; ninth by earnings and sixth by wins in 2022; and seventh by wins last year.

Lothenbach’s top runner was Bell’s the One, who he purchased as a yearling and placed in training with Neil Pessin. The mare earned more than $2 million in a five-year career in which she won 11 stakes, highlighted by the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff in 2020. She placed in another eight stakes, including a third in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

The stable’s other standouts included Grade 1 winner Mayo On the Side, who edged champion Azeri in the Humana Distaff – the former moniker of the Derby City – in 2004; millionaire Vacare, whose four graded stakes wins included the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup in 2006; millionaire gelding Mister Marti Gras, a multiple graded stakes winner; and graded stakes winners including Bearpath, Captivating Moon, Happy American, She Can’t Sing, and Sonic Boom.

Bell’s the One and She Can’t Sing are among the 65 offerings in the dispersal at the Fasig-Tipton February sale, with Vinery handling the breeding stock offerings, as agent. Neither is in foal, with the breeding season set to open later that week. Bell’s the One aborted her first foal, to the cover of Flightline. She Can’t Sing ran her last race last November.

The 22 short yearlings on offer at the sale will be consigned by Taylor Made Sales, as agent. They are by sired including American Pharoah, Candy Ride, City of Light, Essential Quality, Ghostzapper, Gun Runner, Into Mischief, Maxfield, Medaglia d’Oro, Omaha Beach, Practical Joke, Twirling Candy, and War Front.

Taylor Made will also handle, as agent, the horses of racing age portion of the dispersal, which will consist of about 90 horses on Fasig’s online platform. The catalog for that portion of the dispersal is not yet available.

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