For owners of these four, timing couldn't be better

DEL MAR, Calif. - Some yearling consignors have all the luck.

With the Del Mar yearling sale a little more than a week away, four consignors have watched with enthusiasm as relatives of their sale yearlings have excelled on the racetrack this year.

Among those selling at the Del Mar yearling sale, to be held Aug. 13-14 at the Del Mar HorsePark, are yearlings from the families of Cover Gal, Go Go, Gourmet Girl, and Kitty on the Track.

Those four have been among the top California-bred females this year, and each has won or placed in a graded stakes. In the case of Gourmet Girl, an argument can be made that she is the nation's top older filly or mare on dirt this year, based on her wins in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park in April and the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park in June. She goes for her third stakes win of the year in Sunday's $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Handicap at Del Mar.

Gourmet Girl is by Cee's Tizzy, one of the top sires in the state, and her yearling half-sister is by Memo. Consigned by Mary Knight, the yearling filly, Hip No. 58, was bred by Carl and Olivia Cannata. The Cannatas are the former owners of Rhondaling, Gourmet Girl's dam, who was sold at the 2000 Keeneland November sale, in foal to Wild Again, for $150,000.

Gourmet Girl was sold for just $3,500 at the 1996 Del Mar sale. There were several attempts to privately purchase her yearling half-sister, according to Olivia Cannata.

"This filly is much better looking than Gourmet Girl was when she was a yearling," said Olivia Cannata. "Gourmet Girl came through in the second session of that sale and she didn't bring much money."

Kitty on the Track's yearling half-sister is by Helmsman, whose first foals are 2-year-olds this year.

Kitty on the Track finished second in the Grade 2 A Gleam Handicap at Hollywood Park on July 1 and is being pointed to the $150,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap over 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 19.

The yearling has been named Tack Attack and is out of Our Lutka, who placed in the Osunitas Handicap at Del Mar. Consigned by Knight, Tack Attack, who is Hip No. 43, was bred by Anthony and Marian Galanis.

The Rancho Bernardo is also in the plans for Go Go, who won the A Gleam, her fifth stakes win of 2001. Her full sister, Hip No. 13, was bred by Chris Ray and his partner Brad Goessler, and is consigned by Yearsley Bloodstock.

Named Gotyurkeys, the yearling full sister was foaled at Rivendale Ranch in Fresno, where Go Go was born. Go Go was later sold for $25,000 at the 1998 Del Mar sale. She has since earned $517,280.

Ray still owns Go Go's dam, Key Mist, who produced a Falstaff filly on Kentucky Derby Day this year.

"We're hoping this yearling can run and hopefully she's got as much heart as her sister," Goessler said. "Had we known Go Go would be that great, Chris would have kept her. But there's still Key Mist."

Cover Gal, the champion

2-year-old filly in California in 1999 and champion 3-year-old in 2000, is by Falstaff. Her half-sister in next week's sale is by In Excess.

The yearling filly was bred by Ron Gomez, who is dispersing his racing stock for health reasons. The filly is consigned by Yearsley Bloodstock.

Cover Gal sold for $32,000 in 1998. At least, Gomez has received lucrative breeders awards in the last few years.

"I wish I had not sold and raced, but you need to sell as a breeder," Gomez said. "At the time, I was happy with the price. And it's gratifying to receive the breeder awards. You can't look back on a business transaction.

"I've put this filly in the sale, but you never know. If I don't receive the price, maybe I'll race her. It's not an everything-must-go sale."