DEL MAR, Calif. – Buetane became the latest 2-year-old colt to watch from trainer Bob Baffert’s stable after an exciting win in a maiden race Sunday at Del Mar in his first start.
In a way, it was eventful introduction to racing for Buetane, who was ridden by Juan Hernandez.
Buetane stalked early leader Cactus Charlie before taking the lead approaching the quarter pole. Buetane pulled clear of five rivals through the stretch to win by 3 1/2 lengths.
Six-time reigning leading sire Into Mischief’s continued success is one of the stories of the summer in Saratoga – not just on the track, as his dual classic winner Sovereignty eyes the meet’s major events for 3-year-olds, but in the commercial arena.
Last year, Fasig-Tipton sold more than $100 million worth of horses in its week in Saratoga for the first time in its history.
On the heels of a successful selected yearling sale, the company’s New York-bred yearling sale very ably took things across the finish line. Last year’s New York-bred sale grossed more than $19.2 million, including private sales, finishing only behind the consecutive records set in 2022 and 2023. The sale’s average and median figures rose significantly from the year prior, with the median establishing a record.
Keeneland September yearling sale. Sept. 8-20.
2024 renewal: The September sale offers the bulk of the North American crop, and draws a global marketplace. Last year, the auction concluded its marathon run with 2,735 yearlings sold through the ring for gross receipts of $411,749,500. The average price was $150,548, breaking a record established the prior year, while the median was a record-tying $70,000.
Between Fasig-Tipton’s two sales in upstate New York, the Saratoga selected yearling sale on Aug. 4-5 and the New York-bred yearling sale on Aug. 10-11, the company has cataloged 526 young horses to be offered in a prestigious marketplace. Mining the offerings to find jewels that fit their respective programs will be the challenge of some of the top owners, trainers, and bloodstock agents in the world.
At Fasig-Tipton’s sales complex in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., there are nameplates over many stall doors bearing the names of major winners who resided in those stalls as unnamed, untrained yearlings before going on to success on the racetrack.
Las Vegas is still America’s gambling capital ... but its hold on tourism is slipping.
According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s (LVCVA) latest report, just under 3.1 million guests visited the glitz-and-glamor-filled city during June, an 11.3% year-over-year decrease.
Caught in the crossfire, hotel occupancy fell 6.5 percentage points, and the average daily hotel room cost was down 6.6% to $163.64.
Daily Racing Form Southern California handicapper Brad Free provides his selections, analysis and suggested wagers for Saturday, Aug. 9 at Del Mar.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The 2-year-old filly Mythical has hardly taken a deep breath winning her first two starts with a display of speed that has yet to be matched by her competition, be it males or females.
After dispatching of four male rivals – two of whom have already come back to win – in the Tremont Stakes here on June 5, Mythical is back with her own gender in Sunday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga.
Like students leaving school, horses exiting the Kentucky Derby each year fan out across the country, carrying on promising 3-year-old campaigns under all sorts of circumstances. Some become international superstars; others never win again. Trainer Brendan Walsh believes that East Avenue is one of the good ones, and he expects him to be good for a long time.
“He’s still a relatively lightly raced horse, so there’s still a few things to find out about him,” Walsh said. “Between it all, he should be set up for a very good 4-year-old year next year. Hopefully, he stays with us.”
