Wed, 04/18/2012 - 18:27

Tattersalls sale's opening session sees declines

Wednesday's opening session at the Tattersalls Craven breeze-up sale in Newmarket, England, drew an international group of bidders but failed to produce gains on last season's figures.

The highest-priced juvenile Wednesday was a 170,000-guinea ($285,600) Danehill Dancer colt out of Miss Keller's half-sister Oshiponga, a daughter of Barathea. Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock bought the chestnut colt, who is a half-brother to Group 2 and Grade 3 winner Hatta Fort. Lynn Lodge Stud in Ireland was the consignor.

Wed, 04/18/2012 - 17:59

OBS under-tack: Six run 10-second furlongs

Six juveniles sped an eighth of a mile in 10 seconds Wednesday as the fastest workers at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's second under-tack preview for its upcoming spring 2-year-old sale.

The six were Hip No. 469, a Tiznow-Gdanska filly; Hip 518, a Candy Ride-Harlow Gold filly; Hip No. 529, a Cowtown Cat-Her She Shawklit colt; Hip No. 566, a Sky Mesa-Ing Ing colt; Hip No. 567, a Candy Ride-Into Reality filly; and Hip No. 584, an Indian Ocean-Jeet filly.

Tue, 04/17/2012 - 16:54

OBS sale: Henny Hughes filly shades 10 seconds in Tuesday under-tack show

A Henny Hughes filly was the only juvenile to break the 10-second barrier Tuesday at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s first under-tack session for its spring 2-year-old sale next week. The bay filly, a duaghter of the Cape Town mare Cape Discovery, was the fastest worker over a furlong with a 9.8-second breeze. She will go through the ring as Hip No. 233.

Tue, 04/17/2012 - 15:13

Grade 1 winner Trumpet's Blare dies at 25

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Grade 1 winner Trumpet’s Blare, whose son Al Mubhej was a session-topper at the 2000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale, has died at age 25.

The Vice Regent mare was euthanized due to the infirmities of old age. She died at Meg Levy’s Bluewater Farm in Lexington, where she most recently served as a babysitter.

Mon, 04/16/2012 - 15:44

Dynaformer pensioned with heart trouble

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Dynaformer, sire of 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro and multi-million-dollar earner Perfect Drift, has been pensioned after “experiencing a significant cardiac event in his stall on Saturday,” Three Chimneys Farm announced Monday.

“The stallion is resting comfortably in his stall,” the farm’s announcement said of the 27-year-old Roberto horse.

Mon, 04/16/2012 - 14:37

China, Ireland in Thoroughbred racing and breeding partnership

Glenye Cain Oakford

The Chinese government will partner with Ireland in developing a massive new Thoroughbred racing, breeding, and training complex, and the arrangement will give Coolmore an important role, Racing Post reported Sunday.

China is planning a $2 billion Thoroughbred facility to be called the Tianjin Equine Culture City near Tianjin, the country’s fourth-largest city. Plans call for 4,000 stalls, an equine hospital, an international equestrian college, an auction house, and two racetracks that will host about 40 race dates.

Fri, 04/13/2012 - 13:20

Less bonus money for Cal-bred maiden winners

ARCADIA, Calif. – The bonus for California-bred runners who win maiden special weight races in Southern California will be reduced from $20,000 to $17,500, effective with the start of the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting on April 26, the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association announced earlier this week.

The decision to reduce the bonus by 15 percent was one of economics, according to CTBA executive vice president Doug Burge. The program has become too successful, and paid out too many dollars in recent years, he said.

Thu, 04/12/2012 - 11:44

Gio Ponti to shuttle to Arrowfield Stud in Australia

Glenye Cain Oakford

Gio Ponti, a three-time Eclipse Award winner now in his first year at stud, will shuttle from Castleton Lyons in Kentucky to Australia’s Arrowfield Stud for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season, the farms announced Thursday.

Gio Ponti stands for $20,000 at Castleton Lyons in Lexington, Ky. Arrowfield hasn’t yet announced an Australian fee for the 7-year-old Tale of the Cat horse.

Wed, 04/11/2012 - 12:55

Inglis Easter sale sees $2.6M filly

Black Caviar’s yearling half-sister sold for the record-equaling price of $2.6 million (Australian) Wednesday as the Inglis sale company’s important Australian Easter yearling sale completed its second of three sessions with a gain in average and a level median.

Mon, 04/09/2012 - 20:11

Keeneland juvenile sale average even with last year; $700K topper

Keeneland Photo
This colt by Majestic Warrior-Counter Cat topped the Keeneland 2-year-old in training sale at $700,000

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Keeneland’s April 2-year-old in training sale on Monday night posted figures that were even or slightly lower than last year despite weakness at the bottom of the market and a block of scratches that significantly reduced the numbers of horses that went through the ring.

With only 59 horses sold from an original catalog of 161 horses, average was $165,322, nearly identical with last year’s average of $165,200 for 70 horses sold. Median for this year’s sale of $120,000 was down 7.7 percent from last year’s median of $130,000.