Mon, 04/19/2010 - 00:00

$260K Pleasantly Perfect colt paces OBS sale

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Jo Ann and Alex Lieblong, who campaign Grade 1 winner Telling, struck Monday to give the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company spring juvenile sale its first six-figure horse.

The Arkansas couple bid $260,000 for a Pleasantly Perfect colt that led the session at 3:30 p.m. Offered as Hip No. 132, the chestnut colt is out of Minister Thatcher, by Deputy Minister. Parrish Farms, agent, consigned the colt. He is a full brother to the winning 4-year-old Minister Perfect and a half-brother to 5-year-old winner Sanlorenzo.

Mon, 04/19/2010 - 00:00

Eskendereya sale part of Zayat plan

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Chapter 11 reorganization plan filed by Thoroughbred owner Ahmed Zayat projects that he will sell 100 percent of Kentucky Derby favorite Eskendereya this year.

Zayat made this and other projections as part of detailed filings on Friday in a New Jersey bankruptcy court. The reorganization plan, which envisions paying off his creditors by the end of 2014, must be approved by a select creditors committee as well as by the court before it can come into effect.

Fri, 04/16/2010 - 00:00

High Fly filly sizzles as Ocala's fastest

A High Fly filly blazed through her eighth-mile work in 9.60 seconds, the fastest time for the distance at Friday's final under-tack preview for the upcoming Ocala Breeders' Sale Company's spring 2-year-old auction.

The breeze show at the OBS facility in Ocala, Fla., ended Friday with the High Fly filly, a daughter of Jovetta, the fastest eighth-mile worker from all four sessions. The filly is Hip No. 1194 in the catalog.

Fri, 04/16/2010 - 00:00

Duffel still getting it done at 86

ARCADIA, Calif. - Joe Duffel was as sharp with the wisecracks Thursday as his stable has been with wins recently.

Duffel, an 86-year-old California owner and breeder, has won with five of his last six starters at Golden Gate Fields and Santa Anita this month, including wins by 2-year-olds at Santa Anita on Wednesday and Thursday.

"I usually don't talk to you poor people when I'm rich," he joked with a reporter Thursday afternoon. "I'm fat as a hog."

Fri, 04/16/2010 - 00:00

Stonewall Stallions faces a pair of lawsuits

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Stonewall Stallions, the Midway, Ky., operation that sold a majority interest in Medaglia d'Oro to Darley last June, is facing one lawsuit over the stallion's 2009 income and another claiming the farm owner has defaulted on $15.2 million in loans.

Thu, 04/15/2010 - 00:00

More speedsters previewed at Ocala

A trend of fast eighth-mile works continued Thursday at the under-tack preview for next week's Ocala Breeders' Sales Company spring juvenile auction.

Six 2-year-olds posted eighth-mile breezes in 9.80 seconds Thursday at the third of four under-tack sessions.

Those horses were Hip No. 703, a Put It Back-Abuela Esther colt; Hip No. 734, a Songandaprayer-Amber's Way filly; Hip No. 737, a Speightstown-Ammalu colt; Hip No. 811, a Macho Uno-Blush of Dawn filly; Hip No. 871, a Silver Deputy-Christmas Rose filly; and Hip No. 915, a Closing Argument-Crissy's Comet filly.

Wed, 04/14/2010 - 00:00

Six on top of Ocala work tab

Six juveniles posted 9.80-second workouts Wednesday at the second under-tack session for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's spring 2-year-old auction next week.

The under-tack preview for Hip Nos. 307-612 took place over the OBS facility's synthetic surface in Ocala, Fla.

Wed, 04/14/2010 - 00:00

Court ruling favors Zayat

At a hearing Wednesday, a New Jersey bankruptcy court judge denied Fifth Third Bank's claim that prominent Thoroughbred owner and breeder Ahmed Zayat's stable violated the terms of a cash collateral agreement.

The cash collateral order has been key to allowing Zayat to continue operating the stable since it filed for bankruptcy protection in February. That agreement allows him to use cash collateral through May 1.

Tue, 04/13/2010 - 00:00

Three work in 9.8 seconds at Ocala preview

Three juveniles shaded the 10-second mark Tuesday at the under-tack show for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's upcoming April 2-year-old sale in Ocala, Fla.

Fillies by Two Punch, Officer, and Strong Contender posted eighth-mile breeze times of 9.80 seconds at the first of four under-tack preview sessions on the OBS track's synthetic surface. The were Hip No. 89, a Two Punch daughter of Magic Belle; Hip No. 170, a Strong Contender-Ms. Fupeg filly; and Hip No. 224, an Officer filly out of Ontheqt.

Tue, 04/13/2010 - 00:00

N.Y. breeders honor statebred champions

The New York Thoroughbred Breeders honored statebred divisional champions on Monday at the group's annual awards banquet in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.