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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Fasig-Tipton has cataloged 405 juveniles for its May 17 Midlantic 2-year-old auction in Timonium, Md. The sale also has been trimmed from two days to one this year.
"Both buyers and sellers, particularly those from out of town, indicated they would prefer one to two days, and we are happy to be able to accommodate them," said Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic sales director Paget Bennett.
The auction will begin at 10 a.m. Under-tack previews will take place May 12-13, starting daily at 10 a.m.