The New York Thoroughbred Breeders has elected Barry Ostrager as its new president and also added two new board members.
Lois Engel, owner of Pucker Ridge Farm in Warrensburg, N.Y., and John Thomas McMahon, owner of Old Saratoga Thoroughbreds and farm manager of McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, are new board members for 2009. Both will serve two-year terms.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Horse of the Year and three-time champion Azeri went through the ring as scheduled Monday at Keeneland's January all-ages sale, but the final $4.4 million bid was not enough to convince seller Michael Paulson to part with her, even on a day that saw 40- to 50-percent declines across the board.
Azeri was in foal to 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, and fetal sexing shows that she is carrying a filly, according to Paulson. Paulson consigned Azeri through John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale sales agency.
Sterling Pound, dam of the successful young sire Exchange Rate, has died at age 18, Middlebrook Farm announced Saturday.
According to a release issued by the central Kentucky farm, the Seeking the Gold mare was euthanized Jan. 9 at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute "due to progressive infirmities."
Sterling Pound was carrying an Empire Maker foal when she died.
The New York-bred Haynesfield made a successful transition to open company in the Count Fleet Stakes last weekend at Aqueduct.
Victory in the Count Fleet was Haynesfield's second two-turn stakes win, suggesting he could be on the classics trail in the coming weeks.
Haynesfield also won the Damon Runyon for statebreds on Dec. 7 with a Beyer Speed Figure of 101. Both the Count Fleet and the Damon Runyon were at one mile and 70 yards on the winterized inner dirt track.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Toussaud was so much more than a Broodmare of the Year. She had the elegance and charisma of a model and the personality of a movie star. And nobody, from trainer Bobby Frankel to her guardians at Juddmonte Farm - yes, nobody - ever said she was boring.
From her strongly personal ideas of what constituted a proper gallop to her unwillingness to settle into a life as a frumpy broodmare, Toussaud kept everyone's attention and held it with the touch of grace that compelled us all to recognize that she was a star.
The economy may have been in a free fall in 2008, but a number of Maryland-bred runners jumped up to have a terrific year. Topping the list is Good Night Shirt, who looks a lock to repeat for an Eclipse Award as champion steeplechaser.
Good Night Shirt led all Maryland-breds by money won and number of stakes wins in 2008, taking all five of his starts in Grade 1 company and earning $485,520 for the year.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Keeneland's January all-ages sale, which runs from Monday through next Saturday, opens amidst deep economic concerns. Last week's Ocala Breeders' Sales Company winter mixed sale, which suffered declines between 40 and 60 percent, confirmed what Thoroughbred auction officials and their patrons already knew: The steep market slides that started with last year's Keeneland September sale will continue into the new year as the global economy weakens and the Thoroughbred industry undergoes a sharp correction.
There seemed to be two lists of leading stallions in California in 2008 - Unusual Heat and the rest.
Unusual Heat, 19, finished 2008 with progeny earnings of $5,827,513, a record for a California-based stallion. The previous mark of $5,597,979 was set by Cee's Tizzy in 2000, the year his son Tiznow won the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Unusual Heat did not have a Breeders' Cup winner in 2008, but had progeny that thrived throughout California in races large and small. They seemed to show a particular affinity for the state's synthetic racetracks.
Vicarage, a Grade 3 winner and half-brother to Grade 1 winner Cotton Blossom, will launch his stud career in the Republic of Georgia, bloodstock agent Hanzly Albina said Monday. Vicarage, a 7-year-old son of Vicar, sold for $15,500 at Keeneland's November 2008 sale to Albina, who acted as agent for George Seturidze, who will stand Vicarage at his Kulari Farm in Georgia.
Freud was New York's top sire in 2008 with progeny earnings of $3,282,147.
An 11-year-old son of Storm Cat, he stands at Sequel Stallions New York, in Hudson, for a fee of $7,500.
A winner in Ireland and placed in England's Group 2 Cork and Orrery Stakes, Freud is a full brother to Giant's Causeway. He has been a New York sire since he entered stud in 2002.
Freud's first crop of 2-year-olds to hit the auction ring in 2005 was well-received, with a high price of $300,000 and an average of $113,750 for 12 sold.
