The increasing strength of New York-breds in open competition continued in the month of September. Topped by Commentator's victory in the $500,000 Massachusetts Handicap at Suffolk Downs, New York-breds won four open events, bringing the total for the first nine months of 2008 to 31.
Those 31 stakes wins have been recorded by 25 New York-breds. For the same period in 2007 there were 17 New York-bred open stakes winners.
The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale is the major marketing avenue for Maryland-bred and -sired yearlings. A total of 189 Maryland-bred yearlings were cataloged for this year's sale, held Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, and 158 walked through the ring. The results paralleled the national trend, with a dramatic downturn.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - With an improving record and a victory in the Fran's Valentine Handicap earlier in the year, Tutta Bella will be among the favorites Sunday in the California Cup Distaff Handicap for fillies and mares over 6 1/2 furlongs down the hill at Santa Anita.
The 5-year-old daughter of Horse of the Year Holy Bull is out of the stakes-placed Griselda, by Red Ransom. This is a pedigree that suggests considerable size in a horse, improvement with maturity, and an appreciation for racing on turf.
POMONA, Calif. When a Tribal Rule colt sold for $90,000 midway through Californias fall selected yearling sale at Barretts last Tuesday, consignor Andy Havens could only shrug. The colt would bring the highest price in his 29-horse consignment, but he was hoping for more.
Somebody got a good buy, Havens said. He was a profitable horse, but he didnt bring what he could have in a stronger market.
Havenss sentiment was prevalent among consignors on Tuesday here at the leading yearling sale in California.
Summerfield Sales is a bloodstock sales company owned and operated by the Ocala-based husband and wife team of Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck. Their sales repertoire includes everything but 2-year-olds in training. Summerfield Sales is the largest consignor to Mondays Ocala Breeders Sales fall mixed sale. Of the 1,000 lots cataloged for this sale, the Vanlangendoncks will try to sell 120 horses or 12 percent of the total.
Fasig-Tipton Midlantic's Eastern fall yearling sale in Timonium, Md., followed the yearling auction season's global trend, ending Wednesday with across-the-board losses.
The three-day auction sold 483 yearlings for a total of $8,211,600, yielding an average price of $17,001 and a median of $9,000. Those figures were down 38 percent for gross, 27 percent for average, and 10 percent for median. Buy-backs jumped from 25 percent to 36 percent.
California's fall selected yearling sale will be held at Barretts in Pomona on Tuesday amidst a rough season for yearling sales.
On a national basis, the Keeneland September yearling sale earlier this month showed double-digit declines in number sold and median and average prices. In August, the Northern California yearling sale in Santa Rosa had a 22 percent decline in average from $5,839 in 2007 to $4,536 this year.
Those declines have Barretts organizers and consignors concerned about how the market will fare on Tuesday.
The wondrous success of Maryland breeder/owners Foard Wilgis and David Picarello continued in Laurel Park's Deputed Testamony Stakes last weekend.
Wonder Mon, campaigning as a homebred for Wilgis and Picarello's ZWP Stable, blew away six Maryland-bred 3-year-old rivals, scoring by 6 1/4 lengths.
Who, you might ask, is Wonder Mon? A gelding by Maria's Mon, he's the first foal from ZWP Stable's stakes-placed mare Runnin Wonder, who happens to be a half-sister to its million-dollar earner Cherokee's Boy.
The Canadian International, to be run for the 71st time next Saturday, is often a good opportunity for Woodbine racing fans to catch a glimpse of some of the most durable and well-traveled racehorses in the world.
In an age when the strength of the Thoroughbred breed is being heavily scrutinized, it is a treat to watch 6-year-old fellows like Doctor Dino and Quijano make the trip from overseas for the $2 million, 1 1/2-mile turf marathon.