LEXINGTON, Ky. - Capote, the champion juvenile and Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner of 1986 who sired 1996 champion juvenile Boston Harbor, died Friday at age 23.
Capote, who was found to have neurological problems in 2003, was euthanized at Three Chimneys farm in Midway, Ky., after his condition deteriorated. The Seattle Slew horse was buried at the farm, where he stood for 16 years.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - With a game victory in the historic Alabama Stakes at Saratoga, Lady Joanne became the first Grade 1 winner for champion sprinter Orientate, whose first crop of foals is 3.
Lady Joanne is the brightest star from her sire's first crop, which also includes stakes winners Successful Outlook and Tanika. Orientate ranks third among all second-crop sires.
The stallion's performance with his initial racers was noticed, and Michael Hernon of Gainesway said that the stallion's first-crop performers were enough to "fill the stallion's book to overflowing."
The $250,000 Big Apple Triple bonus remains unclaimed in the wake of Stunt Man's victory in the Albany Handicap at Saratoga last Wednesday.
Begun in 1999, the bonus is available to a 3-year-old New York-bred who sweeps the Mike Lee at seven furlongs, the New York Derby at 1 1/16 miles and the Albany at 1o1/8 miles.
The Mike Lee is at Belmont, while the New York Derby is at Finger Lakes.
Chief's Lake entered the Albany as the favorite off wins in the Mike Lee and New York Derby.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Sam's Ace, a California-bred colt whose career was cut short by injury, has been retired and will stand the 2007 breeding season at Granite Falls Thoroughbred farm near Granite Falls, Wash., owner Aron Wellman said Thursday.
Sam's Ace, 4, won 3 of 6 starts and $131,040, but did not start after being pulled up in the $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes at Hollywood Park in April 2006.
When P V Lightening crossed the wire two lengths in front in the Humphrey S. Finney Stakes on Aug. 18 at Laurel, he completed a satisfying journey for his breeders, Michael and Patricia Sutherland.
P V Lightening's dam, McKilts (by Deputed Testamony), was the first stakes winner to represent the Sutherlands' 77-acre North Highland Farm in Barnesville, Md.
After campaigning her to win the Smart Angle Stakes at 2, the Sutherlands privately sold McKilts in the fall of her 3-year-old season, three days before her victory in the 1990 Maryland Million Oaks.
There was some uncertainty leading up to this past Monday's Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's select session of its August yearling auction. The sources of the uncertainty could be attributed in part to the spotty numbers generated by the earlier summer yearling sales and by the wild gyrations on Wall Street. Then, too, was the apprehension that last year's record-setting yearling numbers might be tough to match.
"I thought if we could keep within 10 percent of last year's averages and median, it would be a good sale," said Tom Ventura, the OBS general manager and sales director.
Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum's Darley operation has purchased a 26 percent interest in the Irish National Stud's young stallion Invincible Spirit, whose early runners include 2007 French Derby winner Lawman.
Invincible Spirit is a 10-year-old Green Desert horse with just two crops of racing age. In addition to Lawman, Invincible Spirit has sired group winner and Group 1-placed Captain Marvelous; group winners Conquest, Campfire Glow, and Fleeting Spirit; and five other black-type winners.
The Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s August select yearling sale didn't match last year's records for gross and average, but it did set a new mark for median Monday despite a general slowdown in the yearling marketplace.
The auction in Ocala, Fla., sold 167 yearlings for gross receipts of $9,679,500, down 7 percent from last year's total of $10,427,500 for 176 horses; average also fell 2 percent to $57,961. But the 2007 median of $50,000 easily coasted past the record of $45,000 set in 2004 and equaled last season.
The New York-bred preferred yearling sale last Saturday night suffered slight declines when compared with its record numbers in 2006.
The average price for 113 yearlings sold was $51,606, down
1.6 percent off last year's figure of $52,421, which reflected 101 sold.
The 2007 sale, however, was marked by 18 yearlings hitting the six-figure mark, compared with 12 last year.
"The consignors keep stepping up with better horses at this sale," said agent Joe Brocklebank. "There is a lot of interest in the good horses."
The annual Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. yearling auction begins Monday with 248 yearlings cataloged for its selected sale. The open sale has 1,260 cataloged to be sold in four consecutive sessions beginning Tuesday and ending Friday. Sales time for all the sessions is 11 a.m.