At least one record will fall at this week's Barretts October mixed sale in Pomona. The company is offering the largest event in its history, selling 782 horses on Monday and Tuesday.
The massive sale primarily comprises broodmares, along with yearlings, weanlings, horses of racing age, and a few stallions.
The sale has two tough acts to follow.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Azeri's loss to Got Koko in the Lady's Secret Handicap on Sept. 28 appears to have done more than put an end to the 2002 Horse of the Year's winning streak. Quite possibly, it will be the end of her racing career, as well. With the announcement of tendon trouble and comments strongly hinting that the big chestnut mare's enthusiasm for the game may be waning, it seems very doubtful that the Allen E. Paulson Trust would try to bring her back next year and risk injury to such a splendid racemare.
Fasig-Tipton Kentucky's October yearling sale ended Tuesday with buoyant results that lifted the auction's financial results by double-digit percentages.
A $400,000 Saint Ballado-Metromane filly that George Saufley bought from the Paramount agency was the two-day auction's sale-topper.
Fly So Free, 1990 male juvenile champion, died of congestive heart failure Tuesday morning at Three Chimneys Farm, where he had been pensioned from stud duty since last year. He was 15.
A Time for a Change stallion, Fly So Free developed a heart condition a year ago, and owner Elizabeth Valando decided then to retire him from covering duties rather than risk aggravating the heart condition.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Multiple Grade 1 winner You has been retired from racing, trainer Bobby Frankel said Monday. A 4-year-old filly by You and I, You is headed for Keeneland's January all-ages sale in Lexington.
"Everything's all right," Frankel said of the filly's physical condition. "There are no real races for her left this year, so we might as well retire her."
You, who raced for Edmund Gann, leaves the racetrack with a lifetime race record of 23-9-8-2 and earnings of more than $2.1 million.
Fasig-Tipton Kentucky's October yearling sale got off to a strong start Monday with four horses bringing six figures in the early hours.
The biggest price among those was $400,000 for a Saint Ballado filly out of the stakes-winning Metrogrand mare Metromane. George Saufley, a new buyer and client of Taylor Made Farm, bought the filly, who is a full sister to multiple graded stakes winner Flame Thrower.
The Paramount Sales agency consigned the filly.
The Ocala Breeders' Sales fall mixed sale, conducted Monday through Thursday, chalked up some strong numbers, especially for weanlings.
In last year's consignors preferred sessions, the OBS sold 186 weanlings for an average of $14,400 and a median of $9,600. This year, the average figure rose to $17,700 for 203 weanlings and the median climbed to $12,000.
Broodmare sales also enjoyed a modest rise, from an average of $13,800 and median of $9,500 last year to an average of $15,200 and a median of $10,700 this year.
The 66th running of the Canadian International on Sunday marks the 30th anniversary of Secretariat's memorable "dash in the dark" down Woodbine's old inner turf course, completing his legendary career.
As thrilling as it was for Canadians to see Big Red in Toronto, it was too bad for Elmendorf Farm's gallant campaigner Big Spruce, a multiple Grade 1-winning son of Herbager, who chased Big Red home that day but got within only 6 1/2 lengths of the champ.
The next year, Big Spruce was second in the International again, this time to the superstar filly Dahlia.
Patricia Runyon makes the breeding and racing business look easy.
Maryland Million Day, Oct. 11 at Laurel Park, showcased wins by 11 Maryland-sired horses. But none of them was more impressive than Runyon's homebred Move Those Chains, a 4-year-old Polish Numbers colt who romped home by three lengths as the 7-5 favorite in the $100,000 Maryland Million Turf.
Move Those Chains, whose name was inspired by the Baltimore Ravens, dominated in an eight-horse field that included previous Maryland Million Turf winners Elberton (2001) and Private Slip (1999).