WTBOA Sale - Part II

Nobody got the joke in the second sentence of Part I? Go back and read it again. Stay with me people. I know it is late in the season and you are dreaming of sleeping in or Booze Cruises, but there is still work to do. 

As we discussed last time, the average for Washington-breds at the sale was $19,233. Even if we took out the $77,000 for the Tiz Wonderful filly, the average was $17,824 for Washington-breds.  

As promised, this discussion will be about the local sires and some of the national ones that had more than a couple of entries. 

Harbor the Gold - We start with the king of the Northwest: Harbor the Gold. He sold 10 offspring for a total of $219,500 and averaged $21,950.  

Atta Boy Roy: The New Kid on the Block 

Sold 12 yearlings which averaged $18,325. A nice start for the local sire. Atta Boy Roy was lead by a filly out of Crafty Diva who sold for $50,000. An average of $18,325 makes him a so-far profitable sire to breed to. 

Abraaj: Sold 4 for an average of $7,875. He also had 4 RNAs. His offspring have been doing well on the track. 

*I don't view 3 or 4 horses as statistically significant but only two Washington sires had more than 4 sell at the sale and I need something to discuss. Despite only three of four horses sold at the sale, I view this information as important for people to know as they go forward. 

Coast Guard: 3 sold for an average of $12,833. They sold for $17,000, $16,500, and $5,000 a piece. Coast Guard was lead by a very nice looking colt out of Ms. Pixie sold for $17,000. 

Sixthirteen: Sold 3 for an average of $21,666 topped by a hulking colt out of Felice the Cat, making the yearling a half to Mach One Rules.  

Parker's Storm Cat: Sold 3 for an average of $17,333. Lead by another big colt out of Top's Image. 

National Sires with three or more entries at the sale: Kodiak Kowboy ($11,566) and Tiz Wonderful ($30,400)

Part III will focus on successful pinhooks. 

Always Love Your Animals, 

Will 

WTBOA Sale Review - Part 1

Two weeks tis' passed since the WTBOA Sale. I finally feel sane enough to write some coherent about the sale. For the basics you can review the press release here: 

http://www.wtboa.com/Sales/2015%20WTBOA%20Summer%20Yearling%20Sale%20Average%20Up%2017%20Percent.pdf

A few things worth pointing out: 

*Well-known pinhooker John Brocklebank spent $383,000 on 10 yearlings. You will likely see his ten purchases in a future sale so it will be interesting to see how some of Washington-breds do at two-year-old in training sales. A good article on Brocklebank and his success can be found here: 

http://www.drf.com/news/brocklebank-continues-sales-success-bc3

*Of the top 10 horses, 7 of them were Washington-breds; lead by a beautiful Tiz Wonderful filly out of the General Meeting mare Witchy Meeting. She was my favorite filly in the sale. On the boys (or boyz depending on how old you are) side, my favorites were Hip No. 33 and Hip No. 44. The Forestry-Rewritten colt was beautiful and was a missed opportunity a few years ago on my part (note sadness). The other was a Harbor the Gold out of Sunday Morning. 

*Washington-breds averaged $19,233. This is an important internal number that I always like to look at to determine whether it is becoming profitable to breed Washington-breds or not. It appears that things are picking up but I still have some long-term concerns. But we must push on. 

In the next installment, we will look at individual sires and how they did at the sale. 

ALWAYS LOVE YOUR ANIMALS, 

Will 

Importance of State Breeding Programs - Part 1

A good article from July on the importance of having your state breeding program and racing program growing in tandem. 

http://www.paulickreport.com/news/ray-s-paddock/empire-state-new-york-breeding-goes-from-darkest-days-to-banner-year/

https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/robust-new-york-bred-program-continues-to-grow/

Gold Aly's First Winner

The first two-year-old race of the season was Saturday and the winner was Work With Me. The gelding is from Gold Aly's first-crop of horses. Below is an article I wrote for the WTBOA regarding Gold Aly before his first horses went through the sale in 2014. It can also be accessed here (with pictures): http://www.washingtonthoroughbred.com/magazine/NWStallionSpotlight/NW%20Stallion%20Spotlight_Aug'14.pdf

Congrats to Steve Meredith and the crew at Lucky Acres:

GOLD ALY

(2005 Medaglia d’Oro – Bangled by Alysheba)

At Tuesday’s WTBOA Sale, Gold Aly’s first yearlings will go through the ring. There are three yearling colts scheduled to be sold (Hips Nos. 26, 62 and 90).

Gold Aly is by the prolific sire Medaglia d’Oro. Medaglia d’Oro ran his first two races for owner Joyce Bell and trainer David Vance before being privately acquired by Edmund Gann who sent the fledgling colt to the great Bobby Frankel. Medaglia d’Oro won over $5.7 million dollars during his career including three Grade I races: The Travers and the Whitney and Donn Handicaps.  He also finished second two consecutive times in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He finished his career by running a courageous second to Pleasantly Perfect in the 2004 Dubai World Cup.

Originally standing stud at Hill ‘N’ Dale farm in Lexington, Kentucky, Medaglia d’Oro was purchased by Darley in June 2009 to stand stud at Darley America.  He currently stands for $100,000. 

Originally known for just siring good females such as Rachel Alexandra and Plum Pretty, Medaglia d’Oro has sired good colts such as Violence, Al Khali and Warrior’s Reward.  At the time of this writing, Medaglia d’Oro is ranked No. 8 nationally in total earnings and has sired 11 Grade I winners, including Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra.

Medaglia d’Oro has strong Northwest connections.  Medaglia d’Oro’s dam is none other than Cappucino Bay, who was trained by 2014 Washington Hall of Fame nominee Marion L. Smith.  Cappucino Bay won the 1991 Mercer Girls Stakes at Longacres before going on to a reasonably successful racing career in California.  In addition, local bloodstock agent Claudia Canouse purchased Medaglia d’Oro’s second dam, Dubbed In, for $65,000 at the 1980 Keeneland November sale.  Dubbed In not only produced Balijumper, but also Maharesred who won the 1988 Joe Gottstein Futurity and participated in the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. 

Any thought about whether Medaglia d’Oro will be a good “sire of sires” should be extinguished by his son Warrior’s Reward, who is currently en fuego.  As of this writing, Warrior’s Reward has 7 first-out winners from only 18 starters, including Stakes Winner Strawberry Baby and 3 others who have placed in Stakes races, including Bad Read Sanchez who finished third in the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes. Warrior’s Reward stands for $12,500 at Spendthrift Farm but that is likely going up.

Gold Aly’s dam, Bangled, is by Kentucky Derby winner Alysheba.  Bangled was purchased for $35,000 at the 1991 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.  Bangled is a half sister to Grecian Flight who won the Grade I Acorn and over $1.3 million.  After an unsuccessful attempt to make it to the track, she was sold at the 1995 Keeneland January Sale for $57,000 in foal to Wild Again.

Although Bangled was unraced she made up for it by being the dam of three black-type horses, including Grade III Stakes Winner and Grade I placed Anklet. Bangled had several offspring sell for six figures including Gold Aly.

Bred by Brylynn Farm, Inc., Gold Aly, from the first crop of Medaglia d’Oro, was purchased for $120,000 at the March 2008 Barrett’s Two-Year-Old in Training Sale.  Trained by Tim McCanna and owned by Bill Feeley and Ernie Turner, Gold Aly won two starts including a Maiden Special Weight score at Santa Anita and an Allowance victory at Hollywood Park. Gold Aly retired with $80,160 earnings. 

                                                           

Breeders should look at Gold Aly considering how desirable a cross he is to many of the mares out of our local stallions. Medaglia d’Oro has crossed well with mares sired by sons of Mr. Prospector including Gone West (Violence) and Seeking the Gold (Warrior’s Reward).  Both Violence and Warrior’s Reward are exciting young stallions.

Gold Aly is at Steve Meredith’s Lucky Acres in Yakima where he stands for a private fee.

Win Place Show

Win Place Show 

I had the privilege of being interviewed on the Win Place Show on KJR. At the risk of embarrassing myself, I post this because you will get an idea of how I feel about the industry and where we can go.

Caution: I talk.....a lot. 

http://www.sportsradiokjr.com/media/podcast-win-place-show-ondemand-win_place_show/the-win-place-show-524-26073453/

Preakness Rankings #8 to #1

Wife is gone for the weekend (It is beginning to become a theme now that I think about it) and she left me this in the freezer: 

I am newly married and nobody would argue that I have Master's Degree in communication with women, so I ask: (1) Is this a hint? Is this a passive-aggressive way of telling me the treadmill misses me? or (2) should I just shut up and be thankful she goes grocery shopping?

This ranking is a real snoozer so no need for seat belts.

By the way, Pharaoh "auto corrects" to the real spelling and I am not going to fight it. 

(8) Tale of Verve (Tale of Ekati - Verve) - You have a lot of verve (get it?) showing up in this race. Like the sire, damsire and the owner, but not this horse, in this race. Should be in a N1X.  Next. 

(7) Mr. Z (Malibu Moon - Stormy Bear) - You ran in the Derby? When? I didn't catch it. You weren't suppose to be here except D. Wayne convinced Calumet to buy you so he can run something in here. Pass. However, I will say that this is a wild card with respect to the pace in the race. They could try to send Mr. Z to the front. He won't last long, but it could still impact the pace scenario that I describe below.  

(6) Bodhisattva  (Student Council - Dr. Cheryl P.) - In Buddhism it means Bodhisattva. You entered a Baltimore neighborhood with the equivalent of Omar Little (American Pharaoh), Avon Barksdale (Dortmund) and Marlowe Stanfield (Firing Line) fighting for the corners? Not likely to win that battle. "I got the shotgun, you got the briefcase. It is all in the game, right?" 

(5) Divining Rod  (Tapit - Precious Kitten) - Everyone's "wise guy" horse. I think people are stretching to find something outside the Derby field that they can bet on. I just don't think this horse can beat any of the top 4--let alone all of them to claim victory. Nice Lexington victory but it wasn't against anything like the horses in the Derby. He just hasn't beaten any horse of note. 

(4) Firing Line (Line of David - Sister Girl Blues) - A little surprised with how well he ran in the Derby, so I will diss him again and put him further up the list then he probably should be. Although it appears that the 8 post is advantageous for Gary Stevens and Firing Line in this race, I actually don't think it will help him that much. Yes, he will be able to break and look to his left to see what Dortmund and Pharaoh are going to do out of the gate, but it seems to me the tactics have been pretty much established by the post position draw and he will be sitting in second or third but on the outside of Pharaoh this time--losing the ground that Pharaoh lost in the Kentucky Derby. 

Derby Fact: Firing Line traveled 29 feet less than American Pharaoh. 8.5 feet in the equivalent of one length...math.....so a little under 3.5 lengths. This time Firing Line will be traveling about 29 feet more than Pharaoh. 

(3) Danzig Moon (Malibu Moon - Leaveminthedust) - My longshot pick in the Derby and he didn't embarrass me (certainly not as much as Upstart did). He continues to improve and will be able to sit back and pick up some of the pieces in the final two furlongs. I believe that he will pass Firing Line in the final sixteenth of a mile to get third place. This horse will pop up and win a Grade 1 race at some point, but not here, not now. 

Derby Fact: Danzig Moon traveled 43 feet less than American Pharaoh in Derby, the equivalent of roughly 5 lengths. The tables are turned this time and I imagine he will be losing ground versus Pharaoh. 

(2) Dortmund (Big Brown - Our Josephina) - Martin Garcia will take some different tactics with Dortmund in this race versus the Derby. I believe that Dortmund runs much better with a target to run at. Breaking on the outside of Pharaoh will allow him to sit right outside of him, while keeping Firing Line behind him or on the outside of him--forcing Stevens to lose more ground. I think these tactics will improve Dortmund's Kentucky Derby position by one spot, but it will not be sufficient to win the race. 

Derby Fact: Dortmund traveled 69 feet less than American Pharaoh, which is roughly 8 lengths. Dortmund will not have that 8 length advantage this time. 

(1) American Pharaoh (Pioneerof the Nile - Littleprincessemma)  - Picked him the derby and going to stick with him here. Call me crazy, but I actually think that the 1 post will help him. As stated above, I believe the tactics in this race for Dortmund will be different. Espinoza has the best horse in the race and will use his speed right from the gate--he is forced to with his post. He can't take back and risk being shuffled to 5th. This race will be similar to the one Pharaoh had in the Rebel and the Frontrunner. Will run them right off their feet for victory. 

Derby Fact: This horse is very very good. 

Always Love Your Animals, 

Will 

Guest Blogger - Week #4 Review and Broodmare Horse B With You

In honor of Kikisoblu's win in the Hastings Handicap and her Washington-Bred dam, Horse B With You, we have a guest blogger this week who made a long distance call to request to write this post. I didn't mind the time off from blogging, but am not responsible for the content of the post below:

Believe not that Washington-Breds won 13 of 25 races last weekend? That is why you fail.

Powerful you have become Washington-Breds, 91 out of 154 starters you had last weekend.

No two-year-old races yet? Patience you must have my young padawan.

When you look at the dark side, careful you must be. For the dark side looks back. (Blog Owner Note: Now he is just going off on tangents.) 

Kikisoblu you say? By Kodiak Kowboy out of the Slewdledo mare Horse B With You. Horse B With You graded stakes placed and used force to win Scottsdale Handicap at Turf Paradise, far from Dagobah system.

Purchased by Cappelletti, Bob for Todaro, George, I say. Cappelletti said "buy or do not buy. There is no try." Good purchase, happens to every guy sometimes this does.

http://apps.keeneland.com/sales/Sep12/pdfs/2597.pdf

http://apps.keeneland.com/sales/jan10/pdfs/240.pdf

Kikisoblu ridden by Rocco Bowen. You say size? Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. (Blog Own Note: Gotta agree with him on this one).

Charts you ask for? Charts lead to fear. Fear leads to anger. Anger lead to hate. Hate leads to suffering. (Blog Owner Note: Dude, they are just charts).

5/8

Horse	W	Cond.	¼	½	5/6	5.5/6/6.5
The Search is Over	Y	M7.5K	22.58	46.38	58.30	1:04.57
Ancient Mystery		2.5K N2L 3+	22.87	45.96	1:10.43	1:17.04
Perfectly Legal		3.5K (c) 3 +	23.04	45.94	1:10.08	1:16.46
Cacau		7.5K N2L	22.46	45.02	57.03	1:03.58
Jen’s Jag	Y	7.5K N2L	22.40	45.50	57.75	1:04.19
Parkers Bluff	Y	25K  3 +	22.83	45.83	1:10.24	1:16.79
Stormin Parker	Y	2.5K N1 3M 3 +	22.20	46.06	57.44	1:10.39

*Pick 5 Handle = $9,408 *123RacingHandle = $2,272

5/9

Horse	W	Cond.	¼	½	5/6	5.5/6/6.5/7	1 Mile
Montelena		2.5K(c) 3 +	24.33	48.89	1:13.29	1:26.08	1:38.93
Hollanita		10K 3+ F	23.33	46.54	58.67	1:11.16
Don’t Tell Abbey		M 5K 3+ F	22.29	45.85	58.88	1:05.76
Boss Lori	Y	M 15K F	22.66	45.86	58.23
Coach Royal		2.5K(C) 3+	23.72	47.54	1:12.65	1:25.36	1:38.09
Charismata		12.5K N2L 3 + F	22.66	45.52	57.80	1:10.83
Heza Witch Doctor	Y	5K 3+	22.45	44.84	1:09.36	1:16.00
Seeking the Light		32K F	22.24	45.26	57.49	1:03.88
Gimme a Tallboy		5K 3+	21.84	45.54	58.42

*Pick 5 Handle = $9,380 *123RacingHandle = $2,962

5/10

Horse	W	Cond.	¼	½	5/6	5.5/6/6.5/7	1 Mile
He’s Zuberrific	Y	7.5K N3L	21.83	44.84	57.32	1:10.38
Hollanita	Y	M 5K  3+ F	22.77	46.10	1:11.66	1:18.28
Our Silver Lining	Y	M 25K F	22.74	45.99	58.13	1:04.68
Ducoti	Y	3.5K(C) 3+ F	22.13	45.25	57.55
Say Say	Y	2.5K N1 3M 3+ F	22.09	45.55	58.00	1:04.74
Botch		40K 3+	22.12	44.41	56.68	1:09.68
Trackattacker	Y	Alw R	21.96	45.05	57.39	1:03.96
Kikisoblu		Stakes	22.17	44.92	56.69	1:08.69
Cowboy Gold	Y	15K M	22.08	44.95	57.27	1:04.01

*Pick 5 Handle = $14,610  123Racing Handle = $3,938

 I rest now. When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good, you will not, hmmmm?

Word, green guy. Word.

Always Love Your Animals,

Will