09/09/09
September 9, 2009
TORONTO YEARLING SALE HAS LARGE DECLINES
$155K sale topper is by Medaglia D’Oro
In an unsettled economy that has hurt many sales throughout North America in 2009, the CANADIAN THOROUGHBRED HORSE SOCIETY (Ontario division) was not immune.
A drop in average price of just over 29% was the biggest in at least 10 years - from $39,131 (all figures in Canadian funds) last year to $30, 142.
The sales gross of $4,672,000, for 155 yearlings sold was down from $5,830,500 for 149 sold.
The median sunk from $27,000 to $22,000.
Heading into the sale, breeders, consignors and prospective buyers were mostly expecting a strong sale based on the health of the local racing industry and the Ontario sired program.
But the buyers were hesitant or not even there.
WOODFORD RACING,a leading buyer in 2008, will not have 2yo’s for next year from this sale despite having just won the Muskoka Stakes on Monday with one last last year’s top prices - Sound of Thunder, a $105,000 filly.
There were some Americans - STEVE ASMUSSEN wandered around and watched the auction but that was about it.
A few pinhookers bought 1 or 2 and Ken and Sarah Ramsey were in business with trainer Brian Lynch.
But only a few locals were the big names of the night - BEAR STABLES, ROCCO D’ALIMONTE and FRANK ANNECCHINI and relative newcomer LANA SNIDERMAN-BERG and her husband SPENCER BERG.
It was good news then to see Sniderman-Berg purchase the sales-topping colt, a strapping son of world class stud Medaglia D’Oro for $155,000.
Sniderman-Berg, who has owned only a handful of horses in less than three years in the industry, bought the bay son of the stakes placed and stakes producing mare Words of Royalty (Regal Classic) from the consignment of
Gail Wood’s Woodlands, agent for William Scott of Calgary, Alberta.
Scott raced the colt’s half brother, champion Le Cinquieme Essai.
LANA SNIDERMAN-BERG (second from right) and her husband SPENCER BERG (far right) breed Dobermans.
Philmar Dobermans photo.
Josie Carroll will train the Medaglia D’Oro colt, who is a half brother to champion Le Cinquieme Essai.
Colts ruled the sale as all five yearlings that brought six-figures were male - the other five all brought $100,000.
$100,000 -The second highest price was a $100,000 colt from the first crop of Grade 2 stakes winner Strut the Stage (Theatrical), who stands at Colebrook Farms in Uxbridge, Ontario.
The colt, sold by Richard Hogan, agent, is from the mare Cherokee Treasure (Cherokee Run) and was purchased by Toronto businessmen Rocco D’Alimonte and Frank Annecchini,
$100,000 - two yearlings from the first crop of the graded stakes winning Danzig stallion Survivalist, who stands at Park Stud in Orangeville, Ontario.
One, a son of the mare Evanthia, by Cape Town, was sold by Hogan as agent for Kelynack Stable to trainer Brian Lynch, who signed as agent for Americans Ken and Sarah Ramsey.
$100,000 sold by Park Stud’s Mike Byrne, was out of My Date by Squan Lake and was purchased by Roger Attfield.
$100,000 -the other $100,000 yearling colt was a son of Epsom Derby winner North Light, sold by Sue Foreman as agent to Bear Stables.
The top priced filly was a $90,000 Hennessy – Noble Strike, by Smart Strike gal sold by Hill ‘n’ Dale to Ciaran Dunne who purchased as agent for Donver Stable.
The preferred session of the sale is on Sept. 12 beginning at 4 p.m.
YEARLING SALES STAKES DAY WRAP UP
Muskoka goes to 1ster, Roses ‘n Wine runs 101 Beyer Fig
ROSES ‘N’ WINE explosive run in the Algoma Stakes was the bizz of the yearling sales stakes day at Woodbine on Monday.
The Firestone Farms 4yo filly, trained by David Bell, just missed the track record in her 8 3/4 length score in the 1 1/16 mile race and earned a whopping 101 Beyer Figure.
The daughter of Broken Vow, bred by Tony and Jennifer Monk’s Royal Oak Farm, is strating to make good on her big purchase price a few years back - she cost $144,592 (US) at auction.
Freshened up by Bell and certainly the most tactically advantaged miss in the field with little speed in the mix, Roses ‘n’ Wine was pounded down to a shocking 7 to 5 in the race (8 to 1 in the morning line before 2 scratches).
ROSES ‘N’ WINE (in a previous win). Photo by Norm Files.
Muskoka S
Sep 7 Woodbine 7 furlongs $115,013 2 yo
1. Sound of Thunder Stephen Got Even - Flashy Thunder
2. Amazon Belle Tenpins - Marina Bella
3. Tee Game El Corredor - Steph’s Tee
Algoma S.
Sep 7 Woodbine 1 1/16 miles $115,013 3 yo’s & up
1. Roses ‘n’ Wine Broken Vow - Regent’s Fancy
2. Arden Belle Dance Brightly - Bow Bells Reef
3. Krz Exec Bold Executive - Krz Ldy
Elgin S.
Sep 7 Woodbine 1 1/16 miles $115,013 3 yo’s & up
1. Sand CoveBold Executive - Mythical Status
2. Keino WestKissin Kris - Vanetta Hill
3. DelaforcePorto Foricos - Sheza a Nine Plus
Simcoe S.
Sep 7 Woodbine 7 furlongs $115,013 2 yo
1. Fastin Bear Forest Camp - Regal ‘n Bold
2. Mobthewarrior Mobil - Little Warrior
3. Doctor Jack Where’s the Ring - Hippicritical
Kenora S
Sep 7 Woodbine 6 furlongs $115,013 3 yo’s & up
1. You Don’t Pass Pikepass - Silver and Bronze
2. Hosta Rica Mazel Trick - Floral Trace
3. Lake Secret Greenwood Lake - Freecielo
Halton S.
Sep 7 Woodbine Race 3 1 mile $115,013 3 yo’s & up
1. Society’s Chairman Not Impossible (IRE) - Athena’s Smile
2. Cryptonite Kid Cryptoclearance - Cozy Up Doc
3. My Imperial Dancer My Imperial Slew - Regent’s Pride
FORT ERIE NEWS
Sandspit repeats in Puss n Boots
FORT ERIE, September 6 – Sandspit did it again. The ten-year-old son of Sandpit gave a repeat performance in the Puss n Boots Cup, winning for the second straight year.
With Kirk Johnson in the irons, Sandspit trailed the field of twelve for the first half mile before exploding around the turn and through the stretch to win by a half length. He ran the one mile and one sixteenth over a good turf in 1:47.1.
“He’s our family horse and a good one at that,” said owner-trainer Tony Alderson. “He always tries and never runs a bad race.”
Sandspit paid $9.20, $5.40 and $3.60. 38-1 longshot Flat Rock finished a game second paying $39.40 and $19.80. Cappal Mor was third, $6.50.
In the Labatt Cup, run earlier in the afternoon, Alkmene came from off the pace and held off a late rally from Tip Toe Annie to win by half a length.
David Garcia guided the four-year-old daughter of Slew City Slew to victory in a final time of 1:47.1 over the grass course.
Owned by Colebrook Farms and trained by Ashlee Brnjas, Alkmene paid $6.10, $4.30 and $4.30. Tip Toe Annie, $13.70 and $8.40. I See Rockets paid $5.00 to show.
Trainer Gonzalez on a roll……..
FORT ERIE, September 8 – Trainer Nick Gonzalez is well on his way to his third trainer title at Fort Erie Race Track.
The veteran trainer won five races on this afternoon’s card. Today’s feat came following a four win performance on the Monday program. Gonzalez now has 47 wins, 20 wins ahead of his nearest rivals. Mike Newell and John Sims have saddled 27 winners each.
Gonzalez scored back to back trainer titles in 2005 with a Fort Erie career best 56 wins. He came back the following year and led all trainers with 33 winners.
Gonzalez won today’s opener with High Plateau ($3.20), he followed up with Wantabe ($5.20) in the third, Kilmoganny ($4.30) in the fourth, I Am Gold ($9.20) in race five and capped off the afternoon with Striking Che(e)tah ($7.20) in the seventh.
It was also a banner day for jockey Anthony Stephen. The Trinidad native also scored five winners on today’s card, Four coming aboard Gonzalez runners. He did not ride I Am Gold but was able to win the last race of the day aboard Fashion Guru for trainer Bruce Pollock.
VERNE’S BABY, STAKES WINNER, CRUSHED BY $5k CLAIMING
Also on Puss ‘n Boots day, classy stakes winner VERNE’S BABY,who has been racing for low claiming this season after missing more than a year, was beaten about 10 lengths in a 1 mile and 70 yard claiming race for $5,000.
Fred Kahn owns the gelding and WILLIE ARMATA trains.
JUDITH’S WILD RUSH, a multiple Canadian champion, was blown out in the Puss ‘n’ Bloots instelf as he continues an unsuccessful Fort Erie stint.
NORTHLANDS PARK REPORT
courtesy www.thehorses.com
Cool Ventura wins Speed to Spare, ‘Derby winner Royalty Boy dies
Written by Jonathan Huntington
For the third time in the last six years, jockey Real Simard has a Speed to Spare victory. The popular rider and Cool Ventura reeled in Toronto invader Approval Rating to win the $100,000 marathon today.
“He’s got such a big stride. And he’s fresh and peaking at the right time,” said Simard. Approval Rating (trainer Terry Jordan, jockey Quincy Welch) had a six-length lead in the first lap of the one-mile and three-eighths marathon.
Approval Rating leading the field after the first lap.
But Simard didn’t change from the original game plan. “I didn’t want to move (early),” he stated. “Down the backside (the final time) I asked him and we mowed him down.” It gives Cool Ventura back-to-back wins in Edmonton, raising his record to two wins in three starts this season. The four-year-old gelding - owned by Ab and Michele Brewster - now has $247,000 in career earnings.
For Simard, he now has five Speed to Spare titles on his resume. (1998 Victorious Type, 2000 Code Name Fred, 2004 Beau Brass, 2005 Beau Brass, 2009 Cool Ventura)
FINISH LINES: Approval Rating finished second, about two lengths behind. I’m The Guy crossed the wire third… Sadly, Royalty Boy had to be humanely put down after the race by the track vet.
Jonathan Huntington Photo of COOL VENTURA beating APPROVAL RATING.
HASTINGS PARTK, B.C, RePORT
TEIDE SETTLES HASTINGS CROWD DOWN AFTER MAJOR UPSET IN CO-FEATURE
With a huge holiday crowd still buzzing over a shocking win by longshot Ganbei in the Richmond Derby Trial, things settled down when heavily-favoured Teide came right back with a convincing victory in the SW Randall Plate.
Ganbei paid a whopping $60.30 as apprentice jockey Geovanni Franco urged him home with a victory by a neck over Gather de Justice. The $50,000 Derby Trial is the final stepping stone to the $275,000 BC Derby at Hastings Racecourse on Sept. 27.
Trainer Dino Condilenios said he was expecting a big effort from Teide and that’s exactly what he got in the $50,000 Randall Plate. Ridden by veteran jockey Chad Hoverson, Teide beat runner-up Spaghetti Mouse by four and three-quarter lengths and paid $3.70.
The three other stakes on the Labour Day card were won by favourites. Tierra Del Fuego ($2.30) won the Hong Kong Jockey Club; Holy Nova ($3.10) breezed to a four-length win over stable-mate Lady Raj in the Strawberry Morn and Bank Emblem rallied from last to first ($5.30) to win the President’s Speed.
On the final day of the Fair at the PNE, Hastings Racecourse GM Raj Mutti said the on-track mutuel handle Monday was one of the strongest in recent years.
SASKATCHEWAN DERBY CAPS MEETING
Ontario bred TEASE THE TIGER (Cat’s at Home - Numberonetreasure, Bold Ruckus) took last weekend’s Saskatchewan Derby, the final day of racing at Marquis Downs.
The $28,494 Ontario sale yearling two years ago was bred by Jackie and Gerald Armstrong.
He is owned by Riversedge Racing, trained by Monica Russell and was ridden by Jake Barton.
FROM DAILY RACING FORM:
Marquis handle numbers mixed
By Bill Tallon
Marquis Downs wound up its 30-day meeting on Sunday with a total live handle of $882,440 and a daily average of $29,415. The respective totals for last year’s 29-day meeting were $868,657 and $29,954, meaning the total went up 1.5 percent, while the daily average dropped 1.7 percent.
http://www.drf.com/news/article/107068.html
BLOOD-HORSE REPORT - EXCERPT
Major Sire Gone West Euthanized
Gone West , who carved out a successful branch of the Mr. Prospector sire line all his own as the sire of 98 stakes winners, was euthanized the night of Sept. 7 because of complications following colic surgery. The 25-year-old stallion, who was pensioned after this year’s breeding season because of declining fertility, had been taken two days earlier to Hagyard Equine Medical Institute near Lexington.
“On Saturday morning, Sept. 5, Gone West colicked and was taken to Hagyard where Dr. Bob Hunt examined him and determined it necessary to perform surgery,” according to a statement issued by Headley Bell of Mill Ridge. “His surgery revealed a lipoma, a mass nearly the size of a football that was attached to a cord and had wrapped around his small intestine. Dr. Hunt removed the mass and did not find it necessary to resect any of his small intestine.
“Gone West’s recovery went fairly well on Saturday and Sunday with the exception of elevated heart rate and reflux, liquid build up that would not pass through his small intestine. Regretfully, the intestine never opened up, and he grew more uncomfortable with time. Monday, at 6 p.m., we made the humane decision to put Gone West down.
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/52474/major-sire-gone-west-euthanized?&utm_source=DailyNewsletterSplitC&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20090908
6 Responses to “09/09/09”
No shock that sales numbers were dismal. The reality is that there are not enough potential owners to pump up the prices.
The high takeout mentality by racing execs can take most of the blame on this.
Players don’t last, they don’t have to care or know what take out is, they just know their bankrolls don’t last. They spend less time handicapping, betting and watching races.
Conversely, if they spent more time, they would more than likely get friends and family involved. Not only are these new people the potential future gamblers, but they are the potential future owners.
Another reason for the decline of ownership has to do with Woodbine’s new rules in reducing purses for claimed horses, taking incentives away from smaller outfits to claim, especially Ontario breds. In fact when you look at the purses at Fort Erie and the smaller purses for low end horses at Woodbine, it is very difficult for a small owner to break even or make money which would get them into the expansion mode. There is a huge disparity in purses for higher claimers and lower claimers. The higher claimers aren’t usually worth what they are running for, which also keeps claiming down which inevitably keeps new ownership down. Purses should be lowered on the high end and increased on the low end, as this will get the claiming game to thrive again, and this will lead to higher yearling sales prices in the future.
Owners tend to claim or buy privately a horse that is in training rather than a yearling. They buy yearlings after they’ve seen some success in the game.
Buying a yearling is a risky and expensive endeavor. Owners need to be doing it with money they made.
I’m disappointed that Ontario refuses to give owners of sales purchases a proper out. What I mean by that is state bred or Canadian bred claiming races with enhanced purses.
If a yearling sales isn’t good enough to compete in allowance race or high claimer, it becomes a huge loss in a fast period of time.
If there are state bred claiming races, it would serve as a bit of a parachute, plus it would increase the value of all Ontario breds, because if the lowest priced Ontario bred becomes valued higher (as it would under this scenario) it winds up pushing the value of all Ontario breds up.
Losing full potential purse value upon claiming an Ontario breds is also a huge negative. Speaking to a few owners, they now put less value on claiming Ontario breds because they feel they are getting ripped off if they take one through claiming. They now look more at American breds. Again, I stated this at the start, it was a really stupid rule that is going to hurt the breeding industry in the long run because it devalues Ontario breds (less overall demand).
Leading American trainer Mark Casse {well over 3 million in purses already} who trains for predominantly American owners was also noticeable absent from the buyers list. A little support from those connections for the Canadian breeders would have been nice!
In defense of Casse, this isn’t a game of charity, it is a business. Woodbine caters to Americans and makes it more beneficial for many owners to buy American breds to race up here when you compare quality for price.
Again, B maiden allowance and allowance races help American owners protect their horses, meanwhile there is no out or those who buy a horse that can’t compete at allowance levels if they are Ontario sired in Ontario. And the claimers have to run against American breds which makes it very difficult and a reason to buy American.
The whole reason for the added bonus in claiming races is to help the breeders who continually invest in raising horses and helping the local economy. That money comes from a completely different source. The problem is the way it is written in the program gives everyone a sense that they deserve that money when in fact that money was never there for them to begin with. That money comes from a fund to help the Canadian Breed and raise the level of the Canadian stock, why would they give that money to people who are helping the Ky or Florida market?
Cangamble is absolutely correct in suggesting that Restricted Claiming races would markedly improve the breeding situation in Ontario. Woodbine has access to the slots revenue by direction from the Ontario Government to improve the economic situation for the horse racing industry in Ontario, yet they do not examine the methodology used at WEG that discourages Ontario bred program.
With the current investigation into the operation of OLG, maybe a nudge to examine the allocation of race purses would be appropriate.
And on top of the already prohibitive costs of breeding, raising and racing a horse, breeders are now required to dig a little deeper and pay an ORC license fee to make their mares eligible as Ontario residents.
Somewhere there is a serious flaw in the organization that was implemented to assist the very substantive racehorse industry in Ontario. It is being allowed to wring the lifeblood out of the breeding program and the future of racing in this province.
We do have elected representatives who make legislation and have jurisdiction over provincial programs. Instead of standing by mutely and allowing the industry to fade, I would propose some intelligent recommendations from the groups affected to all MPP’s.
Do you think you could persuade Jim Bassille to invest that $245 million into some Thoroughbeds instead of the Coyotes?