Jacob West

LEXINGTON, KY - The Fasig-Tipton October Yearlings Sale concluded Thursday with a solid renewal which very nearly kept pace with its record-setting 2022 version even in the midst of a softening yearling market and a backdrop of uncertainty in the global economy and geo-political landscape. "It was a very successful 2023 Fasig-Tipton October sale," Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. said after the last horse went through the ring Thursday evening. "The results were very similar to last year and very similar to the 2021 results, which is pretty remarkable when...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland September Yearling Sale, which produced gangbuster results in 2022, returns for its 2023 renewal Monday in Lexington. Perennially a bellwether of the industry's sales market, the 12-day auction opens with a pair of elite Book 1 sessions beginning at 1 p.m. and, with the Keeneland barns awash with activity Sunday, both sales officials and consignors were heading into the sale with plenty of optimism. "The traffic has been incredibly positive," said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. "There are quite a few buyers here....

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis OCALA, FL - For the third straight day, the team of Bob Baffert and Donato Lanni, acting on behalf of Saudi businessman Amr Zedan, made the highest bid of the session, this time going to $2.2 million--top price of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training sale so far--to acquire a colt by Gun Runner from the de Meric Sales consignment as the Spring sale continued to produce figures largely in line with its record-setting 2022 renewal. Through three of four...

For the past few days, we have been hearing from top judges on whose progeny will come out of the gate flying. MIKE RYAN Top pick: Omaha Beach (War Front-Charming, by Seeking the Gold). Spendthrift Farm, 2023 fee: $30,000. My pick is Omaha Beach. There is a tremendous amount of quality and class there. He is a beautifully-bred horse. He was very fast and he got great support from the breeders and was well-supported in the sales ring. It's a close call, but he is my pick over Audible. Under-the-radar...

'TDN Rising Star' Munnys Gold turned her stakes debut into a laugher while stamping herself as a potential major force among sophomore fillies this season. A jaw-dropping 14 1/2-length debut winner at Monmouth last June, good for a gaudy 101 Beyer Speed Figure, the dark bay was subsequently sidelined with a foot bruise, but eventually resurfaced to make short work of first-level Florida-bred allowance foes at Gulfstream Jan. 25. She was facing her sternest test to date with the likes of Dreaming of Snow, upsetter of champion Wonder Wheel (Into...

LEXINGTON, KY-The Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale went through its supplemental catalogue and into its addendum to finally find its top-priced offering when Lemieux (Nyquist) sold to Nice Guys Stable for $400,000 just hips before the auction concluded its two-day run Tuesday in Lexington with steady results. "We saw a continuation of the marketplace that we experienced yesterday and that we saw in January and we saw in November, October, September and July," Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. said at the sale's close Tuesday. "I think it's a very fair marketplace....

LEXINGTON, KY - With just weeks to the opening of the 2023 breeding season, the Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale begins its two-day run Monday at Newtown Paddocks with an eclectic offering of broodmares, broodmare and racing prospects and short yearlings. The auction attracted 465 entries to its main catalogue and, with the addition of supplemental entries, now features 594 catalogued offerings. Bidding begins Monday at 10 a.m. Jill Gordon and Jacob West's Highgate Sales consignment made its debut at last year's Winter Mixed Sale and made an immediate impact when...

Three-time Grade I stakes winner Colonel Liam (Liam's Map--Amazement, by Bernardini) will not return to defend his title in Gulfstream Park's GI Pegasus Turf Invitational, but has been retired to stand at Ocala Stud in Florida, according to Jacob West. His introductory fee will be $6,500. "Colonel Liam took our whole family on quite a ride over a four-year period," said owner Robert Low. "Ocala Stud has a proven track record of developing young stallions into some of the most formidable stallions in the business and we are excited to...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, which began sluggishly Monday morning, built up steam throughout the day and ended with a trio of firework offerings and figures largely in line with the auction's 2022 renewal. "The beginning of the day was definitely slower than we probably expected," said Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. "It was a little sluggish. But as the day went on, it became more promising." At the close of business Monday, 224 head had sold for $16,261,900. The average was...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack tracks down top horses on the sidelines. 'TDN Rising Star' Munnys Gold (f, 2, Munnings--Haraawa, by Medaglia d'Oro), missing in action since airing by 14 1/2 lengths with a gaudy 101 Beyer Speed Figure on debut at Monmouth Park June 17, is targeting the upcoming $100,000 Glitter Woman S. at Gulfstream Park. "She's been back in full training with Todd [Pletcher] now for about three months," said Jacob West, advisor to owners Robert and Lawana Low. "She's being pointed towards...

An unraced 2-year-old colt by record-setting sire Into Mischief brought $1 million from Mick Wallace, agent, on behalf of Gandharvi Racing, to dissolve a partnership very late in the day to top Keeneland's single-session November Horses of Racing Age Sale Thursday. Produced by Gaudete (Distorted Humor)--an unraced half-sister to leading young sire Munnings (Speightstown)--Hip 5352 was consigned by Highgate Sales, Agent XXXV. The topper previously brought $350,000 from China Horse Club/Gandharvi Racing at last year's Keeneland September Sale. His yearling half-brother by Violence brought $300,000 from Repole Stable and St....

Fasig-Tipton, which hosted the opening event of the season with its July Selected Yearlings Sale, will bring the curtain down on the yearlings auction season with its four-day Kentucky October Yearlings Sale which begins Monday at the company's Newtown Paddocks. The sale continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m. The 2021 October sale was a barnburner, setting new records for gross, average and median, and consignors are hoping this year's edition continues a string of strong results this season. "The market has been very strong throughout the...