Pick VIew

TIMONIUM, MD - Buyers were out in force at the Maryland State Fairgrounds on a balmy Sunday morning in Timonium, a day ahead of the start of the two-session Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Trainer Chad Summers, a day removed from his first GI Preakness Stakes victory with Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map), was busy on the sales grounds. Also making the trek an hour so north after saddling horses in Saturday's Preakness at Laurel were conditioners Steve Asmussen, Danny Gargan, and Dallas Stewart, as well as the Legion...

A colt from the first crop of champion juvenile Corniche (hip 95) quickly established a new high-water mark, selling to Legion Bloodstock for $1.35-million at OBS March Tuesday. Out of Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Leigh Court, the colt worked a quarter mile in :21. Bred in Kentucky by Speedway Stables, LLC, he was consigned by Pick View LLC who purchased him as a yearling at Keeneland September last year for $250,000. Represented by his first crop of juveniles, 2021 champion 2-year-old colt Corniche stands at Ashford Stud. "We bought a...

The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale continued Friday into Book 3 with young mares and weanlings by young, exciting stallions bringing a premium. "Today's session exceeded expectations, and it felt more like a continuation of Book 2 than the start of Book 3," Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. "The energy here has been tremendous, and we continue to see an incredible diversity of buyers eager to reinvest after such a strong year. There's a real sense of optimism and momentum that's carrying through every session and I...

A quartet of juveniles shared the fastest time during the fifth session of the under-tack show held Thursday ahead of next week's Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. Freshman stallion Yaupon, whose first runners hit the track this year, had another standout breeze session held under "ideal" conditions when a filly (hip 788) from his first crop worked in :9 4/5 for Joe Pickerrell's Pick View LLC. "She's been lightning fast all year," said Pickerrell of the filly he picked up for just $100,000 at last...

Dear Readers, If you are reading this, you are likely already involved and educated enough to understand the challenges and struggles our beloved industry faces. Conversely, I would like to focus on a few of the amazing things that the Thoroughbred racing industry offers. I will then challenge others to bring to light more positive news from our industry. Unfortunately, much too often, the only Thoroughbred news that reaches the mainstream media is negative. We, as an industry, must share, educate and enlighten others, both inside and outside of our...

TIMONIUM, MD - The under-tack show for the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale concluded with a third session Friday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium and after an initial session of headwinds and a second session punctuated by tailwinds, conditions were calm with overcast skies during the show's finale. A filly by Bolt d'Oro (hip 401) had the fastest furlong work of Friday's session, covering the distance in :10 flat during the day's third set. Consigned by Wavertree Stables, the bay filly is out of Werewolf (Arch)...

The third of four under-tack previews ahead of next week's Ocala Breeders Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds In Training took place Friday, a session that produced the overall bullet times for both one-furlong and quarter-mile breezes. Wednesday's opening breeze-ups were topped by a trio of horses that stopped clock in :9 4/5 for an eighth of a mile, a time that was matched by no fewer than 15 juveniles on Thursday. Those numbers were lowered Friday by a pair of horses, a Wavertree Stables Inc.-consigned filly (hip 448) from...

TIMONIUM, MD - The opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale got off to a tepid start at the Maryland State Fairgrounds Monday morning, but momentum built throughout a session which ultimately produced figures ahead of the auction's record-setting 2022 renewal. "It was a strong start to the sale," Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. said at the close of business Monday. "There was significant increase in average price compared to the first day and the overall sale last year. It was certainly an acceptable...

TIMONIUM, MD - The three-day under-tack show ahead of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale began on a picture-perfect day in Timonium Tuesday with a colt by Awesome Slew (hip 91) working the bullet furlong of :10 flat early in the first of the day's seven sets. The juvenile is consigned by Tom McCrocklin, who purchased him on behalf of Michael Sucher's Champion Equine for $150,000 at last year's Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's October Yearling Sale. "He's a very fast horse," McCrocklin said Tuesday. "I was not surprised...

A colt by Good Samaritan (Hip 177) worked the fastest quarter-mile in :20 3/5 on the opening day of the OBS March 2-Year-Old in Training Sale's three-day breeze show Thursday. "He has done things on the racetrack that only a few horses have done that we had our hands on," said Joe Pickerrell of consignor Pick View. "We were going to be very disappointed if he didn't work like that." Bred by St. Elias Stable, the gray is out of Sweat and Saddle (Speightstown), a daughter of GSW & MGISP...

The Keeneland September Yearling Sale, launched last week with a Bluegrass band, mimosas, and a boutique Book 1 section, continued its momentum straight through to the end of its 11th session, concluding with a sales record average, median and buy-back rate. The gross, which was over $300,000,000 for three straight years before falling to $248,978,700 during the pre-vaccination pandemic in 2020, rebounded to $352,823,000 by the time the last hip went through the ring Friday evening. It was the auction's sixth highest gross in history. "The hope was that we...

A colt from the first crop of Florida stallion Valiant Minister was one of two to breeze a bullet quarter mile in :20 3/5 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale under-tack show Friday. Hip 996 will attempt to follow in the hoofprints of his Bridlewood-based sire, who topped OBS's 2015 June sale after a bullet work, selling to Charles Chu of Baoma Corp. For $680,000 after breezing an eighth in :9 4/5. "I remember Valiant Minister when he sold here," said SGV Thoroughbreds' Steve Venosa, who consigns Hip...