Warrendale Sales

There is no shortage of active pedigrees at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, but this year Warrendale Sales has a draft of eight yearlings that includes several particularly eye-catching updates. Hunter Simms, Warrendale's Director of Bloodstock Service, can attest that landing a buzz horse in a yearling's pedigree is exactly what you're hoping for in the weeks leading up to a sale--especially at Saratoga where blacktype already abounds. "People want to buy into young, active families," he said. "If it's fillies, there is hope that down the road you have some...

The Horse Racing Women's Summit will host a panel discussion at Keeneland Apr. 18. The day will kick off with a welcome address from Gabby Gaudet, a reporter/analyst for FanDuel TV and Keeneland, who will also moderate the keynote conversation hosted by Shannon Arvin, the President and CEO of Keeneland, alongside Julie Cauthen, a bloodstock agent and member of the Keeneland Inspection Team. "Keeneland is honored to host the Horse Racing Women's Summit, which promises to be a great day of discussion, reflection, valuable connections and fun. We look forward...

by Jessica Martini & Stefanie Grimm LEXINGTON, KY - During a session dominated for much of the day by the short yearlings, the supplemented broodmare Sebago Lake (Tapit) jumped to the lead in the final hips when selling for $700,000 to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm. Overall, through two days of the four-day auction, 430 head have grossed $31,596,700 for an average of $73,481 and a median of $30,500. With continued strength at the top of the market, the Book 1 average dipped just 3.39% from a year ago, but...

The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale begins Monday in Lexington and continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m. Following on the heels of an apparently softening market at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale two months ago, consignors expect to see that all-too familiar polarization continue at the first auction of 2024. "If you take a nice physical over there--the same as in November--it will stand out and should bring plenty of money," said Hunter Simms of Warrendale Sales. "I think last year was a...

Keeneland has added a trio of horses--one racing/broodmare prospect and the dams of a pair of current black-type winners, one with Breeders' Cup aspirations--to its upcoming November Sale, beginning Wednesday, Nov. 8. Bellabel (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), to be offered by Taylor Made, is cataloged as hip 251. A maiden winner in five Irish appearances at two, the dark bay relocated to the U.S. last year and was off to a quick start, with victories in the Blue Norther S. and--following a six-month absence--the GII San Clemente S. as the betting...

With just around 100 homebred yearlings every year, WinStar Farm puts a particular importance on the Keeneland September Sale, this year selling four-fifths of their annual crop over 12 days starting on Monday, September 11. That importance could be about to pay off, as by all accounts the 80-strong WinStar-breds entered in the sale are a particularly strong group this year. "For us, it's the most important sale," concedes WinStar's general manager David Hanley. "It's the sale that really represents the market for yearlings. You've got the biggest amount of...

When the Fasig-Tipton July Sale of Selected Yearlings catalogue came out, Tony Ocampo admitted it was exciting to see Grade I winner Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke), a graduate of his Rose Hill Farm, on the cover. It was not until a few weeks later, when the Fasig-Tipton July Selected Horses of Race Age Sale catalogue came out with Stilleto Boy (Shackleford) on the cover, that Ocampo realized the operation had completed a rare double. "I didn't know it was going to happen," Ocampo said. "The yearling catalogue came out earlier...

Elizabeth Snellings has been named Director of Sales at Denali Stud. Snellings, who previously served as farm office manager at Indian Creek, replaces Sarah Fishback, who held the position for the last seven years. "We are thrilled to welcome Elizabeth onto the team at Denali Stud. She brings a large skillset that will benefit us, as well as our clients," said Conrad Bandoroff. "Elizabeth has always felt like part of the Denali family, so we're happy and very excited to make that official." Snellings has held positions at American Association...

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...

The Coolmore contingent has to be happy with the hot start Triple Crown winner Justify has had with his first 2-year-olds, and the operation continued to support its young stallion Monday in Saratoga when landing hip 78 for $1.1 million. Michael Wallace was credited as agent for Coolmore's M.V. Magnier. The colt, consigned by Warrendale Sales, Agent IV, was bred in Pennsylvania by Blackstone Farm. He is half to stakes winner Ledecka (Tiznow).

Here we are, then, in what Oliver Hardy could only call "another nice mess." But let's disentangle this flourishing sapling Messier (Empire Maker) from the tentacles that may restrain him from a timely bloom on the first Saturday in May, and take a moment to celebrate not only the storied nursery that cultivated his family but also the alert grafting that now involves another farm in his future success. For this horticultural analogy permits only one classification of the spectacular GIII Robert S. Lewis S. winner--as a young maple. Messier...

Jill Gordon and Jacob West have launched Highgate Sales, a new sales company which will make its debut at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale in February. Highgate Sales will offer consignments at breeding stock, yearling, and horses of racing age sales, as well as offering appraisals, private purchases and sales, and portfolio management services. Gordon formerly worked at Claiborne Farm as the Sales and Client Relations Manager for 3 1/2 years after a three-year stint at Warrendale Sales. In her role at Claiborne, she oversaw all aspects of the...