In today’s news – Lexie Lou set to return to racing; Costigans begin dispersal; Keeneland news; Canadian winners…
LEXIE LOU ENTERED AT TAMPA BAY DOWNS
Gary Barber’s 5-year-old Ontario-bred mare Lexie Lou, winner of both the Queen’s Plate Stakes against males and the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser as a 3-year-old, is scheduled to make her highly anticipated return to competition at Tampa Bay Downs on Wednesday in the $28,000 Endeavour Stakes Prep, which is the seventh race on a nine-race card that begins at 12:25 p.m.
“We are real excited about running her there Wednesday,” trainer Mark Casse said. “She is training really well and while I wouldn’t want to say she probably is at peak performance, I’m expecting a big effort out of her.”
The Endeavour Prep is a one-mile turf event for fillies and mares 4-years-old-and-upward. Seven others are entered.
Lexie Lou won three Sovereign Awards in 2014 as Canada’s Horse of the Year, Champion 3-Year-Old Filly and Champion Grass Female. In her next-to-last start in the Grade I Hollywood Derby at Del Mar in November of 2014, she finished a game second to that year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, California Chrome, winner of the San Pasqual Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita in his first race since finishing second in the Dubai World Cup last March to Prince Bishop.
Following her subsequent second-place finish in the Grade II La Canada Stakes last January at Santa Anita, Lexie Lou received a well-earned vacation, and Casse planned to bring her back in a turf event at Woodbine in late August. But she scratched her left eye – Casse is unsure how the injury happened – and was given the rest of the year off.
“It had us nervous for a little bit,” said Casse, a seven-time Sovereign Award winner as Canada’s Outstanding Trainer who won Breeders’ Cup races last fall at Keeneland with distaffer Tepin in the Mile on the turf and Catch a Glimpse in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. “It’s ironic, I think, that after her big showdown against California Chrome, they are returning to competition about the same time.”
Antonio Gallardo is slated to ride Lexie Lou.
Casse said if all goes according to plan, Lexie Lou is a candidate for the Grade II, $200,000 Hillsborough Stakes for older fillies and mares on the Tampa Bay Downs turf course on March 12.
On his way in from the Gulf of Mexico after a fishing excursion with his son Colby on Sunday, Casse also reported that Tepin, the 5-year-old mare he trains for Robert Masterson, could make her 2016 debut at Tampa Bay Downs in the Grade III, $150,000 Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes on Feb. 13.
Tepin defeated males in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, an outcome that puts her in the running for an Eclipse Award as Champion Female Turf Horse for 2015. “If things go the way we’re hoping, Tepin is going to run in the Endeavour,” said Casse, who believes she is two or three solid workouts away from that possibility. We think so much of the turf course at Tampa Bay Downs that it would be a nice place to get her started.”
Casse is also bringing his 4-year-old colt Conquest Tsunami for Wednesday’s $28,000 Tampa Bay Stakes Prep, to be contested at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the turf. Eight horses are entered in the Race, which is the fifth on the card. Conquest Tsunami is owned by Conquest Stables and will be ridden by Manoel Cruz.
“He was brilliant as a 2-year-old (winning three stakes) before he chipped a knee in the (Grade III) Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes, and we’re trying to get him back on track,” Casse said. “He’s only run once on the turf (as a 2-year-old), and the horse he beat, Passion for Action, turned out to be a real good horse.
“He’s trained really well for the grass, and sometimes you need to build confidence to get what you’re hoping to achieve. But (the Tampa Bay Stakes Prep) is not an easy race, for sure.”
REMINDER – DEADLINE FRIDAY FOR SOVEREIGN AWARD VOTERS
Have you filled out your ballot yet?
Sovereign award voting closes Friday Jan. 15, so make sure, if you are a media member, you have submitted your choices for the champions of 2015.
QUEEN’S PLATE WINNER IN KENTUCKY FOR FASIG TIPTON SALE
The 2013 Queen’s Plate winner Midnight Aria, a son of champion sprinter Midnight Lute, is to be sold as a racing or stallion prospect on Feb. 9 as Hip no. 472.
The big bay is owned by Tucci Stables of Lou and Carlo Tucci.
“We hope that a good buyer will purchase him as a stud….we didn’t have enough mares ourselves to support him in Ontaroi,” said Lou Tucci.
Tucci also updated Thoroughblog on the stable’s newly turned 3-year-old RIKER, the probable champion juvenile male in Canada for 2015.
“Riker is now at Gulfstream in training , we will try the Kentucky Derby route for now, if competitive. Otherwise, he will get a start or two at Gulfstream before coming home to Woodbine.”
Midnight Aria’s pedigree page:
http://www.fasigtipton.com/catalogs/2016/0208/472.pdf
CANADIANS ELSEWHERE – MORE WINNERS!
DADDY’S GREAT BAY led from start to finish in a maiden allowance that came off the grass yesterday at GUlfstream, putting trainer Reade Baker at 1 for 1 in 2016/ The sizy chestnut filly by Scat Daddy is a Kentucky bred owned by Albertans Him and Susan Hill. The filly was purchased for $115,000 at the 2014 Keeneland September yearling sale.
She finished 2nd in her career debut at Woodbine in Nov. to Sophias Song, who has since come back to win for Janice Attard and reportedly has been sold for intermediate 6-digits.
Daddys Great Bay raced 7 furlongs in 1:25.73, a 68 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form.
Horses from Woodbine have been making noise at Gulfstream and on Sunday, 4 of them swept the superfecta in a turf allowance – optional claiming race, just before races were then taken off the grass.
Woodbine maiden winner PULLED THE GOALIE is trained by Danny Vella and she won at 19-1 for owner Donato Lanni. The filly edegd Conquest Bebop, a maiden winner at Woodbine in November. Gliding By was also a former Woodbine runner and she was 3rd over Chiefswood Stables’ Niigon’s Eclipse.
The latter is certainly a Woodbine Oaks prospect and, while she won’t be 71 – 1 like she was yesterday, she is an interesting sleeper to watch. The Niigon filly won her only race as a juvenile, a 6 12 furlong Polytrack race for trainer Silvio Abela. Rachel Halden is the listed trainer in Florida.
A Laurel Park, Layne Giliforte’s LADY OF MORAY, an Ontario bred by Philanthropist – Monarchist by Salt Lake won a starter allowance at 9-1 in 1:10.92. The 4yo led all the way and was saddled by Catherine (Hilly) Robinson.
At Tampa Bay Downs, ADORABOLD, an Ontario bred by Bold Executive, won for the 2nd time at the meeting for Stephen Fossman and trainer John Simms. The 5-year-old mare won for $5,000 claiming and was claimed by owner Juan Arriagada and trainer Alison Hassig.
KEENELAND JANUARY SALE JAN 11 – 15
Costigans sell topper Roan Inish, begin dispersal
Bob and daughter Carolyn Costigan are leaving the horse racing business after 15 years of history making wins, championships and, well, the rollercoaster ride that is horse racing.
From 2006 Horse of the Year Arravale to champion mare Inish Glora to Carolyn becoming the first woman to trainer a Woodbine Oaks winner, the Vancouver, B.C. family packed a lot into those 15 years. That family included Bob’s late wife Nora, who passed away in 2013. Nora was a huge racing fan and an always happy, popular and warm person.
Carolyn and Bob had returned to ireland and Carolyn tried her hand at training there for a year but the family has decided to leave the business for now.
The Thoroughbred Daily News has a story on the father and daughter today:
“I am going to get out of the business completely,” she confirmed. “When I told my dad I wanted to go do something else, he said, ‘If that’s the case, sell the horses.’ So all of the horses are going to be sold at different junctures.”
Expected to be offered at upcoming sales are the 16-year-old Inish Glora, who is scheduled to be bred to Bernardini this spring, as well as Costigan’s 2006 Canadian Horse of the Year
Arravale (Arch). Roan Inish’s Candy Ride (Arg) colt is in training in Ocala and will be offered at a 2-year-olds in training sale this spring.
Costigan is keeping her options open for the next phase of her life.
“Maybe I’ll come back later on in life as an annoying owner,” she laughed. “I am looking forward to this thing they call the weekend and there is this other thing they call a Bank Holiday–I haven’t had one of those in a while. I am going to move back to Vancouver where I grew up. My dad has recently acquired CFA designation–he is a Chartered Financial Analyst. He will be providing independent investment research and I am going to
help him with that.”
Read more at www.thoroughbreddailynews.com
From Keeneland media:
Multiple stakes winner Roan Inish, a daughter of Elusive Quality in foal to Arch, sold for $500,000 to Evelyn Benoit’s Star Guitar Inc. to lead Tuesday’s session of the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, which recorded double-digit increases in average and median for the second consecutive day.
Keeneland sold 193 horses for $13,020,400, for an average of $67,463 and a median of $35,000. The average is 10.13 percent higher than the $61,255 from the corresponding session in 2015, while the median rose 16.67 percent from $30,000 last year. The gross is down 14.29 percent from 2015 when 248 horses sold for $15,191,200.
Cumulatively, 375 horses have been sold for $26,651,600, down 4.13 percent from $27,798,400 for 452 horses last year. The average of $71,071 is 15.56 higher than $61,501 in 2015, and the median of $35,000 is up 16.67 percent from $30,000 last year.
Session-topper Roan Inish, winner of the Woodbine Oaks and Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Woodbine, is a 9-year-old daughter of two-time Canadian champion grass mare Inish Glora, by Regal Classic.
“They are going to breed her (to Star Guitar),” said Georgia Keogh, who signed the ticket on behalf of Benoit. “She’s a beautiful mare.”
Benoit is acquiring mares for homebred Star Guitar, the four-time Louisiana-bred Horse of the Year and all-time money-earning Louisiana-bred with more than $1.7 million who stands at Clear Creek Stud in Folsom, La.
Headley Bell, managing director of consignor Mill Ridge Sales, agent, said Roan Inish was among the bloodstock being sold by Robert and Carolyn Costigan. Robert Costigan bred and owned Roan Inish, trained by his daughter, Carolyn.
“The mare brought a lot more than we anticipated,” Bell said, “but that’s what happens when you bring something up here that everybody wants.”
The Costigans also sold the mare’s Ontario – bred yearling filly by Arch for $155,00 to John McCormack Bloodstock.
Canadian champion heading to meet the Pharoah
Polo Green Stable, agent for Shimokobe Farm of Japan, paid $450,000, the session’s third-highest price, for Canadian champion Conquest Harlanate. Lane’s End, agent, consigned the 4-year-old, graded stakes-winning daughter of Harlan’s Holiday who was Canada’s champion juvenile filly in 2014. Sold as a broodmare prospect, she is out of the Dixieland Band mare Allison’s Pride and from the family of Grade 1 winner Clear Choice.
“This mare is going to stay here in the United States and will be bred to (2015 Triple Crown winner and Breeders’ Cup Classic-G1 winner) American Pharoah,” said Nobu Araki of Polo Green Stable, who signed the ticket. “(The buyer) really wanted this filly. Physically, she’s got a great head, beautiful face, great shoulder. She’s got the class. We’re very happy.”
The average price for the first session of the sale was up 21 per cent to $74,897. Virginia Kraft Payson, who, according to Equibase statistics, has not raced a horse in 6 years, bought the sale-topping mare and a 2yo to be trained by Christophe Clement,
More Canadians at the sale
BILL GRAHAM’S WINDHAVEN added a couple of mares to its broodmare band on the first day of the Keeneland January sale. MALIBU QUEEN, in foal to the youmg Awesome Again sire PAYNTER, was bought by Graham for $52,000. She is by Malibu Moon and was a 3-time winner of $146,000 and a half sister to a 5 furlong track record setter.
On Tuesday, Graham paid $92,000 for the Saint Ballado mare PREACH IT, the dam of Grade 3 stakes winner Speechify. The stakes placed mare wa sold in foal to Street Sense.
NICK NOSOWENKO, coming off his best year as a trainer at Woodbine, bought a 2-year-old filly by Nobiz Like Shobiz (he won the Wood Memorial) for $5,500. She is a racing or broodmare prospect. The filly is a daughter of a Grade 3 winning mare and a half sister to $600,000 earner Free As a Bird and a full sister to a stakes winner.
JIM AND SUSAN HILL bought a short yearling from the first crop of Grade 2 winner Fast Bullet out of a sea of secrets mare for $60,000 on Tuesday.
Later, the coupld paid $90,000 for a yearling colt by Ghostzapper.
The Hills also paid $7,000 for a New York bred yearling filly by Warrior’s Reward.
BUTTIGIEG TRAINING CENTRE paid $7,000 for a Kentucky bred dark bay filly by Haynesfield and from the mare Tellum Texan, the dam of the good Woodbine mare STRAIT FROM TEXAS.
RICHARD HOGAN, as agent, signed the ticket for millionaire TWO ITEM LIMIT, winner of the Black Eyed Susan (G2) among other big events in 2001. The mare, now 18-years-old with 11 foals, her last 7 in Japan, cost 4210,000 and she is in foal to Empire Maker.
On the selling front, PHOENIX RISING FARMS sold a Scat Daddy yearling out of Woodbine winner Vukcan Rose for $150,000. The filly is an Ontario bred from the family of Grade 2 winner Essential Edge. She was purchased by Bloodstock Investments III.
PENELOPE MILLER: TEN HORSE MOVIES THAT SHOULD HAVE WON GOLDEN GLOBES
You will have your own ideas on the horse movies that were the best, I thought CASEY’S SHADOW was a lovely film with Walter Matthau, others may toss in 50 to 1, Secrtariat?
America’s Best Racing’s Penelope Miller gives a neat list of some snubbed racing movies at the Golden GLobes: