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THIS WAS LAST NIGHT AT WOODBINE RACETRACK
KEENELAND JANUARY
Bill Graham’s WINDHAVEN in Caledon purchased the Street Cry (Ire) mare PARLEY yesterday at the first session of the Keeneland January sale for $225,000. Graham was one of few Canadians to buy at the sale, which had a 22% dip in average price.
Parley, a winner in England, is a daughter of the Grade 1 winning mare TOUT CHARMANT (Matriarch, Del Mar Oaks) whose 2yo filly Dancing House was 3rd in the Grade 1 Spinaway last year.
Parley is in foal to SPEIGHTSTOWN, the 2nd leading sire in North America in 2013.
BEAR STABLES LTD paid $50,000 for a short yearling colt, foaled April 3, by first year sire TIZWAY (won the Whitney) out of Grand Traverse Bay by Reprized. The colt is a three-quarter brother to COLONEL JOHN.
From Keeneland – Life Happened, dam of Grade 2 winner Vyjack and Grade 3 winner Tepin, brought $750,000 on Monday to top the opening session of Keeneland’s 56th annual January Horses of All Ages Sale.
Jason Litt of Solis/Litt Bloodstock purchased Life Happened, a 13-year-old daughter of Stravinsky in foal to Harlan’s Holiday. She was consigned by Select Sales, agent.
Litt said he purchased Life Happened for LNJ Foxwoods, a client that’s building up a broodmare band. She seemed like a logical choice with pretty good runners. (She’s a) beautiful mare in foal to the last crop of Harlan’s Holiday so it’s pretty exciting…Everyone is pretty pumped, and this kind of mare can hopefully give you a classic-style horse. (LNJ Foxwoods is) looking to build something long term and we thought this was definitely the type of mare you (begin with).
During the Monday session, Keeneland sold 232 horses for $13,714,900, for an average price of $59,116 and a median price of $35,000. At the first session of last year’s January Sale, 201 horses brought $15,331,400 for an average of $76,276 and a median of $30,000.
“I thought today’s sale was very good from start to finish,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Walt Robertson said. “We saw good competitive bidding, especially on yearlings. I thought it was a good day.”
A chief indicator of the active trade during the session was the 30 percent decrease in the RNA rate, as 73 horses failed to meet their reserve compared with 104 horses in 2013.
KEENELAND VIDEO FROM YESTERDAY
CANADIANS ELSEWHERE
Trainer JOSIE CARROLL is having a good run at Fair Grounds right now even while the weather in New Orleans has made for few grass races and many wet tracks.
On Sunday, No. 1 Stables’ DIAMONDS FOR DIXIE for a maiden $12,500 claiming race. She is an Ontario bred by Dixie Union out of Sky Select and from the family of A BIT O’ GOLD.
Stakes placed 3yo filly COOL FAITH, owned and bred by Chiefswood Stable, was a troubled 8th in the Ginger Brew Stakes at Gulfstream on Sunday. The Pulpit gal was well behind a slow pace and then had tons of trouble in the stretch run, she likely could have picked up a purse share.
DEVELOPMENT PLAN IN PLACE FOR ASSINIBOIA DOWNS
The Manitoba Jockey Club and Peguis First Nation formally announced a new joint venture that will see two hotels, and convention and retail space developed at Assiniboia Downs.
The two equal partners have formed a company, FN Developments Inc., to carry out the development.
CASSE 3YO’S PREPPING
Conquest Titan Training Sharply for Holy Bull
Conquest Titan tuned up for his next start in the Holy Bull with a bullet five-furlong work in 1:00.50 for trainer Mark Casse at Palm Meadows on Saturday.
Owned by Conquest Stable, the 3-year-old son of multiple Grade 1 winner Birdstone breezed in company with fellow sophomore Coastline, who was clocked in 1:00.65, second only to his stablemate.
“We don’t normally work them together, it just happened that way,” Casse said. “Both of them are kind of on the same path in that they both ran toward the end of November and we gave them a little bit of a break. Now, they’re both kind of getting cranked back up. We were wanting a good work out of them, and we got it. They went head and head, one was not better than the other. Both of them went really well, and we’re happy. I think they’re both on track for where they’re headed.”
Swynford Stakes winner Conquest Titan was 13thin the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) on Nov. 2, but bounced back to take an optional claiming allowance at Churchill Downs 28 days later.
Coastline, owned by John Oxley, won the Street Sense Stakes at Churchill on Oct. 27, then finished eighth in the Delta Downs Jackpot (G3) on Nov. 23 in his latest effort. Casse said he could make his next start in the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park on Jan. 20.
“When I say we gave them time off, they never missed any training. We just didn’t breeze them,” Casse said. “They never stopped training, they just went through a period where we just galloped them. Coastline is a little bigger, wider kind of horse, where Titan is a little more compact. I can see where Titan has grown up, and Coastline is coming along well, too. I think they’re both above average horses; now we just need some luck.”
In his last race, Conquest Titan went a mile in 1:35.27 to beat runner-up General a Rod by 1 ¾ lengths at Churchill. Trained by Mike Maker, General a Rod came back to win the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Derby on New Year’s Day.
“I was very happy to see Michael Maker’s horse win the Derby, because Titan beat him pretty solidly,” Casse said. “His horse was making only his second start, and he obviously is an improving horse, and I feel as though our horse is, as well. We’ll just have to see how it works out.
“This time of year, you have to have luck. You have to have things go your way, and have them stay happy and healthy. Every day you kind of hold your breath. Right now, we’re at a point in time where things can’t go wrong or you miss out on the Derby trail.”
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