It Was a Special Breeders
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2015 NUMBERS STRONG AS BOOK 2 ENDS THOMASON: “IT WAS A SPECIAL BREEDERS’ by Jessica Martini & Brian DiDonato CUP” By Bill Finley Book 2 of the Keeneland November sale wrapped up in Keeneland has a smallish grandstand, had never hosted a Lexington Tuesday with continued year-over-year strength Breeders’ Cup before, can be hard to get in and out of on even based on average and median. A total of 224 horses changed normal racing days hands during the sale’s fourth session for a combined and its home, $25,013,000. The average of $111,665 was up 7.91% from last Lexington, isn’t a year’s corresponding figure of $103,476, while the median rose metropolis blessed 5.88% from $85,000 to $90,000. Thursday’s RNA rate was with ample hotel 27.74%, up slightly from 25.98% 12 months ago. space and numerous “Overall, I thought today’s session was very good,” offered restaurants on the Keeneland’s Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell. “We had nine scale of a Los Angeles horses over $300,000, compared to five last year. So that shows or New York. Yet, the consistent strength at the top of the market. Foals sold from the owners and exceptionally well today.” trainers and the For the two sessions comprising Book 2, 453 horses brought American Pharoah and Keeneland 95,102 patrons who $55,801,000 at an average price of $123,181. Last year’s Book 2 combined for a Breeders’ Cup for the ages attended the two saw 516 head sell for an average of $106,691, for a difference of Eclipse Sports Wire/Scott Serio days of racing there 15.5%. have been very few complaints and almost universal praise for Cumulatively, 732 purchases have yielded gross receipts of how well run the event was. $164,679,000. The average is $224,971--up 9.13% from That might come as a surprise to some, but not to Keeneland $191,260; while the median is at $137,500--a 30.95% rise from President and CEO Bill Thomason. 2014. This year’s buy-back rate so far is 27.74% vs. 25.98%. The day’s top price was the $675,000 paid by Claiborne Farm ‘Special’ Breeders’ Cup cont. p3 Bloodstock for the 3-year-old racing or broodmare prospect Don’tforgetaboutme (Malibu Moon). The half-sister to MGISP Beautician (Dehere) was consigned by Four Star Sales on behalf of JSM Equine LLC and Greathouse Horse Properties LLC as hip 978. KEENOV cont. p5 Session-topping hip 978 | Keeneland photo G1-PLACED SON OF DYNAFORMER LIKE TEMPLE CITY Winner of the Transylvania S. (G3), runner-up of the Blue Grass S. (G1) just 8 days later. Placed in the $1,500,000 Belmont S. (G1), beaten only a length by Tonalist while finishing ahead of California Chrome. Available for inspection at our OPEN HOUSE 1 - 3 PM daily during the Keeneland November Sale The Breeders’ Farm 859.294.0030 | www.spendthriftfarm.com Dynaformer – Brisquette, by Unbridled’s Song 2016 fee: $5,000 S&N Ami’s Gizmo (Giant Gizmo) took his record to a perfect three-for- PRESIDENT & CO-PUBLISHER Barry Weisbord @barryweisbord three with a facile victory in the [email protected] Frost King S. Wednesday at Woodbine for owner/breeder SR. V.P. & CO-PUBLISHER Sue Finley @suefinley Ivan Dalos and trainer Josie [email protected] Carroll WEG/Michael Burns Regional Report, p5 V.P., INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS Gary King @garykingTDN [email protected] EDITORIAL [email protected] Editor-in-Chief: Jessica Martini Managing Editor: Alan Carasso Senior Editor: Steve Sherack DON ALBERTO BUYS AND FLIES 7 Racing Editor: Brian DiDonato It’s been another busy couple of days at the Kentucky bloodstock Associate Editor: Justina Severni sales for the Don Alberto Corp., who gave $480,000 for Patsy Boyne Associate Editor: Christie DeBernardis Assistant Editor: Heather Anderson (Galileo {Ire})--a close relative of High Chaparral (Ire)--at KEENOV. Assistant Editor: Ben Massam ADVERTISING COOLMORE ANNOUNCES ‘16 FEES 13 [email protected] Officials at Coolmore announced their 2016 service fees Thursday. Director of Advertising: Alycia Borer Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will enter stud at €60,000, while his Art Director: Lia Kusch Sr. Ad Coordinator/Dir. of Distribution: sire and Fastnet Rock (Aus) will stand for private fees. Sarah K. Andrew Advertising Designer: Amanda Crelin Advertising Assistant: Amanda Foster JAMEKA AN EASY WINNER OF CROWN OAKS 14 Social Media Strategist: Nichola Henry The skies opened Thursday over Melbourne, with tornado warnings in CUSTOMER SERVICE the general vicinity, but Jameka (Aus) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) relished the [email protected] underfoot conditions for a facile victory in the G1 Crown Oaks. Director of Customer Service: Vicki Forbes INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Director of IT: Robert Williams [email protected] Director of Internal IT: Ray Villa Curlin gets his third TDN Rising Star in 2015. [email protected] The red-hot Curlin saw Union Jackson become his third TDN Rising Star at Keeneland last month, winning by 9 lengths as the 1-2 choice. Union Jackson is the product of WORLDWIDE INFORMATION two TDN Rising Stars, Curlin and 2009 GI Spinaway winner Hot Dixie Chick. International Editor: Kelsey Riley [email protected] Click here to see all TDN Rising Stars at thetdn.com. Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing: Sean Cronin & Tom Frary [email protected] 60 Broad Street, Suite 100 Red Bank, NJ 07701 732-747-8060 | 732-747-8955 (fax) www.thoroughbreddailynews.com www.thetdn.com HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 21 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • NOV. 6, 2015 When asked what Keeneland could have done better, he Thomason said there were six areas his team focused on when actually paused for a good 10 seconds, struggled to come up it began putting together a blueprint for how to run a Breeders’ with a few minor details and concluded his answer by saying, “I Cup. They wanted to provide an exemplary customer experience was extremely pleased with the flow and the entire operation of for the fans, showcase the beauty and tradition of Keeneland, the whole Breeders’ Cup, so it is hard to find make sure that every need an owner and a major flaw and say, ‘Gosh, we really trainer and their horses could possibly have messed that up.’” was taken care of, and to involve the Lexington Attendees seem to agree. community, knowing that the horse-crazy city “Everything was handled perfectly,” said would rise to the occasion. The list also Kevin Cox, a handicapper who took part in included enhancing the November Breeding the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge. “I Stock Sale set to begin two days after the didn’t think a small venue could pull it off, Breeders’ Cup and they wanted to learn from keeneland.com dealing with a crowd that size. But they did | the experience in a way where they could so with aplomb. I didn’t hear one gripe from make a normal day at Keeneland even better. one person all day. They cornered the “The industry and our fans have very high market on hospitality. There’s no doubt that expectations for this place because of the care Keeneland should be a part of the rotation Bill Thomason we place in everything we do and the care we for Breeders’ Cup tracks.” place in our people, how we feel about our Thomason said that the result, a well-run fans and our industry,” Thomason said. “We Breeders’ Cup that was able overcome feel we have a responsibility to our industry several challenges, was the result of years of and our community, that this place is special planning and a commitment on the part of the Keeneland team when it comes to how it represents the industry and how we to make sure that the event was one where everyone would go can help grow the industry.” home happy. In other words, failure was not an option. Cont. p4 HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 21 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • NOV. 6, 2015 The crowd on Breeders’ Cup Friday was 44,947 and the The hope that the Breeders’ Cup would have a carryover effect Saturday program attracted 50,155. Considering that the biggest and have a positive impact on the November Breeding Stock day of the normal Keeneland season, Blue Grass Day, attracted Sale has come to fruition. Through the first two days of the sale, 26,357 fans this year, Keeneland could have had a logistical the average was up 11.5% and the median was up 15%. nightmare on its hands by stuffing all those extra bodies into the “We knew we had the ability to enhance the most important facility. But they deftly managed to utilize every inch of the breeding stock sale in the world, which was going to take place track, much of which was made up of “chalets,” or temporary two days after the Breeders’ Cup,” Thomason said. “We had structures, each one able to accommodate large groups of fans. plans to make it safe for our horses and convenient for our The use of the chalets was one of the reasons Keeneland was buyers and consignors to get to those horses and see them. We able to avoid the usual headaches when a sports facility is also wanted get the principals and people involved in the overtaxed–long lines at the concession stands and bathrooms, industry here in town and make it convenient to attend the sale patrons getting shut out at the betting windows, those taking in where, before, they sometimes had to make decisions on how the races at a restaurant area having to wait far too long for or whether they were going to come to it.