Leahy Rewarded for His Audible Cont
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018 LEAHY REWARDED OP/ED: DERBY TOO MUCH, TOO SOON FOR JUSTIFY by Bill Finley FOR HIS AUDIBLE I realize my telling Bob Baffert how to train and manage a horse is right up there with my asking to give Sinatra singing lessons or telling Picasso I have some suggestions on how he should use more blue in his paintings. But, Baffert is talking about pointing Justify (Scat Daddy) to the GI Kentucky Derby, and here is my two cents: forget about it. There's no doubting this horse has talent, perhaps, extraordinary talent. When he broke his maiden Feb. 18 by 9 1/2 lengths, while earning a 104 Beyer figure, Justify became the talk of the sport. Fast horse, talented trainer, good pedigree, smart ownership in WinStar Farm LLC, China Horse Club and SF Racing LLC. He has everything going for him, everything but time, which is not on his side. Cont. p7 IN TDN EUROPE TODAY Audible at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale with consignor Don Robinson | Ferran Robinson photo POULES’ ENTRIES FULL OF PROMISE The French 2000 and 1000 Guineas will be back at their traditional home at Longchamp this year, and John Berry by Chris McGrath looks at some of the intrigue in the early entries. Click or tap So often, it pays to be out of step. In fact, there's something of here to go straight to TDN Europe. a clue in the name of the investment management company of which Richard Leahy is co-founder. Episteme Capital is named for the Ancient Greek term for true knowledge or understanding, as distinct from common belief or opinion. Yes, like everyone else who gets involved in breeding, Leahy stresses the role of luck. After all, on both the occasions he tried to sell her, over the past four years, even his own valuation of Blue Devil Bel (Gilded Time) fell well short of what she is worth now, as dam of one of the leading contenders for the GI Kentucky Derby. Even so, nobody remotely approached the kind of bidding he had in mind. Blue Devil Bel was actually carrying Audible (Into Mischief)-- such an impressive winner of the GII Holy Bull S. last month--in utero when offered at the Keeneland November Sale in 2014. She was only nine, she had won plenty of races, her third dam was a triple Grade I winner, and she had been covered by a hot young sire. Just a few days previously, in fact, Goldencents had promoted Into Mischief afresh with a second GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile win. Yet Blue Devil Bel was led out unsold for $57,000. Cont. p3 AFLAT LEADING SECOND-CROP OUT SIRE 12 WINNERS already this year, including , WESTERDALE 3 a 14 /4-length MdSpWt winner at Aqueduct on Sunday. Flatter / Cresta Lil, by Cresta Rider // 2018 Fee: $7,000 S&N spendthriftfarm.com // 859.294.0030 The Breeders’ Farm PRESIDENT & CO-PUBLISHER Barry Weisbord @barryweisbord [email protected] SR. V.P. & CO-PUBLISHER Sue Morris Finley @suefinley [email protected] V.P., INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS Gary King @garykingTDN [email protected] EDITORIAL [email protected] Wednesday, February 28, 2018 Editor-in-Chief Jessica Martini @JessMartiniTDN Managing Editor Alan Carasso @EquinealTDN Senior Editor Steve Sherack @SteveSherackTDN Racing Editor Brian DiDonato @BDiDonatoTDN News and Features Editor Ben Massam @BMassamTDN Associate Editors Christie DeBernardis @CDeBernardisTDN Joe Bianca @JBiancaTDN Assistant Editor Bobby Klatt ADVERTISING [email protected] Director of Advertising Alycia Borer Advertising Manager Maryland-bred bonus. 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Marketing Manager Alayna Cullen @AlaynaCullen Director of Information Technology FIRST MARES IN FOAL 9 Ray Villa [email protected] Horse of the Year Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) and MGISW Lord Nelson (Pulpit) both have covered their first mares and Bookkeeper those mares have been pronounced in foal. Terry May [email protected] WORLDWIDE INFORMATION International Editor Kelsey Riley @kelseynrileyTDN [email protected] European Editor Emma Berry [email protected] Associate International Editor Heather Anderson @HLAndersonTDN 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.TheTDN.com TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 9 • THETDN.COM WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 28, 2018 Leahy Rewarded for His Audible cont. from p1 Lurking in the produce record of Hip 1255, moreover, was Blue "Into Mischief was really taking off," Leahy explained, Devil Bel's 2015 colt by Into Mischief--"unraced." As it contacted at his New York office. "I expected people might be a happened, that was no longer true. Audible had made a bit more enthusiastic than they promising debut since the were. I don't remember the publication of the catalogue, reserve, but they got nowhere finishing strongly for third in a near." Belmont maiden race. Leahy decided he was just too Regardless, it should have early: he also owned the dam counted for something that he and two half-sisters, and knew had raised $500,000 at things were happening in the Fasig-Tipton's Florida sale of family. By last November, when 2-year-olds in training that Blue Devil Bel returned to the March, an auspicious pinhook by same sale with a cover by J.J. Crupi after drawing $175,000 Constitution (Tapit), things had at the same company's auction fallen promisingly into place. Her of New York-breds in Saratoga GSP half-sister, Akilina the previous August. (Langfuhr), had meanwhile "Audible's first race was only in produced not one, but two elite Audible | Lauren King the small print, an update," operators. Her 2013 colt, Governor Malibu (Malibu Moon), had Leahy said. "When I put the mare in the sale, I had been hoping been fourth in the GI Belmont S. and runner-up in the GII Jim he might even have won a stakes by then. Because I knew he'd Dandy S.; and her 2014 filly, Rieno Tesoro (Speightstown), had been training well, I'd been watching his works. And with the been a multiple stakes-winning juvenile in Japan before finishing success of her half-sister Akilina, I thought someone might look second in the G1 NHK Mile in Tokyo. at the family and think she too might breed superior runners.@ TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 9 • THETDN.COM WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 28, 2018 Leahy Rewarded for His Audible cont. blame myself." Leahy continued, ASo, yes, I was thinking she might make a fair He has not had a great deal over which to reproach himself amount of money. That was why I was interested in trying the since buying out Fahamore for $37,000 at Keeneland November sale. But I told the auction house I had a reserve and, again, she in 2003: the inception of his solo venture, Oak Bluff Stable. got nowhere near." "Blue Devil Bel was Fahamore's second foal," Leahy said. "She In fact, she stalled at much the same level as in the 2014 sale-- was quick and precocious, but got hurt in her third race. That at just $55,000, despite all the boons to her reputation since. So injury really limited her racing career. She continued to run, and Leahy took her home again, and watched with growing won something like $120,000, but that does not really tell the excitement as Audible progressed from a maiden success at talent she had. She always tried. I always had great respect for Aqueduct just four days later, to romping in an allowance moved her, because I knew she wanted to run faster. That's why I kept off the turf at the same track by 9 3/4 lengths. Since the Holy her: she was good-looking, she had talent, and she tried all the Bull, needless to say, he has been hearing from plenty of people time. And those are three elements I like in a horse." who watched indifferently as Blue Devil Bel walked right under Akilina was the next foal and Leahy also retained Fahamore's their noses just a few weeks earlier. 2010 filly, Kitty Panda (Sky Mesa). "Since then, I have been offered a lot of money for her," Leahy "If you look at these three half-sisters, their first three races admitted. "And I'm torn. On the one hand, they are very serious you can't hardly tell them apart," he said. "They all started so offers. On the other, it's not many times you might own the dam well, so quick and precocious, I decided to keep all three. They of a Kentucky Derby winner. My reason says I should accept. But were all very good-looking, too." I have to tell you, the emotional part is hard to overcome!" Waterville Lake is still going strong: all three partners, who And this, to be fair, is the consummation of a small but share Irish ancestry, also have a stake in the golf links of that painstaking project tracing back 15 years to the vexation shared name in County Kerry.