Keenov Concludes with Statistical Dips
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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2018 WALMAC STUD=S >BIG JOHNNY= JONES DIES KEENOV CONCLUDES By T.D. Thornton WITH STATISTICAL DIPS John T.L. ABig Johnny@ Jones, Jr., who parlayed humble cowboy origins as a Quarter Horse trainer into a high-profile bloodstock career as the owner of Walmac Stud International, died Friday at his home in Quanah, Texas. He was 84, and the cause of death was congestive heart failure. His son, John Jones, III, confirmed the death to TDN, adding that his father passed in the town where he was born and in the company of family members. As a Texan whose personality and presence often seemed to be as large as the Lone Star State itself, Jones first began leasing farmland in Lexington, Kentucky, in the 1960s. Under his direction, the Walmac operation grew to 248 lush, rolling acres on Paris Pike in Fayette County, and his venture subsequently gained prominence during a decades-long run as the home of stallions Nureyev, Miswaki, and Alleged. Cont. p8 Lady Eli | Keeneland Photo Keeneland=s 12-session November Breeding Stock Sale IN TDN EUROPE TODAY concluded Friday with dips in gross, average and median COOLMORE COMMITS TO PEGASUS TURF compared to last year. A total of 2,538 head changed hands for Coolmore has committed runners to next January’s $7-million gross receipts of $188,508,300. The 2017 November sale, which GI Pegasus World Cup Turf, and $9-million GI Pegasus World featured a catalog that was 8.8% smaller and 2,424 recorded Cup. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Europe. transactions, grossed $202,021,700. This year=s average was $74,274 (down 10.9% from $83,342) and median was $25,000 (down 18% from $30,500). The 2018 RNA rate was 26.5% compared to 24.7% last year. Eight horses met or exceeded the $1-million mark--18 reached that mark 12 months ago. AI think it was a solid sale--it was down a little in terms of gross, off a little in the average because we had a few less in Book 1 with our new format and I think that kind of explains some of the small declines comparatively to last year,@ Keeneland Vice President of Racing and Sales Bob Elliston said. ABut if you had a quality mare or weanling, there was tons of demand out there. It demonstrates the continuation of a strong market for American-bred horses.@ The 2018 November sale featured a one-day, super-select Book 1 compared to a three-day Book 1 last year. The 2018 catalog was comprised of 4,513 offerings--it was 4,147 in 2017. AIn terms of total number of offerings, we did have more offerings in the catalog [compared to last year] and most of them were in the back end,@ Elliston said. Cont. p3 PUBLISHER & CEO Sue Morris Finley @suefinley [email protected] V.P., INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS Gary King @garykingTDN [email protected] EDITORIAL [email protected] Editor-in-Chief Jessica Martini @JessMartiniTDN Managing Editor Saturday, November 17, 2018 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 ADVERTISING [email protected] Director of Advertising Alycia Borer Advertising Manager Lia Best Advertising Designer Amanda Crelin Advertising Assistants Alexa Reisfield Amie Morosco Advertising Assistant/Dir. of Distribution Rachel McCaffrey Photo Editor Sarah K. Andrew @SarahKAndrew [email protected] War Front (Danzig) walks among autumn leaves and a dusting of snow on Friday Social Media Strategist morning at Claiborne Farm in Paris, KY. The leading sire by percentage of lifetime Justina Severni graded stakes winners, War Front has sired 33 black-type horses in 2018, and four Director of Customer Service Grade or Group 1 stakes winners, including U S Navy Flag, Fog of War, and Lancaster Vicki Forbes Bomber. | Sarah Andrew [email protected] Marketing Manager Alayna Cullen @AlaynaCullen MUCHO GUSTO HEADLINES BOB HOPE 9 Director of Information Technology ‘TDN Rising Star’ Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man) looks to Ray Villa become his freshman sire’s first graded winner in the GIII Bob [email protected] Hope S. at Del Mar. Bookkeeper Terry May TODAY’S GRADED STAKES [email protected] EST Race Click for TV 1:30a Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai S.-G3, TOK -------------- ----- WORLDWIDE INFORMATION International Editor 3:47p Red Smith S.-GIII, AQU TJCIS PPs TVG Kelsey Riley @kelseynrileyTDN 5:36p River City H.-GIII, CD TJCIS PPs TVG [email protected] 7:00p Bob Hope S.-GIII, DMR TJCIS PPs TVG 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 11 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • NOVEMBER 17, 2018 KEENOV Concludes cont. from p1 Elliston continued, ASo, when you have more in the second week and particularly the latter half of the second week, that=s going to drive your average and gross down... If you look session by session, we track very much like the 2017 sale.@ The sale topper was MGISW Lady Eli (Divine Park) (hip 111), who was purchased by John Sikura=s Hill >n= Dale during last Monday=s opening session for $4.2 million. Hill >n= Dale consigned the gutsy champion, in foal to War Front, on behalf of Sheep Pond Partners. The top weanling was a Tapit filly (hip 116A) out of champion female sprinter La Verdad (Yes It=s True)--she went for $800,000 to Whisper Hill Farm and Three Chimneys Farm and was bought out of the Eaton Sales consignment. Hip 116A | Keeneland Photo Horses of racing age have become a major focus of the November sale during its second week, and this year=s priciest male racing prospect was Federal Case (Gemologist) (hip 3495), who was sold by WinStar Racing to agent Jacob West on behalf of Robert and Lawana Low for $650,000. The juvenile colt was a debut winner at Keeneland Oct. 19. AIt was remarkable,@ said consignor James Keogh of Grovendale, who handled the WinStar Racing consignment, about the interest in horses of racing age. AEvery racehorse that we came up here with--whether we sold it for $7,500 or $650,000--there were three people there to buy every single one of those horses. That=s not always what you also see at yearling sales.@ For the 23rd time in the last 32 years, Taylor Made Sales Agency was the November sale=s top consignor, selling 258 horses for $23,958,400. Agent Steve Young was the leading buyer by gross, making six purchases for $4,985,000, including $4-million second topper My Miss Sophia (Unbridled=s Song) (hip 147). Cont. p4 TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 11 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • NOVEMBER 17, 2018 KEENOV concludes cont. Joy) (hip 4255), who sold in foal to Red Rocks (Ire) for $45,000. AThe horses that we bought, I thought were very, very good The dam of this year=s two-time stakes-winning sophomore and horses and they brought about what I thought they would GIII Pennine Ridge S. third Channel Cat (English Channel) was bring,@ Young said. AObviously, when you have a horse like My picked up by Nursery Place out of the Select Sales draft. Miss Sophia, she is a priceless AOverall, I=m very pleased,@ said commodity in that what she brings, Andrew Cary of Select Sales when like what all horses bring, is asked about the market as a dependent on the underbidder. whole. AThere=s always a little bit But I thought she was a of uncertainty in election years and tremendous mare. I thought the stuff like that but, generally, other mares that we bought were overall the economy is good and mares of, hopefully, hidden quality, when the Breeders= Cup is in town but they brought what I thought it=s always a great boost. I think it they would bring, too. It is like any was more of what we=ve been other sale, if you lead a horse up seeing--quality horses are selling there that has credentials, there very well and there=s tons of will be people that fight to buy demand for them. Horses who miss them.@ the mark a little bit are a lot harder Bob Elliston | Keeneland Photo Elliston noted that there were 43 to move, but if you have what they individual buyers who spent $1 million or more at November. want there=s definitely an appetite for those offerings.@ Foreign entities were also active, with at least 23 different The top weanling of the session was hip 4422, a Mizzen Mast countries represented, and particularly strong interest from filly consigned by Shawhan Place LLC, Agent X and purchased by Japan and Australia. Erin Lundy for $25,000. The grey was a $9,000 Keeneland Friday=s topper was 8-year-old mare Carnival Kitten (Kitten=s January in utero purchase by Robert Francis. Cont. p5 Contact Sue Finley for details at 732-747-8060 or [email protected] TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 5 OF 11 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • NOVEMBER 17, 2018 KEENOV concludes cont. The continued trend of demand and competition at the top of the market and increased weakness for perceived lesser-quality offerings continued on at November, with a significantly higher number of offerings failing to receive a bid at this sale compared to in years past.