PEACE RULES Returns HEADLINE p. 3 Horsephotos NEWS For information about TDN, DELIVERED EACH NIGHT call 732-747-8060. BY FAX AND INTERNET www.thoroughbreddailynews.com SATURDAY, JAN. 24, 2004 SEVEN SET FOR LECOMTE KEENELAND CANCELS 2004 JULY SALE A field of seven sophomores will go postward in Officials at Keeneland have decided to focus on sell- today’s GIII Lecomte S. at Fair Grounds, which marks ing all yearlings during their September Sale and have the start of the Triple Crown trail in New Orleans. Fire called off their boutique July Sale for a second consec- Slam (Grand Slam, the runner-up in the $1-million Delta utive summer. The Lexington auction house was forced Jackpot S., will take each step as it comes on the Road to cancel the 2003 July to the Roses. “He's a big, solid-looking horse, so I'm Sale due to the effects not sure how far he'll go,” admitted trainer David of Mare Reproductive Carroll. “We'll give him an opportunity to go a distance Loss Syndrome on that and he'll let us know how far he can go. But, he's a year’s crop of yearlings. very nice horse and has shown up every time.” Un- “It’s a bittersweet deci- beaten Tapit has acquired a following on the East sion, but we want to Coast; the runner-up in his GIII Laurel Futurity win, have a proper sale,” Polish Rifle (Polish Numbers), is now bedded down in Keeneland Director of Steve Asmussen’s barn after being purchased by Sales Geoffrey Russell Heiligbrodt Racing Stable and Stonerside Stable. “He's John Ferguson (second from right) commented. “Naturally, done everything right,” said assistant trainer Scott with Sheikh Mohammed at the 2003 Keeneland was reluctant Blasi. “We've been in these races before, and we think September Sale Horsephotos to discontinue the July he has what it takes to compete in these types of Sale because of its importance for so many years. races. He looks very promising.” Unbeaten Shadowland (Distant View), purchased by Team Valor following his However, the market has dictated that it wants one debut in England last summer, will face stakes foes for sale for yearlings at Keeneland, and it’s in September. the first time in this one-mile contest. In his first U.S. We’re not going to put on a [July] sale just to have a start, the chestnut came from just off the pace to take [July] sale.” The decision comes just three months after a Turfway allowance Dec. 7. And if Bogangles (Joyeux a hugely successful September sale, where gross re- Danseur) seems familiar to fans, they might remember ceipts topped $274 million, the second highest in the his half sister Belle of Perrintown, who captured the GIII history of the event. New records were established in Silverbulletday S. a year ago over this surface. As for average ($92,329) and overall median ($34,000), and her younger brother, he was most recently third in the the decision was made not to tinker with a good thing. Black Gold H. on the lawn Jan. 10. “You only had to be at the sales in 2003 to see that they were very successful and I think that Keeneland Saturday, Fair Grounds, post time: 4:09 p.m. CST has made a very sound decision to not tread back into LECOMTE S.-GIII, $100,000, 3yo, 1m waters which have been treacherous in the past,” com- PP HORSE SIRE TRAINER ODDS mented John Ferguson, who, on behalf of Sheikh Mo- 1 Bogangles Joyeux Danseur Kenneally 12-1 hammed, has been the leading September buyer for five 2 Jaguar Friend Crafty Friend Springer 20-1 3 Fire Slam Grand Slam Carroll 2-1 straight years. “[The format] worked very well last 4 Polish Rifle Polish Numbers Asmussen 9-5 year. At the end of the day, there was the question as 5 America Alive American Chance Howard 8-1 to whether Keeneland would suffer from the absence of 6 Shadowland Distant View Nicks 6-1 the July sale, but clearly they did not. It’s really the 7 Two Down Automatic Smoke Glacken Asmussen 9-2 horse that matters and not the time or the place.” Keeneland has left open the option of reinstating the The brisnet.com ‘Race of the Day’ is the July Sale in the future. “July will always be calen- GIII Lecomte S. at Fair Grounds. dared,” Russell said. “Keeneland and consignors agreed For pps and a complete race analysis, click here. to meet annually to reconsider the possibility of return- ing the July Sale to the schedule.” Cont. p2 www.coolmore.com TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 1/24/04 • PAGE 2 of 5 Keeneland Cancels July cont. Dan Rosenberg, president, Three Chimneys Farm The Decline of the July Market... “The summer sale has sort of been a victim of its For a period of eight years from 1982 to 1989, the own success and I feel that a lot of buyers have been mighty July Sale reached new heights, failing to exceed scared away from that sale. There are usually only a the $100-million mark in gross receipts just one time, handful of buyers there, whereas in September, every- and topping out at nearly $176 million in 1984. The one is there. There was very strong agreement on the market declined precipitously in the early 1990s, but idea of not having the July sale this year. You need a staged a gradual comeback, which saw $80 million in very mature horse in order to sell well in July. Some- sales in 2000. However, in the final two years of the times it’s like trying to sell produce when it’s not ripe. I event, the market retreated and posted gross receipts feel very strongly that this was the right decision for of just over $42 million in 2002, the worst performance this year, but I also like the idea of meeting each year since 1977. to discuss the state of the business.” Time for a Change... MRLS had a devastating effect on the yearling crop Reiley McDonald, co-principle, Eaton Sales of 2003 and Keeneland reluctantly took the decision to “This is a decision that was fully expected. MRLS forego that year’s July Sale in favor of a bigger, and from a few years ago brought it to our attention that what turned out to be better, September Sale. Topped the product wasn’t there to have the sale in 2003, then by a record-equaling 27 seven-figure horses, gross when last year’s September sale was so strong, I think receipts surpassed the combined July/September fig- that decided it. I think that they did a smart thing in ures by 8.3 percent while the average jumped by 10.2 taking so much time to decide whether to have the percent. “This year’s September sale was so strong [July] sale or not, and I think they’ll do this for a long that there was very little reason to think about the time to come.” summer sale this year,” said Dan Rosenberg, president John Moynihan, bloodstock agent of Three Chimneys Farm. John Moynihan, who buys on “I am very much in favor of this decision. It makes it behalf of Bob and Beverly Lewis, echoed those senti- sort of a one-stop deal as opposed to splitting the sale ments. “In light of how well the sale did last year, why up. The September sale is one where anyone can go try to change it?” he said. “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” there and find what they need. When you have to come in for a small, select group of horses, that can be very What They’re Saying... tough. I love it when you have a big group of horses that you can compare and contrast. I feel like I can Geoff Russell, Keeneland director of sales come in here and make better decisions. I also like the “I think this [decision] was brought on primarily by idea that it will give the horses a chance to mature. the overwhelming success of the September sale. The That can only benefit the later-bred horses and enhance September Sale has developed into THE marketplace for those that are already well developed.” yearling. Last year, days four through nine--the heart of the sale-- were all record-grossing sessions and this Pete Bradley, bloodstock agent surge in the middle market benefitted a very broad “I don’t necessarily [the decision] think it’s good or group of customers. Keeneland is a marketing agency bad, but I think [the decision] is a function of the indus- and wants buyers to be able to come in, find what try and how it’s changed over the years. The July sale they’re looking for, buy those horses and leave with a was a social event, but from a business standpoint, it smile on their face. With a boutique sale, sometimes seems to make more sense to put the 200 best horses those same people come in and get blown out of the in a spot where they can do the best and that is the water and leave unhappy.” September sale.” www.darleyflyingstart.com. TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 1/24/04 • PAGE 3 of 5 Saturday, Gulfstream Park, post time: 5:25 p.m. EST P SUNSHINE MILLIONS P FRANKS FARMS SUNSHINE MILLIONS TURF, $500,000, (R), 4yo/up, 1 1/8mT WILL PEACE RULE SUNSHINE MILLIONS? PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY ODDS One of the country’s top three-year-olds last year, 1 Western Pride Way West (Fr) Chapman 8-1 Peace Rules (Jules) will be a solid favorite in his first 2 Silver Tree Hennessy Prado 10-1 start at four in the showcase race of the Sunshine 3 Adminniestrator Incinderator Pedroza 15-1 Millions, the $1-million Barretts/CTBA Classic.