A LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER HEADLINE ...p7 NEWS For information about TDN, DELIVERED EACH NIGHT BY FAX AND FREE BY E-MAIL TO SUBSCRIBERS OF call 732-747-8060. www.thoroughbreddailynews.com TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2005 ALL EYES TURN TO KEENELAND With the juvenile sales season in full swing, the spot- light now shines on the Keeneland April Two-Year-Olds Triple in Training Sale in Lexington. The 2004 sale set records on all fronts--gross, median and average--and Keeneland officials Threats are confident that all components are in place for more vigorous Rockport Harbor Arrives at Keeneland... bidding this year. “I think the Fox Hill Farm’s Rockport Harbor (Unbridled’s Song) pedigrees are as strong as we arrived at Keeneland Sunday night to begin his final ever had,” said Keeneland Direc- preparations for Saturday’s GII tor of Sales Geoffrey Russell. Coolmore Lexington S. The “Monday’s preview went very three-year-old has battled foot well. We had great weather and problems and a blood clot since conditions, and I think the horses ending an undefeated juvenile performed exceptionally well.” season in the GII Remsen S., and Russell is also optimistic that last suffered his first loss when sec- Keeneland Sales Pavilion ond to Greater Good in the Mar. www.keeneland.com year’s record number of RNAs, Rockport Harbor which reached 82 hips--45 per- Adam Coglianese 19 GIII Rebel S. But Bobby Velez, cent of those offered, will not be reproduced. “Last assistant to trainer John Servis, year, unfortunately the rain washed out the second pronounced the colt in fine fettle yesterday. “I get on gallop show,” explained Russell. “That puts both buyers him every morning and I know nothing is bothering and consignors in a terrible situation. The buyers love him,” Velez said. “He should run great on Saturday.” to watch the horses preview, and when they don’t have that option, they have to then make a decision Kentucky Blues for Godolphin... based on one preview, or on horses that may not have Godolphin’s Blues and Royals (Honour and Glory), even gone on that first preview. This is a performance 12-length winner of the G2 UAE Derby Mar. 26, is sale, so you want to see the horses perform.” While the suffering from a “low-grade respiratory condition” and on-going concern in the current juvenile market is the will miss the GI Kentucky Derby, according to the oper- lack of strength in the middle, Russell is confident that ation’s official website. “It is very Keeneland has its bases covered. “We’ve sold a lot of disappointing for everyone con- nice horses in the mid-market in the past, we have the cerned because we were all very reputation for that,” he said. “Judging from the interest much looking forward to taking and requests that we’ve received from people, we think Blues and Royals to Churchill we have a good and consistent sale from top to bot- Downs,” said racing manager tom.” Bidding for the one-day Keeneland April Sale Simon Crisford. “He seemed to begins at 1:30 p.m. have the right credentials for the Blues and Royals Keeneland April Preview cont. p2 race, but it is just one of those Dubai Racing Club things. The horse’s welfare has to come first and it just would not be possible for us to get him ready. It would To view the outs not be in his best interests to send him to Kentucky. All for today’s session at Keeneland, go to... immediate plans for him are on hold.” However, Blues and Royals will campaign stateside this year, shipping www.keeneland.com/livesales/outs.asp. to Belmont later this month. Triple Threats cont. p3 www.juddmonte.com TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 4/19/05 • PAGE 2 of 7 Keeneland April Preview cont. The breeze-up sale, which was conducted over two Strength in the Middle... days for its inaugural edition, consisted of 159 cata- Geoffrey Russell is not the only one feeling cautiously logued horses, just over half the number of horses optimistic that the middle will prove stronger at catalogued in 2004 and 2005. The 1993 sale grossed Keeneland than at previous sales. “It has been pretty $6,817,500 for 108 individuals sold, averaging much feast or famine,” commented David Scanlon, son $63,125 with a median of $45,000. Five years later, of consignor Robert Scanlon, but added, “I think that Keeneland decided to make a major change in format, the sale will be solid all the way through here. I like that cutting the April sale down from two days to one. they have kept the numbers constant at about 260. I “Running a meet here and running split sessions after think they focused more on quality over quantity. I racing became a little confusing,” said Geoffrey Russell. think we’ll see a pretty decent middle market.” “We felt it was better to put everything on one day, so Kirkwood Stables’ Kip Elser stressed the importance of people could concentrate on the sale. You also don't middle market. “There is tremendous value at probably know where the outs are going to be; you don't have a every sale you go to when you get under the top critical mass of horses if your outs happen to appear in horses,” he remarked. “But, psychologically, people the second half, instead of evenly across. You risk not want to buy the very best horse they see in front of having the buyers come back for the second session, them. If you go to a sale with $100,000 to spend, but so we thought it best to put all the horses together on the sale averages $150,000 and the top is $1 million, I one day and start it by one and have it over by eight.” think you can spend that money more effectively than The move proved beneficial, with the gross climbing if you go to a sale where the average is $75,000 and $13,925,000 for 160 head sold, the median rising to the top is $300,000. Because, by definition, you would $95,000 and the average topping out at $149,731. have a broader selection since you have more to choose Hovering around the 200 mark in number of horses from. But people just don’t seem to want to do that.” catalogued through the first four years of the new century, the sale continued to grow, setting records in Keeneland April, Past and Present... gross, median and average in 2004. “We've built on it For many, 1993 was a very good year. It was the every year,” said Russell. “It has certainly become one year the Cowboys annihilated the Bills in the Super of the best two-year-old sales in the country.” Bowl, Toni Morrison won the Nobel Prize for literature and ‘The Unforgiven' earned the Academy Award for Mining Jewels at Keeneland April... Best Picture. It was also the year Keeneland kicked off The quality of stock offered at Keeneland April has its April Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale. “I think it was consistently drawn the who's who of racing. Among an idea whose time had come,” commented Dogwood those who have been on the scene from the very first President Cot Campbell. “It was an appropriate time of are Bob and Beverly Lewis, who have proven successful year to be breezing babies, unlike February, which is a in unearthing some of the most successful April sale little quick in the year. That made sense. It was terrific graduates. Armed with the experience of a number of because it coincided with the Keeneland spring meet- top trainers and advisors, the couple purchased a chest- ing. When Keeneland started the sale, it was a wonder- nut filly for $130,000 from the inaugural sale in 1993. ful timing.” Named Twice the Vice, the filly collected seven graded stakes wins over five seasons on the racetrack. A You can also pick up a copy of the TDN today at five-time Grade I winner, she gave the dynamic duo the Keeneland April Two-Year-Old Sale. their first victory at that elite level when she galloped in the 1994 Del Mar Oaks Invitational. TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 4/19/05 • PAGE 3 of 7 Mining Jewels at Keeneland April cont. Unbridled Enthusiasm... During the second Keeneland April sale, trainer John Taylor Made stallion Unbridled’s Song (Unbridled) Kimmel went to $120,000 for a son of Gulch. Named was certainly the star at Keeneland Race Course Thunder Gulch, he had sold for $40,000 at the 1993 Sunday afternoon. The sire had two winners on the Keeneland July sale, providing pinhooker Jerry Bailey card, including debut juvenile winner Half Ours, who with a solid profit. Kimmel saddled the colt to a second- established the fastest time place finish in the GIII Nashua S. for Mutual Shar Sta- for 4 1/2 furlongs at the cur- ble, but, ultimately, it was Michael Tabor and trainer D. rent meeting while winning by Wayne Lukas who reaped the greatest rewards. Tabor 10 3/4 lengths for owners purchased Thunder Gulch privately just before his vic- Aaron and Marie Jones and tory in the GII Remsen S. Under the tutelage of Lukas, trainer Todd Pletcher. Unbri- the neatly made chestnut became a Kentucky Derby dled’s Song has 11 cata- champion. He also won the GI Belmont S., GI Travers logued for Keeneland April, S.