SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2018 OBS JUNE CONCLUDES GOLDEN GATE UPDATE: TOC CONDUCTS MEETING FRIDAY by Dan Ross The latest salvo in a rapidly escalating simulcasting dispute in Northern California has been fired by the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), which hosted a meeting of owners at Golden Gate Fields Friday morning to advocate an approach of business as usual for the rest of the year. This would mean the track stays open for training this summer and that it runs its originally scheduled race dates between Aug. 22 through Oct. 2, but that all necessary parties work together to restructure the Northern California Off-Track Wagering Inc. (NOTWINC) simulcast organization into a more "profitable business" in the long-term, said TOC CEO Greg Avioli, about his organization's position. Cont. p8 Friday=s OBS June session topper by the late IN TDN EUROPE TODAY Scat Daddy (Hip 742) | Tibor & Judit Photography ZOUSTAR TO SHUTTLE TO BRITAIN Australia’s leading first-season sire Zoustar will be available by Jessica Martini to Northern Hemisphere breeders next year at Tweenhills OCALA, Fl - The Ocala Breeders= Sales Company=s June Sale of Stud. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Europe. 2-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age, the final auction of the juvenile sales season, concluded its three-day run Friday with a colt by Scat Daddy (hip 742) attracting the day=s top price of $360,000. Another son of the late Coolmore stallion, sire of Triple Crown winner Justify, brought the sale=s highest price of $650,000 when he sold during Wednesday=s first session of the auction. Through three sessions, OBS sold 520 horses for $17,125,500. The average was $32,934 and the median was $15,000. At last year=s two-day sale, 434 horses grossed $14,999,900 for an average of $34,562 and a median of $18,500. The buy-back rate was 21.8%. Eleven horses sold for $200,000 or more this year, while nine hit that mark a year ago, when the top price was $320,000. AIt was a very solid sale,@ OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski said at the close of business Friday. AThe trend we=ve seen all year is that the top end kind of takes care of itself. It was nice to see some vibrancy in the middle and lower levels, to see some active trade there.@ The sale=s leading consignor was Wavertree Stables, with 28 head sold for $2,105,500. 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 Alan Carasso @EquinealTDN Saturday, June 16, 2018 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 Rachel McCaffrey Amie Morosco Photo Editor/Dir. of Distribution Sarah K. Andrew @SarahKAndrew New winner, new wardrobe. Justify shows off his recently acquired Triple Crown [email protected] cooler after his bath on Friday morning. The undefeated superstar returned to the track Social Media Strategist for light training earlier in the week. | Coady Justina Severni Director of Customer Service Vicki Forbes NEW BREEDERS’ CUP MEMBERS ANNOUNCED 9 [email protected] The Breeders' Cup announced late Friday evening that 20 individuals Marketing Manager have won election to serve as Breeders' Cup Members. Alayna Cullen @AlaynaCullen Director of Information Technology BACKYARD HEAVEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT 10 Ray Villa The streaking Backyard Heaven (Tizway) will take center stage in [email protected] Saturday night's GI Stephen Foster H. at Churchill Downs. Bookkeeper Terry May [email protected] TODAY’S GRADED STAKES EST Race Click for TV WORLDWIDE INFORMATION 6:15p Summertime Oaks-GII, SA TJCIS PPs TVG International Editor 7:57p Matt Winn S.-GIII, CD TJCIS PPs TVG Kelsey Riley @kelseynrileyTDN [email protected] 8:30p Wise Dan S.-GII, CD TJCIS PPs TVG European Editor 9:05p Fleur De Lis H.-GII, CD TJCIS PPs NBCSN Emma Berry 9:39p Stephen Foster H.-GI, CD TJCIS PPs NBCSN [email protected] Associate International Editor 10:11p Regret S.-GIII, CD TJCIS PPs TVG 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 12 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • JUNE 16, 2018 The leading buyer was Carlo Vaccarezza, who purchased seven horses, including the $650,000 sales topper, for $1,010,500. Eddie Woods, who sold a million-dollar juvenile at the Fasig- Gulfstream sale and topped the Barretts April sale, said he noticed more strength at the top end of the market during this spring=s 2-year-old sales. AI think, at the better end, there was a bit more strength,@ Woods said. AThere were more horses sold for better money across the board at all the sales throughout the country. I don=t think at any sale was there a horse that brought crazy money, but there was a lot of money at the better end and there was more of it. It=s a growing trend, both at the yearling sale and in every part of our industry, the top end is getting a little bit more spread out and a little stronger.@ The OBS April sale was the undisputed highlight of the season. The four-day auction produced strong results from top to bottom and featured a rejuvenated middle market. AApril was probably, across the board, one of the best sales we=ve seen in years, just because so many horses got pedaled,@ Woods said. AThere was so much money at every level and even the useful horses got sold.@ The lower and middle market at the June sale was bolstered by participation by Carribean entities, with the Confederacion Hipica de Puerto Rico purchasing 56 juveniles to be the sale=s fifth leading buyer, and the Royal St. Lucia Turf Club acquiring 20 head. AIt was great to have the Puerto Rican groups participating at the level that they did, as well as the St. Lucia group and the Korean groups,@ Wojciechowski said. AThey were very helpful to the sale. I am sure a lot of those people were here in April and didn=t get their orders filled and fortunately we were able to help them out in June.@ OBS JUNE SALE SESSION TOTALS Session Cumulative $ Catalogued 336 936 $ No. Offered 237 665 $ No. Sold 176 520 $ RNAs 61 145 $ % RNAs 25.7% 21.8% $ High Price $360,000 $650,000 $ Gross $5,673,500 $17,125,500 $ Average (% change) $32,236 $32,934 $ Median (% change) $13,000 $15,000 TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 12 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • JUNE 16, 2018 Woods still saw some weakness in the middle market. AThe middle market is a little tricky here,@ Woods said as the June sale wound down. AOn the first show day on Monday, the traffic was dismal--you couldn=t start an argument, never mind an auction. People showed up for the sale at the end of the day and it looks like the people have found the better horses. At the lower end, we had the usual South Miami and island guys. But the thing that we don=t have here anymore is an East Coast presence. There were nearly no trainers. I don=t think the money is around for that kind of horse anymore.@ The yearling sales begin next month and Woods said his approach to buying yearlings won=t change this year. AWe=ll stick with the same thing,@ he said. AWhen we get it right, it=s always worked well. And that=s a bit of quality. We pay a little bit more for them to just get the real deal we want. The worst thing you ever say to yourself at the sale is, >He=ll be ok, if...= They are never ok, if. One in 20 is >ok, if= because he iffed and the other 19 didn=t. But he doesn=t pay for the other 19. So you have to be very comfortable and really like what you=re buying.@ The June sale also included a section of Horses of Racing Age, with an unraced gelding by Jimmy Creed (hip 853) bringing top price of $60,000. The 3-year-old was consigned by Gayle Woods and purchased by bloodstock agent Alistair Roden. In all, five horses sold for $96,600 and an average of $19,300. Scat Daddy Colt to Redekop Scat Daddy, already represented by Wednesday=s $650,000 sale topper, had another session topper Friday in Ocala when bloodstock agent Alistair Roden went to $360,000 to secure a colt by the late stallion on behalf of Peter Redekop. AHe=ll go to California, but I=m not sure just yet on a trainer,@ Roden said. AI=ll have to get with those guys and see about a trainer.@ Consigned by Wavertree Stables, the bay colt (hip 742) was bred by Bryant Prentice=s Pursuit of Success, which purchased his dam Imprecation (First Defence) for $223,246 at the 2013 Tattersalls December sale. The juvenile=s second dam is Media Nox (GB) (Lycius), dam of Group 1 winner Nebraska Tornado (Storm Cat) and group winners Burning Sun (Danzig) and Mirabilis (Lear Fan).