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00:00They say, the harder the work, the greater the reward.
00:24This is our life's work.
00:27Good morning.
00:30It is 826, Tuesday, April 26th.
00:33This is the GDN Writers Room.
00:35As you can see, on scene at Keeneland.
00:38My name is Joe Bianca.
00:39I'm the associate editor of the Thoroughbred Daily News, and I've been having so much fun
00:42in Lexington and Keeneland this weekend, guys.
00:44I might just take a little accent home with tomato broccoli.
00:48Good morning.
00:49I'm Bill Finley, a correspondent for the Thoroughbred Daily News, and yes, it is nearing the first
00:53Saturday in May, and we are sitting here in Parka's in frigid Lexington, Kentucky.
00:58Joe, what happened to the 80 degree weather?
00:59I don't know.
01:00I got to go back home to Brooklyn.
01:02I'm taking this weather with me, unfortunately.
01:04There you go.
01:05But now, everybody thinks it's a quiet weekend in racing because, you know, the Derby's coming
01:08up the following Saturday.
01:10You got it all wrong.
01:11At Foner Park this Saturday, it's their biggest day of the meet.
01:15The feature race is the $75,000 Bosselman Pump and Pantry Gus something or other steaks.
01:21I know I'm psyched, John.
01:22Wait, who was that sponsor?
01:23Who was the sponsor of the race?
01:25Pump and Pantry.
01:26It's a, I think it's like their version of 7-Eleven or something.
01:28Okay, okay.
01:29But it wasn't the big-ass fan.
01:30No, no, no.
01:31All right.
01:32All right.
01:33Jonathan Green, general manager of DJ Stable, and I have to say that I'm so happy to be
01:36here at Keeneland.
01:37So many great memories, not only, you know, winning big races, but also being here for
01:41the sales, buying and selling.
01:43And guys, this is April in Kentucky, you know, where you get 80 degrees, 40 degrees.
01:48That's the way it is.
01:49But that's why we love Kentucky, and that's why we love being here.
01:51That's why you got to live it up on the days that are nice.
01:53Definitely do.
01:54The TDN Writer's Room is brought to you by Keeneland.
01:57This Friday is the Keeneland April Horses of Racing Age sale.
02:00It's also closing day at Keeneland.
02:02The sale takes place after the races.
02:04And also this Friday is the deadline to get your entries in for the Keeneland September
02:07sale.
02:08And here to talk to us about all that is the VP of sales, Tony Lacy.
02:11Thanks for coming on.
02:12Thanks for having me, guys.
02:13It's a real pleasure.
02:14Great to have you.
02:15You're smart enough to wear gloves, which I wasn't.
02:16So shout out to you.
02:17You're already ahead of us.
02:18But so let's talk a little bit about the sale on Friday.
02:22It's a little bit of a mix of digital and on-location sales.
02:25Can you talk about what the feedback has been for those hybrid sales and where you're looking
02:31to go with it?
02:32Well, when you say hybrid, I'll be very honest, the vast majority of the horses are going
02:36to be here.
02:37And that's what we wanted to try and lean into, make sure, if at all possible, that
02:42we could get these horses on site, which will lend to the atmosphere.
02:47It'll lend into the environment that we're trying to create and build as we go forward
02:50with this sale.
02:52It's a segment of the market that has been really vibrant.
02:55There's real growth in it.
02:57And again, with the flourishing of these syndicates and partnerships, it's important that we allow
03:06and find ways of getting people into the game and having a turnkey horse that they can come,
03:12they can inspect, give them all the information that they need, so they can make educated
03:16and informed decisions that they could run a horse within a week or two.
03:20Tony, good morning, and thanks for joining us.
03:22You talked about the hybrid nature of the sale, with it being both remote and on-site.
03:26The other change is that it's occurring after the races.
03:30And really, correct me if I'm wrong, I think that's unprecedented for a major sale.
03:35What is the reasoning behind that?
03:37Well, I think, as we can't, like I've started almost a year ago, the first thing we did
03:42was look at everything.
03:44And how do we better service our clients?
03:47What is the best way we do things?
03:50So as Keeneland, it embodies everything in the industry.
03:53It's a sales company, but it's also a world-class racetrack.
03:57So by combining the two activities on the one day, logistically for our team, it's really
04:02challenging.
04:03But everybody knew it was very important that we could pull it off to get it done.
04:09And the feedback has been really, really positive.
04:11I think the people really appreciate the fact that they can go racing, you know, watch
04:17the Bewitched, have a couple of allowance races right afterwards, and walk down the
04:22hill, and an hour later, we're able to sell horses.
04:25So it's combining the two activities.
04:28It allows us to be able to complete that sale before people start moving over to Churchill
04:33for Derby Week.
04:34And I think that's really what we don't want to confuse anything, and we want to build
04:39on what we've got here and lean into it as much as possible.
04:43And Tony, one of the things that Keeneland has implemented over the past couple of years
04:46has been the online platform as far as being able to bid, you know, through the internet.
04:51And you know, we're all in New Jersey.
04:52So obviously it's great for us to be able to buy and sell, you know, with you guys,
04:57but also be able to bid, you know, online.
04:59How has that expanded the sales opportunities for you guys?
05:03Well, I think like a lot of things, I think the pandemic has forced a lot of innovation
05:08that may have taken a lot longer to initiate.
05:11And I think it was something that, the horse industry is not something that really embraces
05:15change really quickly.
05:17So as we learn from a lot, a lot of our customers have really appreciated the fact that being
05:23able to bid online, but being able to do their homework, information, transparency is incredibly
05:29important.
05:30And the fact that we're trying to be flexible as much as possible, trying to find ways to
05:34make it convenient, because traditional auction is absolutely, you know, something that's
05:39not going to go away, but we've got to find a way of modernizing it and finding a way
05:44that better suits the modern way of doing business.
05:49Yeah.
05:50And I think the future is these combined sales horses of racing age, you know, sometimes
05:54there's two-year-old horses of racing age.
05:56Do you think that that's the, do you think that's the future of sales?
05:59Do you think that, you know, aside from the Keeneland Septembers and the Keeneland Novembers,
06:02do you think that that's going to be more of the future is to have totally different
06:06offerings in one sale?
06:07Well, I think it's certainly that in November, for example, we have breeding stock and horses
06:12of racing age, we moved that to the end of the sale because of two different entities.
06:16So we different markets completely.
06:19So I think traditionally we did have a two-year-old sale on site, but really it was, it became
06:26apparent that the consignors in Florida, they had a focus on sales and OBS.
06:31So it was not, it was not something that they could really manage.
06:36And we, we appreciate that.
06:37We listened.
06:38And so as we look at the way we look at the fact that there's race horses, some of the
06:42best race horses in the country are on our backstretch during April, the best jockey's
06:47population, you know, we've got a great concentration of trainers.
06:52So let's, let's, let's play into that.
06:54And that's what we want to try and, and again, combine everything what's best of what we
06:58do.
06:59We're not trying to be something we're not.
07:01And we want to, we want to be as responsive as possible.
07:04So, and I think there's, there's always ways of improving and evolving as we go into the
07:09future.
07:10Tony, I know you're a sales guy and not necessarily a racing guy, but I'll pose this question
07:14to you and I'm sure you'd be glad to answer it.
07:16Keeneland as we speak with what three days left in the meet is on track to likely set
07:20a new record for highest spring handle in its history.
07:25This is in a, during a year where the general handle in racing is pretty much flat for the
07:29year.
07:30What's going on?
07:31What's happening here that, you know, you already had, you always had good business,
07:34but it's seemingly, it's gone to another level.
07:36Well, actually we blew by it on Friday.
07:38You did?
07:39On Sunday, I should say.
07:40Sorry.
07:41Congratulations.
07:42That's great.
07:43All time.
07:44So we blew by the all time spring handle a few days ago and we did an all time record
07:48on Sunday.
07:49So we still got three days to go.
07:51Incredible.
07:52I think the field sizes have been very important.
07:54Gatewood has done, and the racing team have done an incredible job putting a very strong
08:00condition book together, attracted a lot of the best horses, great prize money, which
08:06lends into, again, when we have a good September, when we have a good sale year, this what's,
08:12this is the fruits of the labor because we're able to increase the purses.
08:16We're able to make a stronger product.
08:18The better is really, really enjoyed.
08:20We're watching the numbers come in and it's, we broke two or three records during the,
08:26if not more, during the race meet for an all time one day record, all time Wednesday,
08:32all time Thursday.
08:34So I think we've, we again, a little bit like our September sales and the November sales
08:38last year.
08:39We don't want to take anything for granted.
08:41We got to learn what, what worked.
08:43I think we're in a very, we're in a little bit of a, an exciting era when it comes to
08:48Kentucky racing.
08:49It's a very strong circuit.
08:50The purses are going to be incredibly strong as we move forward.
08:54When you see the jockey population and the trainers that were here during the meet, I
08:57think that only lends to the, and the demand for stalls has been never been stronger.
09:02So we've got to find a way of, okay, we got to grow on this and I think it's really exciting
09:07and I think it's, it's good for the sport.
09:09I know in other areas, but again, I think as a, as an industry leader, we've got to
09:15try and find ways of how we help the industry as a whole.
09:18And this is a good way as we learn.
09:20And I commend you guys for not only breaking the records, but also having the, the proper
09:24foresight not to let Joe in on Saturday, that was, that was actually really smart on your
09:28part.
09:29You didn't call me.
09:31So let's, let's, let's stick with racing.
09:33So this year, at the end of the year, you're going to have the crown jewel, the Breeders'
09:38Cup here.
09:39What are you guys planning that's going to be different as far as hosting the Breeders'
09:42Cup this year?
09:43Well, I think anybody who was here in 2015 understood that was probably one of the, the
09:49best couple of days racing, the atmosphere, what's unique about Keeneland, I think that
09:54you find, and I've heard it from so many people, everybody that's here are professionals.
09:59You know, they under, they really understand the industry.
10:02They've got a passion.
10:04They, they, they, there, there's a true love amongst the, amongst everybody in the Grandstand.
10:09There's going to be 45,000 people here.
10:13So that's an incredible event in itself.
10:16And I think as you see, and, and, you know, when we've got, as we've got the Breeders'
10:21Cup happening just up on the other side of this little laneway, we've got the November
10:26sale and some of those fillies and mares coming right through here, which again, embraces
10:32everything we do.
10:33And again, everything we, as the stronger we are in November, the stronger the April
10:39meat will be.
10:40And so that, that again is, it just energizes the industry, I think, as we try to make it,
10:45make it better for everybody.
10:46Well, Tony, congratulations on all the records that are being broken this meat.
10:49Best of luck with the sale on Friday, and we appreciate you stopping by the set.
10:53Thanks.
10:55Good stuff.
10:56The TDN Writer's Room is brought to you by Keeneland.
10:58Like I said, this Friday is that April Horses of Racing Age sale.
11:01Also the deadline for the Keeneland September Yearling sale.
11:04Check all that out at Keeneland.com.
11:05We'll be right back after this message from Keeneland.
11:10With all eyes on the bluegrass this spring, there's no better way to take in the action
11:13than Friday, April 29th at Keeneland.
11:19And they're off.
11:20We get into it with hip number one.
11:21Good luck.
11:22Featuring a day filled with world-class racing, followed by a unique sales experience in the
11:26evening.
11:27The April Horses of Racing Age sale.
11:30After the races on closing day of the spring.
11:36Follow the action this April to Keeneland.
11:39Spicetown.
11:40Bunnings.
11:41Ecotown.
11:42It's Ecotown for Joe Palomo.
11:43And Ecotown breaks the wave.
11:44And Ecotown is drawing away in the stretch.
11:45Ecotown wins the Alan Turkin stakes.
11:46A sire line so prolific, it repeats itself.
11:47Ecotown.
11:48The TDN Writer's Room is brought to you by Coolmar.
11:49We told you it would happen.
12:13I was out at Ashford on Monday and I got to see my favorite stallion in the world, Cupid.
12:18So you got plenty of footage.
12:19I also got to see American Pharaoh, Justify.
12:21Ashford is obviously a stunning place to visit and we appreciate Robin over there for showing
12:26us around.
12:27So check out me and Cupid hitting it off.
12:30So I'm here at beautiful Ashford stud here in the heart of bluegrass country in Kentucky
12:34and I'm about to meet my boo, my boy.
12:37He doesn't know he's my boo or my boy, but if you watch the show, you know, I'm particularly
12:42obsessed with this stallion.
12:43So let's bring out my son Cupid.
12:47Pretty boy.
12:48Oh, he's just as handsome as I had predicted, even more beautiful in person.
13:00So next up in the rotating guest chair here at Keeneland is Chance Tim of Grovendale Sales.
13:05Thanks for coming on, man.
13:06Thanks guys.
13:07Appreciate it.
13:08Great to have you.
13:09Great to talk to you.
13:10So you have an extensive background in the business, Lane Zen, Don Alberto.
13:13Now you're working with James Keough for Grovendale Sales.
13:16Can you talk a little bit about how this opportunity might differ from some of the stuff you'd
13:20previously done in the industry and kind of how that knowledge base might help you?
13:24Yeah, you know, it's something that James and I have been talking about doing for a
13:27long time, actually.
13:28James and I have been close friends.
13:29We partnered on horses for a long time.
13:31He's been really good to me since I first came out here prior to Flying Start in like
13:3507, I guess it was.
13:36So luckily enough, I've been able to call him my friend and now I get to call him my
13:40partner.
13:41And you know, my time at Lane Zen, I was the director of stallion seats and chairs
13:46over there for eight years, but I was pretty heavily involved with the sales consignment
13:49over there, recruiting and placing the horses.
13:52So luckily enough, working with Allaire and Mike Klein and Bill and David and all the
13:56great team over there, I was able to learn quite a lot and hopefully put me in a position
14:00to take this next step here on my own.
14:03Chance, thanks for joining us.
14:04Well, the next step continues on Friday with the Horses of Racing Age Sale.
14:08For the new partnership, it'll be your first time selling horses.
14:11Just give us an overview a little bit about your thoughts on the sale, maybe some of the
14:14changes they brought in and also some of the horses you guys will be selling.
14:18Yeah, I think it's a great spot.
14:19I mean, I think, you know, we're in the business of selling horses, so any opportunity there
14:24is to sell horses, I think it makes a lot of sense.
14:26You know, Tony kind of referenced it earlier, you know, just having that frequency.
14:30And I think, you know, nowadays, especially like in the information age, like, you know,
14:34people want that transparency and they want to be able to see, you know, what's out there
14:39and prospective buyers want to know about the process and the horses and be able to
14:44participate anywhere in the world.
14:45So I think it's great.
14:47I think the Horses of Racing Age segment is a really good fit for Keeneland here, especially
14:51this time of year.
14:52You know, it makes a lot of sense, obviously, for the, you know, leading into the summer
14:57seasons.
14:58And for us, we've got a handful of maidens, we've got four horses in the catalog.
15:02They're all maidens, you know, so they have a lot of racing in front of them.
15:05And we're looking forward to representing the owners.
15:08And Chance, one of the things that you specialize in at Lane's End was, you know, the stallion
15:12seasons and shares.
15:14Now that you're independent, are there some under-the-radar stallions that you have gravitated
15:19towards or that you're recommending to clients to breed to?
15:22You know, funny enough, in the Keeneland sale, they announced that they've got a share and
15:26upstart to be offered for purchase, which I think is really interesting.
15:30He's a horse that I actually tried to buy a share in a few months ago, but it came up
15:34a little short.
15:35But it's only more expensive now.
15:38That's the way it goes.
15:39But yeah, I think that horse is doing a lot of great things and obviously has a big chance,
15:44you know, on Friday and Saturday at Derby Week to make a whole lot of noise, you know.
15:48But I think he's really interesting.
15:50He's got a lot of very nice, solid, grade-and-stakes horses, you know, from a moderate stud fee
15:54and pretty moderate mares, you know.
15:56So I think he's a horse to pay attention to, for sure.
15:59And if you ever want to come back to the show, you have to say Cupid.
16:01Oh yeah, I have to, huh?
16:03My buddy.
16:06So I mean, the trend, I was talking to Tony about this, the trend in sales to be a little
16:09bit more digital, a little bit more off-site since COVID started, how do you feel the appetite
16:15is for those kind of sales compared to the on-site sales?
16:18Do you think clients still mostly want to be on-site or they're getting more comfortable
16:21with the online version of the sales?
16:24I think it's a bit of both, you know.
16:25I think for the most part, you know, if you're going to spend a significant amount of money,
16:29like upwards in six figures, you know, I think most people want to have somebody on-site
16:32to see the horse and obviously physically inspect them, the greater investment you're
16:36going to have.
16:37Obviously, you want to, you know, do every aspect of your due diligence that you should.
16:41But you know, for the lower to, you know, middle range horses, I think it's been revolutionary.
16:45You know, like, I mean, last September we were back here and we were selling horses
16:49with no reserve for 50, 70 grand.
16:51I mean, it was crazy, you know, horses just walking up there and the internet was all
16:55over the place, you know.
16:56So when you give them all that information online, videos, veterinary work, you know,
17:02all that kind of stuff where they can have confidence, I think it correlates to bids.
17:06Chance, we're here in the center of the universe of horse racing in Kentucky.
17:12You come from a horse racing perspective, perhaps the exact opposite.
17:16How the heck does a guy from Utah be now sitting here involved as a major player in the thoroughbred
17:23horse racing business right here again in the heart of the business in Kentucky?
17:28I mean, Utah, there will never be a racetrack in Utah, ever.
17:32Well, there's a couple racetracks.
17:35Not nearly as many though, right?
17:37Not nearly as notable as this place.
17:40There is a dirt surface and horses running around in a circle.
17:44But no, I'm just lucky, Bill, to be honest.
17:47Like, I've been really fortunate to have a couple really good breaks.
17:50The Race for Education gave me a scholarship out of high school.
17:53Elizabeth Jensen and Bill Kasner speared that up for a long time.
17:56I was fortunate to get on the flying start.
17:59And, you know, some really good friends and good contacts.
18:02You know, Jerry Duffy has been a really close friend of mine that's put me in a really good spot on numerous occasions.
18:09And my father-in-law, Bobby Spalding, have been really close, dear friends and contacts that have helped me get to this point.
18:18So I'm lucky, for sure.
18:20And Chance, you guys handle so many different aspects of the industry with the breeding side and the selling.
18:26And obviously you're trying to recruit fillies off the racetrack.
18:29What is your favorite day on the calendar?
18:32Is it Kentucky Derby Day? Is it the first day of the September sale?
18:36It can't be anniversaries or birthdays.
18:39What's your favorite racing day of the year?
18:42Well, if it's a racing day, I really enjoy Saratoga.
18:47You know, that's one of my favorite times of the year.
18:50To be honest, you know, what we do and every consigner and salesperson will attest to it, and buyer, it's hard.
18:58You know, it's a lot of work.
18:59You know, when you work a sale on any side of it, it's a lot of work.
19:02Saratoga is a riot.
19:04Like, I mean, it's so much fun and the numbers are manageable.
19:07You're there for a prolonged period of time.
19:09You get experience, you know, the best stock, you know, on the racetrack as well as in the sales ring.
19:14So I really treasure that time.
19:16I really enjoy going up there every year.
19:19You know, but from the sales aspect, I love day of sale day.
19:24Like, one of the things I enjoy the most is, you know, bright and early mornings on sale day trying to figure out who's on the horse,
19:30how much they're going to bring, you know, all the intricate details that go into, you know, getting that horse sold.
19:36And it's a real buzz.
19:37I got to say, as a Saratoga evangelist, this is the closest I've ever gotten to Saratoga.
19:42This is my first time here.
19:44It's been amazing.
19:45Do you remember your first time and how it felt to be here?
19:48Yeah. Funny enough, when I was going to school in the University of Arizona,
19:52United Tote needed some help with some students to train some new tellers on the new tote system.
19:59So they recruited us from U of A in the racetrack industry program.
20:03And we came out here and we actually went to Belmont as well training the tellers.
20:07So we got paid to come and go to the races, which I thought was amazing.
20:12But I remember coming here and walking around to the training track and walking up and like I was just, you know,
20:17like Bill referenced, I'd never seen anything like this place, you know.
20:20So that's a little different than the bush tracks in Utah.
20:23Absolutely.
20:24Well, Chance, we really appreciate you stopping by.
20:26I know it's a busy week for you and best of luck with the sale.
20:28Awesome. Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it.
20:30Great stuff.
20:32The TDN Writer's Room is brought to you by Lane's End.
20:34This week's Lane's End Stallion of the Week is City of Light.
20:37Yearlings by City of Light were on fire at the sales last year and they've continued to blow up at the two-year-old sales.
20:41We cannot wait to see his horses on the track.
20:43I think there's such high anticipation and excitement for his first crop.
20:47He stands for $60,000.
20:49So if you get in, get in now because that price might go up.
20:52We'll be right back after this message from Lane's End.
20:58City of Light.
20:59A multiple Grade 1 winner with $5.6 million in earnings.
21:03Winner of the Grade 1 Malibu.
21:05The Grade 1 Triple Bend.
21:07The Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, posting a 1.10 buyer.
21:11And the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup, posting a 1.12 buyer.
21:15The best son to date of leading stallion Quality Road.
21:19City of Light stands to continue his sire's legacy at Lane's End.
21:26With some of the fullest fields in the country and quality racing year-round,
21:31there's never been a better time to reap the rewards of breeding and racing in Kentucky.
21:37Purse money in Kentucky is at an all-time high,
21:40as is average purse per race, outpacing California, Florida, and New York.
21:46Kentucky breads.
21:47Breed them.
21:48Raise them.
21:49Race them.
21:51We all win.
21:52The TDN Writer's Room is brought to you by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders.
21:56This year, Kentucky breads won every single 100-point race on the Kentucky Derby Trail,
22:01so that field's going to be loaded with Kentucky breads.
22:03But let's talk about the even more important Kentucky breads,
22:05the foals that I went to see on the farm yesterday.
22:08It was great to see all the babies,
22:10and it really added to the experience of coming down here to horse country.
22:13So those Kentucky breads, you know, they're a money machine.
22:16You see those $100,000 purse per race,
22:18It's going to be even better at Churchill, so check them out.
22:21So let's talk a little bit of racing.
22:23It was a beautiful, beautiful weekend at Keeneland.
22:25There was a ton of great racing, big fields, like Tony was talking about.
22:28It's really probably the best betting product until Saratoga, I would say.
22:33There's nothing else that really compares.
22:35But outside of Keeneland, there were a couple of big performances.
22:38Obviously, the headliner for the weekend was LaTruska and the Apple Blossom.
22:42Successfully, they won the race.
22:44The headliner for the weekend was LaTruska and the Apple Blossom.
22:47Successfully defending her title, holding off Clary Eyre,
22:50who I think is going to have a pretty big year.
22:52I mean, at this point, what else is there to say about LaTruska?
22:55You know, as long as they don't do anything outside the box,
22:58like run against males or something like that, there really isn't.
23:01I mean, other than the Breeders' Cup distaff,
23:03which was the pace meltdown, and she had a perfect,
23:06she's just a machine, Joe.
23:07I mean, she just goes out there and does her job.
23:10And it was an interesting race.
23:11There were only five horses in the race.
23:13What a good field it was.
23:14You had another champion in Sisi.
23:16You had, of the five horses, four were grade one winners in there.
23:20So she really, you know, got the job done.
23:23It looks now that, so she beat one champion in Sisi.
23:27It looks like now she's going to face another champion in Malathat,
23:31who ran the day before here at Keeneland.
23:33I don't know if we're going to talk more about that race or not.
23:35But in the June 10th Ogden Phipps at Belmont.
23:39So, you know, there's no easy path for her right now because that division,
23:45as it has been for the last couple of years, is pretty loaded.
23:47So, you know, I think it'll be interesting, too, that, you know,
23:51she was a Horse of the Year candidate last year,
23:53and to a point where she didn't come through in the Breeders' Cup.
23:56Now, she's going to, there's so many good male horses out there,
23:59she's going to need to have a situation where nobody really flourishes
24:02to be able to become Horse of the Year.
24:05But, you know, it'll be interesting to see what they do.
24:08Now, Malathat, on the other hand, she's an interesting horse.
24:11She's also a win machine, but she never impresses you.
24:15She just goes out there and, you know, at the 316th pole,
24:20she's kind of right there and grinds away.
24:22And the next thing you know, she's a half length in front.
24:24But take nothing away from her, all she does is win.
24:27But, you know, she's the best horse I can remember in a long time,
24:32that every time she runs, she's like, OK, you know.
24:37And just going back to Latruska, you know, you mentioned that she was in a race,
24:41five horse field, four of them were grade one winners.
24:43But she had to run a lifetime best buyer number to win.
24:47She tied her lifetime best with a 103 buyer in this race.
24:51And, you know, in a race that was jam-packed with really top horses,
24:56and my other takeaway is the fact that, you know, she's six years old.
24:59They didn't have to run her this year.
25:01They could have cashed in, they could have bred her to, you know,
25:03the top stallions in the world if they wanted to.
25:05But instead, they brought her back.
25:07And as a six-year-old, as a six-year-old, she's, you know,
25:10hitting lifetime best numbers and looks like she's, you know,
25:13going to continue to improve.
25:15So for me, it was the weekend was all about Latruska
25:18and the fact that she just keeps on winning and keeps on beating,
25:22as you said, a very deep field of fillies and mares.
25:25Yeah, I mean, I'm totally with Bill, by the way, on Malathot.
25:28She's like the winningest horse I've never been impressed by.
25:31You know, it's one of those things where she's just a grinder.
25:34And I feel like often she doesn't look like she's going to win.
25:38I would say that's the most impressive thing.
25:40Sometimes you see her getting scrubbed down on the turn,
25:42and you think, well, today's the day that she gets taken down,
25:44and she does find a way to win.
25:46But a couple of other interesting horses I wanted to mention
25:48from Saturday at Keeneland, because there were some other stakes,
25:50with the Elkhorn Channelmaker, who I was completely against.
25:53I was, like, against Channelmaker at, like, 8-5 or 9-5,
25:56and then he wins at 7-2, and I'm like, should have just used him.
26:00But it was nice to see that, because he had gone off form a little bit.
26:03And we don't want to talk about a war horse,
26:05a horse that shows up year after year after year
26:07in these big marathon turf races.
26:09So I thought it was good to see him get back on form.
26:12And the other horse was, who I think might be all right,
26:14is Skaldig in the Ben Alley, the Shug horse.
26:18He's a horse that I was, again, I was against on Saturday.
26:22You can tell how my day went.
26:24And I was against him at Tampa, but he just keeps getting better.
26:27He's a lightly raced horse.
26:29I think maybe on the lower levels of the handicapped division,
26:32he can make some noise.
26:33And the thing about a Shug horse is you expect him to keep getting better.
26:36You don't think that they're going to top out and then fall off.
26:39And similarly to Latruska, I think that's what's so impressive about her,
26:42especially the fillies and mares.
26:44I feel like sometimes it's hard for them to keep their form
26:46year after year after year.
26:48So the fact that she's still out here in top form as a 6-year-old,
26:51it speaks to the training job that Fausto Gutierrez does,
26:53and it speaks to the mare and her desire to race, I think.
26:56I want to jump in on what John said about bringing her back as a 6-year-old.
27:00And it's great, but it's not that unique right now.
27:03The trend in racing is, okay, the male horses are going to be retired
27:07as soon as possible.
27:08We all know that.
27:10But the trend now is people are keeping these fillies and mares in training.
27:14They are running at 5.
27:15They are running at 6.
27:16I mean, we don't see them whisked off into the breeding shed after 3,
27:21not necessarily even after 4.
27:23And to me, horses like Latruska, and then you go back, of course,
27:27to Zenyatta and Rachel, and plenty others in between,
27:30they're becoming, to me, these horses, they're the stars of the game
27:34because they're going to not race 7 times.
27:37They're going to run 3, 4, 5, maybe 6.
27:42Who knows?
27:43The owner is one of the wealthiest men in the world.
27:47Maybe he just says, I couldn't care less about whatever I can get
27:51from breeding her.
27:52Maybe he'll run her next year.
27:53Who knows?
27:54But it's a nice trend.
27:55And the other thing too is, and I've written about this before,
27:59all the horses that are getting into the Hall of Fame now are all fillies
28:02because nobody, okay, the horse ran 7 times.
28:04I'm putting that horse in the Hall of Fame.
28:05So you have to go back to American Pharaoh, I think,
28:08is the last male horse, and obviously he gets in because of winning
28:12the Triple Crown.
28:13But it's an interesting trend in racing.
28:15So go girls.
28:17Right.
28:18Exactly.
28:19And the other takeaway from the weekend is baby races are starting.
28:21There were a couple of baby races here at Keeneland,
28:24and that just brings a whole new crop of potential horses in.
28:28And everyone is – what's the old saying?
28:31You never – no, I can't say that saying.
28:35Sorry.
28:36Well, now I want to know what it was.
28:38That's an off-the-air saying.
28:40But spring is upon us.
28:42There's babies that are running, and they're all undefeated.
28:45I've got an interest in the baby race.
28:47John, did you notice that today is Tuesday, both yesterday and today,
28:51Parks had two-year-old races at two furlongs.
28:54And there was a horse in the race today, I don't know the name of the horse,
28:58that ran in the four-and-a-half-furlong.
28:59So he's turning back from four-and-a-half furlongs.
29:01Right, wow.
29:02So you have to wonder, how can he handle – I think it's a filly.
29:04How can she handle the turn back from four-and-a-half?
29:06But more importantly, to your point from last show, she's running two weeks later.
29:10Yes, exactly.
29:11So there's a horse that's running every two weeks.
29:13You don't have anybody ready for the two-furlong races, John?
29:15I probably do, but we want to make sure that we're showcasing them.
29:20Because I don't think that the winner of the two-furlong race is going to be a rising star.
29:23I just have that anticipation.
29:25So that's why we're not running for it.
29:26He's so bitter.
29:27He's so bitter about the idea of a rising star.
29:29You ought to make the horse a rising star just to piss him off.
29:31Exactly.
29:32Then he can stop bitching.
29:33The fastest two-furlongs in the history of parks racing.
29:36The only two-furlongs in the history of parks racing.
29:38That's interesting.
29:39I wonder what the stats are for the cutback from four-and-a-half to two-furlongs.
29:43What's the ROI on that trainer?
29:45That's a money angle right there.
29:48The Green Group Guest of the Week is sponsored by The Green Group,
29:50an accounting, tax, consulting, and advisory firm specializing in the thoroughbred industry.
29:54With over 500 clients in the horse business, they have proven strategies to save you taxes.
29:58You can learn more about how they can help you at www.greenco.com.
30:02So we don't have a Green Group Guest of the Week this week,
30:04because everybody is the Green Group Guest of the Week.
30:06And shout-out to Len Green, John's dad and the founder of the Green Group,
30:10being so generous with all the tax consultations and everything.
30:13He's always been a big supporter of the show and a big fan of the show.
30:16So we always love and appreciate Len's support.
30:19So I hope these tax consultations don't put you out of business,
30:22because we've got three guys today, and then maybe me at some point.
30:26I mean, the tax consultation.
30:28But yeah, so shout-out to Len and shout-out to all the Green Group Guests of the Week for stopping by.
30:32And we'll be right back after this message from the Green Group.
30:36Why do the most successful owners, breeders and horsemen select the Green Group as their tax advisor?
30:40We simply save them money and know how to make them more successful.
30:43Over the past 40 years, founder Leonard Green has owned and bred some of the best racehorses in the history of the sport.
30:48His in-depth, hands-on industry knowledge combined with cutting-edge tax-saving strategies
30:53has produced positive results for his clientele
30:55and has made the Green Group the top-rated accounting and tax firm in the business.
30:58For a confidential and complimentary consultation, contact us at 732-634-5100
31:04or visit our website at www.greenco.com.
31:07The Green Group. Proven strategies to save you taxes.
31:29The TDN Writers' Room is brought to you by XBTV.
31:32This week's XBTV Workout of the Week is Messier.
31:35It went five pro longs in 59-4 Saturday at Santa Anita.
31:39It's going to be ridden by John Velasquez in the Kentucky Derby.
31:42Maybe a little bit of a forgotten horse on the board.
31:44Might get a little bit of a price that you wouldn't have gotten.
31:59But you can check out his work and all of the Kentucky Derby contenders' works at XBTV.com.
32:03Just search the horse's name. It's almost certainly there.
32:06So now we're going to bring in our last guest, Mike Stidham, a little late addition to the show.
32:10Thank you so much for coming on.
32:11Thanks for having me.
32:12It's great to have you.
32:13We've talked to you on the show before, but it's great to meet you in person.
32:16I want to ask about the big horse, Mr. Guide,
32:19because he was one of my favorite horses in the handicapped division last year.
32:22Obviously, he had that incredible run in the Dubai World Cup.
32:26He just came back recently to the work tab, I believe.
32:28I saw him work this weekend at Keeneland.
32:30How's he doing? How are you feeling?
32:31What kind of campaign are you thinking with for him?
32:34Right now, he's had two works here at Keeneland.
32:37Both works were just in hand and not really being asked to do a whole lot,
32:43but he made it through both works well.
32:46We've kept him here at Keeneland because Dr. Bramlage has kind of been watching his progress.
32:52We've been pleased with the way he's come out of both works.
32:56What we're hoping for is we're looking to start a campaign maybe at Belmont,
33:03looking at maybe the Suburban, Whitney, Jockey Club, Gold Cup
33:07are the races that we would be focusing on
33:10that would hopefully bring us back here to Keeneland for the Breeders' Cup.
33:14For sure.
33:15Mike, good morning. Thanks for joining us.
33:17You have the kind of operation where you can run in any one of maybe half a dozen tracks
33:22around the eastern part of the U.S., etc.
33:25To me, it's interesting. You're here at Keeneland.
33:28How much are you looking at this purse structure in Kentucky now?
33:32There was an allowance race the other day, one for $130,000 here at Keeneland.
33:37For you, how much of the purses do you weigh when you make your decisions
33:43where you're going to put your horses?
33:45Without a doubt, the purse structure is important,
33:49but we also have a circuit that we've traveled well on.
33:55We have a barn at Fairhill owned by one of our clients, David Ross.
34:00It's a beautiful setup at Fairhill.
34:03I don't know if you've been there, but they have a tapita track, a dirt track,
34:07they have grass gallops.
34:10We've really worked well out of Fairhill ever since Arlington's demise,
34:17and it's worked for us.
34:19That's more what we try to do that works for us rather than just go after the big purses.
34:27That's our program.
34:30Mike, when you're over in Dubai and you're getting a horse ready for that race,
34:36is there something different or special that you're doing to get the horse
34:40acclimated to the new region and the new racetrack and things like that?
34:45Walk our audience through what you did to prepare Mystic Guide for a big race like that.
34:51Other than there being 12 million reasons to be there,
34:57it was an amazing journey.
35:01Hillary, my assistant, and I had never been over there.
35:06It's like no other trip.
35:10You get treated like royalty.
35:12The horses get treated amazingly.
35:15We were treated really well.
35:19Anyway, it is a different structure than what we have over here from a training standpoint.
35:26The walk to the barn is almost a two-mile walk for the horses.
35:31It's almost an hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes from the time they leave the barn
35:36until they gallop and get back to the barn.
35:39That's different for them.
35:41Luckily, Mystic Guide seemed to flourish from it.
35:45He loved the routine.
35:48I thought, oh, my God, this is going to be really taxing on him,
35:52and it's going to take something out, and he might get out of the feed tub.
35:56More than anything, he just seemed to blossom over there and do well at the right time.
36:02Like I say, the other difference is going over for the race,
36:07you leave the barn about two hours before the race
36:10because you have to be vanned from the barn to the staging area
36:15where they have these different places to go.
36:19He was pre-race tested before the race,
36:23and he had to go to another area, and we would put the bridle and all that equipment on.
36:29I must say I was concerned back there because he was getting pissed off.
36:35He was hot.
36:37He didn't like being stuck in the stall while they tested him.
36:40I had to ask them to let him come out a little sooner than they expected.
36:45There was a lot of things going on that concerned me.
36:51Then we get to the saddling area and going onto the track, a loose horse.
36:58Now we've got a postponement, and Mystic Guide is over there slamming himself against the pony and getting hot.
37:06Then we get to the gate, a horse goes under the gate, and now we've got another postponement,
37:12and they're sticking microphones in my face saying,
37:16what are you thinking, and I'm thinking, this is a disaster.
37:20How is he going to overcome this?
37:24Somehow it worked, and it was amazing.
37:28It was a lot, but the horse was able to overcome it.
37:33I wanted to ask you a sale question because we've got the Horses of Racing Age sale coming up here at Keeneland on Friday.
37:38There's a little bit more of an advent of the Horses of Racing Age, the hybrid sales, the digital sales.
37:43I feel like the sales environment and the schedule is evolving a little bit.
37:47You train a lot of homebreds, but you're no stranger to the sales, too.
37:50What's your feeling about that?
37:52Do you think clients are down for that, or do they prefer a more traditional sale experience?
37:56Personally, I think the COVID experience pushed us into this.
38:05I think people were reluctant in the beginning because they were like, what is this?
38:11It's all online stuff, but I think everybody's getting very comfortable with it.
38:16I think it's a plus, and I think it's going to help the sales industry a lot.
38:20I really do.
38:22We've actually had a few in these sales, and it's worked well for us.
38:27Mike, you had an interesting winner over the weekend.
38:29Penny Baker won the Heavenly Cause stakes at Laurel, first time over in the U.S.
38:33Looks like a nice prospect. What can you tell us about this horse?
38:36That's a filly that came to me.
38:38I didn't even know she was coming.
38:40Michael Banahan called, who is the racing manager now for Godolphin,
38:47and said, we've got a filly that won her last four on synthetic tracks over there.
38:52She's got a dirt pedigree, and we're going to bring her over here
38:56and want you to work her on the dirt and see what you think.
39:00We worked her on the dirt, and from the first work on the dirt,
39:03it was like she was under a stranglehold.
39:06We put her behind horses, she took dirt in her face,
39:08worked her out of the gate, she worked great.
39:11We were pretty confident going into the race.
39:14Going right into a stake race on a surface she had never run on was concerning,
39:20but you could see from the minute she broke out of the gate,
39:24she put herself in position.
39:26The rider, all he had to do was steer her,
39:30and he had a ton of horse turning for home.
39:33We're excited about her, and I think based on the way she won
39:39and the number she ran, I think graded stakes company is in her future for sure.
39:45Great.
39:46Mike, my last question is, one of the things that's on the horizon right now,
39:5010 weeks away, is the Heiser rules being implemented.
39:53What does it mean to you, and is it enough?
39:56Well, I think it's much needed.
39:59I think we need a central voice to guide us on a lot of different areas, medication,
40:09even the situation on the shoeing where we're all going to have to use the same
40:16queen's plate type of shoe.
40:19My blacksmith made a good comment.
40:21He says, I can get rid of my weather app and my grinder now.
40:26I never have to worry about that again because we're all going to have to use
40:30the same shoe.
40:31So those kind of things are important.
40:32I mean, I think we need someone to say this is what we're going to do,
40:37and we're all going to do it the same way, and we all get on a level playing field.
40:41It's important for the industry.
40:43Uniformity.
40:44Absolutely.
40:45Something sorely needed.
40:46Well, Mike, thank you so much for stopping by.
40:48It's great to talk to you.
40:49Great to meet you.
40:50You're a Jersey guy, too, so you're automatically good with us here at this
40:53show.
40:54So thanks, Mike.
40:55Absolutely.
40:57Thanks for having me.
40:58The TDN Writer's Room is brought to you by West Point Thoroughbreds.
41:00Joining a West Point Thoroughbreds partnership can vault you into the world
41:03of instant camaraderie among people surrounding high-class horses and stakes
41:06action for a fraction of the cost of trying to do it on your own.
41:09You can learn more at westpointtv.com.
41:12And just right here, West Point had a really impressive winner on Sunday,
41:16It was an expensive son of Gormley, one off by 11-plus lengths for Doug O'Neill,
41:20so congratulations to the partners.
41:21Looks like you got a promising 3-year-old there.
41:24And also last week, West Point was super busy at the OBS April sale,
41:27including purchasing the third highest lot of the entire sale,
41:30the $1.7 million son of Tappet.
41:32So always some exciting things on the horizon for West Point.
41:35We'll be right back after this message from West Point Thoroughbreds.
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42:08Being a small family business, I guess we're part of a dying breed.
42:11We're really grateful for the people that entrust us.
42:13We know it's a huge responsibility.
42:15We're always with your horse, every step of the way.
42:19When it comes to being at the sales ground, showing your horses, we are with your horse.
42:23Just driving up and down the road every day,
42:25there's not a time that I don't look out and feel a responsibility to the sport, the animal,
42:29the people that come to invest in the game.
42:31I want to see as many people enjoy this sport as they possibly can,
42:34because we do have the most beautiful sport in the world.
42:36The TDN Riders Room is brought to you by Legacy Bloodstock.
42:39If you think that 50 years combined experience in the horse business could benefit your program,
42:43give Tommy or Wendy a call.
42:44They personally advise on each horse as if they were their own.
42:472021 was a tremendous year for Legacy Bloodstock.
42:50Stock 90% of the hips they offered at Keeneland September sold.
42:53It's a remarkable clearance rate.
42:55And just a touch below that, 88% at Keeneland November.
42:58And Legacy grads have already earned over $2.3 million.
43:02A small outfit that's really competing with the big boys, I would say,
43:05on a daily basis, on a weekly basis.
43:07So check them out.
43:08Yearling sales season is right around the corner.
43:20All right, so I guess that's going to do it for this week's edition of the TDN Riders Room.
43:23Live from Keeneland.
43:24Well, not live.
43:25Patty keeps telling me not to do it.
43:26I'm going to do it.
43:27I'm going to do it.
43:28I'm going to do it.
43:29Riders Room, live from Keeneland.
43:30Well, not live.
43:31Patty keeps telling me not to say live.
43:33On scene at Keeneland.
43:34I had a great time.
43:35I had a good old time with you guys, with the whole crew.
43:38How's it been for you?
43:39I mean, this is like going to fantasy camp.
43:42You know, between the racing and the sales coming up and the beautiful weather,
43:46the really nice people, the ambiance.
43:48I mean, I would think that, Bill, this is like Fenway Park for you, right?
43:51Coming to Keeneland.
43:52Well, first of all, the beautiful weather.
43:54What are you talking about?
43:55I'm freezing, John.
43:56But I mean, that's an interesting comparison.
43:57You know, old, historic, majestic, classy type place.
44:03The institution.
44:04Exactly.
44:05That's a good way to put it.
44:06Institution.
44:07So never a bad day at Keeneland.
44:08And no Yankee fans here either.
44:09Which is the other nice thing for you.
44:10Thank goodness.
44:11Yeah.
44:12Yeah.
44:13Let's go Yankees.
44:14I'll start a chant.
44:15No, but it's been so much fun.
44:16We want to thank everybody at Keeneland for putting us up in this beautiful setting.
44:20Couldn't ask for anything more.
44:22Had such a great time.
44:23I'll definitely be back.
44:24The only regret I have from this trip is I didn't stay long enough.
44:27So I'll definitely be back in the fall.
44:29So thank you to everybody for watching.
44:30Thanks to Bill.
44:31Thanks to Bill Finley, John Green.
44:33Our Green Group guests of the week, Chance Tim, Mike Stidham, and Tony Lacy.
44:37Our producer, Patty Wolfe.
44:38Our associate producer, Katie Petruniak.
44:39And our editors, Anthony LaRocca and Leah LaRocca.
44:42And Nathan Wilkinson, who's right here.
44:44Appreciate you guys coming out.
44:45So we'll see you next week.
44:47Back on Zoom.