Erin Birkenhauer

The seventh panel of the OwnerView Virtual Thoroughbred Owner Conference held Tuesday, Aug. 15, is now online, the organization said in a release early Thursday. The session featured bloodstock agents Erin Birkenhauer, Marette Farrell and Mike Ryan, plus auctioneer Tom Biederman discussing horse selection and the bidding process at Thoroughbred auctions. The panel was moderated by OwnerView's project manager, Gary Falter. Topics included yearling sales, buying 2-year-olds, buying horses in training, the importance of vet records and conformation. "For people getting into the business for the first time, a great...

West Point Thoroughbreds partner Lisa Bell has been nervous for plenty of horse races, having owned dozens of horse through the syndicate over the years including 2017 GI Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming (Bodemeister), but the butterflies in her stomach were at an all-time high on Sunday at Saratoga as Phantom Smoke (Ghostzapper) looked to give West Point its 1,000th win. "We were all on pins and needles and when Phantom Smoke broke out of the gate before the race, it was obviously not the start that we wanted," Bell...